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razorblade180 · 1 year

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Twin Snowflakes part 50: Face Off!

TSF 49 <-

Another day, another blizzard, a norm at this point for many. Even Yang Xiao Long found the windsheer bearable after countless runs around the iced kingdom with her bike. Penny really had outdone herself with the snow tires and tune up. Normally Yang was scared of anyone touching her beloved but in this case it was definitely needed. Being stubborn here would’ve easily ended with her face down in snow and no bike at all of Shiva had anything to say about it. The blazing huntress rode through the heart of the city with precious cargo towed behind her; thankfully the massive crate was padded and any summoned beasts were occupied with Winter’s troops distracting them or guarding the school. All in all, it was a smooth ride to SDC company building; another safe haven for the stranded.

Yang pulled up right to the front door and carried the crate one handed past guards and inside where people rested, ate, worked, just about anything really. She had to hand it to the citizens, they truly were resilient. History books didn’t do them justice. With the guidance and reassurance of the Schnees, Marigold, and huntresses like herself, panic had dramatically stopped. Restlessness was clear, but people understood they were in good hands after the initial lockdown. If only things could’ve gone this smoothly years ago when Salem was made public. Then again, nobody commanded the authority or had the reputation they have today. Yang was pretty sure her face back then was the complete opposite of composed when she thought about it.

“Oh how times change.” She said to herself, reaching the elevator. Yang took it straight up to Whitley’s office where instead of managing profits, he balanced resources and concerns. At least he still had his secretary to buzz people in. “Hey Ciel. I got a delivery.”

“So I see.” She looked through the glass doors to see Whitley face down in exhaustion, papers around him and on the floor. “Yeah, I’d say he’s not too busy.”

“Is it something serious?”

“Mr. Schnee just had the brilliant idea he typically has; working without sleep.”

“Ah, the Schnee Classic. I’ve seen it in multiple forms.”

Ciel laughed and buzzed her in. “Have fun. There’s coffee in the corner of the room. It should be done brewing by now.”

“I’m starting to think he actually asked you not to leave when evacuations happen.”

“He’d never, but may or may not have been counting this entire experience as overtime. Four months of a time and a half pay rate is a sizable paycheck.”

Yang dared not ask how much Ciel’s normal salary was, but she knew if Ciel went on vacation after this and never came back, she’d understand how it was possible. Yang walked into the huge office and put down the crate, shaking the floor and making Whitley shoot up like a beanstalk.

“I’m up!” He said, alarmed. Seeing Yang laugh at his face wasn’t the most unpleasant way to be dragged out of sleep, but he also did not have the energy to make her stop. “Hello.” It’s all he had in him as he sat back down.

“Hey Mr. Human Resources. You okay?”

“I crashed. I’ll be okay.”

Yang walked over to the aforementioned coffee pot and poured the man a drink. She gave it to him with a few sugar packets. “Thera ya go.” She then made a second mug she put on the table. “Better?” She said watching Whitley drink it like it was a discovered oasis in the middle of Vacou.

He all but slammed the mug down. “I’m good!” He coughed, clearing his throat. He finally noticed the crate. “Ah!”

“Bout time you saw it! Darken the room please.”

Whitley ran his finger over a touchscreen that turned all the windows and glass door black to prevent unwanted eyes. Yang knocked on the crate three times and the lid popped open with Nick letting out a huge breath of freedom.

“You drive like a maniac!” He huffed. “I get there’s ice on the road but can you turn a bit slow-”

Yang handed him the coffee. Nick immediately lost any irritation and sipped the brew. Yang smiled as she rubbed the kids head. “You're welcome.”

“It’s very lucky I’m not claustrophobic.” Nick huffed again.

“It’s spacious in there! Cozy too.”

Whitley walked over to Nick to hug him. “Glad to see you. I know this plan was definitely insane even by our standards but Shiva somehow seeing you before the big day would be terrible. Better safe than sorry.”

“I get it. I just don’t like it.” Nick downed his coffee then leaned against the table. “Great to see you all the same. Everything good on your end?”

Whitley nodded, “Just about. We’ve been gradually moving the bulk of the food here along with people. Not like we don’t have the space, but still someone finds a reason to be upset or try sneaking in hopes of finding whatever ridiculous thing they want at that moment. You would think they forgot it’s dangerous outside.”

“Well nobody is attacking them. The only constant threat is freezing to death, unless they happen to get caught in the crossfire of a battle.”

Yang groaned loudly “Uuuggghh! You’d be surprised Nick. I’ve seen tons of blockheads hiding in a mall or trying to get something from home which so happens to be behind a stupid Goliath summon. I didn’t even know Summer knew how to do that!”

“I don’t remember her killing a Goliath. Then again, she’s snuck off doing things before. Still, I feel like she would’ve bragged about it given the opportunity. Weird.”

Whitley crossed his arms. “Maybe Shiva killed it in her spare time?”

Now that was a dangerous thought Yang and Nick hated, visibly showing concern. “Well that fucking sucks.” They said together.

“I’m merely throwing it out there.”

“Yeah but you’re probably right!” Nick sighed. He can’t believe he never thought about that possibility. “It’s not like it changes our plan but that’s very depressing to think about.”

“How are you feeling by the way?”

“Well it’s about five days since I got the stitches out and fighting mom doesn’t end with me praying for mercy silently, so I guess I’m fine?” Nick said, rationalizing everything he’s been through lately. “I’m healthy at least.”

Yang patted his back. “He even sparred with me once!”

“Only once.” Nick emphasized. He didn’t need to say more to gain his uncle’s sympathy.

“Hang in there champ.”

“Believe me, I am trying…” In theory, fighting a person who physically has to touch you is good practice when your real foe has a deadly touch. That being said, flaming shotgun fists are somehow more stressful to experience. Yang has no right to punch so fast! “While I’m here, I should let you know after I visit the base, we’ll probably have one more discussion of the plan. Aside from the hospital, with this spot becoming where the majority of civilians rest, people should be safe if worst comes to worst in the fight. This is the furthest spot.”

“Agreed. We unfortunately can’t move anymore for the time being. Shiva might suspect something if nearly all the body heat moved. If she hasn’t suspected it already.”

Yang frowned, “Can you stop with the doom hypotheticals? We are checking every box on the list perfectly and that’s that!”

“Oh if only I had half your certainty.”

“It’s more like cope.” Yang admitted. “As Blake’s mom would say, sometimes you gotta manifest good outcomes if you want them.”

Whitley gestured to Nick. “We’ve been doing that for months haven’t we?”

“Exactly! Now manifest a victory and decent weather.”

“I’ll do my best.” He chuckled. “Anyways, I should probably finish a few of these papers. Feel free to stay away and avoid the crate as long as possible. I’m sure there’s people around here who’d feel relieved seeing the heir after all this time.”

Ah yes, Nick had somehow forgotten that little fact. This would be his building, and he had drunk out of what would eventually be his mug. The thought made his head feel heavy, clouded even. Nick closed his eyes and took a breath.

“Yang? Can you give the room to me and my uncle for a moment?”

“Umm okay.” Whitley looked at her with eyes seeking an answer but all she could do was shrug. Yang made another cup of coffee for herself than left.

Whitley sat up straight. “So, is there something you-”

“I don’t want to be the heir!” Nick blurted out. “I really don’t! It’s no knock against you or the family but I really can’t see myself doing this. The office, paperwork, it’s just not me! I’m good at it, sure; you’ve taught me well and I feel bad about it because I think the time could’ve been better spent! Just ask Eliza how unenthusiastic I am during student council meetings. She does so much heavy lifting it’s absurd, but I sure as hell don’t want to.”

The room was still dark but Whitley couldn’t help but briefly glance in the direction of Ceil’s desk after hearing that. He looked back at his Nephew who stood as stiff as a statue. His eyes were big and despite his best attempts, Nick’s hands fidgeted.

“Got that out of your system?” Whitley said calmly.

“Y..Yes!”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me. We’ll figure it out.”

Nick blinked. “Huh?”

“Hmm? Were you expecting me to deny you; be upset perhaps? I haven’t come off as that towards you have I?” He genuinely asked. Ruby helped make him a good man in his opinion but Whitley knew he could have a pretty sharp tongue or cold demeanor at times.

“N-No, I just…I know how important this is for you; for everyone. It’s our legacy.”

“No, you and Summer are our legacy. This is a company with our name attached. It may be important but no one is disappointed if you’re reluctant to be a part of it. Our legacy is fine because both you and your sister are good people.” He stood up and walked over to Nick, setting both of them on the edge of the office meeting table. “Care for a history lesson? It’s pretty brief.”

“Okay…?”

“It’s no secret your grandfather wasn’t a good man. He stressed and gripped the bonds of our family until they broke. Truth be told, I’m the heir because Winter left and after years of fighting against Weiss, she got disowned. Nothing but the only option. By that point I really didn’t care about our name or this company.”

“Why run it then?”

“Partly out of spite.” He laughed. “I was taught so many things and resented my father so much. I knew when I inherited it that I was gonna clean up and do my best to repair the image of it. At no point will myself or anyone in this family ever force you down a path for our namesake. Family first, business second. I teached you all this stuff because unfortunately it’s the only way I know how to show you, but I don’t expect you to maintain things like I do. That would mean I’m doing a terrible job fixing things.”

“If that’s the case, then what are you expecting?”

Whitley smiled at him. “I might be responsible for fixing your grandfather’s mistakes, but you, you’re named after your great grandfather remember? He wasn’t conventional. That man led by example, saw the world, made invaluable connections with people in the name of friendship and business alike. He wasn’t stuck behind a desk. If you don’t want to be heir that’s fine. The public might be out of sorts but so what; this family hasn’t been conventional for awhile. If you change your mind, know you’ll have options and tons of experience to do things how you want. After all, it’s not like you’d be put in charge anytime soon! I’m sticking around for a while. My only hope is when you or anyone takes my position that it’s much easier.”

His voice was so gentle and casual about the entire thing. Nick felt a little dumb for not bringing this up earlier. “So…you’re not disappointed in me?” His body relaxed, finally catching the breath he had been holding. Nick was on the verge of tears. “That’s a relief.”

Whitley put his arm around his nephew and gave him a side hug. “You’re fine as you are, and that’s being yourself. Besides, who’s to say you’ll even be heir by the time I retire?”

“…Are you implying you’ll outlive me.”

“Wha-No! I meant…” Whitley gave up talking and just stood up, taking Nick’s hand as he walked out of the office. Yang and Ciel both stopped their conversation to look at the two. “We’ll be right back.” The man said.

The woman looked at Nick with confused eyes and he stared back with the same expression as he silently let himself get dragged away.

The two Schnees rode the elevator only a couple floors down before Nick was led out to see a bunch of kids, none older than thirteen by the looks of it. Several ran around unused office cubicles, younger kids were fed by the older ones and adults. There were even cots set up closer to heat sources. Quite a few little ones were actually asleep despite the noise. This was…abnormally organized. Nick looked at the adults again to see them all in humble uniforms and aprons that reminded him of nannies. He took another look at the children and slowly began to remember; he’s seen some of the kids before! Nick looked at his uncle.

“Why are kids from Mantle’s orphanage up in Atlas?! How’d they get stuck here at a time like this!?”

“Poor timing. Nobody expected any of this to happen. Several of those kids were on the way to meet potential families. Owners of the orphanage itself had to show up anyway to cash in all the money you helped raise.”

That’s right, the fundraiser. Nick had completely forgotten how little time was between the tournament and all of this. They were only days apart yet both experiences felt so distant from one another.

A small gasp came halfway across the room. “Prince?” A voice called out.

Nick turned around and let out a similar noise. It was the little girl who got the fundraiser started in the first place, Ruth. Not only was it a shock to see her, but Nicholas had forgotten that Summer gave the little girl her coat. Seeing Ruth wear it as she ran to him brought his heart a bittersweet feeling.

“It is you!” She said up close. “Oh, hi Whitley!” Ruth waved happily.

He waved back. “Hello Ruth. Are you behaving?”

“Yep! Even helping out the grownups with the little ones.” She puffed out her chest proudly.

“Hehe, last time I checked you are a little one.”

“Well… yeah, but I’m helping the littler ones!” She defended.

“Aahhh I see. Keep up the good work then and I’ll be sure to tell Ruby whenever I see her again.”

“Yes sir!” Ruth looked at Nick and pointed. “Where have you been!? People kept saying your name for a while but always frowned. Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine!” He grinned. “This entire snow situation scared me for a bit but I’m better now.” He could tell Ruth wasn’t buying what he was selling. Not completely anyway.

“How could this scare you? Aren’t you like the prince of snow?”

“No, but that’s a really pretty title. I wish I was now that he said it.” He got her giggle at his dorkiness. She really was in good spirits.

“Oh! Where’s your sister, the princess pop star!? I still haven’t thanked her properly for the fundraiser. Not only was it fun, but the people at the orphanage started talking to me and became my friends. Some of them even thanked me because more adults started stopping by. I haven’t seen her around though, just like you.”

Nick knelt down and looked Ruth right in the eyes. He could lie right now. It would be so easy, yet deep down, Nick didn’t want to put on the mask again. “Summer’s scared too. She’s been doing her best to make things safe but she’s pretty tired.”

“Ohh, is there anything I could do?”

“Heh, just keep being a strong girl. Everything will be okay before you know it.”

Ruth smiled “I’m in no rush. Some adults are worried but I kinda like it. This has been the longest I’ve ever been in Atlas! Too bad lots of things are closed.”

“I’ll be sure to show you around when things get back to normal. Can you wait until then?”

Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “Sure thing! Better not forget.”

“It’s a promise.” Nick held out his pinky and Ruth shook it with hers before running off.

“Bye Whitley!!!”

He waved “Don’t trip, or get into trouble!”

“She’s quite the free spirit.”

“Indeed. Anytime Ruby comes around she flocks to her without a care in the world.”

“Haha, yeah I noticed that during the tournament. Auntie took it in pretty good stride though, which is good.”

Whitley nodded, “Yeah. Better keep that promise by the way. I’m sure Ruth will hound you about it after we adopt her.”

Silence; there was absolute silence between the two. Nick could feel his heart become lighter. He looked at the sheepish yet proud smile on his Uncle’s face. Nick couldn’t stop his own lips from curling upwards while his eyes watered.

“That’s…that’s wonderful.” He said with an overwhelming sense of relief. “I’m so happy for you! Does Ruth-”

“Not yet. She’ll know after all of this has settled down, but yeah, we’re adopting.” He could see the genuine joy on Nick’s face. It made Whitley feel warm, and emotional as well. “You know…not a day goes by when Ruby and I don’t think of you and your sister as one of our own.” He confessed.

Nick could feel a lump forming in his throat. The boy nodded, his smile persisting. “I know. We always felt it.”

Whitley couldn’t stop himself from tearing up. “It was difficult…seeing you in that hospital bed; facing Shiva breaks Ruby’s heart and boy those journals…” he tried to laugh through the wellspring of emotions. “Losing both of you made it painfully aware how much we want to have a family.”

“You haven’t lost us.” Nick wiped his tears away. “And you’re not going to either. We got a legacy to build. Not only that, but a life to live, right?”

“Hmm hehe, right. Now you’re getting it.” Whitley put his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “Live it well.”

xxxxx

“You do realize you didn’t have to personally show up?” Winter said, staring at her hunched over nephew, his body halfway out of a crate. She looked at Yang. “Motion Sickness?”

“I drove slowly.”

“Liiiieeeessss.” He groaned.

Winter grabbed Nick by the back of his collar then pulled him up and out of the crate like a claw machine. Honestly he was stunned by her strength. He wasn’t that light was he?

“Do you need another minute?” She asked.

“Nah I’ll be alright.” He heaved before raising his head to see personnel at work. Many were at desks checking what looked like radars. “What are you checking?”

“Weather patterns. It’s always cold but temperature drops in specific areas or sudden storms are potential signs of an attack, formation, movement, and so on.”

“Ah, makes sense. I guess someone as unpredictable as Shiva is still…predictable, in certain aspects. So are we strictly on defense.”

“Able bodies help set up perimeters for safe havens and move technicians between places of repair. We quickly learned pushing too far towards the school, or rather pushing at all, isn’t wise with standard men.” Winter said regrettably.

“That’s an understatement.” Yang spoke up. “If it ain’t us then it ain’t worth it, which is fine by me. People got roped into this but this is very much our problem we should be dealing with ourselves.”

“It’s not that I don’t disagree with you, but fourteen people isn’t an army. Especially when one isn’t a fighter and another four are still very much inexperienced as well as should be assigned less risky roles.”

Nick crossed his arms. “Hey now, one of those four is right here and has the most experience fighting this person in particular.”

“Be that as it may, more manpower would swing things in our favor nicely. In hindsight, devoting time to more equipment made to resist Diamond Dust should’ve been in the works.” Winter could see the look of shock in Nick’s eyes. “Resist, not harm. I would never allow that.”

“You give an inch and they take a mile. I know logically speaking you’re probably right but somehow I feel like this situation would be a million times worse if Summer ever found out things were made to stop her.”

Yang didn’t want to imagine a worse version of this. “No use thinking about the choices we didn’t make. How’s the school?”

Winter clicked a button and a massive map of Atlas showed up as a temperature map, red and blue being hot and cold respectively. Nick felt his bones ache seeing Almanac being so dark blue that it might as well have been black.

“Do I even want to know the number associated with that color?”

“It’s in the negatives, but not by much.”

Nick deflated. “Not by much is still too much.”

“Shiva’s been pretty busy. We have confirmation nearly all the Diamond Dust by the lake was pulled to make this storm and especially that stronghold. So much in fact that the air is thick with dust particles.”

“In other words…Shiva has infinite ammo; fantastic.”

“Don’t lose heart.” Winter made a glyph in her hand. “It goes both ways for us. All those swords you love making plus simple structures will serve you well. That might be the only bright side unfortunately, because inside the school itself is alarmingly dense. We can’t expect to win there. Not only would breathing be a struggle but being inside the school might as well be the same as being in the palm of Shiva’s hand.”

“Fighting a person who could attack from any direction at any distance, while knowing your location is no one of the closest things to an impossible situation.” Yang said. Her battles around pools of grimm were not happy memories; not one bit. “Nick, I still don’t know how you plan on getting her outside.”

“Oh that bridge will be easy to cross.” He waved off. “My problem is I don’t know how to keep her from running back in. If only Penny could hack ventilation and blow the dust outside.”

“She could definitely do that.” Winter said casually. Her nephew stared at her blankly. “Yes?”

“Why aren’t we doing that?”

“Nick… the fans are frozen.” Winter gestured to the entire map of the school. “I know you were dying back then but do you not remember how much ice she was making? Shiva never stopped making it!”

The conundrum was beginning to fully explain itself in Nick’s thought process. The simple solution is taking the thermal resources they had available and thawing out the fans enough to work. However, that loops back around to going inside where Shiva is more or less aware of everything and can attack. Breaking a massive hole into the school was technically and optional, but his family potentially losing the shared benefit of infinite ammunition is far too risky to give up. Nick took a slow, deep breath through his nostrils and then exhaled out his mouth.

“I see…” he brought his hands together in front of his mouth. “We already know where we want her to be. We also know in a straight up fight we have a chance because she’s been avoiding it.”

“Grabbing every advantage possible while stealing hers is the goal.” Winter emphasized.

“The first part of our plan has to be nearly perfect. Not perfect, but very close. I think…I have a solution.”

“Care to share?”

“No, you’ll reject it here. I’ll wait until we tell everyone.” Winter’s eyes turned to daggers that made Nick step slightly behind Yang. “I promise it’s no crazier than the rest of this!”

Yang chuckled. “Heh, he has a point.”

“Fine.” Winter said quickly. She hadn’t the energy nor the time to argue this. “Do you think you’re strong enough for this? I’m talking physically and mentally.”

“We are well past the point of mentality being the obstacle. It’s not like I have faced her before. Now we have to do it for the kingdom. As for physically, I don’t think I’ve ever felt stronger. It’s scary to say but the cold feels nice in a way it never has. Pretty sure I know why. I’ll be okay; especially with the strongest people I know around.”

“That’s the spirit!” Yang cheered.

Winter was concerned for obvious reasons but acknowledged his answer. “Just had to ask for myself. Have a look around the base if you want. Valerie should be near one of the gates with troops ready to leave.”

“Really? Why is she here of all places?”

“You know better than anyone Shiva is terrifying and the situation felt hopeless. Valerie likes giving them words of encouragement along with a semblance buff.”

“So that’s what she’s been up to all along. Well…I probably shouldn’t bother her. Good speaker or not, you’re always thrown off your game when someone you didn’t expect walks into the room.”

“That’s surprisingly thoughtful of you.” Winter smirked, “And here I thought you’d go running off first chance available to size her up.”

Nick didn’t notice right away, but he had actually gotten a bit taller. It was brought to his attention a few days after coming home when Veronica asked if he wanted adjustments to his clothes. It took him by surprise once he realized he wasn’t at direct eye level with her anymore. Penny rubbed a little salt into the wound by saying “See? If you would’ve slept regularly like the average boy your age then maybe you would’ve been 5 '9 a year ago. Instead it took a coma to give you three extra inches!” To add insult to energy, Valerie would still be an inch taller than him; and that’s without boots or anything of the sort!

“Like I would run all the way to her just to still look up.” He said, mildly jealous. “At least fewer people will call me tiny.”

“Small victories.” Yang said, earning a squint from Nick. “Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t trying to crack a joke?”

“Not for a second.” He said confidently. Nick walked over to a free seat. “This anyone’s work station?”

“They’re on watch, why?” Winter asked.

Nick leaned back against the chair as he took a deep breath. “I only want a moment to unwind before getting shoved back into a box.” He shut his eyes.

Winter watched his body untense. It was almost like he was sinking into the chair. She looked at Yang and asked, “He’s okay, right? You’re not driving that recklessly are you?”

“My driving is perfectly fine, considering the road conditions.” She said that last part a little more quietly than the first. “He’s fine. Your precious Nephew has been doing this ever since he woke up. Penny says he’s alright physically and Nick hasn’t brought up problems. With so much at stake, he wouldn’t jeopardize this if he felt ill. He’s probably trying not to stress out. Imagine waking up to hell freezing over.”

If it weren’t for the fact Winter was concerned for Nick, she might’ve confronted Yang comparing the kingdom to a living hell, but it did admittedly feel like that as of late. Winter looked back at Nick. Seeing him rest had always been uncommon, but a nice change. The sight put Winter at ease; as well as put a thought in her head that made the soldier smile.

“I wonder…”

Yang raised a brow curiously. “Wonder what?”

“Oh it’s nothing. Let’s put our faith in our plan; Nick as well.”

“Hey, I‘ve been the one preaching that the hardest! You better feel the same later on at the meeting.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why have you been so positive lately? Unrelated to Nick coming back I mean.”

“Good question.” Yang crossed her arms as she thought about it for a moment. “I guess…I’m relieved. Things have been bad, incredibly bad, yet we’ve never been out of answers for long. We always tried and thought of something new, so nothing ever felt helpless to me. Even with me finally learning my own daughter’s pain, part of me couldn’t help but feel relieved that I learned it while she was still here. I feel the same about Summer’s journals. That girl is breaking and tearing down in more ways than that it breaks my heart, but you know what? She’s still alive. Things can turn around, hopefully.”

“Hmm, I’ll admit, I’m jealous. Thinking like that has never been my strongest quality.”

“Ha! Believe me, it’s not mine either. Spending time around my dad and Blake’s mom is a good way to get a dose of optimism.” Yang chuckled.

Nick opened his eyes and stood up, spirits renewed. “Alright, let’s go.”

xxxxx

The rest of the day wasn’t anything too eventful. Nick had been taken back home where decided to train some more. Sure it meant his mother throwing every kind of element at him and Yang ax kicking his shoulder more than once, but that was better than boredom. However, it would’ve been nice if they had gone a little easier on him. He was gonna walk into a fight with Shiva with bruises already on him at this rate! The rest of the night was relaxing though as he sat in his grandfather’s old office. The space apparently had a decent overhaul when his family moved back into the manor. These days only the desk and shelves remain. The contents on them however were replaced with the awards achieved by everyone in the house, including a few of Winter’s, Whitley’s, Qrow’s, and Sparrow’s. Plenty of portraits also hung proudly on the wall that showed loving moments. You could find friends and family alike in one photo or another.

Weiss and Veronica walked in as the clock struck midnight and stood beside Nick behind the desk. He tried getting up so his mother could take the seat but she immediately waved off that gesture by gently pushing him back down. Even after all these years, Weiss would sooner sit in traffic than behind this desk. The only reason it was still here was because it wasn’t actually Jacques’s. It belonged to the first Nicholas Schnee. The computer camera on the desk projected holographic video of everyone out into the open space. Winter sat in a chair with Penny, Valerie, and Eliza standing next to her, all projecting near the door. Jaune, Ren, and Nora were together at the hospital in a vacant office projected to the left of the room. To the right was Whitley, Ruby, Yang, and Blake in the man’s office by his desk. The gang's all here.

Ruby takes the floor. “Hey everyone. Man, been awhile since we did anything like this. Feels as weird as ever.”

“Weird?” Blake said, chuckling. “Ruby, you’ve done this hundreds of times. You gave a speech to an army before the final battle.”

“Like I said, weird. Today went pretty smoothly on my end. Shiva refused to come out of the school and sent Goliaths instead.”

“Underground was silent and so was near the harbor.” Blake said. “Other than the snowstorms, things have been manageable. Do you think she’s running out of ideas?”

Penny shook her head. “Highly unlikely. All of Atlas besides our strongholds are covered in snow, while the school only grows colder. Logically speaking, I believe Shiva isn’t only trying to exhaust our stamina, but render our sources of heat meaningless. If people like Yang or Eliza could no longer melt her ice, or even become inefficient at doing it…”

“We’d fall apart.” Eliza groaned. “All it would take would be her freezing critical equipment faster than I could thaw out.”

Ren stepped forward. “That would be best case scenario Eliza. The worst case…is her separating us.”

They could all see it now, barriers of ice with someone left alone inside; enduring a threat all while the person outside was forced to watch as they frantically tried to get in.

“I…I could counter that.” Veronica said, halfheartedly. “Not sure how long I’d last in that situation unfortunately.”

“Then let’s not make it a reality!” Nora huffed.

Valerie chimed in. “Yeah! We’re here right now to discuss the plan. Not an unfortunate demise! Just tell me where you want me and I’ll do it!” She punched her right fist out.

Nick could only smile. “Been awhile since I heard that kind of office from you. Glad to see it’s back.”

He stood up from the desk, tapping his foot and crossing his arms as he put his thoughts out into the open.

“Waking up to this situation has been shocking to say the least. So many new developments. Aura,semblance use, rules for beating Shiva, advancement in her sensory, as well as the wealth of knowledge Shiva’s gained from Summer’s memories. I’ll be honest, it was a little too much to take in. Hearing and seeing what Shiva was now capable of only made me more terrified of her. However, despite all the new developments, the rules of beating Shiva have remained the same. They’re only more extreme. For instance, flames.” Nick pointed at Penny to elaborate.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve steadily synthesized, collected, and retrieved flame dust from everything we could spare. Bullets, cartridges, blades, vials; these will form the backbone of our success! Temperature is key, no matter how small the flame. Making our battle ground warmer will pay off in the long run.”

Eliza rubbed her chin. “In other words…not all of our attacks have to be aimed at her then? There’s worth in tactics like setting our surroundings ablaze.”

“Precisely! Which is why we’ll be facing Shiva at the track and sports field. Not only is it outside but there’s plenty of open space.”

“Vantage points too.” Ruby added. “Eliza, Valerie, Veronica; the best advice I give you is to work the ring. Use all the available as well as ranged attacks. We have to keep the pressure on Shiva at all times.”

Penny nodded. “Ruby is absolutely correct! Despite the uniqueness of Shiva, that’s Summer’s body; a normal, human body. Keeping her active is gonna raise her body heat slowly but surely. Anything you want to add, Nick?”

“As far as heat goes, no. It’s been the one thing used since this chaos began. Second rule, power. Heat isn’t the only thing that weakens her. Inflicting damage Shiva constantly has to heal from eats up her stamina gradually. Now I haven’t the foggiest clue how long that will take considering she know can use an aura like the average huntsmen. However, if we play our cards correctly, the combination of heat and power will put an end to her semblance use for good.”

Jaune rocked back and forth as he put things together in how this plan was set up. “This is more than a war of attrition. The longer we fight the more advantages available, yes; but the start of the fight is extremely difficult. It’s arguably the most dangerous.”

“Which is why I’m doing it solo.” Nick said seriously, drawing the eyes of everyone. “It was already decided that I had to go into the school in the first place. Dad is right, this is a war of attrition, but it’s also a pincer attack. Third rule, Summer. The only reason Shiva has gotten this far is because she’s had a clear mind with no resistance. The purpose of the first two rules are only to help our survival, but make it easier for Summer to fight back.”

“Not that I don’t understand your logic but isn’t it a bit too far?” Ren spoke out. “We decided you going inside was not only because you’re more accustomed to the high dust content, but because Shiva would follow you outside.”

“And I still intend to lead her to the right spot, but you all are going to need time to set things up. Shiva isn’t going to just let you start setting fire to things or get into position. If I go in first and fight her she’ll be less likely to notice you all. Also…there’s the problem of her trying to run back in the building.”

Winter’s eyes widened. So that was his reckless idea. “While you fight her, you want one of us to go around thawing out the fans, then Penny can use the ventilation system to push the excess dust out.”

“Hit the nail on the head. Preferably it should be funneled towards the field. Between the open air and our ability to ust it, we’ll be fine. Shiva is also less likely to try to run if she still thinks she can use her abilities to the fullest.”

“Hmph, interesting.” Winter looked at Weiss and Jaune. “I think we let him try. We’re already putting everything on the line.”

Weiss bit her lip. “I know I’ve been training you but…” she had to think. Veronica tugged her sleeve; the girl looked at her before turning to any others wary of the plan.

“He won’t be completely alone. I’ll thaw the fans.”

“What!?” Yang and Blake said in unison. Even Nick was stunned.

“I’m with them, what?! I was gonna ask Penny.”

“I was gonna nominate myself anyways.” Penny said. It made the most sense. “I don’t have body heat. Detecting my presence is difficult for Shiva. The air also won’t affect me.”

Veronica nodded. “True, but it’s not like you flying around with jets for feet isn’t giving off some kind of heat. She’ll definitely notice you. You’ll take forever running around the school if you run around the school without them. I’m not even counting the possibility of random ice walls and doors frozen shut. Are you planning on sounding like a car wrecking an antique shop? Give me a map of where the fans are and I’ll head straight to them.”

“But the air. It’ll be hard to-”

“I can phase through the ground, remember? If it’s too much I can leave immediately. On the chance of Shiva detecting me, I can dodge all her attacks.” Veronica pointed at Nick. “I can also listen to the fight and drag this idiot out of danger if it comes to that. Face it guys, I’m the only person here that can’t be trapped.”

No one could say she didn’t make a compelling argument, but no one wanted to sign off on it. That choice should be left to Blake and Yang after all. The women looked at their daughter pensively.

Blake sighed, “You really think you can do this?”

“I do.”

Yang huffed, “Which one of us do you get this kind of confidence from? You look as if you’ve already done it.”

Veronica smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. “Gee, it’s a real mystery isn’t it?”

Yang suddenly felt bad for all the years she scared her father half to death doing crazy plans. What goes around comes around, unfortunately. “Fine, but you’re grounded if you get hurt.”

“Heh, deal.” Veronica looked at Nick. “Congratulations, your crazy plan is a go. Better be a good distraction for both our sakes.”

“I…you..ugh, I was gonna do that anyways.” Not how he wanted things to work exactly but oh well. Veronica did make valid points. “Don’t drag your feet.”

“Do I ever?”

“Back to power, specifically attrition, Dad, Val?”

“Leave it to us!” Val cheered, cracking her knuckles.

Jaune squinted at everyone. “I am one man. Please don’t do anything crazy that requires me to amp you up back to back, Nora, Yang.” He specifically called out.

The two of them laughed sheepishly and avoided his gaze. They feigned ignorance, “When have we ever done that?”

Ren spoke up again, his mind not completely at ease. “I hate to still question the idea, but are we positive Summer will help? Shiva has said before that she couldn’t hear us. Even if we found a way to reach her…”

“Would she reach out?” Whitley finished. “We know more about her feelings now, and the contempt with it.”

Everyone went silent. It was true that there was no guarantee Summer would hear them or have the desire to fight after so long. For years she held out hope but now…

“Summer will fight back.” Veronica said with certainty. “I’ve only recently learned about how these two may be connected with the way Ma explained it. Afterwards, I couldn’t help but think. If everything Shiva does is based on warped perceptions and intense feelings Summer has, then isn’t the fact Shiva fights so hard proof Summer wants to live?” Veronica frowned. “In a way…I can relate. After I…jumped, despite all the fear, false relief and despair, there was regret; anger even. A small part of me wanted to live. Guess it won, thankfully. I don’t know if Shiva is the same thing, but her trying to be free and exist has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

That’s…huh..” Nick got back in the chair and leaned into it. “Never thought of it from that angle. You could be right. The mix of emotions and dust makes it too hard to tell. I only figured out my situation because…well, because it was my situation I guess. Only Summer could answer that. Although, if you’re asking me why I think we could reach her, then it’s a similar reasoning. I kept thinking about this since it happened. I read the journals she wrote. Countless pages of her frustration with me as a brother. I was smothering her, she thought I didn’t listen to her at times or really notice her troubles. She talked about her jealousy and frustration towards me progressing with my abilities so easily and how well I could get along with people. She mentioned how I smiled, all while the things she felt inadequate with or struggled to do all stemmed from my choices. After all, I’m the reason she has all those scars; the reason why so many hours have been lost to hospital visits and while looking into a mirror is so difficult. What’s more depressing is I’m sure those journals still don’t hold every insulting word Summer wanted to yell at me. There’s bound to be more truths to learn. However, that doesn’t erase any of the words she did share with all of us. Summer loved singing with me, cooking with dad, and dressing up with mom for events. She loves how Ruby spoils her like a daughter and Ren’s dancing skill. Nora’s encouragement, Val’s wittiness, Penny’s gentleness; there’s so many things she was genuine about. Summer prefers recording with Whitley over anyone else and the way Winter checks in. She likes when Eliza walks her home and even admires Veronica’s strength. She may have hid her displeasure from us but Summer always showed one way or another how much we meant to her. That didn’t change even after Shiva stabbed me. Despite the victory she fought for, Shiva looked at me with tears running down her as she told me goodbye. That’s why I know we can reach her. When she sees me…I know Summer will react. Things will never be the same. That’s okay though; we’ll make it something worth keeping around. Something honest.”

He wasn’t trying to lift spirits, persuade things in his favor, or even convince himself. Nick genuinely thought this to be true. He put his hand on his chest and smiled softly. It felt good to say those words aloud. The hope he had came from a place even he couldn’t explain, but Nick was glad it was there regardless.

Ren didn’t need to be in the room to know the boy was at ease. Nora placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort. The man chuckled and said, “Alright then. Who am I to argue with that?”

Ruby looked around the room to see if anyone had any further concerns or objections. She was glad to see her friends share the same look of resolve and certainty Nick held. “We all know who we’re dealing with and what we’re going to do. Val, Vee, and Nick, follow your parents’ lead. Eliza, I’ll be watching your back. All of you may have roles only you can perform, but aside from that, don’t try to be a hero. Ironic coming from me, I know, but trust me. We’ll all set you up for success. If anything becomes too much for you…”

“Ma’am?” Eliza interjected. “Not to sound arrogant, but three of us are going to school for this type of work and the other has the keenest senses here. Not to mention you probably know equally if not better than I do that those three know how to handle themselves and look out for each other.”

“Awwww” her friends said, surprised at the compliment.

“We won’t run or let you down. They know when to get serious.”

Eliza’s praise was welcomed yet also terrifying for Nick and Valerie specifically. Now if they disobeyed anything for whatever reason, she’d personally tear into them afterwards. Nick and Val gave a nod to each other. They must absolutely be on their best behavior.

Ruby smirked as she gave a nod. “I see, then I guess the only thing left to say for tonight is for everyone to get some rest.”

“Oh yeah?” Yang said. The bruiser folded her arms. “No final words befitting the women that rallied troops together?”

Even at this age, Yang’s teasing made Ruby’s face red. “You really love bringing up moments like that. Are you expecting me to say something inspiring yet serious?”

“Yes.” Everyone said to Ruby, waiting for her words.

The reaper blinked twice. “Geez you guys are so…” she sighed, conceding to their request. Ruby took a breath and fixed her face as she took a second to think. “If facing Shiva feels overwhelming, then think of it as saving Summer. If you believe you can’t reach Summer, then think only about facing Shiva. Whatever runs through your head when the fighting starts, it won’t be a question of if you can or can’t face it. Some things you just do, so keep moving forward. I’ll meet you there.”

Giving them what they want, Ruby completely left to add further effect. Yang couldn’t help but gently clap and giggle.

“There she is. That’s my hero.”

One by one,everyone signed off with those words fresh in their minds. An hour had passed before anyone realized. Weiss and Veronica had both let out yawns. They began walking towards the door before turning around to notice Nick hadn’t moved from the desk.

“You okay sweetie?” Weiss said softly. “If anyone needs rest, it’s you.”

“I know.” He smiled. Nick sunk deeper into the chair. “I wanna stay here a little longer. Only for a bit.”

“If that’s what you want. Try not to fall asleep though. Your uncle can tell you that sleeping at a desk is not as comfy as it sounds.”

Weiss walked out of the room to go to bed. Veronica stayed in place a little longer, locking eyes with Nick. The boy’s face was calm with no hair out of place. A full day gives slight bags under the eyes but he seemed fairly rested with not much sign of fatigue. She could hear his strong, steady heart beating in his chest along with the control he had on his breathing. Perhaps it was the moonlight peering through the blue curtains behind him, but Nick’s presence felt distant, yet close. The same, but also veiled in mystery.

Veronica had to ask. “You have an ace up your sleeve. Does anyone know?”

“A potential ace, hopefully. Don’t worry, the grownups know. I wouldn’t jeopardize any planning by not coming forth with it. The plan stays exactly the same with or without it.”

“Then why not share it with your friends or bring it up in the meeting?”

“In all honesty, I’m anxious. Better not to bank on a wild card that I'm not even certain that I can pull it off.” He sighed, twiddling his thumbs.

“Well…you heard Ruby. Some things you just do. Either way, don’t sweat it. Like I said, I’ll bail you out of anything crazy. Just scream and I’ll zip right over and pull you through the floor.”

“Heh, ya know that might make me scream more.”

Veronica shrugged her shoulders. “Better me than Shiva.” Seeing Nick laugh out her concerns to rest. “You’ll be fine. Have a nice night.” Veronica waved as she walked out.

“Thanks.” Left alone with his thoughts, Nick looked up at the ceiling. The boy mumbled, “some things you just do” to himself again before closing his eyes to meditate for the hundredth time. Ruby truly had a gift. Somehow that was what he needed to hear before the big day. He’d be sure to take her words to heart.

xxxxx

The final days to follow were left to quiet preparations. Resolve was steeled and emotions had already been spoken. Well…most of them anyways. Everyone kept up routines while Nick remained at the manor in hiding until finally, the seasons changed. The first winds of Spring began to blow for Remnant. The air outside being warmer than inside wasn’t much, but any advantage was useful. That being said, they made their move at dawn. Better to start early than potentially end up in the terrible situation of a battle going into nightfall.

Valerie tapped her right foot as she waited at the front door of the manor waiting for Nick, Eliza, and Veronica. The grownups all continued going through the motions of their scheduled patrols. Nick was bait after all. Nobody could move before he did. The man in question came running down the stairs before Val could go insane. The sight of him back in his tournament outfit made Valerie let out a tiny gasp as well as give her unwanted memories.

Nick was quick to notice. “Oh good. These clothes aren’t just awkward for me.” He flicked her forehead. “Get your head in the game captain.”

“Sorry, you’re right. Caught me off guard is all. Where are the other two?”

“Eliza is helping Veronica with a modified soldier uniform. Frankly I’m shocked that in all her years, Vee never designed an outfit for herself if she ever chose the huntsman’s life.”

“Apparently she’s not the biggest fan of making outfits for herself, but you probably knew that. You’d think I would know a little more about the person I constantly threw hands with.”

“Sooo, you two are like…friends now?”

“Don’t ask me. We talk more civilly than before and I don’t hate her. Pretty sure that’s mutual.”

That was about the answer he expected. Nick swore getting the people in his life to elaborate their feelings was like pulling teeth. Yeah he had his moments, but everyone knew where they stood with him in terms of fondness or hate.

He tried not to laugh. “Hmm, well I’m glad there’s less confusion.”

“Are you teasing me?” Val pouted. “Cut me a little slack would ya.”

“I wouldn’t be me if I did, sorry.” He grinned wildly.

Such cheekiness. He wasn’t sorry at all! Yet that’s who was at heart, caring but unyielding in the oddest of ways. Val’s face became flushed looking at him.

“H..Hey…?” She spoke hesitantly. “Today is about to get really crazy really soon. Can you promise me something? Come back safe.”

“Val, don’t worry. I promise to bring Summer and myself back safe and sound. The three of u-”

Valerie took his hand, holding it gently in hers as she looked right at him. “I’m telling you to come back safely.” She emphasized.

She could feel Nick’s hand tremble a little as he faced her, his eyes softened. Valerie nudged forward barely an inch to gauge his reaction. When all he did was squeeze her hand, Valerie risked their fragile relationship once again; leaning completely forward and kissing him gently. Thank goodness he kissed back. The kiss didn’t last more than a few precious seconds before Valerie slowly pulled back, removing her hand to hold her own as she did her best to appear confident instead of anxious about her feelings of decisions.

“Promise?” She said lovingly.

Nick nodded, his face bright red. He put his hand over his mouth to hide any weird faces he could be making. Both were at a loss for words. That’s when a single thunderous clap from atop the stairs gained their attention. Flustered faces shifted to embarrassment and slightly mortified as Eliza and Veronica were right there. The brazen and prideful Valkyrie completely buckled and went out the door. That was supposed to be a private moment!

Eliza couldn’t be bothered to say anything and walked straight out the door. As far as she was concerned, this was run of the mill behavior. Veronica, on the other hand, stopped beside Nick.

They had donned an outfit very similar to Marrow’s; given the fact his clothes allowed tail movement, it made sense she’d choose a similar style. The sleeves and split coattails of the double-breasted coat were golden in color. Vee’s love of dark purple went to her pants while the center of the coat was an intense black. The three buttons on each side, while usually silver in color, had been changed to gold to match the sleeves and break up the black. The traditionally blue boots were also changed to black with a gold rim. Lastly, Veronica wore what was clearly one of her mother’s purple bandannas around her neck. The lively girl stretched her wrists by moving them slowly in circles as she got used to the weight of her tekko-kagi; a pair of metal rings that slid over her hands and held three retractable claw-like blades.

“I refuse to believe this was a last minute choice of clothing.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Vee flung a brown satchel over her body then put her hands on her hips. “Kay, armed and ready. Let’s do this, or are you bold enough to assume you’re getting a second good luck kiss?” She called out.

“Nope!” He said immediately and honestly. “I just knew you were gonna bring it up.”

“Taking it like a champ, respectable.” Veronica put two fingers on her lips and tapped his cheek then walked out the door. “ No more shenanigans, let’s start the beginning of the rest of the day!”

“Roger that.” He followed behind her, closing the door and ready to focus. Although this little moment made Nick realize the ambiguity Val gave him about the dynamic between her and Veronica was most definitely his fault in hindsight.

Outside waited a giant Nevermore summon, curiosity of Whitley. Valerie sat near the shoulders while Eliza reclined near the tail. Veronica jumped up to take her spot on the neck.

“Somebody looks comfy.”

Eliza rested her staff on her stomach. “I’m the only one here who can fly. Taking the dangerous seat makes sense.

Nick got on higher up on the neck where the bone mask started to separate from the head. “You make it look less dangerous and more of a luxury.

“Funny, I swear that’s what you say about all the work you try to give me.”

“You’re just mad because you’re basically doing your future job.”

Eliza sat up. “Excuse m-

“Let’s fly, Nevermore!”

The winged beast cried out before taking to the skies with a powerful flap of its wings. With his eyes facing forward and wind rushing by, Nick dared not pay attention to whatever retort Eliza was gonna throw. She’ll get over it, eventually…

As much as it snows in Atlas, you would think white covered landscapes would invoke anger or weariness, but Nick still found a strange awe in this bird’s eye view perspective. He could even find interest in the dark clouds that shrouded the school in sickly blue, creating a sight more prevalent in a tundra than a wonderland.

“Hey Vee? You ever get your inspiration for fire and ice?” He pointed out tornadoes how sunlight made snow brighter than the holiest of lights, then the dark area where shadows of buildings created cold spots. Then of course there were the faint orange and red glows of the heaters.

Veronica had noticed things for quite awhile. “It gets points for being dynamic but I don’t know. This experience has been a dire snowstorm.”

“I hope that’s you saying you’ve been busy enduring it and not you saying this unfathomable weather isn’t enough.”

“Can’t it be both?”

Nick looked back to see she wasn’t joking. How was this not impressive!? “At this point I think getting your inspiration would take Vacou having a snowstorm.”

“You joke but that sounds pretty interesting if you ask me.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He said monotoned

“Heads up!” Eliza yelled to all as the dark clouds started to looming overhead. “Temperature drop in three…two…”

The wind rushed by. Just like that, the foul scent of Diamond Dust assaulted Veronica’s senses, making her raise her bandanna up. The air itself felt frozen and their lungs began to burn as each exhale made it look as if their souls were leaving through their lips. The glow from red dust embedded in the threads of their clothes could only do so much in this situation. The biggest chill Nick has ever felt crawled up each segment of his spine and made his heart pound. Each second getting closer to his school brought full pain to his scar and an invisible thread around his body squeezing.

Veronica could hear the tension in his muscles. “Nick?”

He didn’t turn around, choosing to give a thumbs up instead. “I’m good; exhilarated actually. Hehe, kinda scared myself.” Nick stood up. “I can feel her…”

Eliza activated all their comms. “Everyone is linked.”

“Tell me where she’s at Nick.” Penny said over the line.

“Where else? The auditorium stage.”

“Okay. You know where to lead her. Veronica, you’re set?”

The girl crouched on her hands and feet ready to pounce. “Yes ma’am. Have them on my scroll, memorized, and a pouch full of thermal pouches.”

“Okay everyone!” Ruby said over comms “We move the moment their fight starts! We ready?!”

“YEAH!” The group yelled out.

“Good luck…” said Weiss, Jaune, Yang, and Blake one final time.

Veronica and Nick gave each other a nod as the Nevermore picked up speed. The moment it was directly over the school, Nick jumped off! Veronica was a second behind him, reaching out to grab his shoulder and pulling herself closer to his back as the free fall.

“You got this?” He said as the school got increasingly closer.

“Little late to ask that don’t you think? No worries. I’ve survived scarier falls. Bend your knees and brace for no impact!” Veronica gripped his shirt tighter.

Nick found the courage to not blink as the roof of the school came to meet him. Both of them fell straight through it and continued to fall a few seconds more before seeing the second floor. As it approached, Veronica used all her strength to throw him to the left, breaking some downward momentum. Her hands let him go a fraction of a second after clearing the second floor so he had as much time as possible to react while she continued falling through the ground. With bent knees and glyphs on his feet, Nicholas slid across ice covered floor and set up gravity glyphs to go through to cushion his inevitable meet up with the school wall. Fortunately for him, it felt no worse than getting shoved into it by someone the size of Max. Highly unpleasant, but not fatal.

“So much for no impact.” He said as he found his footing. Whatever pain was felt faded with a deep breath of the hazardous air. As expected, him and Diamond Dust had become more agreeable, but he wasn’t about to test for how long. Without a moment to waste, Nick took off running with Mort Froide in hand.

xxxxx

Like a single stone on frozen water, the smallest crack formed. Shiva’s space was distributed. Her eyes shot open as she awoke, quickly standing up from a throne of ice she made on stage. Two? No, four people. Two of which were already going far away while a third grew distant downwards somehow. Realistically it had to be Veronica but she had left as quickly as she was noticed. What remained was a fourth presence.

“What’s this? A vermin daring to scurry through my abode?” From speed alone she could tell it wasn’t Ruby. “Goodbye” she waved her pointer finger in a circle then pointed down…

xxxxx

Nick slid around the corner and kept running when intuition took over. He leapt backwards. Icicles shot up from the ground like spike traps. Not missing a beat, he carved them up while dashing forward to continue his approach. It was game on. Nick sheathed his blade to make a glyph in each hand. The Dust in the air fueled the pattern, making two moving walls on each side of himself as more ice shot out from the walls to skewer him. Nick weaved around a pillar placed ahead of him then slid as a thin blade of ice came for his head. He popped himself right back up to keep moving when an entire doorway froze over to block his path.

“Yeah that sounds about right…” he moved the ice wall he made to his right in front of him and crashed into the blockade. The shattered parts from both walls began floating, launching themselves at him like stars. Nick blocked with his remaining wall then sped past the debris as it began chasing him. He took out Mort Froide again, tapping the tip of the blade behind him to leave another gravity glyph that made the chasing debris hit the floor like boulders. Nick could feel power building on the lockers to his left. As more spikes began to form, Nick manipulated it to curve behind him instead of through. Even he was amazed by that. All the ice may be Diamond Dust, but warping it while Shiva actively used it was a trick he was never able to attempt until today.

“Huh…I guess I really do have this handled.”

He made it to the correct hallway. In his way was an Alpha beowulf summon. Its bone armor exterior was clad in ice along with its claws and fangs. The beast’s howl rattled the lockers and cracked the shifting landscape that moved like a breathing creature.

“Or maybe I don’t…” he made a second sword.

xxxxx

Shiva could feel her attacks missing and how. The fact they lasted this long and the distinct lack of destructive noise made guessing who it was easier. “Should’ve known this was a family visit.” Shiva sat back down, waiting. A grimm like the one she made wasn’t gonna do the job, but neither were all the other traps.

“To think I’d get a visit all the way out here?” She focused on the different sources of heat around the kingdom that gathered together. Nothing was moving quickly or in mass, so soldiers weren’t deploying? Interesting; Winter couldn’t be the one inside then. She’s way too by the book to not set formations to troops when she left.

“Mother dearest it is then.” Shiva surmised.

Growls and the sound of metal crushing glacier thick ice grew closer towards her door until they were busted open. The beowulf came flying in as it faded away from prominent gashes and a severed arm. Her eyes were fixated on its final moments.

“Wow.” Shiva clapped, admiring the work. “That was pretty brutal. Not to mention quickly handled.”

“You know me; always running at full speed.”

Her clapping stopped immediately. That wasn’t Weiss’s voice. Footsteps grew closer and Shiva stood up again with eyes glued to the doorway as the last person she expected to arrive walked in, casually at that.

He looked towards the stage to see eyes the size of dinner plates staring at him. “Hey. Long time no see.” Nick stopped walking, facing the stage head on. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“It’s…It’s you…Nick?”

A single tear ran down her face followed by immediate sharp pain went through her brain, making her wince. What was a small crack on the ice began to spread. Nick’s eyes narrowed and teeth clenched feeling his scar ache. His pain was nothing compared to Shiva’s, who instinctively held her head in her left hand as if she had been hit in the eye. Nick felt a weight lift from his shoulders. That was all he needed to see.

“What’s wrong, headache? Didn’t scare you that bad did I?” He taunted.

“How are you here?” Shiva growled, her hate returning to her eyes as the pain faded. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Congratulations. You did a bad job. Though you were way closer than I’d like to admit. Now then…” he pointed his blade at her. “Let’s go home, Summer.”

“Summer? Hehehe, hahahaha! Don’t tell me even after all this you’re trying some stupid attempt to-”

“Was it a lie?” He asked sternly.

“What?”

“Your origin. Were you lying when you said you had no clue what you are; who you are?” Nick watched visible confusion and fear spread across Shiva’s face. “Guess not even you could know anything.”

“The hell are you babbling about. Has your near death experience left you insane? Summer’s gone; just like you’ll be. For real this time.” Shiva pulled out Summer’s blade.

“Call me crazy all you like. Why do I have the feeling a person as clever as you isn’t being honest with me or yourself, Summer~”

“Address me by that name one more time…and I’ll start with your tongue this time.” She hissed.

Cold vapor came from her body as she gripped her hilt tighter. It was as if her gaze was staring through him, imagining his body on the ground. Nick took a step back and kept his guard up while he brought his trembling sword in front of him.

Shiva smirked, “Aww, getting flashbacks already? Don’t be scared. I’m much stronger, and it’ll be much quicker.”

Shiva moved behind him in an instant. Her blade was pulled back already and was thrust forward, but hit nothing. Nick had moved nearly as fast, standing before her throne. Shiva thought nothing of it. Nick’s speed was always his greatest strength. She dashed at him again but the boy did not dodge. He turned around to face her with his blade clashing against her own. Shiva laughed and grabbed his wrist, but he did not scream in pain or freeze. He did however stop shaking.

“Huh? What the-” Shiva couldn’t even finish her words before receiving a punch to the stomach that made her lurch forward.

“I wasn’t trembling out of fear.” He pulled his fist away and kicked her off the stage into the rows of empty seats that quickly buried her. “It’s simpler than that.”

Shiva sent the seats flying in every direction as she got the wind back in her lungs. Pissed off, she glared at Nick. However, the anger quickly gave way to shock. “Wh..Who are you?” She said warily at a boy with purist white hair and icy blue eyes that glowed.

“That’s a silly question. I’m the person dying to put you in your place once and for all, Nicholas Schnee.” He smirked. “Who else would I be?”

Both ran at each other again and set off a shock wave that shook everything as they met in the middle. Shiva’s loud, wrathful eyes met his cold stern hatful ones as they fought for dominance.

“Alright, let’s solve the question we never dared to ask. Why don’t we find out who’s the stronger twin, eh Summer?”

#rwby #rwby au #rwby twin snowflakes #nicholas schnee #summer schnee #veronica belladonna #eliza marigold #val valkyrie #whitley schnee #winter schnee

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