Weiss awoke to a soft knock on her bedroom door. With a groan she turned her head, expecting to find a ball of ruffled red hair beside her but only discovering a bare, cold pillow in its place. Her eyes opening in realization as she shot up from her spot on the bed to scan the room surrounding her to only recognize it as her bedroom back in the Schnee Manor. The events of the following day finally came back to her.
'The reunion with her family, the conversation with Klein and her mother, and the events that took place at dinner that evening.'
'Ruby and their child taken from her by her so-called Father.'
Weiss clenched her fist at the last thought. It had only been so long since Ruby was taken and every day the thought still filled her with rage and the urge to just grab her weapon, walk down to her father's office and stab him with it felt so tempting.
But no, that is not the plan.
The knock on her door shook Weiss out of her thoughts and lessened her anger as she recognized the voice on the other side that spoke out to her.
"Miss Schnee, your Father, Mother and Master William are waiting for you downstairs in the foyer." The kind and sweet voice said through the door. "I suggest you get ready as quick as you can since you already slept through breakfast."
With a sigh, Weiss got up from her bed and made her way to the door. Opening it slightly, Weiss was greeted with sight of Klein smiling at her.
"Good morning snowflake. I took it you slept well?" The cheery man asked, his eyes a loving shade of blue as they looked at her.
"Like a princess." Weiss answered with a small smirk. Klein let out a small chuckle at her response. Said exchange was an everyday occurrence for the two ever since she was a small child and imagined herself the Princess of Atlas. Klein and Winter were the only two to entertain her fantasy while her mother had just started to drink, and her father did what he could to discourage such behavior in his home.
Klein's grin grew wider as his eyes shined with a small bit of playfulness in them as they turned orange. "I must say Miss Schnee, I don't recall you having such sleep wear the last time you were in the manor."
Tilting her head in confusion, Weiss looked down to see that she was wearing a black tank top with a heart shaped Grimm and rose patterned bottoms, Ruby's pajamas.
With a blush, Weiss turned her head away from Klein who was smirking at her. "Well, I…uh…brought this from Patch. They just…. help me sleep better."
"Hmmm, I take it that a certain younger girl had influenced such a decision?"
With her blush growing, Weiss nodded her head. "You can say that." Weiss did want to tell Klein that she was wearing Ruby's pjs as she was not sure she could handle such teasing from the man.
"Well, as long as you are comfortable, that is all that matters." Klein said with a kind smile. "Now, your family and Master William are waiting for you downstairs."
"Yes Klein. Thank you. Please inform Mother that I will be down shorty."
With a small bow, Klein turned away from the door and headed back downstairs to inform the others as Weiss closed the door and rested her head on it, letting out a small sigh as she prepared herself for the day.
Pushing off the door, she headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She finished up her rinse and reached for the bottle of vanilla scented shampoo before stopping, her eyes glancing over the little used strawberry scented shampoo. Weiss hesitated for only a moment before smiling.
After going through her ritual of morning hygiene, she excited the bathroom only to see the worst thing she could see in the morning.
William was sitting on her bed with an awfully familiar photo frame resting in his hand, and she was only covered in a small towel.
Sensing something, William turned around and a massive blush enveloped his face that he attempted to hid by turning his head. "Weiss darling." He said before letting out a cough and adjusted the collar of his suit. "I apologize for interrupting you but," he stood up from his spot and turned towards her, though his eyes seemed to look everywhere but at her. "Your father and I were getting worried when…."
"What the hell are you doing in my room!?" Weiss yelled, her hand subconsciously moving to her side, reaching for the weapon that was not there but instead was sitting in its case on the other side of the room.
"Well like I was saying," William took a step closer but stopped once he saw Weiss take a step back. The look of disappointment was evident on his face. "Your father and I were getting worried when you didn't show up to breakfast on time. So, I thought it would be prudent for me to come up and check on you. You took an awfully long time in the shower by the way."
