93

Chapter 93: Round 2, Part 1: Fight!

"Blake, honey, it's okay. Just breathe."

Kali grimaced, the corner of her eyes growing damp as she watched her daughter fold into herself in the middle of the couch, hands clutching the sides of her head. A sketchbook and scattered pages lay on the coffee table before them, long forgotten as Kali rubbed soothing circles on Blake's back, her gentle purrs filling the room as she struggled for a better way to help her baby girl.

It had started while the two were discussing dress designs, Ghira watching Kali's growing excitement and Blake's bewilderment indulgently. Blake had frozen midword, saying he said she'd Felt something spook Yang. She'd nearly bolted for the door when she realized the blonde had entered serious combat, doubly so when she Felt Ruby and Weiss enter the fray. Ghira had just barely managed to stop her, Kali thankful for his quick thinking in grabbing her before she kicked on her superspeed. He'd set her back down on the couch next to Kali, the elder Faunus adamant that Blake not rush to join the fight immediately.

Their reasoning was twofold. First was that they didn't want their daughter racing miles across the busy city at rush hour using superspeed that, by her own admission, she'd yet to master. They knew enough from Ruby's excited ramblings that there was a decent chance that in her panic, Blake could succumb to tunnel vision and run right out into any number of hazards. The second…

The second was that what Blake was experiencing was an unfortunate part of Mated life she needed to learn about, sooner rather than later.

"I should be with them," Blake muttered, trembling as her fingers tensed in her hair.

Kali took a patient breath. "And you will be once your father finds transportation for you."

And he can't find it soon enough, she thought, looking forlornly towards the door. As soon as he knew Blake wasn't about to rush off again, Ghira made a swift exit to contact one of their newly gained family, hoping for both transport and an idea of what exactly was going on.

Not that knowing that helped Blake's patience. "I need to help them, Mom," she muttered, cat ears pinned back painfully.

With a soft smile, Kali asked, "Does it Feel like they need help, kitten?"

Blake clicked her tongue nervously. "They're stubborn, all of them. They won't admit they need help."

Kali shook her head fondly. "It doesn't work like that, sweetheart." She grinned as her words coaxed a curious look from her daughter. "They'll realize they need help here," She tapped at the left side of her chest. "Long before they acknowledge it up here." She tapped the side of her head. "And you'll Feel when that happens. Now, think: is that what's happening now?"

"...no," Blake murmured, ducking her head in defeat.

Kali rubbed her back soothingly, smiling sadly. "Now, Blake, I'm sorry to tell you this, but the facts are that you and your Mates have chosen a very dangerous line of work. And there's no guarantee that you'll all be together all the time. There will be times like today when they're in danger and all you can do is Feel for them."

Blake sat there, still trembling with the want to move, to fight, to do something. She swallowed the lump in her throat, looking up at her mother through her bangs. "Speaking from experience?" she asked shakily.

Kali hummed a laugh. "I had the bright idea to fall in love with a world leader. The sheer amount of times when your father fell under some kind of fire, be it from Grimm, criminals, or hired guns, and all I could do was sit in an empty house and worry is more than I care to count."

Blake turned to her fully. "How… how do you deal with this?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

Kali pulled her to her side, giving a light purr as she wrapped her daughter in a hug. "You Feel for them. You worry for them. But you don't let it consume you." She ran a gentle hand through Blake's hair, earning a purr in return. "Me personally, when Ghira is in trouble, I go to town and find something for him."

Blake gave her a curious look. "Like… a gift?"

Kali's smile widened, feeling Blake's trembling lessen. "A knickknack he's had his eye on, or the ingredients to his favorite dish. Just something I know will be a happy surprise when he comes home." She squeezed Blake's arm, making sure her daughter could see the certainty in her eyes. "Because he will be coming home. And more often than not, before I even start walking home, the danger passes and all I Feel from your father is what I know is him cursing up a storm."

That startled a faint giggle from Blake. It tapered off quickly as she frowned in thought. "I don't know if that would work for me."

Kali shook her head fondly. "What you do isn't important, dear. You know your Mates inside and out. If you don't Feel them asking for help, you have to trust that they know what they're doing and that they'll do everything they can to come home to you."

Blake thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "And if I do… Feel them ask?"

At that, Kali rose a brow, her grin turning sly. "If that happens… that's when you call the rather extensive extended family you've collected and have us all come running."

Finally, Blake gave a genuine smile. "Okay," she agreed quietly. She fell silent for a moment, wincing slightly. She let out a deep breath. "This still sucks, though."

Kali snorted. "On that, we agree. Welcome to Mated life, dear. It has the highest of highs, but that makes the lows hurt all the more. But you want to know something?"

Blake turned to her curiously.

"With the Mates you've found? I don't think there's a threat on Remnant they can't handle."

If something didn't change in the next five minutes, Weiss was going to scream.

She ducked behind her concrete cover as scrap showered the dock, upturned by the wild rushing of the Mecha Gigas as it blitzed across the dockyard, flailing wildly at struggling soldiers trying to stay mobilized. Men screamed and dived for cover, firing when they could, their bullets pinging off the armor plating uselessly.

"Incoming, Ugly!"

"Yang, watch out!"

Weiss peered over the barricade, wincing as she saw Yang leap up, hoping to hammer the Paladin from behind only for the steel behemoth to swivel a full 360° at the waist, smacking the blonde out of the air to crash against a nearby building. It faced back forwards, ignoring the two sniper rounds that bounced off its armor. At its feet, Ruby darted away in a flurry of rose petals, the Grimm-controlled mech giving chase, its damaged left wheel trailing sparks behind it.

Weiss's gut twisted as she watched Ruby dart from cover to cover. She knew her leader was capable of greater speeds, but each time Ruby stopped to line up a shot, Weiss could see the girl's shoulders and chest heave painfully. It was like she'd had the wind knocked out of her and couldn't get it back. She wanted nothing more than to rush into the fray and back up her partner, buy her those precious few seconds to regroup.

Unfortunately, there was an uncompromising force standing in her way.

Namely, the united front of her team and older sister.

"But you know I could help!"

"Yes, I do," Winter conceded, glancing over their cover as she reloaded her blade's dust canisters. She gave Weiss a stern look. "Just as I know, you have not been cleared for combat yet."

Weiss scowled at her older sister. "I handled myself just fine during my rescue."

Winter's look turned unimpressed. "Yes, and how did your lungs feel after that? How do they feel now?"

Like I inhaled a hardware store. "That's beside the point!"

"Your girlfriends seem to disagree."

And didn't it burn that she had no retort to that? The moment the Geist started rampaging in its new body, Ruby and Yang blurred away from it, scooping up the Schnee sisters on the way to better cover. (And Weiss would savor at a later date the mortified look on Winter's face when 15-year-old Ruby sped off with the Specialist in a bridal carry like she weighed nothing.) Once they'd set the Schnees halfway down the docks, each sister surprised her with a quick peck on the cheek, shouting a hurried "Stay down!" "Stay safe!" as they rushed back to the fight. Weiss couldn't even yell a complaint, the sheer Worry, Remorse, Protectiveness radiating off the two making their motives clear.

It didn't stop the frustration rushing through her at the moment. "Then what? I'm just supposed to sit here and watch you all fight?"

Winter clicked her tongue irritably. "If you want to help, support us with ranged offense."

"Winter, my weapon's a rapier!" she shouted, desperation bleeding into her voice. "I don't have any ranged offense!"

Winter paused from vaulting out of cover. She took in the stress and shame on Weiss's face. Ignoring the sounds of battle behind her, she cupped Weiss's cheek, her gentleness surprising the younger girl.

"Weiss," she started firmly. "You are the brightest of your year, have a full Dust canister and four Semblances at your disposal." She gave a slight smile. "Improvise. You'll think of something."

Well, she had to give Winter that. She had thought of something.

Weiss briefly turned away from Ruby's struggles, facing the narrow space between her concrete cover and the waters below. She focused hard, and clouds of faint white mist accumulated before her. The clouds quickly collected into three humanoid shapes. The mist solidified in the space of a blink, and Weiss was left facing three blank-faced mirror images of herself.

Weiss reached into the dust canister on her hip, drawing out three Dust crystals, two blue and one red. She tossed the crystals at the clones, each of them reaching out to catch one. The crystals shattered in their hands, the clones turning crystalline. Two misted it in the evening light, like living ice sculptures. The third burst into flames, her hair whipping about like a live snake.

With no warning, the three clones vaulted over Weiss's makeshift cover. Weiss's eyes follow their path, finding the haunted Paladin distressingly close to having Ruby underfoot.

The clones of ice and fire ran right at the Mecha Gigas, cutting right between it and Ruby. One of the ice clones darted between the mech's legs, running head-first into its right leg. Its form shattered against the unforgiving metal, exploding into a cloud of ice Dust. Within seconds the limb was flash-frozen to the concrete. Its momentum broke it free in an instant, but the sudden jolt threw its balance sideways, wobbling on one leg. The remaining clones leapt at the Gigas, colliding with each other inches before impact. They shattered against one another, flames engulfing the resulting ice cloud. When the ice and fire Dust met, an explosion of steam and wind rocked the dock.

Weiss watched as the blast tipped the mech off balance, sending it falling to one side. But before it hit the ground it threw out its arm, catching itself. She cursed under her breath. It figured she'd only get away with that trick so many times before the Geist wised up, but she hadn't thought it would do so so soon. That said…

She looked into her dust canister and grimaced. She was running low on ice Dust, and halfway empty on fire. That stunt wouldn't be an option much longer.

…Although… she was still full on earth and lightning…

…

"This is such a bad idea," she muttered, even as she summoned two more clones, throwing one a brown crystal and the other a yellow one. They both took on the appearance of sculptures, the earth one looking to be carved from granite, the lightning one appearing made from glass, electricity arcing and sparking both within it and on its surface. Lightning in a bottle.

Weiss eyed the new clones apprehensively, watching them tear off toward the Grimm. Ruby, kneeling to take her next shot, was startled as the two clones ran from either side of her. She watched them leap as the Gigas started the climb back to its feet. The mismatched clones collided against its cockpit at the same time. There was an orange flash as the dust mixed, a true explosion lighting up the docks and sending smoke billowing. There was a great crash as the mech was thrown back on its rear, sitting in a daze as its front was splattered with molten earth.

Ruby raised her hands over her head in victory, shaking Crescent Rose at the darkening sky. "I knew that would work!" she shouted joyfully.

Weiss let out an exasperated sigh, smiling in bemusement.

The Gigas shook itself of the superheated rock, uncaring about its newly melted hull. As it did, the hatch on its cockpit inadvertently popped loose, flying open a few inches.

"Gotcha!"

Before the hatch could fall closed, leather-gloved fingers gripped it from the bottom and yanked it open. Yang stood on the Paladin's chest holding the hatch open with one hand as she pulled back the other. Inside the cockpit, she saw the joysticks on the sparking console flailing wildly on their own. On the wall behind the mech's chair, the Geist's mask was integrated amongst the darkened lights and displays. Its eye widened at the sight of her.

Yang smirked at it. "See ya, Spooky!"

Before she could launch her punch, the Geist's eye rolled upwards. Yang yelped as the pressure from the cockpit hatch increased tenfold, forcing her to push with both hands to keep it open. She grunted in strain, her veins pulsing yellow as she absorbed the force and tried to send it back-

A flash of white and red.

Leap back!/Jump away!

Yang blinked as she struggled against the closing hatch. Wait, was that-?

A shadow blocked what little light entered the cockpit. Yang yelped as stiff metal digits wrapped around her waist and yanked her off her feet, the hatch slamming closed behind her. She cursed as the Gigas tried to squeeze her, bracing her arms and legs against its finger and thumb as her hair and eyes blazed.

"Ha! Nice try, you bucket of bolts," she sneered through gritted teeth. "But you're gonna have to try harder than-gah!"

Without warning, the Gigas raised its arm over its head, the fist holding Yang rotating 180° at the wrist. Yang's stomach dropped as she stared up at the ground below, putting the pieces together.

"Uh, maybe not that hard?" she yelled as the Geist threw all of its weight into driving its arm down, Yang's face rushing towards the pavement. "Wait, wait, no, no!"

Mere feet from the ground, another pair of brown and yellow Weiss clones leapt right past Yang at the Gigas, slamming into the next elbow headfirst. Another massive blast engulfed its arm, reversing its momentum. Yang felt the Gigas's grip loosen for a moment, and she pushed against it with all she had. With a burst of flaming strength, she forced the mech's digits apart, flying free of its grasp right at the height of its forced arc. She flipped herself in the air, looking around to figure out her safest way to land.

Only to be met with open water.

"Yang!" Weiss scrambled to the edge of the dock, fearing the worst as the blonde crashed into the churning waters of the bay. She scanned the water frantically, worry building as she continuously saw no sign of-

"Gah! My hair! You bastard!"

-Weiss heaved a sigh of relief as Yang's sopping head of blonde hair bobbed to the surface. Judging from her constant stream of obscenities and the Indignity pouring off her, Yang was more irate than hurt. A pair of soldiers were already rushing across the water in a small motorboat to pick her up, along with any other soldiers the Geist had knocked overboard.

Speaking of which…

Weiss turned back around to a peculiar sight. Ruby had made her way to Winter's cover, the two side-by-side with arms held in similar poses as the Mecha Gigas struggled before them. Its limbs were being held over its head by a combination of white and red glyphs, its right arm still smoking from her clones' attack.

"Hold it there, Ruby!" Winter called out.

"I'm holding!"

The Geist writhed and bucked in their grasp, its wheeled feet scrabbling at the pavement as it tried to get free. Weiss's questions were answered when she heard the wine of a minigun, the Bullheads streaking overhead once again. Pavement went flying as they opened fire, the Mecha Gigas screeching as it was enveloped in a ball of smoke and flame.

Through the smoke, there was a flash of white and red as half of Winter and Ruby's glyphs broke. There was a loud clang, the ground shaking. When the smoke cleared, the Mecha Gigas remained standing, its armor perforated up its torso. One arm remained held up by glyphs. The other lay on the ground, blasted away at the shoulder.

"Ha!" Ruby cheered, she and Winter sharing a relieved look. Weiss started to smile with them.

Then she saw the mech move.

In the split second the two weren't looking at it, the Mecha Gigas swiveled at the waist, putting all its strength into pulling on the glyphs holding it. Ruby yelped and Winter gasped, their glyphs shattering in an instant. The Gigas didn't hesitate, snatching its fallen arm as it fully rotated, brandishing its dismembered limb like a club as it rushed towards the pair.

Winter formed a large glyph in its path, but it gave the full-body swing no resistance. Stunned, Winter's eyes went wide, her mind blank for a different solution to the killing blow headed her way.

She gave a startled yelp when small hands slammed into her chest, shoving her out of its way.

Winter hit the ground at the exact moment Weiss let out a horrified scream.

"Ruby!"

Winter's head snapped up just in time to see Ruby's red and black-clad figure be struck by the metal limb three times her size. The girl didn't make a sound as she vanished behind its bulk, carried by the wild swing. Winter's very soul froze, her ears filled with white noise as she realized that Ruby may have just saved her life… at the cost of her own.

Then… the Gigas stopped.

Before the Grimm's swing could reach its follow-through, the beast's motion ceased as if it had hit something solid. An electric crackle filled the air, a red glow building behind the Gigas's makeshift club.

"Grrraaaaaaagh!"

With a warbling scream and a cannon-like impact, the Gigas's arm was blown back, the entire mech stumbling back a few feet. In its wake stood Ruby Rose, electricity dancing across her skin in a red aura as she held Crescent Rose's compact form like a serving tray post-swing. Her cloak billowed in the wind as her hair sparked crimson, her face twisted in a feral snarl reflected in her blazing eyes.

With the Grimm still reeling, Ruby launched herself at it with another yell, concrete cracking underfoot. Trailing sparks and rose petals as she streaked through the air, Ruby pulled back Crescent Rose and swung with all she had. The compacted weapon struck the underside of the Paladin's cockpit, the air warping from the impact. The Geist howled as its body was driven up and away, leaving the ground and arcing ten meters through the air, crushing the front of a far warehouse.

Winter stared in disbelief at the unreal feat the petite leader had accomplished.

Then in horror as within a blink, the red aura surrounding Ruby vanished, her hair and eyes returning to normal, and the girl fell bonelessly to the ground in a crumpled heap, Crescent Rose skittering across the pavement next to her.

Winter scrambled to her feet as a burst of white rose petals streaked past her. Her heart stuttered painfully when Weiss fell to her knees at Ruby's side, briefly clutching her chest as she gasped for breath. The younger Schnee either recovered quickly or hid it masterfully, her attention on gently turning over Ruby's limp form. "Ruby?" she whispered brokenly.

For a painful moment, all was silent. Then…

"...ow."

Winter nearly collapsed in relief when Ruby's silver eyes cracked open, her face screwing up in a childish grimace. "Yang makes that look way too easy," she moaned, verbally exhausted.

Weight fell from Weiss's shoulders, a shaky laugh passing her lips. "You… you wonderful, self-sacrificing DOLT!" She grabbed Ruby by the shoulders, drawing a yelp as she crushed the younger girl in a hug. "Never scare me like that again, got it?"

Ruby blinked blearily, sinking into the hug. "I mean… I want to make that promise, Weiss. I really, really do, but… we are Huntresses."

Weiss huffed ruefully. "Yeah… I know." She started to pull Ruby to her feet, only to pause when the speedster didn't even try to move. "Ruby? What's wrong?"

Ruby grit her teeth, her leg twitching as it raised a trembling inch off the ground. The girl hissed that she let her leg drop. She gave Weiss a worrying apologetic look. "I think I burned myself out."

Weiss and Winter stiffened, the former giving Ruby a scrutinizing look. For being exhausted, Ruby was still incredibly tense. "And…?"

Ruby's grimace deepened under Weiss's scrutiny. "And…" she continued reluctantly, sighing. "Everything hurts."

Brow pinched in concern, Weiss slung Ruby's arm over her shoulders and started to stand. Winter, after slinging Crescent Rose onto her back (and nearly stumbling under the scythe's surprising weight) moved to mirror her sister, and together the Schnees lifted Ruby, the speedster not so much standing as dangling between them.

Winter frowned as she looked Ruby over, the unfamiliar weight of Crescent Rose digging into her shoulder. "You don't seem to be wounded, Ruby." Her words held no bite as she could feel the girl's form trembling through the pain.

"I know," Ruby grunted, a hint of irritation shining through. "But it feels like I'm getting crushed right now."

Weiss hummed in sympathy. "Okay… let's find you somewhere safe before-"

As if signaled, a metallic groan sounded behind them.

"Oh, come on…" Ruby muttered, hanging her head.

They turn towards the collapsing warehouse, the rubble shifting as a massive form forced its way out. The Mecha Gigas stood up from the wreckage, sporting a massive dent in the underside of its cockpit, the Geist's eye visible through a missing sliver of glass running crookedly through its length. The steel behemoth still gripped its lost arm. Its gaze firmly on the trio, the Gigas lifted the arm level with its torso, lining the shoulder up with the hole it had been blasted from.

Black, inky tendrils shot out from the hole, latching on to the inner workings of the arm.

Face pale and form limp, Ruby spoke for them all. "Oh, that's just not fair."

The limp arm shook as it slammed back into place, its fingers twitching and curling randomly. The Geist lifted the arm in front of its cockpit as if admiring its work. It flexed its digits, sparks snapping out from between the armor plating. Satisfied, the Geist threw its arms to its sides, letting loose a skyward howl, and charged.

The moment it started moving, Winter threw her arm downward. A piercing shriek echoed from above. The Gigas slowed as it looked up, letting out an aborted cry as it caught a facefull of talons.

Winter nodded in grim satisfaction as her Nevermore summon bit and clawed at the Mecha Gigas. It did little damage but provided a decent distraction. "Weiss, we need to get Ruby to safety."

"Right," Weiss answered shakily, her eyes roving over the darkening dockyard. The sun had fully set, the failing evening light giving away to the dockside lampposts and spreading fires as their only light source. Scouring the growing gloom, Weiss caught sight of another warehouse down the way, its front blown outward. "There!"

Ruby lifted her head at the call, following Weiss's finger. "Yeah," she mumbled as Winter and Weiss started shuffling that way. "That looks good." She tried to walk with them, but her legs refused to do little more than dangle, her boots scuffing across the pavement.

They didn't make it far.

A shrill, haunting cry echoed behind them, making them look back. The Gigas had managed to grab Winter's Nevermore, one hand around its leg, the other its wing. With one rough jerking motion, the Grimm pulled in different directions, the Nevermore shrieking as it was ripped in half, shattering into white wisps of light.

Seeing this lifted some of the fog from Ruby's mind as she realized that they needed to move, quickly. She couldn't move very fast pulling two people, but it'd be enough to gain some much-needed distance. She felt the familiar buzzing under her skin as her Semblance turned on, her heart hammering away. She stretched her legs, pressing her feet flat to the ground.

Only for them to fall out from under her.

"Winter?"

"I'm thinking!"

Ruby's mind went blank as Weiss and Winter started to drag her with more fervor. She kept trying to get a response from her legs, to make them stand, shuffle, twitch, anything, but they refused to answer. She could feel them, feel the familiar dull ache of exhausted muscles, but she couldn't move them. They just dangled uselessly, sending sharp jolts of pain as her feet caught on rubble.

She heard the triumphant call of the Geist behind them, the screeching of its wheeled feet as it rushed towards them. She saw Winter and Weiss tossing out glyphs behind them, hearing them shatter almost as soon as they appeared.

"Guys," Ruby muttered, the words tumbling with little thought. "Just go,"

There was a split second before the Schnee sisters processed what she meant. Weiss's resulting Terror and Outrage sucked the air from her lungs.

"Ruby, we are not leaving you!"

"Unacceptable!"

More glyphs shattered, the rumbling of the mech rushing closer.

Ruby struggled against her protesting body, willing, begging, demanding it to stop messing around and just work already! All she needed was a few seconds, just one solid foothold-

She gasped as Winter and Weiss came to an abrupt halt. The two turned on their heels in tandem, mirroring each other as they threw out their free hands, Ruby still supported between them, facing the wrong way. A massive white light lit up the area behind Ruby, casting the three's long shadows up the dock.

