Chapter 15: The Pawn or the Queen

Weiss was walking down a hallway on the twenty-ninth floor of the Schnee Dust Company's headquarters like a soldier marching to a court-marshal. It was the morning after the White Fang attack, and Weiss was certain it was going to be an interesting day for all the wrong reasons. Ruby was walking beside her. There wasn't strictly a need for Ruby to be there, but Weiss did not intend to face today alone.

Weiss walked up to her office's door. Then she paused and looked at Ruby.

Ruby briefly pulled her scroll out of her pocket, but after a quick glance at its screen, she put it away again.

"No luck yet?" Weiss asked.

"No," Ruby said. She turned to the door in front of them and asked, "Are you ready for this?"

"We'll soon find out," Weiss said.

Weiss pushed her office's door open and walked inside with Ruby in tow. Rosalie was at her desk as expected, and also as expected, May was standing there in the reception area as well. She was pacing back and forth, but she stopped the moment she saw Weiss. She said, "Miss Schnee! What were you—!?"

Weiss held up her hand, signaling for silence.

May scowled, but she didn't say anything more.

"We will speak in my office momentarily," Weiss calmly said. Then she turned to the reception area's other occupant. "Good morning, Rosalie."

"Good morning, Miss Schnee," Rosalie said. There was a hint of smugness in her voice. Weiss suspected Rosalie had enjoyed seeing her put May in her place.

A steaming mug was sitting on Rosalie's desk. She picked it up and held it out for Weiss, saying, "Your coffee."

Weiss took the mug and said, "Thank you, Rosalie. Any messages this morning?"

"None that require your immediate attention," Rosalie said.

"Very good," Weiss said. She turned to May again. "Shall we?"

Weiss walked to the back of the reception area where the door to her office proper was. She opened it up and let herself in. She was followed by May and Ruby. Ruby closed the door behind her.

Weiss strode over to her desk and sat in her chair. She took a sip of her coffee before setting the mug down. Then and only then did she say, "Now what did you want to talk to me about, May?"

"You know exactly what I want to talk about!" May exclaimed. "What were you thinking yesterday?! There's someone out there trying to kill you! You need to start taking this seriously rather than treating me like some kind of pointless chaperone!"

Weiss would never admit it, but that was exactly how she felt about May. Regardless, she said, "I assure you, I am taking this situation very seriously. I…recognize that I made your job more difficult than it needed to be yesterday."

"'Impossible' is the word I'd use," May said.

"Then I think we can both agree it's time we got on the same page regarding my safety," Weiss said.

May crossed her arms and said, "I'm listening."

"Good," Weiss said. "Because before we continue, I feel it's only fair to tell you who's attempting to have me assassinated."

"You mean you know?!" May asked, uncrossing her arms.

"I do," Weiss said. "It's my father, Jacques Schnee. The CEO of this very company."

The office suddenly got quiet enough to hear a pin drop. May looked stunned for a moment. But then she said, "You're serious."

"Deadly serious," Weiss said. "I'll understand if you no longer feel it's in your best interest to continue—"

"No!" May said, angrily interrupting.

"Pardon me?" Weiss asked.

"No," May repeated. "This was just a part of my job, babysitting some spoiled brat who got in over her head!"

Weiss was a little taken aback by May's blunt, and in her opinion, inaccurate assessment.

May continued, "But now it's personal. A father who wants to harm his daughter is no father at all!"

"Then…I'm glad you were the one who was assigned to my security detail," Weiss said. She suddenly had so many questions. It was clear that something about Weiss's situation had struck a chord with May, which Weiss found alarming to say the least.

May said, "I'm assuming directly confronting your father is out of the question."

"Yes," Weiss said. "Unless you want your career to end very abruptly with nothing to show for it."

May looked like she was considering it for a moment. But then she shook her head no.

The intercom on Weiss's desk suddenly buzzed. Weiss hit the button to answer and said, "Yes?"

"Your morning appointment is here, Miss Schnee," Rosalie said over the intercom.

"Very good. Send him in," Weiss said.

May asked, "Do I need to step out for a moment?"

"No. This concerns you too," Weiss said.

"Really? Who's your appointment then?" May asked.

"Our reinforcements," Weiss said. "Unfortunately."

The door to Weiss's office opened, and Jaune walked in. He smiled and said, "Hi Ruby, Miss Schnee! Good to see you both in one piece."

