A/N

Ello everyone! I apologize for disappearing for the past several weeks. Life came calling and I had to set this aside for the time being.I did however work on my overview for the story when possible so I have a much better idea for where my story is going. I'll be writing these like I used to so look forward to seeing more frequent releases. ! Till then enjoy this chapter!


(Schnee) Arc:

Ch. 12: Per fenestram

-The Savior of the world -


Heiter's POV

I follow Ms. Jude through the doorway to find myself in a hallway extending away on my side as far as I can see given the slight bend in it. There is another door

in front of us. I look at Ms Jude to as she just stopped and looking at me.

"You will be heading through the door in front of us. On the other side you will find yourself at the entrance of a Maze. Make your way into through it to the arena with a black outer ring. The maze itself is your assessment area and the ring is your objective. I will be overseeing the test from another location so we will be splitting up here."

I nod and make my way to the door. I stop next to it and look at Ms. Jude who is walking down the hallway to the left, her heels clicking on the floor. She seems to sense my gaze and stops to look back at me. Ms. Jude re-positions the folder she's carrying and motions with her right hand for me to go. I give a thumbs up and open the door. I walk through to find that there are white walls that go multiple directions.

"..."

Ummmm…

I see three entrances so do I just pick one and go? Guess I'll go with the center one?

"..."


Mr. Clutch's POV

I gazed at Heiter through the monitor as he began to make his way into the maze I had prepared.

"Alfred is everything running smoothly?"

I looked at the panels to confirm that all the systems were running at optimal efficiency.

"Yes sir the test environment has been fully prepared to the specifications we agreed on. The training room is functioning properly so there should be no complications"

"Good, Ms. Jude should be arriving with the neurological testing results soon so we will be reconvening briefly to discuss them."

"and the young miss?"

"She has no business here. I agreed to allow her time in a V.I.P. room so that is where she will stay. She has been given the proper accommodations yes?"

"Yes sir I had the staff leave refreshments for her as well as some desserts."

I looked at the panel directly in front of me and switched the monitor to different channels until I saw her sitting in a black couch across from the large screen in front of her.

"She has yet to eat the desert. Shall i contact her room sir?"

"...proceed"

I connect to her room and turn on the mic.

"young miss are the desserts not to your liking? I can have them replaced with another set if you wish please wait until we finish our tests."

"Can you inform me of why these tests are occurring?"

Jacques walks up next to me and speaks.

"Because he is new here and we are… interviewing him."

"Isn't this different from a normal interview?"

"Perhaps, but it gets the job done."

"what exactly is the job?"

"To help with us assigning him a job, did you think he was going to not be earning his stay?" the young miss visibly stiffened at this.

"I was told that he would be staying as my-"

I see Jacques give me a look and then speak.

"What you were told was the plan then. What occurs at the end of the day and in the future is up to me. You should concern yourself with your own affairs before you take an interest in the affairs of others. Furthermore he is an employee in training, something you should understand your relation with as I do.I believe you have already been taught this am I understood"

"..."

"am I understood?"

"yes sir"

"good"

He cuts the line and straightens himself.

"Do you understand Alfred?"

"Indeed I do"

"Was that necessary?"

We both look over to see Ms. Jude looking at Jacques.

"Quite, I still intend to keep Heiter for now as he will be useful one way or the other, but I can't have my daughter getting ideas about her station. Her relationship is meant to be one of trust with Heiter, not… some childish fascination brought about from her own insecurities that she needs to work on.

I also can't let her think she's gained any power specially before I inform her about being newly designated as heiress. It was hard enough getting past her rebellious stage and I will not allow a remission into that Ms. Jude your should refrain from questioning my parenting before you have children of your own. Now what can you tell me about the results?"

Ms. Jude takes a moment and then walks over to a large pitch black rectangular table on a pedestal in the middle of the room and places a folder on top. The black table hums as it lights up and reveal a blue screen with white lines crossing it in a grid pattern. A larger white line runs along the folder before the lights dim. Ms. Jude taps at her scroll and the table projects a holographic folder which then splits into three copies. The holo folders then float towards the three in the room. I take my copy and begin to peruse it as I listen to Ms. Jude.

"The Testing showed that Heiter has slightly above average puzzle solving skills scoring at the 58th percentile. While he scored well for getting them right he demonstrates a tendency to take time to finish the Grid test revealed that he has an 70th percentile ability to recognize patterns and correctly deduce them. For The coding test he scored at the 82nd percentile. I would like to mention that he only looked at the codes one time before he started writing for fourteen pages and that his writing takes time so the test may have not fully reflected his capabilities."

"When he was asked to repeat spoken numbers he correctly wrote down all numbers in their correct order at each test, however it did take him time to write this down indicating that retrieval of information takes time even if its recent. The button pressing test revealed that his nerve reflexes place him in the 92nd percentile in relation to his peers. The card game revealed that his ability to correctly deduce the next card only increased as the test went actually surprised me when he figured out the rules for the test and the conditions for which they changed. He did change the cards when he got the answer wrong, but also figured out what a wrong answer was before he even made and corrected for it. This demonstrated itself especially when a no-win scenario came about. He actually discovered the existence of the no-win answers and began avoiding them despite my warnings to continue."

"This indicates a stubborn nature and a careful mind. What actually surprise me the most was this however. Multiple identical copies of the test drawing appeared on screen... and she already messed up her presentation.

"Director Jude, I believe that you are showing us the test copies please switch to his drawings."

"Mr. Schnee those are his drawings if looked at the actual copies you would see the pencil markings,however the table is having trouble accounting for that."

"Ignoring the table. I presume you did administer the test correctly? "

" Yes I did. I believe that this points to Heiter having a photographic memory and an exceptional memory placing him in the upper 99th percentile for memory retention. When given time he can perfectly remember drawings and possibly written material. Additionally as he wrote back spoken word he demonstrated his memory is only limited by time to recall the material. I believe this leaves us with the job of teaching him to correctly infer from the information as his ability to repeat information may be astounding, his ability to infer is only just above 's likely that some of the scores he achieved in the earlier tests were being assisted by his memory. I doubt he would have made the near impossible deduction regarding the card game if it weren't for his memory assisting him. I would like to state however, he is good enough to infer from the information. He did see the patterns so that shouldn't take away all credit due."

I finish scanning the contents of the folder and look up to Ms. Jude.

"To Summarize his notable cognition skills are nerve responses and memory retention?"

"Yes Alfred, since you're in charge of his lessons I would recommend tailoring lessons to operate around that as it would be best to develop his relatively superior skills."

"Now Jude you know that depends on what Jacques wishes for the boy to become right?"

I look over to Jacques and I don't have to wait long for his input.

"Indeed Alfred, I can see some uses for the Heiter if we develop him into a proper asset."

I see the gears turning in my old friends mind, but he is failing to notice Natalia's expression. Knowing her she didn't take to kindly to having Heiter referred to as an asset. Haaaa. Right then.

" Jacques, I presume you would like us to send this information to Mr. Baud after we finish the physical?"

"That I would, I assume that there were no complications when Mr. Baud departed?"

"None at all, he did say that he will get around to the information at a later date as he is already making preparations for when he continues his work abroad."

"I see, very well. Send the information when you have the time and perhaps some progress has been made beyond this initial assessment... Speaking of which, where did you leave the doctor?"

"Oh Dr. Aquarius is inside the training room, I left him with specific instructions to only intervene if the boy should somehow severely injure himself. I doubt it was necessary to bring him, but like Ms. Jude said last night it never hurts to be prepared."

"Well then it seems you two have everything under control here so I will take my leave."

Natalia and I bow to Jacques as he exits the room. Once the door closes I wait a few moments before directing my attention to my former apprentice.

"I know this is new to you, but please withhold yourself around him."

"I did?"

"No you did not. If it weren't for that fact that Jacques was being introspective right then he would have noticed the look on your face. I told you that just staying quiet is not enough. I taught you better than that. I know that your sensitive regarding that but it's a bit late to try and change who he is. You did earn the position, but there is more to it than just paper work."

"Although that does make up a large portion of it these days."

"Aye, now-"

I turn around and walk over to the Viewing panel.

-"Lets see how Heiter is performing, actually if you could check that I need to run something by the young miss."

I take a seat, turn on the mic, and cycle through the channels until I see the young miss currently working on something as the plasma screen fastened on the wall opposite of her is still darkened

"young miss?"

The girl either fails to hear me or is ignoring me, something she tends to do when she's mad.

"Young miss?"

I wait a few moments and get no response still from her. I sigh and hold the bridge of my nose for a moment as I close my eyes. She must be rather incensed at what her father had said. Jacques… you don't see your daughter for nearly two years and it only takes two days for something to anger her when you decide that the cottage would be a good place to have a directors meeting…

"…?"

I mean honestly why did we come here, the girls only cause trouble with their demands when we are around. The Whitney is a decent child, and is thankfully in Atlas away from his sister. Heiter for his part seems obedient , but there may be troubles ahead if he stays with Weiss. Why did I put those two together? Ah... It was when I talked to Hellen. My teacher always did say women were dangerous. Ok now then what can I do.

"Al?"

the director's voice brings me out of my own thoughts as I turn to her.

"Yes Ms. Jude?"

" Please answer when I'm calling for you. What did you want to tell the young miss?"

I shake my head

"it's not something I have to tell her immediately."

I also need to rethink the scheduling now, but she did put effort into that.

"I see, well-"

she taps the screen.

"Why don't you let me handle this?"

"I thought you were overseeing the boy?"

"Oh I already took note of it. I went through the video recording at an accelerated speed up until just now. He's made his way partially through the maze while jogging, encountered some of the traps, which made him now begin to walk and progress at a slower pace." "I see so why you?" "Well I figured that the young lady likely only knows you as the Hand of Schnee, the butler, not as Alfred Clutch so… she may be… predisposed to an opinion with you. I on the other hand just met with her so she's forming one, I was thinking I could-"

"Directors shouldn't try and curry favor with the next generation."

Ms. Jude gives me a look.

"Is something Jacques would say"

"I'm aware, but I'm just doing what you taught me, being diplomatic, not forceful, mending, not separating, to be proactive, not reactive. Isn't that what you always said when I would get frustrated with you?"

"That is correct."

"Well then I" Ms. Jude pauses and brings out her scroll from a purse and taps away at it.

"Ok I transferred the controls to my scroll here, if you could keep watch and take note of things from here I will be heading out"

"and where exactly are you going?"

"Oh I won't be far, I'll be over in the nearby VIP room that the miss is occupying."

"My concern wasn't… haaa. There's no need for you to be with the miss."

"Investments."

"excuse me?"

The director sighs and then looks at me with some frustration on her face.

"I Did major in psychology and frankly I'm seeing some alarming things here. If you would please leave this to me you will thank me later." "Ms. Jude your behavior is reverting again."

"Don't tell an Orange to be an Apple Mr. Clutch. I can restrain myself just fine. I do it all the time at work and I assure you your concern about me acting professional around the "young miss" is unwarranted. I'm new, blunt, but I have held this job for a year now."

Great… She's lecturing now… I almost miss the days she would bombard me with endless questions… Well I should let her go, let's just leave it like so.

" I'm going to stop you there. If you wish to see the young miss so much then very well, just know that I am listening and any mishaps are your responsibility."

Ms. Jude looks like she's about to say something , but then smiles.

"Well then im off." I slump in my chair after she leaves. Day one always goes well for director meetings, but get into day two... I'm getting too old for this. There is a reason I stayed away from PR and became a butler… Oh well I can relax with some paper work later tonight perhaps I can organize for Heiter's instructors should he require lessons actually… I won't have time for the boy after today so I had best think of something while I watch his progress. For now lets see how the boy is doing.


Weiss's POV

Dad can be unfair at times. Most of the time. I mean perhaps I ….overreacted to Heiter yesterday.

I don't know why, but in hindsight I may have been a bit…. childish about my take on him?

What was so special about him that is made me act so? ….. His sincerity? His own childish behavior? The part where he seemed uninformed about who I was, but was still polite and lacked ulterior motives to be friendly? I mean do I even know that? After everything I've been taught I should know that… Heiters greeting from yesterday comes to mind and I shake my head to cease my train of thought.

He's too simple to think like that. I sigh as I reflect on what dad said. Doe's that mean he will only be staying temporarily? Wait a minute… Dad is only staying here for the business meeting with some of the company directors. Heiter should linger around for a little longer meaning dad won't be taking him. He wouldn't travel and train an employee.

Mr. Clutch will of course be going with him so whatever plans father has for Heiter should involve him staying here for the immediate future, perhaps not years like Mr. Clutch said.

I can still make a friend before dad turns him against me like the majority of the staff in this house and hope he doesn't change? No he doesn't seem like the type to change easily. How do i know that? I don't. Instinct after having been exposed to the true nature of upper class life?

Do I need a friend? No that's the Schnee in you speaking. Well dad's idea of one.

What would Winter say? Something about making what I want in life mine like a Schnee? It's decided then I want a friend so I will have one, even if I have to be forceful about it. Now then enough of that what can I do now?

I could make a schedu- I already sent one so I doubt a second would work. Can I really do nothing except sit here and stare at the food on my silver plate? A series of knocks interrupt my thoughts as I look toward the door to the left of the television.

"come in."

Not like they wouldn't if I denied them entry. Fathers orders always supersede mine. I was expecting a butler bearing fresh food or perhaps a book assigned for me to read, however the one who entered was the director from about three hours ago. I stand up and extend my arm out to greet her as I have been raised to do. "Director, what brings you out to see me?"The director shakes then drops my hand.

"Nothing in particular, I just figured that the couch looked far more comfortable than the chairs we have in the observation room."

Well thats… unexpected…so I'm being kicked out?

"I… see… are there any additional reasons you came for before I leave?"

"Leave? No no no you still need to stay here however, I figured since you showed such an interest in my current role in this interview that I might be able to allow you to observe my work and judge it for yourself. Mr. Schnee has no interest in such things, but I wanted to test the waters and see if you were different. Otherwise I can return to the observation deck and work from there. Well ?"

Ah another person trying to…. wait she's already is a higher-up in the company so why would she need my favor? Well lets see what her game is and I do want to do something other than eat these desserts as I lost my appetite.

"Well then take a seat, I have no reason to hold you up from continuing your work Director Jude?"

"I'm glad you remember my name and I will begin immediately."

The Director takes a seat to my left on the couch and pulls a scroll out from her purse. After working her way through the menus she arrives as a control scheme I'm unfamiliar with. Once there I notice she is connecting to a device, after she connects the Television across from us turns on and changes to show a maze. "what does this have to do with-" then I spot a person moving through the maze at a slow pace.

"Is that my partner?"

"Yes ma'am he is doing the second part of his interview which primarily consists of observation of his current physical abilities."

A physical? Didn't the Doctor already perform one?

"Isn't an exam of this type too…. narrow?"

"Go on"

"Well this kind of test as I understand it would only test for the more active jobs like…. a bodyguard."

"Ms. Schnee there is something you should know, most of the actual staff, excluding the teachers can defend themselves to some extent, it's a basic requirement as I understand it in this house. I used to actually work here at this cottage. A basic tenant for us back then was that there could be no weak link. I imagine it is still the same now."

"I see, well wouldn't there need to be an additional test to determine his job?

The Director shakes her head.

"That will not be needed as he will be trained for it."

"Would this training be occurring at the cottage?"

"That is a likely as the cottage does have the facilities and staff to train him. So long as this place has a good environment to teach him I see no reason to move him until he has learned what he needs while here."

"I see…"

So he's here for the immediate future at least as he will likely need to learn… what will he be learning?

"Director Jude?"

"Yes ma'am?"

it felt... odd having someone not call me young miss.

"What would he be learning?"

The director looks up from the scroll and to me.

"For starters some of the academic information you have been taught and then basic life skills, I can see him needing to learn sign language as soon as possible and then anything else we decide he should know that can be taught while he is here. It comes down to a matter of convenience actually as It would be harder to have him taught elsewhere. Now then…"

The director makes taps at the scroll and then the UI changes again.

"done."

"with?"

The directors looks to me, her scroll and then back.

"Oh right I didn't explain what I was doing. I was finishing setting up a control scheme so I could conduct the part of the test I'm assigned from here. Now then let's get a close up on the boy and see what he is up to."


The screen zooms in on the person I had previously guessed to be my partner. He was currently hopping from one pedestal to another and if he missed he would fall down onto a lower level and have to backtrack to an staircase to get out. He was just finishing it when the second to last pedestal collapsed under him and he jumped for the last pedestal. Managing to grab it with his hands he struggled to pull himself up until he just stopped and relaxed his arms. He hanged on the ledge until suddenly my partner flexed his arms and explosively pulled himself up. once on top he hopped off the last pedestal onto the pathway and continued down the maze.

I lean forward and rest my head on my hands as I get concentrate on what I'm seeing.

That was well done I suppose I've been trained to fence so I could see the thrusting potential in his arms and shoulders, but aside the hopping I had seen no indication to how his legs performed.

"He has been doing things of this nature?"

"Yes ma'am some of the things we have tested for consisted of Running ability with moving walkways and the occasional obstacles , jumping capability with long jumps that were measured out within a modest test range of shorter and longer jumps with varying warm ups and speaking of which here is a jump now."

My partner is looking at the jump he has to make and seems to look at it awhile before shrugging and stretching his legs before walking back. I see him then run and launch himself off the edge before it becomes clear he is not making that jump and is about to hit the wall in the pit. he puts his hands out in front and bounces off the wall to fall into the pit.

I look over at the director and wonder who's shes speaking to? "do you expect him to perform a thirteen foot jump? Yes I know this is a test but unless he uses aura he won't clear that. You should know that he likely doesn't have his aura activated right? Yes I know that it can be done without aura, just the amount of people that can- at that moment my partner cleared the jump on his third try. -nevermind. "

The director continues to watch with a slightly puzzled expression on her face. An awkward silences begins to form, but I need to speak with this director more.

"I guess he has good legs?"

"It would seem that way ma'am."

Heiter for his part seems to have a happy expression about the whole thing and continues to make his way down the maze as he skips for a short while before slowing to a regular walk. The "test" that he came across next was labeled as a twenty meter balance. If he fell he could walk back up a ramp on his side.

"Director what is the width on that platform?"

"Ma'am that is four inches wide"

"and he's supposed to walk that for sixty feet?"

As I waited for a response I watched Heiter test the walkway with his feet.

"Well in this case every time he fails the walkway will shorten. It pains me to say it, but he is expected to fail this one a few times."

So they have lower expectations for him than me since his tests get easier. My physicals never got easier I just had to work until I could meet the standards set for me.

I doubt I could walk that length,but perhaps my footwork would help see me across. My sister could just glide across it with the usage of her glyphs, something I look forward to learning about once I'm ten years old. I think back to what Winter had demonstrated when she was training as I hoped to emulate that peerless performance that she often demonstrated when she had stopped to visit me or our family...

I shake my head. Whenever the Schnee's all got together. That usually occurred when father called for us, that usually required us all to fit into a role, something I was still getting comfortable with. I prefered when Winter would just visit even if it was only brief as those moment were often worth the wait. She was currently what I aspired to be.

Away from home. no I never had a home, I guess it's better to call this place a bird cage, a fancy glass one, but still a cage I wish to break out of. Even now I'm stuck in a room with a director on what is supposed to be my one off day watching a partner who has been put into this cage for an unknown amount of time only long enough for me to know company before he gets set free out there!

I sigh for a will get me out of here and where did that come from? I shake my head again to clear the anger that had suddenly touched my heart. I refocus my attention on the screen to see that my partner had crossed the beam while I was distracted. I debated, but decided to refrain from asking how that had gone as I still was nowhere near comfortable talking to someone close to father as much as I did not want to appear to be distracted. Heiter had progressed a fair distance from where he had been and was nearing the center of the maze that had a black ring formed by the white cubes inverting their color.

He walked slowly towards the next turn. Instead of asking I looked back along his path and saw a series of areas labeled as traps. The last being a region where parts of the floor would give out under him? It seems there was one more test labeled as a timed ascension. A staircase awaited him and upon reaching it he slowly walked up until staircase itself became a steep incline which Heiter then unceremoniously cracked his face into and slid down to the bottom.

My left hand went up to my mouth as I heard the sound of the impact through the speakers. My partner held his head for a few moments as he rolled on the ground before he became still. Is he ok?

The screen zoomed in on him and I saw that he was taking deep breaths.

He sat up as he continued to rub his forehead and looked warily at the staircase through squinted eyes. A few additional moments later he rose from his position and set his right foot on the staircase and then lifted it off. Once Seven seconds pass the staircase once more flattens for twelve seconds. I see Heiter scratch his head before he backs up and runs to the staircase and attempts to ascend it.

He had about a quarter of the length to run before it flattened on him. His momentum was stronger this time so he smacked… Oh that was the sound of his hands hitting the incline. When he slid all the way down to the bottom he waited before trying again. He stretched his legs for a minute and then moved to climb the stairs again, but this time he seemed to be climbing the stairs faster than the last? He was avoiding every other step on the staircase and almost jumping his way up.

This time he did make it to the top with some time to spare and he saw the ring which he now stood in. From up top he gazed around and looked at the maze he had traveled through.

"Very good Heiter, now stay still as the floor resets and then make your way to Dr. Aquarius before we finish things here."

I see heiter look around the room with a puzzled expression, but he nods and sits down. The room shakes and the walls reorganize themselves until they all become the floor and the position heiter is on slowly lowers itself. I notice him put his hands behind himself for stability until it settles.

"Director?"

"yes ma'am?"

"Since the test is concluded may I head on down to the arena?"

The Director stops working on her scroll and looks me over for a moment, debating something. I find it somewhat easier to meet her gaze as she is not my father,but I clench my hands in my lap as I'm uncertain of what I'm allowed to do at this time. My father may have left some instructions in regard to me. "You are to watch the test until it has concluded."

"and that means?"

"You may head down ma'am"


I stand up and walk to the door before turning back around and performing a slight curtsy. I then open the door and begin to make my way down the well lit white hallway to an elevator.

I reach up and push the button, which turns green, and wait for the elevator to arrive.

The color vanishes as the door to the elevator opens up inside I raise my hand and press the button labeled AG. The elevator door closes and I feel my weight lighten as it begins to head down.

Father's words from earlier come to mind. I do understand what he meant earlier about my relationships and how I should act. I have been experiencing it for the past several years, no perhaps all of my life nobody has been a friend of mine. Sure I have had the few adults I can trust, such as Mr. Seiben, but he is back in Atlas and the few teachers I do like I see rarely.

Then there is Winter. As for everyone else? Anyone who wants to be a "friend" with me only wants to be a friend with my father and then I soon get forgotten. All the praise I received earlier was just a mask. Something winter awoke me to about.. three years ago? It was when I was practicing the piano if I remember correctly. Then Winter got in a fight with father about something.

I think she's the only one who can actually do that and get away with it now. A sigh escapes my lips as I realize this isn't what I want to think about. The elevator slows and opens to reveal the pristine white arena grounds. I first spot the Puffy blue hair of Dr. Aquarius who is performing a check up on heiter at a bench and begin to make my way over to them.

I may understand father's words, but I noticed something yesterday. was acting… off. Normally he is far more authoritative like father, but he was acting different around Heiter and I was treated better. Why? I have no idea.

It is something I should look into and the best way I can do that… is to keep heiter close especially if has to act around him. After all it has been the main focus of my father to teach me about how to act in public and wear a mask so I can see when others are doing it.

I stop my thoughts as I notice Heiter approaching me with a smile on his face. I give him a critical look as I fail to find a mask on him and then pleasantly nod to him.

"Heiter if you would come back I'm not finished with your checkup."

"do you have anything else you require after this?"

The doctor peers at me through his glasses as if I'm crazy.

"Of course not girl, I'm quite capable of getting everything i need right now. So if you would please heiter SIT DOWN. I need to finish my work."

Heiter for his part seems to be having a hard time calming down.

"Heiter please do as the doctor says, there's a promise I want to make good on with you."

The copper haired boy looks at me questioningly before a light of recognition dawns in his brown eyes. He then runs back to the doctor. Now then where should I take him when we are finished here?


A/N

Ello!

I hope you have a pleasant day and are all set to enjoy the holidays!