23 YEARS AGO
THE 142 HIGHWAY,
OUTSIDE ATLAS
A black car blazed down the road, an endless roaring coming from its overworked engine and piercing the nightly silence. It was going well past the generous speed limit of that section of the highway, and had been doing so for nearly an hour now, since it had left the limits of the capital kilometers behind. It wasn't a car meant for that sort of speed, and that was reflected on its tires, which looked ready to blowout at any second.
Inside, the man driving the car was nearly hunched over the steering wheel, gripping it with off-colored knuckles. He had dark skin and his bald head was partly hidden by a black fedora. True to his manic driving, his eyes were wide open and bloodshot.
Sitting on the passenger seat was a woman of similar complexion, with dark hair that went down to her shoulders. She had a terrified look on her face, and she seemed unable to decide whether to look at the road ahead of them or the man beside her. Every so often, they would pass by a car coming from the opposite direction, just narrowly avoiding a collision, and she would jump in her seat.
"Honey," she said, her voice frightfully small. "Can you slow down, just a bit? We're going to get into an accident."
"We can't slow down. Not for a second," the man replied, looking shaken. "They're on our tail. If they catch us…"
"What if we die before they can catch us? What will it matter then?" she said.
"What will it matter?" He pulled on the steering wheel, making a hazardous turn as they came upon a curve on the highway. "If they get their hands on my work, then we might as well be dead! Do you understand that?"
The woman looked at her lap and shook her head, but before she could say anything, a soft cry came from the back of the car. She turned around and reached for the backseat, and came back with a baby in her arms, only his face visible amidst a cocoon of blankets. She rocked him gently and planted a kiss on his forehead, then looked at her husband again, an accusation in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said, more evenly now. "I shouldn't have screamed."
"You think I care about that? This little creature would cry if a fly landed on his arm," she said, and rubbed her nose against the baby for a moment. "Do you care more about him, or your work?"
"It's not about… I am doing this for him."
The woman sighed, leaning back and holding the baby close to her chest. "It's okay, little Flynt. Everything will turn out okay."
The baby's crying quieted, and he closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep again. The driver took his eyes off the road to look at them, the baby and mother – his son and wife. Without realizing it, he began to relax, a smile coming to his lips.
Suddenly, a white flash filled the car, and he heard his wife scream-
"Honey watch out-"
-before, in an instant, everything ended.
WEISS SCHNEE
LEGACY
"I'm speaking from the Azure Square in midtown Atlas, where a Grimm surge is about to take place. All civilians are being asked to evacuate the area, but you can see behind me – that's the portal from which the Grimm are going to come from, any moment now."
The reporter stepped aside to give the camera a better view of the square behind her. There was a mass of people panicking to get away, directed by a handful of police officers. The cemented floor was taken by a red tint, coming from the swirling hole in the air a dozen meters above it.
"We're receiving word now that the military was aware of this Surge, but perhaps by some oversight or miscalculation, they aren't fully prepared yet to exterminate the Grimm," the reporter said, and there was a slight quake to her voice. "It seems that the city police will have to contain these Grimm until they arrive here. Hopefully that will be-"
Before she could finish her phrase, the portal doubled in size, and a mass of darkness dropped from it. It hit the floor below and quickly took the shape of a wolf-like creature.
"And that's a, a Beowolf, if I'm not mistaken? T-they're the most basic specimen of – oh God."
More Grimm dropped from the portal, one by one taking form, until there were ten of them in total. At that point, the portal shrunk and faded away. The Grimm spread across the plaza, sniffing the air as if detecting a peculiar smell – yet it was no smell they were detecting, but the fear of the people running away from them. And then, united as one, the monsters released a roar that echoed across the plaza, signaling the start of their hunt.
The first Beowolf took off in a sprint, bounding towards a policeman with its jaw opened to rip flesh from bone. It landed and snapped forward with its head, ignoring the hail of bullets that peppered it – before it was enveloped in a white light. When it cleared, the creature was encased in ice, a frosty mist radiating off of it.
A human figure dropped from the sky, landing at the center of the plaza at a speed that should have caused several bones to shatter, if not an entire skeleton. The reporter stood aghast for a moment, before she regained her senses and gestured at her cameraman, beckoning him to zoom in on the figure.
It was a young woman, short in stature, with snow-white hair that, even tied in a ponytail, went down to the middle of her back. A scar marked her pale face, starting from her left cheek, passing her eye, and ending just short of her eyebrow. She wore a white peacoat and a skirt of the same color, and thigh-high boots to match.
"That's…" the reporter said, relief coloring her voice. "That's Weiss Schnee. Just in time!"
As if she'd heard that, Weiss looked over her shoulder at the camera, the faintest hint of a smile coming to her lips, before she returned her attention to the Grimm around her. She raised her hands in front of her, conjuring a glowing white glyph on each of them. The Grimm all turned to face her, cornering her in a wide circle, without a care to give to the powerless victims around them anymore.
They fell upon her all at once, and Weiss struck at the same time, shooting ice-cold beams from her glyphs that froze the Grimm they hit on the spot. She managed to do away with five of them like that before they got too close, and she was forced to dodge under their claw swipes and savage bites, conjuring a bigger glyph under her feet and using it to slide backwards and out of their immediate reach.
As the Grimm ran at her again, Weiss stood firmly and waved her hands, shaping an ethereal rapier from her glyphs. She gripped it elegantly, and with a tap with the back of her foot, bade the glyph under her to fly to her back. She jumped and kicked against the disc, propelling herself right back at the beasts, and with three measured slashes, cut their shadowy flesh and inflicted a coldness upon them that soon had them exploding into vile smoke.
Weiss landed on her feet gracefully, and with just two of the Grimm left to contend with, merely waited for them to approach her, dispatching them with her sword when they came into range. With those deal with, she walked to her first victims – the ones frozen in ice - and struck them with her rapier, shattering them into pieces that too turned into smoke.
Satisfied, Weiss Schnee tossed her sword away, and it dissolved into nothing before reaching the ground. She beat her hands and dusted off her peacoat, then climbed onto another glyph and started to rise into the air.
"Wait! Miss Schnee!" the reporter sprinted to meet the Huntress, the news crews following her in a fervor. "Would you care for an interview?"
Weiss looked down at them, pursing her lips. "I don't have much time…" She lowered her glyph until she was at ground-level again. "Fine. But please keep it short. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes."
"Thank you," the reporter said, and was silent for a few seconds as she deliberated on how to proceed. "Your arrival here was very timely, Miss Schnee. A few minutes more and we might have had a tragedy in our hands. Were you already prepared for this Surge, perhaps?"
"Not entirely," Weiss said. "As a Huntress, I'm privy to certain information regarding the Grimm. I knew there was going to be a Surge here and kept close attention, so when I heard the news…" She gestured emphatically at the square behind her. "I came as quickly as I could."
"I see." The reporter nodded. "And how do you feel about the military's response?"
"What response?" Weiss scoffed. "This is shameful, there is no other way to put it. General Ironwood and his people are investing how many billions to combat the Grimm threat, and I still have to step in at such a basic level? Atlas is the biggest city in the country, an emergency such as this should never come close to happening."
"You don't think they are doing enough, then."
"Clearly they aren't. And I can't keep covering for their mistakes, now can I?" Weiss said. "Not only am I a Huntress, I also help run the most important company in the world. Do they expect me to drop everything just to help them?"
"It must be difficult to juggle so many different aspects of your life at once," the reporter. "Would you ever consider going full-time as a Huntress? Perhaps you could do more good that way?"
"You don't understand. My work with the SDC is equally, if not more important than my work as a Huntress," Weiss said. "Speaking of. I really must be going now."
She started to rise on her glyph, only to come back down with a sigh as the reporter called on her again. This time, however, she held her microphone away, and the crew took that as a signal to focus away from the conversation.
"Miss Schnee, I have to thank you again for arriving when you did," the reporter said, offering her hand. "We are all truly fortunate to have you watching over our city. Thank you."
Weiss stared at her for a moment, as if she didn't know how to respond, before she took her hand and shook it, a genuine smile coming to her lips. "I was just doing my job."
Weiss stepped off her glyph and entered the SDC headquarters, barely pausing to let the automatic doors open before her. Her steps echoed across the lobby as she crossed it, not hurried but purposeful. She felt a dozen and more pair of eyes follow her as she made her way to the elevator.
The stares weren't an uncommon occurrence for her, as she'd always been a prominent figure in the company, and her notoriety had only grown in recent years. She wasn't known only as the president's daughter anymore, but as an authority figure with a voice and vision of her own – she had made sure everyone learned to see her that way. It was only natural, then, that people wondered what she was up to that warranted such urgency.
The whispers she was hearing now, however, were not so common. They were curious mostly, but she also detected apprehension coming from some of the employees. What did they know that she didn't? Nothing that would make her happy, surely.
"Thirteenth floor," she said as she entered the elevator, and it quickly rose to her destination. She stepped out into the hallway, stopping briefly to look at her reflection a window and fix her hair. Flying around the city was much easier than the hellish experience that was daytime traffic, but she had yet to figure out a way to not ruin her appearance in the process. How did Ruby pull of using her speed without becoming an utter mess every time?
Weiss shook her head and walked to the conference room on the end of the hallway. She gave a light knock on the door before going in, and she immediately understood the reason behind the tension in the lobby.
Her father, Jacques Schnee, was sitting at the head of the table nearest to the door, as was usual when he was conducting a meeting. Sitting along the sides were a handful of senior employees of the company, ones Weiss had practically grown up around but was in no way allies with. No, they were all her father's men through and through, obviously.
But what really drew her attention was the person on the other end of the table, an elderly woman with silver hair. Even sitting, she was short, and she had a look in her eyes of such polite pleasantness that Weiss had to stop herself from retching at the sight.
"Weiss," her father said, getting up to face her. "You've arrived. I'm afraid we had to start the meeting without you."
"It's no problem. Forgive my lateness, I was quite busy saving lives," Weiss said polishedly, and turned to face the elderly woman. "I'm Weiss Schnee, as I'm sure you're aware. And you are…?"
"Caroline Cordovin!" the woman half-shouted. She offered a hand, and Weiss was too startled that such a short woman could be so loud to not shake it. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Miss Schnee! I've heard wonders about you, tales upon tales about your elegance and intelligence, and your oh so exquisite singing voice-"
"Please, call me Weiss," Weiss said, already tired of the prattling woman. "And where would you have heard such tales, may I ask?"
"Ah, forgive me, Miss Schnee," Cordovin said, thankfully in a quieter tone – relatively at least. "I am a Captain of the great Atlesian Army. I've worked with your sister several times before. Quite a remarkable young woman, if a bit headstrong at times, but a great asset to the country nonetheless. One time-"
Weiss tuned Cordovin out and turned to look at her father, and a whole conversation happened between them without either saying a single word.
"Captain Cordovin is representing the Army's interest regarding the Colossus deal," her father said. "Apologies for the interruption, Caroline. May we continue where we left off?"
Cordovin nodded, and they both sat down. Weiss stared at her father a moment longer, letting him know just how displeased she was with the situation, before she took a vacant seat near the army captain.
"As I was saying," Jacques said, taking a file he had on the table in front of him and laying a hand on it. Cordovin had a copy of it and was reading it intently, as was everyone else. "The Colossus will be a mechanical unit constructed specifically for the defense against large-scale Grimm threats. It will have an approximate height of ninety meters. Its outer skeleton will be built primarily from an iron and titanium alloy, providing great resistance against-"
Weiss looked at the man sitting beside her and gestured at his copy of the file, and he slid it over to her silently. She gave it an once-over, shaking her head at the blueprint of the so-called Colossus. She found the whole concept of a giant robot – because that's what it was, a giant robot – designed to fight off Grimm ridiculous, if not outright offensive.
Her father already knew, of course. She'd made him very aware of her feelings about this project, and they'd been arguing back-and-forth about it for months. But knowledge of it had remained within the company. He hadn't dared go past her to contact outside interests, until now – and what a spectacular job of it he was doing.
No wonder he hadn't invited her to this meeting directly. If he could have, he would have had it go by entirely unnoticed by her, Weiss was sure of it.
"-all powered by a Dust Reactor Core, located safely away from the pilot in the Colossus' chest area," Jacques continued. "Within the file you'll find a list of the offensive and defensive equipment to be installed on the vehicle. Please feel free to voice any concerns or suggestions, Captain."
"Concerns? None at all! This appears to be quite a formidable weapon, fitting of the great minds of the Schnee Dust Company!" Cordovin said, smiling ear-to-ear. "You have outdone yourselves this time, Mr. Schnee!"
"We seek only to provide safety to our country," Jacques said. "Of course, for all its might, the Colossus will be next to useless without a skillful pilot at its head. But that won't be a problem, now will it, Caroline?"
"Not at all!" Cordovin exclaimed, and before everyone's eyes, she jumped to her feet on her chair and waved her fist in the air. "I shall crush all Grimm who threaten our good homeland, and beyond! The strength and pride of Atlas I will show to the world!"
Weiss nearly fell from her chair. This woman was going to be the Colossus' pilot? This woman?
"Excuse me, but," Weiss said, standing up. "I believe you, Captain Cordovin, should not be here for this discussion." She put her hands on the desk. "In fact, I firmly believe this discussion shouldn't be taking place altogether."
Cordovin's eyes widened as she stared at Weiss, stumbling over her words. Jacques acted more subtly, allowing little emotion to show on his face, though one would have to be stupid not to know what he thought of the interruption.
"Now, daughter, that was profoundly impolite," he said, and the other men on the table made sure to look away. "What would possess you to say such a thing in front of our guest?"
"Do not play coy with me, father. You know very well the dangers of a weapon like this Colossus," Weiss said. "Or perhaps you have forgotten Vale, when Cinder Fall weaponized our technology and nearly destroyed a city? Because I haven't. In fact, it feels like all I've been doing since that is preach about the responsibilities we have to uphold, to never allow anything like that to happen ever again – all to deaf ears."
"If we allow the actions of one bad individual to hinder our progress, then we will remain stagnant forever, and inevitably, that will lead to our extinction," Jacques said, interlacing his fingers on the desk. "Or do you deny the threat of the Grimm?"
"I just got done killing a pack of them midtown," Weiss said, and looked at Cordovin again. "A duty that should have befallen you, mind I add. You and your people are incapable of handling the Grimm as it is, and we should trust you with a walking Dust bomb the size of a skyscraper?"
"Now, Miss Schnee," Cordovin said, her smile turning bitter. "A weapon such as the Colossus is exactly what we need to turn the tides against the Grimm. We have been lucky to avoid a major crisis so far, but the very nature of those horrible beasts dictates that luck won't last us forever. We must be prepared for what comes next."
"You already have a solution for the next crisis. Me," Weiss said. "And my team. You won't need anything else. So I suggest you leave, because this deal isn't happening."
"But you see, I cannot do that. I'm here by order of General Ironwood, who is very interested in-"
"Then you go back to General Ironwood and tell him to call me. He's got my number, we can schedule a conversation. I'll invite the Beacon's Supreme Director, too – I'm sure he'll have a lot to contribute to the discussion."
Cordovin's face closed up, a conflicted look in her eyes, as if she couldn't reconcile with the fact that she was being shut down by the illustrious daughter of Jacques Schnee.
"I think we are done for today," Jacques said tersely, breaking the silence. "Caroline, we will contact you again once we have discussed this matter further. Please express my good wishes to the General."
Cordovin got up and nodded, then waddled out of the conference room in silence. The other businessmen remained a moment, as if making sure it was okay to leave, before they followed her out, leaving Weiss alone with her father.
Jacques sighed heavily and got up from his chair. He looked at her and shook his head, joining his hands behind his back.
"I'm not happy with what you just did, daughter," he said.
"Good thing my job is not to make you happy, but rather to keep this company running well and responsibly," Weiss said. "Something that becomes that much harder when you insist on making unwise decisions despite my clear disapproval."
"Weiss, you have a sharp mind, and you have taken the SDC in great directions in the years since the incident with Torchwick," he said, approaching her. "But in this company, you are only my heiress, while I am its president. You don't have as much power here as you believe."
"You're not wrong. I'm not president, or even vice-president. My position in the company is rather nebulous, isn't it?" Weiss said. "What won't be so nebulous, father, is how our board of investors will react when they learn of this Colossus project of yours. I am sure the prospect of the SDC being responsible for another world-threatening scare doesn't excite them a great deal, wouldn't you agree?"
He fell silent, and Weiss couldn't help but smile. Jacques' eyes turned to the ceiling, and he released another sigh, before he drew back the chair beside her and sat down. When he looked at her again, Weiss was startled – he seemed almost… proud of her?
"I should have known better than to bring you into the business. Soon you'll have my whole company wrapped around your finger," he said. "Fine enough. I will drop this, for now. But know that I am not giving up on the Colossus."
"I suppose that's a good first step," Weiss said, waving her hand. "I'll allow you the chance to change my mind in the future. You won't, of course, but it's only fair that I let you try."
"The foundation behind the Colossus' construction is true, daughter," Jacques said. "The threat of the Grimm is escalating at a frightening pace, and we must use everything at our disposal to combat them. You might not agree with my chosen methods, but you must admit they're necessary."
"There is no need for such alarmism. I've said it already," Weiss said. "Whatever threats Atlas and the rest of the world might face in the future, myself and the Hunt will be there to stop them. We have done it once before, and we will do so again, as many times as we are called to do."
"And if you fail? If the threat is too large for even you and your allies to handle?"
"Then the world will be doomed already, and a big metal toy won't make any difference."
Jacques sat back, and Weiss didn't like the look on his face anymore. Gone was that maybe-pride, substituted by the businessman face she knew oh so well.
"You realize there are more ways for you to save the world than by flying around and chopping monsters' heads off?" he said.
Weiss crossed her arms. "Enlighten me."
"You are not wrong to worry about the unintended consequences the technologies we create might have upon the world. I believe when you apply yourself to those causes is when you truly shine, even more than when you're using your powers to fight the Grimm," Jacques said. "I've been thinking about creating a new position for you in the company, where you'll be tasked with handling exactly those delicate matters such as the Colossus, or…" He stopped himself. "How does the idea sound to you?"
"It sounds exactly like what I've already been doing this whole time, except I'd be pigeonholed to only that role." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Are you really that scared of my influence, father?"
"You misunderstand my intentions. In that role, you would have the final say on any and all endeavors the company may seek to take. Dislike something, and you'll have the power to shut it down absolutely and permanently."
Weiss pursed her lips. That did sound enticing, she had to admit. But it was too good to be true – her father would never allow her to have so much power over him, though he would surely try to keep such an illusion.
Besides, that was hardly her only concern with the idea.
"I'm perfectly happy where I am today," Weiss said. "But thank you for the offer."
"Well, if you change your mind, we can always revisit the idea," Jacques said. "If you won't agree to that, and you won't allow the Colossus solution to go through, perhaps then you'll finally share the formula of your Semblance Serum with the company?"
Weiss sat rigidly in her chair. She was suddenly aware of how cold she was. The Dust inside her was the cause of that. It was not an unpleasant sensation – in fact, it was something she rarely ever noticed, having grown used to it since her injection two years ago – but now it made her intensely aware of how valuable were the secrets her body held.
"You cannot be serious," she said lowly, fixing her father with a glare.
"I am perfectly serious," Jacques said. "With the formula, we could enable the creation of more warriors like you. Think of it – wouldn't the world be a safer place if it didn't have to rely on only you and your, what, five superpowered friends to save it from disaster?"
"No, it absolutely would not be! Giving people superpowers to use however they please? That's an even worse idea than the Colossus!" Weiss stood up. "I am not having this discussion. And I swear, if I hear even a whisper of you pursuing this, I will bring Beacon down on you and the SDC. I don't care what happens then, I'll destroy this whole company if I have to."
Jacques got up slowly, adjusting his collar with one hand, a contemptuous look on his face. "I suppose we have nothing more to discuss, then," he said coldly, and walked past her to exit the conference room.
Weiss shoved a file into a drawer and slammed it shut, cursing herself silently as the whole desk shook and a canister fell over, spilling pens all over it and the floor. Sighing, she bent down to pick up all the pens and put them back into place. If she continued like this, her office would devolve into an even bigger mess and she wouldn't be able to leave the SDC until nighttime.
Why was she in such a mood still, anyway? It wasn't like her father wasn't constantly testing her boundaries every day, seeking to take an inch wherever he could and running a mile with it. She couldn't control everything in his damned company, and if she tried to, he would take away her power – or try very hard to, at least – consequences be damned.
But this was different. Making alliances with shady businesses, developing increasingly dangerous weapons to supposedly fight the Grimm, even building a giant death robot… Those were all reprehensible actions, and Weiss would always fight against them.
But asking her to divulge the secrets of the formula that had awakened her powers? To then have it spread it across the world for profit? That was worse than anything Weiss could imagine.
And it was personal.
Weiss picked up the last pen and threw it on her desk. She looked around her office and despaired, realizing she had far more to fix up than she had thought at first. She prided herself in maintaining a clean and organized place of work, but she rarely stayed in her office for more than a few minutes at a time these days, only stopping by to pick up or drop things, and piles of miscellaneous items had started to form which she otherwise would have never allowed.
Weiss sighed, deciding to postpone the tidying up to tomorrow. She wouldn't be getting anything done in her current mood. What she needed was to go home, have a couple glasses of delectable wine, and then sleep for eight hours straight.
She picked up her purse and nodded to herself. That sounded like a plan… One that was being interrupted at its inception by a knock on her door.
Weiss rubbed the corners of her eyes for a moment before moving to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Whitley standing patiently in her hallway – her little brother, younger than her by five years, with the same white hair that was signature to their family. More than herself and Winter, however, Whitley took after their father, not only in his physical appearance but in the manner he carried himself.
"Good evening, Weiss," he said, hands linked behind his back. "Are you busy?"
Weiss narrowed her eyes at him, then leaned past the doorway, searching the hallway for her father or one of his chief advisors. Whitley appeared unphased by that, as if he understood completely why she would do such a thing, even if he disapproved of it.
"You look particularly beautiful today, sister," he said, giving her a smile she knew all too well – the kind of insufferable smile the youngest child reserved for when they wanted to irritate their elders. "Have you done something to your hair?"
"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms. "Did you get lost in the building? Do you need me to hold your hand and find an adult to drive you home?"
"But, you're already an adult, big sister," Whitley said. "Ah, but you don't know how to drive… How could I forget that?"
Weiss made to close the door, forgetting that she was on her way out of her office, but Whitley raised his hands to pacify her.
"Sorry. I'll get to the point," he said. "Father says I've gotten to the age when I should get more involved with the family business, and I agree. I've been shadowing him, learning about how the SDC works. The problem is, he can't devote that much time to teaching me. He's got more important things to tend to." He paused. "I was wondering, then, if you could make the time to teach me when he can't?"
"Teach you?" Weiss said. "You've been studying business and economy for years, Whitley, just like I did when I was your age. There's not much I can teach you that aren't already learning – and no, if your end goal is to get me to help you with your homework, I won't do it."
"But that's just knowledge I can get anywhere. What I need is experience – and you have a lot of that," Whitley said. "If I could watch how you conduct business, that would be enough. I promise I won't get in the way of your work."
Weiss pursed her lips. She supposed there was no one better than her to tutor Whitley about these matters. And Winter had done the same for her when they were younger – at least until she left the family business overnight and Weiss inherited her title in full.
Still, she was wary of the arrangement, especially with the last conversation she'd had with her father still fresh on her mind. Was he so brazen to send Whitley to her door so soon after, for her to train him to be her replacement?
"I'm sorry, Whitley, but I don't have the time. And I hardly have the inclination, either," Weiss said. "I'm afraid you'll have to tell father the bad news. I'm sure he can arrange someone else to help you."
"Father didn't send me here," Whitley said heatedly. "I'm here of my own volition. I want to learn more, and I want to learn it from you. I know that you've been making an impact on the company. Father's even talked to me about it once or twice. He can get really irritated about it, but also…"
He trailed off, lowering his eyes to the floor.
"I don't want to disappoint him," he said bluntly. "Is it that much to ask that you help me out a bit?"
Weiss stared at him, suddenly regretful that she'd been so short with him. She certainly recognized how he felt, having felt the same way many times before. And while they might not have the most amicable of relationships, Weiss certainly didn't wish for him to go through the same hardships she'd had to endure.
Besides, with the right guidance, perhaps she could actually shape him into a good, conscientious businessman. Wipe away some of their father's influence and replace it with her own. Perhaps they could even become friendly with each other.
She could be a good sister. She was going to be a good sister.
"Alright… But I have conditions," Weiss said. "You're going to listen to everything I say. No whining. If I hear one complaint, we're done. And I don't want to hear about how father would have done things – you're going to be learning from me, so you're going to leave his and anyone else's opinions on the doorway. Am I understood?"
"Perfectly," Whitley said. "…But are you always going to be this bossy?"
"Don't test me."
Weiss entered her apartment, sighing in relief as she felt the gentle warmth of the heating system on her skin. She took off her coat and hung it behind the door, and dropped off her keys beside it. Rolling her shoulders, she moved from the entry hall to the living room.
It was good to be home.
Moving out and getting an apartment all for herself had perhaps been the best decision she'd made recently. Gone were the days of staying confined in her room so as to avoid crossing paths with her father. Gone were the days of pretending the grass of the back garden wasn't littered with used bottles. Gone were the days of having every last second of her home life monitored and judged.
There was nothing quite as precious in the world as freedom, and if all she had to pay for it was some exorbitant amount of money she'd never have touched otherwise, then she would keep paying it until she was dead and gone.
Living by herself in such a large space did get a little lonely sometimes, but she didn't mind it much. And she knew better than to invite anyone here. Weiss could just picture how Yang might react when she stepped into her living room and realized it was double the size of the Tower's – she would never let Weiss hear the end of it. The dusty piano in the corner would also warrant a lot of requests Weiss would rather avoid.
She stared at the instrument for a moment, a longing building inside her. It had been a long time since she'd last played… But she was too tired tonight. Perhaps another time.
Weiss clapped her hands, turning on the lights, and walked over to the large white couch in the middle of the room. She grabbed her tablet from the table in front of it and sat down, leaning back a bit.
"Speak of the devil…" she muttered to herself, opening the Hunt's group chat to check if everyone was okay. She knew they would call her or text her on her Scroll if anything happened, but she still liked to make sure. Some of her teammates weren't the most sensible people.
Half of them, really.
Satisfied that there was nothing out of the ordinary, Weiss looked back over the couch at the counter on the corner of the room, and the cabinet behind it. Now about that wine…
She started to get up, but a ringing tone brought her attention back to the tablet and she sat down again. A call from Winter! Her face lit up, and she was quick to accept the call.
"Weiss." Winter's face popped up on the device. Weiss didn't know where she was, but she could make out the wall of what appeared to be a military quarter behind her. Winter was probably relaxing after a long day of work, just like her. "Good evening."
"Good evening, Winter!" Weiss said. "Where are you right now? Not in town, I'm guessing?"
"Yes. I'm stationed in Argus currently, in Mistral," Winter said. "The General and I have business here. I'm afraid it might be a while before I return home."
"That's too bad. I was hoping to see you soon. But I'm glad to hear from you anyway, it's been too long," Weiss said. "Did you have a reason for calling? Actually, wait a second, I'll be right back."
Weiss got up from the sofa and ducked behind the counter, opening the cabinet. She ducked slightly to get a better view inside, and grumbled in annoyance when she noticed it was empty save for two bottles, and not particularly good ones at that. She'd have to remember to make an order later.
She grabbed one of the bottles and opened it with a quick use of her Semblance, then poured herself a glass on the counter. Moving back to the couch, she sat down and settled in.
"Cheers," she said, raising her glass slightly and taking a sip.
Winter gave a momentary pause, and Weiss realized it might be strange for her to see her drinking.
"I'm sorry, do you mind if I…?" Weiss asked, nodding at the glass.
"No, of course not. You're an adult," Winter said, seemingly unperturbed. "You asked why I called. Well, I heard about what happened today."
"Can you be more specific? A lot's happened today."
"The Grimm in the plaza. General Ironwood was informed straight away about it," Winter said. "While I would like to give you some highly technical explanation for why that happened, I'm afraid human error is all there was to it. Regardless, the one responsible for the oversight has been thoroughly disciplined."
"Hmm. And it won't happen again?" Weiss said.
"Hopefully not. We were lucky you responded to the emergency so swiftly. General Ironwood asked me to thank you on his behalf."
Weiss fought not to roll her eyes, but kept her displeasure to only that. She didn't have a high opinion on the General, but Winter was fiercely loyal to him, and Weiss respected her judgment at least.
"You made it sound like that wasn't your only excitement today?" Winter prodded.
"I wouldn't call any of today exciting," Weiss said. "Have you heard about the deal father's trying to close with the military?"
"The Colossus? Yes, I've been briefed about it." Winter nodded. "It's highly confidential information."
"Yes, from many parties!" Weiss took a sip of her wine to cool her anger. "What's your opinion on that… thing?"
"I don't have much of an opinion about it. It's a weapon, and if we intend to aim at the Grimm, then I suppose it is an excellent weapon." Winter looked away. "Although I do find it a tad…"
"Ridiculous? Overkill? Dangerous beyond a fault?" Weiss suggested.
"Something along those lines. And now I know how you feel about it."
"It's the height of folly. Everyone is so concerned with protecting mankind, they fail to realize they might be the ones most likely to destroy it," Weiss said, and waved dismissively. "It doesn't matter. I've blocked the deal. Father told me he won't be dropping the idea anytime soon, and I'm sure your boss will be interjecting personally. They can fight for it all they want - I'm not letting that stupid robot see the light of day."
Winter smiled slightly, a look of vague amusement in her eyes. Weiss bristled a bit, feeling patronized for a brief moment, before she reasoned that Winter was only looking at her that way because she was fond of her, and no other reason. Winter was different from other people – Weiss hadn't had to prove herself to her for years now.
"I commend your determination, sister. I would say that perhaps you are spreading yourself too thin, with everything you have going on in your life… You even make me feel exhausted, just thinking about it," Winter said. "But if anyone can pull it off, it's you. Just promise to ask for help if you need it."
"Okay. I'll remember that, Winter," Weiss said. "Do you have to go now?"
"Yes. I've got an early start tomorrow. And every other day after that, I'm afraid," Winter said. "Take care of yourself, Weiss."
"You too, Winter. Bye."
Winter gave her one last smile, and ended the call after.
Weiss put her tablet aside, disappointed that she couldn't have talked to her sister for longer. She hadn't gotten to tell Winter about her tutoring Whitley, and Weiss would have liked to hear her opinion on that. That would have to wait for another conversation.
Weiss downed the last of her wine and put her glass away, contemplating her day. She felt exhausted to the bone. Perhaps she was starting to push the limits of how much she could handle. But who else was going to protect Atlas from the Grimm and rein the SDC's worst tendencies and keep her brother from becoming another of her father's obedient puppets?
No one. It all fell to her, and difficult as it might be to shoulder so much, she proudly accepted the challenge.
Weiss landed in front of the SDC early in the morning, feeling rested after a full night's sleep. She vanished her glyph and took her Scroll out of her pocket, lingering on the sidewalk as she considered her schedule for the day.
She had some projects to check out today, having last reviewed their progress nearly two weeks ago. And she intended to consult with the company's Vacuo branch – they were being awfully slow to cut their ties with certain individuals of less-than-stellar reputation, and if she didn't give them a push, they would stall even longer. Whitley would be accompanying her, of course, since none of that was particularly sensitive work. And depending how everything went, perhaps she could squeeze in a lesson or two for him.
Oh, and she had to finish tidying up her office. Damnit. Maybe she could put that off until tomorrow? Or, better yet, she could get Whitley to do it for her! She could pass that off as a lesson about… industriousness, or something like that. Surely he wouldn't be able to complain, since he'd agreed to-
"Weiss Schnee!"
Weiss winced and covered her ears, feeling like a bullet train had just sped past her. She noticed the people around her shrinking away in a similar state, and turned around for the source of the voice.
A young man, perhaps just a little older than her, had just stepped from the road into the sidewalk, striding towards her purposefully. He had dark skin and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but Weiss could tell by the trace of his lips that he was seething with fury.
"What do you want?" Weiss snapped, tossing her purse to the ground and lifting her hands in front of her, conjuring a glyph in each. "Step back! Whoever you are, trust me, you don't want to mess with me."
"Funny." The man took off his fedora and dropped it behind him, stopping a good ten meters away from her. "That's exactly what I'm here for."
He opened his mouth, and out of it came a terrible noise, like a thousand bats shrieking at once. The air seemed to ripple in front of Weiss, but her eyes barely had time to register it as, suddenly, a great force struck her and she was launched backwards, crashing through the glass walls of the SDC.
WEEEEISS! BEST GIRL IS BACK YEEEESSSS!
Apologies, my bias might be showing. I quite enjoy writing Weiss, if I haven't made that clear before.
This should be an exciting journey, and not just because I like Weiss. There are going to be a few, uh... risky, moments ahead of us, which I am as excited to present to you as I am scared. I might earn myself a couple-a pitchfork attacks. But ya can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs, right?
Oh, some you might have noticed that I changed the story's title since I kinda-announced at the end of Velvet Snapshot. Truthfully, that was more of a joke than anything, and I wasn't too sure what title I was going to use. While Legacy might be a tad cliche, I think it fits much better with the themes here than Isolation.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the story. As part of my new ongoing policy, every RSU story will start with two chapters right out of the bat, so you can go read what happens next with Weiss right away!
-Zeroan