Of Men and Monsters

by ArchaicPhenominon

A rouge, a fighter, an anomaly, and a butler enter Beacon with the cast we know and love. What are they capable of? What secrets do they have? All I know is, Remnant will never be the same. Four young men. One team. And one epic story to be told. (Rated M for stuff down the line.)

1. The Princess and The Paladin

AN: Greetings new readers and hello returning audience.

To the newcomers who follow this fandom, I hope to make an enjoyable story for you all.

What you are about to see is another project that has been floating around in my head for a while.

I've been a bit of a fan of RWBY for a while, and I thought, "Why not try an original team story?" So here I am. Plus it's my first time doing romance, so hopefully, I don't disappoint anyone.

The first four chapters will be like the introductory trailers, but the openings to them will be something that hasn't been done before. Either that or I just haven't seen it done by anyone else.

Hopefully the theme I'm going for is obvious.

Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to the late Monty Oum and his pals in Rooster Teeth. I only own my OCs.

Leave reviews and enjoy.

---

Story #1:

The scene opens on a table in a dark room. Four books lay on the table. From left to right there is a white one with light blue embroidery, a yellow one with bright red embroidery, a black one with white and gray embroidery, and a dark red one with black and gold embroidery.

We go to the first book, the white one. The title was: "The Princess and The Paladin". We open the book and begin reading.

'Once upon a time on a rainy night, there was a queen who was taking a carriage home with her young daughter. Along the way, they spotted a figure lying in the middle of the road. Worried, the two stopped to check on the figure, and saw that it was a young man in knight armor.'

'After rejuvenating the knight, they politely questioned him as to why he was face down on the road like that, only to learn that the young man could not remember why he was laying there. In fact, he couldn't even remember his own name!'

'Unable to leave the young amnesiac alone, the queen offered him a chance to accompany her and her daughter back to their home. Although somewhat reluctant, the young knight still chose to go, feeling that he needed to repay them for their kindness.'

'This decision would affect them more than any of them realized…'

---

Tonight, it had to be a full crowd. Each time she performed she would wonder how many people would come. She wondered, this time how many would it be? How many people were there just to see her? Was somebody fighting over a small seat? She would never really know, but at moments like this, she just knew it was going to be a packed house. Whenever she had a concert, it was like this in the stadium. She could hear all of them while waiting with excitement, talking amongst themselves. She could hear the rumors about her moving behind the closed curtains, from person to person, right from where she was standing.

But it didn't matter what they were saying about her, her family, or her company. When the curtains were opening, as she was heading to the middle of the stage, as thousands of eyes were looking at her, none of her affiliations would matter. When she would be brought under the spotlight, when she would take a final breath and finally sing, the history of her very name would not matter. Those who came to her concerts were not there simply because of who she was; it was for the voice she had.

Her voice was like a gift from the Divine. She could sing with a serenity like that of running water from a forest spring. She could project energetic merriment, comparable to the effects of caffeine in the morning. She could even communicate a strong and forceful message with her voice, like a bird that refused to be caged. The reputation of her beautiful voice was like a legend among the Kingdoms, for those who haven't heard her before. Those who did, however, were bewitched by such a singing talent like hers.

If one questioned how she has such a voice like that, a likely answer would be that her talent was 'given' to her… just like everything else she has in life.

Everything she gained, it was given to her. Her belongings, her talents, her physique, her very status, it was all given to her. Everything that was given to her was thanks to her family. The family that controlled the planet's most valued natural resource; the very same family that was associated with some of the shadiest business practices, all enacted by the current head of this family, which was her father, who gave her everything except one crucial thing: his affection.

Even with everything she was given, because of her affiliations with family and industry, she could give thanks for them. She could not thank the father who gave her status, who helped pass down her lineage to her, or for the skills she has. Her father was responsible for a state of dysfunction in her family; her mother driven to alcoholism, her sister running away to the military, and her brother being just as insensitive as their father. She could not forget nor forgive his coldness. So, with everything she was given, even this wonderful voice she trained to sing, she could not thank her father who gave it to her.

However, if there was truly anything she could be thankful for, there was certainly something. Not 'something', as a matter of fact, but 'someone'. Someone who wouldn't be out of place in her formal, uptight family.

And after all of her reservations against her current family, why would this girl be thankful to have this someone by her side if he did fit in so well? She could be thankful for this person not because her father gave him to her, but more like allow him to be there for her. This person, she felt like she earned him rather than he was given to her. However, a simpler reason was because he had been there for her. He was someone who easily spent most of his time with her during their lives, more so than many of her own blood relatives, including her family. In fact, in her opinion, he fit the position of 'noble' better than most of them ever did or could.

Courteous, polite, humble. Someone who walked into battle, sure of himself, not out of arrogance, but because he not only picked his battles carefully, he never gave up until he was victorious. And no matter what, he was there during her most dire times. No matter what, she could always rely on him, even for the most trivial things.

Even though she knew there were many hundreds if not thousands of people here already, filling the rows of seats in this theater, she wondered if he was among the crowds tonight. She wasn't completely sure; he had claimed that he had been called away for an unknown task, and sometimes he was needed for certain chores around the mansion, even during events like this. She wouldn't be surprised if that was the case now. Still, she thought of him for encouragement, before she had to go out to the stage.

At this moment, she recalled a couple of memories of him; one from a distant time, another from not so long ago. She wanted to push them back for now, but it seemed that her mind made them her priority now. The curtains drew up, and she could just see the numerous people in the audience. The announcer called out her name.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome… Weiss Schnee."

---

(Twelve Years Ago)

---

The rain was coming down hard, flooding the streets and the roads. Atlas was a region known for more snowy weather but when it was hot enough, there would be some chances of a cold, heavy rainfall.

The rain showered heavily over a long, elegant limousine as it drove down the watery road. Though it had a perfect polished white body paint, with a silver metal trimming, it could not be viewed in all of its glory during this weather, with no light to give the vehicle its much-deserved highlights. The long car stopped, the traffic light turning red. The interior was a dark color, illuminated by small lights across the roof of the limousine. Sitting in the back seats were two very important occupants; the young Weiss Schnee, and her mother, Willow.

Weiss, at 5 years old, was in a simple dress, a white formal shirt and a blue skirt, with a string bowtie the same color as her skirt. Her snowy white hair was short, but long enough to be made into a ponytail. Willow wore a white shirt, parts of shoulders exposed by openings on the sleeves, with a red gemstone stitched into the neck of her shirt. Over this, she wore an intricately designed blue vest, with gray metal buttons on the sides. The rest of her attire wasn't any more interesting, wearing formal dark blue pants and high heels. Her own white hair was tied into a bun, save for her bangs brushed to the left side of her face, and curled locks of hair on each side, reaching below her ears.

Little Weiss Schnee had just finished her weekly singing lessons, and Willow was taking her home for the day. To their inconvenience, they were stuck in this rainy weather at the moment. Willow was very fond of her daughter's talent, and she would notice when Weiss' voice would improve naturally while singing.

"You sounded wonderful in your lessons, Weiss," she told her young daughter. Weiss looked up to her mother in response, then looked down before speaking.

"… Father says I should improve," she said. At that, Willow felt a little unhappy.

Of course, her father had to leave the impression that wasn't good already. The man just has to let others know what he thinks, even when it came to his own child's hobbies. The kind of personality Jacques Schnee displays was not something Willow approved, and she seldom wondered why she married a man like him.

Pushing the sour thoughts of her husband aside, Willow sighed. "Pay him no attention dear, he's too harsh on you," she told Weiss.

"What do you mean, Mother?" asked Weiss, who looked up to Willow in confusion. "Doesn't he want me to get better?"

Ms. Schnee hadn't thought that was how Weiss interpreted her father's criticisms. Of course, that's what any child would think if they didn't know the true nature of their parents. She looked at her young daughter for a moment, then finally answered.

"Not for the reasons you think, Weiss," was all she said, and the conversation seemed to end with that.

Weiss was still confused by what her mother meant but could only be left with the vague answers she gave. Now bored, she turned to look out the window to her right. The rain hitting the car allowed her to see nearly nothing, so she had no options for sightseeing. She supposed she could watch the rainwater wash down the glass.

Suddenly, Weiss saw two images outside in a nearby alleyway. One was on the ground, a shape she couldn't accurately discern. The other appeared to be an adult man that was hunched over the first shape. Weiss could hear something akin to grunts and thumping from there as well.

Concerned over what was happening, Weiss turned to her mother, hoping she could make light of this. "Mother, what's happening over there?" she asked, pointing to the window.

"Hmm?" Willow looked to Weiss when addressed, and saw Weiss pointing to that window. She looked and saw the same shapes Weiss saw. Concerned herself, she decided that the best way to have a clearer view, but still stay within the safety of the limousine, was to lower the window. It would risk getting water in, but they'd survive.

