Ren handed his weapons to the cops, asking, "If this Reaper guy is after Weiss, why isn't she scratched off his list?"
Ruby glanced at Rayla, who shrugged. Ciri chimed in, "Maybe Reaper is going against orders, sparing her for information or supplies. Everyone needs a friend on the inside."
"Or maybe he wants to kill her later. Right now, what matters is that he didn't," Ruby interjected, heading into the bullhead.
Weiss, feeling disappointed, interjected, "I'm still right here, you guys. I have to say, I'm disappointed in how little you regard me." She shot a pleading look at Ciri.
"I'm sorry, little one. We shouldn't fixate on that when more important things are at hand," Ciri replied, smiling at Weiss. They walked alongside each other. Weiss sighed and sat down next to Ciri, whispering, "I miss you, Cole."
The ride was silent, reminiscent of their old mission days. They communicated through a group chat. Ruby stared out the window. She remembered the necklace and ring, tossing them at Weiss, calling out, "Weiss, heads up!"
Ciri caught the items, asking, "What's this?" as she examined the ring.
Ruby explained, "It was from Cole. He loved you more than we realized. I guess it wasn't a crush after all."
Weiss smiled, putting on the necklace, saying, "Well, from your account, his body was never found. When I find him, I'll kiss him and then punch him in his beautiful marble-carved face."
A few hours later, they landed on a helipad near a parking lot. Weiss decided to stay in the bullhead for now, her ride filled with tears. She wanted some time alone with her thoughts.
Rayla, determined to get answers, declared, "Seeing as you and Yang did the same to Cole, I think I'll do something else to break her down so she knows not to mess with my family." She patted Weiss's arm before heading towards the doors.
Ciri warned, "Rayla, I can take you out with a flick of my hand. Keep that in mind before you threaten my old students." She took out a picture, patted Rayla on the back, and they walked through the doors.
They were greeted by a prison waiting room and metal detectors. "Ah, Rayla, it's good to see you," said a familiar face.
Rayla cut to the chase, "Robin, just scan us in so we can get Ms. Branwen's sister and leave."
Ruby, always direct, angrily clarified, "She's not my sister."
Robin chuckled, "As cold as ever, I see."
Everyone was checked for weapons. When nothing was found, they went through a second screening. A guard grabbed Ruby, saying, "I'm sorry, Ms. Branwen, but I'm going to need that necklace."
Ruby defensively covered it with her hand and stepped back, standing behind Ciri. She calmly but firmly said, "I'm afraid that's not going to happen, sir." Her voice laced with cold anger that only Rayla and her classmates could sense. "This was my mother's, so I won't give it to you."
The guard Insisted, "If that's the case, then I'll ask you to stay here. I'd rather not have to search every prison cell for it." Rayla looked at Ruby and extended her hand, asking, "Do you trust me with it, Rubes?"
Ruby, finally relenting, said, "It's okay, Rayla. Just go get Yang so we can start this mission."
Jaune glanced at everyone and sighed, feeling a mix of accomplishment and a return to his first year at Beacon. Two guards opened the doors, escorting them through cell blocks and a courtyard until they reached the solitary confinement area. Four guards pointed guns at the door as two opened it, urging others to back away.
"Be on guard, miss. This one is easily set off," a guard said, handing Ciri a strange key. Ciri, confused but assuming it was necessary, replied, "Thank you, officer."
Entering a room as large as Cole's old one, soldiers stood ready. In the center, Yang, bound in chains, looked beaten. When the doors closed, hope crossed her face briefly, replaced by despair as a woman took the key to her aura suppression collar.
Rayla signaled the guards to hold fire, circling Yang's cell with the key. "Do you know about me, Yang? Because I know plenty about you." She walked around, playing with the key. "We'll start with your anger management issues."
About to argue, Yang froze at Rayla's eyes-cold and ruthless, like Cole's. Rayla pulled out a file from a shadow, but Ciri intervened, holding real documents and pushing Rayla out, fixing her legs in place.
"My former student is not to be treated like this by you," Ciri warned. "Listen closely, or I'll have you in chains and leave you in here."
Rayla placed the key in the cell door with her shadows, closing it before anyone could stop her. "Stand your dogs down, warden. I'm completely safe in here," she said, becoming black smoke when Yang tried a chain. "See?" she broke down Yang's life, frozen by Ciri, who pushed her to Jaune.
"After you forced Ruby out of your life, thinking she needed to break out of her shell, and in the coming weeks, made her far too nervous to talk to anyone," Ciri said, pointing at Jaune. "Shut up," they both retorted.
"You decimated a city district and half a highway to fight Roman Torchwick in a Paladin," Ciri continued. "Shut your mouth," Yang growled.
"You abandoned Ruby at a club, leaving her to thugs after having sex with a stranger," Ciri said, slapping Yang, leaving a bright red handprint. "Then Cole came in," she continued. "He garnered Ruby's attention. On missions, you realized he was like you, but he could separate being a hunter and a student."
Yang glared back, tears streaming down. "Every mission Ruby went on, you asked for Cole's backup to keep your team safe and to see if he was as slimy as you perceived him to be."
Yang looked away in shame, but Rayla pulled her back with a key in her collar, opening it, and slipped out. "But when those two began to grow close, you got way too protective of her and threatened him. When you lost to him many times after-"
"Shut your mouth," Yang glowered.
Ciri glared back, kicking her in the stomach, sending her into the bed. "Then the worst happened on a mission years ago today, Weiss had been mortally wounded, and he had almost attacked Ms. Branwen." She pulled Yang up, pressing ice dust against her cheek before sitting her down to calmly talk.
