Chapter 25: A Chat with Father

All four members of Team RWBY were assembled in their dorm room. Weiss had explained the situation regarding her brother to everyone, and all four of them were lost in silent contemplation. Weiss in particular was thinking hard. For as long as she could remember, she'd wanted so badly to emulate Grandfather. That had never changed, even though she'd been ready to give up her future claim to Grandfather's company. It seemed like a contradiction, but it didn't feel like one to Weiss. Maybe, just maybe, what she really wanted in life didn't have anything to do with the Schnee Dust Company after all.

Blake spoke up. "I'm sorry, Weiss. If your father is as adamantly homophobic as you say, I don't see a way for you to convince him to give you control of the Company someday. Not while you're with Yang."

"That's not the issue so much," Weiss said. "I think…no, I know I can live without being in charge of the Company. But I can't let Whitley have control."

"Weiss…" Yang said.

"I know what you're going to say, Yang. But it wasn't the Schnee Dust Company that made Grandfather great," Weiss said. "In fact, it was the other way around. I can still follow his example without the Company, especially as a huntress."

"That's a good point," Yang said. "But is it really what you want?"

"You mean do I want to fight the good fight with my girlfriend by my side?" Weiss asked. "I don't think that sounds so bad. Do you?"

Yang smiled. "Smooth talker," she said.

"If I am it's because I learned from the best," Weiss said.

Blake loudly cleared her throat. "If you two are done flirting," she said.

Yang said, "I don't think we'll ever be done flirting."

"I suspected as much," Blake said. "But getting back on track. Is it your brother specifically that's the problem, Weiss? Someday somebody will take your Father's place at the Schnee Dust Company, and I know for a fact that your brother isn't the only person out there with unfortunate views on the faunus."

Weiss sighed. "That's true."

Ruby chimed in, "Then why don't we just tell everyone what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

"Well I know I've never heard about what's happening in those mines," Ruby said. "And if you didn't know, Weiss, I'll bet almost no one does. If people knew, they'd get really mad. Mad enough to stop buying stuff from the Schnee Dust Company, I'd bet."

Yang said, "It would be hard to make whipping children sound good on the news."

Weiss said, "That's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure there would be the kind of outrage we'd need for it to work."

"No. I think Ruby is on to something," Blake said. "One of the Company's greatest assets is its public image. People like Flynt and Neon might hate the Company, but they're in the minority. The general public can overlook a lot when it comes to the treatment of the faunus. But what happens in those mines goes too far."

Weiss asked, "But if it were as simple as informing the public, why didn't the White Fang try that?"

"We did," Blake said. "No one believed us. They thought we were making up stories to garner sympathy. We couldn't convince anyone. But you could."

"Me?" Weiss asked.

"You have something we never had. Legitimacy," Blake said. "It would be hard to ignore Weiss Schnee making such claims about her family's company. Especially if we can dig up some hard evidence."

"I don't know," Weiss said.

Yang said, "It makes sense to me. It won't matter if Whitley, or whoever, is in charge. If the public's against them, they won't be able to get away with abusing their workers."

"Yeah," Ruby said. "Maybe you could even get Winter to help spread the word, Weiss."

Weiss said, "None of you understand. If I did that, whether it worked or not, my whole family would hate me! Not just Father, everyone! And…" Weiss trailed off. She had been about to say that Father would never give her back her trust fund. But she was too ashamed to admit that it was a factor in her thinking, especially with Blake in the room.

Yang said, "Well what if we're sneaky about it?"

Blake asked, "Sneaky how?"

"There's got to be another way to get the word out without Weiss having to spill the beans," Yang said.

"I'm not so sure about that," Blake said.

Ruby said, "It couldn't hurt to try. I don't think so anyway. What do you think, Weiss?"

Weiss looked at each of her teammates in turn. She said, "Alright. Let's see what we can do."

"Yeah!" Yang cheered. "The Schnee Dust Company is going down!"

Weiss said, "I don't want to take down my family's company, Yang. I want to fix it."

"Oh. Uh…" Yang said. "Your dad and brother are going down?"

"That's…better," Weiss said. She didn't really want to bring down Father or even Whitley either, but deep down she knew there would be a certain amount of unhealthy satisfaction in seeing them fall.

Ruby said, "Alright team! Let's—"

Suddenly, Weiss's scroll rang, cutting Ruby off. Everyone fell silent, and all eyes turned to Weiss.

Weiss took a deep breath to steady herself. She pulled out her scroll. She didn't need to look at the screen to know who was calling her. She hit the button to answer and said, "Yes, Father?"

"Your headmaster has furnished me with an office on the third floor of Beacon Tower," Jacques said on the other end of the line. "I expect you to be here in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Father," Weiss said.

Jacques didn't bother saying goodbye. He just hung up.

Weiss lowered her scroll. "I have to go," she said to her teammates.

Yang asked, "You want me to go with you?"

"That's not necessary," Weiss said.

"Are you sure?" Yang asked.

"Yes," Weiss reassured Yang. "I'll be fine."

Weiss turned to leave, but Blake said, "Wait a minute, Weiss."

Weiss looked back at Blake.

"Thank you," Blake said. "For trying to make things right."

Weiss smiled wanly. She said, "I'm sorry I can't do more. I should just tell the public about what's happening, but—"

"No," Blake said. "I could never ask you to sacrifice your relationship with your whole family. You're trying to help, and that's more than enough. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Oooh!" Yang cooed. "Group hug!"

Yang pounced on Weiss and Blake and threw an arm around each of them. Weiss found herself being simultaneously mashed into Blake and pulled close to Yang. Blake's eyes were wide, and there was an uncomfortable look on her face. Weiss could sympathize. Not so long ago, this would have been her worst nightmare.

"Come on, Rubes!" Yang said.

"Aw yeah!" Ruby cheered. She zoomed over to her teammates and hugged all three of them. Blake tried to wriggle her way free, but Yang and Ruby were having none of that.

"Thank you, everyone," Weiss said. "But I can't keep Father waiting."

Yang and Ruby finally let go. Blake quickly made sure she was safely out of hugging range. Then she said, "I have some old contacts that might be able to help us. I can't promise anything will come of it, but I'll try to get in touch with them."

Ruby said, "Me and Yang can go down to the library and see if we can find any useful info."

Yang asked, "Should we all meet back here later?"

Weiss said, "That sounds like a plan to me."

"Alright!" Ruby said, "Team RWBY! Move out!"

For the second time that day, Weiss found herself riding up the elevator in Beacon's central tower. This time, however, she was feeling much calmer. She knew that Father's mood had likely not improved since earlier, and that this time she would be receiving his full attention, but with her team behind her, she wasn't afraid of him.

The elevator stopped on the third floor, and the doors opened. Weiss had never been on this level of the tower before, but there was hardly anything remarkable about it. The tower was used almost exclusively by the school's administration, and as such, it was mostly filled with office space.

It wasn't hard for Weiss to find the room Father was using. It had to be the one with the two Schnee Dust Company security personnel standing in front of it.

Jacques never left the safety of his home or the Schnee Dust Company headquarters without armed guards. The pair he'd brought with him to Beacon were equipped with the civilian versions of the very same armor and rifles that the Atlesian military used. Jacques's security measures might have seemed like overkill, but it was hard to dismiss him as paranoid when a large, dangerous, and organized group like the White Fang was literally out for his head.

One of the guards nodded at Weiss in recognition as she walked up. He said, "I'm to send you in immediately, ma'am."

"Thank you," Weiss said.

The guard opened the door for Weiss, and she walked into the office. Inside, Jacques was sitting at a desk. He was busy perusing a stack of paperwork in front of him. With all the emotional turmoil that Jacques's arrival had caused, Weiss realized that she hadn't stopped to think about the reason he had come to Beacon. Ozpin had said it was because of an "incident", but Weiss had no idea what that could mean. It couldn't have been the grimm; all of Remnant would have heard about anything they could've done that would warrant upgrading Beacon's security. It wasn't likely to be the White Fang either. The grimm were a threat to humans and faunus alike, and even the White Fang understood that huntsmen and huntresses were the best defense against them.

Weiss wondered if some other group had perpetrated whatever event Ozpin was referring to. It was unsettling to think that there might be another organization out there, operating in the shadows with mal intent.

Jacques set the paper he was reading down and looked silently at Weiss like he was sizing her up. It was hard for Weiss to meet Father's gaze. It wasn't so much because he intimidated her anymore, but because all she could see in him now was the man who had allowed Blake to be whipped as a child. Weiss dimly recalled a time when Father had been loving and caring. Had that been real, or was it just a trick her young mind had played on her? How could the man she remembered be the same one that she was standing before now?

Jacques finally said, "My errant daughter. It's good to see that you haven't completely forgotten how to come when you're called."

"What is it you wanted to discuss, Father?" Weiss asked.

"Don't be smart with me, girl," Jacques said. "You know very well what this is about! I don't care if you're away at a foreign school. You will speak with me when it's required of you!"

"Yes, Father. I apologize," Weiss said.

"That's it?" Jacques asked. "No defiance? No excuses?"

"I'm a Schnee," Weiss said. "We take responsibility for the things we've done. Right…Father?"

Jacques apparently didn't hear the accusation in Weiss's tone. "Hmph. If only Winter had been so reasonable when she was your age," he said. "But how do I know you're not just humoring me so I'll give you back your trust fund?"

"I've made many mistakes since I came here, but I've learned my lesson," Weiss said. It was true, although not in the way Father most likely thought.

"So you claim," Jacques said. "I expect next you'll tell me that you've been wearing your hair like that this whole semester."

Weiss was confused for a moment. With everything that had happened, she'd completely forgotten that her side tail was a minor act of rebellion. "Yes, Father," Weiss said. She prepared herself for what was coming next.

"Well. I suppose it's hardly the most shocking thing I've seen at this school," Jacques said.

Weiss was floored. Had Father actually backed down? She could scarcely believe it.

Weiss's befuddlement only deepened when Jacques's expression seemed to soften. He asked, "How are your studies going?"

"They're going very well," Weiss said. "I'm one of the top students in my class year."

"Of course you are. You're my daughter," Jacques said. "Have you made any friends?"

Weiss just barely kept her jaw from hitting the floor. "Yes," she said. "I've made several friends."

"Good," Jacques said. "This is the proper time of your life to be doing so."

Weiss didn't know what to think. For just a brief moment, she saw in Father the man he was before the White Fang, not the monster he'd become. She wondered if she'd been going about this all wrong. Could Father be made to see reason over the Company's treatment of the faunus? Weiss felt like she had to try. Despite all the things Jacques had done, he was still her father.

"Father," Weiss said. "There's something we need to discuss."

"Oh? What is it?" Jacques asked.

Weiss hesitated. Would Father confess his crimes if she confronted him? Would he even see them as such? Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by a ringing sound. It wasn't her scroll, however; it was Jacques's.

Jacques picked up his scroll from where it had been lying on the desk. He glanced at the screen and said, "We'll have to continue this conversation later."

Before Weiss could protest, Jacques had already answered his scroll.

Weiss just stood there a moment. It seemed like every time she took one step forward as of late, she immediately took two steps back. She was more confused now than ever. She felt like she didn't know who Father was any more or what precisely it was that she wanted from him. Was he a monster that she was plotting against? Or was he her father who she should seek to redeem?

Weiss turned from Jacques, and walked out of the room.

Weiss was still lost in thought by the time she made it back to the dormitories. She wondered if her teammates would have any insight on what to do about Father. She'd appreciate their advice, but she knew that ultimately it would have to be her decision. None of them knew Father like she did, and she'd be the one to live with the consequences of her actions.

Weiss found her way to Team RWBY's room. Her meeting with Father had been unexpectedly brief, so she doubted that anyone else had made it back yet. That was just as well. It would give her time to think.

Weiss opened the door and let herself inside. The second she stepped into the room, however, a voice said, "Hello again, Sister."

Weiss's blood ran cold. Over sitting on her bed was Whitley, and in his hand was one of Yang's letters.

"This is fascinating reading material," Whitley said. "Although the grammar and punctuation do leave something to be desired."

Weiss rushed over to Whitley and snatched the letter out of his hand. "How did you get in here!?" she demanded.

"The door wasn't locked," Whitley said calmly. "And your numerous acquaintances around campus were all too happy to direct your beloved brother to your domicile."

"How did you find this letter!?" Weiss asked.

"You've been hiding things under your mattress for as long as I can remember," Whitley said. "You really must find a less obvious spot."

Weiss's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to explain away Yang's letter, but she couldn't think of anything. Almost all of Yang's letters were outright declarations of love, and even if by chance Whitley had read one that wasn't, their sheer number alone was suspicious.

Whitley stood and started strolling around the room. He said, "This does explain a few things. That poor suitor-boy Father selected for you. No wonder nothing came of it. I imagine Father would find this information most enlightening."

Weiss said, "If you so much as breathe a word of this to Father, I'll…!"

"You'll do what exactly?" Whitley asked. "Run me through with your sword? Burn me alive with Dust? Is that what this school has taught you? To solve your problems with violence?"

Weiss gritted her teeth. "What do you want?"

"Hmm. That is a good question," Whitley said. "What is this worth, I wonder. I haven't decided yet."

"Then you should leave. Now," Weiss said. "And never set foot in this room again."

"Very well," Whitley said. He walked over to the door and opened it. Before he stepped through, he added, "I did warn you, Sister. To be careful of what secrets you keep."

Whitley left before Weiss could retort.

Weiss took several deep breaths and let them out slowly in an effort to calm herself. This wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, but it was close to it. Most concerning was the fact that Whitley could have found Yang's letters and left with Weiss being none the wiser. He wanted her to know that he knew. If Weiss had some clue as to what Whitley's plan was, she might have felt slightly better. Tormenting her would certainly be one of his goals, but he would want more than that.

Weiss walked over to her bed and lifted the mattress. Yang's letters were there like always. She knew she should have done the smart thing and disposed of them, but even now she wouldn't. They were Yang's gift to her, and she wouldn't let Whitley or Father dictate what she did with them. She wouldn't destroy something beautiful simply because Father couldn't abide what it represented.

Weiss set the letter in her hand down with the rest and let the mattress drop back into place.

Author's Note: I guess I should clarify that the "incident" Ozpin referred to in the last chapter was in fact Cinder and her crew trying to enact her (Salem's?) evil plan. Looks like Ironwood actually did his job in this alternate universe, and Cinder got caught.

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