94

Chapter 94: Round 2, Part 2: Fly By Knight

Okay, so maybe challenging the possessed warmech to a one-on-one fight wasn't the brightest idea.

Yang stifled a curse as she blocked another punch from the Mecha Gigas. She grit her teeth behind her crossed arms, struggling to keep her balance as she was sent skidding back. When she came to a stop, she crouched low and bent her legs, launching herself at super speed back into the fight.

In her defense, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. The last time she fought this particular hunk of military hardware, super strength plus newly acquired super speed had decapitated the thing with a single punch. And in the White Fang fight, she'd taken three of their mechs down solo, one of which was more advanced than this scrapped prototype. After that, how hard could this one rematch be, right?

Turns out, hard. The Paladins from before had human/Faunus pilots who had to make sure any damage taken didn't break the mech or them. The Mecha Gigas fought like a wild animal and didn't seem to care about how smashed it got.

Speaking of which…

"HIYAAA!"

Yang's punch caved in the knee of the Gigas, forcing the limb to bend backward unnaturally. She had to speed out of the way of its collapsing bulk, diving as the Grimm made a swipe for her. She rolled to her feet, finding the Gigas holding itself up by its hand. By the fluorescent dockyard lights, she could see inky blackness swirling between the Gigas's armored plates. There was a groan of protesting steel, and the Mech's leg popped back into place. Despite the newly dented and torn armor, the Gigas raised to its feet with no issue.

"Oh, come on!" Yang shouted out loud, throwing her arms out in frustration. Her hair dimmed to a glow, most of her absorbed strength expelled. "What's it going to take to keep you down?"

She put her fists up as the Gigas spun around, ready for another go. Before the Grimm could focus on her, something small and trailing smoke collided with its cockpit, exploding into a small fireball. Surprised, Yang followed the smoke back to its source. She grinned viciously.

The Atlassian soldiers had grown tired of the armored Grimm shrugging off their bullets and had called for something larger. Namely, two transport trucks with a squad of rocket launchers each.

The Gigas howled from the impact, glaring through the smoke. In the now dark of night, the Geist's eye dimly lit the Paladin's cockpit, giving the cracked glass a faint orange glow. Right as it saw the soldiers, the rest of the men fired, seven small rockets streaking toward the Grimm. Yang had to shield her eyes from the resulting glare, her ears ringing from the resounding explosion. The Gigas was knocked to its knees, shattered armored plates raining onto the pavement. It didn't stay stunned long, raising its head to glare at the soldiers. With a howl it launched itself forward, the soldiers scrambling back into the trucks. Tires screeched as they tore off down the docks, the men in the back rapidly reloading their launchers as the Mecha Gigas roared after them.

Yang sighed in relief. If they could keep the Grimm busy for just a few minutes, she could heal up a little and build her strength back up. She leaned against the nearest warehouse wall, breathing heavily as she took stock of her injuries. She could feel the ache in her hands as her Aura worked overtime, repairing all the little micro-fractures her fingers had accumulated. Her right forearm was burning from blocking one of the Geist's punches. Hopefully whatever it was had just cracked. All her cuts and scrapes had stopped bleeding, her new scars already fading away. She pressed a hand to her head, making sure the gash she'd felt earlier had closed properly as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Her tangled hair. Her tangled, matted, crusty hair, no doubt split end to hell thanks to gods-know-what was in the port water and when she got her hands on that Geist, she was going to rip out its stupid eye and punch it a new mouth-hole SO SHE COULD MAKE IT EAT IT!

Oh, looky-there, her hair was flaming again.

KEEEEWWwwww!

Yang's head snapped up at the familiar crack of a sniper rifle. She looked just in time to see the Gigas halfway down the dock, its arm outstretched as it was mere feet behind the closest truck, flinching back as a burst of fire blasted against its forearm. Yang looked around for the source of the shot, eyes snapping towards a muzzle flash on top of one of the warehouse roofs, a second shot ringing out. She grinned as the flash lit up the blocky barrel of Crescent Rose.

Then went bug-eyed at the sight of who was wielding her.

It was only for a moment, but Yang saw the head of white hair behind Crescent Rose's scope. And given that said hair was in a bun as opposed to a ponytail, that narrowed the suspects down significantly.

Why the hell is Winter using Crescent Rose? Where's Ruby?

Dread and the beginnings of panic started to well up in Yang's gut as she saw no sign of her sister, or Weiss for that matter. She was about to close her eyes, peer through the Void to find them, when Winter fired another shot, and the squealing of spinning tires grew louder, drawing Yang's attention.

The two trucks had doubled back, swerving madly to avoid the mech nipping at their heels. The men in the back kept firing rockets, the explosive impacts stunning the Grimm for a few seconds, only for the mechanical beast to rev back up immediately after. Yang took a deep breath, steadying herself to leap at the Grimm when it passed.

She didn't get the chance, as the Gigas caught one of the trucks first.

Yang's stomach dropped as metal digits closed around the armored vehicle, yanking it right off the ground. The soldiers in the driver and passenger seats dived out immediately, but the two in the truck bed were trapped as the Gigas lifted them to eye level. It yowled in their faces, the metal buckling as it squeezed.

Yang moved. In just a few super speed strides, she launched herself at the Gigas's forearm, crashing into it fist-first. The impact loosened its grip, sending the half-crushed truck crashing to the ground, the soldiers bailing out as it fell.

The Geist let out a frustrated shriek, trying to smack her with its other hand. Before it could, Yang kicked off the armor plating and backflipped over the blow. From her new height, she noticed how close they were to the water's edge.

An idea struck her, a mad grin on her face as she crossed her fingers.

At the height of her flip, still upside down, a yellow glyph appeared in her path. She hit it flat-footed, her knees bent. She stared at the Gigas for a second, hanging above it at an angle. Then, with a twist of her fingers, a second glyph appeared in front of her. It started yellow, then quickly darkened to near black, spinning rapidly. Her grin widened as she kicked on her super speed, and lept.

The moment Yang passed through the velocity cliff, her body blurred into a massive light, a flaming sparking comet streaking through the darkness. She collided with it just under the cockpit, its frame caving in as it stumbled back. Yang flipped again, repeating the maneuver. The Geist tried to block the second streak, Yang slamming into its crossed arms. The blast sent its arms up, the mech skidding further back.

Yang could feel her lungs aching, her legs burning. Just one more hit, she thought, as the Gigas stumbled back. Her lips pulled back in frustration. But I'm almost out of juice! C'mon, how-

As gravity retook its hold on her, Yang glanced down. She grinned.

Perfect!

Yang rolled with her landing, coming to a stop right beside the crushed truck. With the last of her borrowed strength, she gripped it by the back bumper, spun once, and lobbed the smoking wreck right at the Gigas's shielded face. It smashed against the Paladin's cockpit, earning a startled shriek from the Geist within. Before gravity could take its hold on the truck, Yang let fly a shotgun punch at the vehicle's exposed underside.

The detonation of the truck's gas tank didn't move the Gigas.

The following explosion of the many rockets inside the truck did.

Yang, bent over and out of breath, watched in satisfaction as the mech's smoking bulk stumbled back one, two, three steps, its mechanical heel hanging over the lip of the dock. It flailed its arms as it tipped back, desperately trying to balance on one leg. Yang nearly cheered as it neared the point of no return.

Only for the Grimm to throw its leg forward, planting both feet firmly on solid ground.

Yang cursed, loudly. She tried to call up some strength for one more strike, but her well had gone dry, her ruined mane falling limp and lifeless. She let out a tired breath as the Mecha Gigas regained its footing. She fell to her fighting stance, resigning herself to another round with the haunted mech-

"HHHEEEYAAHH!"

The whine of an incoming bullhead sounded overhead, followed by a familiar battle cry. Yang looked up to see an academy Bullhead soaring away as a violet meteor launched from its side door. The purple blur soared through the night gloom, trailing rose petals in its wake as it impacted the Paladin's cockpit.

For just a moment, Yang could see through the mass of petals as it impacted. Blake had a vicious snarl on her face, eyes blazing and violet hair writhing as she drove her foot into the mech's cockpit. The cracks in the glass doubled, then tripled. With a bend of her legs and a yell of effort, Blake kicked off the cockpit's surface, shattering the reinforced glass. The Geist yowled as it was forced back, its foot catching on open air as it fell into the open water with a titanic splash, its cries swallowed by the waves.

Yang watched breathlessly as Blake flipped through the air, landing just a few short feet away. The Faunus stood in a protective pose between Yang and the water, the violet glow from her writhing hair giving an almost ethereal look.

A look that was broken when Blake suddenly let out a pained hiss, her hair fading back to black and she started hopping on one foot, clutching at her opposite leg. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" She looked back at the blonde, completely baffled. "Yang, how do you do this all the time?"

Yang watched her hop, stunned, then let out a sympathetic chuckle. "Well, I don't usually kick, hun. I mess up and bust an arm, I can keep fighting with the other one. Ya break a leg, though… that's pretty much it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Blake hissed as she gingerly placed her foot back on the ground. She then turned and flinched, getting her first proper look at Yang. "Oh… oh, Yang…"

Yang plastered on a grin even as her stomach sank. "That bad, huh?"

Blake's cat ears shot up, her irises shrinking in panic. "No! No, it's…" She shrunk under Yang's unimpressed look. She stepped forward and ran a hand through Yang's matted hair, grimacing as she carefully removed the strand of fried seaweed. "It's… not great," she reluctantly admitted, tossing the seaweed aside.

Yang's shoulders slumped in defeat. She tried to dig her fingers through the mess, only to be stopped instantly by tangles, her hands coming away with a light dusting of salt. "Oh, this is gonna take forever to fix!" She groaned mournfully as she tried to brush the hair out of her eyes, only to growl in frustration as the slightest movement sent clumped strands drifting back.

Blake cringed in sympathy. "Here, let me." She moved behind Yang, producing a black elastic from her pocket. As she gathered Yang's hair, she asked, "Now, can you tell me what the heck's been going on down here? All of your Feelings have been driving me up the wall."

Yang tensed, both in guilt and at someone else handling her hair. She released her tension with a slow breath. "Sorry, Kitty Cat. Short version, a Geist stowed away on a transport coming from the subway hub, and decided my dear old uncle's death machine made the perfect mobile home."

Blake stifled a snort as she worked. "Where are Ruby and Weiss? And why is Winter using Crescent Rose?"

"I think Ruby's down for the count." Yang grimaced, masking her worry with a huff. "She sped away with Winter and Weiss after taking a hell of a beating. Guess Weiss stayed with her while Winter came back to take potshots." She frowned in thought. "It's weird, though. I barely saw Ruby run off, no red streak behind her. Almost like I blinked and she was gone."

"You're more right than you know, Yang."

The two looked over at Winter's approach. The Specialist seemed a little breathless, Crescent Rose compacted on her back. Yang grinned at her. "Nice shooting."

Winter gave a slight smile in return. "Thank you. My apologies for commandeering Ruby's weapon. I know some Hunter's are… testy about others handling their weapons, but I felt the need for ranged offense took precedence."

Yang shrugged slightly, trying not to twitch as Blake manhandled her hair. "You're protecting people, so Ruby shouldn't care that much… so long as you treat Crescent like the lady she is." She snorted lightly. "Honestly, I'm impressed. I've shot Crescent Rose before; she kicks like a mule. I'm surprised she didn't knock you on your ass."

"... There is a reason I was firing while lying down," Winter admitted, her cheeks pinking. Yang and Blake shot her amused looks, making her clear her throat as she powered on. "We need to think of a plan before that Gigas resurfaces."

"Wait, what?" Yang spun around, flashing Blake a grateful grin as the Faunus released her hair. Judging from the strained smile she received, her new loose ponytail wasn't much of an improvement. At least the hair was out of her eyes now. "C'mon, we just drowned the damn thing!"

"... pretty sure you can't drown a Geist, Yang," Blake hesitantly admitted.

"What- No. I was awake for that bit of Grimm studies. Only aquatic Grimm can last underwater. Land ones still need air to function."

Winter gave a patient nod. "True, but Geists fall into something of a third category."

Yay threw her hands up in disbelief. "What, one that doesn't need to breathe?"

"Yang… did you see a mouth that Geist could breathe through?"

"...ah, crap," Yang moaned dejectedly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "So this mess ain't over yet."

Winter gave a frustrated exhale. "I'm afraid not, but we are in a better position. The Paladin is too heavy to leave the sea floor, so it will either have to walk to shallower water or abandon-"

Boom.

A sudden rumble under their feet cut her off. The three looked down at the sound of cracking concrete, another tremor shaking their balance. They had a split-second to process the water seeping up through the cracks at their feet.

"Oh sh-"

The three were sent scrambling as the dockside exploded. A geyser of seawater and shattered concrete erupted into the air, followed by the screeching, flailing hulk of the Mecha Gigas. Sand, sediment, and curtains of seaweed covered its armor, giving more the appearance of a sea-dwelling golem than a prototype warmech. As it scrambled out of the dockyard's new hole, water drained from its exposed cockpit, revealing the Geist's mask, sparks arcing around it from drowned components.

When its molten eye landed on them, it didn't bother standing up. It let loose an enraged screech and started clawing forward at a rapid pace.

Blake threw up a hand, a violet glyph keeping a metal hand from squashing them flat. The glyph warped but held. The Gigas lifted its arm for another blow, but an explosion crashed into the mech's shoulder first. The Atlassian soldiers had regrouped and spread out along the dock, rocket launchers ready. Before the Grimm could focus on them, buckshot and flame burst against the opposite side of the cockpit, Yang and Winter firing from nearby cover.

The Gigas went to stand and run after them when a black ribbon wrapped around its forearm. It moaned in confusion before Blake pulled herself up the ribbon, flipping to land on the Mech's forearm, Gambol Shroud shifting from sword to pistol form.

Gambol fired, and the Mecha Gigas jerked back with a howl, nearly sending Blake flying. The Faunus lept from the Grimm's flailing limb, rolling along the pavement into a crouch as Gambol's ribbon retracted. She looked up as the mech righted itself, the Geist staring down at her. A hole appeared on the Grimm's mask, above and to the right of its eye. A jagged crack now ran diagonally through its entirety.

The Geist's eye flickered, its molten pupil going from wide-blown to pinprick tiny and back again wildly. Blake raised Gambol for another shot, Yang and Winter doing the same behind her-

When the Geist threw its arms down and let out a horrific screech.

Blake yelped as she clutched her cat ears in pain. Yang and Winter weren't much better, gritting their teeth as the Grimm's piercing shriek echoed throughout the docks. Before they could re-aim, the Mecha Gigas bent at the knees, its mechanical knuckles slamming to the concrete. Its upper body started to turn, unpinning at the waist as it made a full rotation.

Then another.

And another.

And another, faster and faster, a mechanical wine building as stressed gears and servos picked up speed, sparks flying as it ground its fists against the ground.

Winter watched the odd maneuver, baffled. "What in the-?"

Then the Mech dipped forward.

Blake's eyes shot wide. "Move!"

The three dove away in a panic, the Mecha Gigas screeching past them like a demented top. It took no care or notice that it had missed its target, rushing forward into the front of a warehouse. It tore apart the steel door, twisted metal flying as it ricocheted off the structure, no momentum lost. It careened towards the soldiers, sending them scrambling. A few managed to fire their rockets off, only for the resulting blast to be deflected by the mech's spinning bulk.

Yang watched in morbid amusement as the Mecha Gigas pinballed between buildings and vehicles, sending steel and stone flying with no rhyme or reason save causing as much destruction as possible. "Okay, I think we officially pissed it off!"

"No kidding!" Blake yelled back as they darted apart, letting the mechanical mass rush between them. She fired a few shots, the bullets pinging harmlessly off the spinning armor.

"Anyone got a plan!?" Yang called out as she crouched behind a smoking truck. "Cuz at this rate, there's not going to be much of the docks left! Winter, what happened to those bullheads!?"

"Out of ammo!" Winter replied, ducking behind a dockside crane. "Nearest replacements are five minutes out!" She lifted her arms, a large glyph forming at her feet. A trio of Beowolf summons lept from it, snarling as they ran at the spinning mech. The two in front were shattered to pieces by the revolving limbs, but the third managed to slip through. It dug its teeth into the Paladin's elbow, piercing the thinner metal at the joints. The Geist's shriek reached a new pitch as the summon bit and clawed away the armor plating, the spinning hulk rushing to collide with the nearest object.

Namely, the crane tower Winter was crouched behind.

Winter gasped as the mech's spinning arms tore through the thin legs of the crane, the last Beowulf shattering on impact with an aborted whine. The rotating limbs mowed down the falling tower, sending the crane cabin hurtling out into open water. When the mech hit the solid structure, its momentum slowed just enough for the Geist's eye to catch sight of her.

On its next rotation, the Mecha Gigas ceased its spinning and faced Winter, both arms raised for a downward slam. Winter grit her teeth in a defiant snarl, raising her arms to form a shield glyph-

Shrrriiiing!

Winter froze, her eyes blowing wide. A gust of wind ripped by her, caring with it a sea of glittering white rose petals.

The Gigas paused its movements, perplexed by the sudden blue glow illuminating it. The Geist's eye slowly panned down at the pilot seat below it… impaled on a shining blue sword tip.

A glowing, gauntleted hand reached over the Gigas's back and grasped the top of its cockpit in a crushing grip. The Geist gave a startled howl as it was suddenly torn off its feet and sent hurtling down the dockside, its metal body trailing sparks as it skid across the concrete.

Winter squinted against the light emanating from the large form before her. When her eyes adjusted, they slowly widened, her hands falling and mouth parting as she registered what she was looking at: an Atlassian Knight, cloaked in the translucent glow that denoted a summon. A single blue eye danced through the Knight's visor, betraying its Grimm nature as it lowered its blade to a defensive position. As its shoulders lowered, Winter's breath caught.

Weiss stood on the Knight's shoulder, a hand curled around the edge of an armored plate for stability. Frost crept up her arm and legs, not that Weiss seemed to notice. The younger Schnee had eyes only for the incensed Geist clambering to its feet, her face set in a determined glower.

From across the docks, Yang let out a triumphant shout. "There ya go, Weiss!" She beamed, both fists punching the air. "That's my girl!"

Beside her, Blake stared at the sight with naked awe. "Beautiful…"

Weiss spared a glance at Yang's shout, the corner of her mouth quirking up slightly. Her face went back to determined blankness when the Geist let out an enraged shriek, wheels screeching as it rushed forward. Weiss's eyes narrowed. She drew Myrtenaster, pointing the rapier at the Gigas. "Knight, advance!"

The Knight gave an affirmative moan, stomping forward to meet the Gigas. The Geist howled as it threw a right hook. In response, the Knight brought its left arm up across its body. There was a faint shimmer around its forearm… and a large glyph spun into existence over it, stopping the punch cold. On impact with the glyph, ice erupted over the Gigas's fist, freezing it solid.

Weiss blinked at the glyph and its resulting ice. She glanced down at her free hand, verifying her uncrossed fingers. She turned to her Knight. "Did… you do that?"

"Hmph." Her Knight's eye rolled to look at her. It nodded sharply, giving an affirmative groan.

Weiss blinked again. "...okay, then."

The Geist shrieked in response, its molten eye darting from the Knight to its frozen limb. Before it could counter-attack, the Knight threw its arm out, shoving the Gigas's arm up with its glyph-shield. With a mighty swing, its broadsword whistled through the air and into the Gigas's shoulder. Without missing a beat, the Knight spun on its heel, yanking its blade free only to turn a full circle and slice into the Gigas's midsection.

Black tendrils spilled from the fresh cuts, lashing against the split metal as it tried to pull itself back together. With a growl, the Gigas threw its frozen fist forward. The Knight blocked it again, but the Grimm followed up with a sudden left jab aimed at the Knight's stomach.

Weiss yelped as the Gigas ducked under her Knight's attempted sword slash, the blow hitting home. The Knight was forced off its feet a few inches, and Weiss gasped for breath as her stomach folded inward from a phantom sucker-punch. Her Knight groaned lowly from the impact, then louder as the Gigas tackled it around the middle, wheels screeching as it lifted and started forcing the summon back towards the water's edge.

The Knight gave an angry growl and started laying in blows on whatever part of the Gigas it could reach. Chunks of severed frozen armor began trailing behind the struggling Gigas, the edge of the Knight's glyph-shield digging into the Mecha Gigas's back with every frantic punch. A hit to its damaged shoulder managed to loosen the Grimm's grip, enough so to let the Knight's feet reach the concrete, the summon digging its heels in to push back. Weiss grit her teeth as the water's edge neared, clinging desperately to her Knight's shoulder. Deciding to take the risk, she spun Myrtenaster's cylinder to the right dust, pointed the blade towards the Gigas's swaying cockpit, and hit the trigger.

BOOOOOOOMMMM!

A lightning bolt lept from Myrtenaster's blade and crashed into the Paladin's cockpit. The Geist let out a pained howl as its body shuddered, the Gigas's momentum slowing as sparks danced across its form. The ruined cockpit chair burst into flame, a six-inch hole blasted through the metal under it down to the concrete below. Weiss growled under her breath. The Gigas had slowed further, but not stopped. How could-?

Red.

Reach up. Grab!

SCRAAAWWW!

Both Weiss and her Knight's heads shot up at the Nevermore's cry. A red glow streaked across the docks. Weiss's face lit up, a determined grin on her face.

Her Knight raised its shielded arm high over its head, Weiss bracing herself. A gauntleted hand closed around a sparking talon, and the Knight was ripped up and out of the Mecha Gigas's grasp. The haunted mech stumbled at the sudden shift, falling to its hands and knees. The Geist stared up at the sky through the flames, howling furiously as Speedymore carried the Knight out over open water.

Weiss clutched at her Knight's armor, eyes stinging from the sudden high speed. Speedymore banked slightly to the side, the Knight tilting with the shifting weight. Weiss felt a red-tinged nudge against her mind. She looked up, finding Ruby staring back from her seat on Speedymore's head, arms wrapped securely around the Nevermore's horn.

Exhausted but determined, Ruby smiled down at Weiss. A series of motions sprung up at the back of Weiss's mind. She contemplated their origin for only a moment. Weiss stared back up at Ruby in disbelief.

Ruby had a plan.

A crazy one.

…But then, crazy seemed the name of the game that night.

Weiss shared a look with her Knight. It gave her a sharp nod, moaning lowly. Weiss smiled back up at Ruby, giving her a thumbs up.

Ruby beamed back, returning it. Then she faced forward. Speedymore let out an adventurous caw and started banking back towards the docks, picking up speed.

Yang and Blake watched Speedymore fly off with Weiss and her Knight in her clutches, equal parts amazed and gobsmacked. Before either of them could vocalize their confusion, red tinged their vision, motions filling their minds.

Blake let out a small gasp, cat-ears shooting high as she looked at Yang. "Was…was that…?"

"Yep," Yang confirmed, shaking her head to clear it.

"How-?"

"We'll figure out how we got it back later, Blake. First-"

A frustrated shriek cut her off, the Mecha Gigas shaking its fists at the retreating summons. An explosion against its back made it stumble, the Atlassian soldiers renewing their assault. The incensed Grimm whirled around, charging at the offenders. Yang inhaled sharply. "First, we got to follow Ruby's plan."

Blake swallowed, stifling a groan. "Yeah, her 'plan'." She rubbed a hand against her forehead as she and Yang started running toward the Geist. "Ugh, I've Mated crazy people."

Yang laughed over her shoulder. "You know you love it!"

Blake just rolled her eyes with a begrudging smile, shaking her head fondly.

In a blink, the two burst across the dockside in a streak of yellow and black rose petals. Halfway to their target, the two streaks intersected, an impact echoing throughout the docks as the girls bumped forearms. Instantly the yellow erupted to a burning gold, the black lightening to neon violet. Brimming with newfound power, the bumblebee duo leapt at the Mecha Gigas with twin yells, arms pulled back and eyes blazing red.

The surprise shoulder strike sent the Gigas stumbling to the side. The Geist's eye peered through the firestorm quickly engulfing the cockpit, the flames having spread from beyond the chair. It howled at the tiny figures landing near its feet, bringing its frozen fist down. There was an echoing thud as it hit with enough force to shatter both the ice and concrete.

"Ha! Missed us!"

The Gigas snapped towards the taunting voice. Yang waved cheekily from its opposite side, Blake standing focused beside her.

The Geist growled in frustration. It swung its other arm out in an arc. The blow connected… only for both girls to disperse into colored mist on impact.

"Looking for me?"

On its left side, Yang stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Or me?"

On its left, Blake glared up defiantly.

The Geist screamed, lunging fist-first for the Faunus. Her body dissipated like before, enraging the Grimm further as it whipped around the swipe at Yang, only to achieve similar results.

"Over here!

"No, here!"

"Yoo-hoo~!"

The Geist's eye darted about, overwhelmed as Yang and Blake suddenly seemed to be everywhere. It would swipe at one, only to find the other a few meters away. It punched, it clawed, it even kicked, but every time it made contact, the girls would reappear completely unharmed, Yang taunting the Grimm all the way. It kept swinging, kept smashing, growing more enraged, more erratic until-

Shriiing!

Clunk!

As the Mecha Gigas drew its arm back for another swipe, three white glyphs appeared around its wrist, elbow, and shoulder, freezing the massive limb at its full extension. The Grimm whipped around, its molten eye meeting the cold blue of Winter's, the Specialist staring it down as she controlled her glyphs with both hands. The Geist howled, bringing its other arm up to reach for the elder Schnee, only for a black ribbon to wrap around the offending limb.

The Gigas paused in confusion, then howled as the ribbon went taught, jerking the Grimm to the side until it was straining against the glyphs. At the other end of the ribbon, Blake grit her teeth as she held tight onto Gambol Shroud, she and Yang having wrapped the sword's ribbon around their arms and pulling with all their Semblance-enhanced strength.

The partners pulled with all their might, stretching the Mecha Gigas between them and Winter's glyphs. The Grimm struggled against their combined hold, metal protesting as it pulled and strained. Blake and Yang planted their feet, Winter focusing hard, none willing to give the Geist-controlled mech the slightest inch. The Grimm yowled, its eye darting between the three as it pulled against its bonds.

SCRAAAWWW!

The Geist's eye flew up at the piercing keen of a Nevermore. Where the trio held the Grimm faced the open ocean. Lit by the shine of the shattered moon, Speedymore blazed through the night sky towards the docks, Weiss's Knight dangling one-handed from her talons. With another cry, Speedymore shifted her weight upward, releasing the Knight to hurtle toward the ground at frightful speed.

The Knight gave a deep moan that built to a roar, taking its broadsword in both hands as Weiss echoed its cry.

Winter, Blake, and Yang released their hold just as Weiss's Knight thrust its blade forward, driving it into the wailing Mecha Gigas's midsection. The two mechs crashed into the dockyard pavement, Weiss's Knight straddling the downed Grimm as its blade impaled the beast to the hilt, the Mecha Gigas pinned against the concrete. Metal sheered and tore as the Geist writhed, shrieking as its mask was fully engulfed in flames. The beast tried to throw a sloppy punch, only for the Knight to catch it. It made a grab for Weiss on the Knight's shoulder with its other hand, the Knight stopping that as well.

Weiss grunted as her Knight struggled against the Gigas's strength, the summon doing all it could to keep the Grimm pinned. "Yang! Blake!" she shouted. "Now!"

Just behind her, Yang grinned fearlessly. "You got it!" The blonde turned to Blake, who gave a sharp nod. The Faunus pulled back her arm, throwing it forward with all she had right against Yang's crossed arms.

Blake's violet hair cut instantly back to black as Yang's burning locks doubled in intensity. Her veins flashed dangerously, her form vibrating in both strain and speed. In a flash she leapt up, bounding off a yellow glyph and running up the back of Weiss's Knight. The Knight grunted as she landed on its head, throwing its helm back to give the blazing blonde a boost as she vaulted high into the air.

At the height of her jump, a yellow glyph formed right above Yang. She flipped to land on it feet-first. "Girls, now!"

Right as her feet hit the glyph, four more formed right below her: one red, one violet, and two white. Yang stared down through them as they all darkened to near-black, the glyphs acting almost like a set of sights.

At the center of said sights?

The flaming dead center of the Geist's mask.

Yang bared her teeth, part victorious smile, part feral snarl. "Blazing…"

She leapt.

"METEOR!"

The Geist had time for a final defiant shriek, its eye shrinking to a pinprick, before Yang's blazing, sparking body passed through the first velocity glyph. There was a blinding flash that seared the eyes of all who saw it, followed by an earthshaking tremor as the Geist's cry was swallowed by a thunderous boom.

Blake blinked from behind her arms, squinting through the sudden dust-up spreading throughout the docks. She gaped at the small mushroom cloud slowly growing into the night sky, quickly scattered by the wingbeats of a hovering Speedymore. She saw Weiss's Knight still kneeling on the lower half of the Paladin, its gauntlets holding the mech's closed fists. The Knight moaned lowly as it realized the arms it held were no longer attached to anything, the limbs ending at the elbow.

Everything above the Paladin's waist was gone. In its place was a smoking, scorched crater two meters deep, smoldering hunks of unidentifiable metal strewn about it. At the crater's center, Yang knelt with one fist planted into the ground, her frizzy hair limp and flame-free. Shards of shattered porcelain briefly surrounded her, then suddenly dissipated into black mist.

Cheers sprung up from the soldiers scattered around the docks. Winter shot Yang a relieved look, before turning to the closest officer and began barking orders. Breathing heavily, Yang slowly looked up, watching the mist vanish into nothingness. She then turned lavender eyes on the stunned faces around her as Blake and Winter neared the crater's edge, Ruby and Speedymore landing just shy of its lip. She climbed gingerly to her feet, holding her arm as blood dripped from her knuckles. She gave her girls a tired grin. "Well… that was fun."

Blake's shoulders slumped in relief, giving Yang an exasperated smile as Ruby started giggling. "'Fun's' not quite what I'd call it, Yang."

"Yeah?" Yang shot back, moving to climb toward the Faunus. "Then what would you call it, Bla- whoa!"

As Yang took a step on the demolished concrete, the stone gave way, quickly splintering away. Water started rushing up into the crater, Yang sinking to her knees as the broken ground fell out from under her.

"Yang!" Everyone yelled at the same time, each girl moving to save her in their own way.

They were beaten to it by a large gauntleted hand shooting into the crater, snatching Yang around the waist right before the water swallowed her.

Yang gasped at the sudden chill surrounding her. She stared as she was lifted out of the crater, the hand holding her tilting back and loosening its grip so she could sit in its palm. Yang looked up as the Knight lifted her to its face, its ghostly blue eye roving over her. She let out a startled laugh. "Heh… thanks for the save, big guy."

"Hmmph…"

Yang blinked. That… did not sound like a happy grunt. The eye had stopped moving, now just staring at her intensely. She thought for a second. "Uh… big girl?"

"Hmph!"

Yang laughed. If the approving sound wasn't convincing enough, the sharp, full-body nod the Knight gave her certainly was. "Fair enough!" She then turned her attention to the Huntress clinging to the Knight's shoulder. "Make a new friend, Weiss?"

Weiss sighed deeply, turning to meet her summons eye. "In more ways than one," she said, a glowing smile on her lips.

The Knight moved her hand to her shoulder, letting Weiss step on before lowering the two to stable ground. On the other side of the crater, Speedymore lay flat against the ground for Ruby to slide off, Blake moving quickly to her side when the speedster just leaned heavily against the Nevermore on wobbly legs. "Ruby? Are you okay?"

Ruby gave Blake a warm smile. "Yeah. Just… everything's a little numb right now."

Blake's returning smile held a hint of reprimand as she slung Ruby's arm over her shoulder. "I bet it is. You know you don't have to burn yourself out in every fight, right?"

Ruby took the criticism with a grin, butting her head playfully against Blake's as they made it to their other halves. Her humor turned to awe as they neared Weiss's Knight, the large summon staring down at the four of them curiously. "She's beautiful, Weiss."

Weiss glanced at her, beaming up at her Knight. "She is, isn't she?" A shaky laugh escaped her as she shook her head faintly. "I can't believe I actually-"

"Weiss."

Weiss stiffened at the call of her name, turning as Winter slowly approached. The elder Schnee's wide eyes were locked on the Knight, running up and down her frame in search of something. Whatever she found earned a small exhale. "You… you did it."

Weiss's brows shot up, her lips threatening to lift again. Winter sounded accepting, even borderline impressed with her accomplishment. But before her smile could form, she pulled up short, her eyes darting between her sister and her summon. She let out a short breath. "I… I did. Though, um… I did so through Ruby's method, so, she's not… I-I mean, its… not… um…"

As Weiss's words started to fumble, the sudden timidness in her voice tore Winter's attention away from the Knight. Her brows drew together as she watched Weiss fidget where she stood. Just a moment ago Weiss had been standing tall, a look of joy on her features. But now, under scrutiny… under her scrutiny…

At Weiss's side, Blake and Ruby were giving the younger Schnee confused and concerned looks. Yang, however, was surprisingly blank-faced. The blonde watched Weiss begin to retreat into herself for a few seconds, then looked Winter right in the eyes. She raised a single expectant brow.

Winter looked back, confused at first, when her attention was drawn back up to the summon. The fully formed, fighting fit summon that her little sister had brought into the world, who had started to hang its head as Weiss continued to spew more nervous words. Winter turned back to Weiss, her look of confusion melting to concern… then guilt.

Weiss didn't notice, her eyes having slipped to the ground as she spoke. "I mean, I still struggled at first, so clearly I-oh!"

Weiss was silenced as two arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a crushing hug. She stilled in the embrace, at first not recognizing the feel of who held her. Then her eyes shot wide. "W-Winter?!"

Winter's grasp only tightened at Weiss's incredulousness. She held her little sister close, resting her chin on the top of Weiss's head. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"I'm proud of you."

Weiss inhaled sharply. Her eyes darted about at nothing. "I… wait, but… I didn't follow your instructions, though! I-"

Winter shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Weiss, you created your own summon. You fought alongside your own summon. That's… incredible."

She felt Weiss swallow nervously. "Even… even though I did it Ruby's way?"

The timidness in Weiss's voice cut through Winter like the sharpest knife, and she cursed her father, herself, and anyone and everyone else who had led to her sister's battered self-esteem. She pulled back just enough to tilt her head down and meet Weiss's eyes. The wetness threatening her sister's eyes added yet another knife in her chest. She ignored it, giving Weiss the best smile she could muster. "My way or Ruby's way, I don't care. You made a successful summon your way, Weiss. And, yes, I am proud of you for that."

Weiss just stared at her, eyes searching for… something. They widened slightly after a moment, and Weiss somehow looked more stunned. "...oh," she breathed softly.

A bit at a loss herself, Winter pulled Weiss back into an embrace. She wondered if she'd miscalculated, somehow said the wrong thing, when she felt Weiss's arms come around her middle, the younger Schnee leaning into the hug. She could feel the faint tremble in her sister's frame, her breath growing slightly choppy. Winter's eyes nervously flickered to their forgotten audience. Blake and Ruby still looked concerned but slowly gained small smiles as the snowflake on their Marks started to glow.

Behind them, Yang shot her a wide smile and a thumbs up.

Winter smiled back at them all, a weight she hadn't known was there lifting off her chest.

Yang winked at her, then gave the Knight her full attention. "So!" she said, slightly louder than necessary. "What are we gonna name her?"

This startled a watery giggle from Weiss. The girl slowly pulled out of Winter's arms just a bit, giving the blonde a sideways look."Yang, what are you on about?"

Yang shot her a faux-affronted look. "What? Ruby's summon got a name! You gonna leave the poor girl nameless?" She threw a hand toward the Knight, who continued to patiently observe them all, her ghostly blue eye swiveling towards whoever spoke.

"Technically, you gave Speedymore her name, Yang," Ruby pointed out, the Nevermore giving an affirmative squawk as she waddled over.

Yang blinked at the speedster. "I did?" She thought for a moment, then chuckled. "I guess I did! Well, maybe I can come up with something good for this one too! Let's see…" She put a hand to her chin, giving an exaggerated hum. "The Knight part seems fitting so… White Knight?"

Blake sighed, shaking her head fondly. "Yang, really?"

Yang gave a cheeky shrug. "Yeah, too obvious. Well, she glows, so… Bright Knight? No, wait, she's a Geist! How's about… Fright Knight!"

"Hmmph…" The Knight leaned back from Yang, giving a negative drone.

Yang pouted at the summon. "Geez, tough crowd. Hold on, I'll think of something. Um… how's about… Light Knight?

"Yang!" Weiss fully pulled away from Winter, flashing her sister a warm smile. She rubbed the corner of her eyes, shooting Ruby an annoyed glower as the speedster giggled at Yang's antics. "If you must name my summon, at least think of one regarding something other than her looks."

Yang put her hands up defensively. "Alright, alright! Everyone's a critic today. Well, there's frost pouring off her, and she freezes anything that hits her shield. So… Frost Knight!" She smiled up at the summon proudly, only to pout as the Knight shook her head. "Okay… Freeze Knight?" Another head-shake. " Ice Knight?"

"Oh, gods…" Weiss put her head in her palm.

"Okay then, Miss Priss!" Yang shouted, poking a finger against Weiss's chest (gently, on the opposite side from her scar), a smirk firmly on her lips. "It's your summon. You come up with a name."

Weiss stiffened, eyes shooting up to Yang through her fingers. Yang just kept grinning, glancing between Weiss and her Knight. Weiss followed her gaze, shrinking slightly when her summon turned to her, eye staring widely at her. "Well… um…" Weiss peeked toward Blake and Ruby for help, receiving only helpless, amused shrugs in return. She cleared her throat awkwardly, wracking her mind. "Perhaps… maybe…"

"Cryoknight?"

The RWBYs startled at the unexpected voice, turning as one towards its source. Winter's eyes blew wide at the sudden attention, looking just as surprised that she'd spoken.

"Winter?" Wiess couldn't help but question.

Winter flushed. "Well… something cold-themed would be accurately identifiable." She glanced at the summon, then focused on a spot just over Wiess's head, shifting her weight. "And the term 'cryo' encompasses all forms of freezing effects."

"Cryoknight…" Yang looked up to the starry sky, mulling the name over. "...sounds like a bad guy from a Saturday morning cartoon." She thought for a moment… then shot Winter another grinning thumbs-up. "I like it!"

Weiss just stared at her sister, blind-sided. Then she caught her Knight turning her head to look at Winter, staring at her intently. She looked between the two, then centered on her summon. "Well?" she asked, drawing her attention. She swallowed as the Knight loomed over her. "What do you think?"

Her Knight stared intently back. Her eye rolled around, darting briefly towards Speedymore, the other RWBYs, before settling on Winter. Winter inclined her head at the summon, looking both curious and unnerved by her attention. The Knight's helmed head tilted for a moment as she moaned lowly. Slowly, she turned back to Weiss.

"...hmmph."

Weiss let out a quick breath when the summon nodded, moaning gently. She went to speak, then glanced towards her girlfriends, lingering on Yang and Ruby. An idea struck her. She chuckled lightly, then drew Myrtenaster. "In that case," she said, tapping the rapier's tip over what, from her view, were the Knight's shoulders. "I dub thee: Cryoknight." She sheathed her blade, smiling up at her newly named summon. "Welcome to the madhouse."

That startled a giggle from Blake, Ruby and Yang bursting out laughing. A light snort escaped Winter, the Specialist grinning faintly as she shook her head

Cryoknight watched them, tilting her head inquisitively. Her attention was then drawn by a nearing red glow, looking up to see Speedymore step closer to her.

The Nevermore looked the Knight up and down, head cocked to the side. With Cryoknight kneeling, the avian Grimm stood a foot taller than the Knight. She warbled curiously, leaning down to lightly tap her beak against Cryoknight's helm.

The Knight summon hummed in surprise, the tap producing a hollow sound. She reached up to gently push Speedymore's beak away. Her gauntleted hand brushed against the Nevermore's feathers, eliciting a soft croon from the bird. Cryoknight blinked, running her hand down Speedymore's neck and back up. Speedymore trilled happily, lowering her head for easier access.

The five girls watched, stunned, as Speedymore let Cryoknight pet her. "You gotta be kidding me," Yang gaped at the sight. She looked over at the others. "You're all seeing this too, right? A Geist petting a Nevermore?"

"Kind of hard to miss, Yang," Blake said, no less gobsmacked. After a moment she blinked, then fumbled for her scroll. She snapped it open and hit record. "The others are gonna lose it when they see this."

"...bet ya twenty Lien Nora'll want to fight her."

"Which one?"

"...yes," Yang quipped, crossing her arms with a grin.

Blake snorted. "Yeah, that's a sucker's bet."

Weiss and Ruby just looked at each other. Ruby could only offer a sheepish shrug. "At least they like each other?"

Weiss sighed resignedly. "At this point, I'm not even surprised."

"This is all genuinely fascinating," Winter cut in reluctantly. She looked out over the wrecked dock, her smile thinning to a faint line. "But this is a bit more than I'd had planned for tonight. I'm going to have to report all this, and you four need to get back to Beacon before ten."

All four RWBYs wilted at the reminder, wincing at the thought of enduring the following day of classes with their sore muscles. "Yeah…" Ruby mournfully agreed. She looked back up at the summons, Cryoknight still engrossed in pampering Speedymore's feathers. "But what do we do about them?"

Winter gave the summons an appraising look. "Assuming some parts of them still operate like a… typical summon, dispelling them should be a simple matter." She raised her arm up, forming the final gesture of the summoning glyph. "In your mind, think of how your summon's purpose has been fulfilled. That there is no need for them to remain. Once the thought is in your mind, draw your arm down like so, forming this gesture." Her fingers curled and crossed as she drew her arm across her chest. "Understand?"

Ruby's brow furrowed, loosely miming Winter's gesture. She looked to Weiss, receiving an encouraging nod. "I think so."

"Good." She motioned towards the summons. "Then, if you would?"

They nodded to her, then faced their summons. At the same time, Cryoknight ceased running her fingers through Speedymore's feathers, the two summons looking over at their summoners. Cryoknight climbed to her feet, Speedymore rising to her full height.

Ruby smiled as she raised her arm. "Thanks for the help, Speedy!"

Speedymore cooed softly, bobbing her head.

Weiss gave her Knight one last lookover, trying to burn the image into her mind. "Until next time, Cryoknight," she said, bowing her head slightly.

Cryoknight brought her arm up across her chest, bending slightly at the waist in her own salute.

Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other, then nodded. They brought their arms down at the same time. The glow around each summon grew briefly brighter as their outlines blurred at the edges. In seconds their body's lost all form, fading into the glow, which quickly dissipated in a cloud of red and white mist.

Winter gave the two an appraising look as the summons vanished. "A tad more… pageantry than normal… but, I suppose that's to be expected." She smiled. "Good work, both of you."

Weiss grinned back. "Thank you, Winter. Seriously, thank you so much for-"

Grrrr…

Weiss blinked at the sudden loud growl right beside her. She turned to find Ruby rapidly blushing as she pressed her hands over her stomach. She quirked a brow, grin turning sardonic.

Ruby pouted back at her. "Lunch was a long time ago!" she muttered defensively. A second grumble from her stomach didn't help matters.

She was saved by Yang patting her on the back, grinning at the others. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to second that." She let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head. "Seriously, after a brawl like that, me and Rubes can't be the only ones running on empty."

She stared at Weiss until the younger Schnee rolled her eyes. "All right, fine!" She crossed her arms petulantly, her cheeks warming. "I could eat," she admitted.

Blake gave a short huff, checking her scroll. "We still have a couple of hours before we need to be back on campus. We could hit that diner a couple of blocks over."

"Oh, the one with those peanut butter cheesecakes?" Yang perked up at just the thought. "Yeah, that sounds perfect. You want to come along, Winter? You gotta be starving too."

Winter blinked rapidly, still trying to process the sudden change of subject. When her mind finally caught up, she found all four RWBYs looking expectantly at her. Even Weiss, who at first seemed just as surprised by the offer, was looking to Winter with something akin to longing hope.

A grimace forced its way onto her lips. "That's… I appreciate the thought, girls, really. But it's going to take hours to work through the damage done here tonight. I can't just run off and-"

"Go ahead, Specialist. We got this."

Winter started at the sudden voice. A pair of soldiers had been walking past, one tapping away on a tablet as they looked over the remains of the Geist's Gigas. The soldier who spoke snapped her a quick salute, before continuing. "It's just going to be a lot of inventorying the damages and collecting scattered parts. We can handle that on our own for an hour, ma'am."

Winter frowned at the man. "I… that's generous, Lieutenant, but I-"

"Ma'am." Winter blinked at being cut off. This soldier was either very confident or very foolish. The officer continued on regardless, his tone kindly firm. "Ensign Benson has already been taken to the nearest medical facility and been declared stable. There's nothing for you to do except watch us work." He looked back at the other soldiers going about their duties, collecting Paladin scrap and cordoning off the damaged sections of the dock. Quietly, the officer added, "Ma'am, off the record, you and these girls just saved the collective asses of every man here. For all's sake, take a break to have dinner with your sister."

Winter's face looked more gobsmacked the longer the man spoke. She dimly heard Yang stifle a snort, Blake and Ruby sharing surprised looks while Weiss failed not to gape. Winter cast her gaze around the dock, taking note that every soldier within sight was hard at work with their assigned tasks, several taking preliminary notes for later reports. She turned back to the officer in front of her, waiting patiently. "I…" The words hesitantly made their way out her mouth, feeling alien as she spoke. "I suppose you have things handled here for the moment, Lieutenant."

With no further prompt, the soldier snapped a salute, giving a quick but respectful "Ma'am," before walking off to join his partner.

Winter watched him go, feeling slightly lost. She turned slowly back to Team RWBY. "I…" She trailed off, then awkwardly motioned towards the dock exit. "Lead the way, I suppose."

Yang chuckled, putting an arm around Winter's shoulders as she started walking, her team trailing behind them. "You won't regret it, Big Sis," She said, not-so-subtly pulling Crescent Rose off the Specialist's back, passing the scythe back to a thankful Ruby. "We stumbled across this place coming back from training one night, and they got just about everything."

Blake smiled as Yang started raving about their destination, perfectly keeping the Specialist's mind occupied before she could change her mind. She put herself on Winter's other side, dutifully answering the quick questions Yang occasionally sent her way in the guise of having a conversation. She kept an ear open to Ruby and Weiss as the two trailed behind, curious about the faint Confusion and Trepidation coming off the younger Schnee.

"Ruby," Weiss murmured. "Do you remember what you did when you pulled me and Winter out of danger?"

Ruby hummed at the question. "Um… not really. I remember I was really desperate to get you both to safety. Then… I woke up watching you summoning Cryoknight."

"Oh." Weiss frowned lightly. "Then… you don't know how you… or that you could…"

"What?" Now Ruby was frowning, growing concerned by Weiss's hesitancy. "What did I do?"

Weiss glanced towards Winter, still numbly engaged with Yang's ramblings. "I'm not sure you'll believe me."

Ruby rose a brow. "Try me."

"Well…"

Despite Team RWBY having walked far out of eyesight, every soldier jolted to attention as a shrill voice echoed to every corner of the dock.

"I CAN WHAT?!"