Weiss had never seen anything like this, not in her eighteen years of life on Remnant, and in the several months she had been stuck in this foreign world. She had already known that All Might was strong, he was called the Symbol of Peace and was ranked as the Number One Hero, but she never expected him to be this strong. His punches were strong enough to cause a windstorm strong enough to blow everything around him away! Weiss would need several tons of pure wind Dust if she even wanted to try replicating what he did. Her off-hand twitched slightly. All Might truly deserved all of the titles he had been given, and was a great and wise teacher.
By now, a few classmates had gathered to stare at the World's Greatest Hero in shock, including but not limited to creepy Todoroki, the dog, and Kirishima. Even with a ripped shirt and standing in the middle of a dust cloud, All Might's presence couldn't be diminished. Now he truly deserved to be called a hero. Weiss released her hold on the villains, her glyphs disappearing along with the wind vortexes she used to keep them in one spot. Should she make a move? She could launch a wave of flames with the Fire Dust she had, but the mist teleporter might be able to send it back, depending on how skilled he was with his quirk.
"Damn cheaters…" Handman said weakly. He must've lost a decent amount of blood by now, the torn shirt he wrapped around his missing finger now a black-red. "Kurogiri, get us out of here. We need to level up."
The purple mist enveloped the both of them, including a bloody patch on the ground several feet away, most likely Handman's severed finger. He deserved worse for what he did here. Myrtenaster shook softly as Weiss held in her rage. She should have been able to do more! T-These criminals tried killing her, and threatened Kyouka and Mina.
Weiss couldn't lose anymore people.
"No worries Young Schnee, they're gone now." Weiss felt a large hand on her shoulder, and released the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.
"Yes sir." Weiss brushed her bangs out of her eyes. The whispers from her classmates returned, as several of them stared at All Might and herself in shock.
"The paramedics should be outside by now. Let's go get you checked out." All Might motioned to the blood stains that littered her blue combat dress. Weiss stared at Myrtenaster's drops of red liquid coating part of it, along with her gauntlet.
"No worries sir. None of this is mine." Weiss said gently swinging her blade, causing a few drops of blood to fall on the ground. She would have to inspect Myrtenaster for any imperfections later. Her comment seemed to have earned her a few more shocked stares, even All Might seemed a bit confused. Weiss ignored their looks and started walking toward the entrance where they originally entered from.
She needed to find her friends.
Weiss found Mina and Kyouka with the paramedics. Thankfully, they didn't seem to have any visible injuries, though Mina seemed rather shellshocked. That was understandable considering the condition Thirteen was in, who had the back part of her body shredded, and Mr. Aizawa, whose ambulance already drove off as soon as he was in the vehicle.
"Weiss?" Mina said, her yellow eyes turning to the approaching Idol. Kyouka sat by her side on the edge of one of the ambulances as a paramedic examined her.
"The Goddess has returned-" Weiss stepped around Mineta who had his arms outstretched in front of her, and pulled her two friends into a tight embrace. There was little she could do to stop the waterworks as Weiss' tears fell freely.
Her friends were safe! They were ok!
Weiss felt them wrap their arms around her carefully so as to not cut themselves on Myrtenaster. She was sure that her sobbing gain her the attention of their other classmates and the paramedics, but none of that mattered to her at that moment.
"I'm sorry.." Weiss choked in between her tears. It was hard to breathe, but Weiss didn't want to let go. She would have never been able to forgive herself if something had happened to the two. Weiss had already failed one group of friends, she wouldn't fail a second time.
After what felt like an eternity, the trio slowly pulled away. Mina gave her a small grin, while Kyouka wiped away some of her own tears.
"There's nothing to be sorry about Weisscream." Mina said, poking Weiss in the side. Kyouka nodded as she allowed the amused paramedic to finish checking her blood pressure, he paused after he got a good look at Weiss.
"Do you need any assistance Miss Schnee?" The paramedic asked nervously. He kept glancing at her outfit. Why was he looking there-oh.
"Don't worry. This isn't my blood." Weiss had a feeling that she was going to be saying that quite often, at least until she changed outfits.
It was at that moment that a few EMT's exited the USJ, with black tarps covering their emergency cots, with the Pro-Heroes Snipe and Cementoss escorting them.
Weiss didn't notice the stares they gave Myrtenaster.
No, no, no, NO! None of this was supposed to happen! Stupid heroes, stupid students, f* All Might ruined everything! Why couldn't he have died in peace? It would have been so simple, killing the Symbol of Peace and some Idol singer. Where did everything go wrong?!
The plan went astray when the Bard sliced off one of his fingers, the pain still filling Tomura's body. He was starting to feel lightheaded too, how annoying. He would need to maximize his stats and level up for next time.
"Rest here, I shall bring the Doctor." Kurogiri said, carefully seating Tomura in one of the corner tables at their bar hideout. Tomura remained silent, his rage only being held at bay by the pain coursing through his nervous system. Kurogiri disappeared as quickly as he arrived.
He needed all five fingers in order to use his quirk, and that stupid Bard made one of his hands useless. Tomura started to grind his teeth as he screamed.
"Quiet down please. Some of us like to enjoy our drinks in peace." A rather annoying voice said, coming from another table in the corner across from Tomura. His face was hidden by a well placed shadow, but Tomura already knew that voice. A young blonde girl in a school uniform sat next to him, her eyes fixated on his bleeding finger. She licked her lips hungrily.
"You gave us the wrong schedule." Tomura gritted out. He had hired the two to steal the teacher's schedule, the one that said where All Might would have been.
"Technically, it was the right schedule judging by how big boy isn't here with you anymore." The figure said as he inhaled smoke from his cigar. "It's not my fault that they changed it at the last minute. You hurt poor Toga's feelings, after everything she went through to get it for you. Isn't that right?" The rogue class girl nodded her head eagerly, her eyes never leaving Tomura's missing finger.
Tomura grunted and hissed as the pain flared up again. The figure slowly stood up, revealing a bowler hat with a feather.
"You should have been ready for this. We're criminals after all, we lie, we steal, we cheat." He stepped out of the shadows, an eyepatch on his right eye visible, barely hidden by the bangs of his orange hair.
"But most important of all, we survive." He grabbed his cane as the vampire girl stood to follow him. He gave Tomura an annoying smirk. Oh how he longed to wrap his hand around Torchwick's annoying throat, to see him decay, to turn into dust.
"Let's go, Toga. Let's find something to eat. How about a nice juicy steak?" Torchwick smirked as he walked out.
"Raw?"
"Whatever you want kiddo."
The two finally left, leaving Tomura alone to wallow in his hatred. He hated Torchwick, he hated All Might, but most of all…
Tomura hated the Bard, and he was going to make her suffer.
It turned out that in Weiss' haste to find her friends, she accidentally ignored most of UA's faculty who had arrived as reinforcements. From what Weiss heard, they managed to round up the rest of the thugs and villains that were still roaming the USJ rather efficiently. The paramedics had arrived with a police escort, along with several buses to transport the captured criminals. After gathering the rest of the class by the main entrance, a familiar detective in a trench coat walked up to them.
"Nobody move so I can count. We need to make sure that everyone is accounted for." Detective Tsukauchi said. Another officer stood next to him, one with the head of a cat, he was so cute. Weiss found herself sandwiched by Kyouka and Mina, the two girls wrapping their arms around the shorter Idol.
"I can't believe that they were already friends." Hagakure whispered excitedly. Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement, a small smile on her face. Weiss ignored their conversation. She was just happy that her friends were safe and sound. A few more cots covered by black tarps were loaded onto several ambulances.
"...seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty." Detective Tsukauchi said, closing his notebook. He gave Weiss a discreet nod, earning him a small smile in return. It had been a while since she last saw the busy detective. He gave her outfit a glance, and his eyes turned to the ambulances which had been loaded with the tarp covered cots. She spotted a few of the criminals that had attacked her being treated by the paramedics, with Midnight the Rated R hero keeping an eye on them, with some help from a few officers.
