Note: Okay yeah I'm back in the swing of things. Lol. I think we'll officially end the arc here. I still have some important things to wrap up, but we can leave that to a sort of epilogue arc or something. For now, let me know what you've thought of this latest arc in the comments, and I hope you enjoy.
"Remarkable, just remarkable."
Winter was somewhat hesitant to let Stiltskin examine her. Even after everything that transpired, she didn't trust the man who looked more like a bad modern art painting than a doctor. In the end, she didn't have the energy to fight him. She had worn herself out crying with Weiss, and now, sitting back on the medical chair, she just wanted to know that her troubles were done with. Stiltskin's hands hovered just in front of her face, never touching her—which only served to piss her off more.
"Spit it out."
"Your mind is completely healed, but your brain isn't," Stiltskin explained. "I never repaired the missing components that were taken during surgery, and yet, your mind seems to be working flawlessly. It seems as if whatever Weiss did formed entirely new pathways."
"So, she's going to be okay?" Weiss asked, nervously standing in the corner.
"I mean, she should really come back for a follow-up in a few weeks."
Winter narrowed her gaze. "I am never coming back here."
"Then sure. She's okay."
Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. The past day had been an absolute nightmare. Ending it on some actual good news almost didn't seem real. She half expected Winter to just explode in a big ball of fire. Why even have consistency in the ways the universe fucked them over? But no, it seemed like Winter's improved condition was here to stay.
"You really don't feel his influence at all anymore?" Weiss asked unsurely.
Winter gently closed and opened her fist, testing her limits. "Not entirely. I still hear him in the back of my mind. I feel him whispering. But it's like a fog has been lifted. I see his lies for what they are now. He won't control me anymore." She turned her sharp gaze to Stiltskin. "You… flesh-changer. Does Atlas know they have this power living out in one of their slums?"
"I would prefer to keep a low profile if you don't mind," he confessed. "I understand someone of your rank might find it difficult to keep secrets, but we can consider that your payment for a job well done."
"Weiss saved me," Winter said coldly. "You just helped."
Stiltskin just smiled politely. "Whatever you say, ma'am."
Winter's attention turned elsewhere. "Now… what are doing with her?"
Pyrrha had long since lost track of what was going on. What started as a simple mission to keep Team RWBY out of trouble had turned into a familial kidnapping, and now it seemed like even that wasn't the full picture. She held firm with pursed lips and a careful ear for deception, but all she really saw was a genuine display of affection between two sisters that didn't align at all with her understanding of Team RWBY as menaces. She had plenty of time to think, chained up against the wall, though none of it proved useful. Weiss sighed, slowly approaching the chained Huntress. Pyrrha breathed shakily, still unsure if Weiss was a friend or foe.
"Pyrrha, I'm sorry that you had to get caught up in this. I never wanted to get you involved. I know this all probably looks crazy, but I promise, I will explain everything to you. The whole truth of why we're here and nothing less. But, you have to promise me that if I let you down from there, you're going to hear me out. You won't run and tell Ozpin any of this."
"Weiss, don't be careless," Winter warned. "If she's working with Ozpin then—"
"It's fine, Winter. I can handle this," Weiss commanded. Winter held her tongue but kept a watchful gaze on their captive. Weiss continued. "I'm not your enemy, Pyrrha. I've never wanted to be your enemy. I know our relationship has been… well, it's been fucked, honestly. There has just been constant mistrust between us, and you didn't deserve that. I want to make things up to you. Maybe things will never be right between us, but maybe they can at least be better. Do you promise to hear me out?"
Pyrrha remained stoic. Her injured feelings toward Weiss hadn't disappeared. Just like the ex-heiress, she had spent the day stewing in her own failures and forced to confront her purpose. She had been deprived of so many answers, most of them out of malicious intent. She still didn't trust Weiss in the slightest, but if she was really offering to make amends, Pyrrha had no reason to resist her. Besides, if she was lying, she could just tell Ozpin everything.
"Fine," Pyrrha swore. "I promise."
Weiss stepped back. For the first time in hours, she could fully relax. The chains slipped away and turned to dust. Pyrrha fell and landed gracefully, dusting herself off. Cautiously, she went to retrieve her gear from the corner of the room. She passed by Winter and Stiltskin, the latter smiling politely, the former ready to cut her heart out if she dared attack them. Pyrrha picked up her sword and shield, weapons she no longer felt worthy to carry. She carefully sheathed them on her back before turning to the others.
"Okay. Tell me the truth."
