Disclaimer: I own nothing. For my regular readers: and now for something different. For everyone else, welcome. This story is already complete and will update daily. 9 chapters in total, I think. All- okay, most- AU aspects will be addressed here in the prologue. Hope y'all enjoy.
"For the past century, Humanity has been at war with two equally stubborn and dangerous factions: the soulless Grimm and the remorseless White Fang. This brief history details the major conflicts that shaped our current governance and rules of engagement for these distinct factions, as well as the heroes of Humanity whose bravery exemplifies the Human spirit and ensured the continued existence of our glorious race-"
"Are you kidding me? There's no way they got through my walls!" Yang whined, waving her scroll in the air. "This game is rigged!"
"Are you sure you didn't just forget to build the rear defense turrets?" Ruby offered, absorbed in her own version of the tower defense game on the bunk above her sister.
Weiss glared at the two over the edges of her own scroll, seated on her bed with her back propped against the wall, but ultimately said nothing as the sisters returned to their respective games with minimum grumbling from Yang. Hopeful the disturbance was over, she lowered her gaze back to the newly revised article, eager to skim down to the changes.
"Chief among our defenders are the Hunter Corps, a regimentally organized force that takes their monikers and heraldry from our most basic, yet, most indispensable tools. The premier regiment of the Hunter Corps- and highest in the internal hierarchy- are the Beacons, men and women dedicated to the defense of Humanity, a light in our darkest nights. Their exploits alone could fill several tomes-"
"AGAIN?" Yang groaned, tossing her scroll down in frustration and rolling off her bed. "Stupid game's rigged."
"Which level were you on?" Ruby spared her older sister a glance.
Yang stretched, arms above her head as she feigned disinterest. "Oh, twenty-seven I think."
Silver eyes widened slightly as the girl ducked her head, still tapping furiously at the game. "Oh. Okay."
The shift in tone was obvious, even to Weiss, so there was no doubt Yang caught on, especially when lilac eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why? What level are you on?"
"Um, I dunno?" Her shoulders hunched up higher.
"Oh, yes you do!" Yang clambered up, reaching for Ruby's scroll while the girl flailed to keep it away.
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. She was slowly becoming accustomed to the sisters' antics but she hardly appreciated them, taking a moment to consider the wording of her reprimand. Although the four had only functioned as a team for a handful of months, they'd boarded together for over a year, and trained together for two. In that time, Weiss had- unfortunately- discovered many ways not to address such disturbances, leading to more friction between the four women than was entirely healthy for a newly forged team of Hunters.
"Level thirty-three? Are you kidding me?" Yang finally managed to snatch away the scroll, waving it around. "How? How?"
This could not continue. Today was one of their few scheduled breaks from training drills and inspections and Weiss was determined to utilize every minute of it, not spend the remainder of the afternoon listening to the sisters argue. She opened her mouth, ready to attempt a polite approach, but the woman in the bunk above her beat her to it.
"Yang, you're being loud." Blake's voice was relatively soft, but it still brought the blonde to an absolute standstill.
"Oh. Sorry, you two."
Ruby rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're literally shoving my head into the mattress and you're apologizing to them?"
"You're family. You don't count," the blonde replied with a grin, ruffling her little sister's hair before returning her scroll.
Weiss puffed out a sigh, glancing at the slats of the bunk above hers briefly. Something about the raven haired woman seemed off to her, though she'd never been able to pinpoint the source of her unease; of her teammates, Blake seemed the most reasonable and considerate, if a bit blunt at times. She didn't talk about her past- or, really, at all- but what mysteries surrounded her seemed mundane and unimportant when compared with the body of their work, so she was usually grateful for the mellow personality to offset Ruby's youthful naivety and Yang's boisterous vibrancy.
It certainly wasn't ideal, though. What, exactly, Captain Port was thinking when he assigned them as a team was beyond her, but it was clearly a stroke of madness on his part. While their abilities complimented, and they looked workable on paper, their personalities were many times at odds. Placing Ruby- a full two years younger than her teammates- as the leader was another move Weiss had questioned but eventually resigned herself to, seeing as her status within the rest of Human society did her little good while in the rank and file of the Hunter Corps.
Then again, seeing as their team was assigned to the Beacon Regiment, there really much room for her to complain. She'd set out to become a member of the most elite fighting force in all of Remnant and she accomplished that. All that was left was to be deployed on missions, real missions, not these training forays into the nearby forest so they could play with the smaller Grimm that hung around.
It was all part of her plan, to redeem the Schnee name and buff away the smudges on the family legacy her father had irrevocably stained. They would never be erased completely, of course, but she could at least shine so bright, it would take effort to see past it. Failure in any mission was not an option, and the only way to ensure such was to remain at her peak, physically and mentally.
Which was why she needed to reacquaint herself with Humanity: Fighting For Peace, the definitive article detailing the martial triumphs and shortcomings of her fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses. On the days she couldn't train physically, reading doctrine was her only recourse, so she focused once again on her scroll, intent on finishing the article.
Until Ruby's scroll began to play some clipped version of a pop song. It seemed there was no end to the ways peace could be shattered in a short time span.
"Ah, Ruby, there you are!" Captain Port's voice boomed over the connection as Ruby answered. "I realized your team is scheduled for the next thirty six hours off, but, well, something of a peculiar situation has arisen and we require a team to deploy on mission. Can your be ready in, say, the next hour?"
By the time Ruby looked up to scan the room, Weiss was already moving towards her locker, scroll stowed for the time being, while Yang let out a joyful whoop at the prospect of some action.
"Uh, yeah, I think we can do that."
"Splendid! Meet me in Briefing Room Twelve as soon as possible. We must move quickly on this, ladies."
Ruby hopped down from the bed, scurrying over to her own locker as Weiss started checking through her go bag. Blake stepped up beside her, opening her own locker and checking through her bag, counting the Dust containers she had kept from their last training exercise. As with everything within the Hunters Corps, Dust was rationed to each Huntsman and Huntress... though, as Weiss counted the ones she had, some of them used their pay to purchase Dust from the stores in town. Being the next in line for the Schnee Dust Company, however, meant that the white haired woman had a few... extra options when it came to stocking up.
"Did you need some?" Weiss offered, holding out a few containers of various colors. Making an effort to be somewhat social was practically a requirement imposed by Ruby and Yang, though she found dealing with their quieter teammate moderately easier. If it wasn't for that niggling feeling that something was off, she might even seek out Blake's company more often than she did. Something about the woman just... piqued her interest a bit.
Amber eyes flicked from the capsules to her face before they fell somewhere in between, followed by a nod. "Thank you."
Another successful interaction; she was getting the hang of this. A small smile claimed her lips as she focused once more on her own gear, grabbing Myrtenaster and checking to ensure the chambers were full. Shutting the locker and slinging the white pack over her shoulder, Weiss turned to survey the readiness of the rest of her team. Yang was buzzing with energy, clenching and unclenching her fists while an outright vicious smirk claimed her lips. Ruby on the other hand, was locking Crescent Rose in place behind her back, her youth suddenly hidden by a serious demeanor.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Heck yeah!" The blonde punched the air, practically skipping towards the door. "Let's get out there and wreck some Grimm!"
"Or some White Fang." Weiss offhandedly offered, starting for the door.
It wasn't- necessarily- that she had an overall problem with Faunus as a species. There was a rational part of her mind that supposed there were some that were decent, just as some Humans were abhorrent, but experience had taught her that the whole of the White Fang were monsters, a step below the Grimm. At least the beasts of darkness had no soul, nothing to guide them to a better path; the White Fang intentionally destroyed Human lives, if they couldn't outright end them.
There once were small pockets of Faunus, communities that rejected the White Fang's agenda, but they didn't exist any more. Her father saw to that.
"Probably Grimm. We're not ready to fight White Fang," Blake said, earning her a slight glare from Weiss.
"We could handle them." Her fingers absently played along Myrtenaster's hilt, eager to prove the veracity of that statement.
No reply came, Amber eyes seeming to glow with some unknown emotion before Blake brushed past her, joining Yang in the hall. Ruby had watched the brief exchange with furrowed brows, pack in one hand.
"I'm sure she wasn't insulting our skills, Weiss, just being honest." She ran a hand through her short cropped hair. "We really haven't run many White Fang training scenarios since we became a team, so we're better prepared for Grimm."
Although a valid point, she opted not to acknowledge it, instead brushing past the team leader and into the hall. As long as they were going on a mission, it didn't matter their opponents; she would personally ensure they succeeded by any means necessary.
The four of them were stunned into silence as Captain Port finished his brief of the mission.
Okay, three of them were stunned into silence.
"Oh, come on! You're pulling us from our off time to babysit some punk?"
"I'd hardly consider the VIP a 'punk', as you say, and it's not 'babysitting' either." The Captain laughed, stroking his mustache. "He's a military strategist that we're sending to Atlas to assist with an operation. I'm afraid I can't say more than that; you four will only be accompanying him as far as the coast, at any rate."
Ruby finally recovered, reining her sister in, despite Yang's mumbled protests. "So, we're just escorting him to the coast and returning to base?"
"Yes; I'll provide you with the information for the detachment representative you'll be making contact with once you've reached the coastal train station." The man pulled out his scroll, tapping at it as he spoke. "Also, I'd like to remind all of you that the overall risk in his mission is low, but you should be prepared for anything. There's a critical point along the tracks that's particularly vulnerable to Grimm attacks."
"We'll be careful, Captain." Ruby spoke over the buzzing of her scroll, smiling.
"We'll be bored." Yang muttered, suppressing a wince as her sister elbowed her in the gut.
"It's a mission they chose us for, and not someone else. There's plenty of senior teams they had to choose from, and plenty of junior ones, too." Blake's voice was soft again as their commander brought up a few more small details, like the amount of Dust they'd be allotted. "We're either at the top of the juniors or bottom of the seniors; either way, it's not bad."
A sensible assessment, Weiss thought, keeping her attention divided between Yang's reluctant acknowledgement and Port's continued droning.
"Your next hit time is in four hours." The Captain coughed into his hand. "I understand the notice is limited but this is a particularly sensitive mission. Please make your preparations with discretion. You are dismissed."
The four nodded, exiting the briefing room and heading straight for the armory, where they housed the regiment's Dust containers. Although the standard down time between a mission briefing and its commencement was six hours, Weiss found herself grateful for the shorter notice. Although escort missions weren't known for being especially eventful, the less time they had to stew over it, the better.
"Weiss? Can you handle the, uh, forms, please?" One thing Ruby had practically perfected in her short time as their leader was the art of delegation, partially born out of her innate abilities as a tactician and partially born out of her utter consternation when it came to paperwork.
"Sure. Anything aside from the standard mission requirements?" Along with doctrines and military treatises, Weiss spent more than a few nights reviewing standard procedures regarding team deployments.
"Yeah, um, a... personnel transfer record form?" Ruby scowled at her scroll as they walked, furrowing her brows.
"Oh, a 26D-578." She pulled her own scroll out, pulling up the form. "Did they specify which version? I would assume 26D-578B."
"Yeah, that." The younger woman laughed. "Thanks again."
"Why'd we have to get stuck with a boring mission?" Yang bemoaned, shuffling along at the back of the group. "It's almost as bad as tower duty!"
"You don't have to listen to your snoring, Yang," Blake said. "Trust me; this is better."
Ruby laughed and Weiss chuckled while the blonde in question rolled her lilac eyes. "Ha ha, very funny." She cracked a smile. "I guess it's not so bad. It's a free pass off base; not often we get that!"
"We don't really need to leave." Weiss noted, finishing one form and switching to the next. "Beacon's HQ is more than equipped to handle our needs."
That was true, from a strictly spartan perspective. Everything a Hunter needed was available, though life within the compound could become dreadfully dull for those unable to occupy themselves otherwise. Weiss had plenty to keep her entertained and Blake always seemed to have her nose buried in a book, but Ruby and Yang were more inclined towards social interaction as a means to unwind. Personally, she didn't see the appeal.
"Speak for yourself." Yang pouted. "I don't know why they don't reopen the Hunter's Club."
"Probably because you're still here and they can only afford so many repairs," Ruby replied.
"I told Junior I was sorry! What more does he want?"
Their raven haired teammate offered a small smirk. "Yang, you threw him through a window after sliding him down the full length of the bar. A simple 'I'm sorry' is a bit... insufficient."
"Fine, I'll buy him flowers when I get back." Yang sighed, scratching at her chin. "And chocolates. Guys like chocolate, right?"
"And long walks on the beach," Blake said.
"And a ring." Weiss offered, glancing away from her scroll to gauge their reaction.
Almost instantly, Yang shrunk in on herself, shivering slightly. "Thanks, guys, thanks. I just got the mental picture of me proposing to Junior on the beach. Thank you for the nightmare fuel."
They actually had to stop walking briefly as Ruby and Yang busted out laughing and even Weiss couldn't help but use her hand to smother her mirth. It was an old habit but one she couldn't seem to break. Even Blake was joining in on the amusement, chuckling gently and leaning against the wall. As they recovered, Yang threw an arm around her sister's neck, dragging both of them down the hall as she ruffled Ruby's hair and teased her. Weiss made to follow her teammates but stopped short at the sound of her name.
"Are you disappointed?" Blake was watching her, amber eyes steady and inquisitive.
Weiss raised a brow. "About?"
"The mission. You seemed eager to fight the White Fang." Her posture was rigid and uncomfortable, something so obvious even Weiss couldn't miss it. "Does it bother you that we aren't expecting them on this mission?"
She had a response poised at the tip of her tongue but refrained. Deflection was something she'd been taught at a young age, part of the art of deception her father assured her was a necessary trait of any successful business. It hadn't done their family any particular favors, though, but like many other things, it was a difficult habit to break. Still, Ruby insisted that placing her trust in her teammates wasn't a bad thing, wasn't a sign of weakness, and despite their relatively short time together as a team, Weiss was beginning to believe her. She'd never felt quite as content back at her family's home in Atlas as she did in their cramped, shared quarters in Beacon's barracks.
So, against much of what she was taught, Weiss opted to be truthful. "Somewhat, yes. It would be untruthful to say I don't harbor a grudge. The White Fang... took a lot from me."
"You mean, like, mines and stuff?" She turned her head, noting Yang and Ruby had rejoined them, a certain solemn shroud falling upon their group.
Blake rarely spoke- of her past or otherwise- and the sisters had often regaled them with tales from their youth, including the somewhat odd family life they shared. Weiss, on the other hand, had been careful to avoid any mentions of her family directly- they existed in whatever stories she told in an abstract sense, present but not quite there. Never addressed in detail. However, there was no way to convey the severity of the answer to that question without being specific.
"No." She squared her shoulders. "I once had twenty-five cousins, seven uncles, six aunts, my parents, and my sister. Only my father, my sister, and myself remain. Lost mines are the least of my grievances." She could feel the long buried anger rising within her and tried her best to shove it down, far down, locked back away like it usually was. "Is this really the time to discuss this?"
"I didn't mean to upset you." Amber eyes shifted, the raven haired woman making to disengage from the conversation, but it was too late for that now.
"You also didn't ask the question you wanted answered, so spit it out." Her short temper was going to get her in serious trouble, one day, and she could tell Ruby was preparing to intervene if needed. "Make this conversation worth it."
Though her posture remained stiff, it looked less uncomfortable and more like someone bracing for an impact as Blake turned towards her once again. "Did your hate for the Faunus drive you to Beacon?"
"Maybe this isn't the time to have this conversation." Ruby muttered, about to step in when Yang put a hand on her shoulder.
Truthfully, the battle of wills between the sisters was a blessing. The moment the question left the other woman's mouth, Weiss had half a hundred different ways to berate her spring to mind, her pride sorely bruised by the accusation. It was a struggle to keep from lashing out and, ultimately, a fight she failed to win completely.
"No, Blake, I didn't spend the past two years going through rigorous training just so I could occasionally be sent out and enact a vendetta against the White Fang. If I was so inclined, I would've hired mercenaries, outfitted them with the best equipment available, and launched my own personal campaign of genocide, like my father did." She stepped forward until she was nose to nose with the taller girl, ice blue eyes glaring into unwavering amber. "I'm not my father and I refuse to inherit his sins. The next time you'd like to imply as much, keep it to yourself." She turned, ready to be done with the subject altogether, but felt one more thing needed to be said. "Oh, and for the record, I don't hate the Faunus. The White Fang are monsters- murderers and thieves entirely- but if such a thing as an innocent soul exists among their people, I'd have no quarrel with them." She started walking away. "Not that I expect to ever meet one."
Weiss walked away, quickly focusing her attention on her scroll once more. Some part of her mind was annotating the exchange as a negative mark on the social interaction scale, but the rest of her was too peeved to care. Ruby would probably force her to apologize later, but she would wait until then.
Author's Note: *shrug* I blame Alexlayer and TSO for this. Seriously. They get all the blame/credit for this insanity.