She heard the metallic screech of the Geist, far too close. She Felt Weiss, Determination, Desperation, Defiance all encompassed in bone-shaking Fear.

A number feeling washed over Ruby as she realized: it had caught them. They'd moved too slow and the Mecha Gigas was right on top of them. Weiss and Winter had tried to throw up a shield because that was all they could do. They couldn't get away.

Because of her.

The words rattled through Ruby's head, all else fading away.

They were in this position because of her.

Winter and Weiss were in danger because of her.

Weiss was going to get hurt, again, because of her.

Weiss could die.

Because. Of. Her.

…

No.

Crimson pulsed from the tips of Ruby's hair down to her toes, sparks dancing across her skin as her eyes burned blazing red. Her veins pulsed with her heartbeat, a red web under her skin that pulsed faster and faster until a neon glow surrounded her.

I just need one moment.

She heard the glyph behind her shatter, heard Weiss gasp.

Just one chance.

Her leg still dangled uselessly, but it didn't matter. She willed her heart faster, Aura pumping through her like a raging river. She leaned forward with all her might, increasing her grip around Winter and Weiss's shoulders.

She didn't notice the neon glow spreading out from her, a whirlwind of rose petals encircling her and the sisters.

She could see the warehouse, it was right there.

Ruby's heart hammered away. For the first time in years, it hurt, the pins and needles throughout her body becoming knives and daggers, cutting her, digging at her, ripping her apart.

Actually… that's exactly what it felt like. Like she was coming apart, piece by agonizing piece. It felt awful.

It felt terrifying.

It felt…

…right?

…

…It didn't matter. It doesn't matter. All that mattered was that the Geist's arm was coming down, her girlfriend and new sister were about to be crushed, they were still here and they needed to be there.

Now!

With a sound akin to a great iceberg giving way, Weiss and Winters's glyphs shattered under the Mecha Gigas's blow. Their last defense gone, Weiss could only watch in horror as the mech drew back its arm as if to backhand them out of existence. Right before it swung, Winter threw herself in front of Weiss and Ruby, drawing them in close much to Weiss's shock.

The next second, a red glow enveloped the trio. The sisters had just enough time to notice it emanate from Ruby, to see the sparks start from the speedster and run up each other's skin, their hair starting to stand on end, before Ruby's body fizzed at the edges, spreading to them as well.

As the Geist swung its arm, there was a clap like thunder. A shower of crimson lightning erupted from where the three stood. In the next second, the Mech's arm passed harmlessly through the air, disturbing only a faint cloud of red mist and rose petals.

The Geist blinked at the lack of impact. It lifted its hand to its eye, watching the rose petals drift through its fingers. It moaned lowly, sounding almost confused.

Then a burst of fire and buckshot exploded against its back.

"Hey, Rust Bucket!"

The Gigas stumbled from the unexpected blast. It whirled around, growling lowly.

At the edge of the docks, the dripping form of Yang Xiao-Long stood hunched at the waist, her shoulders rising and falling with deep agitated breaths. Her once full mane of golden hair now lay flat and gnarled, a strand of seaweed entangled in the knotted mess. Her face was half-hidden behind sopping strands of waist-length hair. A single blazing eye met molten yellow, the veins around it glowing gold as her hair ignited.

A thunderous scowl marred Yang's face, the heat rising from her body creating trails of steam.

"Me and you got business!"

The Mecha Gigas, uncaring of her words, charged towards its new target, shrieking mechanically as its tires screeched. Yang matched it with a snarl of her own, sparks joining the flames as she rushed to meet it. The Grimm drew its arm back at the same time as Yang, two mismatched fists flying in the same instant.

Two punches collided.

The earth shook.

For just a moment, Weiss thought she was flying. Her vision whited out, a red haze around the edges. Her ears rang. Her skin burned.

Then a hellacious bang sounded in her ears, an explosion of red across her vision. Her feet slammed to the floor.

Weiss gasped for air, her eyes darting around in bewilderment. The red haze faded away, leaving wisps of crimson and rose petals to fan out and slowly drift in the still air. Sparks darted across her skin before fizzing out, a tingle under her skin fading quickly. She had a half-second to recognize the interior of their warehouse training ground before she felt Ruby's full weight slipping off her shoulders.

She yelped as she tried to catch the speedster, Winter breaking from a similar stupor as Ruby's body went fully limp. "Ruby? What-?" Weiss's voice caught when she saw Ruby's head hanging limply, her eyes closed and face blank. The sisters quickly laid her down, Weiss gathering the girl's head in her lap before her head hit the concrete. "Ruby?" Weiss breathed as she gently shook her.

Ruby remained still without so much as a twitch.

Weiss's heart thudded painfully, her eyes slamming closed without thought. She let out a wobbly breath when she saw Ruby's Aura swirling gently in the Void, dim with unconsciousness but alive.

"Weiss, what was that?"

Opening her eyes, Weiss tore her gaze away from Ruby to look up at her sister. Winter, for the first time Weiss could recall, looked truly rattled. She looked about the warehouse almost manically, spinning in a slow circle incredulously. Her hair was rising at the ends with static electricity, Weiss feeling her own doing the same. "I… I'm not…"

"Did we just teleport?" Winter murmured to herself in disbelief. Her eyes fell on Weiss and Ruby, zeroing in on the little leader. "Ruby can teleport?"

Weiss's throat went dry, the question rattling through her head. She looked at Ruby's sleeping face searchingly. "I… I don't know," she said faintly.

Winter acted like she didn't hear her, her voice raising an octave. "Since when can Ruby teleport?!"

Something snapped in Weiss's chest, whipping around to her sister with a wild look. "I don't know, Winter, I don't know!"

Winter flinched back as Weiss's voice echoed throughout the warehouse. She finally registered the sight before her, Weiss cradling Ruby's unconscious form protectively, eyes wide and flashing red. There was a visible shudder running through her sister's body, adrenaline and terror making every breath an ordeal.

Taking a mental step back, Winter found her heart beating at a near-painful pace. She put a hand to her chest, working to slow her breathing. "Okay… okay…" She looked back at Ruby, brow pinching in worry. "Is she okay?"

Weiss took a few deep breaths herself, wetting her dry lips. She swallowed, putting a hand to Ruby's face. "I… I think so," she said after a moment. "Just unconscious from… whatever she did."

"Alright." Winter was about to say more, when a distant boom sounded outside, followed by peppering gunfire and the low groan of the Grimm. Winter tsked. "I need to get back out there. We'll figure out…" She waved vaguely at the pair. "This later."

Weiss nodded, her lips pursed. "O-okay. Stay safe."

"You too." Winter then nodded towards Ruby. "Both of you."

Weiss tried to muster a smile, one Winter briefly reflected before the mask of the Specialist came down. The elder Schnee took off at a run towards the demolished front of the warehouse, quickly vanishing around the corner.

Weiss's eyes followed Winter until she was out of sight, then fell back to Ruby. The girl's breathing was steady but slow, her form far too still for someone who normally radiated energy.

"Ruby…" Weiss sighed, frustration warring with fondness as she brushed red bangs out of the girl's face. "What did I just tell you?"

Ruby, of course, gave no answer.

Weiss ran a hand through the girl's hair, trying not to think about the impacts, gunshots, and Grimm shrieking happening just outside. With a defeated sigh she closed her eyes, letting the Link wash over her. She could see Yang through the Void, a yellow mass of mist that writhed like flames as she darted and leapt through the motions of combat. Without the visual of her opponent, Yang's movements looked almost like an acrobatic dance, a golden figure twirling and diving through the darkness, eerily beautiful against the endless Void.

That illusion was broken the moment Weiss Felt Yang's emotions, a caustic mix of Worry, Frustration, and Unyielding Rage. Since none of that worry was directed inwards and Yang's movements didn't seem hampered in the slightest, Weiss had to believe that the blonde was holding her own. She just had to trust that Winter and the Atlassian soldiers could back her up in her teams' stead.

Speaking of which… now that she could focus on the Link, Weiss was fully aware of the violet beacon shining in the distance. Blake was too far away to make out a proper form, just a bright light twinkling in the dark. But her Feelings were clear: Worry, Fear, Frustration, Impatience, Guilt… all wrapped in a thin veil of Desperation and Calm.

Weiss felt her gut twist. In all the chaos, she hadn't thought about how their emotional states would be affecting their missing fourth. Still looking towards the violet light, Weiss felt for her scroll, hoping to alleviate Blake's-

Crash!

Weiss's eyes snapped open, her stomach dropping at the sound of shifting metal behind her. She quickly and carefully removed Ruby from her lap, laying her leader flush with the floor. She whirled around on one knee, a hand on Myrtenaster's grip. Winter could disapprove all she liked, Weiss would fight if she had to, chest pain or no.

She saw neither hide nor hair of a threat, but that meant nothing. With the evening-turned-night they'd been having, a second Grimm or some criminal opportunist wouldn't surprise her in the slightest. Blue eyes darted about the empty warehouse, squinting against the near-dark. (What she wouldn't give for Blake's night vision right now.) What little light there was came from the burning wreckage of the cargo craft outside, writhing flames casting long moving shadows. Weiss could just make out the familiar floor plan of the building, the floor full of cracks and small craters from their Semblance practices. Her attention was drawn to the walkways that had run the width of the warehouse, now bent and broken in half, likely from the Mecha Gigas's initial escape… except…

Weiss narrowed her eyes.

If the Geist had broken the walkways, they should have been bent outwards towards the front wall. But they were instead bent inwards, even the ones further down, long past where the Paladin wreckage had laid. Weiss followed the path they made… and had to squint through the darkness to make sure she was seeing right.

The back wall of the warehouse had completely caved in on itself, taking most of the ceiling with it. A massive pile of twisted steel and shattered concrete lay at the back of the warehouse, bits of debris still tumbling from the broken roof.

Before Weiss could ponder the cause of such destruction there sounded a low reverberating groan. The pile seemed to ripple slightly, a few fistfuls of stone breaking free and rolling to the ground. Through the hole in the debris shown a dim red glow, a hint of silver at one corner.

Weiss's heart jumped to her throat. "No…" Her feet were already moving before her mind could catch up. Her hands dug and clawed at the rubble, tearing out small chunks of concrete to widen the hole. She pulled hard on a chunk of sheet metal, forcing it aside to reveal the sliver of a half-closed silver eye.

Weiss fell to her knees, pressing a hand to the staticky feathers above the eye. "Speedymore?"

The eye widened slightly, the iris drifting slowly to focus on her. The summon let out a low groan, the rubble on top of it shuddering.

Weiss looked over the wreckage with new eyes, wonder warring with disbelief. "But we saw… just how durable are- no, no, that's not important." She winced as she saw the rigid I-beams piled on top of the summon, rusted rebar pointing out of concrete slabs and likely into the trapped Nevermore. "Oh, no wonder Ruby's in so much pain. Why didn't she just dispel you?" As soon as the words left her mouth, a hand slapped over her face. "Because Ruby doesn't know how to dispel a summon. Duh, Weiss."

She gave Speedymore a sympathetic pat, running back to Ruby as the summon gave her a mournful cry. "Wake up, Ruby." Weiss shook the girl by the shoulder, her voice raising when she drew no response. "Come on, Ruby, this is important! Wake up! Please wake up!"

It was to no avail. Ruby remained distressingly still, not so much as groaning when Weiss's shaking grew frantic. If not for the rise and fall of her chest, she'd be easily mistaken for a corpse.

(Weiss took that errant thought, threw it violently into a box, and buried it in the back reaches of her mind to never be revisited.)

Weiss groaned in defeat, standing at once. She buried her fingers in her hair as she began pacing, racking her brain for a solution. That the sound of explosions had joined the gunshots outside did not help her focus at all. "Okay… Ruby's out cold from a combination of intense pain and…"

Her eyes drifted to the rose petals steadily evaporating on the warehouse floor.

"... whatever that was. The pain is because Speedymore is still active and is buried in rubble. Ruby can't dispel Speedymore because she's unconscious." Weiss paused, a thought striking her. She slowly drew Myrtenaster, letting the blade rest against her palm. "I could dispel Speedymore…

"…

"...no," she whispered to herself, replacing Myrtenaster on her hip. "Even if she's unconscious, hurting Speedymore will hurt Ruby. Unacceptable. Besides, there's no guarantee dispelling her summon will wake her up, so I'd be hurting Ruby for nothing."

Across the warehouse, Speedymore let out a pained warble. Weiss groaned in frustration, rubbing her hands against her eyes. "But she's still getting hurt! I need to get Speedymore, free, now, but… how?"

She needed help. She knew that but it was in distressingly short supply.

Yang and Winter are fighting. Blake is a city away. Heck, everyone's a city away. Come on, think! There has to be someone, something I'm overlooking. As the seconds ticked by with no answer, Weiss let out a groan. This is ridiculous! I need to think of something, because help isn't just going to pop out of thin air-

Weiss's eyes snapped open. She stared down at her hands.

Or… could it?

Her eyes panned over to Speedymore, trying in vain to push herself up. Weiss turned towards Ruby, still and silent where she lay. She looked back at her hands, her fingers shaking.

…

She took a deep breath.

Well…

Her hands clenched into fists, her eyes hardening as she faced the empty warehouse center.

What else do I have to lose?

"Picture it in your mind."

Weiss ran down her list of kills. It was mostly a long trail of common Grimm, Beowolves and the like, but one stood above the rest. One that was big enough, strong enough, to do what she needed.

She spoke her grandfather's mantra, hands moving through motions with fluidity born from repetition. A glyph appeared at her feet, spreading upon the warehouse floor until white light filled the building. Her brow furrowed the further into the summoning she went. A familiar tingling was forming in her fingertips, one she knew would grow more painful the more she forced herself onward. Now that it had been pointed out, the feeling was disturbingly similar to Yang's Semblance.

Weiss ceased moving, pausing the summoning from moving forward. If she continued like this, the pain would build and the summon would fail, just like all the others. She glanced towards Ruby. With trepidation, she closed her eyes, trying to ignore her oncoming dread.

Ruby had said her summon worked because she focused on the entire memory, not just the moment of the kill. For Ruby, that was simple enough. Her slaying of the Nevermore was a happy memory, full of camaraderie and celebration.

For Weiss, things were a bit more complicated.

While the fight she recalled was a source of pride and satisfaction, the events around it were… far more sour.

An argument with her father about becoming a Huntress, going the extra step of choosing Beacon over Atlas. That Beacon held more prestige, would look better on their name. (Beacon was further. Less of a chance for him to appear unexpected. A better chance to get out from under heel, if only for a while.)

Him saying it was too far from home, that the change in culture may be too much for her. (He'd have less control over her, unable to influence how she viewed the world.)

Her standing her ground, to the shock of them both, saying this was her one chance to make a name for herself. (This is my one chance. My only chance to get out. I won't give this up.)

His eyes changing from dismissive to calculating, saying, "Fine. If you're so sure, I'll give you a chance to prove it. A little test to show you're ready for such a large change." Then dismissing her. (How dare you defy me. I'll show you how much of a mistake you've made.)

Then, two days later, having her called to one of the SDC weapons testing grounds. Being led to an empty chamber, looking up to the observation deck to find, not just her father, but the entire board of directors milling about amongst a platoon of soldiers, waiting.

Once she was in view, Jacque began a formal welcome for the board, telling them how his daughter had chosen to become a Huntress, deciding to enter the illustrious Beacon academy. That she wished to show them how she'd be a new source of pride in superiority for both the SDC and Atlas as a whole. She looked up at the gathered crowd in barely hidden shock, receiving looks that were curious at best and condescendingly dismissive at worst.

Then the floor opened up in front of her, her father introducing her opponent.

That her father had chosen her to fight a fifth-generation Armored Knight, a robot intended for fighting medium-level Grimm, was not that surprising. That the robot was possessed by a Geist was a shock to both her and several in the booth. How he'd managed to obtain such a creature was beyond her, and frankly, she didn't want to know. The sheer thought that her father could have a Grimm located and contained on his mere command was frightening enough.

No one expected her to succeed. The Knights were known to go toe to toe with Deathstalkers and Goliaths. She was a teenager with basic training who weighed just shy of a hundred pounds. She'd have barely stood a chance against a normal knight, and this Geist-controlled one wouldn't care if its electronic bits were destroyed. Everyone expected her to just flail around a bit, maybe take a few hits before giving up and letting the turrets and soldiers around the room save her.

So imagine they're surprised when she won.

She'd stood in front of the collapsed Knight, wisps of inky black trailing from the gaps in its armor. She'd looked up towards the observation deck, battered, blood running over her left eye, but triumphant. Stunned faces look back. The more even-tempered members of the board began to clap, echoed more enthusiastically by the Atlassian soldiers. This prompted the other board members to hesitantly join in. Above them stood her father, his PR smile on full display as he clapped mechanically along, rage smoldering in his eyes as he realized he couldn't renege on their deal with so many witnesses.