Willow pressed a switch on the door, and the window lowered. The sight that both mother and daughter saw before them made them gasp in shock.

Some distance away from the limo was a man wearing a rain parka, who was grunting and letting out muttered curses, as he pinned a young boy to the ground and was repeatedly beating him with his bare hands. The child was several good inches taller than Weiss, indicating maybe he was a few weeks to a few months older. His face couldn't be seen from their position but they saw that he had black hair, a frail-looking build, and wore old ragged clothes.

"Did you really think you could steal from me!?" The man shouted at the boy in between his punches. He then stood up and proceeded to kick the boy in the stomach. The child wasn't making any noise, no cry for help, or even grunts of pain. He simply kept his hands up in a feeble attempt to guard himself. "If I ever catch you in my shop again I'll toss your little ass off the edge of the city! You rank-smelling shit stain!" The man finished with one last kick to the side of the boy's head, causing a bit of blood to splatter on the adjacent wall. The man then actually spat on the child.

"Little bastard…" he muttered before leaving.

The whole time it was occurring, Weiss was astonished to see such an event. Her whole life she had yet to see any sort of violence and now she just bore witness to such a horrifying event. Just then a new sound hit her ears.

The sound of sniffling and pained whimpering. Both were coming from the boy.

Weiss was very young, so she wasn't sure how to comprehend the thoughts and emotions going through this boy's head. She still couldn't wrap her own around the brutal and tragic display. However, someone else empathized with this scene.

"Dear God…" said Willow. Weiss turned to see her mother. The elegant woman had her hand covering her mouth, tears threatening to burst from her eyes.

"Mother…?" Weiss asked in concern. She wasn't sure why her own mother was going to cry at this scary scene. Willow looked at her daughter when addressed. Taking a moment, she used her hand to wipe her eyes, and gained a determined expression.

The driver wasn't focused on the situation. When he saw the light finally turn green, he pressed the accelerator to get moving. The two Schnees felt the limousine start moving again.

"Driver! Keep the car still!" Willow commanded. Though surprised, the driver complied and hastily hit the brakes, giving the car a jolt. The boy must have heard the car brake, as he seemed to jump slightly from where he was laying down and was looking in their direction. He didn't see them there the whole time.

Willow got up, standing as much as she could in the cramped space and stepped over Weiss, reaching for the door. "Weiss, stay in the car," she ordered her daughter.

"Mother?" Weiss asked, unsure of what her mother was doing. Willow looked at Weiss for a moment to say something else.

"And prepare for some company," she informed, shocking Weiss.

"What?!" she exclaimed, now getting a good idea of what her mother was planning.

Willow turned her gaze forward, opened the door, and stepped out. She walked over to where the child was, laying in that filthy alleyway in the rain. She walked speedily over to him, but the boy was fearful and defensive. He hastily crawled backward until his back was against the wall, but still kept trying to get as far from her as possible.

From the shortened distance, she could now see the child's features better. She was correct in her assumption that he was close to Weiss' age from appearance alone. He had short, messy hair that was mostly black but turned pure white as it reached the tips. As he looked up at her with fear, she saw that his eyes were a shade of blue much like her family's own, though his were a more vibrant color. Those eyes looked at her with fear, but she could see signs of exhaustion in them. But it was his skin that caught her attention the most. Though his face was covered in dirt, she could tell his skin was pale, and, from what she could see, it was covered in suture scars. As if he had been cut up and sewn back together. Several were distinctive, one was around his forehead, one under each eye that curled and went behind his ears, and one under his lower lip. And the poor thing looked emaciated, the skin on his face and hands appeared to be fused to his bones.

It broke Willow's heart to see someone so young in such a sorry state, but that only made her more determined to accomplish this task.

"Come with me, young man," She requested of the boy. He didn't budge.

She tried to take a step closer but once she did, some kind of blue light flared across the boy, flickering on and off like an old light. He stuck his left hand out towards her and Willow saw sparks of electricity dance around the appendage. His aura and what she could only guess was his semblance had been unlocked, but this made her curious. If he had these, why not defend himself from his attacker? And who unlocked it for him?

Weiss saw the boy's aura flare up and she feared for her mother's safety. However, Willow knew that the young boy's condition was more important than what little trust he had in her.

"I promise I will not hurt you, just come with us," she told him, and his expression perked with realization at that. "Please," she begged.

The boy stared at her for a moment, his aura still active. His expression showed that he was considering what the woman was saying to him. But ultimately, the boy calmed down and his aura died out. He shakily stood up and slowly walked towards Willow giving her a look with some reluctance, but she returned that look with an expression of reassurance, silently telling him that she wanted to help, and everything would be alright. He returned her look with a small, hopeful smile, before closing his eyes and slumping forward, leaving Willow to quickly catch him. She was correct in assuming his exhaustion, he had passed out.

"I promise, you will be safe." She whispered to the boy, even though he could not hear her, and then carried him into the car. Weiss was surprised that her mother actually brought the filthy and soaked child into their pristine transport. Willow made sure that he was comfortable in his seat and then buckled him in.

"Driver, take us to the nearest hospital immediately," she announced.

"Yes ma'am," responded the driver and sped off quickly, regardless of whether the traffic light kept green or not.

As they drove, Weiss looked over to the unconscious child. She was concerned with whether having this strange child inside the family's limousine was acceptable. As she kept staring though, the boy shifted in his sleep, letting out a quiet whimper of pain and fear. Out of instinct, Young Weiss placed her hand on his arm, doing what she could to try and soothe him. She didn't even mind that he was covered in dirt and grime. Her mother had done this before with her when she was having a little string of nightmares, so she was attempting to replicate it with him. It seemed to work as the boy soon stopped moving and was breathing easier. After that brief exchange, the drive to the hospital was a quiet and solemn one, but Willow couldn't help but smile at the actions of her youngest daughter.

---

Willow wasn't sure if they made it to the hospital in time, but they got there all the same. She was uncertain if the child was bleeding internally, or if he had any sort of pre-existing condition. She entered the building, with the unconscious child in her arms, and Weiss following close behind. The nurse was able to get a handle on the situation, placing the child on a medical bed and transported him down the halls.

Her fears for the boy's life were squelched, to her relief, when the doctor told her that the child was going to be fine. Weiss seemed relieved to hear the news as well, as she was afraid she was going to see someone die tonight. Her mother assured her that she wasn't going to experience a fright like that.

The three of them entered the room he was in, finding him laying on his bed in a simple hospital gown. His head was shaved and wrapped in bandages and under the gown, his abdomen was in a similar state, and an IV tube attached to his left arm, sustaining him for his lost blood. And not just blood, when they got him clean and gave him a proper check up they saw he was showing signs of malnourishment. It broke Willow's heart to see someone so young in such a sorry state.

"All of his wounds have been tended to and he's been given antibiotics in case any of them caused an infection." The doctor told her confidently. "He'll be fine."

Willow had been told the good news earlier, but it was still reassuring and caused her to let out a sigh of relief. The doctor continued speaking.

"You wouldn't happen to know this young man's name, would you?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry, but no. He had no sort of identification, and he hasn't spoken at all since we found him." Willow responded.

"Well then," the doctor began, "Come with me, we can talk to a few of my other colleagues to discuss any further treatment. And what will come later." That gave Willow some relief. Though she had accomplished her original task of getting the boy medical treatment, she didn't have a clue what to do with him after. She hoped that speaking with the doctors would open up more options and help the situation.

"Thank you, I think that would be helpful." Willow complied, before then turning to her daughter, "Weiss, you're going to stay with the boy, okay?" She asked of her. Weiss looked surprised by her request.

"B-But, I'd rather come with you!" she complained.

"I don't want to leave him alone right now," Willow reasoned. "Besides, if he wakes up, you could try to talk to him, maybe try to get his name."

"Mother, I don't want to be alone with him," Weiss refuted. "He looks so... off-putting to me."

Willow sighed at her predicament. If she really was going to receive some resistance tonight, she should've expected from her daughter. Weiss may have been spoiled with her upbringing, but her mother knew how to make her daughter cooperate. Willow looked her daughter firmly in the eyes.

"Stay with him. That's an order, Weiss," she stated. Weiss felt a slight chill up her spine, as she remembered not to cross her mother. Though her father would likely yell loudly at her for any misdeed, Weiss knew that his reprimands could not equal her mother's fury.

"… Yes, Mother," Weiss finally complied. Willow nodded, and thanked her daughter for understanding.

Weiss' mother left the room with the doctor in tow. Letting out a 'humph', Weiss moved to a seat next to the hospital bed and sat down. She looked at the still nameless unconscious boy and thought sourly of him. It was nice to know that he was alive, but that should have been the end of it. Once things had been settled, she and her mother should have left him to his business. They may have been children like her, but they seemed to handle themselves fine, if fighting off that dog meant anything. But she had to be kind to them, and it baffled Weiss why her mother would be this way towards strangers.

She then remembered how she acted towards him on the drive here and blushed, realizing her hypocrisy. She shook it off quickly though.

The moments that passed felt like a lifetime to Weiss, making her want to go home that much more. Spending time with the unconscious child filled her with boredom, so much that the only thing that she thought would be exciting now would be sleep. Her eyes felt heavy and tired, so she let sleep take a hold of her. But it was only for a short period of time, when she heard grumbling beside her. Her eyes fluttered open, as she looked over to her right.

The nameless boy was waking up to Weiss' surprise. He slowly sat up on the bed, showing some signs of pain from his injuries. Once he managed to sit up properly he looked around to see his surroundings, which he was unfamiliar with. His eyes were wide with curiosity and nervousness.

"Oh… you're awake?" said Weiss. The boy looked to his left, surprised by the sight of a little girl sitting close to him.

"W-Where am I?" The first words he spoke to her were.

"You're at a hospital… duh," answered Weiss. She wasn't sure how couldn't tell where he was, seeing how a catheter was in his arm and his head was wrapped in gauze.

"Oh…" he uttered, seemingly accepting the answer without suspicion. Weiss was a little surprised that he didn't seem concerned about his situation. If her older sister was somewhere she didn't know, she would be worried sick. The boy looked at her directly and asked her something else.

"Are...you the one who brought me here?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, I rode with you, but it was my mother who brought us here." Weiss answered simply.

"Ah…" he spoke in realization. Before quickly asking something else, "Does that make you my nurse?" he inquired without much thought. Weiss blushed a deep red of confusion and embarrassment.

"W-What?! No!" she exclaimed. "I'm not old enough to be a nurse! What makes you think I am one?!" The boy was surprised by the tone she took with him, implying that he did something wrong.

"I-I'm so sorry! It's just… I haven't been to a hospital in a while." he spoke in his defense.

Weiss raised her brow in confusion. How could he have not been in a hospital for enough time to not recognize what nurses looked like? "For how long?" she asked.

The boy seemed to think about what his answer would be, "Uh… never really," and that's what he said.

"What is wrong with him?!" Weiss thought. What person has never been to a hospital before?

"May I ask why I am here?" The boy asked. Weiss didn't want to continue talking to him, but she felt it was rude to not answer a question.

"A man attacked you out on the street," Weiss informed him, to which the boy blinked in response.

"Oh, right. Thank you for reminding me." He said simply.

"Why did he do that anyway?" Weiss asked, not afraid of being blunt.

"I was hungry, and he ran a store with food in it. But I had no money so I attempted to steal an apple. He caught me in the act." He said as if it were no problem at all, but it was one for Weiss.

"He hospitalized you over a single apple?! That's insane and completely unreasonable!" She shouted. But another question popped into her mind. One she had to ask if what her mother said was true, which she had no reason to doubt, "But you had your aura and your semblance unlocked! Why didn't you at least defend yourself?"

The boy looked sad and confused, "Because I had done something bad. Even if I was hungry and I was trying to save myself, stealing is still wrong, so I let myself be punished. Is that wrong?"

.

..

…

"That… that is…," Weiss had no answer. Her thought process froze upon hearing that. She never heard anyone give such a pure sounding, if not naive response. She'd have to inquire her mother about that if she got the chance. This would be something to address later, for now, her mother gave her a job and she would fulfill it. "We'll talk about that later. While we're here, I was told to get your name."

The boy put his fingers to his chin, adopting a pose that looked as if he was putting serious thought into something, and held that pose for a solid minute. Until Weiss lost patience.

"Well?" She asked, irritated.

"Um… answer a question for me, and then I can answer yours." He spoke.

"Fine. What is it?" Weiss relented.

"What's a name?"

Once again, Weiss was shocked silent. If this boy was being truthful, then that was one of the saddest things she has heard of to date. Whatever sort of snarky answer she had for him died in her throat. She was just left to answer it normally.

"Well… a name is something that people and things are called. For example, my name is Weiss Schnee." She explained while introducing herself.

"Okay then, I don't think I have an actual name." His eyes then widened in realization. "Oh wait! That man had called me 'Rank, something… Stein? I think. He might've said something else, but I can't really remember."

Weiss had heard what had been said at the time. Her mother told her to never repeat one particular word until she was an adult. Other than that, she saw nothing wrong with it.

"Well, I believe that can work." She answered.

"Well then Ms. Schnee, my name is Rank Stein. It is nice to meet you." The now named Rank properly introduced himself and reached with his right hand to shake hers.

What was thought to be a meaningless interaction turned out to be the foundation of a new friendship. As they shook hands, a thought ran through young Weiss's mind.

"He's better to be around than I thought…" thought Weiss.

---

As Willow had suspected, the boy had no family to go to. Rank explained that he had lived on the streets of Atlas for at least a couple of months. To be poor and homeless in the center of Atlas would be suicidal, she couldn't fathom how he had survived for so long at his age. She supposed he thrived with the help of his aura and his semblance, which he explained let him generate electricity. How he ended up on the streets, the boy couldn't say as his memory was blank up to several months prior to meeting the Schnees. Meaning he also had no recollection of who could've unlocked his aura. The doctors told her that she could have the authorities relocate him to an orphanage or, if she was willing to, which they thought wasn't likely, allow him to live with her. To everyone's surprise, she chose the latter.

Willow wouldn't trust the support of strangers and thought herself the only one who could properly help him. As soon as Rank was allowed to leave the hospital, she had him brought to her family's estate. The childish wonder in his eyes as he gazed upon the luxurious structure made her giggle. Though her two other children, the oldest Winter and youngest Whitley, were unsure of the street born child at first, Weiss was more welcoming to him from their previous interactions. However, the most disapproving of the child was the patriarch of the Schnee family. Jacques Schnee wouldn't have any "guttersnipes", as he called him, live in his home, but his wife fought fervently for his right to stay.

Jacques only allowed him in when he couldn't bare Willow's arguments any longer, and Rank had already eaten much of their food while living there. Jacques was finally willing to let him stay, but he thought up a condition. Though Rank tried to be as formal as he could, Jacques found his manners reprehensible, so if this low-class child was to live with his children, then he would learn to serve them. Willow disliked the idea of making the boy into something of a slave, but Rank had agreed with it to her surprise (and to her husband's irritation.) When asked, it was because he couldn't think of a way he could repay the Schnee family for their "wondrous generosity" as he called it, and his belief that Jacques was offering him a job was the perfect solution to his inner dilemma. Finding herself unable to change both of their minds, Willow relented, and Jacques had Rank trained as a servant.

Another catch was that while he would serve the entire family, he would be assigned to one of his daughters as their personal servant.

And as he had already formed a bit of a bond with the youngest daughter… he would belong to Weiss.

---

Present time, a few weeks ago.

---

The dishes?

Immaculate.

The silverware?

Perfectly uniform.

And the napkins?

Masterfully folded.

It took less than five minutes for the dinner table to be completely set and organized. For Weiss Schnee, she deemed the process has been completed within an acceptable time frame. If she had a ruler, she would bet everything would be placed properly down to the millimeter. And for one Rank N. Stein? This was two and one-quarter of a second faster than his, now previous, record.

Rank had been in the servitude of Weiss for the better part of the past twelve years. He had been trained by the family's head butler and instructed by his master herself. Though he originally had trouble getting into the swing of his new job, mainly due to the high-society life being a very drastic change from living in the streets. But his desire to be of full use to the family that had taken him in made him a determined student. It was that diligence that got him to the level of skill he had now, and, when coupled with Weiss' stubbornness, allowed him to stay within the Schnee household.

Speaking of which, Willow's earlier assumption of his age turned out to be wrong, as according to the doctors, Rank was actually eight whole months younger than Weiss. Though you wouldn't have been able to tell back then.

Weiss was in her usual attire, a bolero jacket over a strapless dress and boots with wedged heels, all in white with a pale blue gradation. Her snowy white hair was now much longer, tied into a side ponytail.

Looking at him today, you wouldn't think that this Rank was the same haggard child from back then. A combination of a healthy diet, rigorous exercise, and most likely genetics, had led to him becoming a tall unit of a young man. Rank stood at an impressive six feet ten inches tall. He was clad in his servant uniform, a black tailcoat over a white dress shirt, black pants, polished shoes, white gloves, and a black-tie. All of which seemed to cling to some rather impressive musculature. He kept his hair relatively short with five white-tipped bangs covering most of his forehead. The suture scars on his face became more prominent as he aged, due in part to his square jawline, making him look intimidating, if not somewhat rugged. To top it off, he wore a pair of rectangular wireframe glasses.

After finishing the table, Rank patiently stood off to the side, internally double-checking, then triple-checking to make sure he made no mistakes. His mistress stared intently at his handiwork, her face even and impartial. After a quiet exhale of breath, she spoke her thoughts out loud.

"...This is acceptable," Weiss declared, causing Rank to give a small smile and quietly sigh in relief.

"Your words flatter me, milady." He spoke respectfully, his voice surprisingly soft for someone of his stature.

"That will be enough for today, we'll continue this first thing tomorrow." She informed him.

"As you wish, Ms. Schnee." He replied. With that said, she turned to make her leave. "Sleep well, Ms. Schnee."

Weiss paused her gait for a moment, before resuming, "Good night to you as well, Rank." She spoke as she left the dining hall.

Rank let out a somewhat tired sigh. He truly wished that his mistress would allow herself to unwind. The constant stress of having to always maintain a proper image certainly wasn't healthy. And he wished she would talk to him about it. But sadly, he knew it was necessary. He was just the help. If he stepped out of bounds by the slightest margin, Jacques would have him tossed back out into the streets. He never liked Rank from the moment he arrived on the property, so Lord knows the man would gladly take any excuse.

But even so, he knew that if anyone could persevere and come through this for the better, it would be his mistress.

'I hope one day, you can find it within yourself to confide in me, milady.' He thought to himself, before proceeding to head to his quarters.

---

It was night time, the shattered moon of Remnant high in the starry sky. Its moonlight shined through the windows of the Schnee family mansion. And in Weiss' room, she could be seen flopping unceremoniously onto her bed face first, before groaning. The noise was greatly muffled by her pillow. She flipped over so she could stare at her ceiling, a bit of blush was visible on her face.

"...Why does he have to be so frustratingly polite?" She whispered to herself, thinking back to her servant.

If you were to go up to Weiss and ask if she had a crush on Rank, she'd vehemently deny it and probably call you a dolt. If you somehow had the ability to read minds, you would say she's full of it.

It had started sometime after he was brought to work for her family. Young Weiss was fascinated by the stories Rank would tell her in between his breaks from training, stories about his life in the streets. She saw how different the two were. Weiss lived a life most people dreamt of having, one where she would want for nothing, yet she still had reasons to be unhappy. Rank on the other hand? He had nothing. No home, no family, and every meal he managed to eat had a chance of being his last. And yet he still had the strength to greet every day with a smile. Weiss had been intrigued, and proceeded to stick around Rank, wanting to learn for herself how he was able to do so.

And as the years passed, they both grew older, and the fascination she felt began to evolve. The way he works so hard, his personality, and the fact that he was always just there. He made it really hard not to fall for him.

… There was also a bit of a shameful moment of hers when she watched him work out, but any physical attraction was strictly secondary.

But despite everything, she held herself back from her feelings, acting distant and separate whenever there was a chance that her father had someone watching. For Rank's sake more than her own. If her father ever found out about her feelings there was the chance he'd become more proactive in trying to remove Rank from the household. Everyone was aware of his dislike for the young didn't want to risk losing him. Despite the difference in their standings, Rank one of the closest people to her, one of the few she truly opened up to. He was her best friend.

'Ugh… it's late, for now, I need to sleep.' Weiss thought as she pushed everything out of her mind and proceeded to get ready for bed. There would be more time to ponder all of this at a later date. There were more pressing matters to be addressed tomorrow...

---

(The Next Morning)

---

As the sun shined on a new day, Rank could be seen walking down one of the many halls of the Schnee manor. He had awoken much earlier and went to fetch his mistress so that they could begin the day, only to find her absent from her room. Which was odd as usually, he wakes before her. So now he was on the search for her.

'Where exactly could she be?' He pondered. As he walked past an open door, he heard someone speak.

"What did you say just now?" it was Weiss. Hearing her surprised him, as he didn't expect to actually find her this early.

He looked to the open door and saw her standing there, her left side facing him. Her hair was down, and she was still in her nightgown. She didn't notice him at all, and Rank couldn't see who was speaking from his angle.

"I'm not repeating myself, Weiss." At that, Rank froze for a moment. He knew that voice all too well. It was the voice of the man who ruled over this house and its occupants. The very same Jacques Schnee who severely disliked Rank.

"But you said that I was permitted to go!" exclaimed Weiss. Against his better judgment, Rank hid to the side of the doorway, listening in to their conversation.

"I am aware of what I said beforehand but, lately, I feel that you haven't done much to earn this," said Jacques. Weiss uttered a noise of confused surprise at this.

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked for clarification.

"You haven't really been training for your first day, have you?" deduced Jacques.

Weiss said nothing to that, and Rank could only assume that she stared at her father with widening eyes. With no response from her, Jacques continued.

"Your test is in several hours," he informed her. "If you can't prove that you deserve this, then you are staying here. That is final."

There was a moment of silence, with no more words coming from either party. Rank kept his position waiting, until Weiss had the last word.

"… I will attend Beacon. No matter what." Rank was stunned to hear her say that.

"She's… going to Beacon?" He thought. He had heard of the prestigious academy, along with the occupation of huntsman and huntresses. They defended humanity from the creatures of Grimm. But what was really on his mind, if she was going to Beacon, all the way in another Kingdom, another continent, then what was going to happen to him?

As he thought that, he heard light footsteps from the room. He saw Weiss walk out of the room with a determined, pouting expression. Thankfully, she didn't see him by the side of the entryway. He breathed out in relief, albeit quietly, and he made to leave the area himself.

"You can come out now. I know you're there, Rank."

Rank flinched at that.

He was surprised to hear that from Jacques of all people. He got over his surprise and sighed in defeat, before standing straight, putting his hands behind his back, and adopting a neutral expression before walking into the room to see the Schnee patriarch gazing at him, waiting for the young servant to enter.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know," he said.

"My most sincere apologies, Sir," apologized Rank, his tone was as neutral as his face. He had practiced this endlessly, as to never give Jacques any excuse.

"… How much have you heard?" Jacques asked of him.

"There was mention of a test, and milady attending Beacon Academy." said the young man, doing his best to keep up the straight appearance.

"Weiss didn't tell you that she's going to Beacon, did she?" Jacques enquired.

"No Sir, she did not." admitted Rank.

"Really? She neglected to inform her servant and bodyguard?"

Rank had not only been trained to serve Weiss, he was trained to protect her should the need arise. An old drill sergeant from the Atlas military put him through the wringer, helping him to become as strong as he is today, and even helping create Rank's weapon, which he kept on his person in case of emergencies. He was tough but fair, up until he went senile, saying stuff about how "The Blues" were going to destroy everything. Rank didn't know what a genre of music had to do with anything.

"That is correct, Sir."

"Hmm."

Despite his disapproval of Rank, and everyone in the household's acknowledgment of that fact, Jacques was capable of being respectful towards others. Rank was a little surprised that Jacques wasn't giving him the same look of barely contained disgust like he usually would.

Regardless, thoughts of Weiss' desire for Beacon were swimming rapidly through Rank's mind. What would become of him? Would they keep him? It seemed unlikely. Would they throw him out when she was away? That seemed more probable, knowing what Jacques Schnee thought of him.

Speaking of which, did Jacques know this was bothering him? Is that why he even bothered to speak to him right now? Even if they weren't fond of each other, Rank figured he would at least be honest with him.

"Sir, if I may inquire, what would become of me if Ms. Weiss were to leave?" Rank asked.

"… Would you be willing to serve Whitley while Weiss is gone?" suggested Jacques, at which Rank's eyebrow twitched in barely contained repulsion.

Serving Whitley would be like serving a miniature version of Jacques, only more openly smug. Honestly Rank would sooner jump into the maw of a King Taijitu over that option. Sadly, he couldn't speak his mind about that.

"No Sir, I would not." Rank said instead.

"I thought not," Jacques admitted. Then, the head of the Schnee family had an idea. "Even if she will be so far from Atlas, perhaps she would still need her favorite server."

Rank perked up at this, "What do you mean by that Sir?"

"Later today, Weiss will take a test to prove that she earned the right to leave our kingdom for Beacon," Jacques informed the servant. "If both of you wish for it, you may attend Beacon with her as well."

Despite his efforts, Rank couldn't stop a smidge of surprise from crossing his face, "Do you mean that, Sir?"

"I do, but on one condition: You must not interfere with her testing, no matter what obstacle befalls her," he told Rank, who looked at him with surprise but understanding. "If you do, neither of you will ever set foot on Vale this school session. Is that understood?"

"...Yes Sir." Said the servant, with some hesitation. He was put off by Jacques' "generosity", but he didn't have anything more than a gut feeling. He sounded like he was doing Rank a favor, but altruism didn't exist in Jacques's vocabulary.

"Good. You are dismissed, Rank."

"Thank you, Sir. I will remember this act of kindness."

Rank left the room and headed off to his own quarters, where he would await the later call to view his Mistress' exam. He was still skeptical about Jacques' apparent lack of an ulterior motive, but it didn't matter. Because deep down, he was just happy that he would not have to leave his Mistress' side just yet. As for Jacques, he looked out the window, thinking aloud to himself.

"… This may not be how I've pictured it but, I've finally gotten rid of that oaf. Although, only for a while at least," he said with a smile.

---

*SHUNK*

Weiss ran her sword through the head of the last drone, sparks flying as she pulled it out, and it fell demolished onto the floor. She swiped her weapon, hung it on her hip, and breathed out. With her final opponent defeated, she believed that her test was finally done. Weiss had taken the training exam as per her father's request (demand, really), in order to earn his blessings to attend Beacon. She was concerned that he would arrange a more difficult challenge to take up her time, but she was glad it only took so shortly.

She donned her usual white attire, as from yesterday, but this time she had carried her own weapon, a sword called Myrtenaster. A light rapier painted a silver-grey, it could leave thin and shallow cuts on opponents and could pierce certain targets with the applied precision. The hilt was four fin-like prongs, encasing its most prominent feature – a chamber built into the rapier. It was similar to the chamber of a revolver pistol and could hold Dust ammunition for her to use in several versatile ways.

With all of the androids inactive, generously provided by the Atlas military, Weiss believed she could relax and report to her father of her accomplishments. She would finally get ready to pack and leave for Beacon.

She then remembered that she wouldn't be going alone. In all the action she had nearly forgotten that Rank was watching her, alongside the test moderators.

She wasn't expecting in the least bit that her father would allow Rank to go with her to Beacon. Knowing him, she assumed that he would have his own plans for the young man and believed he wouldn't listen to her if she did request for him to come. So she kept quiet on the matter, but Jacques has managed to have silenced her assumptions by letting her take him. However, as she was told by Rank, the condition was he couldn't interfere or help her with the training test, which she was perfectly fine with. She knew that he respected her abilities.

Rank had dressed differently for this event. It was a modified version of his butler uniform, possessing several alterations. While his pants, shoes, and undershirt were the same, his tailcoat was decorated with a series of small silver rectangular motifs that were connected by a thin black line, making it appear as if his coat had been stitched together. The shoulders were padded, and each possessed three studs that were designed to resemble metal screws, and on his front were four gold-colored chain brooches that resembled hex nuts.

But he had one more accessory that meant more to him than all the others he wore, and it was a tie clip in the shape of a cartoonish skull with lightning bolts through its eyes. Several years prior, after Weiss received her first allowance, she had bought that for Rank as a thank you gift for his service to her family. It was an adorable, if not somewhat embarrassing moment, when he prostrated himself in front of her and swore he would treasure it forever.

Nowadays, Weiss's heart would flutter whenever she saw him wearing it, knowing he was thinking of her. She saw him smile down at her from the moderator's office through a window on the high wall. Her reprieve was ended by her examiner.

"As expected, the Heiress possesses much talent," said the Secretary of the Schnee Dust Company over the loudspeaker. She was Jacque Schnee's personal aide for the company, effectively second in command. She was a middle-aged woman, wearing a regular suit and tie, glasses, and her hair was tied in a low ponytail. "After I had witnessed your first duel, I can earnestly say that you matured and improved in all aspects of your skill, Ms. Schnee."

"You're awfully flattering today, aren't you Madam Secretary?" Weiss observed.

Rank didn't know if he could agree with that. He didn't know the secretary that well, so he didn't pick up on her mannerisms. But he was always wary around those who worked with or directly for Jacques.

"Perhaps… but you are still in need of improvement, and the only place you can achieve such is here, in Atlas," the Secretary replied.

'And there it is.' Rank groaned in his head. 'Leave it to that man to take an incredible opportunity for Ms. Weiss and twist it into something to fit his own agenda.'

Weiss' eyes narrowed, "As I've already stated, I am going to Beacon Academy. Do I have to go to my father to discuss your selfishness with him, Miss Secretary?"

"No. The President has entrusted me with this matter, so you have no need of bothering him," she said. She spoke her next words with a slightly smug expression.

"After all, he couldn't possibly have the time to be bothered with such a trifling matter as this." Weiss said nothing at that, but if anyone was down there beside her, they'd notice she had some traces of a grimace.

The Secretary smirked at the silence, only for that to vanish as she felt a massive chill go down her spine, as if she was being stalked by something dangerous. Instinctively, she turned towards Rank and saw him staring at her. His face looked impassive, but she felt like a mouse staring into the eyes of a hungry snake.

"Apologies ma'am. But I do not believe it is your place to assume what Mr. Schnee would and wouldn't want." His tone was neutral, but inside he was quite... irritated at how his mistress was addressed.

"Be that as it may, that doesn't prohibit the truth in my statements. She should know when she should confront issues on her own." the Secretary applauded herself for not slipping up despite the fear crawling into her heart.

Rank was displeased at the answer, but turned his head away, allowing the Secretary to breathe easy before she continued.

"Why do you want to be so far away, Ms. Weiss?" the Secretary inquired of the heiress. "Vale has nothing different from our own Kingdom, and we wouldn't be able to respond quickly enough if something happened. You'd be all alone."

"First of all, I prefer the distance between here and Vale," Weiss replied. "Second, I would not be alone at all, not with Rank at my beckoning."

Rank smiled at the mention. While he would do anything for his mistress, it would be nice to see someplace outside of Atlas.

"And lastly, what would you do if I stayed in Atlas, but any actions I make happen to disgrace the family name?" asked Weiss. She sounded to actually mean that, not just using it as an excuse.

"I understand both of your concerns, truly I do. You were born into a family of power, and you were adopted into it," the Secretary said to them, addressing Weiss' and Rank's situations respectively. "The president is concerned with the two of you, that is all."

'Right… Next he's going to donate his entire fortune to the homeless community and become Remnant's biggest Faunus rights activist.' Rank thought, his inner voice laced with sarcasm. 'As if there is room for anything other than his love for money and power in that necrotic lump of tissue he calls a heart.'

"At the very least, he doesn't want some serious disagreement or incident to occur, like with Ms. Winter." The Secretary concluded.

Rank let out another quiet sigh. Winter was the only other member of the Schnee family that Rank truly liked and respected. During his education in his younger days, she would actually assist him if he was faced with a difficult problem and helped him to understand it and find the answer on his own. However, when she came of age, she left the family to join the military and was now a high ranking officer last he heard. Sadly this had caused a rift to form between her and Jacques. Though Rank was sad to see her leave, he considered Jacques' reaction to the news as a parting gift. He had never seen a man turn so red before.

While Rank reminisced on the memories that the Secretary brought up, Weiss scoffed at her words.

"Trying to undermine their choices? You don't understand anything at all," she said with a smirk. "You don't even realize how much like a puppet you are, with little to no will whatsoever."

The Secretary turned her gaze in Weiss' direction, but no one could see her wide, glaring eyes behind her glasses. Rank's eyes on the other hand widened, astounded at her words, but in a good way as a smile broke across his face.

"Well said, milady." He whispered.

"Irritating…" spoke the Secretary, angered by the insolent tone the heiress took with her. She turned to one of the test's operators. "Do it."

"A-Are you sure…?" the man looked at her nervously.

"It's fine… just open the gate," she told him. He complied nonetheless.

Rank turned to them, confusion in his features. What were they talking about? Before he knew it, the operator pressed a button on the control panel. Suddenly, the large wall behind Weiss was shifting open, getting her attention. She looked on at what was seemingly an abyss of shadow behind those doors.

"If only the two of you had simply listened from the start…" stated the Secretary.

In a flash, a pair of massive objects came hurtling towards her and struck the ground behind her. It created a shock throughout the massive room. Weiss looked to her left and saw that they were massive swords.

"Eh?" was all she muttered in reaction.

"Good Lord..." Rank uttered in quiet shock.

Standing before Weiss were two giant beings covered head to toe in dark grey armor. They stood several times her height, she only came up to around their knees, and carried swords as long as two of her. She should have known that her test wasn't over; how foolish it was to think that a mere few droids would be the only thing her father would throw at her. She'd never seen androids of this size before, although she soon realized they weren't just regular droids. On the top of their helmets, there sat a small bony faceplate, one akin to the mask of a Grimm.

"Those armors aren't alive on their own," the Secretary informed. "They have been possessed by Geists, the possession-type Grimm, that we successfully captured. The armor's strength almost surpasses that of the latest model of the Atlas Paladin. As for other details… well, I think they speak for themselves."

'They're massive…' Rank thought in awe, 'Wait… I recognize those…'

Weiss seemed to share his thoughts, "I've seen those before. They stood in our family's museum, didn't they?"

"They're not the same armors as those being exhibited, I assure you," said the Secretary. "They're just the same model… and with three times the strength."

"… I have no chance of winning, do I?" claimed Weiss, with a nervous smile and a drop of sweat running down her cheek.

"It isn't likely, no," announced the Secretary. "Good luck."

Rank was beyond outraged at all of this.

Despite the odds stacked against her, Weiss engaged the armored giants. She clashed blades with one, sparks flying with each clang. The other swung at her but then she blocked the strike and was sent skidding backward. She would use her glyphs to enhance her speed and to dodge the swipes of the giant swords, but her massive foes were relentless. She looked for any vulnerable spots for her to strike but couldn't get any openings. She wondered how exactly she'd overcome this obstacle.

Rank watched with uneasy eyes and gritting teeth. He couldn't believe that this Secretary, that sick woman, would put Weiss up against such monsters. He knew how strong Weiss was, one of those armors she could handle with maybe some slight injury, but two? She simply wasn't at that level just yet. He believed in her, but belief only went so far. Rank was not mired in the delusion that his mistress was invincible, it was a simple fact that nothing truly was. That didn't mean he wasn't outraged at this farce. He turned to the Secretary with glaring eyes.

"You're really allowing her to fight them?" He asked angrily, his voice just below shouting volume. "What do you expect Mr. Schnee to say about this?"

"She wants to be a Huntress, so it's her responsibility to suppress the Grimm," She answered, which didn't satisfy the servant, who glared even harder. Feeling that same chill go down her spine again, the Secretary tried to defend herself, "This was the President's idea, I'll have you know. His exact words were, 'If she's being insistent on her selfishness, then I expect her to win.'" She turned away after that, ignoring the chill which still had not left her.

'Damn you Jacques…!' Rank thought angrily. 'Is this how far you're going to go? Crushing your own daughter's dreams just to keep your greedy claws wrapped around her?!' Rank's fists clenched as he cursed the man's name. 'What if she gets hurt?' As much as he disliked the man, Rank was afraid of breaking his promise to Jacques. He'd do anything to defend Weiss if the need arose, but one misstep against her father, and he'd be out of the household and his job.

Perhaps he was overthinking it. Rank didn't need to fight for her often because she could defend herself very adequately. He thought that if she could overcome this challenge, then everything would be fine. He decided to put his faith in her strength and keep his oath to her father. He believed everything would be fine.

'You can do this… you can succeed!' He exclaimed in his head.

Weiss continued to fend off the onslaught from her foes. She got behind one giant as it swung its sword at her. She struck several areas of it, but her Myrtenaster couldn't pierce through its armor. The other swung at her and Weiss was able to block it with the hilt of her sword, but the sheer force threw her back. She was on her feet, just in time to see both giants jump towards her, ready to cast their blades down on her. She dodged to the right as they struck the ground. Both started attacking again, one swiped up and she dodged again, but the other followed with another swing and Weiss was forced to block. This time she skidded on her back but managed to get back on her feet quickly.

Rank was nervous at the slip Weiss had there, but his confidence in her was still strong. Now, Weiss employed more of her semblance to the fight. She summoned her glyphs to enhance her speed, becoming a blur to the giants and her observers, and she used them to keep herself balanced in the air, as she struck her opponent. She tried attacking one at its left leg to weaken it, but that didn't seem to affect the unfeeling Grimm. Before either could react to her, she leaped up to one with a glyph-enhancement, striking it across the chin and unbalancing it.

She spun in the air, swinging her sword with her and slashing the giant twice across the face. Once again, it did little to phase it, making Weiss wonder why nothing was working against it. The second giant once more swung its massive blade towards her. She stood on her glyph midair and jumped over the oncoming weapon. However, she didn't account for the giant's free left hand and its compatriot. Both threw their fists at her, smashing into Weiss' face before she could even react. Her aura dissipated in a flash of light, just barely protecting her from the blow, and she hit the ground harshly. She slowly got up, pain and dizziness affecting her.

As she got up though, she noticed something drop to the ground. It was a dark red liquid – blood. Her own blood. The skin around her left eye was split open, fresh blood pouring down the side of her face. With the pain in her head and her eye, Weiss felt she was up against an unstoppable force. Her expression was wrought with distress, and thoughts of doubt in herself were clouding her judgment.

Rank was stunned and silent. He could see Weiss' cut from another camera view in the moderator room. He couldn't believe what he saw for a second but the more he looked at the screen, the more he couldn't deny it. Weiss was bleeding… and he couldn't prevent it. The Secretary notices he was visibly disturbed by the scene.

"Do you see now?" she addressed him. "She can't move forward on her own, without Atlas or her father. How could you possibly be more than enough for her?"

He was silent, still staring at the screen. He almost looked lost. Feeling that she was closer to convincing their minds, the Secretary spoke to Weiss through the loudspeaker once more.

"Your aura is starting to fail you, Ms. Schnee," she announced to the heiress. "You must see the folly of your dreams. Your servant is even starting to think so."

"What?" Weiss uttered with shock. She turned to look up at the window to the moderators' room, high up on the wall. She could faintly see Rank's back turned to her.

She didn't understand this at all. If her father didn't have faith in her, that would be one thing she wasn't concerned with. If her sister was ever disappointed in her, she would take it into account and improve herself. But for Rank, one of the closest people to her, one of her most fervent supporters, the man she will deny up and down about liking at least when she is in public, to not believe in her, made her all the more confused. What was she supposed to make of this? As she was emotionally compromised by her servant/ (not) crush's silence, she didn't notice the Giants slowly stepping towards her.

"Are you not, Mr. Stein?" the Secretary asked him. Rank said nothing, worrying Weiss as to why he was silent. However, his silence was brief, as he did say something to the Secretary.

"… Miss, do you know what time it is?"

"...What?" She wasn't expecting that.

Suddenly, a crackle was heard in the air, like a taser had gone off, followed by more, louder sparks sounding out happening repeatedly, before a brief but powerful flash of light shined in the room, forcing the Secretary and the other moderators to shield their eyes with their arms. When they pulled them away, they saw Rank standing tall, arcs of blue electricity dancing around his arms, the sound of a low buzz emanating from them. Rank turned to them, glaring in determination and his electric blue eyes seemingly glowing with energy.

"... I believe it is time for me to go to work." He declared, and the Secretary swore she saw a lightning bolt flash in his eyes.

With that statement hanging in the air, Rank turned on his heel and charged towards the glass, before leaping up, crossing his arms and smashing right through it!

Only one thought was on his mind as he did this,

'To Hell with Jacques…'

These armors had dared to harm his Mistress, and he would be damned if he let that stand!

Weiss could only stare in shock, seeing him come flying towards her.

"WHAT?!" shouted the Secretary.

"RANK?!" questioned Weiss.

"…?" even the two Grimm controlling the armors uttered noises of confusion, seeing a new target coming towards them from seemingly out of the wall.

Rank landed on the arena floor with a crouch and broke off with a dash, moving faster than you would assume a person of his size could. He stopped when he stood between Weiss and the giants, giving them his full attention and barely restrained fury.

"Let it be known, I will NOT allow you to cause any further harm to my Mistress!" He declared.

One giant didn't take kindly to that, and prepared to swing its sword at him. Rank seemed to be prepared for it, while Weiss looked worried beyond belief.

"Rank d-." She tried to dissuade him, tell him to just leave her be. But then he turned around, and the gentle look he gave her was the most reassuring she had seen.

"Trust me." That was all he said, as he reached for something behind his back.

The sword came down at him-

CLANG!

- And the giant's blade was deflected, the force of which knocked the giant off balance and sent it stumbling back and crashing into its partner.

And held in a defensive position in Rank's right hand was a weapon. It was a light blue and yellow colored hammer of prodigious size, around five feet in length, long-handled and with a heavy metal head, which was slightly larger than a man's own head. The shaft was as thick as a section of PVC pipe, with two sections for gripping. A large spike also stuck out on the fore-end of the shaft.

Where Weiss had Myrtenaster, Rank had his weapon, Donnerschlag.

Everyone watched, amazed at his feat. Using the giant's own force and weight against it, Rank had waited for the last second, right before the blade made contact with his body, before then swinging the hammer out and parrying the attack. Getting over her surprise, Weiss made an attempt to stand up.

"Rank, what do you think you are- geh!" She let out a grunt of pain and stumbled to a knee. While her aura was working on healing her wounds, it still takes time to recover from a serious blow to the head.

"Ms. Weiss."

She heard his voice rumble out, causing her to look up and see his wide back, as he stood over her protectively.

"I have served you and your family dutifully for over a decade, and not once have I asked anything of you."

Weiss felt the disorientation leave her as he spoke.

"And during that time, I've come to grow nothing but respect for you, and have the utmost faith and belief in your capabilities."

Now Weiss was glad Rank had his back to her, because she was definitely blushing.

"But there are some obstacles that pure belief just can't overcome. I will not stop you if you wish to continue on your own, but know that it will be futile."

Now, all Weiss could feel was despair. Was the one person she thought would always be in her corner abandoning her? Her ally? Her confidant? Her, dare she say it, friend?

"But my belief is not shaken."

Now Weiss looked back up at Rank, confusion in her eyes.

"It is my belief that one day, you will become a huntress no one shall soon forget, and threats such as these will prove to be no challenge. And though the day where that proves true may be far off, I have no doubt that it will come to pass. But for now, if I may be so bold as to make a request from you…"

He turned around to her, his hammer hand held behind his back, bent forward, and offered his right hand to her. His eyes shone with pure honesty.

"...I ask that you forgive my impertinence, and allow me to assist you."

…

...It was either the lingering effects of the head trauma, or the swirling emotions she felt upon hearing her servant's (i.e secret crush's) continuing belief and devotion in her, even at this low point, but Weiss found herself unable to say no to him.

She placed her hand into his considerably larger one and allowed herself to be pulled up, her aura had mended enough of the damage, though her eye was definitely going to scar.

"Ahem... Very well Rank," she cleared her throat and spoke with a 'believably' haughty tone, one Rank could tell was only for posterity, "As a gift for your years of service, I will grant you this wish of yours."

Rank gave another smile, "A thousand thank you's for your generosity milady. Now then," he turned to the twin giants, who by this point had retrieved their weapons and got back to their feet. Rank to a battle stance, leaning forward and keeping his Donnerschlag held behind him, "Shall we finally settle things?"

Weiss smiled at her butler and retook her stance, "Let's shall."

They both dashed towards their opponents, splitting up so they each only fought a single giant. Now a two on two, the giants were forced to focus on singular targets.

(Weiss)

Using her rapier, the heiress used her semblance and summoned a horizontal glyph in midair. She leaped off it, and slashed the giant across the face, just inches away from the Geist's mask. Through her previous round of combat, Weiss had realized what its weakness was: the Grimm itself. If she destroyed the head, killing the Grimm in the process, it would leave the armor inactive, and she would be victorious. Realizing its vulnerability was exposed, it felt a pang of fear. The Giant quickly charged at Weiss.

As it did, the chamber in her Myrtenaster shifted, the blade suddenly glowing red. Their weapons clashed, but a burst of power from Weiss' sword pushed back the Grimm. Her rapier then glowed blue, and she struck the ground, creating a thick trail of ice that froze the giant in place. She charged it, the giant again swung its sword at her. When she dodged, she landed on the edge of the blade, her own sword now glowing green. She jumped from it and struck its hand, the force of the attack knocking the sword out of its grip destroying the ice surrounding it. She landed on the ground, the giant's weapon crashing behind her.

Left with its fists now, it rushed towards Weiss, where she was charging another glyph. It slammed down on where she stood, though she already dodged. Weiss then activated this glyph and it released a large force of energy, throwing the entire giant up into the air. Next, she launched a series of glyphs that locked the giant in place midair, with no chance to move whatsoever. Weiss jumped up and charged her sword, now glowing with white runes. She launched herself forward, coming straight for the helmet, where the Geist resided.

She struck with such great force, that not only was the Grimm's mask shattered, but the whole helm was cracked in half. Weiss staunched her landing with her glyphs, touching down on the floor safely. The armor fell harshly to the ground, the slain Grimm's essence dissipating from the head. It was defeated, and Weiss sighed in relief.

And heard a loud BANG immediately afterward.

(Rank)

The giant swung its massive blade down onto the servant, but he was prepared. As the sword approached, Rank used his hammer to catch the edge and added his own force behind it, causing it to slam into the ground and embedding itself deep into the stone. As the giant gripped the handle and attempted to pull it out, Rank leaped up onto its arms, ran up the metal extensions, and bashed the giant across the face, sending it stumbling back. As it turned back to him, it showed a visible dent in its face.

Abandoning its weapon, the giant cupped its hands together and brought them down in a powerful strike. But Rank jumped upwards above the impact zone before coming back down and swinging Donnerschlag at full force with all of his weight and power behind it. The result was the giant's hands were reduced to mangled scrap metal. The Grimm controlling the armor looked at it's torn stumps, seemingly in disbelief at what occurred.

In the moment the armor was stunned, Rank dashed between its legs, twirling Donnerschlag in his hand at high speed. He then swung into the back of the giant's ankle, sweeping it off of its feet. Before it hit the ground, Rank took another leap, running up the giant's body before swinging Donnerschlag into the mouthguard, simultaneously sending the giant crashing into the ground and sending Rank even further upward.

Whilst in mid-air, Rank's weapon began to transform, shifting and folding into itself. Like a majority of weapons made in Remnant, Rank's hammer could switch between a melee configuration and a ranged one. The new form bore some resemblance to a tank turret, with two prongs and a short barrel between them. There was a handle on the left-hand side and a second on the back, this one having a trigger in the side. Between all three was a chamber of some sort.

Once it had fully transformed, Rank charged his hands with his electricity, letting it flow through the handles of his weapon. Several sections of it began to glow a bright cyan color, and the chamber began to spin with a hum. Arcs of electricity started to dance around the prongs of the weapon.

And then he squeezed the trigger.

(Rank's weapon is unique, even among most weapons of today. Namely for the reason that it doesn't use Dust based ammunition. It is based on prototype designs in development with the Atlas military and the SDC in an effort to gain an advantage over more heavily armored Grimm while conserving Dust supplies. This weapon fires metal flechettes, charged in a magnetized chamber infused with lightning Dust, at high speeds with incredible accuracy and force. They called it: a Railgun.)

With thunderous force, the weapon fired, the recoil actually launching Rank several feet further upwards. The shot fired looked more like a beam of light than a metal spike. Moving with incredible speed, it struck the head of the giant with a small but powerful explosion. And when the smoke cleared, there was a small crater filled with smoke, rubble, and molten slag that used to be the head of the armor. The Grimm was thoroughly destroyed.

(The weapon was meant to be mounted on attack vehicles and Bullheads. Weighing nearly six hundred pounds, it was too heavy and unwieldy for regular soldiers to carry, and the few that could were unable to handle the sheer force of recoil. Rank's incredible strength allows him to handle all of it, and with the coils charged by his semblance, Donnerschlag was truly a weapon designed for him to use.)

Rank then landed back on the ground with a crouch, shifting his weapon back into standby mode. He stood up as if nothing happened, dusted off his shoulder, and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"...Well this is going to be quite the clean-up operation." He spoke as if what he did was no big deal.

"Incredible…!" muttered the Secretary. Despite all the madness, she earnestly hadn't expected Weiss to defeat even a single one of the giants. She believed that she couldn't go out in the world away from home if she'd lose here, and she sorely underestimated the heiress.

With everything done and finished, Weiss allowed herself to relax but grunted in pain. She was still sore everywhere, blood had gotten into her eye, and she spent that whole event fighting through the pain. She would have fallen back to a knee, but Rank was immediately there to hold her steady. And the Secretary watched all of it unfold.

'He broke his promise to the President…', she thought to herself. "Heh, he really is a fool."

It may have seemed that he didn't care about that when he saw her injured, no matter how relatively minor that cut was. Nevertheless, she was pleased by the outcome. Weiss may be going to Beacon, but now she would be going alone, and if she couldn't survive with her servant then maybe she'd prefer to stay home after all.

Meanwhile, Weiss had finally regained her balance and was well enough to walk on her own. "Thank you Rank, whilst I could've handled this matter myself, your assistance is still appreciated." She was still keeping the "haughty act" up.

Rank smiled good-naturedly, "And I know you very well could have milady." His smile faltered a bit, "And… I do hope you continue to handle all that comes your way… As you proceed to Beacon Academy without me."

If anyone listened closely to Weiss' heart, they might've heard the distinct sound of glass cracking.

"What…?" She tried not to sound distraught.

Rank sighed, "My apologies Ms. Weiss. I had promised your father that I would not interfere with your challenge in any way. And my assistance has done just that." 'And given his stance on me, I will be lucky to keep my job after this…' He kept that thought to himself.

Weiss wanted to say anything that would refute that claim, some way to convince him that wasn't true. But she was broken from that thought process as a loud shifting noise occurred. They both looked to the large doors behind them, and there appeared to be another set of doors opening behind the first. What was once a pitch-black abyss from which the armored giants came from, an opening of bright light shined over them. From this light, everyone could see the silhouette of a person coming forth.

Soon their details and features came into view, and everyone was stupefied to see the President of the Schnee Dust Company before them.

"Mr. President?!" exclaimed the Secretary.

"Father?!" questioned Weiss.

"Mr. Schnee?" blurted Rank, louder than he usually speaks.

Jacques walked over to where the two hunters-in-training were resting, looking down on both of them with a neutral expression. They couldn't tell if they pleased him or not.

"It seems you disobeyed my order, Rank," he finally mentioned. Rank said nothing, but a drop of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. "Tell me, boy, do you even have an excuse?"

"Father, he didn't mean to–!" Weiss attempted to defend her servant.

"He can speak for himself, Weiss," he declared. Weiss feared what he was going to do once Rank answered him.

Rank took a deep breath, before speaking up.

"I have made many promises during my life as a servant to the Schnee family. I promised you that I would not get involved in Ms. Weiss' test. I promised my instructors that I would continue to grow and gain more experience in both my career as a Huntsman and as a butler. And I promised Ms. Winter that I would learn about the world around me. But above all, I made a promise to Ms. Willow, the woman who is responsible for all that I have gained, that I will always be by Ms. Weiss' side for whatever reason she would need me. And if abiding by that promise means that I must break all others that I have made? Then I swear on the 'N' in my name, derived from someone Ms. Willow had the utmost respect for, and someone who I hope to match even one-tenth of honor and integrity, then I will gladly do so, no matter the consequences. So says I, Rank Nicholas Stein."

While Jacques was impassive, all others were awed by his words. Weiss had honestly teared up. Those words were the kindest ever directed to her. And she knew Rank meant all of it.

Jacques kept silent for a moment, before finally speaking.

"… Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. You both pass."

"What?" Weiss uttered in confusion.

"What?" Rank was actually surprised.

"M-Mr. President," the Secretary addressed him, who was the most shocked by his decree. "You can't be serious! … Can you?!"

"The truth is," Jacques began, "I knew you would do something if anything happened to Weiss, no matter how small an offense." His words surprised the two youths.

"The point of your oath was not to see if you would honor your word," he explained, "but if you would go so far as breaking it to protect Weiss. You've proven yourself to be a worthy servant to my daughter, Rank."

"…" Rank was speechless for a moment, until he beamed with a big, legitimate smile. It turns out he passed his own test after all. "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Schnee."

"And as for you Weiss," Jacques continued, "all you had to do was defeat your opponents and you have done so, even with Rank's interference."

Weiss said nothing in response to that, but she did show some surprise

"Congratulations, you two… you're both allowed to attend Beacon Academy," announced Jacques Schnee. "Good luck."

At that, the President turned around, heading back for the large doors he came through. His Secretary was left speechless, while the moderators started to take their leave for the day. As for Weiss and Rank, they were still taking in the weight of such good news.

"Rank we did it!" Weiss exclaimed, smiling happily for the first time today. "We're going to Beacon!"

Rank was excited as well, smiling wider than he usually does. "It will be an honor to learn and work alongside you milady!" He declared.

In their emotional states, the two embraced each other tightly, laughing joyfully to their hearts' content. However, both realized they've just hugged out of nowhere, blushes apparent on their faces and pain erupting from Weiss' injuries. Both let go of each other quickly, Weiss clearing her throat and Rank continuously pushing his glasses back up his face.

"A-Ahem…," Rank cleared his throat, "W-Well Ms. Weiss, while your aura seems to have healed most of the damage, I believe you should go to the infirmary. Better to err on the side of caution."

"Yes… I suppose you're right about that." As she said that, Weiss gave him a warm smile and he smiled back in response. The two were proud of their accomplishment today, as they were not torn away as they feared they would be.

With a small hand from Rank, both of them made it to the exit. The Secretary looked down and saw them go, still utterly surprised by the outcome.

"… The both of them may actually have a future at the academy," she said aloud, with no one in particular listening.

However, with all the happiness and shock going on, there was still one thing everyone didn't know – or rather, had forgotten about Jacques. Regardless of everything, he would do anything to rid himself of Rank N. Stein. Even if it meant he had to act like a parent.

---

(Present-Day, at the Concert)

---

Weiss came back to reality, after seeing those memories in her head. She rubbed her fingers where she was cut that day, which now healed into a scar. She was surprised to have them now of all times, and she wondered why. It didn't matter, the curtains were being drawn, and she had to focus on her voice.

The announcer gave her name, and she stepped forward. She heard the clapping of several thousands of people at her arrival, she looked up and saw them all. As she thought, it was indeed a full house. People from almost everywhere would come to hear her sing. Even from out of the Kingdom, several hundreds of people would flock to her. She may have liked the number of devotees she received, but she never felt anyone wasn't there just to hear a pretty girl sing. It wasn't much of a problem though, as it didn't seem to be too bad of a thing.

Just then, she saw someone up in the front row of the crowd. Someone… familiar, but she wasn't sure exactly who yet. She was still quite a distance from the audience, even from the front row. She squinted to see who exactly she was looking at, and she almost gasped at who it was. It was the very person she hoped would come. The person who was always there for her. The person she was thankful for.

Rank N. Stein was among the audience, noticed by Weiss in that sea of people. He was there to see her sing, his big smile bright enough for even her to see. Wearing his standard uniform but done up for the occasion She could see Rank waving to her, hoping she could see him. She couldn't do much as the performance had to begin.

Although, Weiss made sure to give him a smile that was warm enough for him to see. She hoped that he did, then she started to sing.

---

'And so, the brave princess and her stalwart paladin completed the challenge set before them. And they would continue to overcome all other challenges on their quest to reclaim the princess' kingdom from her cruel father, and become individuals the world would not soon forget.'

---

(END OF CHAPTER)

---

(The world turns dark, and then a bolt of lightning flashed across the screen. When it vanished, a silhouette of Rank wielding Donnerschlag appeared, an electric blue 'R' showed up below him.)

Omake: The Gift

With the rousing success that was the concert over, Rank and Weiss were back at the Schnee estate, in the latter's room packing her belongings for the trip to the Kingdom of Vale, and subsequently Beacon Academy.

Rank was seen zipping up a rather large carry-on suitcase and dusting off his hands, "Ms. Weiss, I've finished prepping all of your cosmetics. I'll have them added to the others immediately." He picked up the luggage and made his way to leave.

"Just a minute Rank."

Hearing his mistress, Rank stopped and turned towards her. He saw her looking bashful, blushing while unable to meet his eye "Is there something you require Ms. Weiss?"

Seemingly steeling herself, Weiss cleared her throat and spoke with her eyes closed, "Rank, as we enter Beacon Academy, there is the chance that we will end up on the same team. As such, I believe that we must develop a dynamic beyond "master and servant". We must have better coordination as... companions..." Her blush started to return.

Rank's eyes widened. Was this really happening?

"To that end, I believe that it will only be fair... if you do not refer to me as 'ma'am' or 'milady'. From here on out... you may refer to me as just... Weiss..." She opened her eyes, looking away from him, "At least when others are not around... is that acceptable?"

Rank was overjoyed. His mistress was finally confiding in him beyond that of his job! He couldn't help but smile brightly, but he quickly composed himself, "That would be just fine Ms- I mean, that would be just fine... Weiss."

They both smiled again, but then Rank had a look of realization, "Oh! That reminds me," He reached into his coat and pulled out a small box, commonly used for jewelry, "With a bit of assistance from my instructors, I managed to procure this for you. It is the reason I was called away before your concert, it was my only opportunity to retrieve it."

"Oh Rank, you didn't have to get me anything," Weiss still took the box and gently opened it, and her eyes widened. It was a simple pendant depicting a small apple on a silver chain. Though small and simple, it was very well made. "It's... beautiful..." Was all she could utter.

"When I saw it at a local jeweler some time ago, I immediately thought of you. Consider it a congratulatory gift for making it to Beacon. You have done more than enough to deserve it." It may have been the light, but Rank's face looked like it was sparkling from Weiss' point of view. "Now then, I shall bring these bags to the car. We mustn't miss our Bullhead." He picked up the luggage and took his leave, Weiss watched his retreating back.

She looked at the pendant, and then back at the door he went through, then back to the pendant.

...

...Her whole face turned red, "Good Lord, I am crushing on him."

---

AN: Well, here is prologue one of four to my new story. If something aside from the obvious is off, let me know. All constructive criticism is welcome.

Like and review, thanks for reading!