Ep. 24 - Tournament Starts, a Crow and a Queen, Are You Sure? 

The day the tournament began, all teams had one match to decide which ones would go onto the doubles round. It was decided that me and Weiss would go to the doubles. I had ranged and close-quarter attacking options, while she had her glyphs to boost us and close to mid-quarters attacks. Considering simply team balance, the entirety of the team was balanced. We could dominate the close and medium distance engagements, while I had guns aplenty. All other members had some sort of ranged attack. Weiss had the shortest range, but her enchantments were a force to be reckoned with.

I'm digressing again, damn it! I didn't pay too much attention to the matches before ours. They were showy and sometimes entertaining, but in terms of pure skill, only team JNPR, Penny, and Cinder's band of misfits could compete with us. Penny's team was basically being carried by her, by the way.

Our first match was team ABRN (Auburn) from Haven Academy, just like in canon. Reese, the skateboard girl, would be squishy, while the only real threat was Arslan, the martial artist guy. At least, that would be with any other team. I really can't emphasize it enough, but we were beasts. Glynda called me a monster for a reason, but all of my friends were monsters in their own right.

We decided to go for one of the pre-prepared strategies, which sees Yang and Ruby rush forward as a spearhead, possibly eliminating the troublesome opponents, like Reese and Arslan in this case. Blake would use her new grappling hook to move out of the way and attack from the back while I would lay some suppressing fire and Weiss would use her glyphs.

'Oh, look at Sun! He has a billboard with a chibi Blake on it!' As I saw the guy, I tapped the interested party's shoulder and pointed at the stands. When she saw it, she turned her head, though I am sure she was happy. 'Good for you, Sun.'

So, with the environment roulette, we were faced with a volcano, with an ice-field behind us.

As the countdown started, I took out the 'Monte Carlo'. It was a safe bet to shoot these guys. There was a short, very short stare down between our teams. It was fun seeing their faces as Yang and Ruby arrived in front of them almost instantly, courtesy of Weiss' glyphs and their training. Ruby went after Reese, slashing at her occasionally, but they were all deadly accurate blows. Skateboard girl would have evaded the majority of the hits, if not for me blocking the way with a shower of bullets. Yang had Arslan in check, so there was no need to worry about her. The other two tried closing the gap and reaching me and Weiss. Wrong move, very wrong. Blake took the opportunity to ambush the guy, Nadir. 'I don't know why he even tried charging in. Isn't he a long ranged attacker. Either he panicked, or this team's tactics are underwhelming.'

To incapacitate the second idiot, Weiss just cut through his entire staff then used the Arc enchantment to make a stun blade. It was super effective! No, seriously, the attack ate through the attacker's, Bolin's, aura like crazy. He was soon disqualified.

While this was happening, I started firing again, this time alternating between Arslan and Reese, cutting off most of their movement. They were at the step-sisters' mercy, so they were quickly incapacitated as well. I forgot to mention, but Blake's ambush was successful and a quick double attack sent Nadir's aura in the red.

Around five minutes passed before the arena burst into cheers. Apparently it was one of the quickest wins in the Vytal Festivals' tournaments. 'The fuck, there was someone faster than us? Maybe Qrow's team. It sounds believable.'

After the match, we went to grab some food. This time Weiss wouldn't get her card blocked, though I would never let her pay. I slapped a small pile of gold on the counter. It was more than enough to get seconds for us, and a round for JNPR, who arrived just as we got our food.

"Hey there guys, ready for your match? It's pretty soon right?" I asked.

"Yeah, we just have enough time for a quick bite. Your match was nice, your strategy worked well, Ruby!" answered Jaune.

Yes, the strategy was Ruby's. She wanted to keep me and Weiss as unknowns and create a veil of mystery, just for the double's round. I could win the singles without a doubt.

"Thanks Jaune, how are you guys going to go about it?" she asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be fun if I spoiled the surprise, wouldn't it? But we will more or less divide as usual, then see how the situation evolves and adapt." he replied. Jaune had become really good at monitoring the battlefield, so their usual strategy was to play it by ear with some slight preparation. The usual division was Ren acting as an 'assassin', Jaune as a 'tank', Pyrrha supported him with her rifle while getting rid of enemies distracted by Nora's suppressing fire. Basically a 2:1:1 distribution in regards to close, mid, and long range. Nora would be kept as a trump card.

We had a nice lunch, though it was quite hard to digest before JNPR's match.

