Chapter 23: The Storm is Set to Break

An endless and pristine field of white lay before Ruby. She was trudging through snowdrifts that came up above her knees, following a tiny blip on the scroll in her hand as she desperately searched for Yang. At least the storm had finally passed, leaving a beautiful sky of pure blue in its wake.

The flight back to Atlas from Creek Basin Mine had been agonizing for Ruby knowing that her sister was in danger. She'd wanted to turn the airship around and go looking for Yang immediately, but Weiss had convinced her that they couldn't do that. It had been more important to get all the evacuated mine workers to safety. However, Weiss hadn't been idle during the trip home. She'd arranged for a smaller, faster airship to be waiting for her and Ruby. And the moment they'd landed in Atlas, they'd left May behind to oversee getting all the workers off the airship in an orderly manner and had gone racing back again to the north in search of Yang.

Between the flights both from and back to Creek Basin Mine, it was actually the morning on the day after the evacuation, but in some ways Ruby supposed it was better that they'd arrived now. It would've been nearly impossible to search for Yang in the dead of night.

Ruby paused as she reoriented herself in the direction her scroll was indicating. Now that she was no longer moving, her knees began to tremble. She was wearing a pair of winter leggings which, while warm, hadn't been designed with wading through deep snow in mind. They had quickly gotten soaking wet, and now the soggy garment was clinging to Ruby's skin. Ruby could barely feel her feet much less her toes anymore, but she didn't have time to worry about that. She had to find Yang. The signal she was receiving was strong, so Yang must have been nearby. But all Ruby could see around her was snow and a wall of towering cliffs ahead.

Ruby grabbed her wrist with her free hand. She squeezed and felt the metal of the good luck charm that she wore on her bracelet push into her skin under her coat sleeve. She said, "Come on, Yang. Where are you?"

Weiss finally caught up with Ruby. She also had her scroll in her hand to help home in on Yang's signal.

Weiss asked, "Anything?"

"Not yet," Ruby said.

"We have to be getting close," Weiss said. "Let's keep moving."

Ruby started trudging forward again. The signal continued to get stronger, but Ruby still couldn't see anything. She started to fear that Yang had been buried alive under the snow.

Weiss suddenly asked, "What's that?"

Ruby glanced up. Weiss was pointing at something, and Ruby followed her finger. That's when she saw it, a spot of red on the nearest cliff face.

Ruby started pushing forward as fast as she could through the snow. As she closed in on her target, she saw that it was a red bandana tied around a bit of rock jutting out from the cliff. She walked right up to the bandana and untied it. Once she'd unrolled it, she saw her dad's crest emblazoned on it.

Weiss caught up to Ruby again. She looked at the bandana and said, "That's got to be your sister's."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "But where is she?"

Ruby surveyed the area surrounding her, trying her best to not get frustrated. But just when she was about to move on, she spotted an opening in the side of the cliff right next to where the bandana had been tied. She hadn't noticed it at first because it was almost entirely covered by snow. Only the very, very top of it was visible.

Ruby bent down next to the opening and called into it, "Yang? Are you in there?"

A few agonizingly long seconds ticked by, but then Yang's voice drifted out of the cave. "Ruby? Is that you?"

An overwhelming sense of relief washed over Ruby. She brought the bandana to her lips and kissed it. Then she shoved the bandana and her scroll into her pockets. She started scooping armfuls of snow away from the hole in the cliff as rapidly as she could, shouting, "Weiss! She's here! Hurry!"

"Ruby, stand back a moment," Weiss said.

Ruby glanced over her shoulder and saw that Weiss had drawn Eiszapfen.

Ruby backed away from the cliff. A look of concentration crossed Weiss's face, and a purple glow enveloped the snow around Yang's shelter. The power of the gravity Dust in Weiss's dagger suddenly caused a huge mound of snow to "fall" up and away from the cliff. It arced through the air before settling back down to the ground in a gentle cascade of snowflakes.

