A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back a little later than I would've liked with another story. This one is the Monochrome story I described at the end of Project Freezerburn. Feel free to check out the epilogue of that story if you're interested in a more detailed look at what this story will be about. Anyway, I hope you like this lengthy first chapter!
Something big has happened in Mantle. At least, that was what her older sister had told her before leaving Schnee Manor to help the people under Atlas. Since her sister departed, she had grown bored waiting for her return.
The manor was large, and that was a well-known fact throughout all of Atlas, but after twelve years of aimlessly meandering through its many rooms and unending halls, it was difficult to find anything new or exciting to occupy herself with. At times she would desperately wish she had a little sister of her own whom she could play with or even tease from time to time. That would certainly help with the nagging loneliness.
Now, hours after the last time she saw her sister, the little girl leaned against one of the many, tall windows that traced the halls of the manor. Although she had seen the view far past the kingdom countless times, she still found an inkling of entertainment from trying to spot something different about the miles of crystal white frost and snow. And she always loved how the landscape seemed to sparkle under the moonlight.
"Weiss," called a voice; soft yet cold and distant.
The girl nearly flinched and turned. Years of conditioning overcame her. She held her head as high as she could and straightened her posture to a near-painful extent. Her eyes timidly locked with the tired, icy gaze of her father.
"Yes, Father?" the girl whispered, trying her best to maintain eye contact.
The man sighed, and his mustache shifted with his thoughtful scan of the little girl. He approached her and rested a gentle hand on her upper back, nudging her.
"Let's take a short cruise over the city, shall we?" suggested the aging man. "There is something I need to show you."
"Yes, Father," Weiss recited the phrase like an automated recording. She immediately knew something was wrong, as her father rarely made enough time to do such trivial things as spend time with her without reason. Perhaps this "big something" her sister mentioned was the cause.
She kept quiet as her father lead her through the halls until they exited the manor into a spacious hangar. Half a dozen airships were lined up; each ready to take off and cruise the night sky if her father wished it.
Weiss was gently pushed toward the nearest airship where a pilot was already waiting for them with the door open. Strangely, the pilot did not address her father as he always did. Instead, he wore an anxious frown as he pulled the door closed when she and her father were seated.
In the deafening silence, the airship took off. A rush of weight initially made Weiss feel uneasy, but it left her as soon as it came. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, she wanted to look out the window, but for some reason, her father pulled the cover over it before they took off. A brief thought entered her mind: should she ask her father if she could open the cover? Such a trivial matter could not possibly provoke him, could it?
"Father? May I please open the blinder on the window? I would like to look down at the city," Weiss articulated as carefully as she could.
Her father looked at her and frowned. He glanced at the pilot in the cockpit just out of her view and nodded. "Yes, Weiss. Please," he said and gestured toward the window.
Sensing she had made a mistake of some kind, Weiss slowly opened the window. She looked outside expecting to see the beautiful lights of the Atlas huntsman academy and the buildings surrounding it. Instead, she saw darkness.
"Where is the city?" Weiss asked and turned towards her father, confused.
"We are taking a short detour," her father said, grimly, and pointed out the window again, "Look."
Weiss gazed out the window once more, gasping at the horror she saw now. The dark was gone, and in its place was a raging fire. Hundreds of yards of destruction. A train off its rails and sprawled out across the snow. Pops and crackles of exploding dust shards that she had somehow missed until now.
"What happened?" Weiss asked as she moved her hand to cover her shocked expression.
"It's exactly what I feared would happen, given recent events," her father sighed, "This is what those animals of the White Fang are capable of."
"But Winter said they were a peaceful organization," Weiss whined.
"They were. But after an exchange of leadership, they are nothing more than a pack of terrorists," her father spat, "Just look at what they've done! Our mined dust: destroyed! Our workers: slaughtered!"
Weiss shivered in her seat as her gaze slowly moved to her father, fuming in his seat.
"Listen to me, Weiss," said the man as he focused his piercing, blue irises onto her, "You are the heiress of our family's company. It is important that you know there are those in Remnant who want nothing more than to see us crumble. I need you to remember the faunus are some of those people. The faunus cannot be trusted…"
Weiss frowned and looked down at her clasped hands, "I…"
"Do you understand, Weiss?"
Weiss bit her cheek as she dared a look outside her window once again. The flames continued to engulf what was left of the Schnee freight train. It was difficult for her to believe anyone was capable of doing this sort of thing.
"Weiss. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
The little girl looked at her father, trying to come up with the words; those two simple words…
"I…"
Eleven Years Later…
Crystal blue irises reflected in the mirror as Weiss Schnee applied the last of her makeup. She was never a big fan of cosmetics, but Yang insisted she needed to look "smokin' hot," as she put it. Weiss was not sure exactly why her overly optimistic teammate felt that way, but it was true that today was extremely important, after all.
Weiss leaned back and took in her appearance. She tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips and shining a bright, toothy smile. She briefly remembered a time in her past where she could hardly bear looking at herself in the mirror. She used to see a stranger with an ugly scar over her left eye; a pretender who was neither true to herself nor to those around her.
Oh, how the times have changed… Leaving home and moving to Vale, studying to become a huntress… Those were the best decisions she had ever made, even if they had their own handful of…undesirable outcomes.
Her team was certainly a good influence on her; a surprise to be sure. Together, they bonded well and ended up graduating from Beacon Academy as the highest-ranking team of their class, just narrowly beating out their friends in Team JNPR.
Since then, none of them had left Vale or decided to live anywhere else. They even still lived together in an apartment not far from where she was right now. One thing that had changed among her team, however, was that Weiss herself no longer considered herself a huntress first.
As the years went by, Weiss would observe the countless crimes that were carried out against the faunus without consequence. She desperately wanted to make a difference and do what she could to sway the hearts and minds of humanity so that they would one day accept the living and breathing faunus as their equals. And now, with a little help from her girlfriend, Blake Belladonna, she would do just that.
"I can't believe I almost forgot!" Weiss gasped as the image of Blake fluttered past her mind. She straightened up her outfit—a simple, white dress shirt paired with a loose, black pencil skirt. Satisfied with the way she looked, she reached for the finishing touch of her outfit on the desk before her.
It was a simple, silver pendant with a stunning pattern of onyx gems dotted on it; a valuable gift from Blake. Weiss could only sigh fondly as she flipped her side-tail out of the way while clasping her favorite piece of jewelry around her neck. With one last look in the mirror, her face beamed with a warm smile. She was so happy with her appearance that she nearly forgot why she was getting dressed up in the first place. The sound of a knock at her door broke her trance.
"Weiss!" called a jubilant voice as the door swung open. The messy, blonde mane of Yang Xiao Long poked in. "It's time to rock and roll!"
Weiss distractedly looked over her shoulder. "How many people are out there?" she asked.
"Uhhh," Yang hummed as she briefly pulled her head out of the room. "A lot. Probably the most you've ever had!"
"Okay, I'll be right out," said Weiss, smiling at her teammate. As soon as Yang closed the door, Weiss checked herself in the mirror one last time and took a deep breath. She was not nervous at all. In fact, she felt excited. Over the years she had grown more than accustomed to speaking in front of large crowds.
Weiss stood from her seat and climbed the few steps to the door. When it opened, she was bathed in the natural light of a bright and sunny day with the perfect number of puffy white clouds in the sky. Sure, it would not hurt if it were a little cooler, but Weiss did not mind the heat after living through so many summers in Vale. The sound of crowded voices and cheering boomed.
Today, as the outspoken faunus' rights activist she had become, she would address the followers she had garnered over the years. There was nothing that could stop her from moving forward.
"Hey! Lookin' smokin', Weiss!" Yang chuckled, pointing finger guns at the shorter woman.
A red-head—Weiss' team leader, Ruby Rose—nudged Yang's ribs and rolled her silver eyes. "What she meant to say is: you look amazing, Weiss!"
"Thank you both," Weiss chuckled. "Where's Blake?"
"I'm here," said a silky voice from behind Weiss.
She turned on her high-heel and felt her heart swell as icy blue met burning amber. The smile on her face turned into a grin, and she found her feet carrying her towards the black-haired faunus woman without her brain's command.
Blake was wearing a modest, black dress coupled with a pair of sleek, wedged shoes on her feet that perfectly accentuated her criminally curvy waist. The delicate touches of makeup around her entrancing eyes were more than welcome and helped them pop even more than usual. Atop her head over dark, neatly curled locks were two small cat ears which—however minute of a detail—seemed to enhance her beauty past levels Weiss thought was ever possible.
Before Weiss could even make her first step towards her girlfriend, the faunus girl was already toe-to-toe with her. "Everyone is waiting," she said as her hands deftly tugged and fiddled with Weiss' collar and sleeves. "There we go… You look wonderful."
Weiss smiled up at Blake. "And you look stunning as always."
Yang rolled her eyes at the spell that trapped the two women as their eyes remained locked for a few moments too long. She cleared her throat, loudly. "Guys? The rally? You know, the one we've spent a week preparing for?"
"I suppose we should get going," Weiss chuckled as she and Blake began to follow Ruby and Yang away from their dressing rooms.
The streets were full of people—human and faunus, alike. It still felt somewhat strange for such a thing to happen. Everyone cheered and some held signs with one of Weiss' most famous slogans to date: "Faunus are not animals!"
"Are you nervous?" Blake asked casually.
"I'm never nervous," Weiss smirked in response. "You know that."
"I was just checking," Blake chuckled. "There's a first time for everything, you know."
"Oh?" Weiss raised a teasing brow at her girlfriend. "Does that mean you are nervous?"
"What if I am?"
Weiss furrowed her brows with a nervous chuckle and slowly turned her head towards Blake. "Wait, what's different about this rally that's making you nervous? Now I'm wondering whether or not I should be nervous."
"Well, it is the largest one we've held so far…" Blake laughed and brushed a stray lock of platinum out of Weiss' face. "Relax. I'm only teasing you. Everything's going to be just fine."
"Why do you feel the need to do that?" Weiss pouted.
"Oh, hush. You know I love you." Blake hummed as she curled her fingers between Weiss'.
Weiss pouted for a moment longer until a smile formed on her face and she found herself clinging onto Blake's arm. "I love you too…"
The cheers grew louder as the team approached a modestly sized stage. It was nothing special: mostly just a platform raised above everything so everyone could see the speaker. It was positioned just outside of an intersection that had been temporarily blocked off by the City of Vale for the day. A place usually busy with traffic was now a wide-open area for hundreds of people to stand and listen to Weiss Schnee preach about equality.
"You two ready?" Ruby asked over her shoulder.
Weiss shared a look with Blake as they separated. "Do your thing, Ruby."
Ruby nodded as a wide grin spread across her face. She climbed the few steps up to the stage and flicked the switch on a microphone connected to a slim podium near the middle. She tapped the microphone, testing if the speakers were working, and smiled at the thumps she heard in return.
"Good afternoon, citizens of Vale. Thank you for your patience on this beautiful, warm day! Without further ado, I'd like to welcome my teammate and outspoken faunus' rights activist, Weiss Schnee to the podium!"
A loud boom of cheers and applause exploded from the crowd as Ruby stepped down from the stage, only to be replaced by Weiss. She smiled at the many signs, humans, and faunus in front of her. She even waved to a few of the children being held by their mothers and fathers in the front row. She allowed the applause to continue for a few short moments before speaking.
"Thank you! Thank you all!" Weiss began as the cheers died out into murmurs and a few whistles. "It brings me so much joy to see how far we have come. To see humans and faunus here, together! It's difficult to fathom that this—what we have right here—was unattainable a few short years ago."
The crowd cried out.
"There was a time where I would walk down these very streets and feel my heart ache at the sheer number of NFA signs! No faunus allowed! That an entire portion of living, breathing people with hopes and dreams of their own were treated like animals!"
"We are not animals!" The crowd began to chant.
"The faunus are not animals! And it is because of what we have done, together, that more people see that every day. I walk down this street and see no NFA signs. We are all doing our part to lift each other up. And now there is only one thing left to do in Vale!" Weiss cried as she pointed her finger at the people before her.
"Unite us under law! Unite us under law!"
"We must implore our lawmakers to help us end this blatant discrimination. Help them see that a future where the faunus and humankind stand side by side is the future we need," Weiss said in a much more serious tone, causing the crowd to hush in silence so they could listen. "We must continue to protest peacefully so that their hearts may be swayed without a doubt in their minds. Because through our peaceful protests, we have achieved more for the faunus in the last few months than anyone else in the last two hundred years!"
Another loud cry boomed from the crowd.
"We have proven that violence has never been the answer. Our work together is a testament to that. In the future we are working towards, there will be peace between us all. No more will the faunus be bullied for who they are. No more will they be abused by corporations like my family's company. No more!"
The applause exploded. Weiss smiled at her work and briefly glanced off the stage at her team. The smile of pure, unfiltered pride and joy she received back from Blake made her heart flutter in her chest.
"I know there are some of you that look at me today and see a fraud," Weiss continued. "I was born into a wealthy family known for their harsh employment of predatory cheap faunus labor… I want those of you who feel this way to know I understand. I have worked hard with another outspoken faunus' rights activist over the last few years to gain your trust. This woman is a faunus, herself, who's spent years of her life hiding her unique faunus traits to avoid discrimination. Those of you who have known me for some time may know this woman. I want to invite her to the stage… Blake Belladonna!"
Weiss extended her arm to the side, welcoming Blake to join her. The crowd broke out into cheers once again; blocking out any other sounds that could possibly make it to Weiss' ears.
"In other news: earlier today, several peaceful protests throughout the City of Vale following the appearance of the Schnee Dust Company heiress and popular advocate for the faunus' rights movement, Weiss Schnee, have pressured Vale lawmakers to make a decision on key points of the Human-Faunus relations bill. Our experts predict we will have news of where the kingdom, as a whole, will head in terms of faunus equality within the coming weeks. We're making history here, folks. This is Lisa Lavender, and you're watching the Vale News Network."
"Hell yeah!" Yang laughed as her glass clinked with the other three.
"Congrats, Weiss!" Ruby chirped as she watched Yang down her whisky without a problem.
"Me? All I did was speak my mind about a few things," Weiss waved Ruby off. "This is only possible because of Blake."
Blake furrowed her brows from the seat adjacent to Weiss and gripped her shoulder, "Hey, don't sell yourself short. You have moved these people, Weiss. I'm just here to support you no matter what happens."
"I know that… And I'm not selling myself short. I'm telling the truth," smiled Weiss. "Without you, I would never have gotten here. I would still be watching all of the injustices as a bystander."
"And you'd still be an icy bi—"
"Yang!" Ruby interrupted. "Think before you speak!"
"She's not wrong, though," Weiss sighed as another drink was placed in front of her by the bartender. "I wasn't exactly my best self those days… So much has changed since then."
"You can say that again," Blake chuckled and finished off the rest of her glass. "I can't believe how shy you used to be. Especially when I first saw you."
Weiss looked offended, "Shy? I wasn't shy at all!"
"Maybe 'shy' isn't the right word," Blake pondered and idly tapped her glass. "I think the word 'constrained' is more accurate."
"What gave you that idea?" Weiss almost pouted.
Blake thought for a moment and hummed to herself, "I remember something that happened the day after our team was assigned."
"I don't recall seeing you once that day. I actually had the impression you were avoiding me," Weiss smirked.
"Well, I certainly saw you," said Blake.
"Ohhh! Storytime!" Yang all but cheered. "This ought to be good."
Blake was always one to keep to herself. There was nothing a human being could offer her that one of her novels could not already. Reading had become one of her favorite hobbies ever since she made the choice to hide in plain sight.
Despite Beacon Academy being a relatively safe space for the faunus, there was always a chance she would attract unwanted attention to herself. And Blake despised unwanted attention. That was part of the reason she was sitting on a bench near the air docks instead of being in her room with her newly appointed team. She also liked the busy noise that surrounded her: people leaving and arriving to Beacon on airships that hummed with power.
The main reason she was avoiding her team, however, was because of one particular person. Of all the people that decided to attend Beacon this year, Weiss Schnee ended up on her team. One of the worst, most abhorrent people on Remnant!
The Schnee family was the largest obstacle for all faunus. They were the reason Blake served with the White Fang…however briefly.
Blake did not know how long she could bear living with such a person for the next four years or how long she could hide her faunus traits from her team, but she did not come out here to think about that. All she wanted to do was read her books in peace.
Unfortunately, she could not even manage that. A sudden ruckus tore her from the lines in her novel and stole her precious attention away. There was a tall boy layered in steel colored armor towering over a girl.
Blake's eyes narrowed when she saw the rabbit ears atop her head. Another act of injustice that was going to transpire without hindrance. It made her sick how many people did nothing but stand there and watch while they waited for the next airship to take them down to the city. After a double-take, she recognized the platinum white hair of Weiss Schnee not ten feet away from the rabbit faunus girl with her arms folded. She was probably overjoyed to watch.
The ire Blake felt almost instantly turned into something else. A realization dawned on her. She was so angry that no one was doing anything to stop the horrible act that was happening, yet she stayed seated. She was just another 'human' in her little black bow doing nothing.
"Could you please just leave me alone!" winced the girl as the boy tugged at her ears. "That hurts!"
The boy only laughed, "I just wanted to see if they were real!"
Blake could not bear to watch anymore.
"Hey!"
Amber eyes flicked back to the scene. That voice… So whiny yet commanding… Was that Weiss?
The boy and the faunus girl both locked eyes with the Schnee heiress, "What the hell do you want?" asked the boy.
"Could you possibly be any louder? I'm trying to have a conversation here!" Weiss snapped as she held up a scroll in her hand.
Wait… Was she holding a scroll before?
"Deal with it," the boy sneered.
"I am dealing with it. Shut up, or I'll make sure you won't be able to make a peep for the rest of the semester," the heiress hissed, venom dripping through her words.
"Jeez… No wonder they call you the ice queen," said the boy as he timidly walked off, apparently forgetting why he was waiting for an airship in the first place.
"Jerk…" Weiss huffed as she slipped her scroll back into her pouch.
"T-thank you," the faunus girl muttered as she massaged her ears.
Weiss flinched and turned around. Her gaze fell to her shoes as a frown formed on her face. All while Blake stared with her mouth ajar. She had no idea what she had just witnessed.
Did she just…
A Schnee intervening in an act of discrimination against a faunus? Was Weiss different from the rest of her family? Maybe that was why she was here at Beacon instead of Atlas? Maybe Blake misjudged Weiss?
One thing was for certain: Blake was excited to find out.
"So, you were avoiding me!" Weiss exclaimed as she pointed a finger at her girlfriend. "I knew it!"
"I thought you would be just like everyone else," Blake shrugged. "Full of hate towards the faunus just because they were different."
"What if I really was on my scroll, though?"
"Were you?" Blake asked, flashing the heiress with a knowing look.
"…No," Weiss sighed in defeat.
"Uh-huh. You were constraining yourself," Blake smiled, "You were pretending to be someone that you weren't. You have always cared about other people."
Weiss blushed as Ruby and Yang awwed in unison.
"No, I'm being serious," Blake continued. "It's days like today where people realize the value of caring for each other. Just look at us! The Schnee family has always been infamous for keeping the faunus stuck as second-class citizens. And now you have one leading the charge for equality! People see that and think: 'if a Schnee can put their differences with the faunus aside so can I!' You're even dating a faunus! You've really been getting through to these people."
"Yeah! I think that deserves a toast!" Ruby cheered through rosy cheeks as she lifted her glass.
"To Weiss!" Blake grinned as her glass met Ruby's.
"Don't forget to give yourself a little credit too, Blake," Weiss rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "To Blake."
"Hey, what about us?" Yang pouted as she pulled Ruby onto her chest, "We help out too! To me and Rubes!"
"You're absolutely right," Weiss laughed. "How about to all of us."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Yang hollered as her glass joined the others.
All four of the women downed the rest of their drinks.
"Whew!" Ruby sputtered. "Okay… I'm done. No more…"
Blake glanced out the window as Yang laughed, "It seems time has escaped us. It's already dark out."
"Time flies when you're having fun!" Yang smirked.
"Indeed," Blake agreed and stood up from the table, "Is everyone ready to head home?"
"Yes please," Ruby croaked. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"
"Such a lightweight," Yang rolled her eyes and slung Ruby's arm over her shoulders.
Weiss remained seated and traced her finger around the rim of her empty glass, "Actually, I think I'll have another drink. I'll catch up with you later?"
"Sure," Blake smiled and leaned down. She left a light kiss on Weiss' lips and gathered her light coat in her arms, "Don't stay out too late, okay? I'm pretty exhausted after today, so I think I'm going straight to bed."
"I won't," Weiss smiled back as she waved goodbye to her friends.
A few short moments after they left, the smile on Weiss' face slowly faded and a sluggish hand tiredly rubbed her face. She lifted her glass and placed it on the opposite end of the table, not interested in drinking any more. She allowed her eyes to rest for a moment and pulled her scroll out of her shirt pocket.
A moment later, the device was dialing in her ear. And like every attempt since her first faunus' rights rally, there was no answer.
Weiss sighed and stared at the word on her scroll.
Father…
It was no secret that Weiss' rallies have hurt the Schnee Dust Company. As more heinous acts and new information about terrible faunus employment policies come to light, the company has been pressured to appeal to a future where faunus and humans are equal.
Weiss knew her father was upset with her. She knew he would be before she even started publicly advocating faunus equality with Blake. Now she has not spoken with him since. She could hardly say she was surprised he did not answer her this time.
The heiress tiredly stood up from her seat, not sure exactly how long she sat there thinking. She waved goodbye to the bartender while not forgetting to leave a generous tip on the table before leaving.
The streets of Vale were always so quiet at night. They were certainly filthier than the streets of Atlas, but much nicer than the streets of Mantle still. Although, that was not saying much. It was far too late for anyone to be walking about on the lamp-lit sidewalks and roads. The dearth of people was a massive divergence from the crowds Weiss witnessed earlier in the day.
A cold drop of wetness landed on her shoulder, seeping through her thin dress shirt and making her skin shiver. She looked up and felt a few more drops on her face.
I should've left with Blake…
Weiss sighed and frowned as the volume of raindrops slowly grew. She already knew she would be soaking wet by the time she made it back to her apartment. All hopes of calling a cab were lost before the day even began since all taxi services in the area were suspended for the day thanks to her rally.
At least the therapeutic sound of the rain made her feel somewhat better. She always loved the atmosphere that followed a rainy day or night. All she could think about was the warm bed that awaited her and the soft embrace Blake would pull her into as they both drifted off to sleep. That was if she did not catch a cold by the time she got home.
She folded her arms close to her chest and tucked her chin, using her breath to keep warm and abate the chills that pulsed through her shivering body. The quiet that once dwelled in the streets was now gone and replaced by the loud hammering of raindrops on the concrete… And a sudden splashing in a puddle not far away.
Weiss jerked her head toward the sound she only barely caught. Her eyes sifted through the darkness, straining to see anything in the shadows. She listened closely for any other sounds.
Nothing…
Weiss was no fool. She was certain something was amiss. Years of huntsman training and field experience had served her well in terms of detecting a threat in unexpected places. Her next action was to pull out her scroll and call Myrtenaster to herself via a rocket-powered locker that could be summoned at any time.
She knew she could handle a petty mugger without her weapon, but the whole process would be over much faster if she had it. She also knew whoever has decided to mess with her tonight would soon regret it even when she was a little tipsy.
While she waited for her weapon to arrive, Weiss simply walked on. She briefly pondered why it was taking so long for her attacker to make a move and considered calling Blake, Ruby, or Yang, but she knew the altercation would be over before any of them got to her. By the time she could hear her locker's rockets approaching, she heard a splash from the street.
In a speedy flash, she barely brought her hands up in time to block a blow. It came so fast that she was knocked off her feet and hurling into an alleyway. She hit the pavement with a grunt and scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could. A quick scan of her surrounding put her in a small, empty lot meant for cars. There was only one exit: the alley she was knocked into.
Her eyes, wide and alert, frantically searched around for her attacker. She feared that she had stupidly walked into an ambush and felt a wave of relief as her locker landed not even a foot away from her. Not wasting any time, Weiss tore Myrtenaster from the rack inside the locker and readied herself for another attack.
Now it seemed like calling her team would be a necessity. That attack just happened so fast… Much faster than she ever expected. She knew her attacker was skilled, perhaps even more skilled than she.
Weiss reached into her shirt pocket with her free hand and removed her scroll. The moment it was unlocked, she went to click on Blake's contact as it was knocked from her hand. She looked up and watched as a boot rapidly approached her head.
She was sent stumbling but thankfully did not fall as she collided with her locker. Looking up after regaining her footing, she finally saw her attacker.
He was tall and wearing mostly black. Weiss could not see much of his features in the dimly lit parking lot, but she could see he was wearing a mask.
He was a member of the White Fang.
The man stared at the heiress with his weapon still sheathed in his hand. Without a word he slowly reached down, picked up her scroll, and tossed it behind himself. It was now that Weiss realized there were more faunus in masks behind him and even a couple blocking her only exit as a girl about her size caught the scroll.
Weiss swallowed and tried to ignore the sweat adding to the wetness on her face. She was outnumbered and possibly outmatched. But she still had to try… All she could do was try.
She pointed Myrtenaster at her assailant and steeled her nerves. Two massive hits had already been dealt to her aura and there was no telling how much she had left without her scroll. She had to be faster than this man and even more precise with her strikes.
The man attacked before Weiss could think of her first move. His blade ground against hers, sending sparks flying.
Weiss took his spot and found herself backing up towards the middle of the lot. For some reason none of the other faunus were attacking her, so she pushed them as far into a corner of her mind as she could. She needed to focus on what was in front of her.
But he was just too fast. Another attack always followed his last. Each strike felt more like a hammer as they clanged against her weapon. Her arms were getting sore. Her shoes were beginning to slip on the wet concrete. There was no time to summon any glyphs or even jump away without suffering whatever number of strikes he could possibly land. She could hardly even see him in the dark.
Now her grip on Myrtenaster was slipping. The rainwater made it impossible to grasp. And with one final slash from the man's blade, it flew from her hand and clattered against the pavement a few feet behind her. The glyphs she threw up could hardly withstand his sword as it tore through them and damaged her aura.
With a growl, the man sheathed his sword and reeled back a kick, letting it fly into her chest with little restraint.
A cry muffled by the heavy rainfall burst from her throat as her back smashed against the bricks in the back of the lot. A white aura crackled away before her knees even touched the ground. She let out a weak groan as her hands held her up from the craggy cement. She could hardly look up high enough to see the man approaching her. She saw Myrtenaster within her reach and gritted her teeth as she watched it be kicked away. Now, there was only one thing she could think to do.
"L-listen," Weiss croaked as she stared at her hands. "I don't know what you want from me… Just let me go, and I can give you anything you want. Information, money, anything!"
The man was silent for a moment. Shuffling and rain were all she could hear.
"Weiss Schnee…"
The voice was fairly young but still sounded like it belonged to someone who had been operating in his line of work for an eternity. Looking up at the man, Weiss could see him marginally better with a dull lamp directly above her. He had blood-red hair and what looked like two horns angled backward on his head. His black jacket had a red and white design on it that looked vaguely familiar.
"Your family has committed innumerable crimes against our people," the man continued. "Crimes that will be paid for."
Weiss let her head fall down as her neck began to strain from looking up, "Yeah. I know that. I've dedicated my life to fixing all the damage that has been done!"
"Nothing will ever be fixed while you and your family continue to drag the faunus down," the man said, coldly. "That means you all must die."
Weiss felt a pang shoot through her chest. "W-wait!" she cried out and looked back up. "But I haven't even done anything! I plan to change my family's company for the better when I take control! I am not to blame for your people's mistreatment!"
"Then who's responsible for the thousands of deaths in the Schnee dust mines? Who's responsible for the children being torn away from their mothers' arms and enslaved?"
Weiss' mouth fell ajar, and she hung her head once again. "That… That was all my father," she mumbled.
"Say it louder so we can hear you," the man grumbled.
"It was my father!"
The man shook his head. "You Schnees are all the same. Always so willing to throw each other to the Beowolves at the first sign of trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Weiss furrowed her brows and stared at the man's mask.
"You try to push blame on your father in an attempt to save yourself," said the man. "You will inherit his crimes with the company."
"Just listen to me!" Weiss demanded. "I have done more for the faunus in the last month than the White Fang has for the last eleven years! Killing me would only hurt your cause! And it would paint a target on your back like never before! My father will find all of you. He'll never let you get away with doing this!"
Weiss heard a chuckle from somewhere to her right. She did not have the strength to look.
"Oh, the irony…" said a feminine voice from that direction.
Weiss furrowed her brows again.
"Don't you wonder how we found you? How we managed to get so many of us within the city limits?" the man gestured to all the White Fang soldiers around him. "We all know how outspoken you are about faunus equality. We all know how much your activism has hurt your family's company. Unfortunately, many of the faunus around the world still want to see you dead. And a select few humans too."
Weiss' lips parted as she thought about what this faunus was telling her. "Humans… You're talking about the ones opposed to the faunus equality movement?"