May asked, "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"Oh! Uh…sorry…?" Jaune said, obviously fishing for a name.

"May Marigold, Schnee Dust Company Internal Security," May said.

"Nice to meet you," Jaune said. "I'm—"

"I know who you are, Hero-boy," May said. She marched up to Jaune and gave him a suspicious look.

"Uh…" Jaune said.

May stuck her hand out at Jaune. She said, "Thanks for keeping Miss Schnee safe."

Jaune took May's hand and shook it. He bashfully said, "Just doing my job, you know?"

Weiss impatiently said, "Now that that's out of the way. We should really discuss the White Fang attack."

"We should," May said. "Because that wasn't the White Fang yesterday."

"What!?" Weiss exclaimed.

At the same time, Ruby muttered to herself, "I knew it."

Jaune asked May, "How do you know that?!"

May said, "I'm very good at my job. So is my boss."

"Yeah, but…still," Jaune said.

"My boss works closely with the Atlas Police Department," May said. Her eyes slid over to Weiss. "It's amazing how helpful they are if you don't try to antagonize them at every turn."

Weiss wasn't sure she liked how many potshots May was taking at her today. But unfortunately for May, Weiss had experienced being in close proximity to one Yang Branwen many times now. By comparison, May was an amateur. Weiss sardonically said to May, "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

Jaune said, "But how did the police figure it out already?"

May said, "Apparently it was pretty obvious once they got everyone into custody. Most of the people they arrested weren't even faunus, just humans with White Fang uniforms. The faunus you fought, Miss Schnee, is a semi-well-known mercenary who goes by the name 'Smoke'. Obviously a pseudonym. But she's not with the White Fang either. Unfortunately, she and everyone else are being tight-lipped about why they attacked you."

Weiss said, "Even so, this does explain a few things. But it sounds like you already knew all this, Jaune."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I did," Jaune said. "I was going to tell you, but May beat me to it."

"How did you find out?" Weiss asked.

Jaune seemed to contemplate Weiss's question for a moment. Then he said, "Me and my team have learned who your father really hired to kill you. He's the one who must have organized the fake White Fang attack."

"Who?" Weiss asked.

"A man named Torchwick," Jaune said.

Weiss was about to ask Jaune how he'd learned all this when Ruby suddenly spoke up. She said, "Torchwick?! Like, Roman Torchwick?!"

"That's him," Jaune said.

May asked, "Do you know him, Ms. Rose?"

Ruby said, "He was one of Cinder Fall's accomplices during the Maiden War. He's the last one who's still…alive."

Weiss could practically see the storm clouds gathering inside of Ruby. She wasn't surprised. Ruby's own father had been killed during the Second Battle of Beacon, the titanic clash that had finally ended the War. In a way, Weiss was pleased by this turn of events. If she could help bring Torchwick to justice then maybe that would grant Ruby some closure.

Jaune said, "Uh, Miss Schnee? Ren said you mentioned someone named Blake yesterday. Who's that?"

Weiss had been expecting Jaune's question, and she'd prepared an answer. She said, "A criminal I had a run-in with once. I'd already doubted she was involved in this. But if the attack yesterday wasn't carried out by the White Fang then she's definitely not involved. We need to focus on this Roman Torchwick."

May said, "And I guess I'd better make sure our security protocols are up to snuff if someone like him is involved."

Jaune said, "That's just what I was thinking too. Ruby, maybe we should talk strategy. Is there a conference room or something we can use?"

Weiss could hardly repress a self-satisfied smile when she said, "Actually, you'll want to talk with May. She's presently in charge of my personal security. There's an available conference room you can use just down the hall to your left when you leave my office."

"But…" Jaune said.

May shook her head. She grabbed Jaune's arm and started dragging him toward the door. She said, "Come on, Hero-boy. That's Schnee-speak for 'get out of here'."

May opened the office's door and ushered Jaune through it. Then she left herself. The door shut behind her.

Weiss said, "I think I'm actually beginning to like her."

When Ruby didn't respond, Weiss turned to her. Ruby's head was cast down and her eyes were half-lidded. She looked like she was very far away.

Weiss jumped up from her chair. She put her hands comfortingly on Ruby's shoulders.

Ruby slowly looked up. She said, "Sorry, Weiss. I was just—"

Weiss interrupted Ruby by leaning in and planting a soft kiss on her lips. She felt Ruby jump in surprise at first, but a moment later Ruby melted into her. Weiss's lips lingered as she tried to soothe Ruby's sorrow as best she could.

Eventually, Weiss pulled back. She smiled at Ruby. Ruby's eyes were closed, but they fluttered open. The sweetest look crossed Ruby's face, and it deeply touched Weiss's heart.

"Better?" Weiss asked.

"Better," Ruby said. "Thank you, Weiss."

A ding suddenly came from Ruby's pocket. Weiss let go of Ruby, and Ruby pulled out her scroll.

"Is it Yang?" Weiss asked. She and Ruby had been trying to get in touch with Yang and Blake since last night.

"Yeah," Ruby said.

"Finally," Weiss said.

Ruby tapped at her scroll's screen a few times. Then she set it down on Weiss's desk. A ringing sound came from the scroll's speakers. Then the line connected.

"Hey Ruby," Yang said over the scroll. She sounded uncharacteristically despondent.

"Uh…. Are you alright, Yang?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine," Yang insisted. Weiss didn't believe her, but she also didn't have time to pry.

Weiss asked, "Yang, is Blake there?"

"She's busy," Yang said. "I'll tell her anything she needs to know."

Weiss and Ruby glanced at each other. Weiss was starting to piece together what was bothering Yang. She felt sympathetic, but she didn't think there was anything she could do to help at the moment. She said, "I trust you've heard about the attack yesterday."

"Yeah…" Yang said. "We did."

"It might interest you to know I was the target," Weiss said.

"Blake was wondering about that," Yang said. "Good thing Ruby was there."

Ruby interjected, "And the Arc Knights too!"

Weiss ignored Ruby's comment and said, "It might also interest you to know the police don't believe the White Fang was responsible for the attack."

"What? Who was then?" Yang asked. She seemed to perk up slightly.

"There was a mercenary who calls herself 'Smoke' at the scene," Weiss said. "But according to Jaune Arc, the mastermind is a man named Roman Torchwick."

"Torchwick?!" Yang exclaimed.

"It sounds like you've heard of him," Weiss said.

"I've met him," Yang said.

Ruby suddenly cut in. She said, "What!? When?!"

"He and his partner, Neo, got us passed security at your mansion, Weiss," Yang said. "When we…you know. You'd better be careful, Ruby. That guy's trouble. So's his partner. Especially his partner."

"It doesn't matter how good either of them are!" Ruby said. "We're going to stop them!"

Weiss placed her hand on Ruby's back to try to calm her.

Yang asked, "Did Jaune mention anyone named Yuma? Or Tock?"

Weiss said, "No. Should we be worried about those individuals?"

"No. They're my problem. Listen, I've got to go. Thanks for the info," Yang said. She abruptly hung up.

Ruby said, "Something bad's happening over there."

"I'm afraid that was all but inevitable," Weiss said. She suddenly felt her own scroll vibrate. She slipped it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. There was a message waiting for her.

Rosalie:
The jeweler called. Your order is almost ready. :-)

Weiss quickly shoved her scroll back into her pocket.

Unaware, Ruby asked, "What are we going to do about it, Weiss?"

"What can we do about it?" Weiss responded. "Yang seemed to imply she thought Torchwick might also be involved with whatever was troubling her. Somehow. Maybe taking him down will help out her and Blake as well."

"Maybe…" Ruby said. She sounded skeptical.

Weiss found it funny that she had brought Ruby here today for emotional support, but things had quickly turned completely the other way around. She supposed that was what it was like being in a relationship sometimes. However, as Weiss considered that, she suddenly realized it had been forever since she and Ruby had done anything as girlfriends. She supposed she'd had her hands full, but she wasn't willing to accept excuses from herself for being neglectful of Ruby.

Weiss said, "Ruby, what if we left work early today?"

Ruby blinked in surprise. She said, "But you never leave work early."

"There's a first time for everything," Weiss said.

Author's Note: Of course Torchwick is going to show up in this story! How could I not include RWBY's #3 villain. (Please don't tell him I said he was only #3. Who knows what he might do to me!) For the record, #2 is Salem and #1 is Neo. Your actual mileage may vary of course.

I kind of like the running gag that's developing in this story that Yang already knows/has met everyone before. It's not something I decided to do intentionally, but sometimes things just work out.

As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates.