Weiss shut her book, another day of studying through as her tutor left the room.
She let out a soft sigh of relief, ready for the day to finally end and for her to be able to relax.
It had been like this for months. Rinse and repeat as everyday was filled with studies, preparation for taking control of the company.
She had been told by her father that when the new year starts, she would be enrolled in Atlas Academy.
Which means she currently had about three weeks to figure out a way to get the hell away from this place and find her way back to her teammates.
She bet that at the moment, most of them were out in the world trying to find the ones that caused the fall of Beacon. Yang was probably still at home. Every time Weiss thought about the blonde brawler's arm, she couldn't help but feel so helpless. She would never know or understand how Yang felt about it. Did she shrug it off and not let it stop her, or did she let it get to her and she's been sitting at home with no reason at all. If that was the point, then there was something more than that keeping her from going out.
Weiss entered her room and placed her book on a small table that sat next to the door. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, the shattered moon beginning to take it's place high in the sky.
She looked to her bed and spotted an envelope waiting for her to open.
Curious, she calmly approached it and grabbed it. The outside of the envelope had silver ink with her name on it.
She carefully opened the letter and read it.
Ice Princess
'That's a new one.' Weiss thought angrily.
You met me before, I'm Qrow Branwen, Ruby's uncle and the man who whipped your sister's butt in that fight at Beacon
'What the hell does he want?' Weiss asked herself bitterly, thinking back to the fight where Qrow antagonized Weiss' elder sister, Winter
This letter comes with a news article attached to the back
Ruby and the remainder of JNPR are making headway towards Haven in Mistral
'That's where that dunce has been!? What in the world does she and the others think they're doing?'
She's alright - actually, alright is a hard way to put it
She could use some help is what I'm saying
Look at the article attached and you'll know what I'm talking about
Weiss removed a paper clip that was attached to it and began to examine it.
There she saw the same tornado of rose petals that towered into the sky.
And the same picture of the now Team RNJR.
'She's... using that move in battle now?' Weiss asked herself, commenting on the vortex of carnations. Ruby had told her a couple months before the fall that she had wanted to try and get the move down right before the tournament. Though she hadn't been able to perfect it in time and went against using it in battle. 'If she's confident enough to use it against the grimm now, I guess that means she has it well mastered.'
She then looked back to the picture of RNJR and noticed the distinct changes to her partner.
'She's obviously more... womanly than before.' Weiss commented. She shook her head to rid her mind of the jealous thoughts that suddenly became prominent. Ruby's hair had obviously grown longer, not by much though, and she must have grown an inch or two since the last time they met. Her treasured cloak was now torn and tattered at the ends, her hood covering half of her face. But from what Weiss noticed, she could see the pain behind her partner's stone expression.
Weiss held up the letter from Professor Qrow and looked at it quizzically. Just how did he suspect her to get out of her home when she had been trying to do that for months now.
She had tried to convince her father to let her try and find her teammates to make sure they were alright.
The last she saw Ruby she was running up the side of the tower at Beacon. Weiss had forced herself to fall back because of the overwhelming number of grimm that were surrounding her. After that, there was the bright light when she reached the airships.
Last she saw of Blake was when she ran from the group of people. She had tried to chase after the faunus, but she was far too fast for Weiss to catch her.
And then there was Yang. She was airlifted to the nearest hospital that wasn't overrun by monsters. Weiss had gone with her and stayed with her. At the hospital, Weiss' father came for her to take her back home to Atlas.
Her father did not care for her teammates one bit, saying that the more that she was around them there was a greater chance of her dying.
There was a knock at the door and Weiss instantly shoved the letter and envelope under one of her many pillows.
"Yes?" she called out.
"Ms. Schnee." the butler called back. "Your father has requested your presence in his study."
Weiss lightly shook her head and sighed. She thought she was done with everything until dinner, after that she would be free for the rest of the day.
"I'll be right there." she replied.
She heard the footsteps of the butler echo away from her room.
She glanced back to the pillow that she shoved the letter under and noticed something.
There was writing on the back of the letter as well.
