Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
Edited by ToxicExotic
Chapter 52 - Seeking A Promise
The sounds of ringing filled Weiss' left ear as she held her Scroll to it. Behind her was the sound of a hundred people talking and mingling, the clinking of glasses and the occasional bark of laughter. Weiss didn't have a single care about what was happening in the room behind her though. The party may have been in full swing, but she was about to perform, and to do that, she needed a certain someone to drag her out of her sour mood that was produced by almost two hours spent standing next to her father discussing business. Just hearing him talk about her company had made her skin crawl.
"Come on, come on." She muttered impatiently to herself in the little alcove she found off to the side of the main room. She only had a couple of minutes.
She shifted from one foot to the other as she waited. In truth, she was a little nervous and really hoped Yang would pick up. The Scroll rang a few more times, and just as she started to think she would have to go on without talking to her girlfriend, the call was answered; though the voice that picked up wasn't what she was expecting.
"Hey, Snow Queen." A male voice said breathlessly, like they had been running. But there was a hint of humor to his gentle tone "What's…
"Fucker!"
There was a loud crash on the other end of the line, following what she knew to be Yang's voice, that made Weiss pull the device away from her ear. After what sounded like some scuffling, and some laughter in the background, Yang's deep breaths rang clear as day. "Hey, Beautiful."
"Yang? What was that crash?" She asked, a little worried.
"Just Banana Breath meeting his old friend, The Wall." Yang panted, clearly taking a moment to get her breath back. "What's up?"
"Oh," Weiss breathed a sigh of relief, putting together the pieces and realising why Yang had taken so long to answer. "I'm just about to go on. I wanted to call you first."
"Crap, didn't realise it was that time already. One sec." The sound of a door closing quietened the laughter. "You nervous?"
She sat down on a nearby chair and let out a soft sigh as she nodded, but quickly realised Yang couldn't see that. "A little." She breathed.
"I'm sure you will do great. You sounded amazing the other day."
Remembering the piano session where Yang had been listening from a previous call, she felt a smile force its way onto her face. But that wasn't the part she was actually worried about.
"It's less the recital, and more the other thing," Weiss replied quietly and fiddled with her off-centre ponytail to make sure it was positioned correctly. "If I don't get this promise of future funding, I lose my project."
"You've been studying this for two weeks," Yang chuckled on the other end of the call. "And you're probably the smartest person I know. You have this in the bag."
"But what if I screw up?"
"I'm sure Ironwood won't care too much." Yang said in a reassuring voice. "Plus, isn't he a family friend? Winter said he accepted her into the military at your mom's request."
"I know, but I don't want his funding for anything more than the merit of my project."
Weiss sighed and straightened out her white dress. She knew her mother could easily put in a good word like she did with Winter, but that was not how she wanted to conduct business just yet. In the future it would likely become inevitable that some partnerships and investments were made on the basis of trust and friendship, her grandfather had done as much after all, but she wanted her current project to all be through confidence that they would succeed. Even if it was only to prove to herself that she didn't need to know the right people to succeed.
"And you will, so just relax a little. Last time you were too tense, you made no progress with that Fletch guy."
"You're right," Weiss said and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out and feeling her nerves quell a little. "Kind of hard to not be nervous though."
"Eh," Yang said dismissively, the sound of springs in the background from what Weiss assumed was a bed. A bed she wished she had been occupying for the last couple of nights. "Nerves are good. It shows you care."
"Mmm, I guess."
"Good. So what're you gonna do when you get the promise?"
"If…"
"When."
Weiss felt her smile widen at the certainty of her girlfriend's voice and continued. "... I get the deal, I might take a few of my vacation days."
"Mmm, gonna whisk me away somewhere exotic, are you?"
"One day," she laughed. "But no. I was thinking that I could say I'm going on a spa retreat, but maybe spend the weekend at the apartment instead?"
"Are you asking me for permission?" Yang asked in amusement. "Because you ain't gonna hear me say no to that."
"I know," Weiss replied and stood up. "I just wanted to check you weren't busy."
"Never too busy for you, Gorgeous."
"Good," Weiss grinned and pulled the Scroll away from her ear to check the time to see she was to play in less than two minutes. "But I have to go. I'm about to play."
"Break a leg, Beautiful. Love you."
"Love you too."
As she heard the sound of a kiss being blown, Weiss hung up the phone with a wide smile on her face. Yang never failed to put her nerves at ease, so, feeling emboldened by the brief conversation, she took a deep breath and made her way back to the crowded room. With the conversation fresh in her mind, and the incentive to spend a weekend with Yang, she didn't doubt that she could give the audience quite a show.
The sound of music that had been filling the giant room for the last five minutes slowly began to die down, the remnants of her last notes slowly fading out. It had gone better than she expected, a few missed notes for sure; but after almost five years without playing, and only the few sparse sessions since regaining her passion, it certainly could have been worse. Thankfully, the song had felt right, and the entire time she played, she'd held Yang in the forefront of her mind, and felt her in every note she produced.
As those sunny notes finally dissipated, it was replaced by a slow, harsh clapping. As more people joined in and the sound grew in volume, Weiss stood from her stool and turned to face the audience. They all seemed to be smiling and happy, so Weiss took it as a good sign and gave them all a little curtsy. She felt oddly happy that people had enjoyed her performance so much, but not wanting to revel in the applause too much, she gave the guests a small wave and made her way back towards the crowd.
As she weaved her way back through the crowd, she received praise and congratulations from the guests, and happily replied by saying it was simply her pleasure to play. That was a lie, of course, since while she had enjoyed it, she would have preferred to have been able to focus exclusively on the meeting. But nonetheless, she smiled and waved until she reached her father.
He was already deep in conversation with an older man who had his silver hair tied back in a ponytail. Deep lines were etched on his face, and his body was rather slim; however, the man was clearly in great shape since he didn't require a walking stick or any assistance, and was moving around quite animatedly. Weiss knew he was a shareholder by the name of Edward Caspian, in fact, he was one of the oldest shareholders, and was a friend of her grandfather's before he had passed.
As she approached, they both turned to her and smiled, and the difference was night and day. Edwards was warm and friendly, inspiring comfort and a genuine feeling like he was happy to see her. Her father's, on the other hand, was clearly fake. It was cold and practised, nothing more than a show for those around him.
"Welcome back, Daughter." He said politely, but there was no warmth in his voice.
"Hello, Father. Edward."
"It's good to see you again, Weiss." The man replied, his voice filled with actual warmth as he held out his hand. She shook it happily. "Your playing was beautiful. Right, Jacques?"
"A few missed notes," The elder Schnee remarked offhandedly, though Weiss knew it was only supposed to appear that way. "But yes. Even without playing for years, she shows skill befitting a Schnee."
"Oh come now, Jacques." Edward said with a chuckle. "It would hardly kill you to compliment your daughter on her talents."
"Thank you, Edward," Weiss chuckled at the man's jab, but quickly let the humor fade and replaced it with a respect that made her stomach churn. "But my father is right, there were some off notes. I will be more practised next time."
"Then I expect an invite."
"Naturally." She smiled. "Forgive me, but I don't suppose you have seen General Ironwood around?"
"Haha, eager to work on the man huh?" Edward laughed heartily. "With your drive, I suspect you will have that promise in record time. But alas, I believe he is taking a call right now; so why don't you join us for a little talk to satiate your business appetite? Your father was just telling me about his upcoming trip to Mistral in two weeks to check on our offices overseas."
Weiss looked towards the doors to a side room and saw a female atlesian guard standing next to it. The white and blue uniform accentuated her brown skin, and the sides of her hair were shaved short, the middle left slightly longer and two tufts of white standing out at the front. Though she looked rather relaxed as she leaned against the wall, her purple eyes scanned the room, keenly alert for any dangers the room may hold. It was very clear she wouldn't be getting through to see the General anytime soon, so she turned back to Edward with a smile and gave a nod.
"Great," The man said happily. "Please continue, Jacques."
"Well, as I was saying, productivity of the mines has been down lately." He said dryly, returning to his usual business voice. "Talks of strikes, and unfair wages. Preposterous ramblings, of course, we pay them all the same."
"Ahh, that we do." Caspien hummed. "But given the recent dip in Mistral's economy, it's hardly surprising that the people are worried. Surely you can see their side of the argument?"
"What I see is my employees complaining about things that we had no part in, instead of their own government." Jacques replied coldly, though the older man seemed unfazed. "Why should we be paying more because their kingdom is unable to keep it's finances in order."
"Hmm, not untrue, though a little heartless." Edward said before he turned in her direction. "What are your thoughts, Weiss?"
"I don't think this is my call to make."
"Oh come now. You are the heiress, destined to take over one day. I would love to hear your opinion of this situation."
"Well…" Weiss hummed thoughtfully, not daring to look her father in the eye. "They are our employees, and while it is true that we aren't obligated to raise their wages, they would hardly be productive if they are homeless and hungry."
"So you think their wages should be raised?"
"I think everyone should be able to afford the necessities." Weiss corrected him, feeling her father's eyes bore into the side of her head. "A roof over their head, food in their fridge. The basics. It isn't, however, our place to pay for the unnecessary."
"I agree."
"And where do both of you propose this money come from?" Jacques said tiredly.
"We are the world's most profitable company," Weiss retorted, earning a nod of confirmation from Edward. "I'm sure we could afford to raise our wages to suit a certain standard of living. Unless all those controversies have affected our stocks more than I'm aware of?"
Weiss couldn't help but take the small jab, which caused her father to immediately glare at her in response. The controversies had certainly affected the company, but it was still more than capable of increasing wages a little. So to hear her father try and use the excuse about how it wasn't the company's job to make sure their employees' personal lives were stable, at the very least, when in reality he simply wanted to save money, rubbed her the wrong way.
"Fortunately not. Though there have been a few too many," Edward said pointedly. "I also don't believe we are in such a position where we cannot be open to discussing their wages. Perhaps this is something that we should discuss further. Before your trip."
"Fine, but I still do not see how this is our issue."
You never do, Weiss thought to herself. Thankfully, Edward seemed to be on her side as well. Weiss was happy that at least a few of her grandfather's friends were still involved in the company. Unfortunately, there really were only a few.
"I know you don't, but it is something the board should discuss." he said, and Weiss detected a little edge to his voice. "Have you considered joining him for this trip, Weiss?"
"I'm not sure what use I would be if Father is already there." Weiss replied with a forced chuckle.
"I'm sure there is a lot that a bright young woman such as yourself could do."
"I couldn't agree more, Ed."
Weiss turned to see who had spoken and was surprised to see Ironwood was standing right behind her. She hadn't seen a picture of him in some time, so she was surprised that he looked so tired. Though still kind, his blue eyes had started to betray his age, as did the wrinkles around them. A black beard covered his face, only having received the barest trimming to at least straighten it out, and his hair was very much in the same dishevelled state. Though, in stark contrast, his clothes were pristine.
The blue shirt and red tie stood out vibrantly underneath the white vest. Over all of them he wore a long white coat, with pressed blue pants and black boots. On his hip, just peeking out from the open coat was a holster, in which a pair of guns sat either side of his hip. The look exuded an aura of authority that put any thought of the man being past his prime to bed, as there was no doubt the man before her was still a force to be reckoned with.
The thing that surprised her most however, was that she caught a familiar face in the corner of her eye, and turned to see her sister standing behind the General. She was dressed in more formal attire, but it was still quite militaristic. A white collared shirt was beneath her white coat with pale blue embroidery on the shoulders, and around her neck was a silver brooch with a ruby in its center that Weiss knew once belonged to their grandmother. Just like her boss, blue pants and boots completed her look. But as she gazed into her sister's eyes, one of the woman's eyebrows raised in disapproval and she immediately returned her gaze to General Ironwood.
"Such kind words, General Ironwood." She replied with a smile, happy that he had at least sought her out first.
"You're a family friend, call me James." He replied with a smile that made him look younger by a considerable amount.
"It's good to see you again, James." Edwards said with a smile, the two men shaking hands. "You're looking old, my friend."
"You still have me beat on the silver hair though, Ed." Ironwood chuckled as stroked his own grey patch and turned to look at the other white-haired man. "Jacques." He said in a dull voice.
"James." Everyone knew that the two men didn't exactly get along. In fact, if it weren't for the fact they had to do business together, Weiss doubted they would ever talk. However, Jacques eyes roamed over to Winter "And my ungrateful daughter has come home. Again."
"I would say hello, but I'm busy doing my job," Winter scowled in return. "Thankf…"
"Winter!" Ironwood cut her off sternly, and the woman immediately fell silent. It was odd for Weiss to see the woman that she had always seen as the epitome of disobedience fall in line so quickly. "No arguments today, please."
"My apologies, Sir."
Ironwood let out a low sigh that really did betray just how tired he was. But after running a hand over his face, he looked back up with a smile. "Anyway, I cannot stay long. There is business back in Atlas that I must attend to."
"What a shame." Jacques replied, and though he was trying to appear genuine, the sarcasm was obvious.
"Quite," Weiss added, purposely letting her smile falter. "I was hoping I could talk to you. Mother recently divulged a few stories of her college days, and I would love to hear more from an old school friend."
Out the corner of her eyes, she saw the almost imperceptible shaking of Winter's head; but Ironwood simply smiled. "Well I do have another forty minutes before I leave, and I am always happy to talk about Willow; though this place is a little too loud for any real discussion. Would you care to accompany me on a stroll around Beacon's campus?"
