Blood in the Snow Chapter 15: Aftershock


Happy New Years! Hope everyone has had an amazing holiday season so far. I won't keep you here, since there's more or less no news in regards to the story. Here's to an amazing new decade! Enjoy!


The first thing that hit Weiss was the smell.

It was a foul stench; like burnt leather charring just under her nostrils, leaving the sweet mercy of fresh air to naught but her imagination. If she never had the misfortune of being assaulted by this horrid stench for the rest of her life, it would be far too soon.

Burning gasoline, perhaps?

No... No, gas didn't smell like that. Neither did metal...

"Goddamn car had'n IED!" Cardin- who was clumsily throwing himself off of Winter's unconscious form- called out with respectable gusto, despite the massive cloud of choking dust that filled the air, "You guys alright?!"

"Yeah, yeah!-... I'm alright." Jaune's voice echoed above her, perhaps only a foot or two away, "Are you two?—"

"Winter's out! She's breathing- no major wounds- but she'll need to get to a hospital ASAP!"

Winter? Winter was hurt?...

"Get her vitals— Hey! Hey, you!" Jaune's tone took on an authoritative tone that would have given a charging bull pause, "Call an ambulance! Now!"

"A-alright!..." It was a voice that Weiss didn't recognize. Only once she pried her eyes open did she spy the man, a pudgy thing, hastily dialing for emergency services on his phone, with a healthy crowd of onlookers gathering around them all, like some sort of living wall, constantly drawing closer to the assailed group.

It was only a few moments more before tagged breathing tore Weiss's attention from the crowd, drawing it to her side, where she found a site that sent her stomach into a somersault.

Summer lay there, hand on her side as she desperately pressed against an open wound, doing what little she could to stymie the flow of viscous crimson that ebbed from her side. Her breathing was erratic to say the least, with tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she stared up at the sky, the shock clear in her eyes.

"Sum-..." Weiss' hand clawed uselessly in the air, her nails blacked with ash, "Summer..."

"Weiss?..." A pained gasp emanated from the wounded woman, her face confronted in agony, "Weiss, is?-... Ow..."

Her hand fell to her stomach, her silver eyes tearing up at the constant as an agonized groan slipped from her bust-open lips.

"Whew... Okay. Okay, yeah; this hurts!..." Summer struggled out as she finally let her head flop to the side, her misty eyes desperately scanning her environment, "Weiss...Weiss, is that you?"

Weiss tried to speak, she truly did, but when she attempted to summon forth even the smallest peep, she found her voice defiant.

It...must have been the dust. Her throat was probably clogged with dust.

But she could still move.

"I can't see. If you're there, I need-..." Summer trailed off as Weiss' pale, dust-covered finger drew across her face, prompting the young mother to let her silvery eyes finally take in the world around her, "Is that you?"

Her mouth opened, though just as Weiss seemed to find the barest spark of energy- just enough to let her voice pass from her lips- she heard shuffling behind her.

Jaune's blonde mop, matted with dust, popped into view, the young man skidding to a stop before her. There was naught but a second of silence as he glanced her over before diverting his attention to the young mother, his hand finding her stomach.

"Tai? Tai, is that?-..." Summer tentatively reached up with her bruised, bloody hand to rub his chin, leaving a crimson stain across his face, "H'okay, no annoying stubble. Not Tai. Still alive. That's good... That's good..."

Jaune shook his head, examining the wound as Summer shook her head back and forth, clearly still disorientated from the blast.

"It's not too deep... Nothing life-threatening. Looks like it just clipped flesh." Jaune leaned down using his free hand to still her bobbing head, "Can you hear me, Sum?"

"Did you-... Did you just ask that after a car-bomb went off in my face?"

"Can you hear me?" The blonde repeated, raising his voice ever so slightly, "Do you need—"

"Yes, Jaune. Obviously I can hear you..." A weak cough passed from her lips, "Now do me a favor?..."

"What?..."

"Get me a lottery ticket? I'm feeling luckier than usual today."

Despite the absolutely battered state she was in, she somehow summoned the humor necessary to summon up a sarcastic comment; garnering a well earned smirk from the heiress. It even looked as if just the slightest dash of mirth passed by Jaune as he let out a chuckle, pressing his hand against the wound once again, clearly intent on keeping pressure against it, "Maybe later."

It was then Weiss noticed the expression on his face. It was hidden so carefully..so carefully by someone who was clearly versed in masking their emotions. Their pain.

Unfortunately for him, she had been trained to see through masks. Facades.

...And judging by the look on his face he was almost certainly bathed in agony. No wounds were present that Weiss could plainly see, but nevertheless, it was clear that Jaune was suffering. Badly.

"Jaune?..."

"I'll be with you in a sec, Weiss, I just-..." Jaune's voice was swiftly interrupted by an oncoming siren, it's piercing wail cutting through the haze like a blade through flesh, "Finally..."

In mere moments Weiss' senses were assaulted by a flurry of reds, whites, and blues. Flashing lights, screeching sirens, and barking orders.

The paramedics rush out in some well coordinated flurry, immediately pushing Jaune away as they surrounded both Summer and Weiss, a cascade of questions flying at them both as they were gingerly lifted onto stretchers.

Not exactly the same calming air that Jaune had exuded, but never mind.

At least everyone would be alright...


Jaune felt his stomach finally settle as he stared out at street that lay before him, sitting up on the edge of the sidewalk. He seemed unconcerned with the thick layer of dust upon the pathway that marred his clothing, opting instead to focus upon the still smoldering heap of metal that once been little more than a dilapidated, old car. Something that would have been barely worth a footnote's footnote to the average person.

Something that would be added to the ever growing list of horrific memories he would never forget.

"Hey, man..."

Jaune glanced up, taking in the image of his ginger-haired friend standing there, holding a pair of soda cans- one of which held out towards him.

"Hey..."

"Soda?"

"...Thanks." Jaune accepted the soda with a hollow smile, his glazed eyes barely focusing upon the glitzy metal surface of the surgery soft-drink.

"We got lucky," The ginger mumbled after what felt like an eternity, "All things considered, at least. Winter and Summer both received tertiary wounds, but they'll both pull through pretty easily. Medics said the only thing Weiss suffered from is shock. so at least we can say that we did that part of our job correctly."

"We didn't," Jaune replied simply, his fingers idly tapping the edge of his can, "Summer did. I felt her jump out've my grip towards Weiss at the last moment."

Cardin paused, bringing his own soda up to his lips as he stared out over the remains of the devastation that was hastily being swept away by a cleanup team. Every bit of evidence belying sorrow, all the signs of destruction, brushed under the theoretical rug.

"She really is Tai's wife, huh..."

Silence fell between them as the world chugged on all around them, seemingly ignorant of the two soldiers sitting there. City birds chirped happily, the faraway sounds of angry traffickers, even the faint sound of music, emanating from the inner sections of the city. It stood in such stark contrast with the mangled metal and crimson-stained dust that was being so efficiently cleared away- scrubbed from existence.

...If only it were that simple.

"Talk t'me." Cardin's voice broke the deathly silence that had fallen between the two men, his own hollow gaze snapping towards his friend.

"Why?" Jaune's tone was blunt. Lifeless. No harsh edge or underlying venom. No- just pure exhaustion.

"You know why..."

"It's got nothing to do with him."

"You're good, then?"

"No. No, I'm not," The soda in his hand fell from his limp grip, landing sideways upon the dusty pavement with an unceremonious 'thunk', "Why would I be 'good'?"

It was all he could do to hold himself together as Cardin's arm slumped around his shoulders, giving the blonde a reassuring pat.

"Fuck..."