Here we are. Little sick today. Just my luck.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 77
The morning dawned bright, early and with a dose of Qrow screaming himself awake.
Jaune thought he handled it well, rolling off the bed, striking his head on the wooden floor and cutting the bedside lamp in half with Crocea Mors. Oscar, meanwhile, huddled under his blankets in panic, until he coughed meaningfully, slowly extricated himself and stood on the bed as Ozpin.
"Qrow…"
"S-Sorry, Oz. Nightmare."
"Nightmare, Qrow? You? You regularly slay your share of Grimm."
"There are some things you can't fight…" Qrow's eyes were distant, vacant. He pulled the sheets up to his waist and purposefully piled them over his crotch, whimpering.
Jaune grumbled, not feeling at all sympathetic as he made his way to the door and informed the girls – all in various states of bedraggled bed-hair, all pissed off to be woken up and drawn into the corridors, weapons at the ready – that it was a false alarm. Ruby grumbled and trudged away while Nora started to snore against the wall and Yang stomped off with a fury, while her Grimm arm – Yin – waved happily back at him. Jaune returned it.
There wasn't much getting back to sleep after, for the guys anyway. Jaune made his way downstairs and smiled politely at the unfriendly woman cooking breakfast. One eggs, one slice of burnt toast, and the smallest rashers of bacon he'd ever seen, presumably from Remnant's stingiest pig. He ordered two and poured one plate onto the other, making a real breakfast. As he carried it out into the eating area, he noticed that it was the same as just about every other patron had done.
Eating was mechanical, automatic. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any shocks of blonde hair that might depict one of his sisters, especially Coral. There were none.
"Things are pretty exciting around here, huh?" Oscar asked, sitting beside him. Unlike Jaune and everyone else, Oscar had been too blind, or maybe too polite, to challenge the cook on the lack of food. His plate was very empty.
"Is this Oscar I'm talking to, or Ozpin?" Jaune asked.
"Oscar for now. Nice to meet you." Oscar held his hand out and Jaune shook it. "Though Ozpin is still listening in. And commenting. He's always commenting." The young man's face fell dramatically. "He never stops…"
Jaune nodded sympathetically. He had no idea what that must have been like, but he imagined it was like if Remy were infinitely more annoying, demanding and generally felt he should be in charge of their body.
"I'm not sure I'd have the patience to put up with all the things you do…"
"Thanks," Jaune returned. "What's up with you, anyway? You've been quiet lately."
"Recovering from helping create our progeny. I had to give up half of my mass for him, and just about all my energy. It's going to take me a while to recover."
Ah. Jaune nodded, all the while idly doing his best to ignore the progeny part of that statement. He and Yang weren't parents. Sort of. Okay, it was complicated, but if his mom found out he'd sired a child and that she hadn't been consulted, given babysitting rights or the opportunity to take photos of the early stages of his development, then Ozpin finding out he was the Prince of the Grimm was the least of his worries.
Speaking of, he'd have to watch what he said around Oscar, which was a shame since the kid seemed alright, and probably needed some friends that weren't quasi-immortal-parasite-wizards who might take over you at any moment.
If there was a way for Oscar to communicate without Ozpin hearing, he didn't know it – and Ozpin certainly wasn't telling.
"Qrow tells me you had an interesting run-in before our arrival."
The voice was different, measured, older. "Ozpin?"
"It is I. According to Qrow, you were able to hold off Tyrian Callows while he dealt with a far greater threat. Is this true?"
"Hold him off is an overstatement. We delayed him, and then he went running when the one Qrow was fighting started screaming." Qrow, who had finally come down for breakfast (and had three plate's worth of food) shot Jaune a glare and a shake of the head. The message was obvious enough, and he might have respected it at any other moment.
But that had been his big sister.
"He sexually assaulted his opponent."
"I did not!"
"You grabbed her ass."
"O-Once or twice."
"And commented on her breasts, apparently."
Qrow withered.
"And didn't she say you-"
"That's not really what we're here to discuss," Ozpin interrupted, though not without a chuckle at Qrow's expense. "The woman claimed to be the daughter of Salem. She claimed that she was related in some way."
Jaune nodded carefully. "Yeah, she did."
"I shouldn't have to tell you that this is impossible."
"Oh? You're sure?"
"Salem is a monster," Ozpin began. "She may take the shape of a woman, but her soul is anything but. She is a cruel, pitiless and evil being whose sole goal is the destruction of everything we have worked so hard to accomplish. Motherhood would suggest emotions, and a familial bond built on love or affection. Therefore, it is impossible that this woman was actually related to Salem. Do you understand, Mr Arc?"
"Yeah." Jaune's teeth grated together. Ozpin knew nothing. "I understand."
"The reason I tell you this is because of your specific abilities. You can sense the Grimm, and perhaps even to a degree impose your will on them. Salem, understandably, has shown an interest in this." Ozpin leaned forward, and it was disconcerting to see someone as young as Oscar look so intense. "You must beware of anyone who claims to be related to Salem, no matter how human they may appear. Salem has ever been subtle in her machinations, and yet now we have Hentacle, we have this Sapphire, and we even have a parasite capable of hiding within a human without causing any damage to its host."
"I thought you said Yang was fine," Qrow snapped.
"Miss Xiao-Long appears so, Qrow, but I would still keep my eye on her. It may be that something went wrong with Salem's designs, and that this `Yin` truly does now see Yang as his creator and master. But it may just as easily be something far less innocent." Ozpin turned back to Jaune. "That is why I felt it important to have this conversation, Mr Arc. As someone who can sense Grimm, you will be our first line of defence, not only against Sapphire, if she returns, but in monitoring Yang's situation. Should the Grimm attempt to take over her, I trust that you will alert us."
"Yang's my girlfriend. I'm not going to betray her trust." Jaune's proclamation earned a long wince from Qrow, and then an even bigger one aimed at himself.
"And if you hold any affection for her, you will do what is best for her. Or, if that's not enough, you will do what you have to." Ozpin placed a hand on Jaune's wrist and smiled softly. "Though it pains me to admit it, some things are bigger than personal feelings, Mr Arc. Sometimes, we have to put aside what we desire for the betterment of all."
Qrow sat dejected, poking at his breakfast as the words washed over them. Ozpin looked to be waiting for a response, so Jaune nodded.
But that didn't mean he agreed.
/-/
"I can't believe we live in a world where Sienna is considered a moderate."
"I think it's context," Ren said, walking beside Blake with Ilia on one side and Sun on the other. It was always a good idea to put as many people between those two as possible. "If you have one group that wants to wage an eternal war and eradicate an entire species, and another that wants to just be terrorists and kill a few people, then one is going to seem more moderate than the other, even if they really aren't."
"Is she that bad?" Sun asked.
Blake wasn't sure how to answer. In a way Sienna had always been driven toward the more violent approaches. She hadn't been as bad as Adam was at the end, but it was all a slippery slope and Sienna was firmly halfway down it, and not at all sorry about the fact.
What bothered Blake more was how little effort Sienna had needed to put in to recruiting her and Adam. It would be easy to blame her for all the horrible things that happened in her past, but the truth of the matter was that Sienna hadn't recruited her. She'd volunteered.
"She's different when compared to Adam," Ilia answered for her when it was clear she wasn't going to. "Calmer, more focused on reputation. Adam always called her a coward and slow to act, but I think it's better to say she's cautious. She measures her decisions."
Sun piped up, "That doesn't sound so bad."
"But she can still be ruthless," Ilia continued. "She is responsible for practically all the previous White Fang action, including kidnapping, ransom and executions of several SDC personnel."
"And suddenly I'm less than enthused." Sun let out a heavy sigh. A thought struck him a moment later and he grinned at Ilia. "She hot?"
"Sun!" Blake snapped.
"Absolutely," Ilia said.
"ILIA!"
"What? She is." Ilia grumbled under her breath as Sun laughed. "You're better, of course, but there's no arguing against what is there. Sienna's exotic and powerful, domineering and demanding in a way that makes you think her requests are something you came up with in the first place."
"Sounds like you wouldn't mind if she dominated you," Sun teased.
Ilia huffed. "Let's see what you think after seeing her."
A hand came up to Blake's face and she sighed into it, scowling at Ren as the team leader hid his smile in the act of coughing into his fist. For crying out loud, did they not realise how serious a situation this was? They were on their way to meet the moderate White Fang faction, which really wasn't very moderate at all, but which they'd be throwing their lot in with.
Hell, they were about to become White Fang.
Again.
Yang was going to have a field day with this.
It's for a good cause, it's for a very good cause, Blake told herself. And she didn't even mean that in a lying to herself kind of way this time. If the fanatical side of the White Fang came out on top, it would be the Faunus Wars all over again. No one wanted that.
Well, okay, there were vast amounts of people who wanted that, but the non-crazy and non-racist people didn't, and with the rest of her team stuck in Mistral waiting for her, Blake didn't, either.
"The plan is simple," she said. "Get into the White Fang. Be recruited. Put our support behind Sienna. Find and close down the fanatics. Something. Profit."
"Something…?" Sun dared to ask.
"Something," Blake confirmed. "Ren's team leader. He can think it up."
Her teammate shot her a look at that, one part-filled with suspicion and also a little concern. But what they were supposed to do after the fanatics were dealt with was a decision she didn't feel she had the right to make. She'd already made mistake after mistake with the White Fang. Better Ren be the one in the lead. He'd be able to look at things with a clear mind.
"We'll consider our options once we get there," he said.
Blake nodded. "Thank you."
Unlike in Vale, the White Fang had no need to hide in Menagerie, and so operated out of a large building down by the pier, replete with its own cafeteria, equipment rooms and firing range. The first thing they noticed on arrival was some anti-White Fang graffiti, a rare occurrence in a place like Menagerie.
"Looks like news of them attacking Beacon hasn't been taken well," Sun said.
It looked like it. Normally, such would have filled Blake with hope, but the fact they were here to help Sienna ruined that somewhat. If people were unhappy with this faction, they'd go to the other, and that way lay disaster.
The interior of the building was clean and tidy, with people moving to and fro, many without any mask to hide their identity. Ilia and Blake drew concerned glances, both being recognisable in their own way. There was a man waiting by the entrance, a dog faunus who noticed them on entrance and stepped over.
"Got your message. Sienna is waiting inside. You'll have to surrender your weapons."
Sun looked the man up and down. "You really think we're gonna agree to that? Where's the trust?"
"Not here. Not with her." The man nodded to Ilia. "The rest of you aren't so much a problem, but she is. We all know who she worked with." His eyes trailed over Blake, too, but he refrained from questioning her. He had to know, but given the situation and how difficult things were, it was more than his time was worth to question the daughter of ex-leader Ghira Belladonna, even if she had gone rogue.
"It's fine," Blake said, handing Gambol Shroud over. "Look after them, please."
"I'll take care of it personally. No one else shall touch them."
The others followed her lead and disarmed, some more reluctantly than others. Ren was probably about as dangerous unarmed as not, and to Blake's disbelief, he hadn't been questioned even once on being a human. No one even batted an eye at him.
"You can go in," the man said once they were done. "I'll warn you, Sienna's not in a good mood. This ruckus with the fanatics has her on edge."
"It has us all on edge."
"I guess so. Maybe you can help fix it. Alright, go on in."
Blake took a deep breath and nodded once to Ren. Together, they stepped forward, past the curtain hung before an archway, and into what could only be called Sienna's throne room.
The feline faunus sat upon a chair with a cloth back, head tilted slightly to one side, resting on a fist, while one leg crossed up over the other. The dark-skinned woman gave the impression of nonchalance, but Blake knew better. She was ready to move at the slightest movement, and though there was no one guarding her, it was not due to arrogance. Sienna was a capable warrior.
Sun whistled upon seeing her and nodded to Ilia.
"Told you so," the chameleon faunus returned.
Blake sighed again.
"Well, well, well, if the prodigal daughter hasn't returned once more." Sienna leaned her head back, looking down her nose at them. "I told Adam you would run. Told him to forget about you. I see he failed at that, almost as much as he failed at interpreting my orders."
"Adam paid the price," Blake said.
"So I hear. Attacking Beacon was a fool's move, an arrogant fool's. It was not something I would have approved of."
"We know."
"And yet it seems I pay the price for it. Both in terms of the public opinion, and now with this pathetic attempt for my position. The vultures will circle when the tiger is wounded, but they'd be wise to remember that I still have my claws. You would, too," Sienna warned, staring down on them. "Enough games. Tell me what it is you want."
"We want to help you regain control of the White Fang."
"Do you now?" Sienna stood at last. She was as unarmed as they, but Blake knew that could change in an instant. The tall woman stepped down off her raised dais and strode up to stand before Blake, looking down on her. "You, who abandoned the White Fang, wish to help?"
Blake frowned. "Yes."
"A lie." Sienna turned away with a snort.
"It's not! We want to help you-"
"You want to help yourself, Belladonna. As you always have. Your goals were only ever selfish, despite what you might have told yourself. You fought, you plotted, and your actions caused deaths, even if you did not pull the trigger. You can run away from what you did, but that does not change it. It does not absolve you."
"It doesn't with you, either!" Blake accused.
"No. But that's the difference between you and I. I accept what I am. And what of you?" Sienna asked, stepping past a frustrated Blake to stand before Ilia. "You who followed Adam, who took part in his foolishness, who willingly defied me and followed a fanatic. Why are you here? Why do you not still owe your loyalty to his people?"
"Adam got eaten by a dragon. I don't want to be eaten by a dragon."
Sienna held Ilia's gaze for a long moment. Eventually, she snorted. "I've heard worse reasons."
Great, and somehow that reason was better than her own? Blake glared at the woman's back.
"What of you?" Sienna asked Sun.
"I'm just doing the right thing."
"The right thing?" She laughed. "You should beware of that logic. What's right to one person is wrong to another. The right thing is an elusive beast, and many who chase it fail to ever find it. Or they find that what they believed right all along is not what they wanted."
Sun frowned and went silent. Blake took the chance to step up. "Sienna, listen-"
"And finally, the silent one." Sienna ignored Blake yet again to stand before Ren, arms crossed. Ren regarded her confidently. "You've been content to stand and listen, and I don't know you. What purpose do you see in allying with me?"
Ren let out a quiet sigh. "I don't."
"Ren!" Blake hissed.
"I couldn't care less for your goals, or your long-term plans for Remnant," he went on. "In fact, I think you could go so far as to say I'm completely opposed to them. In any normal situation, we would be enemies."
"Ren!" Blake said again, gripping his arm. She tried to pull him back, but he wouldn't have it. Talk about a time for him to suddenly become more of a leader. He couldn't have done this when there wasn't so much riding on it?
"You'd be wise to watch your tone around me."
"You asked me a question. I answered."
"Hm. Not yet you haven't, but I'll admit to some curiosity." To Blake's utter shock, Sienna smiled at Ren. It wasn't a nice smile, nor a flirtatious one, but rather something filled with acute interest. "Go on, then. Continue."
Ren did so. "You're not someone I'd ever willingly follow, but when it comes to leading the White Fang, you're not the last person I'd want in charge. Just one of them. Adam was scum. I'd rather someone like him not gain control. Simply put, I've no reason to want to help you, but I have every reason to want to damage them."
"The fanatics," Sienna sneered. "Madmen and angry fools all. As if we all haven't faced loss and oppression, they act like they are the only ones who have suffered. What good is extinction, though? What good is another faunus war?"
"I'd agree completely, which is why I – we – are willing to help you."
"You have explained why you should help me, but why should I accept your assistance?"
"Because Blake is the daughter of the ex-leader, Ghira, and because Ilia was one of Adam's most trusted lieutenants." Ren was high-balling it there, and the look on Ilia's face said she hadn't been trusted at all. Still, the general public might not know that. "We're also unknowns, whose allegiances could just as easily work both ways. We could infiltrate their ranks with ease."
One of Sienna's fingers tapped on her arm. "An interesting proposal. And you'd be prepared to send information back to me on what they do?"
"No."
"No?"
"We would be prepared to help you strike at and root them out, but we can't afford to stay for weeks or months at a time. We have other places to be."
"You'd suggest a war, then. A civil war."
"If violence is the only thing the fanatics understand, then I doubt they will be swayed with words, no matter how nice you make them. Better to root out the problem before it spreads. They want violence. Let's provide it."
"Targeted aggression," Sienna agreed, and the scorn had left her voice entirely. "Measured aggression."
Ren nodded. "Of course."
Blake looked between the two in shock. They hadn't planned any of this, they hadn't—Her parents. Damn them, they'd planned this ahead of time with Ren and not told her. Probably because they knew she'd disagree or try to do things her way. Blake bit her lip and forced herself to let go of her frustration. She'd already decided to let Ren decide. She couldn't continue to make decisions that affected the team for her own selfish reasons.
And maybe he was right. Maybe it was better to end these people now, especially if they were extoling the virtues of Adam's particular brand of leadership. These weren't innocent faunus being tricked into giving away their lives; they were monsters one and all.
"I have to say, I'm impressed," Sienna said at last. "Not so much with Belladonna or Adam's little replacement, but you have a calmer mind. A colder mind."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was meant as one. You could go far in the White Fang, you know."
Ren's smile was enigmatic. "I'm not sure I'm all that qualified for the position."
"I could change that." Sienna frowned. "I will change it. Very well, I shall allow you into the White Fang, into my White Fang. You, Belladonna, will be a grunt. Loyalty must be earned, and you need to redeem yourself in my eyes."
Blake grumbled, but did not disagree.
"The other two will have the rank of lieutenant," Sienna said, looking to Sun and Ilia. "Make sure she behaves, and don't be afraid to take her to task if she does not."
Oh, come on. Sun and Ilia were above her!?
"And you," Sienna said to Ren. "You will have a position somewhat higher. Perhaps at my right hand, should you pull this infiltration of yours off. We'll see if you change your mind on staying with us after this is over and done with."
"We'll see," Ren said, ignoring Blake's scowl. "If you don't need us for anything else, I'd like to get right onto the task," Ren said. "Can your people provide us with masks and uniforms?"
"Speak to Hound outside. He will see you kitted."
"Thank you."
"There is one thing," Sienna called, right as the four of them were about to leave. "The other three, they are known and as obvious as need be, but I do not see your faunus traits. You are a faunus, correct?"
Blake's shoulders tensed, but Ren turned with a simple smile.
"If I wasn't, I'd have to be a particularly ballsy human."
Sun, Blake and Ilia almost choked.
Ren held the smile.
Eventually, Sienna burst into laughter. "That you would. That you would." She shook her head. "Very well, be mysterious for now if you wish. Not everyone wears their stripes as plainly as I. Perhaps you'll show me when this is over."
"Perhaps I will." He bowed. "We'll be in touch soon."
The moment they were out and away from the building, weapons and new equipment in tow, Sun turned to Ren. "I can't believe you just did that, man. Just… wow…"
"A ballsy human," Ilia repeated with a sigh. "I don't know whether to be impressed that you dared try that, or disappointed that no one challenged you on it."
"If there's one thing I've learned from being a friend to Jaune, it is that sometimes all you need to do is tell the truth and rely on everyone else looking for a deeper meaning. It's such a stretch to imagine a human would be here that no one believes it." He chuckled. "As for Sienna, well, she was not too hard to understand."
Blake stared at him.
Sun and Ilia did, too.
"What? Is it not obvious? She was prepared to accept us from the start. She needs us. The little speech was just to make it clear that she was in control. The only way we could have offended her would have been to lie about our intentions. She's been betrayed already by Adam, so I assumed she would value blunt honesty over anything else."
"Balls of steel," Sun mumbled. "Seriously…"
"There is one thing I did wonder, though," Ren said.
"What's that?" Blake asked.
"Why is it always cats?"
"H-Huh?"
"The leader of the White Fang is a tiger faunus. The ruler of Menagerie is a cat faunus. I hear that the headmaster of Haven is a lion faunus. Is it only cats that can rise to positions of power among faunus, or is it something else?"
Blake paused in the street, poleaxed.
"You know, I'm really not sure…"
Maybe cats were just superior.
Yeah, that sounded about right.
/-/
"I didn't say that," Whitley cried.
Jacques Schnee raised a dangerous eyebrow.
Weiss coughed meaningfully.
"O-Okay, I did say it, but I was sure I was alone," he said, changing the story. "I made sure we were alone."
"And apparently, something changes," Jacques said. He didn't raise his voice – he rarely did – but it somehow became all the colder, all the more critical. "Someone either approached and you failed to notice, or you were too distracted to do so. Either way, there are recordings of your words, Whitley. The how and why matters little. You should not speak like that. I did not raise you to speak in such a way to a woman!"
There was irony there, Weiss realised. Her father's anger was less at what Whitley said or did, but the manner in which he'd done so, the publicity behind it, the bad PR. That was all Jacques cared about, which made it easy at times to manipulate him.
Of course, her father likely knew that, and Weiss wasn't sure he cared. If someone could improve his position and wealth, it mattered little whether they wanted to lead him in a given direction or not. Results were results, and he would reward the party responsible no matter their motives.
That was why Weiss stood now with such a smile, not to mention a commanding position to the side, within father's circle but not with the ire of his attention. Oh, how the tables could turn. Weiss might have felt bad for her brother had he not dared to badmouth Winter and Emerald just a few days before.
"This is all her fault," Whitley accused, and they all knew who he meant. "If she'd not spoken out, I'd not have needed to take her to task."
"Only an irresponsible fool blames another for their shortcomings," Jacques snapped. His eyes slid to Weiss. "Your retainer did speak against Whitley, however. What have you to say, Weiss?"
"Emerald spoke with my best interests at heart, father. I believe her loyalty is to be commended. Anything less and she would not be deserving of the salary she earns."
"Hm." Jacques nodded. "I do so hate inefficiency."
"Father!" Whitley gasped, shocked.
"It is out of your hands, Whitley. The media are going wild with this and your good name is being dragged through the mud. I would suggest a visit to the PR department. You might prepare yourself for whatever community service, speeches or charity events they suggest might help clear your name."
"You might want to look for more that help support Beacon," Weiss suggested sweetly.
Whitley shot her a furious scowl. "You did this," he hissed.
"Your sister spent the night singing and dancing with General Ironwood," Jacques said. "I saw it myself. Do not blame her for your failures." His eyes turned to Weiss, then. Judging. "You spent an awful amount of time with that man, Weiss."
"I thought him a safe partner, father. As he is more than twice my age and works with my sister, no one would mistake our interaction for anything untoward."
Jacques nodded again. "A well thought out reason. I had wished you to meet some men at the event, however. I'd have introduced you, had not Whitley's indiscretion called my time and attention away." He watched her carefully, judging her reaction.
Weiss' was perfect. A smile and an apologetic nod of the head. "Perhaps next time, then, but this might be better."
"Oh?"
"I sang and danced, and my reputation remains unsullied. Better than that, given the proceeds from the event to charity. The tabloids are singing my praises." Weiss paused to allow the implication of the opposite for Whitley, who scowled appropriately. "Rather than push my attentions towards one or more families and limit our options, might it not be better for people to vie for my attentions, instead? A Schnee does not settle for anything less than the best, after all."
"Yes." Jacques tapped a finger on the desk. "Yes, I can see the value there. Very well, daughter. You may continue as you will. Whitley, you are dismissed."
"B-But what about making me hei-"
"After the stunt you just pulled?" Jacques snapped. "Don't be a fool. Go and clean up your mistake. The PR department awaits you, and if I hear you slighted them there shall be worse than stern words to await your return."
"Y-Yes, father. I'm sorry."
Jacques refused to respond. He stared at Whitley until the younger man left the room, hands clenched at his side. He slammed the door a little harder than necessary, though not so loud that their father could call him out on it.
Whitley had ever been like that, careful to provide the right face, the right smile, and yet oh so twisted underneath. He could have been better. Weiss had to wonder if he would have been, had she and Winter been the sisters they were supposed to be.
But that was a treacherous line of thought. Better that their mother and father had been the parents they were supposed to be!
"Do not think I am blind to your actions in this, Weiss. That girl is an extension of your will. She does as you command."
"Is that not as it should be?" Weiss asked. "Is that not the lesson you always imparted?"
Jacques chuckled. "It is. You've done well, Weiss. I wish you had been like this before your little excursion to Beacon, but perhaps the time away has opened your eyes a little."
"It's certainly done that."
In one way or another, she didn't add.
"Your sister chose to ignore her heritage and play at being a solider. I believed you would choose the same, ungrateful for the life your mother and I worked to provide. It's good to see that the intellect you were so well-known for has not dulled any. Your brother would have been wise to remember that."
"He'll learn, in time."
"I'm sure he will. Until that time, you remain heiress," Jacques declared, surprising her a little. She'd thought he wouldn't mention it, or at least not in a way that made it so obvious that he and Whitley had conspired to change it.
Then again, he'd never cared for the effect his words had on people. Her father was, if nothing else, painfully blunt. The message was clear, however. She would remain the heiress for now, but that could change.
Everything could change.
"I'll do my best to meet your expectations," Weiss said carefully.
"I'm sure you will. In fact, perhaps you could go about proving that now." His smile was not at all pleasant. "Your contact with General Ironwood could work to our advantage, Weiss. As you know, he has put an embargo on dust shipments out of Atlas, which has cost us millions already."
"I'm aware of it." Ironwood had decided on the embargo for national security and given that the White Fang had only been able to attack Beacon because of dust stolen on transit from Atlas, she could understand the reasons behind it. Of course, what would Jacques Schnee care for the suffering of others?
"It would be for the best if the embargo could be ended or lessened in some way. Manage this, and I shall see your authority within the company rise to new heights." Jacques chuckled again and crossed his arms. "And you'll likely find manipulating General Ironwood and his associates a more challenging endeavour than your foolish brother."
So, he called her out. Just like that.
Weiss wasn't surprised he didn't care. Not in the slightest.
The task she'd been given was an all but impossible one, however. One of those doomed to failure situations, likely designed to rein her in before she got too big for her boots. Then again, if she could manage it, the Board of Directors would be ecstatic. They did not decide everything that happened in the SDC, let alone the Schnee family, but they had influence and power. They could make it so that Jacques would not dare disinherit her, whatever she did.
"I'll not let you down, father. Could I perhaps be granted a budget for the task, however? I doubt Ironwood will change his mind quickly, so I might have to rent a hotel for a few nights. It would send the wrong message if I stayed at a budget one…"
"Indeed. Go. I shall have your account granted limited access to SDC funds but be aware that the expenditure will be monitored. Anything that seems out of place will be reported to me. You may wine and dine the man if you wish, but do not promise anything the SDC cannot honour. At least in word."
"Of course." Weiss curtseyed and took a step back. "If I may be excused, father?"
"You may. Good luck, Weiss."
I'm going to need it, she thought, closing the door. Weiss marched away from her father's office and didn't bat an eyelid when Emerald seemed to melt from the shadows to walk alongside her. The ex-criminal and current retainer wore a satisfied smile.
"You saw Whitley, I take it."
"I might have," Emerald teased. "Everything went well?"
"More than I thought it would. Father has given me, us, a task. We're to convince Ironwood to end the embargo over dust shipments in and out of the kingdom."
Emerald whistled. "That's not going to be easy."
"No, but that's not what's important. Father has granted me permission to travel to Atlas and stay there. He's lifted my curfew in the manor." It was a test, of course, but the scant trust he offered would let her move freely, so long as she didn't abuse it.
"Atlas Academy," Emerald realised with a growing smile. "The CCT!"
"Exactly."
Out from under her father's scrutiny, and with access to the CCT, she could finally contact her team once more. She could find out where they were, what their plans were, and how she could go about meeting up with them once more.
"Get our bags ready, Emerald. And be sure to hide our weapons inside of them. I've a feeling we might need them."
/-/
Ruby pulled her backpack up and blinked her eyes against the early morning sun. Her sister was back with her, stood next to Jaune hiding her arm, even if it kept moving a little too much, like it was trying to look around from within her sleeve. For once, everything felt like it might work out okay.
"Well, our next destination is Haven," Ozpin declared, speaking from within the body of a boy almost her age. "We shall reconvene with my old friend Leonardo there, and enquire as to the safety of an object I left with him a while ago."
"And what from there?" Jaune asked.
"I'll be sure to tell you when it comes to it, Mr Arc. For now, let's focus on the small things."
Ozpin might have not noticed it, and Uncle Qrow certainly didn't, but Ruby saw Jaune's face darken. And, to her surprise, Nora's, too. They looked frustrated, maybe even angry.
It took Ruby a second to remember why, and to realise what it meant.
Ozpin wanted to take control of their group. He wanted to set the destination, and those almost certainly wouldn't be to go and rescue Pyrrha, nor to meet up with Blake and the others when they rescued Ren.
Ozpin's goals differed from theirs. Or at least Jaune and Nora's.
Ruby tried her hardest not to meet their eyes as they turned to her, seeing what she would say. She kept her head low and marched behind her uncle, all too aware of her new teams' gazes on her back.
This wasn't going to last, Ruby realised.
Sooner or later, something was going to break. Ozpin thought he was in control, but he didn't have as much faith from them as he seemed to think he did. If Jaune, Nora and Yang decided he couldn't be trusted, they'd be gone in the night.
And if she threw her lot in with Ozpin and Uncle Qrow, Ruby had a feeling they'd leave her behind, no matter how little they wanted to. Maybe Yang would stay, but even that would be up in the air once Jaune and Nora told her the truth.
She had to make her decision. Ruby had to decide which way she wanted to go.
And with Haven approaching, she'd have to make it fast…
Probably not as simple a decision as it looks on the surface. Jaune is her friend and obviously Pyrrha is her teammate, but Ruby knows Salem probably won't kill Pyrrha. Or that if she hasn't by now, she won't. On the other hand, going with Jaune involves trusting that everything he has ever said is true. That Salem won't kill them, and that she is nice, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary.
Ozpin, on the other hand, was the headmaster of Beacon, an expert on Grimm and someone who has been fighting for humanity for centuries. He had the loyalty of her mother, and still has Qrow's. By all conventional logic, Ozpin would know best.
Next Chapter: 9th August
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