This is another favorite chapter of mine ^^

Chapter 14: Weiss Schnee: Origin

As with any story, there is a beginning.

And the beginning of the prestigious Schnee family started with Ludwig Schnee.

It was in Germany. As more people possessing an abnormal ability came into light, there were those who grew curious of the potential of these Meta Abilities. Some wished to study them, no matter how draconian, while others wished to use these 'mutants' for their own needs.

And one tyrant wanted both.

Ludwig Schnee was a simple miner with a prodigious level of engineering and mechanical skills, working in a quarry for this tyrant, who liked to call himself the Kaiser. Ludwig, along with his wife and four children, tried to keep their Meta Abilities a secret so the Kaiser doesn't take them away. Until an accident happened in the mines. There was a cave in, and Ludwig saw a fellow miner in danger of being crushed. Not willing to let someone die, Ludwig used his Ability – Glyph, he called it – to protect his workmate. The workmate was grateful for Ludwig and promised to keep his Ability a secret.

Unfortunately, another miner saw the whole thing and went to a nearby soldier to report, as the Kaiser issued a reward for whoever could report a Meta Ability user.

Later that day, Ludwig and his family were arrested.

Once the Kaiser learned of Ludwig's engineering skills, he gave him an ultimatum: Work for him or he and his family will be used for experimentations.

And so, Ludwig worked for the Kaiser. Over the next several years, Ludwig would design and create various weapons for the Kaiser's conquest. Luckily, the Kaiser kept his word and didn't lay a hand on Ludwig's family, who are still locked away. Sadly, one of Ludwig's children passed away, but the man was unable to do anything, having to be unavailable for his family due to the Kaiser's multiple requests for weapons of warfare.

But, before anything could happen, a group of vigilantes infiltrated the Kaiser's center of operations, stopping his plans and freed his prisoners, including Ludwig and his remaining family. Once rescued and amazed by the vigilantes, Ludwig crafted support equipment for them as a thank you. Ludwig would soon go on to create more support equipment for the vigilantes with the help of his family, wanting to assist these acts of heroism.

After another few years, Ludwig moved with his family from Germany to Japan to get away from the remainder of the Kaiser's men. Ludwig then dies shortly after. After his death, his oldest son, Klaus, continued his work to assist the heroes and started the Schnee Support Company in the Hokkaido Prefecture, in the Mantoru Ward in the city now known as Soritasu.

Things started off slow, as there were other support companies in the country. To help Klaus, his own son, Nicholas Schnee, would become the White Knight Hero: Edelweiss, to promote Klaus' wares with his own heroic feats and once Klaus passed away, Nicholas became the next head of the SSC. Despite this, Nicholas continued to be a hero on the side, sometimes even assisting All Might.

Thanks to Nicholas' feats, the Schnee Support Company was an organization built for the heroes and public to help make their lives easier.

That all changed when Jacques Gelé married Nicholas' daughter, Willow. Nicholas was a very trusting person, who would rather see the good in people. But, he failed to see the true reason for Jacques' marriage proposal to Willow. It wasn't because he loved her. It was for profit.

Soon, Nicholas grew ill and was forced to step down from heroism and his CEO position. Following his retirement, Jacques became the new CEO with Willow's blessings and decided to move the company to the Atorasu Ward…

…And the once admirable Schnee Support Company would soon become nothing but a memory.

Weiss was blind to it all.

In fact, before she was born, her older sister, Winter, was supposed to be the heiress to the SSC. Weiss did think it was strange. After all, it's usually the oldest child who'd inherit a company from their parents. So, why Weiss, the second child? It was simple.

After hearing stories of heroism from her grandfather Nicholas, Winter had decided to become a hero, but Jacques didn't want that. He didn't want his daughter to, as he put it, risk her life for strangers. In reality, he didn't want his leash on her being longer than necessary and risk breaking. And when Winter didn't falter, Jacques decided to cut his losses and move on to make the next heir. Willow didn't mind when she was pregnant as she loved being a mother, unaware of her husband's intentions.

And thus, Weiss was born to live Jacques' legacy. A year later, the only son of the family, Whitley, would be born as a precaution.

Weiss lived in luxury. She was born with everything, and her comforts were guaranteed so she wouldn't want anything but what Jacques can provide and keep her blind of everything else. Despite Jacques' efforts, Weiss would still hear Nicholas' stories whenever she visited him in the hospital for his ailing health, in addition with Winter when she started to attend the hero course in Shiketsu High from across Japan. When Weiss turned five, Nicholas Schnee died. At his funeral, Weiss sang for him, showing incredible vocal talent for a child her age. And Jacques saw another profitable chance: Using Weiss' singing for charitable events.

At least this would prevent Weiss from becoming a hero.

Two years later, Weiss was seven years old when she met All Might for the first time. It was at one of those charity events that the hero was attending to show support. Weiss could still remember his first words to her.

"So, this is little Weiss Schnee!" the man said, looking down at the awestruck child, even though he was kneeling. His tone was still boisterous, but softer as to not scare the little girl. "I have heard of your singing talent before. I can't wait to see it for myself!"

Like any other child of this generation, Weiss was amazed by the No. 1 hero. So, of course, she was excited to be singing in front of such an icon. And she did just that as All Might watched from the private box above accompanied by his sidekick Sir Nighteye, just opposite of her father and mother in the other private box. Her mother gave her silent support, as did Winter while she was training.

Just as Weiss finished her song, a villain decided to make his move, wreaking havoc. The heroes present began to evacuate the civilians. Scared, little Weiss ran to the backstage. During the chaos, the spotlights above began to break off, one piece hitting Weiss in the eye and before the rest began to fall on the stage, where Weiss stood, frozen in fear. The child closed her eyes and curled into a ball as Willow watched in horror. The debris made their mark, piling on the hapless child.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the debris began to lift to reveal a large body protecting a smaller one. All Might protecting little Weiss. There was another surprise. All Might wasn't the one lifting up the pipes and lights.

It was a Glyph.

Weiss had unknowingly projected a Glyph to protect herself before All Might came to the rescue. All Might punched away the metal pieces and took Weiss to her relieved mother. Weiss was taken to the hospital to be treated and All Might arrived later to check on her.

He offered to pay for the hospital bill and Willow accepted, thankful for All Might's quickness as she knew full well that even if Weiss didn't summon the Glyph, All Might would still have been there to save her.

All Might acknowledged the strength of Weiss' Glyph, bringing up the heroic feats of Nicholas Schnee. Weiss then asked the hero if she could be one too.

All Might said, "Of course! If you wish to be!"

That spurred a spirit that Weiss didn't know she had. Even when her wound from the attack healed into a scar, Weiss viewed it as a treasure, a reminder of that night and All Might's words. Over the next few years, she would talk about what kind of hero she could become. Willow was very supportive, having grown up with a hero for a father. Jacques, on the other hand, was displeased. He didn't want to lose another pawn to the lure of heroism. He was patient, telling himself that Weiss will eventually lose interest. But she didn't, much to his frustration. Still, he tried to keep up with his caring father façade.

When Weiss was ten, that's when things started to change.

It happened on her tenth birthday in fact. Jacques had missed the birthday banquet and Willow was furious. And so, they argued. They argued until Jacques admitted he only married into the family for its money and name.

It took one moment to shake the foundation…

Life grew lonelier for Weiss.

Jacques abandoned his kind father and good husband façade in front of his family, as he had no reason to use it anymore. Willow had taken to drinking, and slowly but surely… Weiss could be lucky to catch even a glimpse of her mother without a wine bottle in hand.

As for Weiss' dream of becoming a hero…Jacques sought to distinguish that too.

He was ruthless with his words at the prospect of Weiss becoming a hero. And he would coat it with honey, like a trap.

'Darling, you're much too delicate to be a hero.'

'You are needed here, Weiss. Not out there.'

'No one needs you, Weiss. But I do.'

And they were working.

Soon, Weiss abandoned her dream to become a hero and surrendered herself to be a puppet for her father.

And that wasn't the end of it.

Once she learned of her father's transgression, it was like a silk veil was suddenly ripped away. The smiling and friendly faces she came to know turned out to be masks to hide ulterior motives. Weiss soon realized that she had been surrounded by liars and pretenders who only affiliated themselves with her solely for her name. And it hurt Weiss more to speak with those people at every recital, knowing full well that they didn't care for Weiss. They only cared for the Schnee name. And what made it more painful was that some of them were heroes…

And to further hit the nail, she started to see what her father had done to the company. Poor working conditions to cut costs, deliberately making equipment faulty for extra profit, unnecessary extortions…Weiss starting to realize how unsavory many of Jacques' business partners truly are…

It broke Weiss' heart to see their family's reputation had been dragged through the mud. She confided to her younger brother, Whitley, about her thoughts. She trusted him to keep it between them and Whitley promised her.

Only for Whitley to tell their father.

Weiss had no one to turn to anymore. Winter had moved out. Willow was lost to the sweet escape of alcohol. And Whitley would rather side with Jacques than to cause trouble.

Weiss felt alone.