The way into Yang's shelter was clear now, and Ruby rushed over to it. She had to get down onto her hands and knees to fit inside, but she quickly managed to crawl through the opening in the side of the cliff

Ruby poked her head into what turned out to be a tiny cave. It was surprisingly warm thanks to a small Dust-powered space heater that was merrily blazing away. Yang was sitting against one of the rocky walls with a blanket covering her. She looked dirty and exhausted but otherwise alright.

Ruby crawled the rest of the way into the shelter. If she'd had room to stand, she would have given Yang a big hug. As it was, she put her hand on Yang's shoulder and said, "Yang! I'm so glad we found you! How'd you even end up in here?!"

Yang patted Ruby's hand a few times. She said, "I'll explain everything later."

Weiss was crouching in front of the shelter's entrance now. She said, "You look terrible, Yang."

"Hello to you too, Weiss," Yang said, although her tone lacked the usual sarcastic edge that Ruby would've expected.

Weiss asked, "Are you injured?"

"I'll be fine," Yang said.

"Let me rephrase that," Weiss said. "Where are you injured?"

"It doesn't matter," Yang said.

Ruby let go of Yang. She gave her a stern look and scoldingly said, "Yang…!"

Yang sighed. She hesitated for a moment, but then she lowered her blanket.

Ruby gasped. There was a rough hole punched in Yang's jacket just above where it exposed her navel, and there was a lot of dried blood both on the jacket and sticking to Yang's skin. There were even some bloody bandages lying on the ground next to Yang that had been hidden underneath her blanket. But most concerning of all was a patch of recently healed skin that was about the size of Ruby's fist and still very red and inflamed.

"What happened!?" Ruby exclaimed.

"I got stabbed," Yang said rather matter-of-factly. "Like I said, I'll explain everything later."

"We've got to get you to a doctor!" Ruby declared.

"I don't need a doctor," Yang said. "That's what my aura's for."

"Yang! You were stabbed!" Ruby said.

"It's fine!" Yang insisted.

"Yang," Weiss suddenly interjected in a very serious tone. "Where's Blake?"

The shelter got very quiet. Ruby realized she'd been so worried about finding Yang that she'd completely forgotten about Blake and the concerning messages she'd sent to Weiss. Ruby waited for Yang to answer, but Yang didn't say anything. The look on Yang's face sent dread creeping down Ruby's spine.

Ruby nervously asked, "Yang?"

Yang glanced at Ruby. Then she cast her eyes out at nothing in particular. She said, "Gone."

Ruby swallowed hard. She asked, "Is she…?"

"No," Yang said. "She's alive. She's just…gone."

Silence returned as the weight of Yang's words sunk in.

Eventually, Weiss said, "We should get Yang to the airship. Whatever's happened, we'll all be a lot safer and more comfortable back at my penthouse rather than out here."

"Right," Ruby agreed. "Come on, Yang. Let's get you home."

A few minutes later, Ruby and Weiss were standing outside of Yang's shelter. Yang herself finally crawled out of the cave and stood. She blinked, squinting at the bright sunlight, and brought her hand up to shade her eyes.

Weiss asked Yang, "Can you walk?"

"I told you, I'm fine," Yang said, lowering her hand.

"Ruby, you'd better give your sister a shoulder to lean on," Weiss said.

Yang looked like she was about to object, so Ruby didn't give her the chance. She took Yang's arm and threw it around her own shoulder, saying, "Come on, Yang! The airship's not far."

Yang scowled, but she begrudgingly leaned into Ruby.

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss started trudging back across the snow-covered terrain. It was slow going, but thanks to the trail Ruby and Weiss had already cut through the snow during their search for Yang, the journey was easier than it might otherwise have been. However, they hadn't gotten far before Ruby's scroll started buzzing in her pocket.

Weiss asked, "Who could that be?"

Ruby said, "I don't know."

Everyone paused, and Ruby reached into her pocket. She pulled out her scroll. There was a number she didn't recognize on the screen. Curious, she answered the call, making sure to turn on the speaker so everyone could hear. She said, "Hello?"

"Ruby!" Jaune's voice came from the scroll.

"Jaune?" Ruby responded. She had definitely not expected him to be the mysterious caller.

"I've got good news!" Jaune said.

Good news did sound like a welcome change of pace to Ruby, but something about this call felt off. Although she had no idea what. She asked, "What's that?"

"Me and my team have figured out where Torchwick is hiding!" Jaune cheerfully announced.

Ruby felt her blood pressure spike at the mention of Torchwick's name.

Jaune continued, "If we move quickly, we can take him out. Maybe even before he can get another chance to try to kill Weiss."

Weiss suddenly spoke up. She said, "I'll thank you to refer to me as 'Miss Schnee' if you please."

"Oh! Weiss! I mean…Miss Schnee. You're there too," Jaune said.

"I am," Weiss said. "And I don't recall either of us giving you Ruby's number."

"I tried calling your office, Miss Schnee," Jaune explained. "But I kept getting weird answers from everyone I talked to. Once I finally got to your secretary, she gave me Ruby's number."

Ruby was confused. She assumed Jaune was talking about Rosalie, but giving out her number seemed like the kind of thing Rosalie would have asked her permission for first. She supposed it wasn't that big of a deal. She didn't mind Jaune having her number.

"I see," Weiss said, sounding suspicious. "But regardless, the circumstances that led to Father putting a price on my head have changed. I'm no longer the threat to him that I was."

"Well, yeah, but…. Wait…what?" Jaune said.

"Weiss!" Ruby said. "You can't take that chance! And…. And we need to take down Torchwick. I need to take him down!"

"I know, Ruby," Weiss said.

Jaune said, "Then nothing's changed. But we've got to hurry before Torchwick slips away."

Weiss glanced at Yang for a moment who had been silently listening to the whole conversation. Then she said, "Jaune, meet us at my penthouse. Just you, not your team. Understood? Ruby will message you in a few hours with the address once we're ready for you."

"Great! I'll—" Jaune started to say.

Weiss reached over and hit the button on Ruby's scroll to end the call.

Ruby lowered her scroll and slipped it back into her pocket. She said, "Thanks, Weiss."

"Don't thank me," Weiss said. "Torchwick's a dangerous criminal. It's the right thing to do."

Ruby smiled. She knew that was Weiss-speak for, I'm doing this for you.

Yang finally spoke up again. She said, "That was the Jaune Arc? He looked pretty impressive when I saw him fight, but he really sounds like a wimp."

Weiss's lips pressed together. Then a snicker slipped out of her.

"Really?" Yang asked. "All my awesome jokes and that's what makes you laugh?"

"Puns do not count as jokes!" Weiss shot back. "Or as humor of any kind!"

"Those are fighting words!" Yang playfully said.

Ruby was pleased to see Yang's spirits lift, but then Weiss said, "I think you've been through enough for one day. I'd hate for us to come to blows with you in your present condition."

Yang's mood suddenly seemed to crash again. Rather than continue to verbally spar with Weiss, she got quiet and sullen.

Ruby asked, "Yang? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Yang muttered. "Let's just get back to the airship."

Many hours later, Weiss finally walked into her penthouse with Ruby and Yang following close behind. Yang's aura had been doing its job of knitting her back together, and she'd been able to easily walk on her own once the airship had landed. However, Weiss suspected Yang was still suffering from some very deep emotional wounds. She didn't know what exactly had happened since Yang had in fact not explained everything, despite her saying multiple times that she would. Whatever she was hiding, Weiss knew it couldn't have been good.

Weiss took off her winter coat. She said to Yang, "I'll see about getting a guest room ready for you. I'll also try to find something for you to wear. Your clothes obviously need to be cleaned. Please don't sit on anything before…."

Weiss trailed off as she watched Yang plod over to her living room couch and plop down on it in her dirty, bloody clothes. And if that affront to decency wasn't enough, she then laid down fully on the couch with her boots still on.

Weiss's lips crinkled into an expression of equal parts disgust and outrage.

Ruby quietly said to Weiss, "It's fine. Yang's had a bad day."

"Very well," Weiss said, trying to keep her emotions in check. "But don't sit on that until we've had the chance to have it deep cleaned."

Ruby slipped off her coat as well. Weiss took it from her without even having to ask and carried her and Ruby's coats over to the coat closet. She opened the closet up and hung the coats there because she was a civilized person, she pointedly noted to herself, unlike a certain occupant present in her penthouse.

As Weiss closed the coat closet, there was a knock on the penthouse's door.

Ruby said, "That must be Jaune."

Ruby walked over to the door and opened it up. Jaune was indeed standing on the other side, and he appeared to be alone as Weiss had asked.

"Hi, Jaune!" Ruby said. "Come on in."

"Thanks, Ruby," Jaune said as he stepped into the penthouse. "Good to see you again. You too, Miss Schnee."

Weiss was not pleased Jaune had invaded her personal sanctum, but she did at least logically acknowledge that she'd been the one who had invited him here. It had been for Ruby's sake of course. This was all for Ruby's sake.

As Ruby closed the door, Weiss said, "Let's get right to business. You said you've found Torchwick?"

"Me and my team, yeah," Jaune said. "We've tracked him down to his hideout."

"Let me guess," Weiss said. "An old, abandoned warehouse."

"An old, abandoned factory, actually," Jaune said. "Kind of the same thing, I guess."

"What's your plan then?" Weiss asked.

"Torchwick doesn't know we're onto him," Jaune said. "So the sooner we try to stop him the better. We know his old partner, Neopolitan, is still working with him. But if me, Ren, Nora, and Ruby all ambush him tonight we should be able to take him down quickly."

"That's not much of a plan," Weiss said.

"Does it need to be?" Jaune asked, and he sounded like he was genuinely asking.

"I suppose not," Weiss said. "But if that's what you're doing, then I'm coming with you."

Jaune suddenly looked alarmed. He said, "That's not a good idea! It'll be…dangerous!"

"You mistake me for some frail socialite," Weiss said. "I assure you that's not the case."

"I'm not saying you can't handle yourself, Miss Schnee. I've seen you fight. You're…good," Jaune said. "But Torchwick is the most wanted man on Remnant! He's the guy your father hired to kill you!"

Ruby chimed in, saying, "We can't take any chances with Torchwick, Jaune. We need all the people we can get. Weiss! We should bring May with us too!"

Jaune looked aghast, possibly because of how quickly he was losing control of the situation. He said, "You don't need—"

Weiss ignored Jaune and said, "That's an excellent Idea, Ruby."

Ruby said, "We should call her right now!"

"I was thinking the same thing," Weiss said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll.

Jaune muttered to himself, "Oh boy…."

Weiss found May in her contacts list and tapped on her name. Then she lifted her scroll to her ear.

A moment later, the line connected. May said, "Miss Schnee! Good timing. Well I guess."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"I was just talking with my boss," May said. She sounded disappointed if not outright upset. "You've been officially dismissed from the Company. And that means I've been reassigned."

"I see," Weiss said. She was surprised at the surge of emotion she felt hearing the news of her termination. She'd effectively already been fired, but it still hit her hard knowing the pronouncement had officially been made. Mr. Hail must have called an emergency board meeting to get it done so quickly.

May said, "I want you to know that I'm going to—"

"Stop," Weiss interrupted. "You're about to tell me that you're planning on quitting."

There was a conspicuous pause. Then May said, "Maybe I'm not."