Weiss sighed. "So… to begin…"
Her words were cut short when she heard the front door burst open. Voices screamed from the other room in a panic. Weiss only had a moment to brace herself before the door to the backroom was kicked in as well. Blake and Yang entered, fists up, looking for a fight—Jaune and Ren awkwardly, pathetically towed behind them.
"Okay," Yang growled, "Where is—"
Yang and Blake were forced to a standstill when they saw the confused sight in front of them. Pyrrha—standing around, doing absolutely nothing of concern. Weiss, her palm freshly smacked against her face. Stiltskin, who seemed more concerned with the damage to his shop than anything else. And Winter, who was not chained up or undergoing surgery, but was instead staring very angry holes through the both of them. Blake lowered her guard.
"I'm sorry, what the fuck is—"
"You!"
Before Blake could finish, Winter jumped off the table. Her leg was still broken, but her fury was enough to swiftly carry her the short distance to the entrance. Blake didn't have time to prepare before Winter punched her hard in the jaw, knocking her into the front of the shop, into Jaune and Ren's arms. They both panicked and nearly dropped her as the world spun around her.
"That was for planning my kidnapping!"
Yang tried to back away fearfully. "Hey, what are you—"
"And this!" Winter screamed, socking Yang in the jaw. "That was for my leg!"
Yang stumbled backward but absorbed the blow and recovered quickly. She hissed in pain, massaging her jaw.
"Jeez, the fuck? I thought you were actually healed for a second."
"I am healed, you psychotic asshole!" Winter hissed. She hobbled back to the table, grumbling to herself as she tried to keep pressure off her wounded leg. Weiss winced at the blows, but honestly, she couldn't blame her sister. Hell, punching Blake was practically becoming a family tradition. When Blake managed to recover, Weiss ushered her and their new guests inside and shut the door behind them. Jaune and Ren awkwardly, shamefully went to Pyrrha's side. They didn't need to say a word for her to realize they had fucked up. She added that misfortune to the pile. Public team dysfunction wouldn't service anything.
"So… we came to warn you that Pyrrha was coming," Blake admitted. "I see you dealt with that on your own."
"You can say that," Weiss said. Her wounded hand had been tightly bandaged, but blood was still seeping out from beneath and feeling had yet to return. Blake asked her if she was okay, and Weiss nodded. Blake was smart enough not to press further.
"And it looks like you fixed Winter, too. That was quick. How'd you manage that?"
"I can explain it later," Weiss sighed.
"You're sure she's absolutely fixed? Like, one hundred and ten percent?"
"Trust me," Winter warned her. "If I was still under my father's commands, you would wish you got off with a single punch."
"If you insist," Blake shrugged. "So, what now? We got the B-Team over here that knows what we're up to, and our cover has been blown to shit."
"As for now, I think we owe some explanations as to what we're doing here. Both to Pyrrha… and my sister."
Yang and Blake looked nervously at each other. Yang scratched the back of her head. "Uh, you sure you want to do that? Like, here? Now?"
"Yes," Weiss said sternly. "I promised Pyrrha that I would tell her everything. And Winter deserves to know why we saved her now."
"Yeah, see I get the latter," Blake stated. "It's the former I'm having trouble with. Because honestly, telling Ozpin's goons anything seems like a terrible idea."
Jaune spoke meekly. "Um, we're actually still right here…"
Blake groaned. "Hey, Jaune, remember what I told you about you and speaking and what would happen to your dick? Quiet."
"Yes, ma'am."
Pyrrha, taking umbrage with Jaune's treatment, spoke her terms once again. "Ozpin told us to report your activities to him. I will tell him everything I've seen here unless I get a good reason not to."
Blake rolled her eyes. "Oh, great. More blackmail. Just what we fucking needed…"
Winter perked up. "I'm sorry, more blackmail? Implying the existence of other blackmail?"
Weiss growled. "Blake, stop talking. Yang, stop talk—actually, you know what? Everyone stop talking. I'm going to do the talking."
Blake followed orders for once and kept quiet. Yang, still nursing her jaw, wasn't in the mood to talk anyway. Jaune and Ren sat down on the floor, ready to hear their lecture, though Pyrrha kept herself firm, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Weiss took a deep breath. She hadn't forgotten the last time she tried to explain the truth to Team JNPR, she fumbled her words so poorly she sabotaged their relationship for… well, ever. They had never learned how to communicate with the Top Team of Beacon Academy, and they had previously dismissed it as a lost cause. But now, all of the responsibility of rebuilding their relationship fell onto her shoulders. Part of her wished she had Ruby by her side to tell her what to say, to give her the confidence she needed.
Yet, she realized… she didn't need Ruby there to give her confidence. She just journeyed into the Astral, wielded mystical powers beyond her wildest dreams, and saved her sister from her father's influence. What the hell did she have to be worried about? She was Weiss Schnee—a total, undisputed badass. Even with a bullet through her palm, she just took on one of the best fighters in Beacon Academy history and won. Telling them the truth? Hell, she could do that in her sleep.
And so, Weiss confessed everything. Well, everything relevant. She explained to Pyrrha, Jaune, and Ren the torment that her father had put her family through. She told them about the God's Arm, the tradition they had all seen, and how Winter had suffered a terrible price within. She explained that she herself had run the God's Arm before, which resulted in the loss of her eye and her sister being punished for trying to protect her. She explained Jacques's brainwashing technique—and when they didn't believe her, she showed them the chip that had been extracted from Winter's brain. She told them of Stiltskin's gifts, their plan to sneak into the Kingdom of Atlas, their struggles keeping their escapades away from Jacques, Ozpin's relationship with the billionaire, and why he could never, ever, ever find out about what they did.
All the while, Pyrrha's gaze remained on her. Only occasionally did it drift to Winter, just to see how her body language shifted. Whenever Weiss spoke of Jacques's torment of her, Pyrrha saw how her shoulders slumped and her face stung with guilt. She asked simple follow-up questions, to which Weiss gave easy but precise answers. How did they know who Stiltskin was? Friend of Blake from her youth. Why not an actual doctor? Had to remain incognito. Did Winter know or approve of any of this? No. What was that power Weiss used to stop Winter's seizure? A Semblance, but like, really complicated. Her final question was an obvious one: What would happen if Jacques found out what they did? Weiss's answer was just as obvious.
"He would probably kill us."
Pyrrha bowed her head. She… she needed time to take that in. All of it. It seemed so unbelievable, so far beyond the levels of cruelty she thought possible in a person. But Weiss's sincerity was heartbreaking. Pyrrha had seen her lie before, many moons ago. Hell, after everything Ozpin put her through, she knew when she was being deceived. Weiss seemed like she was telling the truth, and that… that only sent her mind spiraling further. That meant that when she arrived, attempting to save Winter's life, she had almost doomed her to a life of slavery, or worse, her death. It meant Ozpin's insistence that Team RWBY would cause her trouble was a faulty prediction, and her mission for him had only made things worse. It meant that the only true lie she had been told that day came from him…
As Pyrrha let her troubling thoughts simmer, Jaune awkwardly raised his hand. "Um… I have a question."
"What is it?" Weiss asked, folding her arms.
"That thing that your dad did," he said hesitantly. "Isn't that very illegal?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Just… just wanted to make sure there wasn't some weird Atlas law about that… or anything." Weiss glared him down, and he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "That was a dumb question, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Blake nodded, breaking her silence. "This is why I threatened to cut off his dick."
"And I know you'd do it, too. I've seen it."
Jaune gulped and bowed his head, keeping his mouth shut for the remainder of their time in Stiltskin's shop.
"So, that's why we couldn't tell you anything," Weiss finished, speaking straight to Pyrrha. "You never would have believed me, and I couldn't risk you telling anyone what you saw here. I know you still might not trust me, but this isn't about me or my team. It's about keeping my sister safe. All I ask of you is to at least consider keeping this safe from Ozpin. If he finds out, we know he'll use it against us. I can't risk that. Not for her."
Pyrrha squirmed. Lying straight to Ozpin? No, she… she couldn't do that. She had never done that. Yes, he had tricked her, but even now she didn't believe he would actively seek to harm anyone. But, if what Weiss was telling her was true… even if Ozpin's intentions were pure, that was no guarantee Jacques wouldn't learn the truth. And if he hurt Winter because she decided to spill someone else's secrets, could she live with herself? Her duty as a Huntress meant following the orders of her superiors. Her duty as a friend… no, she wasn't anyone's friend. Certainly not Weiss's. But, maybe that didn't matter. Maybe it was about something deeper than that. Perhaps it was about being able to look at herself in the mirror and know that she had done something to help people. She hadn't been able to face herself in months. If she turned her back on Winter now, she wasn't sure she could ever bear her reflection again.
All Pyrrha wanted was to follow this task and redeem herself, to rebuild the path to walk toward her destiny as a Huntress. Now, at the crossroads of fate, she was lost.
Somehow, someway, her gaze wandered to Stiltskin, the man she still didn't quite understand. Weiss said he was a flesh-changer, capable of altering any part of the human body to his desires. Somehow, he had reached inside Winter's mind and… cured her. She couldn't quite believe it, but the evidence was directly in front of her. He seemed kind, if a bit peculiar. He even mentioned he performed his services free of charge. A new question wandered to the forefront of her mind, one she couldn't quite reign in before it was set free.
"So, you can fix people's broken minds?" she asked him. Stiltskin spoke cautiously.
"I dabble in neurology. My powers have limitations to injuries of the brain, but… yes. I've been known to bring others under my care for mental afflictions before. You can read all about it on my website. Head trauma, blood clots…"
"And… other things?" she asked softly. "Can you fix minds that are broken in… different ways?"
Stiltskin chose his words carefully. Somehow, despite having only met less than an hour ago, he could see right through her. His smile was as genuine as the sun was bright.
"I certainly have had my fill of challenges," he admitted. "There's always someone new knocking on my door, asking me to solve them. There are limitations to what I can fix, unfortunately. Though, if you would like my personal opinion, child… not every challenged mind is a broken one. There are many things I wouldn't fix even if I could."
Pyrrha looked away. She held something back from him. A curse, another question—he could not tell. Regardless, she pushed it deep inside herself.
"I… I'm going to need some time to think this through," Pyrrha said softly. "I-I don't know."
"Don't know what?" Weiss asked. Pyrrha shrugged.
"I just… I just don't know."
Weiss sighed. She was hoping for a better answer, but it was clear this was the most she could expect. She stepped out of Pyrrha's way and directed her toward the door.
"Go back to Atlas Academy, then. Sleep on it. When you make your decision, you'll let us know."
Winter pounded her fist against the chair. "Weiss, you can't just let her go without concessions! If she tells Ozpin—"
"Then she tells him," Weiss said calmly. "You've been forced into enough awful circumstances, Pyrrha. Honestly, we all have. Whatever choice you end up making, I'll understand."
Pyrrha bowed her head. She couldn't stand to look Weiss in the eye. The kindness was too much for her, knowing her intentions. Sheepishly, she brushed past the ex-heiress, stopping only briefly to mutter something under her breath.
"I hope you work out everything with your sister."
Weiss nodded. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Pyrrha hesitated another moment, then beckoned her teammates. "Come on. Let's… let's go home."
Jaune and Ren didn't need to be told twice. They had screwed up enough that day, horribly blowing their cover and potentially costing Pyrrha her life. Had their teammate not been as innately talented as she was, she might have been dealt a far worse fate. Jaune in particular was eager to leave this entire mess behind him. It was far more complicated than anything he had business involving himself in. He hurried behind Pyrrha, desperate to get back to the comfort of his dormitory. He considered stopping to say goodbye, but the second he saw Blake, she made a snipping motion with her fingers. He decided it would be best to say nothing. The trio of Team JNPR left Stiltskin's shop, and when they heard the bell of the front door, they knew it was finally safe to discuss their real business. Almost.
"I can't believe fucking Team JNPR of all people nearly screwed this up for us," Blake said, disgusted with herself. "Those guys shouldn't be involved in any of this. It's way over their heads."
"I guess Ozpin needs all the help he can get," Yang figured. "Without Goodwitch, he probably couldn't get anyone else to spy on us."
"All the better we kicked her out when we did. But shit, recruiting kids to attack other kids is just a new layer of messed up."
Winter shook her head. "You still shouldn't have let them go. We can't afford any loose ends."
"Loose ends are sort of the Team RWBY way," Blake admitted. "Honestly, you kind of just learn to deal with the problems as they come up. Speaking of which—we kind of have a problem we need your help with."
Winter raised an eyebrow. Weiss was reluctant, but she didn't have a choice. Winter had been robbed of far too much. The last thing she needed was the truth kept from her. Weiss knelt in front of Winter's chair as if ready to plead for forgiveness.
"Look, Winter… we didn't just save you for the sake of it. It was the right thing to do, but the reason we had to do it so quickly and… like this… is because we need your help. We are in a really huge mess, and you're the only one who can get us out of it."
Winter slowly narrowed her gaze. "Weiss… be honest with me. Did you only save me because you needed a favor?"
"Like I said, it wasn't the only reason," Weiss promised. She went to take Winter's hand—but Winter pulled it sharply away.
"Listen close to me," Winter warned her. "You kidnap me, break my leg, do all of this without my consent, and the first thing you do is decide to ask me to solve a problem that I'm certain you got yourself into. I just spent the last year of my life living under someone else's command, doing everything he had ever asked of me, breaking myself down to give my complete and utter loyalty to him, and now the second that I'm finally free, you want me to immediately start working for you?"