It took every fiber of her being for Weiss not to blush brighter than a tomato. After applying the strawberry shampoo, it reminded her of Ruby and of the last time they took a shower together. Thus, a few, 'tingling sensations' became evident, and she decided to take the chance to quell; the urges. After all, it was only a few days ago that Ruby and she were spending almost every day together and that meant plenty of time to get up to no good.
Weiss scoffed with a turn of her head, "That's because I needed to wash off your stench after having to sit by you at dinner last night." She returned her attention to William, "Now get out of my room before I decided to summon a Beowulf that would love to have you for breakfast." She started moving her hands in a small motion, her glyphs forming on the ground in front of William.
Said man quickly took several steps back, hands up in front of him. "Ah yes, best I leave you to get ready. Your father's butler,"
"Klein." Weiss sternly stated.
"Yes, Klein, of course. He brought up a dress and set it on the bed for you to wear at today's lunch. See you then my love." He said as he turned around and walked towards the door. He had just reached it before stopping and looking back at her with a small smile. "Oh and, great team you have there. I'm sure they all miss you." He gestured to the bed before retreating out the door.
Weiss let out a sigh and held her head in her palm. "That stupid fool just will not take a hint will he." Resisting the urge to take another long shower after another meeting, Weiss decided to take the dress her father laid out for her and proceeded to get ready for lunch with William and his parents.
As she approached the bed, she noticed what William was holding in his hands when she had entered. Picking it up, and taking a seat on the bed, she turned it over to see that it was a photo of her and her team after initiation. Funny, she does not remember bringing this with her from home? Maybe Klein or Winter or even her Mother brought it for her, though that would be a bit odd for them to bring something like that as she is supposed to be distancing herself from her time at Beacon.
Gazing over the photo, she could help but smile and run a finger of Ruby's smiling face. A small tear fell down her face as she gazed lovingly at her rose. 'Soon my love, just hold on a little longer, just for me.'
Wiping away the tear, she placed the photo on her nightstand before turning her attention to the dress that Klein brought. She was thankful that the dress was quite modest, it being a beautiful white sunflower dress with blue ring design on the bottom that reached her knees as well as a blue outline just below her cleavage that thankfully was barely revealing at all. It was a beautiful dress, and she could not help but be happy that her father agreed with her on that one.
After all, a Schnee is always the best dressed person in the room.
Once she was dressed and all the makeup needed, applied. She proceeded to grab her purse and head downstairs. Waiting at the bottom of the steps was William who was speaking with her father, while her mother and Klein stood off to the side.
Her mother and Klein gave her a kind and loving smile once they noticed her, William gave her a smile that seemed oddly…. kind while her father simply gave her a once over with his eyes before nodding in approval.
"You look lovely Weiss." William smiled at her once she reached his side. He attempted to put an arm around her waist, but a single glare clearly told him off.
Her father let out an approving hum. "That she does. It seems that gaining her mother's looks is one of her better qualities, and one that will prove useful, though I would be a fool to question my daughters intelligence. Maybe she got something from me after all." Weiss saw the glare her mother gave him at his words, but the man simply ignored her. "Now Weiss, William, your mother, and you will be going to see his parents for lunch and start preparing for the wedding. I expect the two of you," he looked between his wife and daughter, "to be at your best behavior and do nothing to disrespect the Schnee name."
"Yes father"
"Of course, Jacques."
The man nodded. "Good. Now I have business to attend to with the final contract and merging of William's parents' company that will take place after the wedding. Do not embarrass me while you are gone." His scroll started ringing just as he finished speaking. Pulling it out of his pocket, he gave Weiss a quick glance that was so fast that she would have sworn it never happened. "Klein, please ready the cars for us and it seems my day plans have changed. Give the pilot a call, I have need of him as well."
"Yes, sir." The butler said before heading outside and waving towards he chauffeurs who quickly readied the two shiny white cars. Both vehicles were very much indestructible with explosive/gas proof doors, reinflatable tires, weapons hidden inside that only a Schnee or one of their guards have access to, and even a fresh supply of blood for emergency transfusions. While her father was a cruel, manipulative, and a racist asshole, there was one thing she admired about him.