The match predictably ended real soon. Ren was fast as fuck, so he incapacitated someone before they could even say 'Vytal Festival', literally. He just showered the opponent's sniper with bullets then got the hell out of the central platform, hiding behind the cover of the rocks. Team BRNZ were then sitting ducks against Nora's grenade barrage. That alone almost finished the three remaining opponents, then Jaune and Pyrrha went in to finish the job. They immediately dashed and shield-bashed one opponent each. They then looked at each other before smiling towards the remaining opponent. Out of nowhere, Ren appeared and attacked the unlucky guy with the blades I added to his guns. The audience burst into cheers. I think there might have been some of Jaune's sisters, because I saw an overexcited group of very similar-looking blondes.

The next important match was team SSSN's battle. I wanted to make Sun some armor and a weapon, but he said he didn't need them for this battle. It was understandable. If not for the unfortunate environment, they would win easily against most teams. Nothing surprising happened here, so it ended with a familiar comical knockout.

What I really was looking forward to was Weiss meeting her sister. While getting up to go and congratulate Sun, and Neptune, on their win, Weiss noticed Winter's airship. It was exceedingly flashy, but pretty cool. Still, not as cool as mine.

"Want to go and meet her?" I asked her.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've last seen her. Let's go, you are coming with me!" she said, so what could I do?

"Got it. Ruby, you guys go ahead, we'll come back later after meeting someone. I have the feeling you'll also meet someone you know today."

"Ok, we'll catch you later. I wonder if you're right about meeting someone I know?"

With that, me and Weiss went towards Winter's landing area. She came out with some robotic bodyguards.

'Ooh, that glare… Did I kill her cat or something? Oh, wait. I did shoot her father.'

I had the impulse to piss her off. So I did.

"Good afternoon, sister-in-law? I hope you are doing well on this fine day."

"Stop it. It's creepy." Weiss immediately prevented me from going any further.

"Yes Ma'am!"

'That glare is definitely hereditary. Maybe they are trained to do it?'

Winter was definitely fighting her desire to skewer me right then and there, so she concentrated on Weiss.

"Winter! I'm so happy to see you! This idiot here is my boyfriend, Tula. What are you doing here?" Weiss asked before she could speak.

"Weiss. My mission is classified."

"Right, then how long are you staying?"

"Classified as well."

Seeing that Winter wouldn't change her answers, I looked at Weiss and said: "If you want, I will ask Ironwood about this. Maybe he'll even prolong her stay."

She smiled and nodded, while Winter's glare intensified. 'She must have a thing for Ironwood.'

She then sighed, giving up on her professional attitude.

"How have you been, Weiss. I heard your boyfriend here did a number on father. Also, in your fight… You didn't do too badly." 'Tsundere! Weiss did her job perfectly and those two strikes were perfect!'

"Oh, you have seen nothing, sister-in-law, Weiss is amazing at handling her rapier and glyphs." She wasn't amused with me calling her sister-in-law, but she was intrigued by what I said. Well, she didn't ask anything, but I guess she will watch the match tomorrow.

"Oh, I have been great, thank you for asking! I've made a lot of friends. And this guy." she pointed at me. 'Did I do something wrong today?'

"Oh, I am also top in the rankings in school! All of my friends are, actually."

She had a 'Praise me! Praise me!' look on her face. 'I'm happy she talked about friends first, though I am seriously wondering what I did to deserve the cold shoulder.

"Hoh, I see. I have some business with your headmaster and the General, but since I have some free time before attending to my duties, why don't you show me to your quarters? I wish to inspect them. Surely your 'boyfriend' has something else to attend to?"

I didn't even have to move my head to feel Weiss' stare. 'If I were to leave, I have the feeling I'd be sleeping on the floor for a few days. Not that I intend to leave.'

"Sister-in-law, what gives this cold treatment? My girlfriend's family is visiting, of course I will accompany you!" I said. I might have had a shit eating grin, because Weiss elbowed my stomach.

"Very well then, follow me, Winter!" she said as if she didn't just strike me. 'Maybe I should stop teasing her sister, maybe that will appease her. What a shame.'

I skipped along humming a tune. More or less one of the songs we played at her birthday party, so Weiss started smiling again, probably happy I remember it.

This irritated Winter, but Weiss' smile means I got a point in my favor. 'I bet she's also a sis-con. Ooh, the plot thickens: a forbidden love for her boss and overprotective towards her sister? That's totally a spicy story.'

We didn't move far before a wild, very drunk Qrow appeared. He started the whole confrontation between the two of them. I kept Weiss next to me, so she didn't get too close to the fight. Without her armor on, her aura would be seriously impacted by a stray attack. Her aura levels were much higher than a normal student, but we're talking about a legend and an elite Atlas combatant. A legend is still a legend even if drunk, while Winter was, well, Winter. Self explanatory there.