"Weiss, what did you mean when you said that the blood isn't yours?" Mina whispered. Kyouka most likely heard it thanks to her quirk.
"Exactly what you think I said. Myrtenaster isn't just for show, you know." Weiss whispered back. Mina's and Kyouka's eyes widened in shock. "They were planning on killing me, so I defended myself. One of them even had one of my shirts, covered in red paint or blood. Who knew what they were planning on doing to me if I let them?
"
The two girls remained silent, their only response the tightening of their grip on Weiss' arms and shoulders. Everyone else had gathered back into their smaller groups, with most of them giving Weiss a wide berth. Midoriya and Todoroki still kept giving her glances that made her feel uncomfortable. Mineta stood several feet away, waiting for her to acknowledge him.
Detective Tsukauchi spoke up again. "We're going to have you all return to your classroom for now. We'll be questioning you individually at a later time." The officer next to him nodded.
Asui hopped up to the detective. "Detective, how is Mr. Aizawa?" As much as Weiss disliked the man, he did risk his life fighting those criminals. He did well until Nomu stepped in.
"He has a fracture in his right arm and a facial fracture from what I've heard." Detective Tsukauchi scratched the back of his head. "Thankfully, I was told he didn't suffer any brain damage."
That was good.
"However, his orbital floor was damaged, so his eyes may struggle with its aftereffects." He pulled out his phone. "That's according to the nurses with him."
Now that wasn't good, especially because of his quirk.
Mina spoke up this time. "And how's Thirteen?" Apparently, Mina was there when the Space Hero was injured when the mist villain redirected some of her attacks.
"Thirteen suffered some pretty bad lacerations on her back, but she'll survive."
That caused half of the class to release a sigh of relief.
"All Might is also doing well. Thanks to some assistance, he didn't suffer any major injuries." Detective Tsukauchi closed the notebook he had opened while he was speaking. Midoriya seemed like he was on the verge of becoming a water fountain. "Officer Sansa, could you please escort them back to their classroom? My job here isn't done yet."
The cat officer gave him a salute with a serious look on their face. Weiss bit her bottom lip. Blake would have fit in perfectly here. Yang would have been able to steamroll anyone and anything. And Ruby…was the ideal model of a hero. Weiss was just a failure, but at least nobody was hurt. Kyouka and Mina were safe, and no one had any major injuries.
That still didn't stop the pit in her stomach from growing.
"Evening Principal Nezu." Detective Tsukauchi said. Today was going to be a very long day, with plenty of paperwork waiting for him back at the station. The Principal of UA Highschool was standing near the water fountain of the USJ, along with several other Pro-heroes that served as teachers. Tsukauchi approached with another officer next to him.
"Detective Tsukauchi! Still using the conditioner I recommended?" Principal Nezu said cheerfully, which looked out of place among the ravaged training grounds.
"Of course. My hair has never been as soft." Tsukauchi said with a small smile. His face quickly turned serious. "I hope you don't mind, but I would like to have some of my men search the school, just in case there are any villains waiting in ambush."
Nezu nodded. "Of course. The safety of my students should be our top priority."
"Thank you." Tsukauchi motioned the officer away, who gave him a salute and marched off.
"And, I'm sure some of us would appreciate it if certain details were kept out of the public's eye." Principal Nezu said. The teachers with him departed, with only Cementoss and Present Mic remaining with him.
"Regarding Nomu? Consider it done." Tsukauchi already knew what else he was going to ask.
"And regarding who dealt the final blows to these villains. I'm sure the media would love such a story! The famous Idol singer, Weiss Schnee, kills villains in self defense with a sword." Principal's Nezu's words were serious, but his face and voice remained cheerful.
"I'm sure they would enjoy that, but we shall have to see what the morticians say." Tsukauchi already planned on making the paramedics sign NDA's, and all of the officers at his station were good men. He didn't need people digging into Schnee's background, the poor girl already suffered enough. "I'll see what I can do. Still, people are dead. Who's going to take responsibility for this?" The main problem would be keeping the surviving criminals silent.
"Miss Schnee shall be punished of course. She did act in self defense, but killing is never the answer, unless there are no alternatives." The Principal said. "Mandatory therapy should be sufficient, don't you believe?"
"You're the principal, not me." Tsukauchi shrugged. She had suggested to Mt. Lady that Weiss should take some form of therapy. The white haired girl probably rejected the idea, so now here they were. Four dead criminals, and two dozen more in critical conditions from being frozen too long.
"I must go now." Principal Nezu said suddenly. He turned to Cementoss. "I shall leave the rest to you all. I'll see you tomorrow at school! Don't be late! Thank you Detective!" He waved as he started to walk away.
Well, Tsukauchi wished he could say this was the weirdest day he ever had.
Weiss arrived home much later than usual, with Detective Tsukauchi arriving with several police officers to question everyone. It had taken a while, but they were allowed to leave once they were done. Weiss opted to wait for her friends. Kyouka lived in the same neighborhood, and Mina's bus station was on the way back to Mt. Agency. Yaoyorozu had her own private driver waiting for her.
Yu wasn't home yet, judging by the light she left on in the office downstairs which she used to signal Weiss if she was home or not. Silently walking into the elevator, Weiss' eyes darted around the rooms she walked by, examining every nook and cranny. What if those same villains planned another attack? What if those creeps that wore her defaced merchandise decided to attack her in her new home? Or Yu? Weiss didn't like the thought of Yu being hurt, or injured. That's why she started to teach the older woman how to defend herself more effectively.
The elevator arrived at the residential floor, the lights on as usual. Yu was wasting electricity, and needed to learn to manage her finances better. Weiss couldn't do all of her paperwork forever. Speaking of the blonde woman, the school must have not informed her, otherwise she would have been here already. Walking down the hall into her room, and placing Myrtenaster's case on the ground, which Detective Tsukauchi allowed her to bring back home after a quick inspection, not that Weiss wasn't going to let anyone part her from her beloved blade, but it was a nice effort on his part, Weiss collapsed on her bed.
She stared at her shaking left hand. That was too close, way too close, and the villain's attack reminded her way too much of the Fall of Beacon. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut as visions of her friends started playing through her mind.
Yang was unconscious on the ground, her right arm missing at the elbow. Blake laid next to her, a wound in her stomach that allowed Weiss to see the insides of her faunus friend. She almost threw up. Qrow arrived at the extraction point, a battered and unconscious Ruby in his hands. Weiss could do nothing but watch as Atlesian and Valish soldiers scrambled around her.
Weiss needed to become stronger, to become faster. She tightened her shaking hand into a fist and slammed it on the ground with a scream, a surge of pain rushing her nerves since she didn't use her aura. She got lucky this time, with Kyouka and Mina coming out unharmed, but luck wouldn't always be on her side.
The former Schnee heiress couldn't lose anymore friends. Grabbing a pillow from her bed, Weiss screamed into it for a few seconds. Her breathing quickened as well. Could she do this? There weren't any Grimm in this world to attract? She sat there in silence for who knows how long, before finally dragging herself to her backpack, taking out her lyric notebook. Pouring her emotions into her music always made her feel better, even if it was just a little bit.
Weiss turned to the page with the main song, it's lyrics almost finished. The melody was already starting to form in her head, hopefully focusing on this could distract her from her wayward thoughts. Once she was done, she could start on the other songs for the soundtrack. Hmm, what should she name it? Coming up with titles was often harder than writing the song. Weiss' fingernails dug into her skin.
"A hero keeps fighting no matter the odds!" All Might grinned as he delivered another punch to Nomu's face, his torn clothing replaced by one of his many hero costumes.
Oh, that would be perfect.
Hero.
The world of a school principal never ended, not that Nezu minded. His job was to train the next generation of heroes, to ensure that they could protect the people, and to make sure that his students were safe. Of course, he needed to do research before making any moves and jumping to conclusions.
