Remnant of Void and Flame

Volume I - Chapter III

The sound of her feet echoed through the alley as she made her way through the city of Mantle. It has been months after the battle for Evergreen City and since then, her life has changed drastically. Gone were the days when she could just walk around freely without a care in the world.

She had expected that after such a long time, the attention would have died down, but it seems like the opposite is true. If anything, her fame has only grown in the past few months.

It was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, she was revered as a hero by many people who looked up to her with hope and admiration. On the other hand, there were also those who looked at her with fear and an unhealthy amount of suspicion, as if she was some sort of ticking time bomb that was just waiting to go off.

A little bit of hacking into the CCT system even revealed that there was a rather sizeable reward on any information regarding her identity. On top of that, apparently General Ironwood of Atlas suggested putting together a specialized squad with the sole purpose of taking her down should she ever become an enemy.

Flattering, really...

What was even more concerning though, was the fact that she had been able to infiltrate the entire system with barely any effort. And to think that she was able to do it remotely, from the comfort of her own home no less. It just goes to show how vulnerable the system really is.

Granted, she did have the advantage of having the memories of a pro-hacker that was contained within the Core of Reason, but even then, it shouldn't have been that easy.

Well, something to think about later on...

She eventually arrived at her destination, a small bar that also served as a gathering place for mercenaries. It was hidden away in a secluded corner of the city, far from the prying eyes of the authorities. Not like it was illegal or anything, but considering the frequent brawls that tends to happen, it was probably for the best.

The door creaked as she pushed it open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the bar, with only a few lanterns providing any sort of illumination. It was quite early in the day so there weren't many people around, just a few stragglers nursing their drinks from last night.

She made her way to the counter, where the owner, a middle-aged man with graying hair, was busy wiping down glasses.

"Hey there sweetheart. What can I get you?" The man greeted with a warm smile.

"Whiskey, on the rock." She replied plainly, before placing a stack of Lien on the counter.

"Coming right up." The man said as he reached for a glass. "Rough day?"

"You could say that." She responded as she propped her elbows on the counter and waited for her drink, her eyes scanning the room for any potential threats. Not that she really expected any trouble, but it was one of the many lesson she learned during her time as a fugitive in ARC City.

Never let your guard down... especially in a place like these.

"So, I take it you're here for the usual?" The man asked as he placed the glass in front of her.

"Mhmm..." She nodded, before reaching into her cloak and retrieving her scroll. "There aren't too many of them, but they're fairly well-armed. You would think that after all this time, they would have given up."

A few taps on the screen later, and a small data drive was ejected from the side. She placed it on the counter and pushed it towards the man.

"Some people just can't let go of the past, I guess." The man sighed as he picked up the drive and handed it to one of his employees. "We still need to check the recording. You know the drill. In the meantime, why don't you take a seat and relax? I'm sure you could use it."

She nodded, before taking her drink and making her way to a corner booth. She sat down and took off her mask, her mind wandering to the man's word.

"Can't let go of the past... is it?" She muttered to herself as she took a sip of her drink. "The irony..."

The liquor burned her throat, but she forced herself to drink it. It was a necessary part of the act, and she didn't want to stand out any more than she already did. Besides, it wasn't like the taste was that bad.

She took another sip, her mind now thinking about the mission. She had offered them a chance to surrender, but they had refused. It was a foolish move on their part, and one that cost them dearly.

She knew what they had done. How their hatred turned them into the very same thing they despise, perhaps even worse. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt with each life she took.

Honestly, she would have left them alone had they been content with attacking only those who are truly guilty. It was their indiscriminate massacre of innocents that she couldn't forgive. Even their fellow Faunus weren't spared, simply because they refuse to be part of their twisted ideology.

She never enjoyed killing, but she understood that it was sometimes... unavoidable. People like them would never stop, not until they were dead. It was necessary, she told herself. It was for the greater good. But even so...

She shook her head, before downing the rest of her drink. There is no point in second-guessing herself now. She had made her choice, and she was going to see it through till the end.

She waited for a few more minutes before the barkeep call her with a satisfied look on his face. Putting her mask back on, she made her way back to the counter.

"It's all good." He said as he slid the data drive across the smooth surface. "Payment has been transferred to your account."

"Thanks." She pocketed the drive, before retrieving her scroll and checking her balance. "Got anything else?"

"Actually, yeah, I got another job that might interest you. And let's just say that it pays quite well." The barkeep said with a wink. "Interested?"

"I'm listening..." She said, her curiosity piqued.

"Nothing too difficult, really... " The man assured her. "Just a simple escort mission, for the Schnee family. I think it's about... ah, a business trip or something?"

"The Schnees?" She echoed, her mind quickly running through the different scenarios. "Why would they hire mercenaries for an escort? They can simply ask the millitary for protection, considering their influence."

"Hell if I know." The man shrugged. "But, well, I think the recent string of White Fang attacks have them a bit on edge. You know, the whole Faunus thing."

She frowned at the information. It was no secret that the Schnees were not the most Faunus-friendly family around, and she knew that they have been the target of several attacks in the past. Most of which were even carried out by the very same group she just dealt with.

Well, its not like she had anything to do for the next few days, and she always did plan on leaving Mantle. Might as well take the job and add a bit more to her savings before heading back to Vale.

"Give me the details."

Jacques Schnee rubbed his temples in frustration as he looked over the proposed itinerary for his upcoming business trip to Mistral. This was going to be a important meeting, and he couldn't afford to have any distractions. Unfortunately, that's exactly what his daughter was - a huge distraction.

He honestly didn't know why she insisted on coming with him. He knew that she hated him and always did her best to keep her distance. Yet now, for some reason he can't seems to grasp, she insisted on accompanying him on this business, even though he made it very clear that he didn't want her there.

Was it out of spite?

He certainly hoped not. Despite what she might think, what everyone might think, he only wanted what was best for her. Her and the rest of his children. He loved them all dearly, even though he might be unable to show it.

He knew that they would be better off without him, but that didn't make the pain any less real. Every day, he had to fight the urge to just reach out and hold them close. To tell them how much he loved them, and how sorry he was for everything.

But he couldn't do that. It wasn't safe. And so instead, he put up a wall between himself and his family. It was the only way to protect them. The only way he knew to keep them safe.

"Father?"

He looked up from the papers to see his daughter standing in the doorway. She looked as pristine as always, not a hair out of place. But he could see the coldness in her eyes. The same coldness that she always directed towards him.

"I hope you're not too busy."

He look at her, but decided against saying anything. It would only lead to an argument and he really didn't have the time for that. Instead, he simply gestured to the stack of papers in front of him.

She frowned but took a seat across from him nonetheless. For a few moments, there was silence as both parties stared at each other. It was an awkward and uncomfortable silence, but neither made a move to break it.

Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. "I just wanted to confirm the details of our trip."

"Our trip?" He repeated, his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Yes, our trip to Mistral." She said matter-of-factly. "I'll be accompanying you, remember?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean? We had already discussed this!"

"Yes, and I've since changed my mind." He said firmly. "You're not coming with me."

"Why not?" She demanded. "I'm the Heiress! It is both my duty and my right to accompany you on business trips!"

He sighed and rubbed his temples again. This... was exactly why he didn't want her to come in the first place. "Weiss, you need to listen to-"

"No, you listen to me!" She interrupted, her voice raised in exasperation. "This is absurd! I am the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company! It is my responsibility to represent the company when needed!"

Her tone left no room for argument and he knew that there was no point in trying to convince her otherwise. She was just as stubborn as he was, and in a way, he was proud of her for that. Even if it did make his life infinitely more difficult.

There was a long moment of silence as they stared at each other, neither willing to back down, before he finally gave in.

"Very well." He relented with a heavy sigh. "You can come with me, but you will listen to everything I say and do exactly as I say. Anything less than that, and you will be immediately sent back home."

"Don't worry, Father." She said coldly. "I have no intention of embarrassing you in front of your business associates."

"See that you don't." He said, his voice carefully controlled. "Now then, since you insist on coming with me, I will have to assign you a bodyguard."

"What?" She exclaimed in disbelief. "No! I don't need some babysitter!"

"Weiss," he said warningly. "Need I remind you of the deal we just made?"

She gritted her teeth but didn't say anything. She knew that he was right, and she really had no room to argue.

"Fine." She said through clenched teeth. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have someone looking out for me."

"Good." He said, pleased that she was finally seeing reason. "I'll have someone assigned to you by the time we depart."

With that, she stood up and marched out of the room without another word. He watched her go with a weary sigh, his heart heavy with sadness.

'Steel your heart, Jacquess...'

One day... one day, they will be able to become a family again. For now, he will do everything within his power to protect them.

Just like any father would...

Author's Note: Wow, didn't expect to actually finish it. See, for some reason, my laptop decided to just go 'BSOD' on me. And no, not blue, but BLACK screen of death. Why!? All I ever did is to put it to sleep before going out to buy some food. The screen is not working, the keyboard is not working... I'm pratically frothing at the mouth here. Ah well, sorry if there is something wrong with the chapter. This is my first time writing an entire chapter using my phone. Anyway, there is a bit of timeskip. Don't worry, the battle will be shown in flashback and maybe one or two side-stories. For now, I'd like to focus on the interaction between Kiana and some of the main cast before the main story begins. You might notice that I've made some change to the story already. No more Jackass Jacquess! At least, I'd like to imagine that there is a good reason for the man to treat his family that way. Hope you people like it! That said, maybe I should go and make some pat pat account. Would certainly help with repairing my laptop and paying for tuition fee. We'll see... I won't keep any of the chapter locked away though... that'll be a d*ck move...

Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.

Psst... here is an alternate story I wrote. In my defense, I'm pretty sure that I wasn't thinking straight when I'm writing this. Still, it would be a waste to just scrap them, so here you go...

-something to think about later on...

She eventually made her way out of the alley and onto the street, where she was met with a rather curious sight.

A group of black-robed children, no older than 10, were standing in a circle with their arm raised, all of them muttering some incomprehensible gibberish. In the middle of them was a single child clad in a white robe, who appeared to be leading the group.

She honestly would have mistaken them for a cult had it not been for the next words that came out from the white-robed child.

"I am the Radiant Blaze! Destroyer of evil!"

...

"Begone, you... you, uh... you stupid Grimm!" Proclaimed the child in a surprisingly deep voice as he wave his arms around dramatically, before taking out what appears to be a sword-shaped balloon. "By the power of justice, I shall vanquish you!"

...

"This is the end for you, monsters!" The child shouted as he ran towards the other children, before proceeding to slash at them with a mighty 'HIIIIIIYAAA!'.

She simply turn and walk away in the opposite direction, her face as red as a tomato.

"Feel the power of my righteous fury!"

Its not like she ran away screaming or anything.

"Look upon my sword and tremble! For I am justice!"

Really, she didn't...

Meanwhile, a pair of guards standing nearby saw the whole incident unfold and simply exchanged confused glances with each other.

"What in Remnant was that about?" One of them asked.

"Beats me... whatever it is, I'm sure that someone else will handle it." Replied the other, before they both look back towards the group of children.

"For the Radiant Blaze!" Shouted one of the children.

"Yeah!!! For our wife!!!" One of the guard exclaimed as he lifted his fist in the air excitedly, before noticing that everyone is looking at him with an incredulous expression. "I- I mean... um..."

"Don't worry about it." The other guard said with a chuckle as he too lifted his fist in the air. "For our wife!!!"

Every man in the area simply stare at them for a few seconds before deciding to follow along.

"FOR OUR WIFE!!!"