Being a pro-hero wasn't an easy job, and it never will be. It meant never knowing what would be their next challenge, whether someone lived or died, whether they were crippled or saved without even a scratch. Being a pro meant facing danger head on, risking their life in the service of others. Kamui Woods wasn't afraid of fighting villains, or rushing into buildings that were falling apart.
Mr. Ashido's jokes on the other hand, that's where Shinji drew the line. So when Weiss came into the room asking him to keep an eye on Takeyama since it was late at night, Shinji jumped at the opportunity to escape that hellish room, Ashido's puns were worse than Takeyama, much worse.
Exiting Mt. Agency, and feeling the wind tussle his leaf like hair, Shinji looked both ways before crossing the street, stuffing his hands in his pocket. Weiss didn't say which corner store Takeyama had wandered off to, but he assumed it was the closest one the next street over. He would start there and work his way back. He was halfway down the street when he spotted an opening amongst the buildings.
If his memory was right, that should easily lead him to the next street over. He could catch Takeyama if she was still at the store. Without another thought, he angled his legs towards the alleyway. Hopefully Takeyama learned her lesson about bad jokes, and wouldn't make any on their way back, they got annoying really fast. Taking a few steps into the filthy alleyway, Shinji's eyes widened.
A couple feet away near the center was a deformed man with a red scarf, a bloody knife in his hand standing over a blonde woman-
"Takeyama!" Shinji shouted, throwing his right arm forward, sending tree branches towards her attacker. The Villain raised the sword he held on his opposite side and sliced a few pieces of wood before running away. Shinji threw his left arm forward launching more tree branches, but the Villain soon disappeared into the darkness. He scurried towards Mt. Lady's side.
"Damn it!" As much as Shinji would like to chase after Takeyama was losing too much blood. She had been stabbed several times, and her blonde hair looked like parts of it had been dyed red. Aiming his arms towards her, tree branches slowly started to cover her body. He needed to get her to a hospital now!
"You're not going to die on me now Takeyama."
The Jirou's car hadn't even come to a complete stop when Weiss practically flew out, running towards the emergency room entrance. She slid in between the automatic doors the moment they opened, and with her heart pounding, everything seemed like a blur. Her heart dropped when she got Shinji's call.
Weiss slammed her hand at the check in station, startling the nurse on duty.
"I'm here for Yu Takeyama, I mean Takeyama Yu." Weiss fired off, her body shaking. What would she do without her? Yu, who had taken her and didn't ask for anything in return, Yu, who had held her when her nightmares were bad.
The Nurse, who had four eyes, typed something into her computer, moving too slowly in Weiss' opinion. She needed to know how Yu was, if she was going to survive.
"She just got here twenty minutes ago, and is currently in surgery, so you won't be able to see her at this moment." The Nurse said boredly. One eye stared at her. "Are you her guardian or family?"
Weiss balled her hands into fist, and took a shaky breath. Pursing her lips together, she spoke.
"Family."
It took the doctors over two hours to stabilize Yu, in that time Jirou's and Ashido's stopped by with Momo to spend some time with her, but they left soon after once Weiss told them to leave. She needed to be alone, and school resumed tomorrow, it would be better for them to be well rested than tired alongside her.
Weiss sat in the hallway, her hands pressed together, cleaning her tear stained cheeks with the sleeves of her dress. This was her fault, Yu had gone out because Weiss had wanted something. She should have stopped Yu from going on, money wasn't issue, not anymore. What was the point of wealth without anyone to spend it on?
She had already lost Ruby, Yang, Blake and Winter, Weiss' heart couldn't take another loss. Weiss didn't look up when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her, keeping her head buried in her hands instead. She swore if that was another patient or nurse asking for autograph she was going to scream-
"How are you doing?" Shinji asked. She felt him sit next. He sounded tired, worried, and a bit relieved.
"Gee, I'm doing great." Weiss said without thinking, looking up. She immediately regretted it the moment the words left her lips. Shinji was a great hero, and he was one of the few people who knew about her true origins, even if he didn't know all the details. She turned away. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Shinji sighed, crossing his arms. His clothes were still covered in Yu's blood, her life force, her soul. "I spoke to Detective Tsukauchi, and apparently the villain that attacked her is the Hero Killer."
Weiss had only heard rumors of the serial killer, how he killed dozens of pro-heroes in Hosu City. What was he doing so far from his turf? Why did he choose Yu of all people? Why would he plan an attack so close to her own agency?
"I see." Weiss' nails dug into her skin. An uncomfortable silence filled the hallway until a nurse came out of Yu's room. Weiss stood up immediately.