"I would be more than happy to join you." Weiss said with a happy smile and turned back to Caspian. "I'm sorry to leave you so soon, Edward."
"Oh please, I know the allure of learning a parent's secrets; though you should always be careful with what private things you find out. Not all are pleasant." He said with a wink, though Weiss was certain she saw his eye dart to Jacques first. "But please give some thought to my suggestion of you visiting Mistral."
There was an insistence in his voice that made it clear he wanted her to go. Edward was a good man, and she knew he was on board with giving the Mistral worker's their wage increase, so was he hoping she could do something to convince her father? That certainly wasn't going to happen since it was clear the man's mind was already made up. However, a sudden surge of inspiration came to her, and if she timed it right, she could certainly find a way to make everyone but her father happy. And that was something Weiss was always willing to do.
So as she walked to Ironwood's side, she nodded to the shareholder and received a delighted smile in return before returning to his conversation with her father. She looked up at the General, as he was quite a tall man, too se him mimic the same smile down at her and turn to address Winter, as well as the dark-skinned woman that stood beside her.
"Winter. Harriet. You may stay here."
"Are you sure, Sir?"
"I hardly doubt your sister is going to try and assassinate me." He chuckled. "Take a break, and say hello to your brother. He looks bored." Weiss looked over at Whitley to see that he did indeed look quite bored as he absentmindedly inspected a painting. "And make sure Harriet doesn't spill anything."
"I can't promise anything."
"Hey!" The girl said, the insult in her voice obvious. "Is that any way to talk about your best friend?"
"Vine isn't here."
"Pfft, whatever. I bet I can go all night without spilling anything."
"You know what?" Winter said with a raised eyebrow as she turned to the other woman, who seemed more alive. "As your competitive nature will likely mean less babysitting for me, I will take that bet."
"Yes, well… Enjoy yourselves." Ironwood replied with a shake of his head, the action telling Weiss that the interaction that had just happened wasn't too far out of the norm. "Shall we go, Weiss?"
She gave a small nod and Ironwood set off at a slow pace towards the door, Weiss quickly falling into step with him. As they made their way towards the entrance, a few more people waved hello to her, and she politely waved back; as did General Ironwood. At one point a faunus waiter tried to offer them a beverage, but they both turned it away. But finally, they reached the entrance and James pushed the twin doors open to reveal the darkening sky.
The smell of seawater and the roar of the nearby waterfall reached her immediately once they stepped out, a stark difference to the smell of mingled perfume and food from inside the museum. If she was honest, she liked it more. So as Ironwood stepped leisurely down the steps, Weiss was happy to see he make a beeline for the low wall that stopped people from falling off the cliff and into the ocean.
"So how much did your mother tell you of our college days?" He said in interest once they reached the wall, the beautiful view of Vale still visible in what little light remained.
"She told me you were close friends." Weiss replied with a smile. "So much so that she squared things away with the dean when you were caught sneaking beer onto the campus."
"Ahhh yes, our rebel days," He chuckled fondly. "I remember the parties well, though with quite a bit of embarrassment too."
"It's hard to imagine you were ever a party boy, nor that my mother was."
"We were not always so old," He grinned, causing a little of the youth he was remembering to return to his face. "It was good to get away from the stress of Atlas Academy on occasion. The level of education is great, but the rules are a little... stifling."
"Part of the reason I decided on Beacon. Plus, it's a lot smaller so I doubt I would get stuck if I decided to climb it." Weiss chuckled as Ironwood's eyes widened slightly. "How does someone get stuck on the side of a building?"
"Your mother really told you that?" He replied with a bark of laughter, the sounds quite pleasant. "I suppose she neglected to tell you that it was her challenge that led to that… predicament."
Weiss gave the man a surprised look. "She didn't mention that, no."
"Well it was," Ironwood said, the laughter fading and a more gentle fondness overtaking his face. "Your mother was an exceptional woman. Smart, beautiful, driven, and a more fierce friend I have never known; but she was also quite mischievous in her youth. You remind me of her quite a bit, though she had less of a penchant for lying."
Weiss looked up at him as they circled the campus, the few students that were running the risk of breaking curfew to spend a couple of extra minutes outside glancing curiously towards them. There was a knowing look in the man's eyes as his smile widened. She knew the game was up, and let out a sigh at the fact that she hadn't been able to convince him for very long.
"Who told you?"
"Your father usually only invites me to these things when he wishes to discuss business?" Ironwood said, though there was no loss of warmth from his tone. "But he has barely even acknowledged me. You, on the other hand…"
"My apologies, James," Weiss said sincerely, letting her head return to watch where they were walking. "I shouldn't have misled you."
"You are hardly the first," He shook his head in amusement and came to a stop. His hands came to a rest on the wall and Weiss heard a distinctive metal clink as he set the left one down. "I assume you want to talk about that chip of yours? I must admit that the project does intrigue me."
"It really is a great project," Weiss replied, ditching the pretence and stopping beside him, resting on her elbows as she leant onto the wall too. "One I really want to succeed."
"And I want it to succeed too." Ironwood said in a measured tone as his eyes scanned Vale's skyline. "I have known many proud soldiers who had to be discharged due to nerve damage, despite still having plenty of fight left in them. But I am sure you understand why I am hesitant to back a project with no real results. A project that my own advisers say will not work."
"Your advisers are clearly underestimating Dr Polendina." Weiss replied.
"Maybe.
"But your concerns are valid. Research has only just begun, and we are years away from any kind of trials. I can't promise you anything if you invest now."
"Not a very compelling argument there, Weiss." Ironwood chuckled and shook his head.
"Yes. Well I don't intend to be like my father, making up whatever false promises I have to so that I can get your money."
"And I appreciate that, but I am afraid that even your honesty cannot get me to offer you funding today."
"I know, that is why I'm not seeking it." Weiss let out a deep breath. "That is why I wish to make you an offer."
Weiss kept her focus on the city, but she knew Ironwood had turned to look at her. She had never fooled herself into thinking that she could convince the General of anything, because as it was, it was very true that they had nothing to really bargain. Even as she looked over everything that had been compiled so far, she hadn't seen anything that gave an absolute that the project would work. All she had so far was the confidence of Dr Polendina's belief that it would be scientifically possible, and a hope that it would succeed. But that was all she needed. Polendina was a genius and understood the body better than anyone else on Remnant. If he said it was possible, then just like her grandfather would have, she was willing to take that risk.
"You have me intrigued." Ironwood said slowly, his gaze returning to the water and his eyes following a boat that was skimming across the water. "What kind of offer?"
"An extra ten precent." She stated simply. "I don't expect you to invest today, but I do want to go back into that museum with a promise that, if we can show you definitive results in the next two years, you will offer us funding. In return, I am willing to shave another ten percent off your purchase price when the chip is ready, totally forty percent. You won't find a better rate than that."
"Surely those are your father's decisions to make? What assurance do I have that you will uphold your end of the bargain?"
Weiss stayed silent for a moment, not sure exactly how much she wanted to divulge. But he was right. Though it was her project, the board had final sign off on the pricing of all development, and she didn't know any other way to convince him but to tell him the truth. So taking a deep breath, she looked ahead and let confidence overcome her features, as she knew he was likely inspecting her for any fault.
"Father will not be making any decisions very soon." She said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. "His time as CEO of the STC is coming to an end. I will be seeing to that personally."
"Hmm," Ironwood hummed thoughtfully, his hand curling into a fist. "I guess your sister was being honest about your coup then." Weiss couldn't stop her mask from slipping as she turned to him in surprise, but he merely chuckled in return. "Yes, she told me. And for what it's worth, I am in full support."
"You are?" Weiss asked, expecting Ironwood to be a little more put off by the idea of what was basically insubordination.
Something shifted in the man's blue eyes, a darkness that made him look far older. It tainted the rest of his features, and sent a shiver of fear through Weiss as she immediately recognised it as hate.
"That man is a foul human being," His tone was dark and foreboding. "I warned your mother the first time I met him, but she didn't listen. She was blinded by his silver tongue, and now all I see are the scars of everything he has done. Your mother, a brilliant woman, defeated and crushed. Your sister, haunted and scarred far more than she lets on. Even the Faunus of Mantle, emboldened by the White Fang due to his treatment of them. I would not cry a single tear should he be stripped of every bit of Lien he owns and thrown to the streets."
"Which is why I want him out." Weiss agreed with a nod. "He has done far too much damage to everyone with my grandfather's company. I wish to take it in a new direction. One that is better for everyone on Remnant. Where we don't just make televisions and Scrolls, but change the very existence of people for the better. This project is my first step to that goal."
"And as much as I admire that goal, it does not change that you have no proof of concept for me." Ironwood said with a heavy sigh.
"Then It is good that I am asking for nothing more than a promise that will only come into effect if I can provide you some down the line."
Another silence fell over them and Weiss let it continue as she knew the man was thinking the proposal over. As she waited, she looked toward the twin towers in the distance, where she knew Yang as likely hoping that she succeeded. She wanted to make it happen so that she could make their relationship public sooner too, but even if it didn't, there were other things in the works that would guarantee that happened anyway.
"Perhaps if you moved the proje…"
"I can't." Weiss cut him off. She knew what his demand would be, but she had already set her terms, it was time to take control of the conversation.
"We could offer you more than the RMRF if you did."
"You could, but not more than both you and them combined." She said firmly. "I do not want this to be a military product, James. I want this in the hands of everyone who needs it, and to do that I need it to be as cheap as I can possibly make it for people. Funding from both of you is what I need for that to happen, and I will lose the RMRF completely if this project is moved to Atlas."
Ironwood let out another sigh and stood up straight. From his desire to have the project moved, she knew she had him, but she had to hold firm in her offer. Thankfully, a second sigh soon followed, a more resigned one that confirmed the battle was hers.
"Forty-five." He said, his own voice as firm as hers as he turned towards her and his blue eyes looked into her own.
Weiss turned to him and thought about it for a second. She could compromise a little. "Forty-two. Final offer, James."
A small smirk pulled at the older man's lips, and after a second, he held out his hand with a nod. "I can do that."
Joy exploded inside Weiss and a smile broke out on her face, but she kept it under control. With an enormous amount of effort, she suppressed her shaking and reached out to shake his hand.
"If you are able to show me results in the next two years, then I promise that you will have the funding of the Atlesian military. But my promise is with you, and you alone."
"Understood, General. In return, the Schnee Tech Company will give the Atlas military, and all personnel, a forty-two percent investor's discount when the project is complete."
"Good," The man said with a happy smile. "I really do hope that your project succeeds, Weiss."
"I doubt you would waste your time with such a promise if you didn't have faith."
"You are right there," He chuckled and stepped away from the wall. "I learned at a young age never to underestimate a Schnee's determination, and I have yet to ever be proven wrong."
"Good." She mimicked with a smirk as they both set off as a slow pace towards the museum again.
Weiss was glad for the short silence that overcame them as they walked, since it allowed her to process what had just happened. She had received the promise. She was keeping her project. Should they produce results, then she was one step closer to making her mark on the world. But the thing that was most important to her at the very moment was that she was one step closer to being able to reveal her relationship with Yang.
With Ironwood's promise being tied to her directly, her removal from the company meant the promise went with it. It was a form of leverage that her father couldn't deny, and one that she doubted he would risk as it wouldn't be available again for some time. And though it wasn't enough to secure her position just yet, it was certainly a good thing to have in her corner. However, there was still more to her plan, and still more that she needed from the General himself.
"There is something else I would like to ask you, if you don't mind?" She broke the silence cautiously and James looked towards her with interest.
"Not another project you want me to invest in, I hope?" He asked in return, and gave a short chuckle when she shook her head. "Then feel free."
"Well, with your recent... enforcement... of new laws in Atlas, I believe I would be correct in assuming you work closely with the council?"
"I do. And I take it from your hesitance to call my actions what they are that you don't agree with them?"
"I don't, bu…"
"It's fine, Weiss." Ironwood sighed heavily. "I am used to my decisions being questioned, and people are right to do so. I don't like the registry either, but it is saving lives."
Weiss stopped and placed a hand on the man's arm to get his attention. "That is not my question, James." She corrected him with a look into his eyes. It was clear from the sadness behind them that his words were genuine, and that the lengths he was going to weighed heavily on him too. "I understand you have your reasons for doing what you must, even if I don't agree with how you're doing them. Hopefully my company can help lessen that burden in the future."
"I hope so too," He said quietly, but shook his head and looked up. "So what is it you wanted to ask me?"
"Well, since you work closely with the council," Weiss elaborated as they began to walk again. "I was wondering if you could give me some information on a couple of people?"
"So long as it isn't confidential, I don't think that will be an issue. What are their names?"
"Carmine Esclados and Bertilak Celadon."
It was subtle, but Weiss saw his eyes dart suspiciously to her. Clearly the names were familiar to him. "Those are two rather specific names." He remarked, confirming her suspicions.
"I take that to mean that you know them?"
"Unfortunately." James replied, her gaze returning to the path ahead of them. "They were inspectors for the council, but both were let go after allegations that they took money to falsify a report. There was never any proof, but the building burned down a week after they passed it. I'm guessing that this is something to do with your coup?"
"Yes. And you just helped immensely." Weiss confirmed, feeling no need to hide it from him. He had just given her all the confirmation she needed that her father had been engaged in bribery, and because of that, she was finally ready to put her plan into action. "Would it be possible for you to send those files to me?"
"They are unreleased as of right now." Ironwood hummed. "But considering the cause, I'm sure I can get them to you."
"Thank you."
"Is that all?" He chuckled, clearly knowing it wasn't.
"Almost."
They came to a stop at the door of the museum, the thick wood keeping a majority of the noise out. Weiss didn't want to go back inside, but she knew she had to. She had to keep up appearances, right up until the very end.
"I need a way out of this party. A way that doesn't make people suspicious. Namely my father."
"Hmm." He raised a hand and stroked his chin as he thought for a second, but the idea visibly formed behind his eyes and he gave a short nod. "I can organise that. I will give you ten minutes."
"Thank you, James." She breathed, glad to have a military general on her side. " For everything."
"It's no problem. Our goals align after all."
Weiss placed her hand on the door and prepared to pull it open, but before she did, she looked back at the older man with an understanding smile. "By the way, my mother isn't crushed. She has been working hard lately to fight off what my father has done. But I am sure she could use a friend again, so maybe you should call her."
His eyes seemed happy at her words, and he gave a short, understanding nod. With that, Weiss smiled and pulled the door open, walking back into the loud party to once again be met with the smell of perfume and food. Walking back through the crowd, she spotted her father talking to yet another shareholder a small distance away, and as their eyes made contact, she gave him a subtle nod to show that she had succeeded in her task. She also held back bile as she stared into the cold eyes of the man. His face was impassive at first, but a greedy grin broke out on his face as he turned back to the other woman.
Since she didn't want to face him, she made her way over to one of the new paintings that hung on the walls and inspected it, as she did with the next as well, and the next; all while counting the minutes in her head. Ironwood said he would have her out in ten minutes, and given his line of work, she knew that would be exactly when it happened. However, just as she counted the third minute in her head, the tall form of her sister sidled up beside her.
"It appears you won the General over." She stated simply, her eyes roaming over the art too.
"Mhm." Weiss hummed, suspicious about what Winter was doing as she realised that Ironwood hadn't actually filled her in on the plan. "I'm just happy it went well." She said, unable to keep the relief from her voice.
"Yes, well I did say that General Ironwood was excited to meet you." The woman chuckled as they moved to the next painting. "So, how is the apartment serving you?"
"It's… okay." Weiss replied. "Still taking a little while to adjust."
"Mmm. I can understand why." Winter placed her hands behind her back and a softer tone entered her voice. "I hope it works out. I will also be signing it over to you tomorrow before I leave, after all."
"Wh-what?"
Weiss couldn't help but be shocked at those words. She knew her sister hated the apartment, that the use of it had been very sparse in general, but for it to be given away like it meant nothing was a bit of a surprise.
"I don't use it, and I never intend to." Winter explained carefully. "You have found more use in it during the last two weeks than I have in years, and quite honestly, I'm tired of paying for water and power that I do not use. So you either accept, or I sell it once you are done with it."
"I… Are you sure?" Winter gave a short nod and came to a stop against an empty space of the wall. After a second of thought on how good it would be to actually own her own place for when everything went down, Weiss finally gave a short nod. "Fine, but I want to at least give you half the value back."
"I am assuming you won't take no for an answer?" Weiss shook her head, and Winter gave her a smirk. "Very well. Though now, I now don't feel quite as bad for this."
"Huh? For wh…"
Before Weiss could even finish her sentence, a small yelp of surprise came from behind her, followed by a loud clanging of metal on wood. She didn't even have time to turn around when a flood of tepid liquid splashed against her back and over her shoulder. In less than a second, her white dress was stained red from the wine, and from the wet sensation on her head, she knew it was in her hair as well. She quickly spun around to find the culprit and was greeted by Ironwood's other guard, Harriet, holding up a Faunus waiter and apologising profusely.
"Harriet!" Winter half-shouted as she took a step forward, all eyes in the room on them. "How many times must we tell you to be careful?"
"I'm sorry," The girl said frantically, though Weiss could see her eyes were just as alive as when she had accepted the challenge earlier and realisation dawned on her. "Ironwood sent me to get you and he was in a hurry and I didn't see the wai…" She cut off her rambling and her eyes darted to Weiss to scan her up and down. "Shit. It went all over you."
"That is not an apology!" Winter almost bellowed, the people nearby shrinking back slightly as Winter stood up to her full height.
"I…" Harriet looked between the two and quickly stood up straight herself, though her smaller frame was nowhere near as intimidating as Winter's. "You're right. Weiss, I sincerely apologise for my clumsiness."
Weiss looked at her, unsure what to do for a second. She knew it was just a ploy, and that she herself had requested it, but being covered in liquid that was turning sticky rather quickly and making the fabric of her dress uncomfortable would make anyone a little grumpy. Despite that though, she didn't want to be too harsh.