"You're Weiss, right?" asked a thirteen-year-old Momo Yaoyorozu. She wore a brilliant gown for the charity event that was hosted by the Schnee family for a recent villain attack.

"Yes, I am," Weiss said with robotic politeness. If Weiss remembered correctly, Momo was the only child of the esteemed Yaoyorozu family. A hero family that her father wanted to do business with. So, as the Schnee heiress, Weiss must be friendly to the current heiress of the Yaoyorozu family, Momo.

"I thought so," Momo said. Weiss waited for Momo to say anything else, but the taller girl seemed…awkward…why? Well, it looks like she might need to lead the conversation.

"Did you like my performance?" Weiss asked.

"Oh! Y-Yes! I have. You have a lovely singing voice," Momo said. "And you've been singing since you were five?"

"Yes. That is correct." Weiss had tried to find a crack in that friendly mask.

"What school do you go to?" Momo asked.

"I attend Samui Elite Academy." Any crack. No matter how small. So, Weiss would know that Momo is a pretender. Just like everybody else.

Momo nodded at her answer. "Do you have a favorite color?"

"…A what?" What kind of question is that?

"A favorite color. Mine is this rich red color. Like a crimson color. What about you?" Momo asked.

Weiss stared at her, dumbstruck. Shouldn't she be asking about other things, like the family business or other important stuff?

"Uh…well…Blue. A soft blue. Like pastel colors," she answered.

"Like the color of your dress?"

"That's right."

Momo smiled. "It looks so pretty on you."

"…Thank you. And red suits you too…"

Weiss wasn't sure what happened next, but they talked…and talked…and talked…about everything and nothing at the same time. And…it was nice. For the first time in a long time, Weiss felt good.

Then, came the question:

"Are you going to become a hero?" Weiss finds herself asking.

Momo nodded. "I am. My family came from a long line of heroes. I felt that it was right for me to honor that by continuing that line. True, I could get any job, but…I don't know…being a hero just felt right to me. What about you?"

"...What about me?" Weiss asked, a little taken back by the question.

"Are you going to become a hero too?"

"I…I used to…"

Momo looked puzzled. "Used to?" Weiss nodded. "What changed?"

Weiss remembers her tenth birthday. "…Something came up…and I realized that I am not fit to be a hero."

"I see…" There was some bit of silence and Weiss thought that Momo was going to leave. Instead, the girl gave Weiss a slip of paper. "I have to go, but here is my phone number so we can talk again later. Is that all right?"

"…Sure. Here let me give you mine."

After they exchange numbers, they bid each other farewell, silently promising to call each other.

A promise that they were able to keep. Sure, they were many prefectures apart, about 4 to 5 hours by flight, but they decided to make plans to see each other over the weekends. Jacques thought nothing of it, seeing that this might strengthen his partnership with the Yaoyorozu.

Then, one day, as Weiss was preparing for a school event, she dropped an earring. The accessory fell to the ground and rolled underneath the vanity. Weiss went down to get it. When she did, she saw something else under there, covered in dust. After getting the earring, she reached for the unknown object. Since it was out of her reach, she decided to use a Glyph, something she hadn't used in a long time, to move the item to her.

Now in her hands, Weiss saw that it was a picture frame. Why was it underneath the vanity? She wiped a bit of the caked dust away, revealing the smiling visage of All Might. Curious, she brushes away more of the dust to reveal more of the picture. She was there too. Seven years old and perched on All Might's shoulder. On the lower right-hand corner were the handwritten words,

'Go beyond, Young Weiss! – All Might'

All Might…the Symbol of Peace…was he as fake as everybody else? …

'Everything will be alright! Why? Because I am here!'

…No…no, he was not…

If he was, then why hasn't he showed up to other junctions?

Because he was saving people.

Why isn't All Might kissing up to Jacques to be on his good side?

Because he treated everyone equally.

Why isn't All Might protecting her and her family?

Because he is everyone's hero.

Because he is a hero who gives people hope…

Then where was Weiss' hope…

Back to the photo, Weiss noticed something else on the frame's lower left corner. She wipes the dust away to reveal the old photo of Nicholas in armor, as the White Knight Hero: Edelweiss.

Seeing that photo brought chills down Weiss' spine…

…She had it…she always had it…She had always been given that hope…and Jacques took it away…

…Or rather, he nearly did.

Just as it took one moment to shake a foundation, it could also take one moment to restore it. Weiss' dream had been revived.

Right under Jacques' nose, she would go on to train for the hero exam, but not for Shiketsu. Nor any of the hero schools in Hokkaido. They're too close to home.

