75

Chapter 75: Flash Freeze

Beacon Academy Courtyard

Professor Goodwitch sighed as she checked her scroll for the umpteenth time. Despite it being a relatively early hour for a Saturday morning, the student body was surprisingly active. She'd already had to deal with almost two dozen inquiries of the previous night's events, as well as constantly enforcing the perimeter around the damaged sections of guest quarters. As is the nature of teenagers, the first sign of something potentially exciting intruding on their typical day-to-day had left them eager for details.

Frustratingly, given the sensitivity of the situation, there wasn't much she could give them… which naturally gave rise to more questions.

Goodwitch rubbed between her eyes, unable to keep from fantasizing about her bed, which it seemed like days since she'd seen. The first chance she got…

"Glynda."

Goodwitch gave her head a firm shake, dispelling the encroaching weariness. She looked up to see General Ironwood approaching, Winter Schnee following quietly behind him. The General offered her a smile in greeting, but it seemed somewhat strained given the subtle bags forming under his eyes.

"James. You look…" Goodwitch's eyes scrutinize the man up and down, from his dirtied suit to the hastily bandaged cuts and scrapes covering his skin.

"... tired," she settled on.

Ironwood huffed out a laugh. "You're being far too kind, Glynda." He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing at the corners of his eyes. "We spent all night going through that wreck of a station, cataloging every bit of stolen equipment we could find. Then there was arresting all the White Fang, processing the dozens of them we caught. Gods know how many escaped in the confusion."

Goodwitch hummed in agreement of his tone, before turning to his companion. Winter looked to be in much better shape than the General, having at least changed into a fresh uniform and had her wounds properly treated. She looked no less haggard, however, with her hair pulled into a very messy bun and a look in her eyes that could only be described as haunted. "Miss Schnee. I'm… surprised to see you here. I would have assumed you'd be…"

"At my sister's side?" Winter's brow pinched as she held back a frown. "I was there not too long ago, but I was needed to help process the captured White Fang."

Ironwood gave his second a sympathetic look. "Winter, I told you we have things handled. You can go to her at any time."

Winter stared at the General for a long moment, her throat bobbing as she forced back whatever initial words she'd meant to say. Letting out a shuddering breath, she firmly said, "I appreciate the offer, sir, but… there's little I could do other than stare at her, waiting for her to wake up. I'd rather be doing something… active." Her voice wavered near the end of her sentence, forcing her to clear it before going on. "Right now, she's surrounded by plenty of loved ones. And believe me, sir, the moment I hear that anythings… changed… I'll be taking you up on your offer immediately."

Ironwood held her gaze, then gave her a firm nod. "All right." He then turned back to Goodwitch. "Glynda, if you would?"

Goodwitch nodded, then turned on her heel and entered the building, the Atlassian pair trailing behind her. The Halls were rather empty, given the early hour of the weekend, but the odd students that were up and about couldn't help but stop and stare at the two as they walked by, eyes swimming with curiosity and confusion. The trio paid them no mind, making their way towards their destination.

"Any idea what this is about, Glynda?" Ironwood asked. "Your message was rather vague."

Goodwitch let out a beleaguered sigh. "That's because Ozpin was rather vague, James. Just that he wanted to discuss 'the truth' with us."

Ironwood hummed under his breath, sharing a quick look with Winter. "That could mean just about anything. Oz has always been keeping secrets. Did he say anything else this morning?"

At that, Goodwitch made a sound that could almost be mistaken for a harrumph. "No, because I have not spoken to him yet this morning."

Ironwood gave Goodwitch a sharp look. "What?"

Glynda let out a long deep sigh. "I woke this morning to find that he had left a scroll message for me, asking me to wait until your arrival to speak with him. I am just as much in the dark as you are."

Ironwood head tilted back in surprise. He looked to Winter, her expression similarly shocked.

They walked on in silence until they reached the elevator. Only once they were inside and started their ascent did Ironwood speak again. "Cinder Fall has been secured. She's yet to wake up from the last dose of sedatives, and we're ready to move her to Amber's chamber at any time."

"Good," Goodwitch said. "Hopefully once Ozpin has shared this 'truth' with us, we can discuss how to proceed."

The elevator dinged as they reached the top floor, the doors sliding open to reveal the Headmaster's office. The three stepped inside… but to their surprise, Ozpin was nowhere to be found.

Ironwood looked around the office, checking to see ing the Headmaster was standing at one of the many windows rather than sit at his desk. "Did he step out?" he asked Goodwitch, who looked just as confused as he felt.

"I would have assumed he'd message me if-"

Smash!

The three jolted at the sound of something shattering, their eyes instantly landing on the door to Ozpin's living quarters.

Ironwood and Goodwitch shared a look, before moving to the door, Winter following curiously behind.

Ironwood paused before the door, wondering if he should knock first, before realizing that the door was already hanging open by a few inches. He slowly pushed it open, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight before him.

Ozpin's living room, usually tidy to the point of obsessiveness, was an absolute mess. Books, scrolls, and stacks of loose paper laid strewn over every previously open surface, the coffee and side tables covered end to end. Each book laid open to random pages, as if the reader had reached a certain point only to abandon the tome for another. The bookshelves that were once packed to capacity now stood bare, what few books that remained laying sloppily over each other where they'd fallen.

And in the middle of it was Ozpin, knelt next to his coffee table as he quickly picked up the broken shards of a coffee mug, muttering under his breath as the mug's former contents seeped into the carpeting.

"Oz?" Ironwood asked in bemusement as Goodwitch and Winter stepped past him, their wide eyes trailing over the mess in shock.

Ozpin looked up with a start, and Ironwood fought back a flinch. Somehow, Ozpin looked even worse than Ironwood felt, his face pale with deep shadows under his eyes. It took a second for the General to realize why they looked so pronounced: for the first time in his memory, Ozpin wasn't wearing his pince-nez.

"Glynda! James!" Ozpin fumbled with the shards in his hand as he went to stand, Ironwood reaching out as the man nearly fell over his bad leg. Ozpin took no notice, dumping the broken bits of mug into a nearby wastebasket next to the table, which was half-full of crumpled and discarded paper. "I thought you wouldn't finish with the White Fang until morning."

Ironwood paused. He slowly turned to Goodwitch, slightly relieved to see the same alarm he was feeling on Goodwitch's face. "... It is morning, Oz," he said slowly, watching his friend's reaction.

Ozpin blinked at him blearily, before turning his head sharply towards the nearby window, where the morning sun shown cheerfully in the quickly brightening sky. He stared out the window for a moment too long before saying, "...oh. So it is." The Headmaster cleared his throat, his posture straightening a bit even as he started combing through the mess on the table for something. "Sorry, I suppose I grew a little… engrossed."

"I… can see that," Ironwood said carefully. "Oz…"

But he was cut off when Ozpin finally found what he was looking for, pulling his pince-nez out from beneath a clumped up scroll. He propped them back on the bridge of his nose, only to have his eyes widen in surprise. "Winter!"

The elder Shncee, who up to this point had been watching the conversation with increasing bewilderment, jumped at suddenly being acknowledged. "S-Sir?"

Ozpin stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, looking almost shaken. He blinked rapidly, giving his head a small shake. "My apologies. I just hadn't expected you to come with James."

Winter stared back at him in confusion. "I... can leave…" She trailed off, looking towards Ironwood for guidance.

Ozpin gave her a calculating look as if seriously considering to accept her offer. Then, his shoulders slumped as he let out a shuddering sigh. "...no. No, you can stay. You should stay. What I want to discuss involves you… to a point."

Somehow, Winter managed to look even more baffled. "It… does?"

The Headmaster nodded. "Yes… along with… a few others."

Ironwood looked between the two, his brow pinched in confusion, frustration starting to build at just how off his old friend was acting. "Oz… you're not making sense. What's going on?"

Oz took a moment to collect his cane, buried under the mass of books, before meeting Ironwood's eyes. "I-"

"Sir…" Goodwitch suddenly cut in. She hovered over one corner of the coffee table, her lips set in a firm frown as she looked over the spilled contents of a dossier. "These are the reports on Summer Rose's disappearance."

Ironwood looked towards her in surprise, then back to Ozpin. The Headmaster gave his Second a thankful smile as he moved to her, straightening the loose paper she had pointed out. "Yes, ah... good a place to start as any. My researching last night has led me down a few tangents. All part of a greater whole, though, I assure you. Upon capturing Miss Fall, I realized that we may have a way to find Miss Rose that was unavailable to us in the past… assuming she still lives, of course."

Ironwood rose a skeptical brow. "Cinder Fall revealed this option?"

Ozpin paused again, mulling over his words before speaking, procrastinating by trying to organize the mess on the coffee table. "Among other things, yes."

"Oz…" Ironwood said slowly, a hint of warning and concern creeping into his voice.

Letting out a low breath, Ozpin pressed his hands flat against the table, a tight look on his face as he stared down at the ancient tomes. "My apologies, but… I've been keeping this secret for so long that revealing it now… it's left me a little jittery."

For the first time, Ironwood decided to acknowledge near-empty coffee pot teetering on the edge of the table, squeezed between two loosely closed scrolls. "Is that the only reason?"

Ozpin followed his gaze. He let out a small huff that was almost a laugh, the makings of a true smile twitching on his lips. "Well… perhaps not fully."