"Yes," She sighed as she shook her hand free of the wine that was dripping down it. "Accidents happen. Though I expect you will take responsibility for the cleaning bill?"
"Of course." Harriet replied immediately.
"Just be grateful that my sis…"
"That's enough."
Ironwood's voice wasn't raised, nor was it aggressive; but there was something to it that sent a shiver of worry down Weiss' soaked back. Though she knew it was fake, that didn't change how steeped in authority his voice was, and even had the other two girls next to her not been in on the plan, Weiss doubted they would act any different. The argument stopped instantly, and they both snapped to attention as he approached.
"You," He motioned to the waiter who was trying to quietly clean up as much of the red wine as he could. "Leave it. Bring Harriet a mop and she will clean up her own mess." The man stood up with a nod and James' attention turned to Winter. "What did I say about causing a scene today, Schnee?"
"Do not make one, Sir. My apologies, General Ironwood."
His eyes bored into Winter's for a moment, but Weiss was close enough that she saw the corner of his lips twitch. Finally though, he let out a sigh and turned to look at her instead. "I apologise for my operatives' clumsiness, Miss Schnee."
"It's fine, James," Weiss replied with a shake of her head. "I think I should head home and shower though."
"Of course. Would you like my driver to take you?"
"No thank you, I have my own." Weiss smiled as she shook off another bead of wine. "You could tell my father that I must go though, if you don't mind?"
"It's the least I can do."
With a small nod of gratitude to the man, which she hoped he understood, Weiss walked past him to the door, very aware that all eyes were on her. As she approached them, she signalled for one of the greeters to fetch her bag, and it only took him a couple seconds to disappear into the side room and reappear with her clutch. Taking it from him with her non-wine soaked hand, she slung it over her shoulder and pulled out her Scroll and sent a message to Hazel who she had ordered to wait nearby, and pushed the doors open.
The wind had grown a little stronger in the few minutes she had been inside, though that could have been due to the liquid on her skin that was slowly getting colder. And as she waited for Hazel to arrive, she couldn't help but wish Ironwood had chosen a more comfortable way to free her from the party.
Weiss was greeted by the empty atrium of Schnee manor, the cold wind outside incomparable to the chilled air of the mansion. With the tiled floor and walls, and metal armor that stood on the sides, it wasn't hard to imagine why it was perpetually cold. She knew it would be empty of course, as she'd called Klein ahead of her arrival to make sure of it. However, not wanting to be seen, she closed the door and made her way straight for her father's office.
It was less than a minute until she pushed her way into the even colder office, and not wasting a single moment, she moved along to the home computer; not daring to sit down for fear of leaving a stain. Her Scroll was opened and she typed in the password her mother had told her, and Weiss let out a breath of relief as she finally got past the lock screen she had been stumped at all week. Happiness rushed through her, and she brought up all the other names and dates she had stored on a document on her personal device and quickly began to search through the computer.
It took almost half an hour. Half an hour of trying numerous things such as the name of the inspectors, the name of the mine they had examined. Half an hour of finding nothing. But then it hit her. She had tried a date, the date of the inspection, and a file came up. But that wasn't the only one. Four more dates of other inspections that she had noted down brought up a file each, all of them zipped and locked with a passcode. Thankfully, the man was arrogant enough that he'd used the same code as his login, and Weiss quickly read through what was in the files. There wasn't as much as she'd hoped for, but each one caused her grin to widen significantly, and as she copied them over to her Scroll, she couldn't help but vocalise her happiness.
"Got you, you bastard." She muttered to herself.
A/N
Hello everyone. Actually feeling a little under-the-weather at the minute, so forgive me if this is a little shorter than usual. I really hope you enjoyed what is the end of the arc, and are eager for what is to come. Toxic has already read the plan that Weiss has devised, and is actually nervous about how it will go xD So hopefully you are eager for that too.
This chapter I mainly wanted to focus on the meeting with Ironwood, but I will admit that there is a lot in this chapter, even some stuff that isn't obvious, that will come into play. As I said though, this is the end of this arc. The next one starts soon, and will be the penultimate one. That means there are only 2 arcs left to go ;-; But don't worry, there are still plenty of chapters left. This story is planned to be around 75-80. So there is still plenty left.
The next chapter will be up on the 3rd of March.
But yeah, that's it from me. I would write more, but I feel like garbage and I haven't been sleeping well xD I hope you all enjoyed, and a huge thank you again to crazyringo, kurayamikara, and Zoro50 for the kind words :)
