Chapter 3
A Dish served cold
(:R:)(:W:)(:B:)(:Y:)
Yang's eyes widened a bit, and she was glad that she wasn't the one about to get a visit from the trio before her. The white haired girls tone was, in a word, deadly, and even colder than anything Yang had ever heard of.
Ozpin nodded and moved away from the door a step, beckoning Weiss to join them. "We have a car ready and we should be able to-"
"Weiss...!?"
The professor stopped talking when a worried voice called out inside the dorm room, and he blinked when the aforementioned girl practically teleported back into the room and kneeled next to her partner, who now seemed rather distressed. Ozpin and Goodwitch looked at each other in surprise, but decided to stay where they were.
"Where are you going?" Ruby looked up at Weiss, her eyes wide with worry, bordering on fright.
Weiss was taken aback by the look on her partners face, and tried to compose herself. She knew that Ruby wouldn't like it if she heard Weiss was going out to get revenge for what had happened to her, but Weiss couldn't just sit still and let this happen again. Her vow to Ruby demanded no less.
"I have to go and take care of something with Professor Ozpin, Ruby I promise I won't be long, ok?"
As she spoke Weiss gently stroked Ruby's cheek, trying to calm down. Her eye twitched a little when Ruby didn't seem appeased at all.
"But you didn't go to your lecture earlier, why do you have to go now?" The young girl asked, missing the wince the heiress just managed to hide. She knew she was busted, but she wasn't going to admit it without a struggle.
"Well it's...I mean I have to-!" Weise was struggling to think of a plausible reason to explain her departure when Ruby snaked her hands out from under the cover and took Weiss' free hand in hers, holding tightly, and causing the heiress to stop speaking in surprise. When she looked back at Ruby's eyes, she could see her partner was only just holding back tears, and Weiss found she couldn't speak.
"Please...don't go..."
Blake and Yang looked at each other worriedly, not knowing what was going to happen. They were expecting Weiss to pull her hand away from Ruby and say she couldn't stay behind, that she had something important to do. And they knew that if that happened it would wound Ruby deeply. Ozpin and Goodwitch kept a discreet distance but couldn't help but peer into the room, trying to see what was going to happen.
As for Weiss and Ruby, they were unaware of anything around them. Ruby's quiet, tearful plea had shattered the older girl's resolve, and she couldn't bring herself to try and play off what she had to do.
"Ruby...I don't want to leave, but...I have to. Ozpin's going to see the company that did the food last night and I have to make sure they never do this to anyone else again. I can't let them get away with doing this to you." Every word Weiss spoke was quiet, soft and slow, not as if she was making them up, but she was struggling to speak them when faced with Ruby's scared eyes.
More than likely Ruby had, in her unwell state, grown attached to her partners presence, and subconsciously feared that if Weiss wasn't there, then she would get sick again. The thought made Weiss twitch, because Ruby never acted like this, she was always so independent.
It was a testament to how unwell and tired the girl really was, her defences down so completely, that she needed her partner to stay that badly.
Weiss' eyes, which were shimmering in indecision, calmed with the thought. She couldn't stay.
"But it's just a stomach bug! You don't need to go see them because of that!" Ruby said desperately, seeing Weiss close her eyes.
The older girl's next words stopped the argument cold.
"Ruby...food poisoning can be fatal."
Ruby's eyes went wide at that, and she could barely breathe. She had heard of someone eating something that gave them food poisoning, but she had never heard of anyone dying from the condition. She was about to rebut the comment, saying Weiss was mistaken, but when Weiss opened her eyes, Ruby could see the seriousness in the sky blue depths, and she shivered.
Now she understood why Weiss was determined to go with the headmaster.
She looked up to Yang and Blake, who had come over to stand with her partner, and Ruby saw the bibliophile nod her head gravely.
"She's right Ruby, most cases are relatively minor, yours was a moderate reaction, but in some extreme cases, food poisoning can kill, that's why it's not a small matter."
Weiss looked towards her team mate and nodded gratefully, it was hard enough to say that the condition could kill; she wouldn't have been able to explain more. She looked back down to Ruby, seeing the young girl close her eyes miserably and shiver. Without any conscious thought, Weise gently freed her hand from Ruby's, removed her jacket and tucked it around the girl's shoulders. Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at Weiss with confusion, but Weiss didn't say anything.
She couldn't bring herself to think of the reason for her actions.
"I promised you, I vowed, that I'd make up for what I've done to you, and that means making sure that this never happens to you again, and failing that, making sure that those responsible are punished. I swear I won't hurt anyone, as much as I may want to, but I cannot let this go."
Ruby closed her eyes and whimpered a bit, but eventually, and very reluctantly, she nodded. She opened her eyes and spoke to Weiss as the older girl got to her feet.
"Come back soon." She whispered, smiling weakly, even as she saw Weiss smile gently in return.
"I promise." She said warmly, and giving into a sudden impulse, she leaned down and planted a soft, quick kiss on Ruby's forehead.
Their witnesses blinked repeatedly at the sight, and Ruby and Weiss blushed fiercely, but Weiss quickly straightened and marched out of the room, brushing past her extremely surprised teachers.
She was half way down the corridor before her cheeks stopped burning, but the redness would not fade from her complexion. 'Where did THAT come from!?' she screamed at herself, knowing that she was not the kind for overt sentimentality. She continued to struggle with the question as she distantly noticed that Ozpin and Goodwitch had caught up to her, but was grateful when the professors didn't ask any questions.
They maintained a good pace and soon found themselves at the academy's main entrance, the hustle and bustle of students catching Weiss off guard. She looked up and noticed that the clock above the lobby indicated it was only 15:47.
"I thought it would be later..." She breathed quietly, to which Ozpin simply smiled gently.
"Well you have had a rather eventful day. It's no surprise you lost track of time."
Weiss could only nod and the trio started talking again. However they only managed to get to the base of the steps before Weiss stopped, hearing her name being called urgently.
"WEISS! Hey wait up!" Yang yelled, charging down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her, an odd red blur trailing behind her.
Weiss initially thought that the blonde girl was bringing Ruby down to try and convince her to stay again, and she felt herself tense in anger at the blonde's stupidity, but as Yang reached the heiress and panted for a moment, Weiss' anger faded to confusion when she noticed that Yang was holding Ruby's red hooded cloak in her hand.
"Yang? What are you doing? Is Blake with Ruby?" Weiss asked, worried that her partner had been left alone.
Yang took a few more moments to catch her breath before nodding and waving her hand in the universal 'don't worry' gesture, and Weiss immediately calmed down.
"Whew! You walk really fast you know that? Yeah Blake's in the room, Ruby's still kinda' upset but she's strong, she can handle it."
"Then why did you chase after us Miss Xiao long?" Glynda asked, still confused at the entire incident, this event only adding to the headache building behind her eyes.
"Huh? Oh right! Here Weiss, Ruby wants' you to take this with you." The blonde smiled and moved towards Weiss, draping the cloak over the young woman's surprised shoulders.
"But...Yang, I-I-I couldn't presume to..." Weiss tried to argue back, feeling immensely uncomfortable with the gesture. As much as she wanted to though, she couldn't bring herself to pull the cloak off and return it to the other girl. In fact, after a moment she held the edges of the cloak and pulled it closed around herself, and immediately felt warm and safe. She started to get an idea why Ruby liked wearing the cloak so much.
"And Blake asked me to give this to you. She said you'd know what do with it. And she said something else; if you asked where she got this, she said to say 'Don't ask; just use it if you need to.' I have NO idea what she's talking about." Yang said, handing Weiss a folded piece of paper.
Weiss looked at the note curiously and was about to open it before thinking better of it and slipping it into her pocket. She then looked at Yang with a small, heartfelt smile.
"Thank you Yang. For everything." And Weiss stepped back and curtsied for the blond huntress.
Yang just chucked and waved it off, favouring the other girl with an evil grin that made Weiss shiver.
"Just break something for me and we'll be square. Now I gotta get back up there, get all the juicy gossip on how my baby sis managed to melt the Ice Queen's heart and get a kiss! Ciao Juliette!" Yang called in a sing song voice, blowing the flustered Heiress a kiss before running off faster than Weiss could react. After a moment, Weiss grit her teeth and bellowed out to Yang who was still laughing as she disappeared.
"How dare you, you, you uncouth FIEND!"
Weiss stood seething in the middle of the lobby, her shoulders rising and falling in furious breaths. After a moment though she turned around, her eyes shut tight, and a humiliated blush adorning half her face.
"I will kill her when we return. Please lead the way professor!"
The teachers wisely kept their smiles hidden as they continued outside, and all of them got into the waiting car, Glynda taking the driver's seat, while Weiss got into the back with Ozpin. As they got underway, Weiss leaned her head against the head rest and released a long, exhausted breath, closing her eyes and relishing the quiet.
"What a day..." She muttered quietly to herself, hardly surprised when she heard Ozpin chuckle in agreement.
"I don't doubt it. Do you want something? Coffee? Fruit? I doubt you've had anything to eat since breakfast." Ozpin was quite surprised when Weiss shook her head slightly from side to side for a moment, and his concern grew with the young woman's explanation.
"I didn't even have breakfast this morning; I was planning on making sure Ruby was up this morning before going to the cafeteria. That plan didn't last though, obviously. I'll have something in a little while though, I just need to rest my eyes for a moment if I may."
Just from her tone of voice, it was clear that Weiss was exhausted. Ozpin simply smiled before catching Glynda's eye in the rear view mirror, nodding purposefully. Glynda, for her part, smiled gently and turned the car down the main road, taking a longer route to give the heiress a chance to rest.
After about ten minutes, Weiss opened her eyes again and took a breath, turning to look at the professor who simply smiled and held out a cup of coffee. Weiss smiled appreciatively and took the offered cup, taking a slow sip and enjoying the flavour and aroma, feeling herself able to truly relax for the first time since this whole nightmare started.
As she sipped her drink, she suddenly remembered the mysterious note from Blake, and fished it out of her pocket a moment later. It turned out to be a list, various names and a collection of numbers, but that's all there was.
"Those look like serial numbers. Why would Miss Belladonna give them to you?" Ozpin asked curiously. He didn't intend to invade Weiss' privacy, but he couldn't contain his curiosity, considering the confused look sported by the girl as she read the paper over and over.
"I don't know. She must have had a reason..." Weiss muttered, before shaking her head and folding the page and replacing it in her pocket. There was something familiar about the numbers though, however she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The car remained comfortably silent as Glynda navigated the Vale traffic. They seemed to be making good time, but Weiss suddenly remembered that she didn't know where they were heading. However professor Ozpin spoke up, as if reading Weiss' thoughts.
"We're heading to the office of Guardman's Catering, the company we hired for the party. It shouldn't take much longer for us to get there. They were paid a rather substantial sum for their services, but I think that money could be better spent on new equipment for the Arena. For starters at least."
Weiss looked towards the professor, her eyes narrowed slightly. Ozpin was just going there for a refund?
"And getting the academy's money back makes up for this, how exactly?" The heiress couldn't keep the snark from her tone, finding Ozpin's plan of action sorely lacking. She would have continued if Glynda hadn't interceded.
"Please mind your tone Miss Schnee. The professor knows what he is doing and does not need to be criticized by you." Glynda spoke firmly, her tone making Weiss wince.
"It's alright Glynda, there's no need to be so harsh. However she is right Miss Schnee. By the time I'm finished with them, I doubt they'd be able to afford enough to make a pizza." The professor's words were calm yet firm to both women, but as he explained further, his tone grew darker.
"This company incapacitated twelve of my students because of negligence, or at the least carelessness. And they have done it twice now. I don't take this kind of slight lightly."
Weiss looked towards the professor, feeling mildly ashamed at her previous words. How could she forget everything he had done for Ruby since he came to their dorm this morning? Most headmasters would have told them to go to the infirmary and washed their hands of the situation until the next staff meeting.
"I'm sorry sir...I didn't mean to...imply you cared only for the money." Weise spoke quietly, looking down in shame. She raised her head in surprise though when the professor chuckled, her eyes meeting his.
"Given the day you've had, I think I can let that slide, just this once. All I ask is that you don't make a habit of it. I should have made my intent clear, so allow me to set your mind at ease: Guardman's Catering will be closed down by the time we leave. You have my word." Ozpin maintained his gaze and Weiss felt immensely glad that she was not on the receiving end of the man's displeasure. She almost felt sorry for Guardman's Catering.
Almost.
A moment passed before Weiss nodded, accepting the Professors word. Ozpin himself simply smiled for a moment before turning towards Glynda.
"I need to speak to Miss Schnee in private for a moment Glynda, please excuse us."
"Of course sir, we'll be at our destination in about tem more minutes." Glynda replied kindly, and she met her colleague's eye in the rear view mirror, smiling before she raised the privacy screen. After a moment, there was nothing but quiet in the back of the car, and Weiss looked towards the professor with a touch of apprehension.
"Weiss, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I have to ask you something incredibly personal. How do you feel about Ruby?" Ozpin looked at Weiss with a solemn expression, and he frowned when he saw the young woman start squirming.
"What...What do you mean? Sh-she's my partner, of course..." Weise replied uncomfortably, having an idea what the professor was implying, but she privately hoped he wouldn't ask anything more.
She wasn't ready to examine the question in detail, afraid of what she might realize herself.
"Miss Schnee...you spent the entire day looking after Ruby, almost in tears because you didn't know what was wrong with her. You're going with me to shut down the company responsible for putting her in this predicament. You even threatened Ruby's sister with physical harm because she would have disturbed Ruby's rest. No one acts this way for just a 'partner', no matter how close they are."
Weiss lowered her head until her bangs concealed her eyes, not wanting to listen, but she couldn't deny that he was right. She unconsciously wrapped herself in Ruby's cloak, as if trying to protect herself, and the sight made Ozpin close his eyes sadly. He took a breath and sat back, gathering his thoughts.
"A partnership like those practiced at Beacon is intended to match individuals who will benefit each other. Of course this leads the pair in question to connect in a way that is beyond simple friendship. However when things grow beyond even that connection, while it may be a source of strength, it can be a cause of great pain. If you do follow the path I believe you are starting to see, you will face many difficult trials. And it will be impossible for you to return to how things were."
The professor spoke gently and slowly, letting Weiss absorb every word. He could have sworn he heard a quiet noise coming from one side of the car, but decided it must have come from outside.
As for Weiss, she didn't know what to do. She remembered every single instance where she was with Ruby in one way or another. Most were memories she couldn't stand to re-live, and they made her want to cry. She silently wiped her nose with her handkerchief, praying the headmaster didn't hear her.
But the other memories were more pleasant, Ruby talking to her about her time at Signal academy, and designing Crescent Rose for example. At the time she tried to seem indifferent, but she secretly listened to every word Ruby spoke, committing them to memory.
And when she remembered the events of today, it made her even more confused, especially when she remembered giving Ruby that kiss before leaving. She hadn't thought about doing anything like that before, with Ruby or anyone else. And she was completely shocked when she realised what she had been doing. But she couldn't bring herself to say she didn't enjoy the contact.
She couldn't lie to herself.
When Weiss was with Ruby, even when she was hyperactive, Weiss felt good, as if she was home. She felt needed, cared for, wanted, as if she herself mattered rather than her title.
With Ruby...she didn't feel alone.
But could she possibly feel more than that? Weiss honestly didn't know. It wasn't as if she was repulsed by the thought. Decades ago, same gender romances were shunned and discriminated against all over the world, just as the Faunus were discriminated against now. But as people's understanding had grown, so had their tolerance, and now there was only a hand full of people in the entire kingdom who still argued that same gender couples were wrong.
Weiss felt a sudden stab of loathing as she thought of the Faunus, her thoughts straying to the White Fang and their vendetta against her family's business. So many lives taken for no reason...she could hardly stand to think about it.
She briefly hoped that the Faunus situation could be resolved as positively, sometime very soon, and that the white fang would be brought to justice for their crimes, but she quickly shook off the thought and went back to thinking about the airheaded girl who had somehow turned her life upside down.
"I...I don't know...how I feel for Ruby...she...she drives me crazy most of the time...but, even so...no one else has ever...stayed with me for so long before leaving. Ruby, she...she makes me feel...special..."
Her admission was so silent that Ozpin had to strain to hear it. But while not the positive response he was hoping for, it was better than he expected. He glanced over to Weiss, noticing that the heiress was hugging her knees tightly, as if expecting a reprimand or scorn.
"The path I mentioned before is immensely difficult. There is risk, like any other venture. But at the same time, the rewards can be more valuable than any possession. Because if you do follow this path, you will never be alone."
The two sat in the car, hardly moving. Weiss' mind was all but spinning, not sure what to think. Yet again the professor's every word was true. She knew that if she did pursue a relationship with Ruby, then the younger girl would instantly become the most important person in Weiss' young like, and vice versa.
But Weiss had fought desperately for the opportunity to attend Beacon, and gain some measure of independence, to not be shadowed by attendants and instructors, or even her father, a man who, while loving towards his daughter, was rather clueless when it came to her personal needs.
Weiss still wasn't able to come to any sort of decision when she felt the car slow to a stop, and when she looked up, she noticed that Ozpin had lowered the privacy screen. As she looked out of the window, she saw the unimposing offices that comprised Guardman's Catering. Instantly, Weiss pushed her confusion aside and her eyes drew down in anger. All the stress, worry, confusion, frustration...
Now was the time to unleash it.
Her stomach growled slightly and without missing a beat, Ozpin handed the heiress an apple from the basket at the side. Weiss paused a second before accepting it, noticing the bright red colour of the piece of fruit. Weise bit into the apple, moaning quietly at the sweet taste and the satisfying crunch.
She did her best to ignore the thought that floated through her head, that bright red, sweet, and a sharp bite, they could all be used to describe her partner.
As Ozpin exited the vehicle, Weiss followed his lead, quickly finishing the apple and taking step next to him, idly noticing that Glynda stood on the professors other side. They stepped up to the door and Ozpin knocked sharply, waiting with, admittedly limited, patience for someone to answer the door.
After a moment, the door opened and a rather angry man looked at the assembled group, but noting their high quality clothes and strong bearing, his expression twisted into a smile, no doubt intended to be friendly and inviting, but the Beacon Academy residents found it somewhat sickening.
"We are hoping to speak to the company director, is that possible?" Glynda asked, wanting to get the pleasantries out of the way as quickly.
"Why yes of course, please come in. Would your daughter like anything?" The man asked, motioning to Weiss.
"No thank you, and I am not their daughter." The heiress responded curtly, noting the man's eyebrow quirking in slight confusion.
"Ah I see. Then you must be their maid or attendant? No natter no matter. Please come in all of you." The man all but gushed, inviting the trio inside with a sweeping gesture. Ozpin and Glenda in the meantime were trying desperately to control their facial expressions, and made a point of not looking anywhere near the young woman, lest she spot the smiles the teachers tried to conceal. Weiss for her part attempted to keep her indignation under control, but it was exceedingly difficulty.
Being mistaken for the daughter of Ozpin and Goodwitch was one thing, but being called an attendant? A MAID!?
Weiss's lip curled up slightly in a truly evil little smirk; vengeance would be sweet indeed.
They stepped inside and the rather unpleasant looking man knocked on the door then went to sit down at his desk, obviously he was the secretary or receptionist. Ozpin took a discreet look around and considering what he was seeing, he decided to have a very intense shower when he got back home. While it wasn't noticeable at a glance, the corners of the walls had traces of mould, and the carpets looked as if they had only been vacuumed, but not cleaned in a very long time.
There were also traces of stains on the walls that were not easy to identify, and if anything seemed like food stains, possibly even blood.
Glancing back to his companions he noticed they had moved closer to him, their faces twisting slightly in distaste. It was clear that they were feeling dirty just being in this room as well.
After a moment a rather heavyset man opened the inner door and came out, the obvious annoyance at the disruption vanishing as he saw the prospective customers.
"Good afternoon, welcome to Guardman's Catering. I'm Noir Guardman." The man beamed, holding out his hand to Ozpin, who shook it briefly with a controlled expression.
"Hello, my name is Ozpin, I'm the headmaster of Beacon Academy. This is my associate Glynda Goodwitch and one of my student's, Weiss." The professor greeted, indicating the women at his side, who both nodded cordially.
"Beacon? Wow this is an honour! I hope that you enjoyed out services for your event last night!"
Noir was beyond pleased; if the headmaster was visiting personally then his staff must have made an impression. Already Guardman was picturing the Lien he could earn, anticipating Ozpin wanting to book his services in the future. He walked into his office, beckoning the group to join him
The man's smile faded, as he turned around and noticed his guests were giving him a severe look of vexation.
"Actually, that's what we are here to discuss. Mr Guardman, could you please tell us about your health and safety standards please?" Weiss spoke up, Ozpin nodding at the end of the girl's question.
"With respect my dear, I fail to see why you would need to ask that, our client list and reputation speak for itself." Noir stated with an affronted air. He also felt a cold trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck, and he remembered the yelling match that morning when he was told one of the staff who attended the function at Beacon saying that one of her team had been drunk.
Noir Guardman didn't care what his staff did, as long as nothing negative could be traced back to him. In the unlikely event that something did happen however, a quiet under the counter...contribution, usually made the problem go away.
"If you wouldn't mind answering my students question Mr Guardman. There has been an incident that we are looking into. Several of my students have come down with moderate to severe food poisoning."
Ozpin's eyes burned with obvious anger, and Noir took a step back, his face growing pale with sudden panic.
"F-food p-p-poisoning? Surely you m-must be j-joking!"
Glenda folded her arms with a dark expression, and fixed the stammering man with a livid gaze.
"Do we look like we are joking? Twelve students through several classes did not attend lessons this morning, and this has caused severe distress and upset for their classmates...their friends." Glynda stated, casting a slightly softer glance at Weiss as she finished speaking. Weiss nodded, appreciating the acknowledgment.
Ozpin took over at this point, pressing his glasses into place and Noir flinched at the malevolent glint from the frames.
"One of the students said the only thing she ate was a sample of chicken that was a 'little pink', and this has been verified by some of the other students and an examination of the leftover food. Much of it was fine, but there were a few examples of undercooked foods, meats, dairy products, even vegetables."
Noir twitched with every word from the headmaster, and made a mental note to deduct the pay of every single person who attended the Beacon event. The academy was a very high value client, and he didn't want a lucrative contract taking their business elsewhere.
"I'm so sorry to hear about this, I can't believe that my staff allowed this to happen, it's just unthinkable! Are you sure that it was my staff who cooked the dishes in question?" The man asked, trying to find a straw that could save him.
At the withering glare he received from Ozpin, he finally realised just how much trouble he was in.
"We are quite sure who was responsible for this blunder Mr Guardman. There has never been a case of food poisoning, or even a case of undercooked food in the academy's history. Our staff is made up of highly trained professionals, and the mere fact that you asked that question tells me that you were trying to pass the blame off to someone else, as well as the fact that you must be aware of something like this happening in the past!" Ozpin's growl was savage, and he made sure to emphasise some of his words in that statement.
"P-p-please Mr Ozpin! It's an accident! You know how hectic last minute functions like those are! We don't have the staff on call every day and night!" Noir pleaded, trying to weasel out of the situation.
"If that were true, then why is this the SECOND time our students have gotten sick after an event you catered for!? Two years ago the same thing happened; four students were incapacitated for nearly a week!" Glynda's yell made Noir cringe and back away, worry for his safety starting to pierce his greedy little mind.
"My team mate was throwing up almost all morning since the second she got out of bed, and crying almost nonstop when she had finished, even coming close to screaming as her stomach tried to tie itself into knots." Weiss spoke darkly, her voice only above a whisper, but it managed to be more frightening than any shout Ozpin or Glynda could have ever produced.
Noir finally broke down sobbing, playing his last desperate card. He collapsed on the floor and bowed in front of the Trio, blubbering and begging for forgiveness, mentally remembering to fire the staff he was thinking about before.
"STOP snivelling and get up man!" Ozpin shouted, satisfied that the man almost jumped to his feet, but he was still crying pitifully.
"Now, let's get the minutia out of the way shall we?" Ozpin said, unsurprised when Noir suddenly stopped crying.
"Minutia?" Weiss was very satisfied by the genuinely worried undertone lacing Noir's voice.
"Indeed. The payment for the Events at Beacon you have catered for. Please refund them. Immediately." Ozpin's voice brooked no argument, and his gaze was steady and focused.
Of course, he was still dealing with someone whose only concern was money.
"Now wait just a moment-!"
"It will go some way to alleviating the distress of the students this screw up has caused." Goodwitch stated, her mouth curling into a satisfied smile.
"You can't do that! I got paid for services rendered and we operate a no refund policy!" Noir argued, his facade of fear and distress long gone, replaced by total outrage and fury.
Ozpin took a step closer and the two men were almost nose to nose, locked in a heated stare down.
"You will find that I'm capable of a great many things." Was the malevolent response.
No one was surprised when Noir blinked first and backed down.
"Alright fine, I'll refund the money, now just go alright?" The man cried, defeat clear in his eyes.
"I'm afraid we aren't done. Glynda, how much compensation do you think would be needed?" Ozpin turned to Goodwitch, smirking as he heard Noir suck in a frantic breath.
"Compensation!?"
Glynda's eyes were thoughtful for a moment, before she smiled pleasantly.
"For the disruption to the school, the medical costs, administrative fees, plus emotional harm inflicted on the effected students, I'd say about 20,000 Lien each should about cover it. With all the students from today and two years ago included, I think that comes to 320,000 Lien, after taxes, naturally."
Weiss' eyes were going wide at the masterful display being performed in front of her eyes. She had initially thought that this was going to be a sit down, everyone acting friendly, and handing over cheques sort of event. The reality was far different, and she quietly delighted at watching the disgusting man almost foaming at the mouth in disbelief and outrage, even as Ozpin's only response was to ask Glynda to show him her math later.
"How dare you think I'll pay a single coin of that absurd amount! If you had any concrete proof whatsoever you'd have taken it to Vale's health and safety committee! But you have nothing don't you? Just the word of a handful of snivelling little brats with tummy aches!"
Weiss' eyes widened as a final piece of the puzzle loudly clicked into place inside her mind, and while Noir was distracted by the still smirking teachers, Weise pulled out the piece of paper Blake wanted her to see, her smile growing as she finally remembered what exactly it was she was seeing. She let out a quiet chuckle which caught the attention of the other adults in the room.
"And what exactly is so funny princess!?" Noir yelled, hoping to cow the girl with an act of intimidation.
He in fact took a step back when Weiss' eyes locked on the man, their blue depths filled with unstoppable resolve, and smouldering anger.
"It's 'heiress' actually, more specifically heiress to one of the largest producers of refined Dust and chemical propellants in this world. Weiss SCHNEE." Weiss hoped that Blake wouldn't mind the paraphrasing, but it was difficult to keep the smile off of her face, especially as Weiss saw the look on Noir's face transform from outrage and anger, to primal terror in no time flat when she emphasised her family name.
"The Schnee Dust Company..." Noir breathed, knowing that he was standing in front of one of the most powerful people in the city.
And she had a grudge against him.
"That's exactly right. And the subject I found so amusing is what you said about the health and safety committee. You see, one of my other team mates handed me a list with some rather interesting information, a list of fourteen names and serial numbers. I now know exactly what they are. They aren't serial numbers; they are Health and safety internal reference numbers. All with the same starting prefix. I'd be very surprised if this number did not match with your business's registration information."
Ozpin looked at Weiss, his eyes wide with awe and surprise. If he was honest, he knew he was bluffing, trying to get Noir to cave to his demands. He wanted to handle the situation quickly and privately, only going to a higher authority if he didn't have any other choice. But that route would have taken months to complete, and there was no guarantee that the case against Noir would have been successful.
He thought back to the list in Weiss' hand and couldn't believe he had missed the formatting of the reference number; documents heading to the city council from Beacon had a similar number stamped in the corner.
As the headmaster, he had to sign every last one of them.
'Very impressive Miss Schnee. But...how did Miss Belladonna get that information?' He wondered with complete befuddlement, a question Goodwitch was also struggling with until they were distracted by the verbal Armageddon Weiss was unleashing.
"Should I call the council and ask what those reference numbers pertain to? Surely they wouldn't have anything to do with health and safety examinations would they?" Weiss asked in a calm, almost friendly tone, one that belied the piercing look she gave Noir, who by this point was shaking.
"You can't do this!"
"Oh I assure you I can. And I believe you know that the very SECOND 15 health and safety reference numbers are listed in a file, the city shuts down the business in question? Bearing that in mind, Professor Ozpin's proposal is a small price."
End of Chapter 3