(This chapter picks up after the events in the Emerald Forest. They don't change enough from the events of canon to justify spending that much time lingering on them)
The moment the students were dismissed from the assembly hall after the new teams were announced, Weiss left to begin the process of moving her bags and cases into team RWBY's new dorm room, some of her belongings already having been put into one of the storage spaces assigned to Beacon's students. By the time the rest of her team arrived at their dorm, Weiss had already unpacked most of her things, filling half of one of the room's closets with clothes, a pile of mostly-empty cases stacked in one corner.
"Weiss, you in here? You missed food," Ruby asked as she opened the door and entered the room, Yang and Blake entering behind her. Weiss had mostly stripped out of the day's clothes, wearing her undershirt and yoga shorts, caught in the middle of a series of stretches. Even with her back to the door, Weiss could feel all three sets of eyes on her. Sighing loudly and opening her eyes, she straightened back out.
"I wasn't hungry, and I had a fair amount to unpack," she explained, flexing her hands and fingers carefully. Ruby glanced over to Weiss' pile of cases, eyes widening a little.
"Oh, ok! Well, Yang grabbed you some food just in case." At the mention of her name, Yang lifted a paper bag and some plastic cutlery into view with a grin. Weiss smiled a little despite herself, giving Yang a small nod of thanks. "Was that yoga or something you were doing?" Ruby asked, unknowingly trampling Weiss' mood.
"Not exactly, no," she said, taking the bag as Yang offered it to her, placing it on the desk she'd claimed. She turned back to Ruby, only to find the girl looking at her curiously. Weiss sighed, irritation building as she realised she'd have to explain herself. "I need to do regular 'stretches' to help prevent my prosthetics from seizing up," she parrotted, unwilling to reveal any more about the limitations of her artificial body.
"Oh," Ruby said simply, eyes widening during Weiss' explanation. Over her shoulder, Yang's expression was one of sympathy, whilst Blake's was unreadable.
"Thank you for bringing some food, Yang. I'm going to take a shower now whilst you all get settled in," she said, grabbing her wash bag and walking into the en-suite, closing the door behind her. As soon as the sound of running shower water was audible, Ruby turned to Blake.
"Woah, you weren't kidding when you said she got badly hurt…" Ruby said quietly to Blake, who managed to hide a wince.
"The news didn't really say exactly how bad it was," she said lamely. "I wasn't really expecting that." Another lie, of course. She'd known exactly what to expect, she just wasn't anticipating exactly what her reaction to seeing it would be. A cocktail of guilt, fear, and anger gnawed in her gut and she had to fight to keep her hidden ears from flattening against her skull.
Ruby for her part remained curious and concerned. Growing up with hunters for parents and then going to Signal academy, she wasn't entirely unfamiliar with prosthetic limbs. She'd just never seen them on anyone her age, and never more than one that she'd ever noticed. The idea of a fellow student already having needed to replace all four of her limbs was distressing, to say the least.
"There was something around her neck as well?" she asked, thinking about the faint black line around the base of Weiss' neck and the difference in texture either side of that divide. "How extensive can prosthetics be?" she pondered, worry and dread entering her tone as she considered the implications of that feature.
"Well, I'm sure she doesn't want us dwelling on it," Yang said, both to reassure and gently chide her sister as she put a hand on her shoulder. Ruby nodded, smiling up at Yang.
"Okay, yeah, makes sense," she said with a nervous chuckle before a yawn escaped her. "Urgh, I don't wanna unpack today I'm tired," she complained, flopping face-first onto one of the beds. Yang chuckled, shaking her head.
"Alright yeah, I'm pretty beat. We've got time to unpack tomorrow."
Weiss grunted quietly as she awoke, eyes blinking open to take in the briefly unfamiliar room. It took a second for the memories of the day before to return, during which time she had sat up in bed. She yawned, rubbing at her eyes. Right, initiation, dorm rooms. Beacon, she reminded herself mentally.
As she quickly made sense of her muddled morning thoughts, she failed to notice her new partner and team leader sneaking up on her, whistle in hand. Weiss' peaceful morning was shattered by the sudden, shrill blast in her ear. Without thinking she lashed out at the source of the noise, forcing Ruby to duck beneath the unexpected swing. Ruby felt a wave of cold pass over her head with the swing.
"Woah! Easy, Weiss!" she protested, Blake and Yang looking over with concern. Weiss breathed rapidly, arm still extended out with a clenched fist, frost creeping across the surface of the prosthetic. It took Weiss a second to register that the rest of her team were already in uniform. Slowly she began to relax, her heart rate slowing again as she relaxed her fist, fixing Ruby with a glare as the frost began melting away.
"What is wrong with you?" she snarled, finally letting her arm thud against the bed. She noted that Blake was also looking unhappily at the team leader.
"H-heh, well, we need to get to today's first order of business!" she replied, grinning nervously at the plainly-unhappy Weiss.
"That being?" she asked, stepping out of bed and standing up.
"Decorating," Yang said, hefting the bundle of posters and random items in her arms.
"And unpacking," Blake said, nodding to the pile of cases not belonging to Weiss. Weiss gave the pair a flat stare whilst Ruby slowly lifted her whistle again, taking a deep breath and-
"Do. Not." Ruby suddenly found the whistle ripped out of her hand by Weiss. There was a crunching noise as it was crushed in her prosthetic before being dropped to the floor. Weiss glared at Ruby, who gave a nervous chuckle, holding her hands up in surrender. Weiss kept her gaze for a few seconds before turning and walking into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
"... Ok, so Weiss isn't a morning person," Ruby concluded, looking nervously at the door to the bathroom.
"Maybe don't blast whistles in peoples' ears first thing in the morning?" Blake suggested sarcastically. "Especially people with a history of being attacked in their home?" she continued more pointedly.
"Alright, alright. I think she got the message," Yang said, stepping between the pair of them to play peace maker. "Right Rubes?"
"Heh, yeah," Ruby said, scratching the back of her head and looking embarrassed. "Well, let's get to work!" she declared, quickly recovering.
Weiss sighed as she looked into the mirror, brushing her hair and starting to tie it back into its usual elaborate ponytail. It was a process that demanded great care to avoid getting hair tangled in her fingers. A light bit of makeup and her school uniform finished her morning routine, finally stepping back into the dorm to see what her teammates had done to it.
To their credit, beyond a hasty patch-job to the curtain, they'd managed to avoid destroying anything. Most of their belongings were unpacked and stored away sensibly. That said, the beds all being rammed together in the middle of the room was an issue. "This isn't going to work," she observed, peering over the heads of her teammates.
"It is a bit cramped," Blake agreed, shuffling away slightly from the looming heiress.
"Oh, oh!" Ruby exclaimed, hopping in place. "Why don't we turn them into bunk beds?!"
"Yeah!" Yang shouted, instantly on-board with Ruby's plan.
"It would give us enough room…" Blake said, considering the plan.
"That seems… Wildly unsafe," Weiss pointed out, already feeling that she was outvoted.
"Well, you're outvoted," Ruby said, sticking her tongue out at Weiss, who rolled her eyes.
"Fine, fine. I'm going on the bottom bunk though," Weiss insisted, not wanting to risk crushing one of her teammates despite everything. Decided, the team got to work quickly improvising their beds into bunk beds.
Weiss' bed remained rooted on the ground against one wall, with Ruby's suspended precariously above it via ropes. Blake's bed was in the opposite corner, with Yang's propped up on books. Weiss decided not to ask what would happen if some of those books needed to be retrieved.
"Alright, bunk beds complete!" Ruby declared, grinning at the group's handiwork. "Now, time for-"
"Hold on," Weiss interrupted, looking at the clock next to her bed. "What time is our first class?"
"Uhhh, nine?" Ruby said, blinking.
"It's eight fifty-five, we're going to be late!" Weiss said, grabbing her bag and dashing out the door. The rest of team RWBY stood in silence for a moment, before they all scrambled for their things, racing after Weiss.
"Oh, shit, class!" Jaune called from JNPR's room, their fellow team running in their wake as all eight sprinted to get to class, Weiss and Ruby opening a healthy lead.
In retrospect, being excited for the Grimm Studies class was a little premature, in Weiss' estimation.
She was sure that there was some wisdom to be gleaned from the teacher's rambling stories, but so far it eluded her, prompting her to take extensive notes for future reference instead. Compounding her irritation was her partner's childish behaviour. Weiss could feel a twitch developing in her left eye as Ruby had, once again, fallen asleep. A harsh jab with her elbow woke the team leader from her second in-class nap, Ruby scowling and pouting at Weiss who had already returned her attention to Professor Port's droning tone.
Her antics didn't stop there, however, as Weiss was forced to endure more of Ruby's goofing off. Glancing over, she spotted a particularly unflattering doodle of Port, Ruby giggling quietly to herself at her handiwork. She showed it to Weiss, only to receive a glower in return.
Ruby briefly returned to her sulking before attempting to balance a stack of objects on the end of her finger, an apple rolling off and landing on top of Weiss' notes. The sound of Weiss' pen snapping in her fingers may well have been deafening for the rest of team RWBY, and Ruby was spared Weiss' scolding by a question from the professor.
"Who amongst you believes they truly embody the traits required of a hunter?"
"I do," Weiss said, staring ahead with her brow set, standing up.
"Very well! Collect your weapon and equipment, and we'll see for ourselves," Port said, gesturing at a cage in the back of the room. Weiss nodded sharply, walking past Ruby to collect Lilie. Ruby watched her go with a confused frown, whilst Blake and Yang shared a concerned look.
Weiss found herself once again trying to reign in her temper as she went to collect her weapon. So far the casualties of her growing frustration were limited to a single ball-point pen, but she was convinced that list would grow by the end of the year. Retrieving Lilie from her locker, she also picked up a couple of dust vials. She rolled her sleeve back, lifting a hidden panel in her arm and inserting the vials into slots under the panel. Closing her arm back up, she rolled her sleeve back down before returning to the classroom, Lilie resting on her shoulder.
Entering the classroom again, she bypassed her team's bench without a glance, standing in front of Port and resting the tip of Lilie on the ground. "A fine choice of weapon," Port complimented her. "Excellent crowd control whilst retaining the power to strike at even the toughest grimm. But let's see if your skills are a match for your chosen blade," he continued, turning to the cage and hefting his own weapon, a curious blend of blunderbuss and battleaxe.
Weiss took a deep breath, setting her blade into the same ready stance she used in the forest. She tuned out the sounds of her team cheering her on, but an extended cheer from Ruby cut through. "Ruby, I'm trying to focus," she snapped.
"O-oh, sorry…" she replied, sinking into her chair. Satisfied Ruby wasn't going to distract her further, Weiss returned her attention to the cage. She gave a nod to Port to signal she was ready.
"Alright, let the match… Begin!" With that, he brought his axe down on the cage's padlock, shearing it off and allowing the grimm inside to burst out. A boar-like creature, covered in white armour with a pair of vicious tusks, charged out with an unnatural squeal, fixing four red eyes on Weiss. Her eyes widened at the speed of the charge, throwing herself to one side and rolling out the way. The boarbatusk hurtled past her, almost catching her clothes in its tusks before it slid to a halt, turning to face her.
The grimm pawed at the ground as it studied its prey, snorting and tossing its head. This time, Weiss went on the offensive, the tip of Lilie sending up sparks as she charged with a low guard. She struck at the creature, her blow leaving a deep chip in its tusk and head but otherwise glancing off before becoming lodged between its tusks. Weiss and the grimm struggled back and forth, each attempting to overpower the other.
"A bold approach, I like it!" Port cheered.
"Come on Weiss, you got this!" Ruby called. Weiss glared at her, her concentration broken, allowing the boarbatusk to suddenly jerk its head back and to the side, finally ripping Lilie from her hands. The weapon slid along the floor as Weiss was knocked back.
"Ah, but how will you fight without your weapon? Pay attention class, this may well be a teachable moment." Weiss recovered just in time to see the grimm charging her again. She dodged to the side, feeling its tusks scrape against her aura as it passed.
"Go for its belly, Weiss! There's no armour there-"
"Stop distracting me!" she shouted at Ruby as the boarbatusk wheeled around to charge again. Setting her jaw, she stood her ground instead of dodging this time, pooling her aura in her hands. As the monster was about to collide with her, her hands suddenly lashed out, grabbing onto its tusks. The impact sent a harsh jolt through her hands and arms. She was forced back several feet by the force of the charge before she was able to root her feet. Snarling, she lifted upwards, letting the monster's momentum carry it over her head, the two pitching over onto their backs.
The grimm slammed down much harder than Weiss, and as it struggled to recover Weiss flipped over, straddling it. With a thought, ice gathered around her fist into a short spike. She punched down, driving the spike into its soft belly. The grimm squealed before falling still, Weiss panting in relief as it died. Weiss wrenched the spike out as she stood, letting it melt away, holding her arm out so none of the creature's blood landed on her clothes.
"Ha, bravo, bravo!" Port congratulated, applauding as he approached. "We are indeed in the presence of a true future huntress. Excellent improvisation." Weiss nodded gratefully at the professor's praise, collecting her weapon and gingerly flexing her fingers. Satisfied her hands hadn't been damaged, she returned her attention to the class.
"Well, that's all we have time for today. Be sure to cover the required readings!" Finally dismissed, Weiss stormed out of the room past her teammates.
"What's with her?" Jaune asked, leaning over his team's bench to quietly ask the rest of team RWBY.
"I don't know," Ruby said, getting up to follow Weiss.
"She's angry," Ren observed.
"Well, yeah, duh," Yang said.
"No, I mean…" Ren sighed, leaning forwards. "My semblance, part of it lets me 'see' the emotional state of people around me. Weiss has been angry every time I've seen her," he explained." Yang looked back to the door Weiss left through, frowning in concern.
"Weiss!" Ruby called, chasing after Weiss. Weiss sighed loudly, coming to a halt.
"What?" she asked sharply, not looking back at Ruby.
"What's wrong with you today? Why are you-"
"What's wrong with me? How about we talk about what's wrong with you?" Weiss countered, turning to face her and folding her arms. "You're supposed to be a leader."
"Me? What did I do?" Ruby asked incredulously.
"You've been nothing but a nuisance. You've acted like a child this whole time!"
"What's gotten into you, Weiss? I thought you wanted to work as a team!" Ruby protested.
"I do, but that requires a leader worth the title. I'm trained, studied, and suffered, and this is the leader I get saddled with?" Weiss asked rhetorically, gesturing to Ruby before scoffing, turning on her heel and marching away. Ruby watched her go, mouth working silently as she tried to think of something to say. Coming up with nothing, she sighed, shoulder sagging, before jumping at a voice behind her.
"That didn't seem to go well." Turning around, Ruby saw Ozpin standing a short distance behind her, watching Weiss disappear around a corner.
"Professor Ozpin? Am I a bad leader?" she asked quietly. He gave a quiet laugh, sipping his ever-present drink.
"That remains to be seen." Ruby frowned at his response, tilting her head.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"It means that it's only been one day. Plenty of teams have rocky starts, and clashes of personality are common. In fact, one of the best teams this academy has produced had an outright brawl over my choice of leader. That said, if I may offer some advice to help you smooth things out within your team?" At Ruby's eager nod, he continued. "Being a leader is more than just a title. It is a burden. It requires you to always be performing at your best. Otherwise, why are others going to follow you?" Ruby looked down, pondering Ozpin's words.
"Especially Miss Schnee. She clearly has high expectations of what a leader should be. That and, whilst this doesn't excuse her behaviour, she has suffered a great deal even before starting on this path. Don't expect an overnight miracle," he said, turning to walk away. "You have been given a great deal of responsibility, Ruby. Take some time to think how best to live up to it." Ruby watched Ozpin leave, humming quietly before nodding to herself, walking away.
Weiss grit her teeth as she walked, wincing and flexing her hands. The feeling of heat had started shortly after fighting the boarbatusk, and had only intensified since then, now a burning pain. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, a hiss escaping her as she pushed some aura into the ice dust stored in her body, letting it chill and frost over the surface of her hands in an attempt to dull the pain.
"Miss Schnee, are you alright?" She looked up and to her right towards the source of the voice. Professor Port calmly approached, a slight concerned crease to his brow.
"I'm fine, thank you professor," she said, ducking her head and returning her hands to her sides.
"Hmm. Phantom pains?" Weiss' head snapped back up, startled as she met his eyes again. She expected to see pity in them, or perhaps even judgement. She found neither of those things. "Not an uncommon complaint in many people with prosthetics. Well outside my area of expertise, I'm afraid," he said regretfully.
"It's fine," she said. "I enjoyed your lecture today," she continued, trying to change the subject.
"Ah, why thank you," he said with a chuckle. "A sentiment not shared by your partner, it would seem." Weiss' frown returned at the reminder of Ruby's behaviour. "There appears to be some friction between yourself and Miss Rose." He observed.
"I… Yes," she said, seeing no point in denying it. "I don't think she was the right choice for leader."
"Hmm. And you think Ozpin should have chosen you instead?" he asked.
"No," she said, shaking her head. Port's eyebrows raised in surprise before settling back down, searching Weiss' expression. "I don't think I would have been the right choice. I don't know who would have been, but I don't think it's Ruby."
"I see…" Port said slowly. "Whilst I understand that you and Miss Rose have your disagreements, I believe Ozpin has made the right choice. I've followed his lead for decades now, and not once has he let me down."
"So you'd just blindly accept his decision, without question?" she probed.
"In this case? Yes. You are hardly the first student to protest about their new leader, and you won't be the last. There are some things in life beyond your ability to change, Miss Schnee, something I would imagine you are familiar with." Weiss winced at his bluntness. "So, instead focus on what you can change. Hone your skills, strive for perfection, and elevate those around you. You believe your leader is underperforming, perhaps even undeserving of the duty?" Port paused for a moment, reading her reaction.
"What, then, is your duty as their teammate? To belittle, criticise, and resent them? Or to help them become deserving of being a leader? I can promise you, you'll have far more success with the latter choice, and in the worst-case scenario it will at least improve relations within your team." Weiss pondered his words for a moment, thoughtful and silent before she spoke.
"I… Very well, I will try," she said with a nod.
"That is the best any of us can do, Miss Schnee," Port replied, nodding and smiling. "Have a good evening, Miss Schnee. And do make use of the infirmary if the pain becomes too much." With that, he continued along his original path, leaving Weiss to think about his words.
By the time Weiss returned to the dorm the rest of her team had fallen asleep. She peered at Ruby's suspended bed, seeing their leader sprawled out amongst a pile of books and notes. Taking a deep breath, she quietly picked her way across the room and lightly nudged Ruby awake.
"Huh? Weiss? What- Oh, I feel asleep studying, sorr-" She was cut off by Weiss' hand, the heiress 'shushing' her quietly.
"I wanted to apologise for earlier. I… Haven't been the best teammate I could have been. Just… Just know I am trying, ok? I do think you have what it takes, and I'll help you be a great leader if I can, ok?" At Ruby's nod, she smiled, removing her hand. "Get some rest. That's wrong, by the way," she said, pointing to part of Ruby's notes.
"Heh, ok, apology accepted. Night, Weiss," Ruby said with a smile, before squinting at the notes Weiss pointed out. "Oh, oops. Hehe…" Weiss gave her a good natured eye roll, leaving Ruby to her work.