"Only one can enter for now." The Nurse said. "We're not sure when she's going to wake up, but she should be fine. She lost a lot of blood though. You'll only have ten minutes."
Weiss nodded curtly. "I'll go in."
Not even five minutes later, Weiss walked into Yu's room, a protective gown covering her dress and a mask over her face. She paused once the door behind her closed. The hospital room was fancier than the one Weiss had first woken up in, when she arrived here, when Yu found her. The only noise in the room came from the machines that she was hooked up to.
Weiss took an unsteady step forward, pulling a rolling stool to Yu's bedside, and sat before she could fall over. She looked smaller, weaker in her hospital gown. Her arms were covered in bandages, and Weiss was sure she had more underneath her clothes, but at least she was breathing with help from the machines.
She struggled to hold back a sob as she gently held Yu's hand. This was her fault. A sob escaped her throat. She didn't know how much time passed until she could finally control her breathing again. Wiping her reddish eyes, Weiss rubbed thr back of Yu's hand with her thumb.
"I never felt that it was wise to wish too much." Weiss started to sing softly. "To dream too big would only lead to being crushed."
Another sob choked her words. Closing her eyes shut, she forced herself to take a deep breath.
"When I met you, you weren't afraid of anything. You taught me how to leave the ground, to use my wings."
Yu had been there from the very beginning, and she had never judged Weiss, or doubted her.
"I never thought a hero would ever come my way, but more than that…" Weiss wiped her tears again. Her face must've been so puffy. "...I never thought you'd be taken away."
Who knew if Yu would wake up again, if she would even live past the night despite what the Doctor's said. Anything could happen, the world was cruel.
"Now it's cold without you here, it's like winter lasts all year." Weiss' voice was more like a whisper.
She continued to sing.
"But your star's still in the sky…"
"Come on Weisscream." Yu pulled Weiss' hand onto the roof of Mt. Agency. She laid out two blankets and sat on one, patting the one beside her. Rolling her eyes, Weiss smiled and sat next to her.
"What did you want to show me?" Weiss rested her head on Yu's shoulder.
Yu pointed her finger upwards in the sky. "You can't see much since we're in the city, but out in the countryside the sky is beautiful." She gave Weiss a grin. "Sometimes I'm glad I attended some no name hero school out there instead of UA."
Weiss listened as Yu started rambling about the peaches she would eat on her way to school.
"So I won't say goodbye."
Weiss decided to stop wiping her tears since it would only irritate her skin.
"I don't have to say goodbye." Yu was strong, she could make it, she could survive this despite Weiss' doubt.
"My days of doubt were in the past with you around…"
Yu helped turn this world into a new home, despite all the pain that Weiss felt from being torn from Ruby. If it wasn't for Yu, she probably would have ended her life months ago.
"You helped me feel, I had a place, direction found." Weiss continued raising Yu's hand to softly kiss it. "You showed me that a greater dream can be achieved."
Yu and Detective Tsukauchi encouraged her to become a 'hero', to attend UA. If they hadn't done that, she would probably have ended up living life as a fulltime idol, unsatisfied. "Enough resolve will conquer all, if we believe."
Yu's breathing sounded like a symphony.
"The light you gave to guide me, will never fade away, but moving forward never felt as hard as today."
Weiss had to pause to catch her breath. Her lips tasted salty, and she was sure that mucus was dripping from her nose at this point.
"Now it's cold without you here, it's like winter last all year. But your star is still in the sky, so I won't say goodbye."
Weiss stood up from her stool. "I won't have to say goodbye."
She kissed Yu's forehead and pressed her nose against the blonde's. She should have done this a long time ago. Placing a delicate hand on Yu's cheek, Weiss felt her aura start to surge. Her lips parted as the old Mantle dialect escaped.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
Weiss gasped as she felt her own supply of aura drain. She steadied herself and sat back on the stool, breathing deeply. Yu was glowing, literally, a shade of purple similar to her eyes. Smiling softly, Weiss stood up again, her legs almost failed her.
Walking towards the door, she paused, placing a hand on the doorknob. She tilted her head to look back at her Hero. If her prayers to the two Brothers were answered, then Yu should be fine. Her hand squeezed the doorknob. Weiss could never be a hero, there was only one thing she was good at.
It was time to go hunting.
A/N
I have a feeling that some of you got scared when you saw the longer than usual chapter. I had literally been planning this chapter for months, since I first started writing.
And I'll say this before someone asks, There are NO plans to unlock the aura of others at this moment, so it's not going to turn into an arms race.
Time to start writing the PHO chapter for Schnee's Bay.
Till next time on Schnee: Hero or Huntress!