"May, you don't always need to throw away what you've got just to spite whatever authority figure has most recently annoyed you," Weiss said.

"Now you sound like Robyn," May said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Weiss said. "But consider this. I doubt it will be long before I come into conflict with the Schnee Dust Company and its leadership again. On that day I'll need a woman on the inside. I'm hoping that will be you, May. Think about it. You'll get to fight against the establishment and still keep your job. How does that sound?"

"Hmph," May said. But then she added, "I guess that sounds alright, Miss Schnee."

"At this point you'd better just call me 'Weiss'," Weiss said.

"Really? I thought only your girlfriend got to call you that," May quipped.

"Her and select friends as well," Weiss said. "Surely by now we can say that we're friends."

"I think I'd like that. Weiss," May said. "You're alright for an upper-class brat."

"And you're surprisingly tolerable given your pathological need to rebel," Weiss said.

May laughed. Then she said, "Take care of yourself."

"You as well, May," Weiss said. "Ruby and I will be in touch."

Weiss lowered her scroll and hit the button to end the call.

Ruby asked, "No May?"

"May will not be joining us," Weiss confirmed.

Jaune said, "That's too bad, but between the five of us we'll be okay."

"Six!" a voice called out.

Everyone turned and saw Yang standing up from the couch.

"Yang!" Ruby said exasperatedly. "You're still hurt!"

"Not enough to matter," Yang said. Although she was resting her hand on the back of the couch so she could lean on it.

Jaune said, "You're…. Yang Branwen, right? What's a robber from Mistral doing in Weiss Schnee's penthouse?"

"I'm a mercenary," Yang corrected. She didn't offer any more explanation than that.

Weiss marched toward Yang, saying, "It doesn't matter what you are. You're not coming."

"Oh yeah? Why not?" Yang asked.

"Because Ruby is right! You're still injured," Weiss said.

Jaune started to say to Yang, "You should listen to—"

"Shut up!" both Yang and Weiss said simultaneously.

Yang said, "I don't care what you think, Weiss. I'm coming, and you can't stop me."

Weiss considered debating Yang on that last point. It was true that Yang was phenomenally strong, but strength wasn't everything. However, Yang was also phenomenally stubborn.

Ruby said, "Weiss…. I don't like it, but we better let her come with us."

"Fine," Weiss said, although her tone made it clear she wasn't pleased.

Jaune mumbled something unintelligible to himself. He didn't sound pleased either.

Weiss said to Yang, "But if you want to come, a few things are going to happen first!"

"Like what?" Yang asked.

"You are going to take a shower!" Weiss said. "And while you're in there we are going to wash your clothes!"

Yang sighed. She said, "Fine."

Ruby walked over to Yang and took her by the arm. She said, "Come on, Yang! I'll show you where the shower is! You'll love it! It's great!"

Weiss had to bite her tongue as Ruby led Yang away. She'd intended for Yang to use the guest shower, not the much fancier one in the master bathroom. It wasn't easy for her, but she managed to remain silent.

Jaune said, "I guess that's that then."

"Not quite," Weiss said, turning to Jaune. "You're not wrong to be worried about everyone's safety. Torchwick and his partner are extraordinarily dangerous. So you are going to tell me everything you've discovered about him and his hideout."

"Everything?" Jaune asked.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear," Weiss said. "Torchwick is responsible, directly or indirectly, for inflicting horrendous trauma on Ruby. So we will be taking him down tonight. We will do anything and everything in our power to stop him. And if he manages to slip through our fingers, I will hold you personally responsible, understood?"

Jaune gulped. He said, "Understood."

Author's Note: Goodbye for now, May. I may have added you to this story at the last minute, but you really turned out to be critical to making certain things work. Thank you.

Now not to take Jaune's side, but he might have had a point on Weiss not going to confront Torchwick. Still, it's quite the power move deciding to citizen's arrest your own assassin. You go, Weiss!

As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates.