The Wicked Witch of the North.
By some random weirdo who pesters Lefou.
As he watched the breaking newscast, there really wasn't anything Jaune could do other than sigh. Especially since he could already feel the headache building. A headache that was not helped by the staccato tapping of an impatient foot wearing a uniquely sharp heel. Bracing himself with some regret, Jaune decided this was not going to be as pleasant an afternoon as he had hoped.
On the screen, Lisa Lavender was the next reporter to ask an obvious question. "How much dust was the VPD able to recover?"
The officer in charge was obviously less than pleased about the scope of their success. Jaune also noted the detective wasn't very adept at hiding that fact.
"We were able to seize approximately two and a half tons in stolen energy propellant alone. There was also a significant cache of both combustion and earth dust, not to mention assorted crystals with an estimated worth of–"
Lavender, after asking the obvious question, interrupted by stating an equally obvious problem, "With all do respect, a couple of pallets of stolen goods isn't going to alleviate the crisis."
The officer was not amused and snapped back, "With all do respect, Miss Lavender, this is simply the next step of an ongoing and extensive investigation."
Lisa Lavender was already smiling like the predator she undoubtedly was, however, just before the reporter could claim her next kill, a smarter police official stepped in and rescued his fellow before the mauling could ensue. Jaune believed this detective at least had a solid perspective of the optics in this situation. Stepping to the podium, this new official proceeded to do his utmost to keep the VPD's small-scale triumph from sowing civil unrest, instead of alleviating it.
The older officer nodded to Lavender, who could almost, but not quite, hide her disappointment. He stated, "Understand please that any dust we seized today was merely a bonus. The true triumph of this raid is in the host of suspects we apprehended. In the wealth of leads we can now pursue. Not to mention our department sending a clear message to the criminals preying–"
Jaune was somewhat surprised when the screen abruptly shut off. Although, after he glanced at Mel's expression, he knew he shouldn't have been. In passing, Jaune wondered if Mel had shut it off intentionally, or if it had simply been the last gasping signal of the mangled remote in her hand.
The look Mel leveled at him reminded Jaune how terrifying commitment could truly be.
Jaune took a slow and steading breath. In doing so, the cool side of his brain took over. This was the part of his brain that saw everything with the circumspect and dispassionate demeanor of a third party accountant. The part of his brain which thought the livid expression of a woman who could kill him in a hundred painful ways, and was currently considering doing just that, was just another set of numbers in a profit-loss business evaluation.
In other words, the part of Jaune's brain the rest of him now suspected was fundamentally broken.
Now fully braced, the Consultant again faced off against the Underboss of the Red Axe Gang.
Mel seized initiative. Her tone was, unsurprisingly, venomous in its accusation. "You knew the raid was about to happen, didn't you? Your growing obsession with the morning papers? All those clippings? They helped you piece this raid together, didn't they?"
Jaune thought of the dozen or so articles he'd snipped from the local papers in the past week. The dust shortage with its consequence of soaring commodity prices were obvious to all. In fact, this growing unease within the populace was precisely what Jaune had based his original timeline on. Unfortunately, none of this was an exact science. Admittedly though, Jaune now recognized there had been plenty of warning signs that his initial timeline had been… optimistic.
Still, Jaune did what he did best. He bluffed. "Know? No. I didn't actually know anything." Of course Jaune had thought the more aggressive rhetoric of Vale's politicians was concerning. It meant the people up top were feeling the heat from their voters. Jaune though hadn't guessed that politicians would interfere to this extent. Obviously, with hindsight, Jaune understood direct political pressure must have been why the cops pounced on the Five Fists so early into their investigation. Jaune mentally nodded to himself as the pieces fit together more accurately in his head. He finished my muttering, "Not for sure."
Mel's eyes were hard. "But you had guesses."
Jaune shrugged non-committedly. He briefly thought of one article in particular that was highlighted in his scrapbook. The article in question featured the solemn promise from none other than Barossa Eauvive, Council Speaker for the Vale Assembly. Eauvive was well known for speaking out of both sides of his mouth, being indifferent towards fiscal competency, and having a distinct lack of moral compass that would make any SDC board member envious. But despite that, slick Barry was almost impossible to pin anything on. The man had a knack for cloaking himself in disposable cronies, not to mention a propensity for long winded speeches that addressed nothing of substance. That such a man now felt enough pressure to make a direct promise to his constituents himself, without an intermediary–
The crack of a pointy high heeled boot against ceramic tile brought Jaune out of his revelry. Especially since it was almost as murderous as Melanie's tone. "Why didn't you think to mention this possibility? Just a word to like, I don't know," she paused to enunciate, "An-y-bo-dy?"
Jaune, again, breathed in slow. It kept him calm. Mel hadn't been this homicidally angry since the day he met her, and unlike then, that anger was now pointed solely at him. Unfortunately, his introspection caused him to misplay how dealt with the allegation by choosing to deflect.
"Because I didn't have anything solid." Jaune further dissembled by stating, "Last time I checked my messages, the Vale police weren't requesting a consultation."
Mel's eyes narrowed into slits, showing she now recognized this tactic of his. "Smart of them; given how you now think holding out on your clients, not asking their opinions and willfully choosing to do nothing, is wise."
Jaune was honestly surprised at being called out, but that cool part of his mind barely reacted at all. If anything, it only grew sharper, and colder, with no room for that surprise to show on his face. After all that cool part of his mind had already done some unfortunate math. So Jaune understood that showing weakness might cause a person to cease their belief in him. The belief that he was 'The Consultant.' Not infallible, Jaune was allowed to be wrong since he had already belly-flopped more than once after going to work for Junior. But Jaune needed people to believe he was still practical, capable, and granting those that listened to him a solid chance at success. That belief, more than his client's personal feelings for him, even Melanie's, kept him valuable.
And losing value would not lead anywhere pleasant.
Jaune adjusted tactics. His voice went flat, and he put some real steel into his tone. "Okay then, Mel. If I told you I thought VPD might, and I mean might, be desperate enough to hit the Five Fists early, what were you going to do to prevent it?"
Mel exploded at him, "Stall! Bribe! Fucking threaten! Gods damned anything but let the motherfucking king of all countdowns start before we're ready to deal with it!"
Jaune folded his arms. He was rather tall. Not Hei tall, but still tall. The crown of Mel's head didn't reach his chin, even in her boots. Jaune moved up to ever so slightly crowd her. This made her tilt her neck and look upwards to at him. "And should you hit the panic button, and thus provide all kinds of evidence helping the VPD connect this mess directly to the Red Axes, what then Mel? Do you really want VPD crawling up our ass any more than they already are?" Jaune pushed even further forward, until he was staring directly down on her. "Yeah, I had some guesses VPD was more desperate than I originally thought, but I had zero hard evidence to back that up with. Or did you hear anything from inside the VPD and withhold it?."
Mel stepped back and snarled, "So now this is my fault. If I–"
Jaune was already shaking his head as he stepped back in to again crowd her. This wasn't an act of physical intimidation, the disparity between their skill sets was laughably well known, but this posture allowed him to keep physically looking down upon her. And he needed that physical reminder to add that tiny bit of niggling doubt to the back of her mind.
"No Mel. I'm just restating the obvious–"
Melanie, wasn't one to be cowed by such tactics, interrupted him to regain initiative in the conversation and to prevent him from patronizing her. However, this time she didn't back away. Instead she all but stepped on his toes as she flat out stated "If we kept sending Militia to sniff around the VPD, it would have been suspicious and dangerous." Jaune held up his hands, but she kept going. "A few lien-padded inquiries about the investigation surrounding The Club is one thing, but informants are, by their very definition, bribable."
Jaune's smile was merciless. "Exactly! Thank you for making my point for me. Think of the optics if we moved to interfere with the raid? Mel, who were you going to put pressure on? What leverage were you going to use to get them to stall? How were you going to cover your tracks? Just how much time, money, effort, and risk were you willing to tolerate over a few newspaper articles and some hunch of mine?"
Mel looked him hard in the eyes. "A lot."
Jaune stepped back, and sighed. "I apologize. That wasn't a constructive argument on my part." She hesitated, then nodded. Both of them already knew Jaune's concession was a lie, that on a fundamental level, her admission meant he had already won the debate. Mel briefly closed her eyes to marshal herself, and Jaune gave her space. He knew he could afford to let her be stubborn in defeat. Unfortunately though, that didn't mean he could be magnanimous in his victory.
Jaune's voice was not kind when he fully cut her argument off at the knees. "Mel, Believe it or not, I'm not clairvoyant. If I go to Junior with every misgiving I have, we would go into a state of absolute lock down. Constantly jumping at shadows instead of moving forward." Absolutely merciless, Jaune finished with, "You using hindsight against me will not help anything."
Mel steeled herself, not ready to give in, but she was now using her temper to fuel the argument, not her logic. Even more importantly than that, Mel herself understood what she was doing. Still, she continued, her desperation not allowing her to stop. "This is fucking early! You know that! We don't have a patsy yet, much less any kind of inroad to set up that patsy's fall! The Five Fists weren't our clients, but they do know about us!" Mel breathed in and stated the obvious, "We have to feed the VPD something or someone once they come calling!" Mel's volume rose until it was nearly pleading. Undeniable proof that Melanie Malachite, despite Hei placing more and more trust in her, continued to believe in the Consultant more than she did herself. That she still wanted to believe that Jaune could provide an answer she didn't see.
Unfortunately, by now she knew Jaune didn't see that answer either.
Jaune honestly felt some shame. That Mel still held some important doubts about herself. That Mel still believed in him so strongly. Mostly though, he felt shame in the fact that the Consultant she believed in so strongly still didn't have what she needed. Yes, Jaune felt shame over all of it. But the cool part of him, the part that became broken when his dreams were shattered upon Beacon's shore, only marveled at how these facts made it so simple to win arguments against her.
Jaune made a show of rubbing his temples before finally finishing his earlier thought.
"The VPD was always going to move against the Five Fists. Vale Police are desperate to calm the populace." Jaune was emphatic on this point, "What's more important than anything, even the timeline, is minimizing the evidence. Right now, some strung out low level gangers are all that might send the VPD investigation our way. We can at least afford to–"
The door opened. Mel turned and snarled. Angry and ready to pounce on any distraction, Melanie was more than eager to snap the head off of someone, anyone, to appease her temper. The fact that Millie's face was the one that came through the door was only marginally more helpful in helping Mel feel better about the discussion.
Mel snapped, "Either help me by joining in, or get the fuck out!"
Millie made a show of considering something vastly different. An unusually lewd smirk crossed her features. Jaune also noticed the saucy stance, an extremely unusual posture for Militia. The fact Mel's temperamental twin didn't immediately clap back with a caustic complaint or insult clicked all the pieces into place.
Taking a calculated risk to show a bit of chivalry, Jaune stepped between Mel and someone who was definitely not her sister.
Jauned nodded to the intruder once, "Neo. Apologies, but Mel and I are in the middle of a rather important conversation." The intruder didn't bother to maintain the facade. There was only a very slight nod of acknowledgement at being immediately caught out, then the illusion cracked and crumbled.
Neo Politan fully entered the room with a smile that somehow made Jaune's lips twitch upwards, despite how violent her eyes were. It was the expression of someone who knew they were holding the key you so desperately need.
And given the subtle concern in Neo's brow, Jaune was already guessing she was willing to sell that key at a discount.
Ironwood nodded once to the image on the projector as it faded. Although clearly unhappy, Ironwood displayed admirable restraint and held back any further show of emotion in front of his staff.
Well so long as no one noticed the untimely demise of the vid-con controller in his human hand.
Winter glanced around Ironwood's briefing room. She sharpened her gaze on each of the other staff members until all, without further word, packed up their things; inexplicably deciding to take their lunch break at 0900. Once they were gone, Ironwood's disdain became palpable, until he could hold it back no more. With ill grace and dark whimsy, he gave voice to his frustrations. "You know Specialist Schnee, it's during such times that I honestly wonder if there is any threat to Atlas greater than the High Council itself."
Winter nodded, "The White Fang are only growing bolder, sir. There is no denying that."
"It's the fifth direct attack on one of our logistical support this year." The General moved to his desk, massaging one temple with his gloved hand. "Autumn hasn't even set in yet."
Winter interjected a weeks old complaint, "I still don't see why we don't press Belladonna with our leverage. At least then we might rob the White Fang of their political haven." Ironwood's orders to install transmission gear on all the SPD-7M Spider Drones guarding military supplies had given Atlas military intelligence some distinct footage. Footage of a rather remarkable assailant. An assailant who hadn't seen the need to wear a mask.
Ironwood waved Winter off even as he started to dig through his mountainous stack of paperwork. He was obviously looking for something very specific. Still, he told Winter, "It's too early for that. We're not sure of all the facts yet."
Winter wasn't amused. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Her temper was her biggest weakness. Despite that weakness, she was determined to not display any disregard for the kind favor General Ironwood had granted her.
General Ironwood and Professor Ozpin were close friends. This relationship had allowed Winter to receive a video of Beacon's initiation in order to verify that the twins performed adequately. After learning both her sisters had passed, Winter had seen no immediate need to review the footage. Only upon learning that neither twin was leading a team had Winter decided to sit down to watch the video for herself. The decision that Pyrha Nikos would lead Edel's team could hardly be faulted. Especially since 'Bleiss' tended to be abrasive under even ideal circumstances. Weiss's Team leader was much more controversial, even given Miss Rose's theatrical decapitation of one of the larger Nevermore's Winter had seen in her career.
Whatever misgivings Winter felt for Team RWBY's leader though were secondary. From the moment Weiss's dark haired teammate appeared, Blake Belladonna became the sole focus of Winter's attention.
Winter, now calm, again pressed the point. "Her weapon, tactics, and semblance are the same. You've seen the name on file. We've checked the records. We know who she is." Ironwood didn't even look up. Winter believed it was that lack of acknowledgement that caused her to overstep. "My youngest sister is now involved–"
This time, Ironwood did indeed look at her, and his eyes were cold. "Is that so, Specialist?" In a voice as unforgiving as the Solitas winters, Ironwood expressed his doubt, "I find it interesting that your concern for young Weiss would be remedied by a political advantage over Menagerie's Chieftain." General Ironwood's eyes were in no way kinder than his tone. He further drove his disappointment home by expressing it audibly. "I expect better of you, Specialist."
Winter felt shame invade her soul. The silence hung long and awkward between them. After it drew out into minutes, just as Winter decided it might be time to take her leave, Ironwood finally spoke.
His voice was not completely cold, but it remained absolutely inflexible. "I see much of myself in you, Specialist. The ambition, resolve, and purpose that mirrors mine is why you might well go far. Not just militarily, but politically, allowing you to fully slip free of the legacy of your last name." Winter swallowed as Ironwood paused. He removed the glove from his mechanical hand for emphasis, letting the dust infused steel glint in the low light of the room. "I also see my faults in you. As you can see, those faults cost me dearly in my youth." His eyes flicked to a very specific picture on his desk. "More than you can imagine." Ironwood paused again; this time it was much more brief. More to let the atmosphere back into the room than anything else. "I am not a man inclined to explain myself after I have weighed the facts and decided on a course of action. However, you are new to your position, and as I explained, I am not without my faults. Just this once, given your personal stake in the matter, I will fully explain myself to a subordinate." Winter stood and straightened to full attention.
Ironwood looked at her, nodded but once, and then proceeded. "Yes the girl on the train, and the girl on your sister's Team are undoubtedly one in the same. That means I fully comprehend that a member of the White Fang has successfully infiltrated Beacon. I also fully comprehend the political ramifications concerning the name this specific infiltrator bears."
Winter wanted to explode at the admission, but this time restrained herself. "And your hesitations are?"
Ironwood eyes stared off into self-reflection, "These are less hesitations, but careful considerations on my part. One of my great faults has always been my desire to press a perceived advantage. To give no respite and thus crush my opponent before they have any chance at recovery." Ironwood looked at the naked metal of his hand, and with many flavors of regret added, "Though a junior officer at the time, mine was not a voice advising caution during the Faunus Civil War."
Not for the first time, Winter wondered how Ironwood survived the massacre at Fort Castle.
Ironwood quickly came back to himself and stared directly at his subordinate. "My first concern regards her probable motives and character." Ironwood's frown was ponderous in its consideration, "After all, one can clearly hear Taurus announce his intentions to utterly destroy the train and kill all Atlas personnel on board. It was also equally obvious that this Blake Belladonna was less than pleased with the notion."
Winter nodded at the reasoning. The raid had been costly in terms of equipment, but thankfully no lives were lost. "You think she took it upon herself to dissuade Taurus then."
Ironwood shook his head in negation. "Eyewitness accounts are rather clear. After the freight section of the train was uncoupled, she stayed on the remaining cars. For nearly twenty minutes she chose to remain with a hostile military presence, only fleeing after the train cleared the Forever Fall. After she judged she had a sizable enough lead." Ironwood looked at Winter hard, "No, I don't think she tried to dissuade Adam Taurus of anything. I believe she decided to outmaneuver him." He paused, "No, more than that, I believe she deliberately crossed him."
Winter winced, she should have caught that. Still she felt the need to ask, "If so, why didn't Taurus end her right as the train separated. She was still within range for several seconds and he has not been one to show restraint prior. Because she's Ghira Belladonna's daughter? Was that enough to save her?"
Ironwood looked at her, "If I need to explain further, perhaps I chose my aide in error."
Winter stared at the General. His words held expectation, along with danger, and so much promise. Winter squared her shoulders, then started to pace. "No Taurus isn't politically mindful. He's never shown any diffidence to Ghira Belladonna before, despite having served on his staff for a time. If any other subordinate…" Winter stopped as she hit on the answer, "He cares about her! On a personal level! Adopted family, maybe? Lover?" Winter shook her head as it was immaterial. "Doesn't matter, either way her leverage was personal to the two of them." Winter felt a cold hand in the core of her being. "Gods… and she weaponized that leverage against him."
Ironwood had long gone back to his paperwork, all but ignoring her as Winter began to truly work out the angles. Again Winter started to pace, "Taurus is a self-aggrandizing narcissist. He wouldn't accept this well. Not after it sank in. He can't. His ego is incapable of allowing it." The end result was crystal clear in Winter's mind, "As soon as he finds her, he will move to balance the scales and set matters right as he sees it. Adam Taurus is going to come for Blake Belladonna. Nothing at this point could convince him to walk away."
A cold hand invaded Winter's being and grasped her heart. Winter began to see the General's plan. "You know this. You intend to use this Blake Belladonna as bait, don't you sir? To capture or otherwise end the menace of Adam Taurus once and for all." Ironwood didn't react but Winter didn't need him to. The other shoe had already dropped in her mind and she stopped dead in her tracks. "No. It's more than that. You wish to ingratiate yourself with the Chieftain of Menagerie. If Sienna Khan can be linked to a plot against his daughter, even indirectly, Ghira Belladonna will, in all likelihood, decide to act against the leader of the White Fang. This would splinter the organization in a way it may never recover from!" She looked at the holovid caster. The short sighted nature of the High Council reignited her temper. "Yet they," Winter dragged the word 'they' out in a way that dripped with disdain, "are refusing to let you send a team to Beacon." Winter addressed Ironwood fully, "Sir, this is obviously a military matter concerning terrorist counter insurgency. As a Specialist I request–"
Ironwood yawned loudly, interrupting her. He briefly spared her a glance, then stated, "Your focus is still overly narrow."
Winter frowned, then remarshalled herself. "What am I missing?"
Ironwood sighed, "You're forgetting that I am part of the High Council, and thus I am part of the problem." Winter blinked, and a brief sour expression crossed Ironwood's face as he explained, "No one on the Council trusts another. Not truly. And I include myself as part of that problem. This distrust does serve its purpose in keeping us in balance, so that no one person can lead the nation into a disaster like the Great War. Since every exercise in power by a Councilor is fully analyzed until all perceived faults are found and discarded, decisions are much less selfish than in the days of Mantle's monarchy."
Winter nodded, "But the process also slows response time to a crawl." Winter reevaluated the problem and rapidly found the factor she had been missing. "Your friendship with Professor Ozpin is not universally beloved by the Council."
Ironwood smiled darkly. "My association with Ozpin was destined to be ill received from the beginning. I admit, the number of private meetings can't help but look suspicious to my fellow Councilors." Winter nodded along as Ironwood continued, "The more hidebound members of the Council are, by now, utterly convinced I am trying to outmaneuver them into even more political power."
Winter saw all the threads clearly now of course, "Because of Lionheart's and Ozpin's support for your continued tenure at the Academy."
Ironwood nodded absently. "So long as no one forces the issue with my leadership of the Academy, I will retain two votes on the Council. Should I very abruptly seed in additional staffing so close to the political harangueing surrounding the Vytal Festival, the other Councilors will automatically assume I'm engaged in some form of collusion with Vale." A pause. "Trust me, Specialist, it has not escaped any Councilor's notice, especially the Chair of Energy, who now serves as my Chief of Staff." Winter frowned. In her mind, she had stepped away, forever and always, from the SDC. However, one would be an utter fool to ignore the optics.
There was another lengthy pause, then Ironwood sighed and amended, "Perhaps I'm not being completely fair. The less disreputable are worried about tipping our hand concerning Miss Poledina. Although her success is currently unique, any can see how aura in a synthetic life form may finally free humanity from the Grimm."
Winter, "Or become the greatest weapon ever conceived." Winter nodded in understanding but had to ask, "And if you fully confide the reason to the Council for the extra staffing?"
Ironwood had already returned to his paperwork and felt no need to look up. "If I show the High Council the unedited transmissions from that train, if I confirm the girl's identity…"
Ironwood trailed off and Winter saw the problem instantly, "The Council will jump on the chance to embarrass the Chieftain by having Blake Belladonna arrested, especially since this could strain your relationship with Professor Ozpin." Winter felt the headache build. "Sienna will then gain more enthusiastic support from Menagerie's Chieftain, and with that, the full support of the more moderate factions within the White Fang."
Ironwood nodded, "Cementing further unity in our enemy. Yes, that is my fear, and another reason I trust my fellow Councilors no further than they trust me."
Winter felt red slowly tinge her vision. She felt frustration of course, even a bit of sadness at the political reality. But that wasn't what started fueling the hateful rage that had plagued her since adolescence. What fueled that rage was fear. "Sir, I'd like to request a leave of–"
"Denied."
Winter's temper flared and she couldn't help but explode! "Adam Taurus is a sociopathic monster! My sister's Team, if it hasn't become so already, will soon be his sole focus!"
"Still denied. And you are now out of order." The words were calm, and if it was almost anyone else, that tone would have catapulted Winter over the edge and into the land of no return. The silence dragged for a moment, with Ironwood continuing to work on the same order he had spent the last several minutes on. Just before it became too much for Winter, Ironwood finally nodded in satisfaction. He stood, and handed Specialist Winter Schnee the selfsame order in which he had spent so much recent effort.
There was something darkly dangerous in Ironwood's face that reminded Winter distinctly of that icy hand that was still clutching her heart. "On an unrelated note, the Vale Council has asked me, directly, for insight on how to counteract catastrophic rise in Dust robberies. As a good will gesture, and well within my purview as a former counter insurgency specialist, I promised to send a member of my personal staff to directly act as liaison on this troubling matter. A member whose very presence will undoubtedly place true fear inside the faunus ranks of a gang called the Five Fists." Ironwood's smile somehow grew even less kind, "After all, Specialist, I heard it said, distinctly, that there is more than one way to skin a cat."
Winter's answering smile was all hard edges and uncomfortable angles as that icy hand in her chest began to wither in the inferno of her anger and ambition.
"Understood, sir."
With a long suffering sigh, Blake spotted the twins. Surprise, surprise, they were in the middle of bickering. Blake didn't need even a single guess to understand what the two were bickering about. The topic hadn't changed in the months since she had met the sisters. With a sigh, Blake sat down next to her best friend who, surprisingly, had the last name of Schnee and who, unsurprisingly, still desperately wanted to switch Teams with her sister.
After all, Blake's friend would do just about anything to get away from Pyrha Nikos.
Bleiss crossed her arms, "You're being unreasonable. We can go to the headmaster and get him to fix this sh–,"
Weiss, "Language."
Bleiss rolled her eyes, "-mess right now. You really wanted her as a partner, right? By all means, take her!"
Blake smirked at the idea. She was all for it of course. Being fair, Weiss wasn't a particularly bad teammate. Honestly, she was much better than Blake had ever expected. Still, in all ways possible, Weiss remained very, very Atlas. Atlas enough, as Bleiss would put it, 'to make one's teeth ache.' At least when the older twin wasn't being crude. Usually Bleiss was crude though, and liked to invoke much more imaginative pieces of anatomy.
Before Weiss could respond, Blake's partner announced her presence by directly interjecting herself into the argument. Why? Because Yang was Yang. "Oh come on. Give it a rest already." Yang stared directly at Bleiss, "No way is Pyrrha that bad."
Blake's eyes narrowed. Blake had strong reservations regarding her boisterous partner. Nothing overtly bad, per se, but she had strong suspicions of ulterior motives.
Bleiss's eyes narrowed at the unwanted interruption. "You're only saying that because you think my sister is hot."
Yang rolled her eyes, "Yeah 'cause I'm a lesbian, right?" Blake thought someone needed to say it.
Bleiss glared, but something in her eyes was grinning. "You were caught staring in the shower."
"I wasn't staring!"
Bleiss looked at her twin, "Was she staring?"
Weiss glanced at Yang, and smirked in a way Blake found irritating yet somehow ingratiating at the same time. Doubtless it was unintentional, but Yang was definitely rubbing off on the younger Schnee. That wasn't always a completely good thing… for Yang, "It certainly looked like she was staring."
Bleiss looked back to Yang, "See, your girlfriend says you were staring."
"I wasn't staring!"
Weiss looked at her sister crossly, only slightly betrayed by the faintest of smirks, "Why am I being roped into this, I wasn't the one everyone caught staring."
Yang's fist hit the table, and her eyes flashed red. "I was not staring!"
Blake wanted to interject, but couldn't quite overcome her reticence to jump in. Thankfully, Bleiss held no such reservations, "'Caught' being the operative word there, Sis. All that means is that you're sneakier."
Now glum, Yang sat down at the table with a thud. Looking Bleiss hard in the eye, Yang's tone was low, "Just stop it. You know full well I'm not into Weiss."
Bleiss smirked, "Wow, flirting with your girlfriend's sister? And in front of everyone?" Yang hung her head in exasperation and since Bleiss was merciless in victory, she just kept on going, "Sorry Bimbo Biggins, but I'm not interested. As I've explained, me and blondes don't mix. Looks like you'll just have to keep your consolation prize." Yang was only saved when a timer on Bleiss's scroll chimed. The older Schnee glanced at it and sighed, "Looks like my team will be showing up any minute, so it's time for me to be anywhere but here."
Yang couldn't help but mutter something uncomplimentary in Bleiss's general direction. Bleiss smirked at her vanquished target briefly, but paused before standing. She looked at Blake, "Coming?"
Blake looked at her breakfast, the delicious smell of a tuna melt instantly overruled her solidarity with her best friend. Blake hated to be disloyal, but…
"I'll see you in Port's class."
Bleiss rolled her eyes, but smiled good naturedly enough. "Fine then. Looks like Yang isn't the only one that can be swayed by the sweet taste of tuna." Yang threw a fair sized glob of her oatmeal, then upon a moment's reflection, decided to whip the entire bowl at Bleiss. Both just splattered harmlessly on a pair of casually summoned glyphs. Blake and Bleiss shared another smirk, however the darker Schnee had something pained enter her expression when she glanced at her sister. With a brief look at Blake asking for emotional support, Bleiss turned to address her sister. With a look that was borderline pleading, Bleiss asked, "Weiss, are you going to call mom? Tomorrow's her birthday."
Weiss's easy smile instantly hardened into something synthetic. "If I have the time."
Bleiss's face was open enough to cause Blake honest concern. "She says she barely hears from you anymore."
Weiss was firm, and her voice only grew harder, "If I get the time, and being frank, I don't appreciate you butting in, Edel." Invoking Bleiss's proper name dropped the temperature at the table in an instant. The moment dragged on with none at the table but the Schnee sisters able to meet another's gaze.
"There you guys are! Sometimes I swear you hide from me on purpose!" The shout was from none other than Team RWBY's effervescent leader.
Bleiss sighed, and while doing so, broke eye contact with her younger twin. Despite that, Blake's friend rapidly marshaled herself enough to regain what Bleiss liked to call 'her top bitch swagger.' "Not well enough it seems. Weiss I guess I'll leave you with your pet and your girlfriend. Unless you're willing to go to that old fucker's office and set things right?"
Ice blue and molten red eyes battled for a brief moment longer, and what they fought over this time wasn't Bleiss's language or even Pyrrha Nikos. However, the battle wasn't long as both sisters mutually decided to drop the matter until later. "I'll see you in class."
"Suit yourself," Bleiss said breezily enough as she strode off, but her gait was stiff with emotion. Blake watched her go, nibbling on her meal thoughtfully as the black sheep of the Schnee family vanished into the hall. The hidden faunus wondered what the drama was really about… and whether or not Blake held any right to find out.
Unfortunately, Team RWBY's childish leader broke into her thoughts.
"Why doesn't she like me?" whined Ruby.
Weiss shook her head at Ruby, "She likes you fine, but you don't stand up to her. Until you do, she's going to keep running right over you."
Ruby sighed petulantly, "Not being respected feels the same as not being liked."
Although irritated, Blake felt a bit of pity for her leader. The girl really was a solid combatant, but she was ill suited to leadership. Probably only being named leader because everyone else in Team RWBY would have been worse. Yang had no restraint, Weiss was well… Weiss-ish, and Blake was doing her level best to keep her head down and make sure she stood out in no way in particular. Another aspect of Blake's team that would be fixed if the twins abruptly switched places.
Blake had long decided Beacon had a truly stupid way of deciding Hunter Teams. Not for the first time, Blake briefly imagined if ill fortune had paired her with someone from Mistral. Or worse, paired with someone like Cardin Winchester. The thought was almost, but not quite, enough for her to lose her appetite.
Weiss, patted her 'leader' on the shoulder, and Ruby's eyes flicked in mild irritation to her partner. In that, Blake again wasn't completely without sympathy. Blake doubted Weiss meant it as such, but the gesture did look to be on the patronizing side. Blake let it go though. Hard as it was to sometimes admit, Weiss was right from time to time, and this was one of those occasions. Until Ruby stood up for herself, no one was going to take her seriously. Even if they honestly got along with her just fine.
Yang then yelled so loud, it made Blake jump. "Yo! Pyrrha! Over here!"
Blake's food lost a good deal of its flavor as Pyrrha Nikos and the remainder of Team PRNS, Team Princess, came into view. Logically, Blake knew Yang and Ruby were just trying to keep the peace. Trying to make sure Bleiss's bridge with her Team didn't completely burn down to the waterline. Even if all parties involved were more than content to continuously flick energy propellent and matches at it.
At least Blake had the pleasure of seeing Weiss's smile become strained. Nora was evidently Weiss's second biggest fan, with the biggest being none other than Ruby Rose herself. Ever since it had come out that Ruby was listening to, 'This will be the Day,' the moment she picked a fight with no less than Roman Torchwick, the two would gush and squeal in delight over their favorite songs. Much to Weiss's obvious discomfort and much to Blake's private joy.
Weiss was already bracing herself and looking extremely uncomfortable, but today at least she was to be spared.
"Ruby, I have the best idea! Ever! A mass fire mode for Magnhild!"
Ruby was instantly curious, "You mean like full automatic fire? How are you going to speed up the carousel and still prime the cartridges?"
Nora, "Hell no! I mean mass fire. Everything, all together, and all at once!"
Ruby was already grinning, "Okay, you obviously have some kind of work around for the barrel–"
And just like that, the two weapon geeks were off into a world all of their own. Only infringing on Blake's solitude with the odd squeal of glee… well that and when Nora needed to give Ruby a better visual and plopped her hammer onto the table with enough force to make Blake's plate jump several inches in the air.
Blake really wished she had brought a book. She looked around the table, but Yang and Ren were already chit chatting about something to do with split ends. Evidently Yang had long ago developed a protocol, which she assured Ren was an absolute necessity if one's semblance literally set their hair on fire. Blake couldn't help but note how Yang and Ren had bonded almost from the get go, being oddly matched sparring partners that enjoyed practicing against each other. Blake doubted it was anything deeper, but couldn't help but notice that Nora's glances still betrayed she held some insecurity over the issue. Admittedly, Blake herself wasn't nearly as sure about Yang's preferences as Bleiss seemed to be. Especially with the weight lifting competitions between the two first year powerhouses rapidly becoming the stuff of legends.
After a few moments of musing, Blake became acutely aware of an important fact. Weiss was currently sitting too far away to even pretend to talk to. She was also already isolated by her groupies. Weiss even seemed intrigued this time despite herself, more than passingly curious in Nora's retrofit of Magnhild.
Which meant…
"Hello." Blake shuddered as Pyrrha sat across from her. "I don't think we've spoken much, have we?"
Blake's eyes were lidded as she looked at Cardin Winchester's most ardent defender. "I guess nothing can be avoided forever."
Pyrrha's face froze, but she had that bad manners to keep trying, "I guess my partner's good opinion of me would spread to her friend."
Blake looked at her tuna melt, and with a sigh pushed her plate away. Her appetite gone, Blake rose, and with no further word, decided to head to class early.
Militia Malachite was not known for her patience. Especially when it came to Vomit Boy's nonsense. Because of this, she made sure she spent every second of the meeting glaring holes into her sister's boy toy.
Mel sounded unconvinced after Arc had finished speaking. "This sounds way too convenient. Even with the uniforms he brought, anyone who gets a good look at us will definitely know we're not faunus."
Vomit Boy nodded to her, "I agree, we work the edges, keep people away, but let Roman and his allies actually interact with the dock workers." Melanie didn't look particularly supportive for some reason Millie wasn't completely sure about. Vomit Boy made a show of massaging his temples, "Look, I know there are problems Mel, but our options are limited. If we hit the warehouse with the White Fang," the idiot waved vaguely at the giant angry sociopath in the room, "that should at least get us somewhat back on track."
Hei sat in his office, leveling his best glare at Roman's silent little psycho, but playing his role and saying nothing.
Militia didn't like any of these theatrics herself. Not the least of which was because now there's a giant and violent idiot holding a chainsaw who was within reach of both her boss and her sister. Yes, everyone here was taking precautions. But by holding this little farce far from any of Hei's actual holdouts, there wasn't any kind of backup. Militia spared a glance at the giant angry sociopath in the room, and decided Arc was going to answer for this fiasco.
Even Neo was obviously uneasy, although nothing truly showed in her face or stance. Gods… Militia was suddenly even more pissy because Arc was somehow now rubbing off on even her. It was doubtlessly Vomit Boy's influence that helped Militia note the fact that normally Neo would find something ludicrous to do in the corner. Something like eating ice cream, or juggling all kinds of things that could quickly be turned into weapons. Hell, one time she had spent an entire meeting sitting on the back of an office chair which was precariously balanced on two feet. It had been a damned swivel chair! On wheels! Now though, Neo was front and center with little theatrics beyond a saucy smirk.
Roman himself was, of course, nowhere to be seen. He had insisted on the meeting, then fucked right off for reasons people like Vomit Boy probably understood, but not her. Neo had even shown up to the meeting disguised as Militia herself, all but announcing to the curious that, despite the odd location, the Red Axes and White Fang had opened negotiations! At this point, why not hold this meeting at one of Hei's places where the backup was?!
The psycho with the chainsaw interrupted Millitia's mental rant by speaking. Which sucked cause he still hadn't offered anything useful to their plans… well maybe other than those uniforms.
"I only care about your schedule, not your options, human. My brothers and sisters have a timetable we mean to keep. Be grateful we even deign to help scum fulfill their obligations. Be grateful we let human scum–"
Vomit Boy looked at the guy harshly, and silenced him with a disdainfully raised hand. With unusual steel in his voice, Vomit Boy stated, "No one here, not Neo and certainly not us, has a contract with you or anyone in your organization." Arc moved fully in front of the large lunatic. "Our contracts are with Roman. You're here simply as a courtesy to our client. To us you are a simple subsidiary of the people who actually matter." The giant angry faunus was by now so pissed he was nearly choking on his spit. From his stance, Militia could tell he was trying to intimidate Vomit Boy with some sort of glare, although his mask made the gesture pointless. Either way Vomit Boy wasn't done just yet. Arc stood tall, disdain on his face. Taking a further step forward, he continued, "You're nothing more than a guest, granted access to this meeting by the assurances of your betters. Nothing more. And you cannot understand that then at least grasp the fact that any unruly guest here will be shown the door."
The White Fang's overly compensating weapon trembled with his now apoplectic rage. With a voice full of confident menace he asked Arc, "Is that so, human?"
With a sigh, Militia subtly moved to better cover her boss if the idiot with the chainsaw, who still hadn't realized the room was far too small to swing his ludicrous weapon, made a move against Hei. Arc she more or less left hung out to dry. This was Arc's gambit. If he wanted to poke an obviously very angry and very stupid person who was holding a very sharp weapon, well Arc better have a plan that counteracted the bad math that particular equation led to.
As it so happened, and to a small pang of disappointment, Arc evidently did have an alternate solution.
"Neo, bring him to heel before I decide to."
Neo looked at Arc once, then nodded. The White Fang officer, showing he had zero idea who he was fucking with, chuckled as Neo stepped between he and Arc. A chuckle that lasted perhaps a single second. A simple, subtle twist at the big man's elbow had the chainsaw dropping from nerveless fingers. A well placed low kick had one leg buckling. The big man did manage to dodge Neo's lightning paced jab with her parasol, but Millie knew he was able to flinch away only because Roman's enforcer allowed him to. The parasol popped open right behind his head, which she promptly hooked him with. With the big guy already flinching forward, Neo easily used the added leverage her weapon granted to guide the idiot's chin into direct contact with her knee. Dazed, the big man fell fully to his knees. Neo measured the distance between her and her dazed opponent for one split moment, then spun, connecting with a wheel kick that was basically the stuff of nightmares.
There was a resounding crack as the Faunus jawbone was driven towards specific nerves and whatever tiny bit of matter constituted his brain. Aura or not, no one's brain can take being jolted in such a way, and the big man went out like a light. He hit the ground with a thud, probably unconscious before he even felt the carpet.
He then promptly pissed himself, because that was just how everyone's luck was going these days. Millie yawned as she moved from her place of protection to fully stand at Junior's side. At least now the negotiations could actually start.
Still, she had to ask, "What was the point of all that anyways?"
Arc looked to Neo, who inclined her head, ceding the floor to Junior's Consultant. Arc smiled, "Sorry Millie," Militia narrowed her eyes, she didn't like Arc using the familiar form of her name, "We've been throwing this together on the fly." He paused and smiled at her and Hei. "Roman, Mel, and I believe we finally have a solution to get this whole mess over and done with," Arc waved at the big imbecile making a mess on a carpet worth more than Militia cared to contemplate. "And we can't let anyone else know what the real plan is."
Millie nodded along, "Let me guess, he ended up here because of something to do with this Cinder person."
Arc nodded, "Probably, but I don't have the exact details." He glanced at Neo, who just shrugged in reply. Jaune evidently took her at her word, for gods know why, and then continued, "Roman wasn't sure himself. It could have come down from Cinder, but it might have to do with her White Fang connections. Roman did mention that this Cinder person has another contact she might normally use for these matters, but he ended up on the wrong side of Neo and obviously would have zero intention of following her anywhere on his own." Militia glanced at Neo again. There was something uniquely ruthless in her eyes. Militia guessed the contact was at least marginally smarter than the asshole laying on the floor.
Hei growled, "Given the level of competence and prudence in those she has representing her, yet Roman is still somehow under her thumb, I can tell this Cinder must be all kinds of fun."
Arc nodded. "Roman wasn't particularly complimentary about her organization. Doubtless why she needed him in the first place. However, he made it very clear she is extremely connected somehow. Connected enough to keep fairly close tabs on him. Neo is the only one he trusts to be able to travel freely without prying eyes. And that is solely due to her semblance."
Mel nodded along, "This Cinder should probably be thankful Neo has only made the one example."
The whole room glanced at Neo simultaneously. Her frustration and murderous intent was almost palpable. Enough for Militia's throat to go dry.
Vomit Boy again shrugged in that irritating fashion of his. "Exactly. Everyone be cautious. This isn't the kind of courtesy Roman would extend to just anyone."
Hei sighed, "Wonderful." Then he reset himself. "At least he named her, even if the details are more than a little wanting. I'll see what I can find."
Vomit Boy warned, "Be careful Hei. That might be more dangerous than its worth. Roman doesn't know much more than we do. There has to be reasons for that."
Hei's eyes were hard. "Noted, but I know my business."
Arc straightened, then nodded in respect. "Apologies. I misspoke." Hei waved him off. Arc turned slightly to include Militia in the conversation. "We do have a physical description, black hair, gold eyes, fairly young, and partial to red and gold. She's roughly half a head taller than you and she is definitely Hunter trained."
Hei nodded, "Anything else?"
Jaune nodded, "She seems to have a lot of aura and some sort of flame based semblance. Roman is absolutely positive that her name isn't actually Cinder Fall. That it's either a moniker or a poorly thought out alias." Hei and Militia noted it all in their minds. Arc then went back to speaking to the entire room. "Where she comes from or why she wants so much dust can only be guessed at."
Hei, "I'll check with my contacts in the licensing bureaus. See if we can find out who she really is. What about her connection to the White Fang?"
Neo gestured to Arc for a few moments, he paused, then frowned, before adding, "We're not sure exactly what her relationship with the White Fang is. They may be clients, or even partners. The development seems recent though."
Millie had to ask, "What about simply being a member?"
Jaune again looked at Neo again who shrugged. Though, after a brief moment, she added a walking gesture with two fingers on her right hand. Jaune then basically mirrored Neo's shrug before elaborating. "Neither Roman nor Neo have seen any faunus traits. Neo's also assured me that she snuck past her in the dark on a couple of occasions. We can at least be reasonably firm in the guess that she's a human."
Mel sighed, "Well, knowing all of this has to do with the White Fang is something I guess."
Neo again got Arc's attention. This time all she did was stare at Vomit Boy. "Sorry, I almost forgot. This Cinder also has no qualms about displaying her mastery of her semblance. Both as a threat or as a promise, often being overtly theatrical."
Militia shook her head and smiled darkly. "So, a flashy narcissist comes down hard on Roman's Organization? Isn't that just fucking ironic?" Neo, who had returned to standing more or less passively, instantly stiffened. Roman's enforcer made sure to catch Militia's eye, then purposefully switched her stance to her favored side. The look that passed between them told the Red Axe member, in no uncertain terms, that Neo was not appreciative of the comment. Militia swallowed, and glanced at Mel for help.
Mel caught it and stepped quickly in. Mel made as if addressing Millie, "This Cinder isn't like Roman. She doesn't have his restraint or caution."
Arc, noting Mel's sudden concern, also tried to intercede. "They're definitely different. Roman might want an audience. So he can be appreciated and acknowledged. So he can, figuratively at least, take a bow. From what I can tell though, this Cinder wants her audience to bow to her. And to do so in fear. " Arc and Militia both side-glanced Neo's way. Roman's enforcer didn't seem to notice as she stared unblinkingly at Militia Malachite.
Neo finally took a step forward, rage and intent written all over her face. Hei reached into his desk, Millie reluctantly took a fighting stance, then Arc of all people stepped between them. Militia couldn't see what look was on his face, his back being almost completely turned to her, but whatever expression he used at least got Roman's second to look at him. With frank honesty, Arc said, "Neo. We're all on edge. Our lives are on the line as well. And in some of our cases, so are the lives of the only family we have. I apologize for any rudeness directed at our partner Roman."
Neo took several moments staring up at Arc, before slowly nodding. The gesture, although stiff with anger, was still one of acceptance. Acceptance only cemented when Neo's hoarse and tortured whisper filled the room. "Accepted." A pause. Then Neo held up a single finger. "Once."
All present fully understood forgiveness would never be granted a second time.
Millie glanced at Jaune Arc, and nodded in open thanks. Arc didn't seem to notice, understandable since his gaze remained laser focused on Neo Politan. "Thank you, Neo."
After a long pause to let the atmosphere back into the room, Arc started again. "Anyways, we have a plan. We just need to get everyone that matters," Jaune made a dismissive gesture at the unconscious psycho on the floor, "on the same page. I will say Roman and Mel's idea of dealing with this idiot was one of the best suggestions I've ever heard. I was worried what having another set of eyes on us would mean going forward."
Hei nodded, "I guess this incident will nicely explain why Neo won't be working with the White Fang at the docks." Hei looked at Neo, "No disrespect intended, but is Roman going to be reprimanded for not keeping his subordinates in line?"
Jaune was already shaking head, "No. Neo told me Roman made a show of warning this buffoon to not cross us or her."
Mel smiled and took point in the conversation, "An idiot oversteps which causes him to miss important details due to unforeseen unconsciousness. Plausible deniability personified."
Jaune nodded, "Especially since Neo already set a precedent by crossing Cinder directly in dealing with one of her henchmen. Like I mentioned earlier Mel, this was brilliant." Millie's sister preened as Arc continued, "The White Fang being disinclined to work with Neo was crucial too. We need her."
Jaune unrolled a map. Six locations were laid out. "We are still hitting these five locations in order, just like we always planned. We'll be using the White Fang uniforms too. Roman also added the suggestion we get our men equipped with night vision goggles under their masks. That will help sell the fact that they are Faunus." Arc looked at her, "Millie, you will be leading all of these teams."
Militia frowned, "All of them? Where the fuck are the rest of you going to be?"
Mel smirked, "Trust us, we're going to be just as busy." Mel paused, then fixed Millie with a look of caution. "Just get in and get out. Make a show. A noisy show if possible, but whatever you get isn't important. We just need you to whack the rapier nest."
"I thought we needed all of these–"
Arc interrupted her. He had some obvious misgivings on his face, "Not anymore. Roman had a better, or at least, simpler solution. Cinder's own plan involves four hostile bullheads openly attacking an SDC shipping yard. Given the situation, VPD, and in all likelihood, the Royal Guard itself, are going to respond quickly. And with force."
Hei started massaging his temples, "You're hitting the mother fucking armory, aren't you."
Mel looked at her boss a bit sheepishly. "With everyone panicking, it will actually be possible with Neo. We just find ten or so vehicles, fill them up, and drive straight in and out. With the night's building chaos, they won't even know anything is wrong for hours."
Jaune sighed but continued, "There are drawbacks. Neo can only cover one truck at a time, and it's going to exhaust her in roughly five hours. That means two trucks an hour at a minimum" Neo looked at Arc, her face set and, if Millie was any judge, kind of hurt. Arc nodded at her. "I know, Neo. I know. However, everyone needs to understand the timetable we're working on."
Hei just mumbled, "I can't believe we've now escalated to the point of committing actual war crimes."
Arc looked at him funny. "This is treason. War crimes implies something else entirely."
Hei just shook his head, "Great. That's just sooooo much better."
Arc just shook off the sarcasm and went back to addressing the entire room, "Roman didn't mention it, but we should expect that this Cinder will demand one of us at the docks to represent our stake in the outcome. I volunteer."
Millie's eyes lifted in surprise, but Mel was already nodding. "You're pretty useless in a fight and probably even worse with infiltration."
Jaune nodded again. "More important than that, we couldn't care less if this 'docks' thing succeeds so long as it makes a lot of noise. We just can't afford to waste anyone else's time on it."
Millie smiled as the puzzle came together in her mind, "Since you did most of the talking during the part of the meeting sleeping beauty will actually remember, I can see how Cinder will definitely have enough information to paint the wrong picture. So long as you're careful, you should be able to bluff your way through the job just fine."
Arc smiled at Militia, "Exactly."
Mel cautioned, "So long as you trust Roman to watch your back. You weren't exactly subtle in provoking the clown on the floor."
Jaune looked squarely at Neo. She nodded once. Jaune then addressed Mel directly, "We've helped him and his when Roman needed it most. He will keep that in mind."
Hei looked hard at Neo, saw whatever it was he was looking for, then nodded. "Agreed."
Millie shrugged in acceptance, but she knew she owed Arc. "You get in trouble; you call me. Not Roman. Not Neo. Me. Cavalry will show up as quick as I can get there."
Arc looked at her, and she could see he was honestly touched, "I'll keep it in mind."
Millie nodded and got the conversation back on track, "So us hitting the other gangs is little more than throwing Vacuan Cocktails while the fire station is already burning?"
Jaune shook his head, "It's more than that. We want everyone with a vested interest to connect the same dots concerning the White Fang."
Then the other shoe finally dropped in Millie's mind. She snapped her fingers, "That's why Neo was disguised as me when she escorted the patsy out here.
Mel smiled at her twin. "Exactly. Roman implied it was to let the jackass bypass some security that doesn't exist and expedite the meeting, but he didn't actually come out and confirm either jack or shit." She looked at Hei and smiled, "It's a risk on the front end, but if everyone has the same suspect in mind, the people in the middle are going to matter less and less."
Hei patted his goatee thoughtfully, "Why shake down informants if everyone already knows who the ultimate client is?" He smiled at his underboss, obviously liking what he was hearing. "The cops and even some of our clients will likely still shake the cage, but now it will just be for show. Well done Mel, I'm impressed."
Mel was preening again, "Just remember, we're still not giving names. We have our reputation to uphold, after all."
That got a laugh out of everyone in the room except Neo, for obvious reasons, and Arc who was still uneasy about something.
Jaune spoke his mind, "Just don't forget that initial risk. This Cinder person, or the White Fang themselves, may well want some answers about the suspicions laid at their feet. At least after this is over and done with."
Mel smiled hard, "Pretty sure becoming the focused attention of everyone, everywhere, all at once should give them a few other things to worry about."
Jaune shrugged in at least partial agreement. "There is that, but let's just say they're not going to be completely pleased about the circumstances surrounding Roman's order completion."
Hei warned Arc, "Hard to feel bad for them. They pretty much are the reason behind all this shit."
Mel looked at Arc, her voice now firm. "Exactly. In the end, they are the ones manipulating the situation, all we're doing is trying to get us and Roman clear. We don't give a fuck about any of the rest of it." Her eyes slipped to the unconscious faunus on the floor. "I'm not sticking my neck out for people like that." Millie thought Mel wanted to add another sentence or two there, and judging from her twin's expression, something additional went unsaid, but that was between her and Arc.
Millie also glanced down at the unconscious psycho. The stench of urine lingered in the cramped confines of the makeshift office. Millie could understand why Mel might hate the patsy and the trouble he represented, but Millie couldn't. She was just too damned grateful. With a smile, she looked at her sister and said the magic words out loud for all to hear. "We finally have our way clear, then."
Arc remained the only person who seemed to be hesitating. Still, whatever his doubts, he confirmed. "I do believe we have the missing piece to our solution."
The sun had just set when Blake finally located her friend. Finding Bleiss wasn't easy when she wasn't in the mood to be found, but there were ways, and Blake was getting better and better at discovering them. This time her friend had been undone because of her need to win versus her twin. The two had evidently gone head to head for valedictorian at Charter, with a margin so narrow neither sister could be sure of victory until the moment finals finally posted.
Blake smiled. Weiss's ill concealed glumness while wearing her salutatorian sash was truly epic and made for one the absolute best scroll wallpapers Blake had ever seen. It was just too bad that Bleiss was selfish about sharing certain things.
So Bleiss was somewhere where she could get her school work done. Not in her room of course, Bleiss had long made it clear she only went there to, as she put it, "Sleep, shower, and shit." There were study halls of course, but Blake's friend wasn't the social sort. She tended to lack tolerance to all things that annoyed her, which seemed to be the overwhelming majority of the bipedal population of Remnant. The next best guess would have been any of the hosts of empty rooms and lecture halls. If Bleiss had gone there, Blake knew she might as well not bother looking. Beacon's campus was huge. However, Blake held out that if staff noticed any unauthorized room with the lights still on… well all it would take was a scroll call to Professor Goodwitch about Bleiss wasting dust and Blake's friend would be completely undone.
That meant there was a strong chance that Bleiss was in the library. Yes it was after hours, but the building was huge, gothic, and secluded. Easy enough for a passing faculty member to assume some other staffer had forgotten one light in the massive structure. A structure so massive, it would be a pain to crawl their way entirely through it for one lightbulbs's worth of energy dust. Even given the current shortages.
As for entry? Well Bleiss had off-handedly mentioned that once someone could summon a Beowolf capable of operating the inside handle of a door, door locks became more akin to polite suggestions than actual obstacles.
So Blake's faunus eyes were quick to notice some dim lighting on the library's back mezzanine. Enough light for a table lamp or two. A slightly shifting shadow confirmed Blake's theory. With a smirk, the faunus used Gambol Shroud to hook the balcony and rapidly hopped up to the second story. She was about to knock when a black armored arm attached to glyph opened the door. Blake nodded to it once as she passed by.
With a slightly smug tone. Blake told her friend, "Your shadow gave you away, next time try sitting on the far side of the light."
Bleiss didn't look up from her homework. "If I did that, you would have spent half the night looking for me, gone to bed late, and woken up tomorrow all pissy and butt-hurt." Blake rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately. Not buying what her friend was selling for a moment. As for Bleiss herself, she didn't so much as glance Blake's way until the faunus sat down.
However, before Blake could utter another word, Bleiss shook her head once in negation and warned, "Don't you even ask."
Blake raised an eyebrow. Reflexively, the faunus glanced around the room, but the two of them were obviously alone. Which made sense, since if anyone else was here, then one way or the other, Bleiss wouldn't be. Also Blake's ears were basically on fire at this point. Absently she started to pull apart the bow that hid them.
Bleiss watched as she did, her expression growing lidded. With a sigh Blake's friend shook her head even harder. "You know I'm basically immune to the feeling of guilt, right?."
Blake half-smiled, "Liar." Blake then, and only partially for effect, started massaging some feeling into what marked her as something fundamentally different from her friend.
Bleiss leaned back, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're gods-damned nosey, you know that?" Blake smiled. After all, she could tell Bleiss was already caving.
With a exasperated sigh, Bleiss said, "I've told you about my mom's 'issues' before, right?" Bleiss added finger quotes over the word. When Blake nodded, Bleiss rolled her eyes and said, "Well Weiss and I are basically arguing over that."
Blake gave her friend a moment. "Let me guess, Weiss isn't handling it maturely–"
Bleiss held up a hand. "Don't go there. Don't you dare judge her. Not for this."
Blake tried to explain, "Addiction is a disease. It's like–"
Bleiss's glare made Blake's words die in her throat. Words hard, Bleiss told Blake in no uncertain terms. "An addict will let you down. Maybe not this time, and maybe not the next, but eventually they will. Sometimes, even when it's really important that they don't, an addict will still choose their addiction over you. Everyone involved with the addict understands this. Everyone hates the addict for that reason. That goes for me. That goes for Weiss. That even goes for my mother herself."
Blake tried push forward, "Addicts don't choose anything. I read–"
Bleiss's eyes flashed, unyielding and merciless. Her voice, hard before, turned into absolute ice. "How about you don't tell me about what you read about addiction, and I won't tell you what I read about the White Fang?" Her voice somehow dropped several more degrees, "Agreed?" Blake suddenly felt the need to swallow, but nodded. Bleiss in response nodded slightly as she reset herself mentally. Her voice warmed some, although there was still a coating of ice on them. "Blake, I apologize. It's a sore topic with me." She tried, and mostly succeeded, to smile, "Like my dislike for blondes."
Blake smiled slowly and took a hint, "One of these days you are going to tell me about Vacuo and whoever this–"
"Nope!" Bleiss crossed her arms, but her voice was now lighter. With a mock angry grin she added, "Gods as my witness, I need to find a way to repay Weiss for telling stories." She then sighed with some true regret, "Anyways, don't use the 'S-Word' around me. Like ever. Bad enough I have this irritating ball of fire ruining my day by serving as a constant reminder."
Blake smirked, "I still want to meet him."
"Yeah wish in one hand, shit in the other, and all that fucking nonsense."
Blake laughed softly but she knew what her friend was doing. Blake stared hard at her friend. If there was one thing Bleiss was able to demonstrate, it was the need to be a bit judicious in how you broached problems. The consequences for not doing so hit Blake's friend upside the head on a daily basis. "Okay. we won't discuss the 'S-word.'" Bleiss's smile faltered. Blake continued, "And I won't tell you what I read about addiction." Bleiss was now staring at her hard. "But I can listen to you talk about these things." Bleiss probably would have refused if Blake didn't decide then and there to twist one particular knife. "Two sets of ears and all that."
Bleiss suddenly winced, "I couldn't resist asking, okay?"
Blake almost smiled at yet another example of how a lack of restraint went on to bite Bleiss firmly in the ass. The faunus smiled, "I know. I forgive you."
Bleiss sighed, "So long as I spill, you mean."
Blake wasn't really that expressive a person, but Bleiss kind of dragged that part of her out. Especially when it was just the two of them. "You're words, not mine."
Bleiss was quiet for a moment, but Blake could tell she was marshaling her thoughts more than anything else. Blake was somewhat surprised which fork Bleiss opted for. "Mom's issues haven't been easy on me or my sister. Especially once Winter fucked off and joined the military." Bleiss slowly stood, then started pacing back and forth. "But that's just part of the problem. Jacques hating my guts almost as much as I hate his is another reason things have gone so badly. The last bit is no one really knows what to make of Whitley, including Jacques. Because of those reasons, and like I said, Winter ditching, all the SDC bullshit wound up in Weiss's lap."
Blake nodded slowly. "I can see how–"
Bleiss though, having decided to open up, was just now picking up steam. "Weiss, hell, fucking both of us, we were fourteen! Fucking fourteen! Weiss still had stuffed animals on her bed! At that point of our lives, we should have been talking about cute boys, maybe some viral scroll-net video, but instead, one of us has the entire fucked up fucking legacy of the fucking-fucked up SDC resting on their shoulders. And you know what the fuck that person does? Against the sheer fucking unfairness of that weight? Well that bitch straight up decides, then and there, that, 'Yep, I'll fix that!'" Bleiss paused for one long inhale, "I was there! I saw it all over her face. She didn't even hesitate! Gods, I loved her so much in that moment. How could I not? Without a word of complaint, she made up her mind that she would do something impossible. Something no one else thought was even worth attempting." Bleiss grimaced, "Unfortunately, loving her didn't stop me from being a selfish bitch."
Blake had leaned back during the barrage. She had never thought of Weiss being an heiress in remotely those terms. "I mean you were still–"
Bleiss wasn't in the mood to listen, in fact she was still just hitting her stride. "Listen, I love Winter. At least I think I do. Sometimes. Maybe. At least I haven't stabbed her yet. Trust me, I love Whitley too. Deep down, I know he's a good kid just trying to survive. If Weiss had gotten her way and we'd gone to the Academy, one good thing would have been my ability to check in on him more regularly. But, again, I'm an absolute bitch in my selfishness."
Blake tried to cheer her friend a bit. "Just as well. You'd probably get your brother in more trouble than he could ever hope to deal with."
Bleiss smiled briefly, "Been there. Done that. Wild party when he turned thirteen. There was a fire in the swimming pool. Jacques's jaw hit the floor even as his head hit the ceiling. All of it was pretty damned great if I say so myself."
Blake almost, but not quite giggled. Still, she kept her friend on task, "But you came to Beacon instead." Blake frowned, "Weiss doesn't typically follow you. Why did she agree to go to Beacon?"
Bleiss sighed, "She didn't. In a way, neither did I since I wanted to go to Shade."
Blake raised an eyebrow, "Really?" Bleiss at least had the decency to look completely abashed over the issue. "So Weiss talked you out of stalking your ex and Beacon became the compromise?"
Bleiss pinched the bridge of her nose, somewhat smiling with the pain as she went back to pacing. "More or less? Sorta? Look, it wasn't exactly my finest hour. I applied to Shade anyway, Weiss went full psycho over the decision. Then I sorta found out third hand he'd applied to Haven after I submitted… like totally on purpose and right before their deadline too! Ugh!" Bleiss stopped and actually hung her head in shame. "Since pale skin and deserts don't mix…" She trailed off, struggling and lost in that no man's land between laughing and crying, "Damn, am I fucking pathetic or what?" Blake's jaw was now slack.
Bleiss finally offered her friend an apologetic half smile that was doubtlessly meant for someone else. "Look. I was in love. Fully and completely. Evidently he wasn't and I handled it beyond badly. Beyond selfishly. I knew I was way past the line, but I was still unable to stop myself. Weiss obviously knew I was a complete mess at that point. You know, selfish bitch and all that…" Again Bleiss trailed off.
Blake thought of Adam and couldn't help but draw important parallels. Blake reset herself and offered her friend a small smile, "Let's just go with, 'Beacon was the compromise,' and leave it there."
Bleiss nodded and sighed, staring off into another time and place. "Yeah, all it cost was Weiss's dream of following our sister to the Academy."
Blake leaned back in her chair to better look at her friend as she stared off into space, "Weiss really has your number, doesn't she?"
Bleiss, snapped back to the present, but she didn't really deny anything. Instead she barked a short laugh. "I wouldn't put it like that. It's more like she wound up holding my leash. Still, I've come to the realization that if that uptight pain in my ass asked me to lay down in traffic, I'd probably owe it to her."
Blake couldn't help but interject, "Yet you're still trying to saddle her with Pyrrha Nikos?"
Bleiss blinked, then smiled more broadly. "Well, yeah. What part of selfish bitch are you not understanding?" She laughed and waved away Blake's forthcoming riposte, "Anyways, Weiss has way more patience with that level of bullshit than I do."
Blake half smiled to remove the sting when she stated something obvious. "As I understand it, you were valedictorian of Charter. Doesn't that make you at least some kind of figurehead for that kind of bullshit?"