"Oz," Ironwood said, kindly but firmly. "What's going on?"

Ozpin met his eyes searchingly for a few moments. His gaze then traveled to Goodwitch and Winter, lingering on the latter for a few seconds more. With a heavy sigh, he sat back heavily on the couch behind him, rubbing gently at his forehead. "I'm afraid nothing I say will make sense unless I start from the beginning. The very beginning."

Ironwood met the eyes of Goodwitch and Winter momentarily, giving an unspoken suggestion for them to sit as well. As the two found seats in the nearby armchairs, Ironwood sat right across from his old friend on the opposite couch. "Alright. Take your time then, Oz."

Ozpin took a moment to collect himself, before reaching out to pick up one of the many books. He flipped through it absently as he spoke. "Right. Well, that's why I spent the night going through my collection. Searching for information and… refreshing my memory. There are things I need to explain to a multitude of people, and I was hoping you two, well, three, I suppose, would help me design the best way to explain it all to them. Because, as it is, I'm afraid that unless I have proof of my words at the ready, I would sound quite mad."

Another shared look between the three guests proved that they were all having the same unspoken thought. "Okay… and what is it you needed proof of?"

"The truth," Ozpin stated simply. "The truth behind the Maidens, Salem… and myself."

Ironwood's eyes widened, a look of utter disbelief. Whatever he had been expecting the Headmaster to say, that could not have been further from it. "Salem? You… what?"

Ozpin's lips pulled into a small wry smile. He glanced around Goodwitch and Winter sporting similar gobsmacked looks, the former having already pulled up her scroll to make the first of what was certain to be many, many notes. "As I said, the best place to start is the beginning. You see James, this started, everything started, long, long ago. With a young woman trapped in a tower... and the man who rescued her. A man named… Ozma."

Atlassian Flagship, Medical Bay

"... and cleanup crews are still amassing at the corner of 12th and Ohm to start on what is expected to be a lengthy and extensive repair on the surrounding area after last night's altercation between the Atlassian armed forces and the extremist group known as the White Fang. The damage caused by the derailment of a freight train on the subway lines beneath the area has left multiple streets and surrounding buildings left either demolished or structurally unsound. Efforts have been further slowed by reports of Grimm appearing in what was previously a blocked off and abandoned line, though Hunter Oobleck of Beacon Academy has made assurances that he and fellow Hunters in the area have the matter well in hand, and the beasts will pose no danger to the populace. In related news, the buzz of the approaching Vytal Festival has grown as of the night's battle, as some are wondering if the yearly competition will even happen…"

Yang tore her eyes away from the TV screen with a sigh. Just a few weeks ago, the idea of the Vytal Festival being canceled would have had her pissed off beyond belief. But now…

Beep… beep…. beep… beep…

Yang gave the heart monitor a dirty look. The situation was bad enough as is. She didn't need a reminder every single second that…

She sighed, instead letting her eyes drift around the room.

As a little girl, she'd always held a distant fascination for the giant Atlassian airships she and Ruby occasionally saw on TV. That something so large and powerful could just glide through the air easy as a bird caught her attention, making her wonder what it would be like inside such a machine.

Now that she was actually aboard one… it was a bit underwhelming. True, the airship's interior was rather impressive, with its large corridors and gleaming surfaces, but when everything was either painted white, grey, or gleaming chrome, the awe quickly lost its luster.

Plus, considering why she and her team had boarded the airship, any excitement Yang would have once had was reduced to a hard permanent nill.

The room was bare, with the only piece of entertainment to be seen being the flat television Yang had been watching hanging on the far wall. A large window took up most of the sidewall, showing off Beacon Academy and the countryside beyond it. The only furniture in the room were a few stiff chairs scattered about and…

The bed.

Yang felt her stomach twist.

Beep… beep… beep... beep…

Weiss practically disappeared into the surgically white sheets of the hospital bed, her stark white hair bleeding into her pillow and her already light skin looking paler than Yang had ever seen. The covers were tucked down at her waist, allowing for the dozen or so wires and tubes inserted on and into her chest and arm to snake their way back to machines Yang couldn't even hope to name.

But it was the mask that was the worst. The breathing mask over Weiss's mouth and nose seemed to both muffle and increase sound, making every shallow breath the heiress took echo and drown out everything else in the room.

Yang's eyes left the sleeping girl, panning to her side. Ruby sat on Weiss's left side, her head on her folded arms as she slumped over the foot of the bed. She was breathing slowly, her eyes closed, but even without the Link Yang could tell she wasn't asleep. Until she was told without a doubt that Weiss was going to be okay, she doubted Ruby was ever going to sleep soundly. She could relate.

On Weiss's left side, the one free of monitoring equipment, Blake lay curled up in a tight ball, letting out a distressed purr as if to drown out the heart monitor and Weiss's breathing. She hadn't moved from that spot since Wiess had been placed there, even if the occasional medical officer gave her a bemused and, in the case of on single instance, disparaging look.

(Said single instance resulting in heated words and a red-faced, teary-eyed, nearly apocalyptic Ruby running said officer out of the room before Yang had even gotten out of her chair. Something she would have fun ribbing her little sister about just as soon as she could muster up a smile.)

Yang absently ran a hand through Blake's hair, trying in vain to soothe her Mate. She Felt a faint sense of Appreciation from the cat Faunus, but it just paled next to the Fear, Sorrow, and Helplessness that Blake was drowning herself in. Yang could only sigh as she sank into the chair next to Blake, at a loss for what to do.

She felt her scroll buzz against her leg, but she ignored it. She'd been getting texts all morning from their friends asking what was going on. Apparently, between the news of the battle and the four of them missing, someone had put two and two together about them being involved. She tried to answer them as best she could, but eventually they all ended up asking the same question: Were they alright?

Yang didn't know how to answer beyond a hard, blunt No.

Minutes ticked by slowly as the three waited for… something. They each had the overwhelming feeling that they should be doing something, even though they all knew there was nothing to do but wait.

Beep… beep… beep… beep…

"Girls?"

Yang looked up, startled back awake. She hadn't even realized she was starting to doze off.

Kali stepped inside the room, a heartbroken look on her face as she took in the scene. Qrow and Taiyang came in quietly behind her, the latter closing the door behind him.

Ruby lifted her head at the intrusion, turning red-rimmed eyes on the newcomers. Blake's ears flicked a little, acknowledging their presence, but not making to move.

"Sorry it took so long, girls," Taiyang said as he came went to Ruby's side. Ruby gazed up at him with a lost look, before turning her eyes back to Weiss's comatose body. Taiyang deflated a little, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah," Qrow continued, leaning against the wall next to the window. "We'd have been here sooner, but this whole ship is a madhouse right now."

Yang nodded absently. The muffled sounds of rushing feet and shouted orders had been at a near-constant throughout the ship until they'd reached Weiss's room. Injured Atlassian soldiers were constantly being moved throughout the medical facility, as well as medical staff rushing in and out to tend to wounded White Fang being held in the brig. She could imagine how busy the rest of the ship was.

Kali went over to the side of the bed. She put her hand on Yang's shoulder, giving her what was probably meant to be an encouraging smile. It was a bit too tight to really be comforting, but Yang returned it anyway. Kali then leaned over the bed, whispering into Blake's ear. It was too soft for Yang to make out the words, but the Pain, Denial, Hope that shot through Blake gave her enough of an idea. For the first time in hours, Blake lifted herself from the bed, sitting on its edge, only to bury her face into the crook of her mother's neck. Kali just gave a sad smile, running a hand through Blake's hair as her comforting purrs resonated with Blake's pained ones.

Silence reigned for a few minutes before Qrow finally asked, "So… what's the verdict?" He sent a pointed glance towards Weiss's unconscious form as he spoke.

Like they thought he could be speaking about anything else.

Yang and Ruby looked at each other across Weiss' bed, reflecting each other's apprehension. Neither wanted to say the words aloud.

Qrow grimaced at the interaction. "That bad, huh?"

Ruby's lips worked without sound for a few moments before she found her voice. "Um… she got out of surgery a few hours ago. The doctors… they, um… th-they did all they could, but… they said, um… th-that Weiss, uh..."

Yang could feel her heart twisting with every pained word Ruby spoke, her sister dancing around the subject. It hurt, she knew that, but the blow wasn't going to get any softer the long she drew it out. Yang cut Ruby off with a loud sigh, the younger sister falling silent in an instant. Silver eyes filled with both remorse and thankfulness, and Yang could only give a minute nod before practically spitting out the words.

"Weiss might lose her lung."

There. She said it. Like ripping off a bandaid. Quick, sudden, and agonizingly painful.

Taiyang and Qrow gave her startled looks, which quickly turned to grim frowns. "Damn…" Qrow muttered under his breath.

Kali, however, had a much more pronounced reaction, her ears splaying fully back and her expression worshiping to horrified shock. "What?" she said, her voice coming out in a breathless whisper.

Yang let out a long breath, letting her head fall into the palm of her hand. She didn't want to see that look on Kali's face. She'd already had it burned into her brain when the doctors told her, Blake, and Ruby. "They're trying something else first, but…" She groaned under her breath, trying to recall everything the doctors had told them. "Her right lung is in bad shape. Adam's…"

Yang's breath caught as a wave of… Agony… flooded out from Blake. Yang's hand moved on its own, running up and down across Blake's shoulder in a soothing motion as the Faunus pressed herself further into her mother's arms. Kali dipped her head, restarting her purring while she kept her eyes on Yang.

"His…" Yang settled on as she continued. "...Semblance really screwed with Weiss's aura. He nicked her lung, and… infected it, I think they said."

"Aura poisoning," Qrow hissed under his breath.

Yang nodded. "Yeah. They put in some kind of… nanotech implant to repair the damage, but… it's so bad, they… they don't know if…"

A firm hand came down on Yang's shoulder, making her jump. Her head snapped up to see Qrow at her side, his grim frown contrasting against the soft look in his eyes. Yang blinked up at him, only to realize that her vision had gone blurry. She wiped at her eyes with a frustrated groan.

"Sorry, it's just… medical stuff isn't my thing and it's all so over my head, I…" She trailed off, feeling anger rising towards herself for giving what felt like excuses. "They said it might not work. That the damage is too much and the infection might just keep spreading. If that happens, their best bet is too remove the lung and swap it with a cybernetic one."

The room went quiet as Yang's words sank in.

"But she'll live?"

Yang's head whipped around towards the front of the room at the sudden voice, surprise coloring her features. She hadn't even heard the door open.

Raven slowly stepped into the room, a thin frown on her lips. Roman followed her in, watching the dark woman with a wary look. Neo closed the door as she came in behind them, staying by the door as the other two went further in. They all still showed signs of battle, their clothes singed and stained with dirt and blood.

"What?" Yang asked as Raven went right up to her, looking down at her with a calculating stare. Her face seemed paler than usual, the shadows around her eyes darker, giving the already rough woman and even harsher look.

Raven crossed her arms as she looked Yang over. "Weiss is going to live, right? Whether she keeps her lung or not, she'll still be alive. Right?"

"Well… yeah, but-"

"So why are you crying about it?"

…

"What."

Raven didn't even blink as Yang suddenly stood up, her eyes flashing red as they stood nose to nose. She watched over Yang's shoulder as Qrow's palm met his forehead, muttering under his breath a low, "Oh, Rae…"

Raven just rose an eyebrow at him, looking wholly unapologetic. "What? She's hurt, but she's alive." Her eyes trailed to the unconscious Weiss, then to Blake and Ruby, taking in the confused, borderline-hurt looks they were giving her. "She's alive, you're all together, and the bastard that hurt her isn't ever going to see the light of day again." She turned back to Yang, a surprising amount of fire in her eyes. "You won. Focus on that."

Yang scoffed, eyes falling back on Weiss. "Like that makes everything better."

Raven snorted. "Never said it would. There's plenty of things to feel angry and broken about right now. That's why you should be happy you have something good to balance it all out: Wiess. Is. Alive." With each word, Raven tapped a finger against Yang's collar bone, just hard enough to make Yang wince. "Focus on that instead of throwing yourself a pity party. Trust me, things could be so much worse."

There were no words to describe the whirlwind of emotions Raven's words stirred up between the Mated girls. Yang herself was torn between puzzling out exactly what she meant and letting the spark of anger her mother had ignited fully engulf her.

Her possible reactions were stalled when Roman let out a loud snort. "Like you're one to talk, Miss Dark and Gloomy."

Raven sent him a withering stare. "What's that stupid saying? 'Do as I say, not as I do?'"

Roman scoffed. "Yeah, that go for powering your way into a coma too?"

His comment was just random enough to startle Yang out of her anger, looking to him in confusion before going back to her mother.

"I'm fine," Raven said at her look, a little too quickly.

"She's not," Roman said an instant later, sounding more annoyed than anything. "She pumped out more portals last night then she has in the last decade and is running on fumes. The only reason she isn't passed out right now is that she thinks she can power through it indefinitely, which, newsflash Rae, you can't."

Raven turned her glare on him, and Yang took the chance to really focus on Raven's condition. Now that she was looking for it, she noticed that as Raven crossed her arms, her hands were clutching at her forearms a little too tightly, a slight tremor moving through her body. "I'm not that weak, Roman," she ground out with a warning tone.

Roman just gave an exaggerated sigh. "It ain't weakness to not want to pass the hell out, Rae. Maybe I got my names screwed up, which of you did I name Brainy Bird and Bird Brain again?"

As Roman spoke, Qrow quietly lifted the chair Yang had been sitting and placed in right behind Raven's back, raising a finger to his lips when the girls gave him a confused look. Across the room, Taiyang put his fist up against his mouth, hiding a large grin.

Raven scoffed at Roman's words, turning away from him. "I'll rest when I have too. I'm fine."

Roman and Qrow stared at her for a second, before giving each other an unimpressed look. The two moved in the same instance, Qrow kicking the back of Raven's right leg as Roman did the same to her left. Raven gave a startled yelp as her legs were swept out from under her, falling back into the chair so hard it nearly tipped over. Raven stared ahead for a moment, dumbfounded, before slowly turning her head towards Qrow, looking murderous.

Qrow just crossed his arms, smirking. "Don't even, Sis. No way that would have worked if you were fighting fit. You're wiped."

Raven glared up at Qrow and Roman, the two just smirking back at her. She looked across at Taiyang for support, only to find him grinning in amusement, fighting back a laugh. Even Kali was watching the interaction with a Cheshire grin.

Raven glowered at them, before slumping back in the chair with her arms crossed, an expression on her face that was certainly not a pout. "I hate all of you."

Yang watched the whole interaction with a gobsmacked look on her face, not knowing how to react to her mother and uncle (uncles, her mind absently corrected) acting so… normally. And… oddly familiar.

"...hehe…"

Yang and Raven both perked up the soft giggle. They looked over in surprise to find Ruby in the throes of a near-silent giggle fit, eyes closed as she covered her mouth with her hand. She opened her eyes, her giggles cutting off as she noticed them looking at her, her face pinking. "Um…" She shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, unable to wipe the grin from her face. "Sorry?"

Raven stared at her for a second, before raising a brow, her lips quirking up a bit. "Yeah, laugh it up, Little Rose, laugh it up."

Ruby pinked further, but her grin didn't lessen.

Confusion. Amusement. Pain.

Yang jolted where she stood, her heart skipping a beat. Ruby and Blake did the same, surprising Taiyang and Kali into letting them go. The three whipped their heads around to the bed.

Weiss stared back at them with bleary eyes, trying to raise her head.

"Weiss!" Blake twisted to face Weiss fully, her waist contorting as she leaned over the heiress. "Hey, hey, don't try to get up. You shouldn't be moving right now…" She put a hand gently over Weiss's shoulder, not pushing, just keeping her from moving further.

Weiss's face still contorted in a grimace at the pressure, what little energy she'd had upon waking up fleeing her in an instant as she sank back into the bed.

As Ruby moved closer towards Weiss's pillow, Yang caught Roman muttering under his breath. "Damn. Stabbed and in surgery one night, and already awake by morning. Princess is tougher than she looks." Yang would have given him some scathing words of her own had she not watched Raven's elbow slam into Roman's midsection the second he'd stopped talking, doubling the conman over.

As it was, Yang only cared about seeing that Weiss was okay… or at least, as okay as she could be. "Hey there, Snowflake. How you feeling?"

Weiss glanced around at the full room, as if confused why they were all there. Her lips moved as she tried to form words, but all that came out was a soft rasp, her face screwing up in pain.

"Don't talk, Weiss," Ruby was quick to say, her hands hovering above Weiss like she wanted to wrap her in the biggest hug but was afraid to touch her. "You, um… they said you shouldn't try talking for a while."

Weiss gave her a confused look, before wincing as she took a particularly deep breath. Her lips moved again, looking around at them as she slowly mouthed, Breathing…. hurts… She blinked a few times, wetness glistening in the corner of her eyes. ...What… happened…?

Yang felt her stomach drop further. Weiss's mind was probably still muddied from just waking up. Meaning… Oh, Gods, we're going to have to explain this to her. "Yeah… um… You're… you're pretty beat up right now." She took a slow breath, cursing the shudder that ran through her. "Taurus… he… he got you pretty good, Snowflake."

Weiss's eyes went flicked back and forth as she thought, Confused. Then they went wide with Panic as she likely remembered.

Yang moved quickly, putting a had on Weiss's shoulder to help Blake stop her before she could even think about moving again. "Whoa, easy! You're okay! The doctors are still patching you up, but you're going to be… fine…"

Weiss gave her a funny look before her eyes slowly narrowed. Yang cursed herself for not keeping the waver out of her voice.

What? Weiss mouthed.

Yang hesitated. "Um…"

For a moment, a flicker of Weiss's patented annoyed look flashed over her face. It quickly faded away to concern, likely at feeling Yang's own Unsureness and Fear.

Yang bit her lip, looking away from Weiss's face.

Weiss started to exude Anxiety, though she was clearly trying to force it down for the moment. Tell me… please…

Yang looked between Ruby and Blake, seeing their reluctance. None of them wanted to tell her, of course they didn't. But it wouldn't do any good keeping quiet, especially since there was no way Weiss would let them. With another shuddering breath to steel her nerves, Yang looked right into Weiss's eyes, plowing ahead. "Taurus hit your lung. The docs are doing all they can, but… they might have to replace it."

For a moment, Weiss just stared at Yang, as if not understanding. She blinked a few times, then her eyes drifted towards the ceiling. A Feeling of Numbness spread out from the heiress. Her lips formed a small 'oh' as she looked straight ahead into nothing.

Yang swallowed nervously at her girlfriend's lack of reaction. "Weiss? Did… did you hear me?"

Weiss's head moved up and down minutely in a tiny nod, not looking at her. She wasn't looking at anyone.

"Hey," Yang felt a hand on her shoulder, looking back to find Qrow giving her a sympathetic look. "It's a big shock. Just give her a minute."

Yang nodded, looking back to Weiss helplessly.

Minutes passed as they let Weiss try to process what she'd been told. At some point, Qrow moved over to Taiyang, the two speaking in low tones that Yang couldn't make out. Kali, after giving Blake one last comforting squeeze on the shoulder, went to speak with Neo, apparently deciding that the girl didn't deserve to be left alone in a room full of people, much to the ex-criminal's surprise. Raven and Roman were surprisingly silent, Roman messing with something on his scroll while Raven just sat there silently, waiting just like the RWBYs.

Naturally, they could only watch Weiss struggle silently for so long before someone had to try and bring her back to them.

"Hey," Ruby suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Weiss's eyes went to her, crystal-blue eyes swimming, and Yang thought she felt her heart crack. Ruby gave her a watery smile, leaning in close to her as she carefully wrapped her fingers into Weiss's hair as she wiped a few tears away with her thumb. "This won't beat you. You're too tough for that, right? You'll be back up and bossing us around in no time."

Weiss stared at her, her features smoothing out into a dumbfounded look. Ruby fidgeted under her stare, and Yang worried that her sister's permanently positive outlook might have made her overstep.

Then, miraculously, Weiss let out a small puff of air, her lips curling up slightly.

A laugh.

A weak, silent, blink-and-you'd-have-missed-it laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

With every last bit of effort she had, Weiss lifted her right arm and softly poked Ruby in the forehead with her ring finger.

Dork, she mouthed, before letting her arm fall back to the bed heavily.

Ruby practically slumped over the bed in relief, and Yang nearly followed her. Blake let out a soft giggle at them, Ruby joining her a moment later.

The entire room seemed to let out a sigh of relief, tension that they'd all refused to acknowledge fading away.

"What I want to know," Qrow interjected as the room lightened. "Is how you three know that? I know being Mated basically makes you four family, but you don't have any paperwork to back that up. Atlas is usually pretty insistent on that stuff."

"We got Winter to thank for that." Yang Felt Weiss's Confusion and Curiosity, so she flashed her a smile. "You're right. The docs weren't really telling us much once Weiss got out of surgery, even when Ruby tried to pull the Team Leader card. I… got a little heated with the guy we were talking to when he said we would need to leave. Then Winter showed up." Yang had to hold back a chuckle. "She heard the whole thing, and… I didn't know someone could be that mad and that quiet at the same time."

Qrow was smirking now, amusement dancing in his eyes. "What'd she say to that?"

Yang grinned back, Feeling Ruby and Blake's Humor and Satisfaction at the memory, as well as a bit of Amazement on Blake's end. "That we were as much Weiss's family as she was, and if he didn't stop stonewalling us she was going to throw him off the ship herself… and I don't think she meant it in the 'firing' sense."

Weiss's brow lifted a little, her Disbelief palpable. Qrow let out a low whistle. "Wow. Yeah, sounds like she was ticked."

"Yeah," Yang agreed. "She said she was going to get some kind of paperwork written up so they couldn't give us any more crap. Even said she'd have Ironwood pull some strings. After that, they were a lot nicer to us. Told us everything." Her smile softened as she turned back to Weiss, seeing how the heiress's eyes were already starting to droop. "So you just take it easy, okay, Weissy? You're going to be okay… I promise."

Weiss looked around them, meeting the eyes of her Mates, then the various members of their families surrounding them. Her eyes lingered on Kali's soft smile, the warmth in the Faunus matriarch's eyes reflected in the sympathetic-yet-confident expressions on the other members, and one of Qrow's comments reminded her of the woman's words earlier in the week. This wasn't just her Mates' family. It was hers now too.

A Feeling spread out from Weiss that made her Mates look at them curiously, Understanding, Desperateness, Happiness, and Tenderness, all covered in a blanket of being Overwhelmed.

"Weiss?" Blake asked softly, her voice rough from disuse.

Weiss looked up at her, then to Ruby and Yang. The way her eyes fluttered showed how hard she was fighting against the fatigue she was feeling. Her voice was little more than a weak croak, drowned in exhaustion as she forced the word to be audible. "...s...stay?"

Yang looked surprised for a moment, glancing at Ruby and Blake. She let out a small huff of a laugh, before gently putting her and on Weiss's shoulder. Blake took Weiss's left hand, Ruby doing the same with her right, mindful of the medical equipment running across her fair skin.

"Like we'd be anywhere else," Yang said with a joking grin.

"We'll stay as long as you want us, Weiss," Blake confirmed, squeezing her hand gently.

"And we'll be right here when you wake back up," Ruby added with a bright smile.

Weiss gave a weak smile at their words, her eyes glistening a little. Finally giving up the fight against her weariness, she let her eyes slip closed. A few moments later, her breathing evened out, her whole body relaxing as sleep took her.

Raven watched the whole interaction with a wistful look on her face, letting out a low breath at the looks on her daughters' faces. A sudden weight falling on her shoulder made her jump, looking up to find Roman with his hand on her shoulder, his usual flippant grin belying a look of understanding. She looked away with a scoff, but didn't shake his hand off.

The RWBY's remained where they were for a while, just taking comfort in each other's presence as they watched their sleeping member. As Yang watched Weiss's chest rise and fall, she could feel the weight on her shoulders lessen slightly. Her mother was right: no matter what happened in the near future, Weiss was alive. That was the important thing. She was alive…

And no matter what came their way next, they were going to make sure she stayed that way.

Far away from Vale, across the northern ocean and deep within miles of snowy landscape, a massive structure stood out against a mountainous backdrop. Stark white, as if carved out of pure marble, a mansion larger the most city blocks spread out across a sprawling section of walled of land. Surrounded by teeming gardens of meticulously kept flowers and dotted with priceless carved sculptures, one would be forgiven for believing the structure to be a private school or some kind of museum.

Those people would be wrong.

For all they would have to do was look at the large iron-wrought gates at the beginning of the structure's main driveway and take in the massive snowflake symbol they formed, and they would realize that they were looking at the Schnee Family Home.

Castle White.

But today, the impressive stonework and sprawling gardens of the manor went unappreciated by its occupants. Deep within the massive structure, down the high-ceilinged and heavily ornated hallways was the main office of the Schnee patriarch, owner of the Schnee Dust Company, Jaueqe Schnee,

And it was occupied.

Normally at this time of day, assuming he was not dealing with business elsewhere, Jacque Schnee would either be found going through paperwork, making various business calls, or meeting with whatever poor soul had 'graciously' been invited to speak to the man face to face.

Today, however, was different. Jacque Schnee sat behind his mahogany desk, surrounded by his priceless works of art various status symbols, and could only stare at the computer screen in front of him. He folded his hands in front of his face as he leaned over the desk, drumming his fingers in thought as he reread the document for the dozenth time.

You are receiving this message due to an update in the Schnee Family Medical History. Three individuals have now been named as primary medical proxies for Weiss Schnee.

Request for change submitted by

Winter Schnee

Changes approved by:

General James Ironwood

The changes are as follows:

Ruby Rose

Relation: Life-Partner

Blake Belladonna

Relation: Life-Partner

Yang Xiox-Long

Relation: Life Partner

If you would like more information on the changes made, please send your request to the following link:

Sending a request through the given link had, perhaps unsurprisingly, gone without response since he sent it off shortly after first receiving the message.

Four hours ago.

His attempts to contact his daughters and General Ironwood had gone similarly unanswered. The fact that a significant altercation involving them and the White Fang had happened the previous night could be an easy explanation for the lack of contact. It could even be understandable. Expected.

It could.

It was not.

Jacque sat in thought for a while longer, before leaning back in his chair. An idea struck him.

Jacque reached out over his desk, pressing a small button next to his computer keyboard. "Klein."

Within seconds, a deep respectful voice responded from a nearby speaker. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell Whitley to pack his bags. He will be joining me on a business trip."

"Right away, sir."

Jacque leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach. A cold smile slowly spread across his lips.

If answers would not be given to him… then he would have to seek them out.

Personally.

End of Arc III

Betaed by Covert Weapon

A/n: And thus we meet my most hated character in RWBY. Beating out Adam. Beating out Cardin. Even beating out Salem herself.

Jacque. Fuc*king. Schnee.

This is gonna be good.

I cannot believe how long this story had gotten, nor that I still have so much of it left. I want to say I could have it finished by the chapter 100 mark, but let's be real here; I have no freaking idea how long this story will get before its all said and done. I'm just going with the flow

The next chapter might be a while since… honestly, I'm not even sure how to start it. I'm deep in uncharted waters, folks. I'm going to need a bit to chart out a course. Plus I have another story that I've left high and dry for two months while I was writing this.

In the meantime, I'll give you a little taste of what's to come.

Next chapter, we begin Linked in Life and Love, Act IV:

Menagerie of Mad Maidens