Weiss walked in silence, her boots clicking against polished alloy. For the first time since she was a kid, she didn't feel sharp or composed anymore. She felt tired—mentally, not physically.
A few days had passed since the Amalgamation incident. Since the environment in Vale had tilted sideways, and since the air had been filled with screams and tearing flesh that shouldn't have belonged to the waking world. She hadn't slept properly since. Whenever her eyes shut, the shadow of that day lingered: the tide of tendrils spilling into the air, the overwhelming panic of the chefs, the patrons, and the sounds of too many people screaming all at once.
Ruby walked beside her, Yang a few steps behind with Blake trailing quietly near the wall. Their squad looked normal enough to an outside eye—four girls moving in step toward training—but Weiss felt the imbalance inside them. Ruby's shoulders were a little stiff, her eyes appeared a little too sharp for a girl her age, as though weighed by something heavy. Yang's grin didn't reach her eyes, yet her body hummed with a restless energy. Blake was the most difficult to read, silent, her gaze half-hidden by a mask, but Weiss knew the signs of fatigue in her gait.
She had heard that Blake had also experienced an incident of her own. However, Blake wasn't forthcoming with the information, and Weiss herself didn't really feel like asking about it.
Weiss exhaled through her nose, eyes narrowing faintly at the floor tiles as they walked. The Amalgamation incidents weren't natural. It couldn't have been. No phenomenon like that simply erupted without reason. She had seen Amalgamations before, but only in Nightmare zones within the Dream. They did bleed into the waking world, but this…
Dozens of Amalgamations at once, all concentrated in Vale?
It wasn't possible.
And yet, it had happened.
Her thoughts circled back to what she had overheard in the infirmary. She hadn't meant to—her head had been pounding too much to speak—but she'd lain still while her ears caught fragments of conversation from the next bed over. Mocha, Pyrrha, Jaune. They hadn't said much, but enough seeped through to set Weiss's mind alight.
They themselves speculated that the incident wasn't random. It wasn't chance. Someone—or something—had engineered it.
Weiss's teeth pressed together. Subterfuge. That was the only word that fit. But why? Why tear Vale apart? And how had they managed it without LUCID Intelligence catching wind?
"Hey," Ruby's voice tugged her back. "You okay?"
Weiss blinked, realizing she had been frowning at nothing. "I'm fine," she said too quickly. Ruby's eyes narrowed with that irritatingly perceptive concern she sometimes had, but she didn't press. Weiss was grateful for it.
Still, the words of the therapist she'd spoken with yesterday echoed in her head.
The man had been odd. Unsettling, even. Where she'd expected sympathy, expected to be told it wasn't her fault, that no one could be blamed for freezing when the world split apart—he had gone the other direction.
He hadn't raised his voice, hadn't shamed her, but his words were scalpel-sharp.
"If it happened once," he had said, "it can happen again. And again."
Weiss remembered sitting stiffly in that chair, arms crossed, glaring at him as though he'd grown a second head. But he hadn't relented.
"You can call it impossible all you want, but the truth is simpler. It already happened. Which means the conditions that weren't achievable before, now are. It can be done again. And if it can be done again, then you must decide what you will be when it does."
His eyes had been uncomfortably direct. "At LUCID, we will not treat you the same way a regular therapist treats a civilian. You are far from civilian, whether you like it or not. You are an awakened, which means that people like you... are the first in line to fight monsters from nightmares. And because of that... we will not coddle you."
Weiss had been stunned at the man's words. Weren't psychologists supposed to empathize and assuage a person psyche?
The man continued. "You might have been weak then. That's forgivable. But what isn't forgivable is if you choose to remain weak. If you treat LUCID like a job and a simple role. Something you clock in and out of. You don't survive that way. If you want to keep breathing, you must stop thinking of it as duty alone. It must become your life. Everything you are. Otherwise, when the next incident comes, you'll crumble again."
Weiss had bristled, snapped something about professionalism and effort, but his words stuck. They still dug into her like glass shards lodged under skin.
She wasn't half-hearted. She couldn't be. She was Weiss Schnee, heir to the SBC and a warrior that was forged by expectation. And yet… she couldn't shake the truth of what he'd said. She had been weak. She had faltered.
Was it really enough to simply do her best?
No.
It wasn't.
They reached the training room doors. Weiss stared at the alloy plating, and felt the thrum of energy waiting inside. Ruby glanced back at the others, Yang shrugging as if to say "same routine," and Blake only nodding faintly. The squad stepped through as one, the hiss of pressure seals opening the way.
Weiss lingered a heartbeat longer, the therapist's words still echoing.
If it happened once, it can happen again.
If you stay weak, you'll stay weak.
She tightened her grip on her rapier's hilt as she stepped through the door.
Inside, the training hall rooms were already alive. Jaune and Oscar sparred in one of the cordoned arenas, Jaune's movements sharp and controlled whereas Oscar blurred forwards in bursts of his Force rune, his twin blades flashing, only to stumble as Jaune's rune kept smothering his rhythm. Weiss watched, her eyes narrowing faintly. She could see the difference between their skills. Not just power, but application. Jaune was growing faster than he should. It wasn't just his status as an anomaly, his Rank-up speed had also been... irregular. And the thought gnawed at her: what if that too was part of the subterfuge?
She pressed her lips together and forced her focus back to her squad. It was a waste of time to speculate. Besides, she had more important matters to get through.
Ruby was already stretching, Yang cracking her knuckles with a grin that didn't hide the dark edge in her eyes, Blake quietly pulling a training dagger free.
Weiss followed suit, drawing her rapier with a practiced flick.
She might have been weak once. But not again. Never again.
Because if the world cracked open a second time, she refused to be the one crumbling in its shadow.
Ruby's eyes sparkled as they entered the training chamber proper, despite the bags beneath them. "Alright, I have a plan for today's session."
Weiss glanced at her sidelong. "Right..."
"Don't give me that tone! It's a good one, promise." Ruby turned, walking backwards so the others had to look at her. "What if we did two versus two? Not just against each other, but with sim-Grimm obstacles thrown in."
Yang arched a brow "Obstacles, huh? You just want to see us struggle and scream while we spar each other, don't you?"
Ruby shook her head. "No, I want us to Adapt. It'd force us to sharpen our vision, keep track of multiple threats, and actually—y'know—cover for each other." She spread her arms wide like it was obvious. "Dynamic teamwork! Instinct sharpening! All the good stuff."
Blake's quiet voice slipped in. "Comparatively speaking, that's not actually a bad idea."
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, but not out of true irritation. "I suppose you think this will somehow strengthen our synergy?"
Ruby's grin widened. "Exactly!"
Weiss sighed. "Very well. It has merit. But if we're to treat this seriously, we'll need an environment that actually reflects a complex combat zone. Not just an empty field."
"Already thought of that," Ruby said, tapping the control console. "Downtown Vale simulation. High-rises, streets, alleys, rooftops. Verticality. Cover. Line-of-sight breaking. That sort of thing."
Yang gave a low whistle. "Gotta say, sis, you're really leaning into the whole field commander thing lately. What's next? You gonna start yelling at us about formations?"
Ruby flushed, fiddling with her cloak that she never failed to drape over her suit. "N-no! I mean—maybe. If it helps."
Blake commented lightly, a small smile gracing her beautiful features. "Honestly... I think that you'd make a better commander than you think."
Ruby perked up at that. "See? Thank you, Blake. At least someone appreciates my genius."
Weiss muttered, "Genius might be a stretch…" but she didn't argue further.
Yang clapped her hands. "Alright, then. Who's pairing with who?"
Ruby hesitated. "Um. Well. I thought maybe… me and Weiss against you and Blake?"
Yang tilted her head in curiosity but it was Blake that asked the question instead. "Why split us like that? Normally you'd want to balance strength and control evenly between sides."
Ruby scratched her cheek. "I know, but… Weiss and I have good combos. With her ability to create platforms and the like... plus my speed, accel bursts, all that. We've practiced it. And you and Yang…"
Yang threw an arm around Blake's shoulders, grinning. "Are a power duo, is what she's trying to say."
Blake gave her a side-eye. "…I was going to say we fight well together because you're reckless and I have to cover you."
"Ouch." Yang clutched her chest in mock pain. "Right in the Body stat."
Ruby laughed. "See? That's exactly why it'll be fun. Two strong partnerships clashing. It's like—like doubles in a fighting game!"
Weiss gave her a flat look. "You and your ridiculous comparisons…"
Ruby wiggled her fingers like she was a stage magician. "Hey, it works! We've got synergy, they've got synergy. Put us in the same arena, throw Grimm into the mix, and bam—instant training gold."
Weiss folded her arms. "And what Grimm precisely are you imagining? Surely you're not foolish enough to request another giant Nevermore flock simulation."
Ruby shivered. "Ugh, no. Just… Beowolves, Creeps, maybe... a gryphon circling overhead if we're feeling spicy."
Yang's eyes gleamed. "Now that's my kind of spar. Nothing like having to dodge a talon strike while punching your sister."
Ruby's face reflected annoyance. "Yang!" To which her sister only shrugged in response.
Weiss let out a sigh. "Alright, lets get this over with..."
Blake cut in smoothly, steering the conversation back. "Hold on, I just want to make sure... the Grimm will be kept at a level that doesn't interfere too much, right? They should be obstacles, not the main fight."
Ruby nodded. "Exactly! Think of them like moving hazards. We still focus on each other, but they keep us on our toes."
Weiss tapped her rapier hilt thoughtfully. "It will test reaction time, positioning, and resource distribution… yes, it does make sense." She tilted her head toward Ruby. "Very well. You have my agreement."
Ruby pumped her fist in triumph. "Yes!"
Yang leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So what's the win condition? Knock the other team out? First to five clean hits? Last squad standing?"
Ruby hummed. "First to five clean hits sounds good actually."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "How would that work for Yang? Her rune is based on getting hit."
Weiss tapped her chin in though before answering. "Hmm... considering that Yang's rune absorbs blows pretty well... how about instead of first to five hits we change the rules a little. We'll prompt the sim room to generate each team a single ball that can be destroyed in one hit. Whoever's ball gets destroyed first, loses."
Yang groaned. "Ugh... that's... I'm not sure."
Ruby grinned widely, more animated than she was earlier. "I think that's a great idea! Make us think about defense and protection as well, not just offense."
Yang jabbed a finger at her. "Don't pretend you're not planning to go zoom-zoom across rooftops while Weiss plays sniper tower."
Ruby's eyes sparkled. "Maybe…"
Weiss sniffed. "It's called tactics, Yang. You should try it sometime."
Yang held up her fists. "My tactics are simple: punch hard, punch fast and punch-win."
Blake murmured, "That doesn't even make sense."
Yang shrugged.
"Okay," Ruby said at last, tapping commands into the console. The walls of the chamber shimmered, faint outlines of dilapidated skyscrapers beginning to load into place. "So it's settled. Two on two, Grimm as obstacles, Vale sim downtown. Weiss and me versus Yang and Blake. First ball to get destroyed. Deal?"
"Deal," Yang said, cracking her knuckles.
"Deal," Blake echoed.
Weiss gave a curt nod. "Deal. Though I'll remind you, Ruby—if this devolves into chaos, it's on your head."
Ruby flashed a grin, excitement bubbling through her fatigue. "Don't worry, Weiss. It'll be perfect."
Yang muttered under her breath, "Famous last words…"
Blake smirked faintly. "Then let's see who crumbles first."
.
.
AN: Advanced chapters available on patreon