Chapter 66: A family connection brought to light

This is your friendly Cyanide Sins, with another update. No spider Faunus were hurt during this blatant joke.

The burdens of revelations (Qrow Branwen)

He was a mess.

He was a mess and it wasn't helping one bit that he'd been with Azure, the young woman who was around the age of his nieces... well, his niece and his daughter, currently getting herself ready to get back out into the world.

"Come on, it isn't the end of the world."

Her voice was stern and decisive, not something that'd make him snap to attention immediately like Summer's voice could, but-

"She's my daughter, and-"

He was smacked by the younger woman's hand, the Arc looking down at him.

"And she'll be at Beacon, with an uncle who'll gladly come to visit and teach her a few things about wielding a scythe. It's not the end of the world, Branwen. Fuck, I need to talk to Rowena, she's the one who's more aware of that stuff rather than me, but that's just what father would do, give up his kids to the big guy at the top."

The man was a stern disciplinarian, just like his daughters, Qrow had noted, as he rubbed over his cheek, which had been punched by the woman only a moment earlier, Azure Arc looking down at him with irritation in her eyes, the ground quivering a little as she tapped her foot.

"Are you going to be a bitch who didn't fuck this hot babe into a quake? Nope."

A finger poked against his chest and the brief spark of pain burst through his chest as his skin quivered. The woman's eyes looked fierce, blue and determined.

"You're going to pick up that body of yours and go and walk to Beacon, pushing through to that kid of yours and I'll accompany you. If there's going to be a meeting, I want in. She's my partner's kid, and you better hope that I don't hear you saying that I'm 'just a friend', dude."

That was right. She wasn't anything other than a partner. If the enthusiastic sex hadn't clued him in, it was perhaps the look on her face that showed her desire for things that were more than just fuckbuddies, more than just something that'd make the time pass by.

"You're fun, and I don't want to-"

Her hand pressed him back against the bed and her eyes looked pretty similar to Rowena when she was getting ready to go out and kill some Grimm, the glint in them shining like something that was much like his sister's murderous glint when she got in that mood.

"No fucking excuses, you asshole. You and I fuck. You and I have fun together, and we've wrecked hotel rooms. Now do the right thing and let's go see your little daughter. If that woman was who I think she was, you're up shit creek without a paddle, and I'm not going down that shit creek with you when the Grandmaster comes calling. Do the proper thing and guard your daughter, buster."

That was a truth that he couldn't deny. If Summer said that they'd been married, he'd believe her, the papers hadn't lied. Raven had married Tai, and he couldn't...

'Why can't I remember?'

The hopes within his mind slowly were stoked, as he looked at the young woman who'd told him to get up. Rowena probably would kick his ass just like that, but... but there wasn't much hope in that avenue. Rowena was a woman who was now broken beyond repair, someone who did not care for the world anymore outside of the haze of daytime brokenness and night-time alertness.

"Yeah, I guess I should... I'm sorry, I'm probably not the best p-"

The punch knocked him silly as she punched him right in the face.

"Get that sad sack attitude out of you, dude. I thought you were kind of hot before, but now you've got a girl who's pretty loopy in the skull as a daughter. That girl needs a stepmom or something, and if her mom's gone black ops, then we'll have to step up, partner. I am younger than you, sure, but it's just half my age. Not like you're my dad or anything, we can just see where things go, but I refuse to be fucking some guy who's all emo and like a wet towel when he's faced with news that he can't handle."

The look in her eyes was just like he liked, that power in those eyes and the hope that he'd lost for a moment, as he got up again.

"You're right."

She nodded, before she tossed him his shirt.

"Of course, I'm a d'Arc-Night. We're always right."

The smug smirk on her face was something that she had undoubtedly practised, if her sister's own smug smirk was any indication, the hands stroking through her hair.

"Still, we're getting stuff and your kid. My niece too. Dad wouldn't agree, but he isn't here. If I'm Shakey, you're Birdie. Let's make this a good outing. An 'uncle' can take his niece out for something fun on the town, right?"

There was that, of course. If he kept himself looking like he always did, he might be able to understand what he'd lost. That feeling of having been more than just an uncle to Ruby had always remained somewhat in the back of his mind, that feeling of loss that he'd felt before.

'You just had to be as cool as your dad, didn't you?'

Taiyang had...

'Oh god... he fucked my daughter. He might do that to Yang too. She went off with Rowena and her sister, and she was spared, but...'

He felt sick now. This was beyond the craziest thing he'd ever seen, especially when Summer had decided to blow up a Dust refining station to spring them free when that bunch of dissidents had cornered them.

"Hey, we can do this, old-timer. Don't discount a Huntress of my stature. If you need a bit of help shaking the world up, call Azure."

Azure Arc winked, and he gave a soft little groan. The jokes about her Semblance were definitely something that he could do without, but it was a lethal one. She could make the earth shake with her Semblance, which was very efficient to deal with those who required a certain level of ground to stand on, like a gunner. If she targeted the structural supports, she could bring down a building with ease.

"I guess I'll take that hint... How're we going to spin it? Older guy netting a young bird?"

A soft chuckle came from the young woman, as she reached forward and gave his groin a squeeze.

"Daddy fetish material, and some sickeningly-sweet bits of love and affection, guaranteed to embarrass the kids... You don't get rid of Azure Arc in a flash, ol' Birdie."

That was a guarantee, as far as it went from her. That he could count on, at least.

"And Rowe? What do we do about her?"