"Now normally, one would keep in mind that Cole was already a long since broken man with nothing to lose, nothing to restrain him, and a cause to help you lot was fading quickly. But when he failed to protect the one person he loved like a sister, he only got worse." She unlocked Yang's cuffs, but Yang swung at her.
"Ruby was stabbed in the stomach, tearing her insides apart; by all reports, she's only alive due to luck," the right cuff fell. "Keep talking, and I'll make sure you never speak again," Yang screamed.
"Your sister wouldn't have blamed him for what happened," Ciri said, grabbing her left leg, throwing her into the bars. "Right as she was about to die, Cole healed her. Though it left a scar, she was grateful and said it happens to the best of hunters."
She picked Yang up, putting her on the chair again, smiling just as the fire left her eyes. "Please stop," Yang whimpered.
Ciri was done and was moving to let Yang out when Rayla added, "After your mommy left you and Summer died, after a few years of fame and power trips, you used Cole as a punching bag." Yang broke free, threw Ciri to the side, stood over Yang, and held her by the front of her prison garb.
"You told everyone that Cole was a monster and an unhinged beast, destroying his reputation. Did you ever think about how that made him feel?" Ciri, with a stern expression, continued, "And let's not forget, Weiss suffered a gunshot wound to her stomach during that mission. Yet, you couldn't prevent Cole's further descent into a very deep depression."
Yang, still restrained, winced at the mention of Weiss's injury, realizing the weight of her actions on Cole's deteriorating state.
She dragged Yang out of the cell, slammed her on the floor, kneeling over her. "Ruby, Glynda, and some of the other students and teachers that still thought him to be good gave him a home at Beacon, but you took it away from him that day in the training room. He died a little each day, and you idiots antagonized him. How can you call yourself a sister when you helped break her heart?"
Ciri used her magic to grab her sword and put the blade to Rayla's back, glaring warningly. She stood up, and four guards escorted Rayla out. No one spoke a word. When they reached the security desk, Yang was outfitted with a tracking bracelet and told to stay out of trouble.
"Your community service starts today, Ms. Xiao Long. Give her any reason to send you here again, and I'll personally see to it that you stay here for a long time," the warden said. "And trust me, Ms. Rivia is the worst of the two of us."
"Flattery gets you nowhere, Jack. I'm not interested," Rayla retorted, dismissing any attempts at charm.
Yang sneered and walked through the doors to the waiting room. When she saw Ruby, the sight struck her like a whirlwind of emotion. Ruby had turned out to be exactly like Summer. Her hair flowed halfway down her back, tied and braided. She wore black jeans, a red T-shirt with a rose on the front, and a beautiful ring hanging out of her shirt by a silver necklace. Tears fell from her eyes as she laughed with a couple of guards, Ruby covering her mouth while snorting and thoroughly enjoying the moment.
Rayla helped Ruby up, sharing a few more laughs, bidding farewell to the guards. As they went their separate ways, Rayla walked past Ruby, smiling. Her expression changed when she saw Yang standing there, nervously waving and smiling sheepishly.
"Oh yeah, your community service starts today, huh?" Yang said in a monotone. "Whatever, just stay quiet and follow me." Pointing to Rayla and Ciri, she added, "Obviously, you've met them, but I don't care," before heading towards the doors.
Yang flinched at the dismissal, following her out to the ship where Weiss sat inside, singing "Path to Isolation." The doors opened, and the cold air hit them. Weiss screamed, shivering as she ran for her heavy coat. Yang was surprised to see her, and when she tried to hug her, Ruby intervened, putting her scythe staff to Yang's neck, glaring with cold eyes.
Ruby's demeanor had changed drastically, taller, more developed, and devoid of the old warmth. Ciri took the pilot seat and started flying, faster due to the improving visibility in the blizzard.
"I really lost her, didn't I?" Yang thought as Ruby pointed to a seat, commanding her to sit and keep quiet. Yang commented that Ruby was starting to sound like Summer, to which Ruby responded sternly.
"Good, then maybe you'll listen and do as you're told," she said, looking at Weiss and asking her to come with her for a few minutes. Weiss jumped up, following Ruby to the back of the bullhead, promising to do her best to accommodate any information Ruby needed.
Ruby, dripping wet from washing her face, made Weiss blush at the sight of her. When Ruby asked about why the Reaper spared her life despite tying her up and choosing to kill her dad, Weiss took a moment to recall the events. She remembered Cole's questions and revealed, "Well, to clarify, he also blindfolded and kissed me," shivering in disgust as she took a drink of Vacuian whiskey.
"I think it's because I told him my dad's whereabouts. Before I came back to Atlas, I remembered how Cole had torn my reputation apart like parchment paper. So, I decided that I would start anew with what he told me that day. I did everything he brought up, and now that I did, I own nearly thirty-eight percent of the SDC and opened a store called the Atlesian Snow Angel across Remnant. My store sells to everyone; Professor Rivia even buys from me personally on occasion."
Jaune choked on his drink while everyone else burst into laughter.
"What?!" Weiss shrieked, blushing as red as a cherry, hiding her face behind a wall of ice.
Ciri smirked deviously, noting Weiss's embarrassed reaction. She sent Getalt updates, putting it all on Jaune to figure out, considering it was his specialty. While he could go investigator for the council if he wanted, it wasn't his style.
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for joining me on this creative journey. Writing these scenes has been both a joy and a challenge, and knowing that you're reading them makes it even more special.
Your engagement and enthusiasm mean a lot to me. Whether you're here for the storytelling, the characters, or just a bit of fun, thank you for being a part of this experience.
Looking forward to sharing more tales with you.
Warm regards, LUC1F3R-117