Nezu sat alone in his office, his eyes scanning his computer screen. He had already known that Miss Schnee was going to be a rather interesting individual, but to this extent? Now that was quite surprising. He expected the other humans, Todoroki, Bakugo and Midoriya, All Might's chosen successor, to cause more problems for Class 1-A. Kan was doing a good job with the more silent 1-B.
Miss Schnee's application was rather interesting, as well as her public profile. Born in Germany around fifteen years ago in a nondescript town, her family decided to move to Japan when their airplane was hijacked and crashed, with Miss Schnee being the only survivor. How convenient, but rather sad if it was true. Was the hijacking planned? Or was it a simple coincidence. Either way, he would have to give her his condolences if it's brought up in their conversation. Nezu would have to do more digging into the German government at a later date.
About eight to nine months ago, Miss Schnee was found bleeding to death in an alleyway by one Mt. Lady who also served as her guardian. The officer assigned to the case? One Tsukauchi Naomasa, another interesting element. Nezu took a sip of coffee. Tea would be better in the morning.
The information on Miss Schnee's parents were almost bare, detailing their date of birth, date of death, and birthplace along with their names. It would have been able to fool anyone else, but not Nezu with his superior intelligence.
"It seems that Toshinori was worried for no reason." Nezu said to himself, leaning back in his seat. The young Idol's quirks, while versatile, didn't seem too far fetched since they all held her glyphs in common. Quirk marriages were still legal in Germany, which could help explain her abilities. Could she be the result of generations of breeding? The white knight from the recordings also appeared from a snowflake-like glyph. Just because she might not be an agent for All For One, didn't mean that there was more to the eye when it came to her quirk. The possibility that she was trained to be a human weapon was still there.
Nezu grabbed his phone, and entered the number that he really shouldn't be calling at night when alone.
"Helloooo.." Midnight's husky voice answered.
"I hope I didn't catch you while you were asleep! I would like to ask you something." Nezu said happily, changing the page to some lyric website. Miss Schnee prided herself on writing on her producing her own music, which would prove helpful to Nezu's investigation. Music was the gateway to the soul after all.
"Of course not, Mr. Principal." Midnight giggled. "It must be important if you're calling me outside of work hours. Feel free to ask me anything."
"What can you tell me about Mt. Lady? I heard that the two of you are rather close friends." Nezu said. The lyrics to some of Miss Schnee's songs definitely implied some form of parental abuse. Why did her parents decide to relocate their family?
Midnight ended the phone call without another word.
"Hello? Helllloooo?" Nezu shrugged and took another sip of his coffee, immediately spitting it back into the cup. Cold coffee was the worst, but this one tasted particularly bad. The research period was over, now he just needed to make sure to choose his words carefully. Nezu gave his coffee cup another glance.
Note to self, never buy coffee from a man in a bowler hat.
The next morning, Weiss found herself sitting in her private car outside of Kyouka's house. Now that everyone knew that they were friends, there was no use in trying to hide anything. Giving her friend a ride to school was the least she could do for all of the help Kyouka had given her. Today, school was canceled, so Weiss would have to adapt. Speaking of adapting, Yu was going to need a lot of adaptation when it came to her own combat training. The blonde hero had arrived home bruised and battered, apparently from some villain that held a rich family hostage.
Yu then refused to let go of Weiss once she found out about the attack on the USJ. Weiss would be lying if she said that she hated the invasion of her personal space, only because it was Yu. Anyone else would have been slapped, unless they were Kyouka or Mina. She didn't mind their physical contact. Weiss leaned her head against the headrest, when a dark haired girl finally exited her home.
"Please beep the horn, Sho." Weiss said, as she started lowering in the window. Kyouka was closing the front door to her house when Sho beeped the horn. Kyouka jumped slightly, her head quickly turning to glare at Weiss. She slowly walked up to the car.
"What are you doing here so early?" Kyouka yawned while still glaring at Weiss, whose answer was to place her luxury sunglasses on her face, giving Kyouka a smirk.
"Get in loser. You're being kidnapped."
Kyouka's glare turned into a deadpan stare. "Who are you and what have you done to Weiss?"
"Just get in the car. Since school is closed for today, we're going to go eat brunch at a nice cafe that I found online. Mina said that she'll meet us there." Weiss pulled out her personal phone. Her two work phones kept being flooded with notifications, making them rather annoying.
Kyouka rolled her eyes and went around the car, sliding in next to Weiss. "Don't ever speak like that again. It's kinda creepy seeing you talk so friendly." It was Kyouka's turn to smirk this time while Weiss gave her a glare, hidden by her sunglasses.
That would be the last time Weiss ever followed Yu's advice on being a better friend.
"Thank you so much for inviting me!" Yaoyorozu beamed as she sat across from Weiss. Mina sat to Weiss' left, with Kyouka seated in front of her. The four girls sat in a private room that Weiss had reserved.
"You're welcome." Weiss forced herself to say through her teeth. Mina had shown up with the tall girl in tow for some reason, only giving Weiss a mischievous grin. Was this her attempt at forcing Weiss to make new friends? The context clues said yes. "I'm glad that you were able to make it." Lies seemed to fill Weiss' life. Would her friends see her the same way if they found out the truth about her? That their friendships were built upon a foundation of lies?
Yaoyorozu smiled as she took a sip from her coffee mug, steam still forming on the surface of the brown liquid. It was the most useful out of all of man's creations. Weiss gave Mina a discreet glare out of the corner of her eye, and took a bite from her crepe. An awkward silence filled the private room, not that Yaoyorozu seemed to have noticed. Someone out in the universe hated Weiss, there had to be.
"Thanks for the food Weisscream!" Mina said cheerfully as she took a bite of her omelette. Weiss gave her a small smile in return, and continued eating her crepe.
This wasn't exactly what she planned, but at least Yaoyorozu was tolerable, and didn't seem to lack money. That meant she wasn't a gold-digger, which only left social parasite among other things. Still, she was better company than Mineta, the dog or Midoriya.
Weiss took a sip of her cup of coffee, black, just the way Father used to enjoy it. She forced herself to swallow it and grimaced.
That was the worst coffee she had ever drank in her life, and this would be the last time Weiss trusted online reviews.
Classes resumed the day afterwards. The news the night before finally mentioned the attack on the USJ. It seemed that four of the villains died on the spot, with another dead on the way to the hospital. Their cause of death wasn't made clear, though Weiss had to assume that the dog murdered one, or the ones she sliced with Myrtenaster found themselves bleeding to death. The rest sustained injuries that they would survive with some treatment.
They deserved worse, much worse. They had planned on murdering her fellow classmates, as well as herself. They deserved no mercy for what they planned on doing. Weiss silently tapped her feet against the ground. She didn't kill them either way, their injuries did.
The rest of the class were in their seats, chatting happily among each other, acting as if they almost didn't die a few days ago. Was their way of coping? If they were secretly dying on the inside like Weiss was, they actually hid it pretty well. Still, Weiss couldn't read minds, so she went off on how they presented themselves to the world. She shook the thoughts out of her head, when someone knocked on their classroom door.
Ooo, could it be their substitute homeroom teacher? Mr. Aizawa was still in the hospital from what she heard. The door slid open silently, and a man covered in bandages walked in. Even with an arm in a cast, and his face wrapped in bandages as white as Weiss' hair, she could recognize that outfit and disheveled hair anywhere.
"Morning." Mr. Aizawa walked up to the podium, his hard eyes barely visible through the bandages.
"Mr. Aizawa, you should be resting!" A few students from the front exclaimed. It must've been nice, easily being able to see everything while Weiss had to lean to the side to be able to see the board.
"My wellbeing doesn't matter." Mr. Aizawa said from behind the podium. Weiss had to admit, she needed to give him more credit than she initially did. Most teachers would have been on leave until they were fully recovered. "The battle's not over yet."
Weiss narrowed her eyes. What was he talking about?
"The UA Sports Festival shall begin soon." Mr. Aizawa's voice was serious as the class began to cheer.
"Finally a normal school event!" Kirishima shouted.
Kaminari, the electricity boy that was always around Kyouka, interrupted the fake redhead by shoving his hands in Kirishima's face. "Wait a minute. Is is ok to have a sports festival so soon after the villain attack?"
Someone was asking the right questions at least. Weiss would have to continue to observe him before giving Kyouka her approval, not that the bassist needed it.
"What if they decided to attack us again?" Kyouka asked with a bored look on her face. Thankfully, Weiss' grimace was hidden by the muscle in front of her. Any villains that returned shall face the full might of Weiss and Myrtenaster.
"Apparently, its to show off that our crisis management team is rock solid by holding the event." Mr. Aizawa leaned against the podium. Weiss' foot taps started to increase in speed, but they were still silent. This was starting to remind her of the Vytal Festival. "Security will be strengthened, at least five times more when compared to previous years."
General Ironwood's fleet hovered over the City of Vale, when hordes of Grimm started to overtake them.
"Above everything else, the Sports Festival shall continue as normal." Mr. Aizawa continued. "It's not going to be canceled just because of a few villains." No one seemed nervous, even Mineta, who sat behind Midoriya. At least they were takinv this seriously. "Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. With the Olympics being made obsolete, our Sports Festival has taken its place."
"And all of the top heroes shall be watching." The feminine blond boy, whose name slipped Weiss' mind, said with a flamboyant flip of his hair.
"For scouting purposes!" Iida added, raising his hand in the air as he spoke.
The rest of the class started spouting exposition like information that should have been obvious, even to an outsider like Weiss. Stuff about Pro-Agencies taking on sidekicks and the like. Weiss helped Yu run Mt. Agency whenever she had time, so she was well informed.
"Being scouted by a more famous hero agency will get you more experience." Mr. Aizawa spoke up again. Weiss felt his eyes slowly turn to her. "And popularity."
Of course she already knew that no matter how she performed, Weiss would be flooded by offers. Smaller agencies would love to have 'Japan's Ice Queen' join their agency, those blood sucking parasites. Weiss would have to carefully vet any agency she chose, though in all honesty, she would probably end up joining Yu at Mt. Agency.
"Time is limited, so if you want to go pro, then the path to your future will depend on this event." Weiss could feel the energy in the room start to rise with each word that Mr. Aizawa said. "If you understand that, then don't be lazy and start preparing."
"Yes sir!" Iida said loudly. Other students followed his lead.
"Homeroom is dismissed. Schnee, come see me for a second." Mr. Aizawa's voice went back to sounding sleepy.
"Yes sir." Weiss stood up without another word and followed her mummy-looking teacher out in the hallway, ignoring the stares that some of her classmates gifted her.
Mr. Aizawa turned to look at her, his taller form towering over Weiss. "Report to the Principal's office. He would like to have a few words with you."
Now what did the principal of UA High school want to say to her? Did it have to do with the USJ? Weiss balled her fist and nodded.
Hopefully nothing bad would come from this.
The walk to the principal's office was a relatively short one. Weiss would have arrived earlier, but she somehow got lost and ended up getting directions from a nervous looking upperclassman who kept staring at the ground. He was nice enough Weiss supposed, though a bit too antisocial, just like Blake before the Fall of Beacon. Weiss sighed softly as she spotted the sign that said 'Principal's Office' in Kanji. She opened the door slowly, revealing a waiting room with a small desk and two couches. A woman with four eyes sat behind the desk, with one of them looking straight into Weiss' own.
"Miss Schnee, Principal Nezu has been waiting for you." She pointed over her shoulder to a door that was on her right and Weiss' left. The door was similar to the ones that were all around the school, with the door reaching the roof to accomodate those with quirks that affected their size.
"Thank you." Weiss nodded respectfully as she made sure her emotionless mask was on her face. What was going to happen behind those doors? Did someone manage to find out the truth about her? Was the Principal a big fan and wanted an autograph?
The Secretary grunted a response as Weiss started walking in the direction of the door. Pausing just as her hands were touching the door handle, Weiss quickly straightened her uniform. She hadn't gotten a good look at Principal Nezu, only hearing his voice briefly near the end of the USJ incident when he arrived with reinforcements. She was busy trying not to breakdown in front of the class after making sure Mina and Kyouka were ok. Plus, Weiss didn't have time to google Principal Nezu's appearsnce due to her busy schedule.
Hardening her eyes, Weiss pushed the door open slowly. Stepping in silently and closing the door behind her, Weiss' eyes started to dart around Principal Nezu's office. It was relatively simple, especially when compared to Professor Ozpin's office. Two couches faced each other in front of Principal's Nezu's desk, with a long table in between with a tea kettle sitting on it.
Seated behind the desk was…the CUTEST WITTLE ANIMAL WEISS HAD EVER SEEN!
"Hello Miss Schnee!" Principal Nezu said, hopping off of his chair and walked around his desk. Principal Nezi's white fur was the same shade as Weiss' hair, with a nasty looking scar over his right eye, mirroring her own scar that went over her left eye. "If you're wondering if we're alternate versions of each other, you'll be disappointed with my singing."
"Hello Principal Nezu." Weiss bowed politely, releasing the breath that was trapped in her throat. He was so cute! The Principal was a few feet shorter, making it seem that even Weiss was towering over him. It felt nice to be the tallest person in the room. "You wished to speak with me?"
"Yes-yes. Please take a seat." Principal Nezu crawled onto one of the couches, in a rather adorable fashion, and motioned to the couch across from him. Weiss sat with her back straight and her mask on. Principal Nezu lifted the tea kettle and poured himself a cup of tea. "Would you like some Miss Schnee? Or would you prefer being called by your given name instead of your family name? I've met more than a few foreigners in my day you know."
"Weiss is fine, Principal Nezu." Weiss eyed the tea kettle, its aroma infiltrating her nostrils. It did smell good, and it would be rude to refuse. "I would love some."
Principal Nezu smiled as he poured another cup, handing the saucer and teacup to Weiss carefully. "Be careful Miss Weiss, it's still hot."
"Thank you." Weiss said as she took a small sip, the hot liquid flowing down her throat. Her eyes narrowed slightly. What was the adorable little Principal up to?
"Oh silly me, I forgot to introduce myself." Principal Nezu placed his tea saucer on the table after drinking a little. "That's right, it's me! Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but most importantly, I'm the principal!"
"A pleasure to meet you Principal Nezu." Weiss gave him her Idol smile, though it bordered on a real one due to how fluffy he looked. She couldn't let her guard down.
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Weiss." Principal Nezu resumed drinking his tea. "I pratice my introduction everyday in the mirror before coming to school."
Weiss nodded slowly as she took another sip. What was the point of this?
"How are you feeling?" Principal Nezu asked suddenly. He twirled a small spoon in his tea cup. "I'm sure that the attack on the USJ was quite frightening. Rest assured, it won't happen again."
"It's nothing that I couldn't handle, Sir." Weiss answered instinctively. She had been in more dangerous situations, not that she could say that out loud. Not even Yu knew the true extent of what Weiss had been through.
"I'm quite sure of that. I've seen the recording of your Hero and Villain excerise with All Might." Principal Nezu said cheerfully. "An excellent strategy aside from a few missteps by the way. I would have used Mr. Mineta's balls, but you still won in the end. You also performed well during the Entrance exam, ranking first."
"Thank you, sir." Why was he so interested in her?
"No need to thank me. I will admit, I was a bit surprised when you sent your application to attend UA." Principal Nezu poured himself another cup tea before offering the kettle to Weiss. "Would you like some more? I had it imported from Germany."
"No thank you, Principal Nezu. This is more than enough for me." Weiss said cheerfully, a fake cheerful. She spoke like this whenever she was being interviewed.
"More for me then." The adorable little man shrugged as he continued drinking from his cup. "Anyways, I'm quite happy that you decided to enroll here! You're one of our most promising young heroes! And that's not a compliment I offer freely."
"I wanted to be a hero, and UA is the top hero school in Japan so.." Weiss trailed off.
"Naturally." Principal Nezu finished his cup of tea and wiped his mouth with a hankerchief. "Did you see the news about the USJ attack? I'm sorry I couldn't do more to blot out your name, but there was little I could do once the media got ahold of it."
Weiss two work phones were still being blown up, and she would have to release her own announcement later today. "No worries. I understand how the business goes."
Principal Nezu pulled out a folder from in between the couch's cushions and placed it on the table. "I did however, manage to stop this from being leaked, with some help from a Detective friend of ours."
Weiss narrowed her eyes. Was he finally playing his deck? Weiss slowly reached for the folder, and opened it, her eyes scanning each page as she flipped through it. Pictures of dead people laying in the morgue filled it, with information next to their photo.
Name: Nakagawa Kazuho
Cause of Death: Loss of blood from multiple stab wounds.
Name: Takei Shiro
Cause of Death: Forced amputation of limb resulting in blood loss.
The list went on, and Weiss finally figured out what it was. These were the villains that attacked her at the USJ. She slowly look up, with Principal Nezu's black eyes staring into hers.
"Are you blackmailing me?" Weiss said coldly. Did he want money? To arrest her for defending herself? Or was he another Ozpin, using his students for his own gain?
"Of course not." Principal Nezu raised a paw in defense. "One of my duties as Principal is to ensure the safety of my students, and you are one of them, are you not?"
Weiss nodded hesitantly.
"Then my duty is to ensure your safety, hence these documents being withdrawn from public records. The official excuse is that one of them turned on his fellow villains, resulting in their deaths." Principal Nezu leaned against the couch. "My question from earlier still remains, how are you feeling? Taking a life is no easy matter, especially for someone as young as yourself."
Heh, if only he knew the truth. Weiss had seen death before, and may have been the cause of some. How many terrorist died during the Breach after they knocked them off of the side of the train? The Fall of Beacon was a bit of a blur, with Weiss fighting Grimm, Atlesian androids, and White Fang terrorist. She may have accidently killed one here or there, but she never went in for the kill. Death was a familar friend to Huntsmen and Huntresses.
"I'm fine, Sir." Weiss forced herself to say.
"As you say. I'm not sure how it's done in Germany, but here in Japan, we only kill as a last resort." Principal Nezu said casually.
"I was defending myself." Weiss spoke up. Principal Nezu nodded in agreement.
"I am well aware. Villains don't care about rules of engagement, or about laws. You had every right to defend yourself by any means possible." Principal Nezu pulled out another folder, taking a photo that showed a crowd of villains frozen up to their necks. "But, you had other options. Now now, I'm not blaming you. Anyone else would have done the same if they were in your place."
"So why didn't I just freeze them all?" Weiss interrupted Principal Nezu before he could speak again. "They wanted to kill me, so I panicked." The lie escaped her easily. If she had time, she would have torn them all apart without wasting her Dust.
"A natural reaction." If Principal Nezu was bothered by her interruption, he didn't show it. "You seem rather skilled with your blade. How long have you been practicing?"
"Almost a decade by now." Weiss lied again, using the backstory Detective Tsukauchi created for her. "My Father decided that I should spend my time learning how to fight instead of socializing with other children."
The Principal nodded slowly. "My condolences by the way."
"Don't be." Weiss said bitterly. "He only married my Mother for her quirk. I was just a means to an end before the plane crash."
"I can understand what you mean. Quirk marriages are frowned upon here in Japan, but that doesn't mean that they still don't occur."
Weiss forced a small smile on her face. She turned her attention back to the folder in her hands.
"Are you seeing a therapist?" Principal Nezu's words pierced Weiss' mind.
"No. I don't need one." Weiss said defensivly. Where was this conversation heading?
"As I said earlier, my job is to ensure the safety of my students, physically and emotionally." Principal Nezu said, still as cheerful as ever. "Part of the deal I made with our dear Detective Tsukauchi, who promised to cover this up in return by the way, was ensuring that you attended therapy."
Weiss hardened her eyes as she tightened her grip on the folder. She didn't like it when others made decisions for her.
"Do I need a lawyer present?" Weiss said in a slightly threatening voice.
"Of course not. I'm just a simple educator trying to nuture the next generation of Pro-Heroes." The not-so-adorable-now principal said carefully. "It's for the sake of your classmates as much as yours."
Yu gave Weiss a disgusted look and turned away, Weiss' white dress from Beacon coated in blood that wasn't hers.
Weiss shook the thoughts out of her head. She didn't need therapy, but she also didn't want to cause Yu more problems. Maybe she could finally be rid of the hallucinations and nightmares that kept haunting her? That could kill three birds with one Dust bullet. Still, therapy might lead to her revealing secrets, secrets that nobody should know. Was it a risk that Weiss was willing to take?
Weiss almost sliced Yu's neck in the middle of training, the blonde's eyes widening in shock.
For Yu it would be worth it. Weiss almost killed her once before, and that happening twice was not a risk she was willing to take.
"Anything else?" One thing always lead to more.
"Just one. Aside from attending therapy once a week, you'll refrain from using your rapier in training excersies."
Weiss opened her mouth to argue when Principal Nezu interrupted her.
"Don't worry, we're not confiscating it, and you'll still be able to use it in training not related to combat. For the safety of your fellow classmates, arrangements for a training replacement from the Support Department can be made." Principal Nezu pulled out yet another folder, holding it out to her. "This way, everyones a winner! What do you say?"
Weiss' lips formed a thin line. She didn't like being seperated from Myrtenaster, but at least they weren't taking her. She eyed the folder in Principal's Nezu's hands. Yu would want her to accept. She took the folder slowly.
"I accept." But that didn't mean she liked it.
For Yu.
Miss Weiss was such an interesting person, Nezu decided. The rather famous Idol behaved just as he expected her to. Throughout their conversation, she was defensive, reserved, and she didn't flinch when she found out that she was the reason that several villains perished in their assault at the USJ. Instead of saying that it was an accident and that she didn't intend to kill them, Miss Weiss defended her actions, which went against her excuse of panicking. Villains were still people, and while Nezu wasn't particularly against killing as a last resort, Miss Weiss clearly had options to prevent fatalities, options that she didn't use until after the initial engagement. Nezu walked back to his desk and climbed onto his seat. Miss Weiss had just left a few minutes ago, leaving the Principal of UA Highschool alone with his thoughts.
Nezu had already picked out several lies, such as Miss Weiss claiming that she was fine and didn't need therapy. The young girl clearly had PTSD, but from what Nezu didn't know yet. Of course, forced therapy would cause more harm than good, so he would have to choose someone he trusted to not mess it up, or handle it himself. Hm, Nezu probably wouldn't be the best choice since she would now be more on guard around him after the conversation they just had and Hound Dog would be a good option, but she might be a bit put off by his appearance. Hound Dog was till the best option, and he was plenty of experience with problem children. Still, at least she agreed to attend therapy of her own will. If Miss Schnee had continued to argue against it, he would have dropped the topic in order to not further agitate her, retreating into her shell as a turtle would, or accidently forcing to lash out. Nezu didn't need any students injured more than usual, or even killed because something managed to trigger Miss Schnee.
Then she didn't notice the tea, which wasn't imported from Germany at all. It was a rather common brand imported from Korea that anyone from the tea-loving country would have been able to notice as not being German. Miss Weiss didn't show any indication that she recognized it. Granted she might not have been the biggest fan of tea, but the way she took small sips and the way she held the cup and saucer said otherwise. Miss Schnee was a puzzle, one that Nezu intended on solving. He truly meant what he said about ensuring that she was ok, physically and mentally.
Miss Weiss had already given Nezu a rather large piece of the puzzle. She mentioned how she was just a means to an end for her Father, who forced her to train instead of being able to enjoy her childhood. That could explain why she was more experienced than her classmates, with her skills even being able to rival some Pros, judging by her brief engagement with Nomu. The villain was fast enough and strong enough to trade blows with All Might, and Miss Weiss had managed to dodge its striked with her quirk. Being trained to be a living weapon by her own Father, or All For One if that was a cover story, could explain her skill with her blade and quirk. Nezu didn't believe that she was an agent for All For One, not with how bitter she sounded when speaking about her Father. Perhaps she was raised and bred to be a weapon, and held resentment for those that did it to her. That would certainly explain the lyrics to some of her songs.
"Miss Weiss, what are you?" Nezu said to himself, staring at his computer screen as the government documents he was looking at just before her arrival reappeared on the screen. The plane hijacking that Miss Weiss claimed to have survived, did exist, but the details were wrong. Still, Detective Tsukauchi did an otherwise excellent job when it came to forging Miss Weiss' backstory. "The flight from the Netherlands to Japan that ended in multiple deaths…" The hijacking was overlooked by the news due to another event taking place around the same time. This was definitely Detective Tsukauchi's work, having done some work for Nezu for unrelated matters. It seemed that it was time for the Principal to pay the Truthman a visit. He really should have done this earlier.
This was going to be a rather fun school year.
The rest of the school day passed by as usual. After a quick apology to Present Mic for interrupting the middle of English class, everything went well, aside from being pulled into a meeting with Principal Nezu. The class erupted into noise as soon as Cementoss left the classroom, ending his discussion on Modern Literature, which was very interesting by the way. They were going to study poems next time.
"So Weissy," Kyouka sat on Weiss' desk as Mina, Yaoyorozu, and Mineta encircled her. The rest of the class also gathered into their cliques. "What did Mr. Aizawa want?"
"Did you get expelled?!" Mina's eyes widened as dramatic tears formed in the corner of them. Mineta shook his head violently in denial, causing Weiss to sigh.
"Principal Nezu wanted to speak with me. Something about not using Myrtenaster in combat classes, and getting a blunt replacement from the Support department." Weiss said, carefully avoiding the other topic that the Principal talked to her about. It wasn't a lie if she didn't bring it up. "And if I was getting expelled, I wouldn't be here, would I?"
"You're right." Mina wiped her crocodile tears as Yaoyorozu giggled softly in return.
Weiss stood up from her seat before they could ask anymore questions. "How about some lunch?"
Lunch was good, food was good. It should be able to take her mind off of that blasted meeting. The familiar pit in Weiss' stomach returned. She didn't need nor want therapy, but Weiss didn't want to hurt Yu, not again. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she accidently injured or maimed one of her friends.
"Lunch sounds wonderful." Yaoyorozu said with an annoying smile.
"I shall follow wherever my Goddess commands." Mineta added with a dramatic bow, earning him a sharp glare from Weiss.
"Don't call me that." Little bastard went unsaid.
"As you command my Queen."
The three girls around Weiss started to laugh, earning them all glares from Weiss.
"I hate all of you equally." Mineta a little bit more.
"Now let's just go eat lunch. The coffee here is way better than that cafe from yesterday. I swear they did that on purpose." Weiss commented as they started to leave the classroom.
She was never going back to that cafe again.
"ACHOO!"
"You ok there Dad?" Yellow cat-like eyes turned to the idiot cleaning the counter of the Gelato Cafe.
"I believe I sensed someone talking about me." The man with an eyepatch said, wiping his nose.
"And I said don't call me that."
The end of the school day couldn't come soon enough. While she enjoyed her lessons, taking in as much knowledge as possible, Weiss was also an extremely busy person. She was almost finished with the movie's soundtrack, having written Miracle, Die, Nevermore, and Hero, with only two songs left to be completed for the rather dark film judging by the summary she had received. Once she was done she had to send them to the Director and meet with him via video conference to get his feedback. In more academic related business, Weiss also had to go talk with the Support department to get her combat-training replacement for Myrtenaster. In between all of that, she also had to focus on her own personal training. Hand-to-hand with Yu, practice with Myrtenaster right after, piano and violin practice, and completing her vocal warmups. Every second of the day would not be wasted.
Which was why Weiss was ready to force her way through the crowd of students that blocked the exit to the classroom. Their whispers wanted to overpower her thoughts.
"What's going on here?" Weiss demanded, her glare leveled at the large crowd that wanted to prevent her classmates as well as herself from leaving. "If you don't have any business with Class 1-A, then leave." Iida and Yaoyorozu stood on each side of her as the staredown continued, making her seem much shorter sadly. The crowd seemed a bit confused by her facial expressions, so Weiss gave them a sickening sweet smile that should further unnerve them. A few of the bastards started blushing unfortunately. Note for the future, do not combine a glare with an Idol smile, the sick bastards actually liked it.
"Let us out!" Someone that sounded like Seto from the back of the class shouted.
"Why'd you come here anyways?!" A voice that seemed to belong to Kaminari added. That idiot, Weiss just asked that question. The losers blocking the exit must've also heard the news about the upcoming Sports Festival, so their presence meant that this class was a threat.
The dog walked in front of Iida casually, bumping the taller boy's shoulder. Knowing the dog, he likely did it on purpose with how uneducated he was. "They're scouting the enemy you stupid supporting character. We are the ones that survived a villain attack."
"Thank you Captain Obvious. Your work here is done." Weiss muttered under her breath loud enough for the handful of people around her to hear. The dog flashed her an ugly stare and turned back to the students blocking the door.
"There's no point since I'll be the winner." The dog said, attempting to hold back his anger. He was failing miserably. "Out of the way extras!" At least the dog could take the brunt of the blame if someone recorded this.
"You can't call them extras if you don't know them!" Iida shouted as Weiss rubbed her forehead. This was a complete waste of time. Thankfully, phones weren't allowed during school hours, or on school grounds while everyone was heading home. Suddenly, a rather loud, but bored voice came from the crowd.
"I came to see what the famous Class 1-A was like, but you two seem rather arrogant." A boy with purple hair forced himself through the crowd. His eyes darted from the dog to Weiss. "I wonder if the rest of your class is like this too."
Purple boy scratched the back of his head as he stared down at Weiss. "I thought you would be taller."
"And you seem like you need some sleep, but we don't always get what we want, do we?" Weiss fired back with her Idol voice. Her glare was still on her face.
"A two faced idol huh, not surprising." Eyebags continued speaking after a pause. The rest of the crowd had turned silent, their eyes and ears focused on the exchange. "Seeing all of this has me disillusioned. There are more than a few people who enrolled in General studies or other courses who didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?"
Weiss took a step forward before the dog could open his mouth again. "I'm well aware. You're here complaining about it after all."
Eyebags scoffed and smirked. "The Sports Festival is a chance for those of us who didn't make it into transfer into the Hero course, and where others can be transferred out. Not all of us can pay our way into the course, like some here?" His eyes remained on Weiss for a few seconds before scanning the rest of the class behind her. She took a deep breath, it wasn't worth getting angry because of this 'Extra'. He didn't know her, what it took for her to get here, all those years she spent training.
Weiss didn't let Winter beat her legs bloody just to lose to this wannabe.
"If this is your declaration of war, then I accept as Class Representative." Weiss said dryly, dropping the sweetness from her voice. Eyebags seemed satisfied, when two more boys stepped forward, one with grey hair and weird stuff around his eyes, and the other was the blond boy that followed her around at lunch with her crowd of fans.
"HEY! I'm from 1-B next door and I came here to hear about your fight with those villains! Don't get so full of yourself!" He started shouting loudly, causing the blond boy to slap the back of his head.
"Quiet you! Miss Schnee is a Goddess that belongs in 1-B, not 1-A!" Bond boy stared at the class behind Weiss. "We shall get our revenge on Class 1-A for stealing our beautiful Snow Flower!"
Mineta started screaming incoherently from the back. Thankfully, someone managed to get him to shut up.
"Great, now that we're all in agreement…" Weiss aimed her index finger towards the crowd. A handful took a nervous step back. "Get out of my damn way."
"Do as she says!" Blond boy started screeching. A small opening appeared in the middle of the crowd, and Weiss took a step forward.
"Hey Schnee." Kaminari shouted, running up towards the door, Midoroya, Uraraka and a few others staring at her. Weiss looked at them out if the corner of her eye. "You managed to get everyone to hate us! What are you going to do about this?"
"I'm going to win of course. I suggest you all do your best to prove that you deserve to be in the Hero Course. See you tomorrow."
Ignoring their shocked stares, which included a thumbs up from Mina and a scowl from the dog, Weiss continued onwards. Parts of the crowd shifted to follow her, which was rather unfortunate.
Weiss had things to do.
"She's so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed as Weiss started to walk away, earning him a weird glance from Kyouka. They closed the door to the classroom so the crowd could leave them alone.
"You do know she'll try to kill you if you had said that to her face, right?" Kyouka held her book bag over her shoulder. She was also dying to leave, but she didn't want to walk in that crowd.
"Who? Schnee? Nah, she wouldn't hurt a fly, much less kill someone." Kaminari interjected himself into the conversation.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Tokoyami added darkly, seated on someone's desk. He liked doing that for some reason. "The news reported several deaths, and Schnee did have blood on her when we all met up again."
"Pfft, there's no way Weissy killed anyone." Mina spoke up before anyone else could add their opinion. "Right Kyouka? Momo?"
"I agree. Miss Weiss has always demonstrated great self control, especially during combat exercise." Momo said politely.
"Yeah, Weiss can be a bit standoffish sometimes, but she would never kill anybody." Kyouka nodded. Weiss was a good person, and even with her sword, how much damage could she really do? Especially when compared to Bakugo's or Todoroki's firepower. Just the thought of Weiss trying to kill anyone made Kyouka want to laugh.
That was just impossible.
The crowd that decided to follow eventually thinned after a couple twists and turns throughout UA's hallways. They must've finally realized that no, Weiss was not going home, and she wasn't interested in hanging out with them at the moment, if ever. She really doubted they even thought of that last idea, they most likely got bored following her around campus. A visit with Power Loader would get the hassle of starting to create a 'non-lethal' weapon over with. How annoying, Myrtenaster was an extension of herself, and was perfectly created to match Weiss' fighting style. Wielding a second weapon left a bad taste in her mouth, but it was easier to rip a bandaid all at once, instead of prolonging the pain.
At least Myrtenaster would stay in her possession and was not confiscated. She was even allowed to use her beloved weapon during exercises that didn't involve combat against her fellow classmates. Weiss had reviewed the folder Principal Nezu had given her in between breaks from class. Everything seemed in line, and there wasn't any small print that he could use against her, so Weiss felt a bit relieved. That didn't mean she trusted the adorable furry principal though. Weiss would have to be careful around him. What was with headmasters and principals acting all mysterious?
Standing in front of the large double doors that had a sign that said 'Development Studio' over it, Weiss took a deep breath. It's not like she was cheating on Myrtenaster right? She wasn't even doing this by her own choice. Whatever weapon that was the result of this endeavor would be inferior to Myrtenaster, who was forged from the finest Atlesian steel, its fire created from the purest Dust crystals straight from the mines of the SDC. Myrtenaster was perfect, and Weiss' body was trained to perfection in its use.
This weapon wouldn't hold the same meaning as Myrtenaster. Might as well get this over with so she could start working on other things. Weiss slowly opened the door, and the sound of music and screaming filled her ears.
"Ain't nobody bring us down, down, down, down, down-"
"DAGNABBIT I TOLD YOU TO GO HOME ALREADY!"
"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU MR. POWER LOADER."
"We pop stars…"
Weiss' left eye twitched as she stepped in, placing Myrtenaster's case on the ground, and her hands covering her ears. The music, screams, and sound of power tools in use created a disharmonious symphony of pain that would have been useful as a weapon back on Remnant. The White Fang would have reduced to a whimpering mess.
Mr. Power Loader was arguing with a girl that seemed to be around Weiss' physical age, albeit with a much more developed body and pink hair. Seriously, what did they feed the kids here? Was there some weird growth hormone in the water? There must be judging by how the kids Weiss' physical age were developing. The two kept arguing, with the pink haired girl ignoring Mr. Power Loader as she leaned on a workbench.
"Excuse me." Weiss said, trying to get them to notice her.
The two still paid her no attention.
"ROUND, ROUND ROUND ROUND."
"Excuse me." Weiss said a bit louder. The two still didn't seem to notice her presence. Rubbing her forehead which allowed the noise to enter one of her ears, Weiss started to grind her teeth.
"EXCUSE ME!"
The two jumped and flinched at the same time, their eyes staring at Weiss, who had placed a hand on her hip. Her own glare countered their confused looks.
"You ready for this? Let's go."
"So, who are you again?" The pink haired girl Mr. Power Loader introduced as Hatsume Mei asked. Her scope-like eyes scanned the case that held Myrtenaster. She kept trying to reach out and open it, but a light slap to her hand managed to keep Hatsume at bay.
"Weiss Schnee from the Hero course." Weiss said for the third time since she entered the Development Studio. Hatsume's workbench was covered in junk that seemed like boots among other things. Every time she tried sneaking back to her workbench, a wrench would come flying from Mr. Power Loader's corner office that would narrowly miss the pink dreadlock girl.
"Never heard of you." Hatsume replied instantly, dodging another wrench. Dressed in a tank top and baggy mechanic pants, the younger girl was covered in soot and oil smudges. She seemed honest judging by her eyes not changing when Weiss first introduced herself. Hatsume's head turned towards Power Loader's office, where the Support teacher was overlooking the paperwork from Principal Nezu. "Can I work on my babies now?"
"No!" Mr. Power Louder shouted back. He finally emerged from his office, the paperwork in hand. "You have another project for extra credit." He handed Weiss the paper back, which she took making sure not to get any of the oil on his hands onto her uniform. He held another paper in his other hand.
"B-But my babies!" Hatsume glanced back at her table.
"You'll have plenty of time to work on them during class, and once you're done with the project." Mr. Power Loader sighed. "I'll let you stay later than usual for ONE day once it's done."
"Deal!" Hatsume jumped up from the bucket she used as a seat. "What's the project? Gimme gimmeee!" She tried grabbing the other sheet of paper, but Power Loader held it in the air, just barely out of her reach.
Ruby worked on Crescent Rose, the sniper-scythe disassembled on the workbench in the armory. "My baby!"
Weiss shook the thoughts out of her head as Hatsume's hair briefly turned a black-red. Once she was done here, she would never have to see this girl again.
"You're going to help Miss Schnee in creating a non-lethal weapon." Power Loader said. He turned his head to Weiss. "She'll be primarily designing it, and you'll help her with our equipment." The insane girl finally grabbed the sheet of paper, her eyes scanning the page.
Then, Hatsume turned to Weiss with a large grin on her face.
Ruby smiled as she held Crescent Rose close to her.
"Are you ready to have our first baby together?!" Hatsume said excitedly as she invaded Weiss' personal space. This girl was insane, and reminded her too much of Ruby. It took all of hee self control to stop her hands from shaking.
"Sure I guess, and don't say it that way. You sound like a pervert." Weiss forced herself to say. Hatsume wasn't paying attention anymore, having attached herself to an empty workbench while muttering to herself out loud.
This was going to be an unpleasant experience.
"They're beating us Dad."
"They won't! Raise the bid by another dollar!"
"They matched it."
"Another dollar!"
"You do remember we use Yen right?"
"I don't care. We need to win. Do it!"
"Fineee, the bid ends in five, four.."
The countdown started as Roman's bid remained on top. Sold!
"Excellent! Now that we have our spot secured for UA's Sports Festival food booth, we can proceed with the next phase of our plan."
"You mean your plan."
"Tomato tomahto."
"Whatever."
"There should be a taser built in the shaft!"
"No. That'll throw the balance off, and how do you plan on giving it enough power to knock someone out consistently?"
"What's the revolver hilt for? Are you trying to make a gun-sword!? Those must be some large bullets. Rubber?"
"No and no."
"How about a baton-spear that can extend several meters? Oh oh! And it can be used as a taser!"
"No. What's with you and tasers?"
Weiss had to fight the urge to rub her forehead as her left eye kept twitching. At first, Hatsume kept reminding her of Ruby, with their shared obsession for weapons, or inventions in Hatsumes case. That was still true, except for one teensy little thing. Weiss was pretty sure that if Nora and Ruby ever ended up having a baby, Hatsume would be the result.
The main problem, the pink haired girl was much more annoying, and Weiss' brain kept repeating memories from her time with her partner. Her hands were on the verge of shaking as she drew the design for her new non-lethal weapon. She wanted to finish the design today so the actual bodywork could start soon, and hopefully Weiss would be able to use it during the Sports Festival. That was going to require quite a bit of paperwork, but it would be worth it.
The hilt of her new weapon was essentially the same as Myrtenaster, including the Dust chambers, with its blunt blade being about the same length. It wouldn't be as decorated as Myrtenaster, with only a few Atlesian markings and runes here and there. The metal would no doubt be inferior to the Atlesian steel that Myrtenaster was made up of, but her aura could amplify the weapons strength to be up to par, such as when she used the swordfish during the foodfight back at Beacon. Those good old days were long gone.
"Won't the revolver take up too much space? And won't the metal where it opens up be weaker than the actual blade?" Hatsume asked as she leaned over Weiss' shoulder, pressing her chest against the smaller girl's back. It made Weiss feel uncomfortable.
"The revolver helps me to channel my glyphs, and that's why the metal around it is going to be reinforced." Weiss said dryly. She just wanted to get over this, and go home to let everything all out. At this rate she was going to explode.
"What's going in the revolver's chambers?" Hatsume grabbed her own pen and started scribbling over Weiss' drawings. "The pommel is going to have to be lighter in order to offset the weight from the hilt."
"It's a scythe and a gun." Ruby shifted Crescent Rose from its compact mode into its scythe form. She posed dramatically with a large grin as Weiss recorded her, a small smile on her face.
"I can use my quirk to fill them." Weiss said, her voice barely more than a whisper. It wasn't a complete lie since she did use her glyphs and aura to help grow her dust. Her eyes turned to the lone clock in the studio. It was time to go home. Stretching her arms, Weiss stood up from the chair she was seated in. "It's time for me to go. I'll continue working on the design at home so we can start working on the prototype." She needed to get out of here.
Hatsume took that moment to jump into the chair to scan the first design. Dreadlock girl was barely paying attention. "Yeah yeah, see you later White."
"It's Weiss."
"That's what I said."
Yu still wasn't home by the time Weiss arrived. Placing her backpack on the rack in the living room, a piece of paper caught her eye. It was taped to the TV screen, which was honestly a bad place to put it, unless Yu wanted to damage it and get a new one. Gently grabbing the sticky note, Weiss eyes immediately started to scan it.
'There was an emergency at work so I'll be late. There's pizza in the fridge if you get hungry. Don't work so hard! - Yu'
Weiss balled the note and threw it in the trash without another thought. Ever since school started, Yu had started to become even busier than usual. It was understandable, Mt. Lady was a rising star in the hero world, with a rather large fanbase. Yu's sex appeal was even starting to cut into Midnight's fanbase, leading to quite a few rants that Weiss had to hear and see on the TV. As annoying as she may be sometimes, Weiss missed her, and she didn't say that lightly.
Grabbing Myrtenaster's case again, Weiss marched towards her room, closing and locking the door behind her as she gently placed her weapon on the floor. The shaking in her hands returned as Weiss' vision began to blur as the events of the day finally took their toll. Falling to her knees, Weiss dragged herself to the full length mirror in her room, staring at her reflection. Her index finger touched the cold glass, running her finger along the scar of her reflection.
Principal Nezu acted like she was a murderer, essientially blackmailing her into having therapy, which she did not need! She didn't kill those villains, their injuries did. It's not like she went in straight for the kill, and who forced them to try killing her classmates? To try killing All Might?
"Murderer.." Weiss' reflection stared back, her lips moving slowly as they formed a dark smile. "You killed them and you enjoyed it. Ruby would be so disappointed in you."
"No." Weiss hardened her eyes as she stared into the mirror. A blink later and the dark smile was gone, replaced by her puffy red eyes. Said eyes slowly turned to the corner of the mirror, where a piano sat. Turning around slowly, Weiss stared at her new piano. It was a gift from Yu and the Jirou's, said to be the only one of its kind, with her signature snowflake engraved in the white wood.
Weiss got up from the floor, and plopped herself onto the stool in front of the piano. Her hands hovered over the black and white keys as they shook softly. Music could help calm her nerves, to help push everything down. She could do that, there were no Grimm here to attract. Her hands started to play.
"It starts, with the unexpected loss of something dear…" Weiss sang slowly. "The warmth, that comforted and cradled, just disappeared." The piano's dark melody filled her room as her raspy voice combined with the notes.
"And in its place there's nothing, just an endless empty hole. The light that showed the way is gone, and darkness takes control." More emotion filled Weiss' voice as the monotone melody continued. The various instruments were already starting to turn in her head, ready to add themselves to the piano. "Bitterness and anger, are quick to fill the void…"
"The path to isolation, is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed…"
Imaginary violins and drums sounded out through Weiss' mind, the drums throwing themselves into the fray. Weiss had dreams when she was young. She didn't want to be the Heiress to the SDC, to be a Huntress, to be a hero, but that was what she needed to be, to restore the Schnee name.
"The cold, seems to grow in my soul its consuming me." The piano's melody started to speed up, with Weiss' shaky hands making her miss a key or two. "Confused, and I'm losing myself in the storm!" Weiss raised the pitch of her voice slightly.
"Growing jaded, being pushed, being pulled, I'm unraveling…" Weiss' voice started to speed up alongside the drums and orchestra. "Can't find myself when I'm constantly being forced to conform~!" Weiss held the note for a second or so. She ruined the new anonymity she had in this world by trying to make money in order to repay Yu, and now she had to deal with a culture that she wasn't used to, a culture that she was still learning.
"Enemies surround me but the worst appear as friends. " Weiss started to sing even louder. Those smiles that people gave her, those crowds that followed her around, how many of them would turn on her as soon as the tables flipped? Or as soon as the next big thing overtook her? "Liars and pretenders, only seek to reach their ends." Weiss' pitch went up and down.
"Everything is breaking, right before my eyes." Her voice grew desperate. "Looking in the mirror…"
"I see someone that I don't recogniiiIIIZE!"
Weiss slammed her fingers onto the piano keys.
"Who are you?"
"I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and Huntress-in-Training."
"Wrong! Who are you?"
"I'm, uh, I'm Weiss Schnee."
"Still incorrect, are you an idiot?"
"No!"
"Then, who, are, you?"
"I'm Weiss."
"Wrong, all I see here is a pathetic failure that left her team."
"The joy, that my heart used to know is eluding me." Food tasted like ash, no matter how delicious others said it tasted. Everywhere she went, Weiss was reminded of her team, remind of team JNPR, reminded of Ruby. "Removed, and the one thing I feel is alone." Kyouka and Mina were her friends, but not even they knew who Weiss really was.
"Smile's faded and I'm spinning and sinking, I'm weakening." The guitars and drums added to the desperation in Weiss' voice. She already of how many times she had used her 'Idol' smile. "Frozen in solitude, loneliness chills to the bonee!" No one knew the full truth about her, not even Yu and Detective Tsukauchi. "Memories escaping as my heart begins to drain."
Ruby blushed softly as Weiss planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Scars that cover wounds can't hide the self-inflictED pain." Weiss raised her pitch again as she sang louder and the drums, guitar and bass became even more desperate, playing as if their lives depended on it.
"Everything my mind wants in conflict with my heart, fighting back 'surrender', but everyday I'm falling more apAAART!"
The imaginary instruments softened as Weiss pounded the piano keys. The drums soon returned with a vengeance.
"Mirror what's this thing I see, who is staring back at me, a stranger to my heart has my mind." Weiss had run out of tears to cry.
"Mirror….help me…"
Her throat was starting to hurt as she took a deep breath.
"Who…am III?"