Azura looked at the time, as the darkness around the world seemed to go and be something that was a thing. It was already late in the afternoon, nearly close to night. A bad time to be up and awake, aware of the Beacon class sessions already being done.

'Maybe tomorrow...'

"We should go and tell her that she'll be assisting lil' sis with a bit of a hard task... If anyone knows the Order, it's Rowe. She's the representative other than dad, and she knows the rules and regulations."

He'd hope that it would be like that. Rowena was someone who didn't adhere to any of the cliques that Huntresses came to fall into, and her sister most definitely was more independent than she'd seemed at first.

'I'll come and take you away, Ruby... We'll have to do it sneakily, but I won't let my daughter be...'

He had a daughter...

"Let's go get a drink, dude. You look like you need a stiff one, and I'll join you for that. Saff said that she'd be more than willing to help me with a bridal dress over the chat, so it'll be something swiftly done to get you in the good graces of the family. No ritual duel with my little brother, heh. He might wish to 'defend my chastity'... He was always a goof."

Her little brother... Rowena's son, her focal point in her life. He hoped that it'd be alright with the poor kid in the afterlife, even with how the world had all gone to hell. Why this world was as it was, he didn't know.

As he tugged his jacket on again, he glanced at Azura, whose hands were busy pushing the weapon back into the loop, the large weapon bouncing against her side.

"Don't worry, Birdie. I'll be a good drinking partner..."

She winked at him and he smiled a little. Some good luck might have been coming his way, as he made sure to abandon the room with a little grin, a bar a few blocks down probably being the wisest choice to go to. They needed a new hotel anyways...

The beds here were shoddy.

The Triumph (Yang Xiao Long)

She smiled softly at the look on Blake's face as she relayed the story of 'jerk-bags trying to hit on her', remembering the secrecy that they had to act with. The guys who'd drooled over her cousins had been definitely grade-a jerkbag material, so they'd get the blame.

"So... they were trying to get with you and your cousins because you were too hot to resist?"

Blake looked like she wanted to go and see what it looked like, and she pulled out the picture that she'd taken with Rowena and Heather at one of the Valean sightseeing spots, in order to keep their cover as 'spending time' intact.

"See? She looks great, don't you think? I wish I had her hair, she's able to just style it, and I mean... woah."

The woman's beautiful features were set within that faux-interested look, Blake's eyes watching the features for a long while, the Faunus looking sharply at the woman, a smile on her lips, and she nudged her partner and friend a little.

"She looks great. Hmm... Mind sending the pic to my Scroll?"

The request was strange, but she didn't mind it, sending it to Blake with a ping sound from the Faunus girl's Scroll, the Faunus giving her a faint smile as she shifted a little.

"So, eh... What's with Ruby?"

Her question came, as she looked at Ruby, who was looking at her Scythe, fully unfolded. There was a pensive expression that didn't really make her feel great, as the whetstone was pulled across the edge, Blake's eyes looking sharply down, before she glanced up again.

"She's been a bit quiet. She's been talking with Pyrrha about stuff, Team leader stuff."

'Jaune's team...'

She was sure that they'd like to know that he was around again... if she could trust them. There was so little in the world that she could trust, but those eyes of his that had said that he would do what he could, when he could... that she could put trust in. The young man, someone who could be called a man at least, could not have hidden that care within his eyes.

'You care for all of us, don't you?'

She was sure of it. She'd been polite and kind to the others, knowing that she'd have little trouble to actually push herself in that special sphere. The kissing had been great, the feeling of his cool body against hers, knowing that she'd have someone who had her back, who wouldn't force her into something that she didn't want.

"No, he will not."

Her mother's words were quiet, as she looked at Jaune from the other room, having taken her aside for a moment, Rowena laughing quietly at something that Jaune had spoken of earlier, Heather sat on the other chair as Summer started to prepare the dessert, something that she'd always liked before, a pudding that was sweet with a little hint of spice.

There was no hint of doubt in her mother's voice, Raven Branwen's eyes looking into her own, the woman's gauntleted hand gently holding her own. A maternal gesture, something that she could hardly disallow with the warmth inside her burning up already, as her mother's eyes looked into her own.

"He's someone who you can put your faith in, even if he looks scary. I thought personally that he would be a bad omen, but..."

The woman had not been too open about having slept with Jaune, but there were little hints, the red eyes looking with a fondness that wasn't shakeable, something that shed little doubt on the woman's eligibility for the carnal dance.

"He would be a good boyfriend for you, a good husband, even. He'd never abandon you..."

There was a pause, and her mother turned herself away. She grabbed her mother's hand tightly, the gauntlet creaking a little under her grip.

"And he won't abandon you either."

Her mother was emotional. There was a tear rolling down her cheeks, as the woman turned her gaze to him, a smile lingering on her lips.

"He won't. That's why he makes me so afraid of him. He's someone who would fight for me, unlike your father. I was... I was never sure, which is why I left. I left you, because Summer..."

Her mother didn't need to explain herself. There was more going on than she knew, and she wasn't someone who would agonize about it until that day came. She would protect her friends and her family, and she'd make sure that it would be the best time for them.

"You don't have to say it. You're here with me, mom. You've brought me a cute boy to like, so I'll consider us square for the missed birthdays."

Her mother gave a wry snort at her joking tone.

"Summer's already planning a family get-together, if Ruby can be saved. The Grandmaster's power is something that isn't to be underestimated. It took me time to free myself from the spell, to break myself loose from the commands..."

There was a sense of pain in the woman's voice, as the red eyes looked into her own.

"He will tell you that the sky is black and the blood is white, if you let him. Never let yourself become a target by being too interesting... Please, Yang. He will take from you everything, if it helps him win. Summer..."

The hesitation in her mother's eyes, as she leaned closer.

"She's not someone who can be warm all the time. In the time in the passing, she's been someone who has been rocked by the despair, and she will do anything to win, Yang. She's not the kind mom, even if she does act like it. She's the killer, the executor of the Rose, until the Mission she's put herself on is completed."

Her mother's pleading gaze had been the deciding factor, as she held her mother's hands with her own.

"And we'll drag her back to being the fun Summer Rose again, mom. You're her partner, her sister in everything but blood, and she'll love us all again."

Her mother's smile was warmer, as the red eyes peered into her own, a soft exhale from the older woman, as her fingers brushed over the back of Yang's own, a deep groan coming from the woman's lips as she shook her head.

"We will. When the Grandmaster's dealt with, we will... We're going to pull you out of the danger zone if things get too hot... my daughter is more than just some broodmare."

She'd be more than that, kicking ass!

She let her fingers dance over the Scroll's side, aware that there were no pictures of her with her mother on the Scroll. There would be too many variables to be accounted for, so it would just be an outing with her cousins, something that a girl might do if she were to want to be closer, even with one of them being Sectioned.

"So, did you hear about professor Peach and Mister Jeremiah?"

She hadn't. She leaned forwards to Blake, who started on an entire conversation about how the two professors were actually seen together, the two of them arguing about something loudly in front of the cafeteria's lunch line, the two nearly coming to blows. Those two seemed to really dislike each other, undoubtedly something that'd only worsened after the Breach. There was the whole thing with Professor Goodwitch as well, the woman still not back to fighting form, watching the lessons of Sage Arc and offering helpful suggestions when the man's skill seemed insufficient, a thing that the man did not mind in the slightest.

Things would be okay, she hoped. She looked at Ruby, whose face looked like it was set in a pensive expression, the sharpening stone brushing over the edge of the scythe, Blake's voice in the background. Something about Ruby felt off, but she didn't know what exactly.

Her little sister was being bewitched by an evil wizard...

Yang wouldn't let that happen. She was going to protect her sister, so she'd make sure that Ruby smiled and thought of fun stuff, rather than making the world a better place through the use of weapons, turning into a lethal killing machine who let her father fuck her and knock her up.

Yang Xiao Long would not be bearing her father a child!

Her pussy was for age-appropriate people, and it might just be vomit boy getting to pound her into the next morning. Sex must feel great with a guy, especially if he'd been someone who she cared for a lot.

"So... did they mention Jaune?"

She looked at her partner and gave a sad smile. Secrets weren't her forte, but she'd keep this one, because the guy was trying to break the cycle of pain for this world in this grim fairytale.

"She's showed me all sorts of pictures... I feel really bad for her."

Ruby looked up, and her silver eyes peered at her with an indecipherable look.

"How could someone so evil birth such a good boy? He was my best friend, you know... Why does he have to have such a wicked witch as a mommy?"

She put her most understanding smile on for her little sister.

"Sometimes, there is no choice in who gives birth to who, Ruby. Jaune was a good guy, wanting to be a hero for the people."

He definitely was someone who could be relied upon to do the right thing. He was a prince, at any rate...

'A prince for me...'

That made the little selfish part in her give a little squeal, as the stories of her earlier youth started to pop up again. A prince for her, to carry her away. She didn't like the fairytales as much as Ruby did, but she wasn't against some cliché thoughts.

Every girl liked to have their own personal hero, after all.

The malady of thoughts. (Whitney Schnee)

Her fingers brushed through her daughter's hair, aware of the stresses that the girl was under. The darkness pulsated within her body, begging to be unleashed, her eyes spotting the craving within the girl, the burning rush within the young woman that was on the cusp of awakening, the power within her reaching out.

Weiss' breathing quickened, as her nipples hardened, the eyes opening up wide, startling awake. Whitney dialled down the pleasure within the young girl's body, an experimental touch of the gift that had been bestowed upon her by her love.

"Mama? I had... I had a good dream."

A smile on her lips, her fingers brushing through the loose strands of her daughter's hair. She'd try to use her gift more, the look on her daughter's face contemplating, as her cheeks turned rosy.

"It was... It was a former friend of mine, who's dead. He was touching me, kissing me and making me feel really good."

She smiled softly, getting up.

"Do you want some juice?"

The small nod from her daughter confirmed her question, a soft whisper from her daughter of 'thank you' making her feel better, the feeling of warmth and comfort fading to something that was a soft burn in the background.

"It was... It was a nice dream, yes. He was holding me, and the room was different, dorky and probably much like his own room, but... but he kept calling your name."

'Oops.'

Not that it would be a bad thing, as she laughed softly at the thought of being with her man again, her eyes peering into the eyes of her daughter, the blue looking calm, as the juice was raised to Weiss her lips and then sipped from through the straw.

"Hmm... Perhaps you were just imagining it, sweetheart."

Her daughter smiled, trying to lighten up the world again with her smile, as she brushed her hand through her daughter's hair again, kissing her daughter's cheeks. She was aware that her daughter needed time to heal, but the gift that Jaune had given her was something special.

"Perhaps. I think he was... he was kind of cute. A bit foolish, but cute."

The door opened and the visitor made themselves known, Weiss giving a little surprised sound, as General Ironwood made his appearance accompanying Winter. The man's genial smile was something sickening to her, as she could feel his emotions. Pride and confidence, something that didn't show the warmth of emotion for her daughter that should be with that smile on his face.

"Weiss, mother... I'm back. The General decided to accompany me."

The excuse seemed to be weak, as Whitney's eyes met with the general, tugging the covers a little more over her youngest daughter's body, the man's eyes glancing at Weiss, the camera-perfect smile on his lips already glistening with the need that she saw, the look in his eyes not even altered by her daughter's plight.

"Hello Weiss, I thought I'd come and visit. Are you in any way feeling better?"

The man tried, but Whitney couldn't see any sort of sincerity from the man. The events of the past had told her that men would use the polite face to fool someone, in order to achieve the dream that they wished. Jacques had taught her, as had the other happenings around the women that loved the same man that she did.

"I'm feeling a little better, General Ironwood. Thank you for inquiring."

The man's smile was paternal, her daughter's eyes lighting up a little at the interest from an older man, Winter taking a place at her daughter's side. There was not much that she could do to make the general go away without a good reason, but the look on her daughter's face made her feel worried, the paranoia within her starting to mount. Winter placed a pot onto the bedside table, a ceramic flowerpot with an orchid in it, smelling sweetly, her smile warm.

"I've got you an orchid, something to smell great. Mother, do you think you could get some water for it?"

Her smile never slipped as she went to get a cup to get some water, the General starting small talk with Weiss, trying to pretend that he really cared for her daughter, outside of his own objectives. The Schnee Dust Company had three heirs, and she was one of the people who was formally the owner after the death of her husband.

She poured the water into the orchid bowl, aware of the stronger scent of the flower, her eyes looking it over. A good piece, a nice flower, but she knew that this was something that she couldn't stop from worrying her.

"How have you been, Mother? The Vytal Festival is closing in on us, I have been assigned as an overseer of the security protocols."

That was good news, she guessed. Nothing bad, at least, because Winter was a responsible young woman. The General's words with Weiss were a surface-level conversation, the darkness inside her telling her that it would be wise to kill the man right here and now, when his back was turned to her. Her eldest daughter's eyes kept on glancing around, like she wanted to apologize for something, a habit that she'd had when she was younger.

"That's good news, Winter. Have you found yourself a nice partner yet?"

Her daughter's face looked a little oppressed, as she glanced around, at the general and then back again.

"I am a Specialist, Mother. General Ironwood needs me. "

There was a look in the young woman's eyes that showed devotion to the man, a feeling of disturbed emotions and a disgust that writhed within her daughter, aware that there was something playing in the background, something that would need to be investigated, carefully. The General just hadn't come for a visit, she surmised, based on how the man seemed to wish to ingratiate himself with her daughters, aware of the feelings that she felt on the subject, the distaste and unease within Winter swirling.

"And what about my daughter's eligibility for a husband, hmmm?"

She put on the maternal smile that had been perfect when the children had been younger, Winter's gaze dropping down, as she laid a hand on her, a teasing tone in her voice.

"A hunky Huntsman with little to wear but a loincloth, an all-expenses-paid trip to a cabin out in the middle of nowhere... Doesn't that sound like a good idea for a bit of a break? You should live your life a little, Winter. Not everything has to be service to the military for you, Winter. Atlas will endure when you're off frolicking through the woods with a Huntsman chasing you down for some entertainment."

Her daughter's cheeks turned a little redder, the stiff formality slipping, as her daughter emerged from behind the mask of the specialist. She looked down, a smile on her lips.

"Mother, that is highly irregular. You cannot hire me an escort, and- and I haven't taken a day of leave in years."

There was a soft smile on her daughter's lips, as the thought ruminated.

"Hmm, something tells me that you might need to take some time off. The offer's there, if you want it. A nice little cabin, a rugged man... or maybe two, if you're daring."

The darkness within her pulsed, and she heightened the influence, as her eyes met Winter's, the cheeks flushed red.

"And just imagine... Their silence bought with enough Lien and you enjoying it. It's not something that girls would want to talk about, but I've heard of it..."

She knew that the topic might make her daughter uncomfortable, but her attention slid back to the general, who was more or less listening in.

"Mother... I'll... consider it, okay? I am still only twenty-two, so you must understand that there is a certain set of decorum to follow. I am not allowed to engage in an illicit tryst with four huntsmen wearing skimpy clothing."

The girl was thinking it. Her cheeks were flushed and Whitney let her powers surge through her daughter's body, trying to focus the power on the young woman's internal arousal. She was not going to let this chance slip, not when she had to make the conversation stray from serious issues about work to not-so-serious issues.

"Four huntsmen, oh my... My little Winter is engaging in thoughts that even I wouldn't dare to think..."

Winter's composure snapped, and Whitney's eyes caught the hardened nipples, the embarrassed sound from Winter's mouth making the General and Weiss look at her.

"Mother! That's crude."

She smiled, trying to look like the innocent maiden of Mistral. Her hands brushed over her daughter's touch. The wetness of the womanhood between Winter's legs was palpable, as she forced the darkness to swirl inside her, as she leaned closely to her daughter, smelling the pheromones on the skin.

"They can even be women, if you want that. Mama will pay the bill, if it gives Winter her thrill. Anything for my dear daughter."