Bleiss sniggered once more, "Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure my hypocrisy is known wide and far at this point."
Blake smiled as broadly as she ever did, "Liar."
Bleiss looked at Blake oddly for a moment, and definitely didn't laugh again as Blake had expected. Instead, after a long moment, Bleiss moved back to her seat in which she promptly, and with little pretense of grace, collapsed. "I don't think you understand something about me or my sister. Weiss can honestly do things I can't. And it's been that way since, like, forever."
Blake frowned, "I doubt that. I certainly haven't seen her summon anything like you can. I mean she–"
Bleiss waved her off, "That has nothing to do with what I mean." Bleiss leveled an open look at Blake. It was confrontational, but it was also half something else Blake couldn't quite put her finger on. After a moment, Bleiss started again, "I didn't just get Jacques dark hair. I also got his vengeful streak. Not to mention his thin skin. And worst of all, even worse than getting his awful thundercunt of a mother's eyes, I got his temper." Bleiss breathed in, slow and even, then started to explain. "When you come down to it, to the absolute brass tacks of me as a person, my best quality is I at least don't deny the shittier parts of my nature. I at least know that a person as petty as I am, as temperamental as I am, and as fucking prone to anger as I am will never build anything of worth. Ever. Weiss, though, she can. It's why she has actual friends."
Blake actually flinched. That hurt. A lot. "What am I then?"
Bleiss smiled, and there was something truly self-loathing in her smile. "You've known me, what? Barely three months? I like you Blake, honestly I do, but let's see how you feel about me a year from now. When all my bullshit isn't cute anymore."
Blake stared at Bleiss hard, still hurt, ready to be confrontational over the issue. However, something in Bleiss's expression convinced the faunus to shelve the topic of their friendship (for today at least). Blake continued the argument in a different way. "You're going to be a Huntress–"
Bleiss was already holding up her hand to stop her, but at least her smile was warm this time. "Again, besides the point. People like me. People who are pissed off at the world in general, and often someone in particular, we can beat shit up with the best of them. We enjoy it. Letting me kill shit like Grimm is fucking great. Especially since I don't have to spare a second thought about whether momma Ursa has to explain to the kids why daddy isn't coming back." Bleiss leaned forward to challenge Blake on something fundamental. "A bad thing dies, I get to let my temper go, and I might even feel good for a moment because there is one less dark thing in the world. Still, that's only catharsis. Not any form of actual progress."
Blake swallowed, and thought of someone else she was also drawn to. Someone with equal rage, and perhaps less conscience. "I can see the difference."
It must have shown on Blake's face, because Bleiss was looking at her strangely. "Yeah, mine isn't the only ex that left a mark, is he?" Blake, now uncomfortable, leaned away. Because Bleiss was a good friend, no matter her impressions of herself, she didn't press Blake any harder. Instead, she went back to her own woes. No doubt hiding her intentions from herself inside the simplicity of 'being a selfish bitch.' "So circling back again to that moment in time when Winter abandoned us to escape the Schnee Sanatorium, to the moment the family legacy fell on Weiss's shoulders, let's just say I was only looking for simple things like catharsis. Hence the legendary flaming pool of the Schnee Family Mansion."
Blake looked at her, "You did say you were fourteen."
Bleiss looked at Blake like she was a twit, "Still fifteen minutes older than Weiss." Blake had to concede on that point. "That made me the oldest, at least once, in case I haven't said it clearly enough yet, Winter took the fuck off. Anyways, if the SDC was going to be saved, and Weiss had decided it was, no one in the family was going to line up behind her to do it. I was too selfish, pissed off, and detested. Whitley too young, and Winter–"
Blake smirked, "I get it. Winter wasn't around."
Bleiss's smile broadened, "-Pussed out like a bitch to be more accurate." Bleiss's smile then withered and died painfully on her face. "Yeah. In this at least, Weiss had no one."
Blake slowly nodded, "Not even her parents."
Bleiss straightened with rage for a singular moment, but then, just as abruptly, folded in on herself. "Especially not our fucking parents." Bleiss went utterly still. Blake was shocked when two tears rolled down her friend's cheeks.
Finally after a long moment, she spoke to Blake, and when Bleiss did, she was devoid of all defense. "Jacques is easy for me, you know. He's the fucking enemy. We drew up our battle lines, and the only time either of us ever crossed them was when we wanted blood." Bleiss's eyes were far away. "The weird thing about our war though, were the long stretches of peace. When both sides decided it just wasn't worth the effort today. Neither of us, no matter how spiteful we are, no matter how much other people might doubt it, have it in us to hate all the time. It's just not worth the effort."
Blake thought of Adam, and something fundamental inside her shifted. For the first time ever, she thought of Adam as pathetic. No other word would do. Not when her friend still had it in her to shed tears for the likes of Jacques Schnee.
After another moment, Bleiss continued. "I think if Weiss drew those same lines with Jacques, she wouldn't have been so vulnerable. She'd still be able to call and at least wish mom a happy birthday. But she never drew those lines. She couldn't."
Blake saw it clearly. "Because if she did, then the SDC would be forever out of reach." Bleiss nodded. Blake thought back to her rocky introduction to Weiss, and resolved to be a bit kinder.
"Which brings us to my mother. To her 'issues.' To that moment when Weiss really needed an addict to be in her corner, and do something important. To a moment when Weiss looked for a mother who had promised to help. But when my sister did, our mother was somewhere else. Being an addict."
Blake knew she didn't remotely have the right to continue, so lapsed into silence. A silence the two of them enjoyed for some time.
However, after a while, before the silence became pained, Blake decided to finally ask something else entirely that had been bugging her for like forever.
"So is this sister worship thing you have," Bleiss raised an eyebrow in mock ire, "is that how you got the nickname."
Bleiss's smile blossomed, and the smile was one of triumph. "So you were the first to ask? Weiss owes me ten lien since she put her money on Ruby." Blake's friend chuckled for a minute. Blake felt her unease grow, but Bleiss's smile softened, and that somewhat waylaid her fears. Somewhat. "It's nothing too bad. Back when we were kids, even for social events, Jacques insisted on dressing the two of us alike, only with me in black and Weiss in white."
Blake frowned, "Okay…?"
Bleiss's smile showed a few more teeth. "Neither of us were particularly popular. We didn't really understand it yet, but we had too much new money for one strata of Atlas society, and not enough old money for the other. So they started bullying us by giving me a nickname."
"Okay? Why give you the nickname? Why not Weiss?"
Bleiss smiled, "Honestly, they might have given her one back. At least at the very beginning. It just never stuck because Weiss at least tried. I was more prone to making my would-be bullies eat sand. Sometimes by the spadeful. So it was ultimately me that got the nickname. Especially after they realized I was pretty protective of my sis."
Blake nodded, but continued, "So why do you use the nickname now?"
"Two reasons. First, Jacques fucking hates it. Always has."
Blake thought she had it, "And, let me guess, you don't really care for the name Edel."
Bleiss smirked, "Nope."
Blake frowned, "Then why?"
Bleiss's eyes danced with malevolence. "I don't just dislike the name Edel, I fucking loathe it. Literally, the day I turn eighteen, I'm changing it, framing the certificate, and mailing it to Jacques express style."
Blake was shaking her head, "Can I ask why?"
Bleiss looked at her curiously, then smiled like the cat that ate the proverbial canary. "Did you know Edel means 'Noble' in Mantle?"
Blake winced, "Oof."
"It's also the name of Jacque's thundercunt of a mother."
"Okay I get it–"
"Oh it gets worse."
Blake couldn't very well look away from the trainwreck now, "How could it get any worse?"
"You see, edelweiss, is a flower."
Blake flinched at the thought, but believed that maybe Bleiss had misplayed the order of her reveal. "Okay I can see how a twins combo name is too cutesy–"
"I haven't gotten to the bad part yet." Bleiss's smile was now wholly evil. "You see, there's a song associated with this flower. A really, really annoying song."
Before she could stop herself, before she knew just how dangerous a game she was playing, Blake went and put her foot in it. "How annoying?"
Bleiss, not known for her mercy, started singing it. Bleiss who in no way had the musical talent of her sister, also went for max volume. Max volume in a large, empty, and very much echoing, building.
Blake started to really, really, really regret having two sets of ears.
Hello everyone. I am your resident idiot and cancer survivor most known for annoying Lefou way too much. Thank you LaughingLefou for helping me get back in the saddle for writing. Apologies Demon if this chapter gives you a headache, but I thought the chaos would be funny. Yes, I totally did it on purpose! You can't even get mad at me! 'Cause cancer! So neener-neener!
Also, if you wonder why anyone would use physical maps and clip newspapers instead of doing 'scroll searches,' just know no one can have a suspicious internet history with paper. Just toss a folder in a fire. Poof. Evidence gone. Just some old man criminal advice advice from someone who has read one too many Thomas Harris novels.
Also, and I make no apologies, The Sound of Music is overrated.
Seriously though, this is an enjoyable Gordian's Knot of a story. I feel blessed to offer my own idiocy to the narrative as always. Thank you all for reading!