He was always prepared. He even did seem to care about the safety of his family, or rather his "investments", to some degree.
The four of them separated into their following cars. Weiss sat next to her mother and across from William as the started to drive off. The three rode in a strange silence for a while, one that Weiss enjoyed, before Will broke it.
"My parents are going to love you." He said with a smile at Weiss. "When I told them, it was a Schnee that stole my heart, the two of them wouldn't stop pestering about meeting you. Sadly, you were kidnapped before any arrangement could be made but now that you are safe with us," his eyes shifted to Willow before returning to her, "you three can finally meet."
"Oh, joy." Weiss said with a roll her eyes, earning a stern but playful look from her mother. "This day is just going to be lovely."
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"What is it?"
Jacques was not in a good mood. Being called out of the blue with extraordinarily little explanation while he had other plans for the day did not make him a happy man. Such happiness was obvious as he exited his private airship after it landed at his private SDC research lab.
This lab was used to study, research, and test out anything from Grimm and dust to military weapons and designer drugs. All virtually illegal but several products have already made their way onto the shelves and pumped millions of profits into the SDC. All of it was worth it, even with the risk of being discovered, the hidden gold mines that resided inside were worth billions both to Jacques himself, and to the SDC.
Such a worth of course required a large protection force as the entire mountain that the facility resided on was expertly hidden with state-of-the-art holographic technology that even the Atlas military did not have. People would see a simple mountain range instead of a large series of buildings.
It being hidden did wonders to protect it but for safety reasons, a large battalion of SDCSF (Schnee Dust Company Security Force), soldiers were stationed there. Each one was expertly trained, and many were former hunters/huntress or military personal and are paid handsomely for their skills and silence. Them, plus the several armored battle suits and other weapons, made this place a virtual fortress.
Still, that did not stop Jacques from feeling as if he was being watched.
"Sir, since you last were here," an old man, clearly a scientist with a heavy thick Atlassian accent with a badge on his chest revealing his name as 'Dr. Himmel Clauberg.', stepped forward and walked beside Jacques as the two walked into the facility both accompanied by a set of SDCSF officers for their protection, "we have witnessed several interesting phenomena with the subject. I believe it will be best for us to begin with extracting the main subject as soon as possible."
"What kind of phenomenon?"
"Let me show you sir." The doctor quickly led the way toward a series of doors and then down a long path that finally, after several long minutes, they reached their destination, a large steel, vault like door. The doctor swiped his badge in front of a scanner and then had his eye scanned using the retinal scanner. Suddenly, you could hear the door begin to unlock a series of hidden bolts and gears moved before the door slowly started swinging open.
Inside the room it was almost completely bare. No windows, only large lights on the ceiling giving it a natural looking feel and a few computer monitors, a large series of medical equipment that would give anyone chills, cameras everywhere you can see and a couple soldiers standing at the ready in front of the doors. In the center of the room however, rested a large white, glass case. There was no way to see in, but a person could see the flickering of movement on the inside. The doctor moved off another door that led to a series of stairs into a room that overlooked the entire area. Inside of it were a series of camera monitors and controls. With a push of a button, one of the monitors started playing a video.
"Here you go sir. This is the day that the subject was admitted to the facility and mere moments after you left." The doctor stepped aside as Jacques took his position in front of it.
The video started out with Jacques standing in front of the glass room, its white tint electronically removed. Inside was a woman with black/red hair that was clearly many months pregnant.
"Well, what can I say," Jacques recognized the sound of his own voice, "love it seems, makes people do stupid things, does it not?"
He watched himself walk out a set of doors as the woman looked on.
With a scream, the woman slammed her fist into the glass causing it to crack in a spider web like pattern. "Perfect." The woman said as she sat back onto the bed. ""Don't worry little one. Your mother will find us." The woman looked up to the ceiling above her, "I know she will."
"Now watch this sir." The doctor said as he stepped forward and activated a control that zoomed in onto the woman.
"You better not be wasting my time doctor. I have much more important matters to do." Jacques spoke with a very unamused tone as he returned his attention to the video.
"Of course, sir but trust me, you don't want to miss this."
Jacques watched as the woman held up her bloody hand that was clearly broken when suddenly her aura light up around her body before moving to her damaged hand. Within mere seconds the wound was completely healed, and it was as if nothing ever happened to it.
"Huh. Well, that's interesting." And with that the video paused and the screen went dark.
"What was that doctor?" The CEO questioned.
"That sir, was something completely unexpected." The doctor had an overly excited look on his face that would give any lesser man chills but for Jacques, it simply made him, uncomfortable. "I think the child inside might hold wonderous power. Given how it was conceived," Jacques gave the man a glare, but the man ignored it, "Since your daughter had taken the aura enhancements, I think that the child's aura and even its semblance have already been unlocked."
Jacques raised an eyebrow and turned his attention out the one-way mirror and staired at the glass case in the center of the room. "How is that possible? A person's aura cannot even manifest itself until they are of a pre-teen age. Even if it was, how is the woman still alive?"
The doctor grinned. "I don't know sir." He too turned his attention to the glass case. "But it is amazing and very intriguing to think about. Just imagine the child's potential. If its aura is powerful enough to merge with the mothers and heal a wound like that in mere seconds, just imagine what it can do once its is born."
"Indeed." Jacques turned his attention to Himmler. "What exactly is it you want me here for besides this?"
"Well sir, I wish to immediately extract the subject from the woman and start test immediately."
Silence filled the room as Jacques staired at the man for a few moments.
"…. extract the subject? You mean deliver the baby?"
"Yes sir."
"How far along is she?"
"Eight months sir so it will only be one month premature."
"One month yes but even at nice months there are risk of under development. I will not risk this child and its abilities just so you can play with your toys Doctor."
Himmler was clearly surprised by this. "But sir…."
"No!" Jacques was now clearly upset, and glared heavily at the doctor, "This child, even if was created through abnormal means, is still a Schnee and I will not let you risk its life just to satisfy your curiosity. The baby will be delivered when both it and Miss Rose are ready. Is that clear?"
The doctor stood in silence for a moment before nodding. "Yes sir, I will make sure everything is ready for the subjects birth."
Letting out a deep breath, Jacques nodded and started straightening out his pristine white suit. "Good. Now, I must be on my way. Call me when things progress and if you do, make sure to give me a better explanation or else ill find a new head researcher."
And with that, Jacques headed out the door, one of the officers following him as he did, the other standing back in the corner of the room.
The room was silent for a long time as the doctor moved to stand in front of the mirror, resting his hands on the control console.
"I will obey your wishes Jacques Schnee…but" the doctor lifted his head and staired out at the glass case, watching as the figure inside moved about her way before a smile crossed his lips. "sometimes things just don't go as planned."
….
The lone soldier in the room behind the doctor slowly made their way out the door and out of the doctor's line of sight as the man staired out the mirror. Once outside and the door shut, the fake image fell as the look of a tall military looking man fell and a short woman with mix matching brown and pink hair appeared.
Neo's mission was to track Jacques to where he was hiding Ruby, but Neo could not help but be impressed at her skills. Not one person questioned who she was, and no one suspected a thing. Though it did take all her skill to keep the look of shock off her face once she saw Ruby's condition. To be held in a glass case like that for all to watch just made Neo furious. She did not think of the redhead as a friend but as a fellow woman, being watched like that made her skin crawl and all she watched was to jam each man here with her weapon but no, she had other things to do.
Pulling out her scroll she quickly typed out a message.
'Roman,
Found Ruby. Not in the best of shape but looks healthy and well. Needs help ASAP. Crazy doctor wants the baby. Have to act fast.'
SEND.