It was whispered because Weiss was listening, Winter's cheeks flushed a bright red at the suggestion. It was a little push of the craving inside her daughter, as she tried to shape an image of what might be.

"Even if it's me."

A rich laughter came from her lips as her daughter turned crimson.

"Mother!"

She was teasing her daughter, but the option was not something that would meet with her disapproval. She was a woman of standards and taste, and if Jaune wished to make his presence known by wearing a very slight loincloth, she'd have to be the happy rich heir to the SDC to make use of his rugged body. Those 'little escapes' had been something that'd been suggested to her before by one of her socialite 'friends'.

"I kid, Winter. Of course, you're free to take whoever you want."

Whitney's voice placated her daughter, whilst the tugging on those strings of arousal continued. Winter was free to do what she wished, as long as it didn't harm the family or the stepfather that Whitney wished they could have. There would be no alternatives other than her man for her own spouse.

"G-good. I'm... I'll give it consideration."

She knew that her daughter would think about it, and joined Weiss and the General, a soft sigh coming from her lips as she let her smile slip a little to the broader one that showed goodwill. A smile on the General's face, as he greeted her politely.

"Greetings, Lady Schnee. I hope that everything goes well with you today?"

The lies were so easy to spot. The man's emotions were carefully level, as if he did not feel any, his eyes warm but not as warm as they should be. The General's uniform was cut very sharply, as his eyes held the heat of a man who cared, as she smiled.

"As well as can be expected. Some of the duties of managing the Schnee Dust Company can be done from this place, as it still holds a master terminal to the Schnee Dust Company's mainframe. The Hindenburg was built in order to make sure that there would be some sort of defense for the company's interests, so it would not be unfeasible for it to become a mobile home for the company, if Atlas were to ever fall."

Her smile was warm as she stoked the flames of desire within the man somewhat, his expressionless eyes warming somewhat. The power of her gift had been something that would work, she supposed, on those who could at least muster some emotion.

"A good choice. My own ship has similar facilities, in order to control the droids that we use in combat. Perhaps a tour would be nice for you, if you can take a little while off work? I am sure that Weiss would not mind a little bit of a change, if Winter wishes to stay with her?"

She looked at the man, smiling at her and then tapping in a few codes on the terminal, the screen flickering to life after she'd walked up to it. Her schedule, including the time that she'd allotted for the care for her daughter, usually filled.

"We have a little more than three hours, General Ironwood. I will have to make a speech to the members of the Mistralian Miner's League that I simply cannot miss."

A little dance with the devil, she supposed, would not be amiss. The man would find that Willow Schnee was not someone who was immune to the charms of an older man...

'And when you think you have me, James Ironwood...'

The man could play with his toys, but Whitney Schnee did not bow before anyone who was not her man. Jaune Arc held that distinction, as she smiled warmly.

"I will, however, have to slip into something a little more formal, though. I do not look at my best."

The man hummed softly, understanding the burden of a woman, or trying to at least, as she heard him leave, Winter's eyes looking inquisitively, as Whitney walked to the dresser, pulling out a dark blue dress with the Schnee crest on the back, something that would give her more of a mature look like she was.

"Mother, are you..."

A smile on her lips, as she pulled the dress on without a glance away from the mirror, her eyes glinting with that hint of amusement in the reflection, as the dark power burned inside her. The memory of that field of snow, of the gigantic shape of her late husband, and she brushed a comb through her hair, the weight of her decision lingering in her consciousness as she felt Kali's presence.

"Atlas will not be divided, Winter. The General offered me a tour, and I would be unwise if I denied the man my company. Will you keep your sister company? I'll be back in an hour or two, I am sure that the General will not let me be alone."

She was not going to bend the knee to James Ironwood, but he if he thought that he could impress her by showing her his toys...

'The Schnee are Dust, and we do not know defeat.'

She would let him think that. After all... The betrayal that she had suffered was just enough, after all. Her weapon would be with her. The man could not hold her... but just in case...

She pressed the button on the desktop, and she answered the call.

"Schedule the shareholder meeting in three hours. I will be meeting with the General and inspecting one of the warships that are posted above Vale. If I am not present, embargo Dust for Atlas military endeavours. The Jacques Protocol, Mister Ernest."

Winter gasped, but Whitney did not care. If the General wished to play hard, she would play hard as well. The assistant nodded, the answer a quiet 'It will be as you say, Lady Schnee.'

The terminal shut off, as she sighed.

"One never goes out with a gentleman without at least being prepared for the worst. Your father taught me that well... And it's a standard practise that he cultivated. Not something that you would be aware of... But dealing with a councilman of Atlas requires a certain level of tact. I'm sure that we can trust the man, he is, after all, working for the betterment of Atlas."

There were lies in those words, but she did not look at her daughters, so the lie was hidden from them. Her lipstick was done again and her ears were decorated with a set of sapphire-inlaid earrings, as she turned to her ladies.

"Mother's got a date, sweethearts. I'll be back in two hours at the most, close to three."

She knew that Winter would be hard to trust, but the general? He was a man.

She knew how to handle difficult men.

The burden of Weiss (Weiss Schnee)

"So... is that a thing?"

She was curious, as mother had disappeared through the door, her older sister's uncertain look on her face showing her unease with the events that happened. The orchid's smell was soft, as she shifted a little uneasily, the pain of her aching healing limbs starting to flare up again.

"What, Weiss?"

Her sister could be a little silly, but her sister's face showed a pensive look.

"Mother and... general Ironwood. Was that embargo thing something that father did?"

A small nod from her older sister, and she remembered her mother's words. The general was a danger, and she knew that Ruby wasn't fully cognisant of the world around her, if those words had been the truth. She did not want to be with an older man at all...

"It was, according to the general. There was always something with father, assurances made. It stands to reason that mother would do the same, to at least hold some continuance in the Schnee brand name."

That made sense to her, so... she wasn't sure, but she could always guess. If the General wished to meddle, if- if mother was to be seduced by the man, it would be a bad fate for her. She couldn't fight, the general had his power in Atlas, and he had too much of it, father had always said.

"Do you think she might be looking into making him into... into our stepfather? She told..."

She closed her eyes a little. Winter could know if she lied by looking at her eyes, and she had to make the thing better. If Ruby was influenced in any way into loving her father, what could General Ironwood do to her? The man was known as an authoritarian man.

"She told me about the man she used to like. He was... eaten."

She guessed that he was. He was someone that their mother liked.

"And- and I don't want to curse it, but- But if she could find someone else."

She wouldn't find someone else. The hands, the groping hands, the rough voices, the touching. It was like a nightmare that did not end, that would not end until she was touched and defiled, soiled by the hands and the fingers and the probing touches.

"The General is still unattached, I believe. He- He does not share personal details, and I, well- Mother is old and wise enough to know that he would be a better choice than father had been."

The pride that Winter showed in her words for the man was wrong. It made her remember Ruby, made her feel the shudders return as she remembered that innocence in those words, to say that her daddy would be gentle.

"I hope she knows what she's doing."

There was a burdened look on her sister's face, as Winter looked distant for a moment, as if her sister had decided something that she wasn't privy to. The Specialist's outfit looked good on her, Winter smiling softly at her.

"I'm sure that she will do what she has to. Father was a shrewd negotiator, but the General knows that the hesitation to include the Hindenburg in the defensive formation is something that grandfather also shares. Neither are very fond of the military, but there is still room for negotiation."

She hoped that her mother would be happy with her man. The man was nice, apparently, and the thoughts that she'd had up until Winter entered with the general had been pleasant. A small room, something of two bodies pushed together, love and affection. A virgin, as she was, guiding him to the bed and then seating herself, speaking words of love.

The dream that'd shattered, perhaps a moment where her mother had been with the young man himself, the feeling of that caress still on her skin, not the rough touches and the soft voices.

"I don't want to lose her, Winter."

The fear of losing her mother was bigger than anything she'd thought, remembering how it'd felt to be touched and to be faced with the desecration that a woman could face, the feeling of their touching making her feel sicker than she had before. It would not be easy to be with a man, but if her mother found love... then she could she.

"I don't either. Father passed, but she's still alive. We're all doing what we can to make sure that you all are safe. "

The snarky voice inside her nearly responded with a 'very safe, when I was nearly raped, Winter' but she quelled that thought. Winter couldn't know about how her world had been turned upside down, because she'd always been away.

"I hope that they'll find all of the White Fang that attacked Vale, we are doing all that we can."

The words didn't comfort her. They'd tried to hurt her. They'd tried to r- do bad things to her. She still woke up in the night, feeling fear grip her heart, aware that they might be in the room with her, trying to get at her.

"I don't like them. They tried to hurt me."

She looked at her sister with pleading eyes, searching for comfort that she wished to find. She was so afraid that there might be touches, even if mama wasn't around anymore. Yang could understand her, she was the mature one on her team, the one who had been strong and bold and... and good.

To suffer and...

She could hear the sounds of Ruby squeaking as her father made love to her. Her own father, she couldn't even imagine it. It would've been different with her own team, if there wasn't this whole second-year level of survival lessons to do. She was pretty sure that she'd like to get rid of her virginity with soft music, her limbs usable and with a man.

"rry that happened, Weiss. Is there anything that I can do for you now?"

Weiss tried a smile, but the dark feeling of Ruby came to the surface again, as she felt nauseous.

"A little bit of water would be nice."

Mother arrived again two hours later, the General at her arm, looking a little more pleased, as the smile warmed up even more than before.

"Thank you for the tour, James."

The personal name sounded odd, as the general gave a soft 'Of course, Whitney' in return to that, the man's voice more personal and private than before, Weiss feeling a stab of something shoot through her body at the worry that lanced through her.

"We should go, Specialist Schnee. Miss Schnee has a call to make."

Her mother's face was set in a dark expression the moment when the General and Winter had departed, as she sat herself down and rubbed her face lightly.

"Did you enjoy teasing your sister about her wild retreat with four huntsmen, Weiss?"

The woman's voice was light, the subject... really strange. Her mother got up and walked to her, before she grabbed the pot of the orchid, softly giving it a tug.

"Bringing an orchid here, heh... She's always been fond of helping out. Perhaps I should tell you about the story of a lonely woman with a man who saved her from a terrible accident. Quite the strapping young man too, I'll say."

The orchid was pulled from the pot, the dirt scattering onto the table, and she made a sound of surprise, her mother's gaze sharp, as she pushed her fingers into the soil, before she lifted the pot up and then turned it over.

"Well, I'd best get this thing settled in the room. We might have to switch it out for a fresh bouquet of white roses. You like white roses, don't you?"

She gave a soft sound of affirmation as she did so, her body aching a little, as her mother set the orchid in its pot on the side, before she went for her Scroll, starting to type on and turning it to her.

'Listening device in the flowerpot. Let's not give them what they want, Weiss. I love you. It'll be a cold day in Vale when I let my family be usurped by someone who thinks more about the gains for the army than about the daughters I love.'

Her heart blossomed with warmth, as the distrust started to rise in her. Winter had brought the orchid, the general had come with her. This was a plot, in order to get what the Schnee Dust Company was selling through subterfuge, undoubtedly.

Winter had... she had lied.

"I like white and red roses, mama. A big bouquet in a vase might be nice. They smell so good."

Her mother's smile warmed her heart up again, as she sighed lightly at her words, grabbing the pot and setting it on the table at the far wall.

"We'll get you a nice bouquet of roses, Weiss. White roses, for my dear daughter."

There was no need to say more. There had been a listening device in the pot, undoubtedly by Atlas to spy on her and her mother's personal conversations. She... she should've expected it.

The CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world, currently unattached to the Atlas ruling elite, those who lived on Atlas itself, in a vulnerable position, two children below the age of 18...

A lot of power laid within the family. A lot of power, a lot of wealth, and General Ironwood held two seats on the council. There would be much power amassed if there was a Schnee married to Ironwood.

Winter would be impossible to sell to the masses. It was a direct superior that she would be marrying, and it would never get the man the prestige he sought... But if it was the widowed mother of a Specialist, it would be seen as 'kindness'.

Solitas was a place where one married, and one reared a family. General Ironwood had never really been entangled within a love affair, as far as she knew.

This... this would be the perfect moment for the man to take over. Mother was free again. She... she loved a man who was younger than her, which... which would be fine, Weiss guessed.

'Better someone who loves mother than someone who does not.'

She might hope to play some games with him and mother, if things were smooth for the older man. A father figure... A dad who would smile at her and rub her head and tell her that she'd be the best huntress in the world, because she was Weiss Schnee and she was amazing.

The small little splash of warmth inside her at the thought of being with a man like that and knowing that mother was happy and that her new stepfather would cherish her as the daughter of the woman he loved.

"What... what was that about a retreat?"

Her mother laughed, and she pulled something on the Scroll, as she tapped in the password to her terminal again, the screen showing the time, which was thirty minutes until the conference call.

"Arousing Huntsman Retreats: Men for the lady who requires discretion?"

The picture looked good. A shirtless man who looked... quite appealing. Winter, pampered by studly men who were there for her...

'I'm sorry to say this Winter, but you might need to unwind a little.'

Her sister was entirely too obedient to general Ironwood. A man might do her good. A good, strong man who would be able to push her sister into a chair and give her a footrub, with... with maybe a nice drink to go with it.

Weiss knew that it might just be a fancy, but her sister was... a bit too forceful sometimes.

The war preparation (Jaune Arc)

The feeling of being in Mistral's lower districts was different now. There was fear in the air, something spicy and tender. The blood that hadn't stopped flowing from the body smelled like copper and murder. A soft tingling of a bell, as Raven wiped her blade on the pants of the man.

Summer's fingers brushed over her cloak, the spray of blood on the stone of the back alley as she cleaned it with a flick of the hands, her eyes looking darkly at him.

"To the next. There are two more."

The power within him burned, as he began to absorb more of the darkness within the city, the dark emotions siphoned deeply into the wellspring of Vitae Tenebris. The pain that came from the people around the kingdom was something exquisite that he was drinking in, aware of the sensation that clung to it, the malignant feeling inside him growing ever more. It was a fear, a deep fear within him, that he would become someone like the Grand Witch, like the Grand Wizard had already become.

"Are you alright?"

Raven's quiet whisper was loud, as he nodded his head, the sunglasses pushed up a little more, the overcoat that he wore over his outfit giving him enough anonymity... as Raven wore just her regular garb, as the chieftain of the Branwen tribe. One of the places where she could go with relative impunity, as the scoundrels and wicked people roamed this place.

"Fine. I'm-"

'I'm so close... I'm so close, and I made Nora and Pyrrha crazy.'

The threat of his gift, to the mind of someone unprepared, of someone who received the gift from a source that had not the knowledge to spread it out. Within Nora, there rested power. He knew the burden that he brought with him, the corruption that spread through his system, the burning inside his amputated limb and the facsimile that he had crafted from the darkness that he had found.

"fine, Rae."

The nickname that Summer used, the soft whisper that came, as she laid a hand on his shoulder, the woman leaning against him in a comforting gesture. They had been away for a while and this was just a clean-up, something to root out those remnants of the Order in Mistral to make it ripe for the plucking. The bandits had to be given their due, and under Raven, they would grow into a sizeable force, nothing to challenge a Kingdom full of Huntsmen and active defences, but... but still more than he'd guess at.

"We should go. There are two more, and if we don't snip them, they'll hide again."

Summer's voice urged on and the tether between him, Raven and Summer was strengthened for a moment, the Vitae Tenebris inside her twitching a little, as the madness shuddered under the touch. Summer's silver eyes looked at him and the pain flashed for an instant, before the coolness of assurance came once to his senses, and he exhaled.

'It's all for the world. It's all for the world, so that the people can live happily... So that they can live happily, unaware of the shadow games being played by the Wizard and his former lover.'

The Grand Wizard held quirks. Habits that he could not shake. The man's game had been going on for millennia, and he had not met with another capable player of the grand game of words and worlds yet. The blood within the air wasn't even clotted yet, but the pawns were moving. The order was spread along the four Kingdoms, each Kingdom having a section. Only the leaders of each Order segment knew where the other segments were, the Rose holding a lot of said information as well, Summer's own knowledge coming in handy, but the roots were deep.

"One... Two... And go."

She was in motion immediately. A black haze spread out over the two sentinels that stood guards, wearing the clothes of average thugs, their faces dark with smudges and stains and burn marks from their initiations, undoubtedly, the mania spreading with Summer's touch. She was learning...

The gift that she had assumed, the burden that she had taken upon her shoulders. Kali was the fear that she had felt, the terror that she brought with her like a cloak of shadows. Sienna was the wrath of being sidelined, of being made irrelevant and not challenging it, a grudge against those who had wronged her.

Whitney's was the craving of desire, the lustful urges and the hints of more that she had shown him, and it was too late for him to take back the powers that he had granted them. Nora and Pyrrha had shown him that there was a drawback to his blessings, and he should have known. He hadn't dared to voice it to the others, but he could see the effects already. They had changed. They had changed and it was his fault, he wasn't a hero, but rather a corrupting villain, someone who-

"Hey, Jaune? Fight. Get at it."

The Grimm formed with a thought, as the Beowolf tore through the door, the sound of surprise enough, as the two sentinels started to tear at each other and Raven's blade flashed, turned back into her sheath immediately after the first strike.

The staff bore down and more Grimm formed, a lumbering Ursa pushing through a wall, roaring. The power within him drained a little, but the siphoning effect of the fear and the pain of Mistral became even greater. This far away from the Grand Wizard and the Grand Witch, he could pull the emotional pain and fear into himself and purify it, the negativity swallowed into the pool and refined. It was the raw emotions that the Grimm sought, attracted to it by the power of the souls who held such emotions.

A wall broke and someone emerged, and he pulled up a wave of force from the ground, the earth shifting, as the magical essence pulled the darkness from the ground up, blocking the strike from hitting him. A silver-eyed man stood there, wielding a large mace that held studs and spikes on it.

"Good day."

The polite words were met by a roar, as the silver flashed and he felt the pain, as the Grimm evaporated, and he was vulnerable. He could feel the air thicken around him as he tried to will the Grimm into being, the power coalescing around the head of the staff, the Relic blazing a path through the air as he aimed the beam, the silver-eyed warrior bifurcated by the power, as Raven appeared, blade meeting with another, who'd been hidden in the dust. His Grimm were whittled down, as he raised the staff and propelled a wave of force outwards. Not like the Vitae Tenebris should be used, but it was still raw magical power, refined into force.

It was something that the Staff put a query down for, and he accepted. A shift of his centre of gravity and flames blazed into existence, as the material for it was provided and the blazing lance shot out, the piercing through the chest of one of the charging men with a machete-gun enough to deal with him, as a set of Ursa formed from the ground, his body defended now, as there were no silver eyes left, and his gaze met Raven's through the slits of her mask.

'Now...'

Summer moved like an angel of death, her red cloak flickering in the air as she seemed to burst into motion, the shifting of her position heralding the twin blades flashing and blood shooting through the air, Raven's defense of him coming at an opportune time. Kali might be someone much like him, someone who would not be able to take a serious hit in a straight-up fight, but the others compensated for that. He had Sienna, who was tougher than he was, Raven, whose fighting skill was better than his own and Summer, who was experienced in dealing with many opponents at once and working together with Raven.

He needed to win. He needed their strength, because an army of Grimm would be weak to the powers of the Grand Witch. The Grand Wizard's game was to array an army of the silver-eyed ones in front of him and to guard the cities with their forces... So he would need to capitalize on that. There could be no interference.

He would do what he had to, even as a woman wearing a skimpy bikini appeared, screaming her lungs out as she ran straight towards him with a long sword with a curved blade, an Ursa chasing after her. Another victim, he guessed, as the Grimm tore into her side, the body twisting around twice before hitting the ground, the gray hair and the silver eyes looking at him with surprise, before he raised his foot and then stomped down, her face shattering like a melon bursting, the reinforcement of his Aura to his foot allowing him to make such a move, as he slowly exhaled.

The Grimm faded out, as their creation was undone, the Vitae Tenebris replenishing as they were no longer created, returning to the flock.

"One more... and then we're ready to move. We need to erase them, before they burn out their tracks."

Summer's clear voice was devoid of much emotion, yet he could detect a hint of amusement within her, a peal of small gibbering laughter that bubbled within the depths of her soul, craving for vengeance and release from the shackles that bound her.

"Are you okay, Jaune?"

Raven inquired again, and he watched Summer move, her steps without any sort of haste, expecting Raven to follow.

He thought back to what they were doing and he sighed.

"No."

She laid a hand on his shoulder in support.

"I understand. Spend the night with me, okay? I'll make you feel a little better. It's okay to be... to be disgusted with our job. It's for a better world. You're doing something good for the people, for my people and Summer."

It was a soft sound from his throat, as he looked down. Her arm wrapped around him and she walked with him, her hair tickling along his side. Like her daughter, she could understand, just a little bit. All he had wanted was to be a hero, to be a Huntsman who would fall in love, defending a small patch of land and having a hot wife who was kinky in bed.

He'd just wanted to be a hero.

Health complications prevented updates. Apologies for that. Life hasn't been super-duper with a weak immune system.

Ah well, I shouldn't mope too much about it. The Author is fine-ish. Fear not, your updates will resume.

Leave a review if you'd like to let me know your thoughts on the chapter.