At last, Weiss had smiled, knowing that for the first time, she had won.

Weiss held on to that memory, dredging up every emotion she'd felt through the entire endeavor. The frustration at the lengths she had to go to. The fear of failure, of retribution. The satisfaction of standing tall, beating her father at his own game.

She remembered every stressful moment, held on to them with an iron grasp…

And realized her hands weren't hurting.

Weiss's eyes shot open, her heart leaping. The glyph had grown a bit, the snowflake and rings spinning much faster than normal, but it was still stable. Through the white haze, she could just make out a blurry humanoid form taking shape. At the center of its head, a single blue eye stared back at her.

And her hands weren't hurting.

A shaky exclamation burst from Weiss's lips, a wondrous smile threatening to split her face in two. She reined it back quickly. She couldn't let herself be overwhelmed now.

"Pull it straight out of your memory…"

She started the mantra and movements from where she left off. She watched in wonder as the figure grew more defined, the summon glyph spinning faster and faster as it neared completion. At last, she neared the end of the mantra, her hand motions slowing to a crawl.

"Take that memory… and make it-"

She froze.

There, at the tips of her fingers. It wasn't pain, exactly, but there was a pressure that had closed in as she went through the final motions. The glyph kept spinning ludicrously fast, the Knight staring up at her and anticipation, but… something was wrong. A tremble ran through her fingertips down her spine, and Weiss had to stomp down a growing sense of panic. She was so close, closer than she'd ever been. She wouldn't let herself ruin it now.

She ran back through the whole ceremony for where she could have gone wrong. The mantra and motions were correct, they always were, so… the fault was in the memory. She was forgetting something, something important on an emotional level. But what? The fight and its lead-up were forever burned into her brain. She could never forget how her father made her feel. The soldiers had been faceless, as were most of the board. Even the few she could tolerate she had no attachment to. So who else-?

Weiss's brow shot high, her mouth parting.

Oh.

That's right.

He was there too.

The moment she'd entered the testing chamber, her attention had been drawn solely to her father and the surprise VIPs, along with the realization that she may have more on the line than just a future school. It wasn't until the fight was over that she noticed the small figure standing in her father's shadow.

Weiss's relationship with her brother Whitley had always been strained. Save a few scant memories when they were very young, the two had constantly butt heads once Whitley had begun emulating their father. At best they could be civil, typically when Whitley showed a sliver of interest in what she was doing in her training. Though those conversations usually ended with some snide comment on her brother's part, the echoed words of their father driving Weiss to react in kind, the two storming off from one another in a huff.

But on that day, Weiss had seen something different. While their father seethed internally with a plastic smile, Whitley's mask had been ripped away by her display, his emotions naked on his face. When their eyes briefly met, Weiss could see how his face was slack, his mouth slightly agape. His constant poise had left him, his shoulders fallen low. In his wide eyes, Weiss found a faint twinkle that she had never seen before or since.

For that one fleeting moment, Whitley didn't look at her like one heir sizing up another. He was just a boy, gawking at something that had impressed him. Weiss liked to imagine it was what a little brother looked like when looking up to his big sister.

As Weiss remembered, a soft smile graced her lips

The pressure on her fingers was gone.

"Take the memory…" she murmured to herself.

"And make it live again."

Just behind Weiss, Ruby's eyes clenched at the sudden burst of blinding light that filled the warehouse. Silver eyes opened just a sliver… then shot as wide as she could muster.

Three things struck her in rapid succession:

One; Weiss was standing before a massive shining glyph.

Two; What looked like a giant suit of armor was rising from said glyph.

Three; both the glyph and the gaps in the armor were tinted a beautiful light crystal blue.

"Wow," she breathed, her voice lost in the icy ringing of the glyph.

The glyph faded away, leaving the towering figure of the Arma Gigas as the only source of light. Weiss opened her eyes, gaping at what she just created. The Knight was covered head to toe in solid white armor, intricate blue designs carved along the armored plates. Small spikes jutted from its knee and shoulder pads, glowing blue lines shining from every place a piece of armor overlapped.

"He…Hello," Weiss found herself saying, her voice faint with disbelief.

The Arma Gigas twitched slightly, tilting its head down. A single blue eye peered through the gap in its helm, focusing on Weiss. It let out a ghostly moan, its arm reaching across its body towards the broadsword at its hip.

Weiss inhaled as the summon drew its blade, hand going for her own-

Only to stare in shock as the Arma Gigas knelt before her, resting its arm upon its knee as it bowed its head to her, holding its sword level with the ground.

Weiss let out a shaky breath. Slowly, she raised a trembling hand towards the summon.

The knight lifted its head at the motion. It slowly sheathed its sword, then held its massive hand out to meet hers, palm up.

Weiss swallowed down the lump in her throat, wetness threatening the corners of her eyes. She pressed her palm against the tip of the Knight's ring finger. Frost began creeping from the Knight's form up Weiss's wrist, but she paid it no mind.

"I… I did it." Weiss bowed her head, her bangs falling over her eyes. "I actually-". Her voice caught. She sucked in a shuddering breath, then lifted her head. Twin teartracks ran down her cheeks as she beamed up at the summon. "It's nice to finally meet you."

The Gigas let out a gentle moan in response, nodding slowly.

Weiss breathed out a short laugh. "I can't wait to get to know you better-"

BOOOOOMMM!

There was a great explosion outside the warehouse, followed by the distant shrieking of the Mecha Gigas. Weiss and the Knight turned at the sound in surprise. Weiss froze for a moment before her face hardened.

"But first…"

The Knight turns back to Weiss, meeting her determined eyes.

"We have work to do."