She did look at me with a puzzled look, but understood when Qrow took his weapon out. At the start, the speed wasn't too abnormal, but it soon started to pick up. Even I, a Guardian with an enhanced body, wouldn't be able to keep up with their movement speed. In a race, I could use my blink repeatedly to keep up. If it comes to fighting though, I should be able to win without too much trouble. I would work up a sweat though. That was until I got aura as well, Now I can crush them.

Weiss still isn't at their level of physical prowess. Without gear, she is an easy target for someone at Qrow's or Winter's level. As for skill level, she's pretty much there. Her summoning is a little lacking, but that is only temporary. She will soon master it. I know how much effort she put in recently.

Well, she looked at the fight and found someone else to compare to. Before, she only had me or the gang to actually compare. And, if I were to rank our members, the first tier belongs to Weiss and Pyrrha, while the last goes to Yang and Ruby. The first because having anger take over makes her predictable, while Ruby doesn't really have many options except fighting with her scythe. Nothing wrong about that, as she handles it like a champ, though her options are limited.

I'm digressing yet again. Back to the fight. Qrow and Winter know their stuff, that's for sure. Winter though got too 'passionate' about getting a tongue, so she lost track of her surroundings. Her face when she saw Ironwood was hilarious. She knew she fucked up.

Weiss was secretly holding back her laughter. Her ever so stoic sister was showing such an amusing face. I decided to stay true to my word and spoke to Ironwood.

"Hey Ironwood. Think you can give Winter here a vacation, just until the day after the end of the tournament?"

He looked at me a little exasperated, then nodded.

"I'll see what I can do. Scnhee, spend the rest of the day with your sister. As for a vacation we'll talk afterwards."

"Kept my word." I said to Weiss.

"You sure did. Thanks."

I winked at Winter, who was staring at me with wide eyes. 'Heh, probably wonders why Ironwood is even listening to me. If only she knew that I have him pretty much tamed… No doubt she'd kill me.'

During this short exchange, Qrow was looking at me amused. He kinda reminds me of a drunk Cayde, with depression or something. I waved at him and mouthed: "Catch. You. Later." He nodded at that. Probably already guessed I'm involved in the mess. He's sharp for a drunk man.

"Well let's go, Weiss, Winter. We have a dorm room to show and you two have some catching up to do."

Weiss then came to me and whispered in my ear: "If you dare flirt with my sister, I'll turn you into a pile of scrap metal. Permanently."

'She's serious. Like, totally serious and pissed. Though, when did I flirt? I was messing with the Ice Queen, but never made any advances. Nor would I want to. I had my plate practically full with Weiss, and in the last months, Yang and Ruby took a lot of 'space' on said plate. Plus, I don't even like her personality: too stiff and stoic; too devoted to her job. Weiss on the other hand used to hide behind an ice wall, but the true her is much more open and amicable. Just a normal teenager. A really strong one, but a teenager nonetheless. Yang is just a blast to be around, while Ruby is… Well, you know, Ruby.'

Anyway, when I snapped out of my thoughts, we were already at the dorms. When Weiss opened the door, Winter's face was way too good. The small smile she had started twitching. Who wouldn't? We have bunk beds made with rope and supported by books. Probably the most important factor is that there are four beds, while we are five.

She started unsheathing her blade and said: "You fiend, what did you do to my sister?!"

'I don't know how, but she got the part about me sleeping with Weiss right, though she is thinking of a more exhausting type of sleep. Probably. It's either that or she is a serious sis-con of massive proportions.'

"Calm down, Winter. Calm down… I didn't do anything to Weiss, nor would I ever do anything without her permission. She simply uses me as a hug pillo-" I couldn't finish my perfectly calculated explanation since I had to dodge Winter's strike. 'She went for the throat! What is wrong with her, first Qrow's tongue and now my throat?! Does she have some kind of secret fetish?! And Weiss, don't just stand there! Oh, she's snickering, I see. I'm on my own in this? Isn't that right?'

"Not cool, sister-in-law! That was not very cash money of you! And you should be rich, oh the irony!"

"Shut up. Just die."

We continued our game of cat and mouse for a couple of minutes, before I had enough and trapped the sword between my index and thumb. I am not ashamed to admit that her attack shaved off some of my fake skin from my fingers.

"Since you care about Weiss, I'll give you a reward." As I said that, I started modifying her weapon, making it stronger, shoot ranged flying sword strikes, and actually giving it some overall boosts. It is the trashiest job I did to date, but it will do.

"Congratulations on getting a barely passable weapon. Make good use of it. Oh, and why don't you two speak a little? Alone, maybe, without caring about your job and etiquette. Some simple girl talk between you two might be great. Anyway, I'm out of here! Weiss, if you need anything use the bracelet. I'll go find Ruby and the others. See ya later, Winter!" I said, going out of the door. What I didn't tell them was that I had released a nanoscopic infiltration bot into the room. It would follow them and listen in on their conversation.