UA. She's going to UA. Like Momo is. Like All Might did.

Weiss waited patiently, as those large gates opened so she could prove herself…to the world… that she is worthy…

…That she is…

So much more…

[Current Time]

Weiss reopened her eyes at the large crowd cheering for the upcoming fight. She took a few breaths as she settled her nerves before heading for the ring.

{Here we are, ladies and gents and others in between! Yet another greatly anticipated battle is about to begin! The bombastic powerhouse, Katsuki Bakugo, facing the elegantly poised heiress, Weiss Schnee! Who will win and go on to the final round!}

"Here you are, Ms. Schnee," Klein Sieben said as he held out a tray, containing a nice cup of tea resting over a saucer, to a young woman in her late 20s with slate-blue eyes, dark eyebrows, and long white hair. The latter of which is tied back in a bun that is high on the left side of the back of her head, along with bangs along the right side of her face and a small curled lock of hair down the left just above her shoulder.

Her outfit consists of a white long-sleeved coat - said sleeves are somewhat loose - with a single dark blue clasp around the center waist holding it shut alongside a red jeweled brooch on the collar. The coat's length runs down to her ankles and the sleeves are split from shoulder to elbow. She wears a white pleated sleeveless blouse with a dark blue waistcoat. A pair of white trousers with dark blue garters alongside a pair of gray thigh boots with black detailing around the knees. She also wears a pair of black forearm length gloves with gray trimmed cuffs.

This woman, seated in an immaculate - yet comfy - armchair located in a refined yet comfortable feeling living room, is the Sigil Hero: Regina Ice.

Winter Schnee.

"Thank you, Klein," the woman thanked as she took the cup and saucer. Before her was a modest sized television, showcasing the UA Sports Festival and the current match of her younger sister facing off Katsuki Bakugo.

"Ms. Weiss has come so far…" Klein's eyes changed to red. "That boy looks like he means business." He sneezes and his eyes are light blue. "Oh my…I hope she'll be okay."

Winter sets the cup back on the saucer after she had taken a sip.

"So as long as she remembers why she wishes to attend UA, I think she'll be alright," the woman said with a knowing smile.

Meanwhile in Soritasu, Hokkaido…

"Congratulations on your daughter making it this far, Jacques," a crisped dress man complimented the older gentleman. Said older gentleman is fair-skinned with white, slicked-back hair. He has a large, thick mustache and cold blue eyes that have a greedy glit to them.

He wears a pure white double-breasted blazer with a red handkerchief in the breast pocket. Underneath, he wore a light-blue dress shirt, vest and a white tie, printed with the same emblem on his shoes. He had a silver-colored ring on his right hand.

This…was Jacques Schnee, current CEO of the Schnee Support Company.

For this year's Sports Festival, Jacques had invited many influential people, business partners and heroes, to his estate to bear witness his heiress participating. They have all gathered in the ballroom, where a giant projector screen was erected at the stage.

The man laughs arrogantly. "Why, thank you. I knew it was smart to send her to UA where her talents could truly shine," Jacques boasted.

"I find it quite perplexing that she was willing to work with that bird looking thing for that cavalry battle," a woman said, standing next to the man from before. She has pale blonde hair styled into a nice bun and tanned skin with a beauty mark under her eye to compliment her black dress. She scoffed haughtily. "And here I thought she had standards."

"Honey…" the man scolded his wife. "Please forgive us for that, Jacques."

Jacques was dismissive. "Ah, there was no harm. My daughter was simply using that child to further advance her. Though, she could've done better than 5th place…" Jacques clears his throat. "Despite that setback, look at her now. All those previous children were nothing compared to her. It baffles me how they would even try, especially that young lady from before. My little Weiss has grown so much. Just one round away from winning the festival in the name of the Schnees."

"I have no doubt she'll win, sir," the husband said with confidence.

"Doesn't UA have other departments in their curriculum?" the trophy wife asked. "Perhaps you should send your boy there next year. I bet they can use another one of your children." She gestures to the young man standing next to Jacques. He has white hair and light blue eyes with a fair complexion. His hair is mostly pushed to the left, although he does have a cowlick and has a slender build with a height of 159 cm.

His attire consists of a short-sleeved white dress shirt, the sleeves fastened just above his elbows by navy blue cuffs, each with twin gold buttons. Over his untucked shirt, he wears a light blue vest, with a black handkerchief in his right breast pocket. He also wears a black necktie, navy blue trousers and black dress shoes.

"Whitley?" Jacques said. The young man glances up at his father with a polite smile as the man smoothes his mustache and ponders at the idea. A part of him was apprehensive, given how far away UA is. "That…may prove beneficial. Especially now that All Might has begun teaching at UA."

Whitley shifts his gave at the projector screen, showing his sister facing against Bakugo.

'So…you're really going to UA, sister?'

Her eyes looked so fierce that day before she left.

'Yes. I am. So, shut up and watch, Whitley.'

His polite smile then turned a bit smug.

"I'm always watching, my fearless and foolish sister."

{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}

Weiss Schnee

Quirk: Glyphs

"Sigils unique to the direct members of the Schnee family, which gains new properties with each generation."

— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student

— Birthday: 05/15 (Taurus)

— Height: 157 cm

— Blood Type: A

— Likes: Apples, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

— Color: Heart of Ice (F7FBFF)

{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}

Katsuki Bakugo

Quirk: Explosion

"Sweats a nitroglycerin-like substance from the palms of his hands to create explosions."

— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student

— Birthday: 04/20 (Taurus)

— Height: 172 cm

— Blood Type: A

— Likes: Hiking, Spicy Foods

— Color: Coral (DCD02E)

{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}

Back at the Sports Festival Stadium…

"I'm having a bad feeling about this," Kaminari muttered.

Kirishima looks at him quizzically. "What makes you say that?"

"You think a snowball would have a chance in hellfire?" Sero questioned.

"Yeah…I'm actually scared for Schnee…I don't think she's as scrappy as Rose, ya know?" Mina said. "What do you think, Yaoyorozu?"

"…I'm not quite sure, to be honest," Momo admitted uneasily. "Weiss is indeed fast, really fast thanks to her Glyphs, but…"

"Bakugo is practically a tank," Tsuyu finished. "He can take hits and dish out powerful blows."

"…You're right, Tsu," Momo said. "...If Bakugo manages to land a powerful hit on Weiss…"

"It's game over," Tokoyami finished.

Ochako curled her hands into fists. "You can do it, Schnee."

"How do you think this fight will go, Ruby?" Penny asked, holding her light green colored ramune soda bottle. Ruby, holding a light red colored ramune soda bottle that was given to her by Penny, who has now sat next to her right side with Toshinori at her left, looks at her before looking back at the flat screen mounted up on the wall. , They were still seated on the bench outside of the infirmary, watching the match from the flat screen up on the wall before them.

"...I don't know," Ruby said. Her expression turns deadpanned. "What I do know is that Schnee's in for some burns." Ruby could never forget her fight with Bakugo.

Toshinori doesn't say a word on the matter, opting to watch. As he did, he thinks back on a conversation he once had with Nicholas.

'My father once said that the reason the Schnees were given such a unique Quirk was so we could always be ready to help people when in need. I hope that I can teach that to my grandchildren one day!'

"Nicholas...You've always hoped for a brighter tomorrow so your family and the people around you could live happy lives...I..." Toshinori shakes his head. "...I hope you are watching this, Nick...I believe that your granddaughter will find a way to make your dream a reality. All she needs to do is put a right foot forward."

{We're one step closer to the final round, listeners! Here we are with the last match of the semifinals! In this corner, we have the bombastically tempered boy, Katsuki Bakugo! While in the opposite corner, we have the regal calm that is Weiss Schnee!}

The crowd cheered loudly, ready to see what would transpire.

{Alriiiiiiight! Let's do this! Are the combators ready?}

They were, Bakugo getting into position to rocket himself towards Weiss, who stood in proper form with her head up, shoulders back, and her left foot forward but not too forward with her sword, Myrtenaster, ready too.

{Set…!}

Sparks flew from Bakugo's palms and Weiss spinned Myrtenaster's revolver.

*Click*

{Go!}

*BOOM*

As predicted, Bakugo used the Explosions from his hands to rocket towards Weiss. While she did see this coming, Weiss barely had time to react due to the sheer speed and used a basic Glyph to dodge. Weiss summons up three Projectile Glyphs to shoot out bolts of lightning. It was Bakugo's turn to dodge, not willing to risk using his Quirk against electrical attacks.

He grits his teeth as he notices a black Glyph appear below him and he starts to levitate. Weiss summons up four basic Glyphs and starts to strike Bakugo at different angles, like she did against Ochako. Having enough of this, Bakugo swipes his arm out when Weiss gets close again and knocks her sword out of her hand and the weapon skids across the arena. This cancels out the Gravity Glyph and Bakugo lands on his feet.

He grins.

"Looks like you can't make your fancy Glyphs without your sword, huh?"

Weiss gasps and makes a run for her sword with Bakugo keeping up to her with his blasts.

{Looks like Bakugo had figured out a weakness! Will Schnee make it to her sword in time?}

In response to this, Weiss ran faster with the help of her Glyphs.

"Almost there…I'm almost there!"

A hand suddenly takes her wrist. She gasped as she was pulled back by Bakugo. The young man picks up the sword and points it at Weiss.

"...The vials inside the revolver of this thing is what helps you make your other Glyphs, right?" Bakugo smirked upon seeing Weiss' cautious expression. "Your face says it all. In that case…" He throws Myrtenaster, giving it a boost with his Quirk to make it go further away from the arena, too far out of Weiss' reach. Bakugo's grin grew as he witnessed the sword stab into the ground. He turns to Weiss' shocked look. "What now, Schnee Heiress?"

"Bakugo is putting Schnee at a disadvantage," Ruby said.

"Young Bakugo is deliberately obstructing Young Schnee's style," Toshinori observed.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, she and Penny looked at the man curiously.

"Young Schnee's style of fighting is that of grace and order, and Young Bakugo is trying to throw her off by disrupting that order," Toshinori explained. "It may have helped Young Schnee to make it this far, but if she wishes to make it further, she's going to have to adapt. Heroes of all kinds must adapt to the situation."

{Katsuki Bakugo has gotten rid of Weiss Schnee's main mode of attack! What now?!}

"Yeah. What now?" Bakugo taunted. His grin turned into a frown. "Not so high and mighty now. Huh, Schnee?"

Weiss' body felt like a statue, seeing where her sword is now. Sure, she could try to use a Glyph to get it back, but due to distance, Bakugo could easily overpower her before she could even try it. Plus…using Myrtenaster helps Weiss to expand her Quirk use at her current level. Without it, she could only focus on one Glyph at a time, two if she's up for it.

A little voice in her mind was telling her that it was best to forfeit the fight now. That she couldn't continue like this…

…and…

…for some reason…

It sounded like Jacques.

Then…

Fight on…

Little, five year old Weiss stood before the open casket containing her grandfather.

Fight on…

Seven year old Weiss meets All Might for the first time.

'Do you think I can become a hero too? Like my grandfather?'

'Of course! If you wish to be!'

Fight on…

'Do you really think that I care for a silly, ten year old's party? Ha! If it wasn't for the Schnee name and the money it brings, I wouldn't've even entertained the thought of marrying you!'

Willow gasped at Jacques' declaration, horrified by what she heard.

And a devastated, ten year old Weiss watched as her life started to crumble.

Fight on…

'What about you?'

'...What about me?' Thirteen year old Weiss asked, a little taken back by the question and looking perplexed at Momo.

'Are you going to become a hero too?'

Fight on!

This voice was louder. Bolder. And it wanted for her to keep going.

Even without Myrtenaster.

Weiss sprints towards Bakugo.

{Whaaat? Schnee has decided to go bare handed?!}

"Just because I don't have my sword, that doesn't mean I'm helpless!" Weiss exclaimed. A small Dust Glyph appears from Weiss' left hand and a white crystal forms from its center. She grabs the crystal before changing the Glyph to a Projectile Glyph. She aims the Glyph at Bakugo and an ice shard shoots out.

Bakugo blasts the shard away, creating smoke. His eyes grew wide as Weiss emerged from the smoke with a different crystal in hand. A periwinkle one that surged electrical energy. Bakugo ducks the strike and moves to blast at Weiss. She sees this and hurries to summon up a Shield Glyph to protect herself, but the blast was strong enough to shatter it and send her back with a yelp, covered in smoke.

And the crowd didn't like this.

"What the heck, kid? You're the one toying with her now, aren't ya?"

"So cruel!"

"At least Schnee had the decency to end her match when she did!"

{And the crowd is now booing at Bakugo! And, to be honest, I kinda agre–OW! What the heck, Eraser?!}

{Is the one who said he's toying with her a pro? How many years of active duty do you have? If that's what you're taking from this, then you can leave.}

The tone of Aizawa's voice was similar to when he spoke up in Weiss' defense after her match against Ochako, if not harsher, showing how displeased he was.

{No point in watching. Go home and start looking at job-hunting sites. She's come this far, and he knows her strength. His caution shows that he recognizes her as a worthy opponent. It's exactly because he wants to win so badly… that there's no room for carelessness or holding back.}

*BOOM!*

Bakugo whipped around at the sound just in time to see Weiss flying upwards in the air and out of the plume of smoke, twirling as she did. Then, she…blasted her way at Bakugo, who stood in shock at what he was witnessing.

Present Mic was just as surprised.

{What the what?! Am I seeing this right?! Is Schnee…using Explosion?!}

Everyone watched in shock and awe as Weiss, slightly singed by Bakugo's attack, propelled herself with her own version of his Quirk. Once close, Weiss moves a hand to strike at Bakugo. He grabs her wrist in time. He takes the moment to see that Weiss was holding a light orange colored crystal in her hand. He remembers back when he blasted Weiss. What happened took a second. At point of contact, Weiss had changed her Shield Glyph into a Dust Glyph and it 'categorized' his explosion.

"What are you staring at, Bakugo?" Weiss asked. Bakugo shifts his eyes to her in time to see her other hand, also holding a similar colored crystal. Bakugo grunted a gasp as Weiss released her blast. Feeling peeved that someone else was using his Quirk against him again, Bakugo retaliates with his own blasts. And this was how the fight continued for a while: Bakugo's Explosion blasts v Weiss' Dust blasts.

They didn't care about the burns and blisters being left on their bodies, their minds focusing on their fight. Amidst the attacks, the band and pins in Weiss' hair that kept it together broke off, letting her long, white hair free. She paid no heed as she continued to attack fiercely.

Bakugo goes to attack, this time with a more powerful blast. It collides with Weiss' Dust crystals, causing them to detonate and explode, covering Weiss again in a plume of smoke.

"Yeesh. Bakugo sure is ruthless," Kaminari grinned nervously.

"It's as Aizawa said, Bakugo isn't taking her lightly, just as she wasn't to him," Tokoyami said. "It was great respect on his part."

"Just like he did with Rose," Kirishima remembered.

"I guess that's it for our little snowflake," Nora frowned.

"Guys, look!" Hagakure shouted, her sleeve pointing down at the arena.

To the shock of everyone, including Bakugo, beneath his feet was a Glyph. A white basic Glyph.

{What's this? Is Schnee planning to fling Bakugo out of the ring? …Hey, that rhymed!}

{Focus.}

"Damn it!" Bakugo cursed, arching his arms back to ready himself for to be hurled back, his plan being that he'll use his blasts to prevent from going out of bounds. But nothing happened. Nothing happened and the Glyph started to flicker. Bakugo confusingly, and cautiously, lowered his arms.

"I won't stop…" Weiss' voice said from the smoke. Bakugo turned his gaze at the plume as it started to blow away. It revealed Weiss, her long hair flowing with the smoke, disheveled and out of place. To onlookers, she almost looked…elegantly barbaric. Her stance appeared strong, but the tremors were noticeable. She was on her last legs. She can't fight anymore. In spite of this, she forced herself to keep standing, to have her burned arm and blistered hand outstretched in order to summon up a weak excuse of a Glyph. "I won't stop…" Her eyes are shadowed by her bangs. "I can't stop…" Midnight froze with bated breath. "Not while I am seen as only a Schnee." Ochako and the others watched silently from the stands, as did Ruby, Penny and Toshinori in the hall. "Not while my life is still not my own." Todoroki watched from the waiting room and Aizawa and Hizashi listened from the commentary box, the latter strangely quiet. "Not until they see me for who I am." Weiss snapped her head up, revealing her fierce gaze among the scratches and burns. "THAT I AM MORE THAN A NAME!" Her voice practically echoed throughout the stadium, leading everyone into a stunned silence.

When Weiss started to move forward, Bakugo charged in, using his blasts to move quickly. Weiss had no time to react when Bakugo made his mark.

"Did he just punch her in the gut?" Ruby questioned. Penny had her hands over her mouth at the thought.

"No," Toshinori said calmly. "That's not what happened." Ruby and Penny looked at him before turning her gaze at what he was seeing. "He wasn't going to hit her." Even though he was looking at a screen, Toshinori's sharp eyes were able to catch it. Instead of Weiss doubling over a fist, she was kept up by the crook of Bakugo's arm. "He was catching her." Out of everyone's view by long white tresses was Weiss' whited out eyes. "She passed out."

"Weiss Schnee is unable to continue!" Midnight announced. "Katsuki Bakugo will now proceed to the final round!"

{There you have it, folks. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I was rootin' for our little snowflake, ya know?}

{You are supposed to be unbiased, Mic.}

Weiss didn't know what happened after she blacked out, but once she was starting to come to, the first thing she heard was a voice. It sounded familiar.

"Win…ter…?" she muttered as she opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the familiar face of her sister, she sees the dark blue hair and red-rimmed glasses of Midnight. The woman gives Weiss a small smile.

"Not exactly," Midnight joked softly. Her expression turned gentle. "I'm taking you to Recovery Girl. She should be done operating on Midoriya by now. Do you think you can stand on your own?" Weiss started off slow as she climbed back on her feet with the assistance of Midnight. "Think you can walk with my help?" Midnight asked. After some thinking, Weiss nodded her head. "Alright. Let's head to the nurse's office."

"Hey." Midnight and Weiss sees Bakugo coming over with Weiss' sword in hand. He holds Myrtenaster out to Weiss. "Here." Weiss stared at the sword for a second before taking it in her blistered hand. Seeing his task done, Bakugo turns to leave.

"...Bakugo…" Weiss said. Bakugo stopped his walk and turned his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye. "...Thank you…"

Bakugo averts his gaze with a click of his tongue. "Whatever…Snowflake."

"Just rest here for a moment," Recovery Girl said quietly as she applied some bandages on Weiss' arms. "I'm going to give you a short kiss. That should be enough for most of your burns. Your hands may need the most attention, though." Weiss gave a quick nod and Recovery went to apply her Quirk gently on Weiss' hands. As the old woman does her work, Weiss looks to the side, where a curtain was drawn with Izuku on the other side. Recovery Girl then pats Weiss' hands the moment she is done. "There we go. You might want to stay for a while. I may have used a bit of my Quirk, but you'll still feel a bit drowsy. Are you okay with that?"

"I…think I am," Weiss said.

There was a soft knock at the door. Recovery Girl walks over and opens the door to reveal the girls of 1-A. The old heroine knew exactly why they were here. She sighs.

"You wish to see Ms. Schnee, yes?" The girls nodded. "...Midoriya is still resting. If you all are quiet during this visit, then I'll allow it." The girls beamed brightly. Recovery Girl then looks at Ruby with a stern gaze. "You, on the other hand, stay put." The old woman couldn't have Ruby in the infirmary right now, not while Izuku was still recovering.

"Ah," Ruby squeaked. Toshinori and Penny smiled sympathetically.

"The rest of you, come on in." Recovery Girl moved aside to let them in. Weiss sees them coming in.

"Hey," she said softly, waving a bandaged hand.

"How are you feeling?" Momo asked quietly, taking Recovery Girl's warning to heart.

"I…" How is Weiss feeling…Should she be upset over losing after coming this far? If so, then why wasn't that the case? "...I think I'll be okay."

"You sure?" Jiro asked.

A humbling smile creeped on Weiss' face. "...Yes…Yes, I think…I think I'm good." Jiro smiled at that.

"You were amazing out there, Schnee!" Mina cheered as softly as she could with that tone.

"Yeah! It was cool!" Hagakure said in a similar tone as to not disturb the sleeping occupant.

"Thanks," Weiss acknowledged. Her expressions turned apologetic once facing Ochako. "I'm sorry that I couldn't win this." She was actually dreading this. After their match, Weiss added another reason to win: So Ochako's efforts wouldn't've gone to waste.

"It's okay, Schnee. You did your best out there," Ochako smiled. Hearing this made Weiss feel at ease, more so than anything that had ever come out of Jacques' mouth over the years. Weiss gets taken out of her thoughts when Tsuyu comes up with something in her hand.

"Here," the frog girl said, holding her hand out. Laying on her large palm is a beige scrunchie with cute frog faces dotted around plus a froggy button attached. Weiss takes the accessory gingerly between her fingers.

"What's this for?" Weiss asked curiously.

"I noticed your other hair accessory got ruined during your fight and I thought you might want something to hold your hair back," Tsuyu said.

A light red tint emerged on Weiss' cheeks from this act of kindness. "Um…think you can put my hair up for me?" She holds up her bandaged hands sheepishly. "I don't think I can do it on my own right now."

Tsuyu nodded. "Of course." She takes the frog scrunchie and gathers up all of Weiss' hair to put it in the familiar side ponytail with the cutely green band holding it together. "There we go~ribbit." Weiss places a hand on the scrunchie.

A peaceful smile graced itself on Weiss' lips. "...Thank you, Tsu."

Tsuyu smiles. "No problem, Weiss."

In Weiss' locker, her phone buzzed again and again.

The caller…Jacques Schnee.

Next Chapter: There After

I got to see Ice Queendom ^^

It was a-mazing! I especially loved the fight choreography! And the song during Ruby's fight with Roman's goons…that's gonna be on repeat in my head for a while. The Nightmare Grimm seems interesting. I wonder what role it's gonna play.

And we get a new character in the form of Shion Zaiden. Cool design and weapon. I might include them in this fic. Not sure where yet though. And they are non-binary!