How could she forget to check the back for any more important details. That was practically a grade school mistake.
She quickly grabbed the letter once more and continued as well.
I suppose I should've had this on the front as well
But I sent a similar message to Yang and the faunus girl
Hopefully, Yang should try and come for you before doing anything
I just hope that my words will get through to her
Weiss' eyes dilated slightly.
'Yes! That is something you put on the front! I almost didn't completely read that part!' she internally shouted.
She put the thought to the back of her mind and slid the letter under the pillow once more.
Exiting the room, she walked through the many corridors of her large family home. With one final turn, she spotted the door to her father's office.
Stopping herself outside the door, she checked her dress that some people had compared to the scene of a cloudy winter evening. In a good way. She wanted to make sure that there was no spots or wrinkles to be seen in it. If there was someone in the room that her father wanted her to meet, then she needed to look as professional as possible. Though she doubted that there would be anyone there, her father would have told her in advance.
Weiss wrapped her knuckles on the door twice before she heard her father call for her to come in.
She opened the door and entered the room. As soon as she stepped inside, her father stood from behind his desk. His pristine white suit looking as clean as ever. If Weiss would ever have the power to change her father's outward appearance, she would have him shave off that blasted mustache. She felt that he would be taken a bit more serious at times if he didn't have it.
"Weiss. How was your studies today?" he asked, moving around his desk to be just in front of his daughter.
"The same as usual, father." she replied. "Everything is getting easier as the days go by."
"I would only assume them to. I did hire some of the best tutors out there to come and personally prepare you for the Atlas school."
"Of course, father." Weiss replied.
"Well, now that you're here, there is something that I need to inform you about-." he was interrupted by the ringing of the scroll that sat on his desk.
Mr. Schnee sighed in annoyance and held up his index finger to his daughter. "Hold that thought."
He walked back over to his desk and answered the scroll.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but there is a car at the front gates. The driver is one of the professors from the academy and the passenger is a younger girl who is requesting to speak with you and Ms. Weiss." The voice stated.
"And, what of it?" Mr. Schnee responded. People came everyday to propose business to the two of them.
"The girl says that she is close to Ms. Weiss in some way." The guard stated.
Mr. Schnee turned his head towards his daughter questioningly. Weiss raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Send a picture of the girl. I have Weiss with me." he ordered.
Seconds later, the image popped up on the screen and Mr. Schnee turned the screen to Weiss.
Weiss lightly gasped as to who the image was of.
"Yang." she said under her breath.
Yang did not look happy. She wasn't sure if it was because Weiss had been held up for the past few months in her home or if it was the pure determination to try and get Weiss out of there to search for Ruby. Whichever it was, she would just be glad to be taken as far away from Atlas as possible.
"Who?" her father asked.
Weiss regained her composure. "An acquaintance. She may have something to tell me in person. Let them through." she said.
"Yes, ma'am." the guard said.
The call ended and Weiss' father looked to her.
"Who is it?" he asked.
"We'll see exactly who they are now when they get here."
Minutes passed, her father decided to hold the previous conversation that he and Weiss were about to have, thinking that this new event would possibly be more important.
A knocking at the door sounded and the door opened. A butler entered the room.
"Mr. Schnee, Ms. Weiss. This is Ms. Yang Xiao Long."
The butler moved to the side and the blonde haired girl stepped through.
"Xiao Long?" Mr. Schnee asked, realizing just who that named belong to.
"That's me." Yang said. She turned to Weiss. "Long time no see." she said with a half smile.
Weiss' couldn't take her eyes off of the right sleeve of the jacket that was tied up in a knot.
Yang noticed this. "Take a picture. It'll last longer." She said bitterly.
Weiss looked away. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Yang said. "You couldn't help it."
Weiss wasn't sure if she meant that she couldn't help the staring... or she couldn't help with the situation in which she lost it.
Both cases were true.
Weiss couldn't hold it anymore. She quickly dashed to Yang and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
"I'm so glad to see that you're alright."
Yang was surprised by the sudden closeness of the once cold heiress.
"Guess you warmed up to all of us after all, eh Snow Angel." Yang commented.
Weiss stiffened at the mentioning of the ridiculous nickname.
"And you ruined the moment." Weiss said, pulling away.
Yang smiled at the way that Weiss returned to her usually self.
At the time, Mr. Schnee cleared his throat, making sure that his presence in the room was not forgotten.
"I do understand that this is the first time that you two are seeing each other in quite a while. But Ms. Xiao Long, please let yourself know that both me and Weiss are very busy with certain matters at hand. So if I may ask, what brings you here to my home?"
"To find my sister." Yang stated simply.
Mr. Schnee chuckled and closed his eyes. "I am quite sure that you will not find that joke of a leader in my home."
Within milliseconds, it felt as if the room raised fifty degrees in temperature.
Mr. Schnee looked at Weiss who looked upset at what he had said, but at the same time, frightened.
When he turned to Yang, his heart raised to his throat.
Red eyes bored deeply into his own blue ones. Weren't they purple just a moment ago?
Oh right. He remembered reading in the files that he had received from Beacon about her semblance.
"I'll give you five seconds to choose your next words carefully."
"Yang. Please." Weiss said to her former teammate. She obviously wanted to hear what Yang came all the way out here to say. She didn't want her to be thrown out within the first two minutes.
Yang looked at Weiss and saw the pleading look in the her light blue eyes.
She took a few deep breaths and the temperature in the room decreased, but the red tint in her eyes had yet to disappear.
"Why are you here searching for your sister?" Mr. Schnee asked.
"I know she's not here. I actually know where she's going. But it's the means of getting there is where I need the help."
"Well I'm sure that I can have a bullhead take you to-"
"But if I'm going out to find her, I'm not leaving here without her partner."
Weiss was internally screeching 'GET ME OUT OF HERE!' but on the outside was keeping her composure and giving her father a smug smile.
Mr. Schnee laughed once more at Yang's words.
"Surely that will not be happening. She is my daughter and has her own duties here at home to work towards. She can't waste her time by going on a wild goose chase for an AWOL huntress in training, only for herself to be labeled as AWOL as well. And when you do find your sister, what will happen? Will you continue on her, what I can only assume, adventure that she decided to take part in."
"That was the plan. Yes." Yang admitted with a deep breath.
Weiss lightly pressed her hand against her face.
Mr. Schnee laughed even harder. "Now I am definitely not going to let Weiss leave here with you. I would rather my daughter not die for a possibly meaningless cause."
"I wouldn't count on that." Yang replied.
"How so?" He asked.
"Ever since the fall of the CCT at Beacon, the communication between the branches of the SDC has surely been cut off, or slowed, and has forced you to resort to using messengers through bullhead. Am I correct?"
"Of course. With one of the CCT's gone, the others are essentially useless until we regain control at Beacon."
"What if I told you my sister knows who was responsible for the fall of Beacon."
Mr. Schnee lost his amused smile and raised an eyebrow.
"We know what happened. The White Fang led the Grimm into the city and took control of the Atlas androids."
"That's only half true." Yang mentioned.
"What do you mean?"
"The fall of Beacon was, in terms, an inside job. Mercenaries not affiliated with the White Fang infiltrated the campus under the alias of a team of Haven students and then hacked into the CCT to then take control of the Atlas ships through the computer networks. Everything shouldn't have been connected to everything. That is one of the reasons the fall was too easy for them."
"Do you know who the fake students were?" Mr. Schnee asked.
"Yes, actually I do." Yang pulled out a sheet of paper from a pocket in her pants. "Months ago, when I was still recovering from the loss of my arm and about a month after my sister left on her little expedition, she sent me something containing a letter and a map of the route that she, and three other Beacon students, are taking to Haven. Based on an article that I received from my uncle and some estimation, she should be at the Haven limits within the next month or two. With that letter, she told me the names. Their names were Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, Neo, no last name mentioned, and Cinder Fall, who was the ring leader and murderer of Pyrrha Nikos, the Mistral regional champion and teammate of the three people that are now traveling with Ruby. Since then, the team of fake students vanished. The current best bet that they say they have right now is Haven." Yang informed.
"Why didn't she tell this to anyone!? We could have gone after them months ago!" Mr. Schnee shouted in slight anger and disbelief.
"She was one of the survivors of the fall of Beacon who was battling harder than everyone. She is also, unknowingly to many, the reason why there is still a Wyvern frozen at the top of Beacon tower. A fifteen year old girl who had done so much and could only assume to be going through mental trauma and crazy. Do you really think that any form of media would pay her any attention?"
Mr. Schnee couldn't help but admit that was a valid point. People would realize that the mind of a child is a delicate thing to deal with.
"So, me and another group of students from Beacon will be leaving to cut them off and join up with them. She's on the route of justice for the lives that were taken and destroyed during the fall."
"But there is one thing, Ms. Xiao Long. How will petty revenge bring back the CCT and all the lives that were lost?"
Yang opened her mouth to raise her argument against his question, but nothing would come.
What would happen when the get to Haven? Would they find anything there? What if there was nothing in Haven?
"Father." Weiss said. "If I may interject, I feel that what the point in the mission could be is that this is the best thing to do to try and avoid a war between the kingdoms. Since the disappearance of Professor Ozpin and the fall of Beacon, all of the kingdoms have been pointing fingers at Atlas."
"Yes, Weiss." her father said. "I have been quite in line with the politics over the passing months."
"As have I. But this could very well be a way to try and stop this from happening. The kingdoms are blaming the wrong people and playing right into the hands of the same people that took down Beacon. The moment the fires of war are ignited, they will be considered the victors. In one of the few and rare times, I agree with Yang. The kingdoms won't listen to a group of children, so why not go out and try to bring justice on our own terms with our own power."
Weiss looked at her father with an unwavering stare. She was more serious than she had been in Yang's time knowing her.
"I will not stand for being lectured by my children. Ms. Xiao Long, I believe that you have overstayed your time here in my home. If you still wish, I can have a bullhead take you to the point in which you may reunite with your sister, but Weiss will not be joining you."
"Mr. Schnee, please!"
"Father!"
Another knock sounded at the door.
"WHAT!?" All three people in the room shouted.
"Mr. Schnee, the general has arrived along with Ms. Winter and a scientist from the Atlas Military."
"Ironwood and Winter?" Mr. Schnee said to himself. "What are they doing here?"
Yang knew exactly what they were doing here.
The door opened and the three figures stepped through.
Yang had met the general and Weiss' sister before. But the third person was a new face to her. He had a medium height and a rotund figure. The top of his head was balding, but the back was grown out in puffy white hair, indicating the age of the man. A bushy mustache and beard combo covered his lower face and two large bushy eyebrow sat just above his brown eyes.
"General Ironwood, Winter, Dr. Geppetto. I did not expect you to be here. What is the occasion?" Mr. Schnee asked.
"We came to discuss certain matters on the account of the other kingdoms, but it appears you already have a guest. Ms. Xiao Long, why are you here?" The general stated.
At that moment, Yang began to explain the entire journey from the fall of Beacon to the point of where they are now. She made sure to throw in extra details such as team CFVY also coming along with them. Then she explained how Ruby had gone out with the remainder of Team JNPR to track down the ones responsible.
"So what you're telling me is that Ms. Rose has gone out on her own excursion in the pursuit of justice in stead of the one's who would not listen to her, meaning the kingdoms."
"That's the jist of it," Yang said. "Yeah." she nodded her head a few times for confirmation.
"General." The chubby man, who was identified as Doctor Geppetto, spoke up then. "Did you say Ms. Rose? What is her full name?" he asked.
"Ruby Rose." Yang responded for the General. "My sisters full name is Ruby Rose. Why do you ask?"
The doctor grew a sad look but kept his variation of optimistic tone. "My daughter was good friends with Ms. Rose." he informed her.
"Your daughter?" Yang asked.
The man nodded. "Yes. Penny Polendina. Who, unfortunately, was one of the victims of the fall of Beacon." he lowered his line of sight towards the ground.
Both Yang and Weiss exchanged a surprised look. "I'm sorry." Yang said as she looked back to the doctor.
"As am I." he said, raising his head back up. "But, I am truly grateful for your sister being a part of Penny's life. Whenever I spoke to Penny, she seemed to have a new story to share about herself, Ruby and some of the other students of Beacon that she grew to know in the short time that she was there. Ruby was one of Penny's closest friends. Penny even told me that Ruby knew who she was and accepted her for it. Saying that she had a soul, not matter how she looked at it."
Yang nodded again. "That sounds like something my sister would say. She may have been a real turtle around the time of Signal and the beginning of Beacon, but when she broke out of her shell, she came to really care for a lot of people."
"And for that, I must thank you, as well."
"Me?" Yang asked.
"Certainly. There have been plenty of times where fellow scientists at the labs had thought of Penny as being an abomination. Saying that technology was too advanced for us and that we should scrap her while we were ahead. But I wouldn't have been able to bare to do that. Her AI program was the first stage of her. In between the time of her being created and her body being complete, she already saw me as a father. Some people would say we bonded so well to actually be that to the point where she started to call me Dad. She was very conscious of her not being human, but dreamed of one day being considered one. You must've helped Ruby by guiding her way through most of her life, as the role of a sister, so I feel that you must have had something to do with the way that she treated Penny. How she considered her a friend. "
"It is an elder siblings role to try and guide their younger sibling on the right path. Just as important as their own parents." Winter added in from the side. She gave Weiss a knowing grin as well.
"Weiss here was also a friend of Penny's. She was a part of our small yet expanding clique." Yang informed the daughter.
"Then I must thank you as well, Ms. Schnee." Dr. Geppetto looked to Weiss.
"You really don't have to, Doctor." Weiss said. "She was a friend of Ruby's and that was what lead to all of us becoming her friend as well. She just fit right in. Almost like a puzzle piece."
"Well, I'm glad she was able to meet everyone she could." The doctor mentioned.
"I think this now leads up to the point where I was about to have Ms. Xiao Long leave the residence." Mr. Schnee decided at that point that it was time to stop the heartfelt moment.
"Why would you do that?" Dr. Geppetto asked.
"She came into my home on the ground of taking Weiss with her to find her sister."
"And?" The Doctor asked.
"What do you mean "And"? I will not have Weiss go out and risk her life for a possible meaningless cause!"
"I wouldn't say meaningless, Schnee." General Ironwood stated. "If I had the power, I would go out and join the girl myself on the journey with the support of my army behind them. But, since the Vale incident, my powers have been limited. They choose to seek justice. What they say is correct. The other kingdoms are looking in the wrong place by placing the blame on Atlas."
"You're siding with them!?" Mr. Schnee shouted.
"Three thousand four hundred and twenty nine."
"What?" Mr. Schnee responded, completely confused.
"Three thousand four hundred and twenty nine. That is how many body bags in total were zipped after a week since what happened in Vale. And the last thing that the other kingdoms saw were Atlas androids firing upon innocent civilians of Vale. Mistal and Vacuo have cut off most communication with Atlas. Vale is no longer safe. This is not something that everyone will simply overlook to go on a wild goose chase. If someone has a lead, then they should follow it. And take everyone that they see fit to go with them."
"See fit? She has no arm, James!"
"I can fix that." Dr. Geppetto said nonchalantly.
The room went quiet.
Yang eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"Your arm. I can give you a new one." he confirmed. "It will be a fairly simple procedure."
"In which I cannot afford." Yang said, her eyes looking saddened.
"Who said anything about a cost? You have already paid the price enough. You tried to save as many lives as you could have on the day of the fall. Even going out of the way to try and save your own partner, only for you to lose your own arm in the attempt. And above all else, you and your sister, even you, Ms. Schnee, were all good friends with Penny. That, and I feel that it is the right thing to do, as Penny would do as well."
"Sir, I really appreciate the offer, but I can't accept." Yang said.
Suddenly, Yang felt a sharp pain in her side. She looked down to see Weiss' elbow jabbing deep into her.
"Dammit Yang! For once in your life would you stop being so selfish and accept the man's offer!" Weiss shouted.
"I highly recommend Dr. Geppetto, Ms. Xiao Long. He has helped me a few times in the past." General Ironwood added. "He knows his cybernetics."
"Helped?" Doctor Geppetto said. "I did a lot more than that, James." he turned to Yang. "Should have seen the man. Practically in the coffin on my operating table. Torn in half. I'll tell ya what, he ain't half the man he used to be."
"You're serious about the arm?" Yang asked.
"As serious as Professor Ozpin." Geppetto confirmed, not breaking eye contact with the blonde brawler.
Yang mulled over her choices.
"Alright I guess I got nothing to lose."
"And I'm going too." Weiss stated. She turned to her father. "Whether you like it or not. I'm eighteen now. I can make my own choices. And my choice is to fight alongside my team."
Three Weeks Later
Yang had gone through the surgery and it was completely successful.
They had decided with the design of the arm to look completely normal. The strongest metal through the arm entirely and infused with special dust combinations to it's durability. The elbow of the arm was plated and colored a bright yellow to match her hair. A second Ember Celica was made to replace the old one lost in the fall... along with her arm. It would never be the same as the old beauty. But she would get used to it.
Yang called her father to let him know what had happened. She told him that they would be a while and to let CFVY know.
He didn't mind them being in the house for a while longer.
Apparently they had been a great help around the house.
Yang also called him more recently to let him know that the time was close.
She was only halfway through her physical therapy, but with her rapid recovery aura, the advanced medical treatments and dust treatments, she felt ready to go.
At the moment, she was using a punching bag that was set up in the PT room. As her rapid punches connected with the leather, she thought back to a conversation with Doctor Geppetto about her new arm.
"Hey, Doc. So will I be able to store up power for a punch before I strike?"
"Not quite. If you had a full arm, then that would be definite. Overclocking the arm would be possible, but that in itself is very straining and taxing. The most you will be able to do is stop some strikes that you weren't able to before. But keep in mind that you won't be able to stop everything dead in it's tracks."
"So just be mindful of the strikes, got it."
Every time Yang punched the bag, she could feel the difference between each punch. Her right was significantly stronger than the left. The metal in the arm was a definite benefactor to that.
With one last punch, the door to the room opened and Doctor Geppetto walked into the room.
Yang stopped her strikes and turned to the doctor.
"Afternoon, Doc." she greeted.
"Hello, Yang." he had a scroll in his hands that Yang couldn't quite make out what he was looking at on it through the back of it.
"What's that for?" Yang asked.
"This is the final part of the arm."
"It's not done yet?" she asked.
"Not quite."
"Is it one of those overclock things that you were talking about. Wait, no, it can't be because you said that could only be effective with a full cybernetic arm." she reminded herself.
"Correct, it is not that. But what it is will help you greatly along the journey." he gestured towards an operating table where he would usually perform any form of repairs needed for the arm. "Come lay down for a minute."
"You got it." Yang said, having been through the process many times before for needed calibrations.
The two walked over to the table and Yang lied down on the large white surface.
Dr. Geppetto walked over to the console connected to the table and began to enter codes and commands into it.
Reaching for the table, he grabbed a long tube that had a sharp blade on the end. "Ready for the pinch." he said as plunged the blade into an opening in her metal arm. Yang felt as the blade connected to her artificial nerves that connected the arm to the rest of the body. She bit the pain back, having gotten used to it.
The doctor began pressing more commands into the console before he finally connected the scroll as well.
Seconds later, green lights began to illuminate Yang's arm and the room around them.
"What is that?" Yang asked, slightly nervous about what he was doing.
"Something special."
The final light was lit. A green circle in the center of her palm.
"Salutations, Yang."
AN: Well, here's chapter two guys.
I know I'm venturing into some uncharted territory with "predicting" the future of the show.
But I hope you will all like what I thought might happen... please like it :D
This chapter was edited by the one and only MartunaMajor, go check out some of his work, he's a great guy.
There is one chapter left after this one guys!
HYPE
Talk to you all later, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!