Chapter 17: Mr. Arc Goes To Atlas

(Argus, Arc-Cotta Home)

"Wow, Jaune." Saphron said, with a hint of sarcasm, "If you're not careful, you're going to actually start looking like a knight."

"Aw, come on, Saph," Jaune protested, "I've looked like a knight since day one at Beacon!"

"Oh, yes, because a hoodie and jeans are totally what the knights of old wore under their armor." Terra deadpanned.

Although he would never publicly admit it, Jaune knew that they were right. Replacing his beloved hoodie, which had tragically been lost in the line of duty, was a proper gambeson, dark blue in color, matching his new combat trousers. His breastplate, gauntlets, and pauldrons were relatively unchanged from the last iteration of his armor, save for the trim, which was still made of Mistralian Bronze, but had a more fanciful bent to it, which hopefully would let him get away without formal wear in Atlas. The biggest change was his boots, he had proper greaves now!

"Wait, hold on." Saphron said as Jaune attached Crocea Mors to his belt, "Didn't you have a sash of some kind?"

"Yeah, it was Pyrrha's. Adam destroyed it." Jaune said.

Saphron's eyes narrowed. "Did he target it on purpose? To mess with you or something?"

Jaune chuckled, "I doubt that, Saph. He never even used my name. Which, by the way, the White Fang is very unimaginative when it comes to insults."

Terra rolled her eyes, "Oh, please, tell me it was something they thought was scathing."

"Yep!" Jaune said, his goofy grin making an appearance, "They would call me Schnee-Lover."

Saphron and Terra howled with laughter. "How?" Saphron asked, "That's completely true, so how did they think it was an insult?"

"Beats me." Jaune said.

Adrian picked this moment to demand Jaune's attention, tugging at his pant leg. Jaune bent own and scooped up the toddler, who after a moment, realized that Jaune was not either of his mothers, and voiced his displeasure.

"You... certainly have a way with toddlers, don't you, Jaune?" Saphron teased, "Here, I'll take him."

As Jaune was handing Adrian over, Terra's eyes lit up. "Oh, Saph! We should show Jaune the thing!"

Jaune cocked his head in confusion. "What's she talking about?"

Saphron grinned, "Well, ever since he started talking... well do you remember how you used to played Weiss's music when you were babysitting?" Jaune nodded, so she continued, "Well, he'll actually sing along now, or try to anyway."

It was almost prophetic that there was a knock at the door. Jaune opened it to find Weiss.

"You're just in time." Jaune said with a huge grin, "Come on in."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. What surprise did Jaune have in store? He was a hopeless romantic after all. She walked in to see Saphron grinning like a lunatic, and Terra... just hit a button on her scroll?

Weiss immediately recognized the opening notes to This Life Is Mine, one of her most recent songs. Why were they...

Weiss's heart immediately melted as Adrian started to... attempt to sing along. Most of the time he could only make noise while following the music, but to Weiss, it was the most beautiful singing that she had ever heard.

Weiss immediately bolted over to Adrian, and started fawning over him. "Oh, who's the most adorable one here? You are!"

It was then that Adrian delivered the death blow.

"Auntie Weiss!"

Weiss froze, her hands clasped to her chest, and a beaming smile plastered on her face. Jaune came up alongside her and put his arm around her, "Uh, Weiss? You okay?" He asked.

"Auntie... Weiss..." Weiss repeated.

Jaune shook his head, the only way they were going anywhere was if he let Weiss's cuteness induced catatonic state run it's course. He went back upstairs to retrieve his bag, and knock back some motion sickness pills. After all, this would be the worst time to re-earn his infamous nickname.

"Weiss, we gotta go." Jaune said.

Weiss fixed Jaune with her best puppy-dog stare, "Must we?" While it didn't quite hit the weaponized cuteness levels of Ruby Rose, it was incredibly potent.

But not potent enough. "I already took my pills, Weiss. It would be a shame for them to wear off halfway through the flight."

"As much as I like the mental image of Jaune barfing all over Jacques Schnee..." Saphron teased, "It's probably for the best if that doesn't happen."

"Very well, if we must." Weiss said.

Jaune snorted at his sister's vivid joke. "Thanks for that, Saph. Pretty sure that's going to keep me going when the culture shock hits."

Jaune and Weiss made to leave, and Saphron called after them, "Remember, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet!"

Terra shook her head at her wife, "That is terrible advice for surviving Atlas."

Saphron shrugged, "Fifty Lien that he offends the wrong person and gets challenged to a duel?"

Terra rolled her eyes, "You're on."

(SDC Airship, Solitas Airspace)

Weiss never thought the she would ever meet anyone who would be excited to stare out the window at the tundra that comprised the majority of the continent of Solitas, but here Jaune was, doing just that. If she had to guess, it was probably a result of Jaune not being able to look out the window most of the time, due to his motion sickness.

As she gazed at Jaune, Weiss wrestled with a fact. The fact that Jaune would shortly be walking into Schnee Manor without knowing why her family was so broken. He already knew that her father was "the worst", as Yang would put it. But what he didn't know... if he walked in blind, it could be a disaster.

He didn't know about how Whitley... had she even told him that she had a brother?

He didn't know about her mother's endless quest to find an escape from her situation at the bottom of a bottle.

There wasn't any other option, she couldn't avoid it any longer. She would need to remember that hellish night. The night of her tenth birthday party.

"Jaune, before we get to Atlas, there's something I need to tell you." Weiss said.

Jaune frowned as he turned to her. Jaune knew that tone of voice, it was a surefire sign that something was weighing Weiss's mind. "What's up?"

"Do you remember when we first got together? That night in the library?" Weiss asked.

Jaune smiled at the memory, "How could I forget? It's one of the happiest moments of my life."

Oh, bless his heart. Even with how dense he could be sometimes, Jaune somehow knew exactly what to say. "Do you remember how I told you how it was important that you've given me no room to doubt that you love me?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"I'm ready to tell you why that is so important now." Weiss took a deep breath before continuing, "It was the night of my tenth birthday party..."

(Schnee Manor, Approximately Eight Years ago)

They were fighting again. Weiss looked up at Winter to see her glaring at their parents, ready to defend her and Whitley if need be. Whitley had his eyes screwed shut and his hands clamped around his ears, in a futile attempt to block out the argument.

If looks could kill, Jacques Schnee would have died from twenty-eight stab wounds, based on the daggers that Willow was glaring at him. "Enough!" Willow said, "You are going to spend a wonderful evening with your family, and that is final!"

"I don't have the time for this, Willow." Jacques retorted, "If I can close this deal now, it would mean that the Vacuoan dust mines would be ours! Don't you know what that would mean for the company?"

Willow continued to argue, oblivious to the distress of her children, "I know exactly what it would mean, but it can wait for one day!"

"If I don't close this deal today, we lose it." Jacques said, "Nothing else is more important right now."

Willow scoffed at Jacques, "Not even your own family?"

Jacques fixed Willow with an icy stare, "That would be the case if I married for love, which I didn't. I married for power."

Winter winced. This was going to be the worst argument yet. "Weiss, cover your ears. I don't want you to hear this." She whispered.

"I'm not afraid, Winny!" Weiss whispered back, her voice practically saturated with defiance.

As for Willow, everything she thought that she knew had come crashing down. "But... you told father that you love me... You told him that while he was ON HIS DEATHBED!"

"I lied."

The only sound that could be heard was Willow's infuriated breathing. "I want a divorce." She seethed.

For the first time, Jacques laughed. It was not a pleasant sound. "If you want one of our children to take back the company from me, I wouldn't recommend that..."

Willow shook her head, "In your wildest dreams, do you not remember our pre-nuptial agreement?"

Jacques straightened his tie, "I would've thought that Nicholas would've taught you to always read the fine print before signing a contract, my dear."

Willow stepped back, distress clear on her face, "What... what did you do?"

Jacques chuckled, "It's really amazing what can be made possible with the proper application of Lien."

"You're a bastard..." Willow said softly.

Jacques turned around and began to head towards his study, "I know." He said.

Willow looked around helplessly until she saw Winter, Weiss, and Whitley. "Winter, take care of your siblings for me."

"What are you going to do, mother?" Winter asked.

Willow made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "I... I need a drink."

(SDC Airship, Solitas Airspace)

"I knew that Jacques was a piece of work, but this..." Jaune said, "How? How could someone be so loveless?"

"If you figure it out, do me a favor and don't tell me." Weiss said, "I don't think that I want to know."

Jaune wrapped his arms around Weiss, and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Weiss, I hate to ask, but is your mother..."

"Still trying to find an escape at the bottom of a bottle?" Weiss asked rhetorically, "Yes, she is."

Weiss continued, "We all had our own defense mechanisms to father's... scheming. Mother drinks, Winter removed herself by joining the military, I found solace in whatever little rebellions I could find, and Whitley... despite the fact that he has his own goals for his life that don't align with what father has planned for him, he has made himself into a perfect little clone of father."

At this point, Jaune decided that the best thing he could do was cheer her up, "Wait a second, am I a little rebellion?"

Weiss laughed, "No, Jaune, you're a big rebellion. It's much different."

Jaune grinned, "Oh, is it now?"

"Yes, absolutely." Weiss deadpanned, "The media called it an absolute scandal when the press release went out."

Jaune snorted, "There was a press release? That is easily the most Atlesian thing I've ever heard."

Weiss planted a kiss on his cheek, then snuggled in, not intending to move until their flight was over. "Dork."

"Okay, I changed my mind. That was the most Atlesian thing I've heard."

They lapsed into silence, content to simply take comfort from each other's continued presence.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Whitley's Room)

To Whitley Schnee, there was only one good thing about his dear sister's relationship with... what was his name? John? Juan? Jim? It didn't matter in the end.

What actually mattered, was that because Weiss had invoked the Pact of the Starcrossed Lovers, Jacques couldn't disown her for taking up with... what's-his-name. Which meant that Jacques left Whitley alone, as long as he kept up with his lessons, and ignored what he called "Whitley's extra-curricular activities."

Which Whitley happened to be participating in now. While Winter and Weiss had pursued combat training, Whitley pursued another, more elegant arena, at least in his opinion. One of his teachers, a man by the name of Vester, had notified that Whitley had an aptitude for technology, namely hacking.

Vester had encouraged Whitley to explore this, and Whitley had found that he quite enjoyed hacking, more than the socializing that Jacques preferred for him. Jacques had taught Whitley how to manipulate people, but what worked on one person might not work on the next.

In short, people were unpredictable, computers weren't, and Whitley liked predictable.

Father, on the other hand, didn't agree. He fired Vester, and forbade Whitley from pursuing that avenue. However, Whitley decided to do something new for him. Disobey.

Of course, to do so without something to show for it when he was discovered would be... unpleasant, at best. So, Whitley started hacking the SDC. Finding weaknesses, backdoors, and exploits left by those who had originally coded the firewalls and other security.

Jacques had been furious when he found out, he had come back early from a business trip, and found Whitley tapping away at the terminal in his study.

The argument had been bad, not to mention that Whitley did not like shouting. Finally Whitley had the opportunity to show all of the weaknesses in the SDC's digital security that, without him, would be waiting to be exploited.

Jacques finally relented, and admitted that maybe there was something to Whitley's "obsession", after all.

At present, Whitley was investigating a possible breach of security. Some workers in the Dust Development labs had complained of system slowdown, and SDC IT had passed it on to him, as they couldn't be bothered by something so minor. It could be nothing, but then again, it could be something.

System slowdown could either be cilent-side or server-side, so Whitley decided to go with the golden rule of IT. Check the simplest solutions first. Whitley did a sweep on the reported workstations, and found a program that shouldn't be there on each of them. It didn't do anything except put a hard cap on processor speed, that certainly explained the system slowdown.

Whitley cracked open the code on one of them, this was tantamount to a prank, as no data was being stolen. It was probably him again. Whitley's eyes narrowed. Yes, the code was unmistakable, Whitley's nemesis had returned.

"Foaly. We meet again." Whitley said to himself, "And once again, I will be victorious."

Like many hackers in popular media, the hacker that had planted these nuisance programs had effectively autographed them with his handle, as it was called. Since this Foaly had never done anything that would get Jacques's attention, like tamper with financial records, Whitley enjoyed the cat and mouse game they played. It helped hone his skills.

Almost... there! Now that I have the programs quarantined, all that's left is to set my terminal to scan for the access point he used, that way I can seal it.

Whitley barely reacted to a knock at the door, "Enter." He said.

Jacques entered. "Ah, I see you're... practicing."

Whitley turned to his father, "You could call it that, father. Just finishing up a request from the IT department."

Jacques frowned, "Anything that I need to know about?"

Whitley shook his head, "No, no data was taken, they never came close to any financial records, and as soon as my program finds the access point used, I'll plug the hole, if there is one. If they used a public terminal, there's not much I can do other than pull the access logs."

Jacques took a moment to regard his son. He actually seemed... happy. "Is this truly what you want to do with your life, Whitley?" Jacques said, gesturing to the terminal.

Whitley nodded, "Yes, father. It is."

Jacques nodded, then made to leave. "Weiss and Jaune will be here in approximately one hour. Your presence is required."

"Understood, father." Whitley said, "There's nothing I can do with this except wait, anyways."

After Jacques left, Whitley had two realizations. First, his father was actually being supportive of the direction he had chosen for his life, and the second...

"Oh, that's his name."

(SDC Airship, Atlas Approach)

After about an hour, the pilot spoke up. "Hey, Mr. Arc? If you've never been to Atlas before, you're gonna want to see this."

Grumbling slightly from having to extricate himself from Weiss's embrace, Jaune made his way to the cockpit, and was promptly blown away.

Jaune had expected Atlas to be impressive, but he was still blown away. It was just... floating there, suspended by what seemed like nothing, all while airships flitted about, and the Atlesian Air Force kept a watchful eye. "How does it... stay up?"

Weiss joined him in the cockpit, summoned by dust-related trivia, "Gravity Dust projectors, quite sizable ones, obviously."

"Alright, kids," Their pilot said, "Show and tell is over, I've got to start our approach before Atlas's finest get itchy trigger fingers." Jaune and Weiss reclaimed their seats, and buckled their seatbelts.

"Atlas Tower, this is SDC One, requesting approach vector for Schnee Manor, over."

There was a brief moment before the radio crackled to life, "Copy that, SDC One, the skies are a little crowded at the moment. Recommend you hover for now."

Their pilot rolled his eyes, then grabbed the radio again, "No can do, Atlas Tower, I've got precious cargo onboard."

"SDC One, confirm identity of Precious Cargo."

Jaune turned to Weiss, "Hold on, is he talking about us?"

Before Weiss could answer, the pilot brought back memories that Jaune would like to forget, thank you very much. "Songbird and Vomit Boy, repeat, Songbird and Vomit Boy, over."

Jaune shot Weiss a look that suggested that she had just kicked Zwei.

"Copy that, SDC One, begin landing on vector Manor One. Tell them we watch their fight with Taurus on repeat, would you?"

The pilot chuckled, "Will do, Atlas Tower. Beginning landing sequence."

Jaune was still processing the fact that the codename that the entire Atlesian military had assigned to him... was Vomit Boy. "How, Weiss? How did they know?"

Weiss tried to hide her amusement at Jaune's plight, but failed miserably. "Well, SDC Security works closely with the Atlesian Military, and I told them about your motion sickness, so..."

"You're lucky that you're so adorable... Auntie Weiss." Jaune said, adding a teasing note to his voice.

Weiss produced the verbal equivalent of a keysmash.

(Schnee Manor, Hangar)

The three figures watching the airship make its final approach to Schnee Manor had vastly varying attitudes about the situation.

Jacques Schnee was annoyed, but not at Jaune and Weiss, oddly enough. He was annoyed at the SDC's Board of Directors. They had taken advantage of the defeat of Adam Taurus at the hands of Weiss and Jaune as an opportunity to escalate what was originally intended to be a relatively low-pressure way for Jaune to be introduced to the various executives at the SDC, into a very high-pressure scenario, with all of Atlas's high society in attendance.

Meaning that Jacques had to make sure that Jaune would at least survive the evening, otherwise he could be accused of violating the Pact of the Starcrossed Lovers through inaction, and from a social standpoint, that was tantamount to suicide.

Whitley was indifferent. After Winter left to join the military, Weiss withdrew, obsessively training for father's "Royal Test," as he had dubbed it. At the time, Whitley had been devastated, as that meant that he was effectively alone. With Jacques and Willow. As time passed, and Weiss left for Beacon, Whitley found that he just... didn't care about his sisters anymore. He wished them well in whatever endeavors they decided to pursue, but he couldn't care less if he never saw them again.

Now Weiss was returning, and bringing her boyfriend. Whitley supposed that it was likely that this... "Jaune" would attempt to ingratiate himself to him, just as other potential suitors for Weiss had done in the past. It would be pointless, just like those previous times.

The third man, Klein Sieben, was cautiously optimistic. Ever since Jacques's... motives became clear, Klein had taken advantage of his position of butler to be the father that the Schnee children had sorely needed. Whitley had brushed him off, but Weiss and Winter had taken his advice to heart.

Klein had high hopes for Jaune, from what Weiss had hold him, it seemed that Jaune was an honorable man. The problem was that honorable men did not last long in Atlas. They were either trodden underfoot, or the power that they could have went to their heads. Hopefully Jaune would be the exception to the rule.

The airship edged its way into the hangar, and landed gently, as should be expected of an airship designed by the SDC. The ingress/egress ramp extended, and Jaune and Weiss descended.

Klein stepped forward. "Welcome to-to-" Klein's eyes turned blue as he sneezed, then went back to brown. "As I was saying, welcome to Schnee Manor, Mr. Arc. My name is Klein, and I've been the butler here for quite a while now. Would you like me to take your bag to your room?"

Jaune stared at Klein, trying to figure out if he was seeing things or not. "Did your eyes change color when you sneezed?"

With a twinkle in his eye, Klein replied, "Possibly."

Weiss rolled her eyes. Klein loved to prank people with his semblance, but working in Schnee manor didn't give him many opportunities to do that. "Yes, Klein, you can take his bag." Weiss said, "I think the culture shock might finally be setting in."

Jaune chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Is it that obvious?"

"Only a little, Mr. Arc." Klein said. His eyes became pink and he became more shy, "When you are ready, Mrs. Schnee would like to speak to you in the garden."

Jaune turned to Whitley as Klein left. "You must be Whitley."

Whitley scowled, "Let me guess, I suppose you're about to say something to the effect of Weiss has told me so much about you?"

Well, this is off to a fantastic start. "Nope, what would I gain by lying to you?" Jaune said.

Whitley froze. He hadn't expected honesty, he had expected Jaune to try to impress him, somehow. Attempt to win his favor, maybe, not... simply be himself. "Well, I'm glad that Weiss hasn't fallen for a dunce, at the very least."

Jaune laughed, "You wouldn't think that if you knew how often she calls me that!"

"What?" Weiss said with mock indignation, "I haven't called you that in months!"

I was wrong. This man is a dunce, and this is suffering.

Fortunately for Whitley, his Scroll chose that exact moment to rescue him from this torment. It notified him that his program had found the access point that Foaly had used. "Father, may I be excused?" Whitley said, "I need to finish that request from the IT department."

Jacques nodded, causing Weiss's eyebrows to shoot into the stratosphere. Whitley promptly left, with a spring in his step that Weiss hadn't seen in...

"You're letting him continue with his hacking?" Weiss asked, "What changed?"

"Something I thought would never happen," Jacques admitted. "He went behind my back, and showed me all the flaws that he could find in the company's cybersecurity. I would have to be stupid to not let him continue." Weiss narrowed her eyes, there was something more here, but now wasn't the time to uncover it.

Jacques turned to Jaune, "It does not escape my notice that I am the last you acknowledge, Mr. Arc."

Jaune shrugged, "Can you really blame me?"

Jacques's mustache twitched, "I suppose not, I certainly have only been supportive of this," He gestured at Jaune and Weiss, "Because I have to be. That reminds me, there's been a complication."

Weiss groaned, "Don't tell me... the Board of Directors stepped in it, didn't they?"

Jacques nodded, almost apologetically, "Yes, they have demanded that the scale of the party be increased to include all of Atlesian high society, as you two are the brave Hunters who brought Adam Taurus to his knees."

Jaune's eyes resembled a deer in the headlights. "Uh, Weiss, I don't think I'll be ready for this in a few days..."

"Don't worry, Jaune." Weiss said, squeezing his hand, "I'll protect you, I do need to return the favor, after all."

Jacques cleared his throat, "Mr. Arc, if you would come to my office at 7pm tonight, there is a matter that we need to discuss."

Weiss's eyes narrowed, "Not without me, you're not."

"Weiss, I'm going to need to learn how to do this stuff on my own, eventually. Might as well start now." Jaune said.

Jacques inclined his head, "I agree, now if you'll excuse me." Jacques left, leaving Jaune and Weiss alone.

"Well, I suppose that I should get going." Jaune said, "How do I get to the gardens, and do you have any advice?"

"Take a left when you exit the hangar, follow the hallway until you see a staircase going down, then go through the door immediately to your right." Weiss said, "As for advice on dealing with mother, just be honest. Just be yourself, Jaune. That's the best advice I can give you for anything you'll be dealing with this week."

Jaune paused for a moment before leaving, "Weiss, do you want to come with me?"

"No, Jaune. i don't." Weiss said, "It's not that I don't want to see her, it's that I can't bear to see her like this."

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Gardens)

Having followed Weiss's instructions to the letter, Jaune found himself in the Schnee Manor Gardens, he had expected it to be excessive, considering that was the norm for just about everything in Atlas. He hadn't expected a detailed hedge sculpture of a Alpha Beowolf. Now that he took a moment to really look around, there were quite a few hedge sculptures and statues of Grimm.

While he did still need to meet Willow, Jaune's curiousity got the better of him. He walked up to a statue of a Boarbatusk, and read the plaque. It was simple, unlike much of its surroundings, and read Weiss Schnee.

Oh, I get it. Summoning. There must be one of these for every Grimm that's become a summon for a Schnee. Jaune couldn't help but think that this was a very... Atlesian way to commemorate this.

"You lost, son?"

Jaune turned around to see an aging man wearing black overalls and a paperboy cap. "Ah, no. I just got distracted on my way to meet Mrs. Schnee."

The man nodded. "Oh, I gotcha, you must be Jaune Arc. My name's Lum, I've been the groundskeeper for the Schnees for a long time now."

"Long enough to remember what it was like here before Jacques?" Jaune asked.

Lum laughed, "Well, if you mean before Jacques took over as CEO, then yep." Lum leaned against a nearby railing, then continued, "Winter was born on my first day, if you can believe it. Old Saint Nick, that's what we called Nicholas, gave us all raises. All because he was so overjoyed to be a grandfather, and wanted to share that with us."

Jaune thought he knew the answer, but he had to ask. "What happened? What changed to..."

"Make the Schnee family so Godsdamned broken?" Lum asked, bitterness clear in his voice, "Simple. Jacques Schnee, or I should say Jacques Gelé."

That got Jaune's attention, he knew that Jacques had been the one to change his name, but not from what.

Lum continued, "I've been around the block a time or five, so I know a bad apple when I see one, and Jacques was, and still is rotten. To be honest, Jaune, you've brought something with you that hasn't been at Schnee Manor for... about fifteen years now."

"What did I bring?" Jaune asked.

'Hope." Lum said. "Now, you probably want to know where to find Mrs. Schnee in here, yeah?"

Jaune nodded.

"Well, if she's not too drunk yet, she'll be roaming around." Lum gestured off to the left, "My advice is to try by the gazebo, if she ain't there, she'll be back eventually."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Jaune said.

"It's no problem, son." Lum said as he walked off.

Jaune meandered his way in the direction that Lum had indicated, and soon found his way to the aforementioned gazebo.

Like most things in Schnee Manor, it was white. However, it was obvious that special care had been put into this particular structure, evidenced by the King Taijitu sculpture built into it, its twin heads glaring at anyone who dared approach. Jaune swallowed, and walked towards it. He walked up the steps, to find a table and two chairs, facing away from him. The table had what looked to be a very expensive bottle of vodka along with a glass with a half melted ice cube. In the chair to the right sat Willow Schnee. From what Jaune could see, despite what Weiss had told him, it seemed that she still kept up her appearance, but that could simply be out of habit.

Jaune cleared his throat, "Mrs. Schnee? Klein said you wanted to see me?"

Willow gestured to the seat beside her. "Sit, please."

As Jaune walked around to sit in the chair, the stench hit him. He took a moment to steady himself, then sat down. Willow seemed to not notice his moment of distress, or just didn't care.

Jaune wasn't sure which was worse.

"So... you're Jaune." Willow said.

"Yes. ma'am." Jaune said.

Willow frowned, "I wish I could tell you that Weiss told me all about you, but we... don't talk much." Jaune winced, as he knew exactly why that was.

Willow took a drink of her vodka, then continued, "I know almost nothing about you, save that you're training to become a Hunter. For all I know, you're just like Jacques, only after the power."

"I am not after the money, the power, any of it." Jaune bristled, "I don't even know the first thing about running a lemonade stand, much less the largest corporation on Remnant. I've never wanted to be anything more than a Huntsman, hell, I stole my weapon from dad's study, and ran away to go to Beacon. That's where I met Weiss."

"And you approached her because you knew what could be yours." Willow assumed.

"Wrong." Jaune said, "I approached her because I thought she looked sad, and needed a friend."

Willow stared at Jaune, whether due to surprise or drunkenness, he wasn't sure. "You're saying that... you truly love her?"

Jaune nodded, "By my word as an Arc."

Willow scoffed at him as she forsook the glass and drank straight from the bottle. "Spare me your trite sentiment."

Jaune could handle being accused of wanting the perks of being with a Schnee, he had assumed from the beginning that would be par for the course. But THIS? Calling an Arc's Promise trite? Jaune took a deep breath to calm himself. It's okay, Jaune. She doesn't know what it means. Keep calm.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Jaune started, "It isn't trite. The Arc's Promise isn't trite. It's a tradition that's been with my family for generations, ever since Amadeus Arc swore to the Last King of Vale that he would defend him to his dying breath."

Willow waved her hand dismissively, "It still means nothing, without consequences if you break it." She took another swig.

"There are consequences, Willow." Jaune said, annoyance slipping into his voice. "If you break an Arc's Promise, then you are named an Oathbreaker, Until you can pay recompense, either by fulfilling the original promise, or some other form of penance, your name is stricken from the family tree."

Willow froze, "You'd... risk that? For Weiss?"

"I'm not risking anything, since I won't ever be breaking the promises I made to Weiss." Jaune said.

They sat in silence for a time, Willow trying to ponder the implications, and Jaune stewing in more than a little annoyance. Finally, Willow broke the silence. "What promises did you make to her?"

Jaune smiled, as this gave him cause to remember that night in the library, and when they had taken the Knight's Oath. "That i will always come back to her, even if the world is torn asunder, and the skies rain blood. I also swore that when she becomes the CEO of the SDC, that I will be by her side. And that together we will redeem the Schnee name from what Jacques has done to it."

"I see. Thank you, Jaune." Willow said, then lapsed back into silence. Jaune decided that was the end of the conversation, and made to leave.

As he was leaving, Willow stopped him, "Jaune, Atlas is not kind to good men."

"I guess it's a good thing that I don't care what the people here think about me, then." Jaune replied.

Jaune took a deep breath, and made his way out of the gardens. He still had Jacques to deal with, and that was unlikely to be pleasant.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Jacques's Study)

Jacques Schnee glared at the leather bound journal on his desk. What the hell was he doing? The contents of this journal would ruin him forever if they got out, and he was about to share it with Jaune. Why was he even bothering? It would only make Jaune dislike him more! Jacques shook his head. No, he knew why he was doing this. As much as Jacques had tried to deny it, at a basic level, he and Jaune were the same. They both started with nothing but a dream, but where Jaune had taken the high road, Jacques... hadn't.

The world is cruel, Jacques. So be cruel back.

Jacques frowned. that had been the motto he had lived his life by, instilled in him by his now long dead mentor. So why had he been slipping recently? Letting Whitley do what he wanted with his life, even giving Jaune a chance to pass his test. Yes, he regretted certain things that he had done. That was a fact, and he had gone so far as to tell Weiss that. So, why had he been willing to allow Jaune and Weiss's relationship before Weiss had figuratively smacked him in the face with the Pact of the Starcrossed Lovers?

Because you didn't want Weiss to end up like Willow.

Okay, Jacques had to concede that point. With how kind and trusting Weiss could be, she would have spiraled worse than Willow had. And instead of drinking, it would be throwing herself at Grimm until she didn't come back.

Jacques's internal monologue was abruptly cut short by a knock on the door. He glanced at the clock, if it was Jaune, he was ten minutes early.

"Enter." Jacques said.

Jaune walked in, "Jacques." He said abruptly, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Have a seat, Jaune." Jacques said, "You're early."

Jaune shrugged. "If you're on time, you're late, and if you're early, you're on time."

Jacques blinked, he certainly hadn't expected that pearl of wisdom from Jaune. "Where did you learn that, Jaune?"

"Surviving Atlas For Dummies." Jaune deadpanned.

"I'll get right to the point, Jaune." Jacques said, "We don't have to like each other, I don't expect you to. However, we do need to have a working relationship, of sorts."

Jaune ground his teeth before replying, "Fine." He finally said, "So, what, we play a game of chess, then come out of it pretending to be buddy-buddy?"

Jacques shook his head. "No, Jaune. Although, I certainly wouldn't mind the challenge." Jacques took a moment to focus, then gestured to the journal on his desk, "This journal contains several entries of my... formative years. I am going to use it to explain to you why I've done the things that I've done. That way, when you're in my position-"

Jaune cut him off, "I don't plan to become CEO, Jacques."

"I know that. I meant when you are owner of this study." Jacques explained. "It belongs to whoever the Schnee patriarch is, which will be you one day, if things continue the way they have been."

Jaune nodded, "Right. I got it. So, where does your story start, Jacques?"

Jacques opened up the journal, and for the first time, told his tale.

"It starts in Mantle."

(Mantle, Gelè Residence, 33 Years ago)

Jacques Gelè had been excited on the way home from school. He had been selected to go on a special field trip to go tour the Schnee Dust Company HQ. All he had to do was get his father to sign the permission slip, which... okay. That would take some convincing.

Jacques's mother had died when Jacques was little, of some disease that Jacques hadn't cared to remember the name for. So it was just him and his father, Mathony. Mathony Gelè was a proud man, who had been a dust miner all his life, it was tradition after all. The Gelès had always been dust miners.

Jacques didn't want to be a dust miner. Jacques didn't want to be stuck in Mantle for the rest of his life. He wanted to be somebody. Somebody important.

Since it was Friday, he knew father would be home, but to rush in recklessly would be a terrible idea. Despite the fact that they lived in Mantle, Mathony was very particular about how Jacques acted.

Jacques gingerly closed the door behind him, he certainly didn't want another lecture about slamming doors. He retrieved the permission slip from his bag, and hurriedly went to go find father.

He didn't have to look hard, Mathony Gelè was where he always was after a hard day's work in the mines. In his armchair, drinking a beer, or multiple, if it had been a bad day. Thankfully, Jacques didn't see any errant beer bottles lying about.

"Father?" Jacques asked.

"What is it, Jacques?" Mathony replied gruffly.

"I got selected to go on a special field trip at school, I need you to sign the permission slip." Jacques said.

"A field trip. Where are you going on this field trip?" Mathony asked.

Jacques gulped. "SDC headquarters."

After a moment, Mathony responded. "I thought I told you to give up on that damned dream of yours, Jacques."

"Father-" Jacques started to say.

"Save your breath. The answer is no."

For some reason, that response caused a well of willpower to bubble up in Jacques. "Father, just because you're content with being a dust miner doesn't mean I have to be."

Mathony was surprised, Jacques had never talked to him like that. "Why do you want this so badly, Jacques?"

Jacques blinked. Was father coming around to this because he had talked back? Well, Jacques certainly wasn't going to look a Ursa in the mouth. "Because I don't want anyone to be able to hurt me again, to bully me again."

Mathony frowned. It was true that Jacques had been bullied a lot back in elementary school, especially after his mother died. Fiye, what am I supposed to do? I wish you were here. Jacques needs his mother. Mathony sighed, he knew exactly what his late wife would've done.

Even though it would probably be the death knell for the Gelè tradition of dust mining.

"Get me a pen, Jacques." Mathony said, "I changed my mind."

Jacques couldn't believe his ears. "What changed?"

"I asked myself what your mother would have done." Mathony admitted. "Besides, you wouldn't last a week in the mines."

Jacques didn't even register that, as he was going through his bag at lightning speed, then shoving the permission slip and pen in his father's face.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Present Day)

"Before we go any further," Jacques asked, already reaching for the bottle of scotch on his desk, "Can I offer you a drink?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Do you really think I'd say yes to that?"

"Fair enough, I suppose."

"So, you convinced your father to let you go on the field trip." Jaune said. "What happened next?"

"I finished school, top of my class, of course." Jacques said, "I quickly got a job at a local dust shop."

Jaune frowned, "Were you trying to become CEO of the SDC from the beginning, or was that just a happy accident?"

Jacques chuckled, "Neither, but that story comes later. I was simply trying to make my way up to Atlas, but one man was standing in the way. My mentor, a man by the name of Berg."

Jaune was more than a little taken aback. "You sabotaged your mentor?"

"No, of course not." Jacques said, "I killed him."

(Mantle, Dust In The Wind, 27 years ago)

To any observer, Jacques Gelè was the very picture of dignified grief, a dedicated employee thriving under the weight of adversity. Even though his employer, his mentor wasted away in the apartment above Dust In The Wind, under the influence of some disease that the doctors couldn't identify.

It was a shame, they said. Bergamot had been in line for a promotion, a promotion that would've enabled him to leave the city of Mantle behind for the vaunted spires of Atlas. There were whispers among those who had the ear of Nicholas Schnee that "Old Saint Nick" was planning on giving the promotion to Jacques as a reward for his exemplary loyalty, a trait that Nicholas admired.

Of course, the truth... is not something the public would take kindly to.

Bergamot Becker, or Berg as he be called, was the man who had hired Jacques Gelè on the spot three years ago, seeing the same hunger in Jacques that he did in himself. He took Jacques under his wing, showing him not only the ropes of the Dust business, but also how to squeeze every last Lien out of every transaction.

"The world is cruel, Jacques, so be cruel back." Berg had told his young protégé.

If only Bergamot had known how that would come back to haunt him, maybe he wouldn't have imparted that bit of wisdom.

Due to near constant proximity, Jacques had quickly learned of Bergamot's weakness for tea. After a month or so, Jacques introduced Berg to his special tea, a recipe passed down through the Gelè family for generations.

The origins of the recipe had nothing to do with Jacques's family. Due to Mantle's ever-present criminal element, if one had the ears to listen, one could learn things. Like how Atlas's new security bots were stupidly easy to outwit.

Or how apple seeds contained arsenic, and as such, a tea brewed from them could be used to poison someone over time, if one was patient. Jacques was a patient man.

However, the time had come to administer Bergamot's final dose. Jacques finished brewing the tea at the small kitchenette in the back of the shop, then ascended the stairs to Bergamot's apartment.

"Berg? Are you awake?" Jacques called out.

The violent coughing fit that came from the bedroom indicated that Bergamot was indeed awake, as no human alive could stay asleep through that.

Jacques worked his way to the bedroom, dodging the puddles of vomit as he went. Bergamot certainly wouldn't last much longer, especially with how concentrated the tea that Jacques was about to administer was.

He entered Bergamot's bedroom to find the man himself, suffering from the effects of long term arsenic poisoning. His skin was darkening, he had a constant sore throat, and he had issues keeping any food down. Ironically, about the only thing he could stomach other then water... was Jacques's tea.

The irony of this was not lost on Jacques.

"Berg? I brought you your tea." Jacques said.

With great effort, Bergamot managed to sit up, "Thank you, Jacques. Even with my health circling the drain, I'm glad that I can still enjoy your tea."

Bergamot clutched at his hands before taking the tea, "Gah, my hands are tingling again. Damn doctors still don't know what's wrong with me. Thieving bastards, the lot of them."

Jacques said nothing as Bergamot took the tea and drank it for the last time, unbeknownst to the bedridden man. "Jacques, you should know that I've requested that you receive the promotion that was coming to me. Don't know if Nicholas will go for it, but it's something to repay you for taking care of me and the shop since I've come down with this infernal sickness."

"Thank you, sir." Jacques said, keeping up the premise of the ever-dutiful employee, "Is there anyhing else I can get for you?"

"Not unless you've got a cure for whatever the hell this is in your back pocket!" Bergamot said as he put the cup back on the tea tray, "Jacques, do you remember what I told you?"

Jacques nodded. "Yes, Berg, I believe I do."

Bergamot smiled wearily, "Good. Keep it in mind, and you'll be a shark among all the minnows in that blasted floating city."

"I'll remember that, sir. Good night." Jacques said, he then exited the room, before his glee could show.

That night, Bergamot Becker breathed his last, a victim of his own advice to his protégé.

The world is cruel, Jacques. So be cruel back.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Present Day)

"You've got to be kidding me." Jaune said incredulously. "Tea brewed from apple seeds causing death by long term arsenic poisoning? That sounds like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon, and I would know."

"Look it up." Jacques challenged.

Jaune pulled out his Scroll and began to search the CCTNet for proof. He found it within five minutes.

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Jaune said.

"Yes, I know." Jacques replied, leaving a frigid silence in his wake.

Finally, Jaune spoke, "What's next? How you tricked Willow into thinking you loved her?"

Jacques waved his hand dismissively, "That's hardly of note. It happens everyday to someone else here in Atlas."

"That's... that's messed up." Jaune's eyes widened in horror as he came to a realization. "Would that have happened to Weiss if I hadn't..."

Jacques chuckled, "No, Weiss has too much of her grandfather in her to let some spineless Atlesian social climber subjugate her, besides, I would never have allowed it."

Jaune frowned in confusion, "Okay, you lost me. I thought you didn't love her?"

"It's... complicated." Jacques admitted. "I don't love her as a father should love his daughter, but I still acknowledge that I've been terrible to all of my children. I'm not looking for redemption. I've committed too many crimes for that."

Jaune's eyes brightened with realization, "That's why you put all her suitors through that Trial by Combat nonsense, isn't it? No one would endure that unless they really..."

"It's more than that, Jaune." Jacques explained, "In an conversation such as this, if I tried to use my Semblance, just about anyone could resist. But in a high stress situation, it is near impossible to tell anything but the truth."

Silence returned for a brief moment until Jaune broke it, "Something I don't get though, if you're trying to be less of an asshole, why not make some of the changes to the SDC that Weiss wants to make when she becomes CEO?"

Jacques grimaced, "Unfortunately, this is one area where my reputation and public opinion works against me. The fact that I perceive the Faunus as a cheap source of labor to be exploited is well known in Atlas, including the SDC's Board of Directors. If I started making changes like Weiss wants to make, they could claim that I am mentally unstable."

"Then they would take steps to remove you." Jaune realized. "Why?"

"If you think I'm greedy, they would put me to shame." Jacques explained, "They know what Weiss wants to do with the company, and are trying to hoard every Lien they can in the meantime."

"That makes sense, I guess. Are we done here, Jacques?" Jaune asked, "I'd like to get a good night's sleep before I get put through the wringer for the next few days."

Jacques nodded. "Yes, unless you want to call me a bastard again."

Jaune grinned, "I'm glad we understand each other, Jacques." Jaune left, leaving Jacques alone with his thoughts.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor)

The next few days were a blur to Jaune. Between etiquette lessons from Klein, rehearsing for the party with a rather annoyed Whitley, and learning how to polish his armor to make it presentable, he barely had time to rest. Much less spend time with Weiss.

The thing that intrigued Jaune the most, was the golden rule of Atlesian high society, as Klein called it. In effect, try not to give offense, but if someone offends you, retaliate as you see fit. Later, he asked Whitley about it, and the boy's response only deepened his curiosity.

"Well, it certainly keeps things interesting, especially at large parties like what this will be." Whitley had said.

Finally, the day had come. It was Saturday evening, tomorrow would be their last day in Atlas before heading back to Beacon for the next term. Admittedly they were returning early to catch up on the developments with the Oscar situation. All Jaune and Weiss knew was that they had safely brought Oscar to Beacon a couple of days ago. In any event, Jaune was on his way to Weiss's room, so they could actually spend some time together before the party. At least they had all day tomorrow. According to Weiss, some of the SDC techs had ideas for further upgrades to Crocea Mors that they wanted to run by Jaune. Something to do with giving him an actual landing strategy.

Jaune wound his way through the labyrinthian halls of Schnee Manor to finally find Weiss's room. At least she found it hilarious that Jaune needed directions still. In his defense, it was quite easy to get lost if you didn't know where you were going. He knocked on the door.

"Just a moment!" Weiss said from beyond the door.

Jaune took the opportunity to look in a nearby mirror. With his armor now polished to a near blinding degree, he truly looked like a knight in shining armor. Of course, that wouldn't last long after they got back to Beacon, with Salem still out there.

Weiss opened the door, and Jaune was speechless.

She was wearing a new dress, colored royal blue. Unlike her previous "Combat Skirt" as Weiss liked to call it, her new dress came down to her knees, and whenever she moved, it shimmered, most likely due to the metal scales sewn into it at various points. The next thing to get Jaune's attention was the spaulders, nowhere near bulky enough to limit her movement, they were more a statement than anything. Especially since they and the gorget protecting Weiss's clavicle area were unmistakably white and gold. Weiss's hair flowed freely down her back, and she couldn't help giggling at the stunned look on Jaune's face.

"Weiss, you... you look amazing, like a..." Jaune stammered.

"Like a warrior princess?" Weiss provided, smiling softly at how she had been able to reduce Jaune to a flustered mess.

"Like an Arc warrior princess." Jaune confirmed, "You know that's the message that everyone will get ri-"

Jaune was interrupted by Weiss grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down into a kiss. "I'm well aware, Jaune." Weiss said after releasing him, "In fact, I'm counting on it."

Jaune grinned, "Was this the only reason you wanted me to come over early? Because I'm certainly not complaining..."

Weiss shook her head, "I thought you might like to do my hair for the party. Jaune."

Jaune blinked before breaking out into a huge smile, he rarely got to practice any of the skills that his sisters had forcibly taught him. "I'd love to do that for you, Weiss."

Jaune followed Weiss into her bedroom to the small vanity. Weiss sat down, and Jaune came up behind her. "Just your usual ponytail?" Jaune asked.

Weiss nodded. "Yes, unless you think we have time for something more intricate."

Jaune glanced at his Scroll. They did not have time for something more intricate. "If I was more in practice we'd have time for something fancier, but I think it'll just have to be the ponytail today."

Jaune gently drew a comb through Weiss's hair, taking care not to pull any strands out. Then he gathered it up, brought it over to the right, and held it in place with Weiss's tiara hairclip, just as she always did. "There, how's that look, Weiss?" Jaune asked.

"It looks perfect, Jaune, thank you." Weiss stood up and glanced at her scroll. "Now, I believe that the time has come for us to make our grand entrance."

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, "Right. I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this."

Weiss cupped Jaune's cheek, "No one's ever really ready for their first time dealing with Atlesian high society. If you need help, I'll be right by your side."

Jaune felt the tension he'd been feeling leave his body in a wave. "Thanks, Snow Angel." Jaune said.

Weiss got on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek, "You're welcome, my darling knight."

Together, they left Weiss's bedroom, ready to deal with the metaphorical sharks and vultures of Atlas as only they could.

(Atlas, Schnee Manor, Main Ballroom)

If Jaune hadn't thought that the double doors that led to the upper level of the ballroom were intimidating, he certainly did now. Luckily the plan for the night was relatively simple. The party had started at seven, Jaune and Weiss would make their grand entrance at eight, and then the dancing portion of the evening would open at nine, with the first dance being only Jaune and Weiss, after which their obligation to be in attendance would be over. Jaune, for his part, was incredibly grateful that he only had to effectively last an hour.

"It's time." Weiss said, "Ready, Jaune?"

Despite the fact that his stomach was doing all sorts of interesting flips, Jaune smiled. "I've got you with me, Weiss. How could I not be ready?"

Weiss nodded to the servants holding the doors, and they opened, revealing the ballroom. Thanks to rehearsing with Whitley, Jaune knew exactly what to expect.

A booming voice echoed, drawing the attention of all in attendance. "Introducing the brave Hunters that subdued Adam Taurus, Jaune Arc and Weiss Schnee!"

As they descended the stairs arm-in-arm, Jaune leaned over to whisper in Weiss's ear, "Never mind that it was Nora that got the final hit in." Weiss giggled.

Jaune scanned the crowd as they descended, and to his annoyance, he couldn't read anyone. They all were just as skilled as keeping their emotions in check as Jacques was. Speaking of Jacques, he was off in another area of the room, with a knot of various sycophants gathered around him.

They got to the bottom, and Jaune had his expectations thwarted. He had expected that they would be swarmed, but no. They took turns.

Jaune almost wished that he was fighting Adam again. Almost.

Jaune was asked the same few questions over and over again, about his weapon, about what it was like to fight Adam, nothing he couldn't handle. It was obvious that Weiss was the one they were here to talk to. He was kind of bored to be honest.

"Miss Schnee, do you mind if I borrow Mr. Arc for a moment?"

Jaune blinked as he turned to see who had just spoken. It was General Ironwood.

"Of course, General." Weiss said with an honest to goodness bow.

"Thank you. If you'd come with me for a moment, Mr. Arc."

Jaune shot a glance at Weiss, who just shrugged. "Sure, that's fine, General."

Ironwood chuckled as he led Jaune towards the balcony on the second floor, "You're not one of my soldiers, Jaune. You don't need to call me General. James or Ironwood is fine."

Well, that certainly tracked with how Ozpin had wanted Jaune to call him Ozpin or Oz during their meetings. "What did you want to talk to me for, Gen-... uh, Ironwood?"

Ironwood smiled, "I just thought that you'd like an excuse to catch some fresh air, I know these parties can be... suffocating sometimes. I wouldn't even attend them if I didn't hold two seats on the Atlas Council."

Jaune almost stopped short of the door that led out onto the balcony, "Two seats? How does that work?" He asked.

"As per usual, the headmaster of the kingdom's Hunter academy gets a seat. However, in Atlas, the leader of the military gets one seat. So, I get two."

Jaune frowned. That sounded... dangerous. Jaune ignored his misgivings for the moment, though, as the cold, fresh air refreshed him.

Ironwood glanced around to make sure that no one else was listening, then closed the door behind them. "Now, as I assume you've guessed, I have an ulterior motive for bringing you out here." Ironwood said.

"I figured as much," Jaune said, "Does it have to do with Adam or Cinder?"

Ironwood nodded, "Just Adam, I'm afraid. He's proving to be a tough nut to crack." Jaune stayed silent, so Ironwood continued, "He refuses to talk, we've tried every tactic in the book, and since he's such a high-profile prisoner, we can't recklessly use any enhanced interrogation techniques."

Jaune decided to gloss over how Ironwood had just admitted that torture was in the Atlesian Military's playbook, and cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Ironwood, are you saying that you want me to try to interrogate Adam?"

"Yes, I am." Ironwood stated, "It would need to happen tomorrow, before you return to Beacon."

Jaune shook his head, "Sorry, can't do it. Besides, tomorrow is the first day I'll be able to spend more than a few minutes with Weiss since I've gotten to Atlas."

"That's understandable, I suppose." Ironwood said, "Enjoy the rest of the party."

Jaune grinned, "I'll try."

Ironwood chuckled and walked off. Jaune took another deep breath of the cold Atlas air, then headed back inside.

Making it back to Weiss without General Ironwood to ward off everyone else was a lot easier than Jaune thought it would be. In fact, he wasn't approached by a single person. I mean, I'm not arguing...

Then it hit him. It was literally his best case scenario. Everyone here, with the exceptions of Weiss, General Ironwood, and maybe Whitley couldn't care less about him. Just the way Jaune wanted it.

"Hey, Weiss." Jaune said, "What did I miss?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Not much, just the usual assortment of people gushing about my music and asking when I'll make more. Nothing too outland-"

An angry shout pierced the room, and caused the idle chatter to cease. "USELESS FAUNUS TRASH!"

Jaune and Weiss's heads snapped to the source. Thanks to his height, Jaune was able to see a man harassing one of the waiters. "I'll be right back." Jaune muttered.

Weiss grabbed his arm, "Jaune, don't do anything foolish."

Jaune smiled, "I won't. Arc's Honor."

Jaune cut through the crowd, and finally made it to the source of the commotion, a Faunus waiter had seemingly dropped his serving tray, and once of Atlas's elites had decided to exercise his racial prejudices.

Just as Weiss had sent a message that her and Jaune were together through her spaulders, Jaune decided to send another message. He could send the man packing, but that might lead to problems. Instead, he decided to follow through on one of the first lessons that his mother had taught all of her children.

When someone messes up, it doesn't matter who you are, or what your station is. Everyone helps.

Jaune knelt down and started to help the waiter clean up the mess of now ruined finger foods.

There was a wave of muttering, no doubt this would hit Remnant Tonight.

"Sir," the waiter hissed at Jaune, "You shouldn't be doing this, you're so far abov-"

Jaune cut him off, "I'm the son of a retired Huntsman turned blacksmith. I'm sure that's pretty low as far as Atlas is concerned. Besides, mom always taught us that when there's a mess to clean up, everyone helps, no matter who you are."

Jaune stood back up, only to find the man that had accosted the waiter to begin with was glaring at him. "Can I help you?" Jaune asked.

"Maybe you don't understand how things work her, Valean." The man said, the scent of the alcohol on his breath wafting across to Jaune, "Here, Faunus are on the bottom."

"It's that attitude that gave Adam a reason to hate humans." Jaune said, "Knock it off, before you make another Adam that has to be stopped."

Jaune turned on his heel and walked away before the man could offer a rebuttal.

As Jaune was walking back to Weiss, he noticed people clearing space. He grinned, it was just about time to show what he could do.

The voice that had announced them before spoke up again. "The first dance of the evening will be in honor of the brave Hunters who defeated Adam Taurus." There was some polite applause, then a Atlesian Waltz began to play. Jaune couldn't believe it. He couldn't have planned things better himself.

Jaune walked up to Weiss and offered his hand, "Miss Schnee, may I have this dance?" While he already knew the answer, there were formalities that had to be maintained.

Weiss inclined her head, and replied, "Of course, Mr. Arc." She placed her hand in his outstretched one, and allowed Jaune to lead her onto the dance floor.

Every eye was on the two of them as they moved out to the center. There was many a naysayer, that thought Jaune didn't know how to dance, and that he was about to embarrass himself. Bets were quickly made and agreed to throughout the room.

From the first movement, Jaune shut all of the naysayers down. He moved with an ease that only a dancer with years of experience could hope to have, and Weiss, of course, matched him move for move. There was many a shout of dismay as Lien changed hands, but Jaune and Weiss were oblivious to it, since they had eyes only for each other.

"Jaune, I need to apologize." Weiss said.

"What?" Jaune asked, "You haven't done anything wrong."

Weiss's free hand came up to caress the scar in Jaune's right eyebrow, "This scar should be a reminder to me to not take you for granted, but I've done just that. This is something that I need to rectify."

"Weiss, you don't need to prove anything to me." Jaune said, "I know how you feel, and you know how I feel."

Weiss dropped her voice lower so only Jaune would hear, "Jaune, the White Fang may have been defeated, but we're still at war with... her. Any mission could be our last." She paused for a moment, only for her voice to catch, "The fight with Adam could've been the l-last time I saw you alive."

The pieces started to click into place for Jaune. "Weiss, do you want to do what I think you're saying? That isn't something that you can take back."

"If one of us died tonight, what would you regret?" Weiss asked.

"Wait a second, isn't it usually the guy that says that line?" Jaune asked.

Weiss glared lovingly at Jaune, "I'm telling you that I want to share all of myself with you tonight, and that's what you ask?"

Jaune winced, "Sorry. I guess I am a dunce." Jaune's eyes went wide, "Wait, Weiss. I don't have protection! We can't-"

Weiss silenced him with a kiss, "Yes, you do. Top drawer of your nightstand."

"Oh." Jaune said, "Okay, so how do we make a clean getaway? I leave first, then you wait fifteen minutes?"

"Or..." Weiss fixed Jaune with a gaze that would cause many a lesser man to melt into a puddle, "We don't make a clean getaway. After this song is over in... approximately two minutes our obligation to be in attendance tonight is over. We leave together, and if people want to talk, let them."

Jaune put on an air of mock formality, "That is quite bold of you, Miss Schnee. I accept your terms."

Weiss gave Jaune a textbook definition of bedroom eyes. "Good boy."

The song ended, and Jaune dipped Weiss for the big finish, when she came back up, she whispered in his ear, "Now, Jaune, I believe it's time for your Snow Angel to reward you for your devotion..."

They quickly left the ballroom, not caring who saw them leave.

A/N: Well, the tabloids are going to have a field day with that, aren't they?

There's a lot to unpack with this chapter, given how heavy some of the subject matter is.

I hope I did Willow well, this is my first time ever writing her, I think I did well, but every author looks at their work with rose-tinted glasses.

I'm sorry this chapter took so long, it felt like I had to research something every few hundred words.

A special thanks to the RWBY Nook discord for putting up with my endless questions.

Next Chapter: Back to Beacon again, Oscar's training begins, and... why is Ruby angry while trying to make cookies?

Now, without further ado... my first deleted scene! I feel like I need to share this with you, because of how outrageously comedic it is.

Deleted Scene 1: Enhanced Interrogation "Techniques"

NON-CANON

(Atlas, Atlas Military Super-Max Prison)

"Thank you for coming, Jaune." Ironwood said, "It means a lot that you're willing to sacrifice time with Weiss to help with Adam."

"It's fine," Jaune said, "Weiss understands, she even helped me come up with the strategy. Did Winter get the items I need?"

Ironwood nodded, "Yes, she did, but I'm still not sure that..."

"Trust me, General. I'll have him singing like a bird." Jaune said.

(Atlas, Interrogation Room 1)

Ah, they were trying again. Adam shook his head, it didn't matter what matter of torture those Atlesian dogs brought out, they would never break him!

The door opened, and Adam closed his eyes. He wouldn't even acknowledge them.

Someone sat down in the chair in front of him, sat something down on the table, and... started chewing? That couldn't be right.

Adam couldn't help it. Usually by now his interrogator would say something. He opened his eyes to find Jaune Arc... eating beef jerky and staring into his now open eyes.

Is this some kind of joke?

"Ironwood must be truly desperate to turn to you for help, boy." Adam taunted.

There was no response from Jaune, save for more chewing, and more eye contact.

A very awkward silence descended, Jaune wasn't saying a word.

Adam's eyes darted around, trying to find relief from Jaune's merciless stare, but there was none to be hand.

Taunting seemed to be Adam's only option.

"When I get out of here, I am going to kill that damn Schnee bitch, and I am going to make you watch. It will be slow and painful, and even though you will beg me to take you in her place, I will not. And I will only kill you until after you suffer the despair of watching the light leave her eyes."

Adam's taunt would've been very impressive, an actually creative threat for the White Fang. Except for one little problem.

Jaune was still impassively staring Adam down, and munching on his beef jerky.

Time dragged on, minutes turned to hours, and slowly Jaune began to run out of beef jerky.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" Adam roared.

Jaune tapped his finger on the table and looked like he was about to-

CRUNCH

He had just taken a massive bite.

Adam couldn't escape, this was more diabolical than any torture than he had seen in his years fighting for the White Fang. It was breaking him down, slowly but surely. He just had to hold off a little longer...

Without warning, Jaune knocked over the jerky bucket, showing that it was empty, and got up and left.

Ha... I did it, even your psy-ops torture can't break me!

Famous last words.

Jaune came back and dragged a 15 pound bag of beef jerky behind him.

Adam's went wide with horror. Not again.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything I know! Just get him and his damn jerky out of here!"

Behind the two-way mirror General Ironwood and Winter Schnee were dumbfounded.

"General, for the record, I have to ask," Winter said, "Is this cruel and unusual punishment?"

Ironwood didn't respond, as he was marveling at how many useless factoids Adam had about Blake Belladonna. Finally, Ironwood gave the verdict.

"I don't... think so?"

Thanks to the RWBY Nook for inspiring this scene!