"I'm talking about the human. Jacques Schnee," the man snarled the name. "He gave us every little detail of how to find you."
Weiss flinched as thoughts rampaged through her mind. Her father sent the White Fang after her? What kind of madness is that? There is no way he would ever do something like that… Would he?
"Ridiculous! My father is a cruel man, but he would never do that to me!" Weiss cried out.
"He said you were becoming too much a thorn in his side to ignore. It's all in the letter he sent us." The faunus man removed a piece of damp paper from his jacket. Even in the dim light, Weiss could not mistake the wax seal for any besides her father's.
She felt her heart drop. At first, she thought she was safe; that maybe they would try to ransom her back to her father or something like that. But now she knew her fate here in this filthy parking lot.
Jacques Schnee had ordered his own daughter to be killed simply because she was damaging the revenue of his company. The realization caused tears to build in the corners of her eyes.
"No!" Weiss wailed. "My father wouldn't do that! He wouldn't!" She could not help but deny it. It was too deranged! Insane!
The man hummed and walked around Weiss, so he was parallel with her. He reached for the hilt of his sword and widened his stance.
"Know that your death will be for the betterment of all faunus," he said. "And that your father's will soon follow."
Weiss let the dam break as a cry of hurt echoed throughout the lot. How could this be happening? She was supposed to be at home with Blake, Ruby, and Yang. Why was she in this disgusting hole instead? She was going to die here after everything she had worked for.
Her heart burst inside her chest with a terrible pain at the thought of what Blake would do when she woke up tomorrow. Someone would surely have found her headless corps and reported it by then. Blake's heart would shatter, she would cry her eyes out every night…
Weiss gripped the onyx pendant around her neck. The only thing she could hold onto in her final moments, and the only piece of Blake she always carried with her.
"Adam!"
The same feminine voice Weiss heard earlier rang in her ears. She did not bother opening her tightly shut eyes and focused on the pendant in her hand while she wept.
"C-can I say something before you…" the voice trailed off.
Weiss heard the man, Adam, walk away towards the voice.
"I just… We shouldn't have come here. What she said she's done for the faunus… It's all true. Killing her just doesn't feel right anymore."
"So, what would you have me do?" asked Adam. "You think I should just let her walk out of here so she can send every officer in Vale after us?"
"N-no! Not at all!" said the woman. "I… I have an idea. We all know Jacques Schnee is really to blame for all the suffering the SDC has put us through. He should be our target, not her."
There was a brief silence filled only with Weiss' quiet weeping.
"She can help us get to him," the woman continued. "He wants her dead, so she has more than enough motivation to help us get to him first. We haven't even gotten close on our own. She can tell us things we never could have known!"
Adam hummed. Seconds ticked by but they felt like hours. He walked back to Weiss. "I guess it's your lucky day, Schnee. You should thank my friend here. She convinced me to let you live."
Weiss did not even look up. She could not even feel relieved. Her heart was still aching from being in such a horrible headspace just moments ago.
"Instead, I will offer you a choice," said Adam. "We need information. Help us kill the man who so desperately wants you dead."
A wheeze escaped Weiss' lungs as she barely lifted her head. "I get it now… You were never after me. You just want my father! That's all it was! H-he never wanted me dead! I knew it!"
Adam sighed and gripped his sword again.
"And now that you know I won't help you…" Weiss resumed. "You'll kill me anyway…"
Adam hummed again and turned around. "Then let this show of mercy be proof of my good faith. We will be waiting in our camp on the eastern outskirts of the city. Make your decision and come find us. If you bring anyone else, they will die and so will you."
Before Weiss could even look up, her scroll was lying beside Myrtenaster and Adam was gone. And so was everyone else. The rain was still beating her skin hard and deafening her senses. She did not know what to think. Everything happened so fast…
Her white-knuckled grip on the onyx pendant finally relaxed as Weiss used both her hands to support her weight. Tears continued to flow, and her heart continued to ache. Why was this happening? And why now?
Could the faunus, Adam, really be trusted? Did her father truly want her dead? She did not know.
All she could manage to do was cry in the rain…
Alone…
A/N: And there you have it! Juicy juicy plot points! I don't have much experience writing monochrome, so please feel free to tell me if the characters seem a little off. Especially Blake, as she is the character I am least comfortable with writing at the moment. Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think about this story so far in a review!