'It's times like this that make me realize just how possessive I am. I just don't want to be separated from her.'

In a more private location, Winter was drinking some tea with Weiss.

"Weiss, are you sure you want to be with that kid?" she stared at her sister for a long time before getting an answer.

"I am sure.

You have just met him so you can't tell, but he loves me, a lot. It can be considered a borderline obsession, but it makes me feel warm. I am his first priority, followed by our friends. Tula always treated me like a girl, not some heiress. He makes me happy. Every time he looks at me, I feel fuzzy inside. Being with him is just what I want to do.

You also have no idea just how insane he is. In a good way. He always has a solution to any problem, and if he can't solve it, you can be sure he'll build something that can. Oh, do you know where our first date was? On a different planet. Just how many people can say to have visited a different world for their first date? Oh, my ring is also made from a material from that planet. He had it for months, then he asked me to marry him the day of my birthday. I did give him some hints though. He takes things way too slowly."

Winter didn't interrupt Weiss. She was busy trying to understand just who she was dealing with. She was happy that her sister seemed genuinely in love.

"It doesn't end here. You must have seen team RWBY and JNPR's new weapons and armor. Tula made them for us.

You know how I don't use 'Myrtenaster' anymore? It's because I have realized that it's just an oversized metal toothpick. He spent a few hours making my new weapon. Ah, for reference, the armor and other weapons took minutes to make. Spending a few hours on one thing means he really poured his soul in it.

'Schneesturm' is on a whole other level. He made it so that I could protect myself.

On a side note, you should really try out your weapon. You'll see what I am talking about.

Oh, you want to know something that makes me laugh every time I think about it?"

Now, THAT attracted Winter's attention. Well, everything she said was a little shocking, but just what could possibly make her sister laugh every single time?

"One time, I told him that I liked cold weather. The truth is that I wanted to spend the day with him, maybe under a blanket just staying close to each other. The next day I found the dormitories surrounded by snow, the temperature dropped, and an igloo was in the middle of the courtyard.

That idiot changed the weather just for me and built a cozy igloo so that I could enjoy it. So… To answer your question… Yes, I am sure I want to be with Tula. 'Until the end of time' is what we said. I intend on making this a reality."

After some silence, Winter finally talked again.

"... Well… He sure sounds like the ideal man. Still, I can't help but be worried. What if he is tricking you? What if-"

"Winter! Don't you dare finish that sentence. Tula gave me freedom from father and anything I could ever wish for. Family, friends, love and care. If he wanted to do something bad, he would just use force. He could have literally destroyed our father's life. He was in the position to demand anything but he just thought of me. There is no way he is doing something dodgy and you have no right to even think that!"

This stunned the older Schnee. Weiss never acted like that before. Sure, she had her rebellious phase, but it's different. She noticed that her younger sister had changed, but this… Really made it sink in. Weiss Schnee the heiress was no more, only Weiss the Huntress-in-training remained.

" I… I see. I have what I needed. Let's talk about other things. Do you have any hobbies? And your friends… Tell me more about them."

"Does reading count as a hobby? Oh, I know! I recently got interested in history! It's much more interesting and deeper than I thought it would be.

My friends are team RWBY and JNPR. RWBY is my team as you know. Ruby is fun to be around, a little bundle of joy. Maybe a little clueless sometimes. Yang is her sister. She has a… Fiery personality, she just radiates playfulness. In reality she is very emotional but keeps it hidden. Like me in the past. Blake is gloomy, broody, anti-social. But she is also caring and reliable. JNPR is another team just across the hallway from us. Jaune, the leader, was awkward in the beginning. When started training he gained some confidence. If you look at him you wouldn't say, but he is quite strong by our group's standards and a great leader. Pyrrha is fun, gentle, and reliable. She's had a thing for Jaune since the start. Luckily Tula helped a bit in that regard, so they got together at the beginning of the second semester. Nora is a hyperactive ball of energy. Very fun but kind of exhausting if I have to be honest. Ren is the silent type but a great friend and listener. I admit that I asked him a few things about how to make Tula confess. Recently, a guy from Mistral called Sun became our friend. He is always happy and optimistic. Kind of fun seeing him become Blake's partner. These are my friends. I do get along with some other classmates, but we just don't click together as I did with 'the gang', as Tula calls it."

Winter obviously knew that Weiss got along with the people she talked about, but hearing her impressions and looking at her expression while doing so made it very clear to her. They were real friends and Weiss had grown. A lot at that.

They talked a lot after that, mainly of her life here at Beacon. Winter also asked about her progress with glyphs, and was stunned by Weiss' progress. She was hopeless at summoning before Beacon, but now she got a partial summon. That is some monstrous development, even for a Schnee who have it in their blood.