"No, not for us. We—"
Winter just groaned. "I don't know why I assumed there wasn't a catch. Even with you…"
Weiss ached. She had already beaten herself up over her intentions, but hearing it now from Winter just put the final nail in her heart. Winter didn't hate her—she knew that. The disappointment was enough.
She couldn't give up though. That unfortunately wasn't an option. So, she took Winter's hand by force.
"Winter, please. I love you," Weiss said earnestly. "Everything I said to you in there… I meant it. Every word. I was going to save you no matter what. And I swear on everything, you don't have to work with us if you don't want to. If you want to make your own choices, we won't stop you. You've just seen that. But please, at least hear us out. We… we're in a lot of trouble. Please. I need… I need my big sister."
Winter sighed. Weiss's words to her in that strange Astral realm were fresh in her mind. The momentum from that struggle was enough to keep her from walking out the door.
"I assume this has something to do with you being blackmailed?" Winter said suspiciously.
Weiss stuttered. "Um… something like that…"
Twenty minutes and one full, convoluted explanation later, Winter leaned back in the medical chair and let out a whistle.
"Well… that's impressive."
Blake smirked. "See, it's a good plan. A bit out there, but solid."
"Not that. Your plan sucks," Winter clarified. "I mean that it's impressive you somehow managed to get blackmailed by three of the most powerful people in the world all at the same time. I didn't even know that was possible."
Yang laughed awkwardly. "I mean, technically your dad isn't really blackmailing us, per se…"
"You get my point," Winter grunted. "This is quite the web you've tangled yourself in. Sienna Khan is going to attack your reputation if you don't produce results on Faunus liberation in the SDC, Father will abandon you if you so much as sneeze in the wrong direction, Ironwood is going to try to kill me the moment he thinks he can get away with it. How exactly did you manage to be the most valuable Huntress team on the planet and negotiate yourself into a position where everyone has the better hand?"
"Look, that doesn't matter right now," Weiss said desperately. "However we got here, this is where we are. We don't have another plan. We need Sienna off our back, and the only way to do that is for you to give her SDC information. Please, I know it's risky but—"
"No."
Weiss always had known this was the worst-case scenario. She knew it was a possibility, but she didn't know why she didn't take it more seriously. The universe liked screwing with them in the most unique and terrible ways. It reveled in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. What would be a more ironic blow than having all of their efforts to save Winter be for nothing… to be betrayed by the very woman herself?
"Winter… why?" Weiss asked hopelessly.
"I told you," Winter said simply. "Your plan is awful. It won't work."
"Okay, then what's wrong with it?" Blake asked.
"Everything. Just think it through," Winter explained. "You need Father's influence to protect yourself from Ironwood, but for some reason, you thought the best course of action would be to give Sienna Khan of all people unrestricted access to the secrets of the Schnee Dust Company. Do you have any idea what she's going to do once she has a weapon to take down the SDC? Do you think she's going to stop at picking the scab of Faunus labor? No… I may not study politics for a living, but I'm not illiterate. Khan will go for the jugular. She'll try to create a scandal to destroy the entire SDC."
"She won't," Blake insisted. "I mean, she can't. There's nothing big enough to destroy the SDC on the whole."
"Of course, there is. What kind of bodies do you think my father has buried? The SDC is built on a foundation of fraud and deception. Bigger empires have collapsed with less. A big enough scandal will send the stock price plummeting. Directors would resign. The SDC would seek a bailout from the Atlassian government. Hell, it has enough reach to threaten the collapse of the global Dust sector. And once all that happens, once my father is damaged—do you think he'll have time to focus on a pet project like your Fund? Do you think his word will even mean anything to someone like Ironwood? You girls have one genuine piece of leverage, and you plan to blow it up to appease the fucking White Fang."
"Then we don't tell her that stuff?" Blake reasoned. "We just tell her the Faunus stuff?"
"Until she starts asking for more because now you've shown her that she has power over you."
"Sienna wouldn't do that to us."
"How do you know?"
"Because she honors deals," Blake said, slightly unsure of herself. "Our deal was that she create a controversy just big enough to draw attention to the Faunus issue. She doesn't like alienating her allies. I know her better than you."
"You have a lot of faith in the Faunus, Blake," Winter sneered. "A lot more than is warranted based on their past."
Blake huffed. "You know, gonna be honest. Was hoping the racism was just a product of the brainwashing. Guess I was optimistic."
Winter dismissed the comment out of hand. "You all know I'm right. This plan is worthless. You can't trust Sienna, and you can't attack the SDC when it's all you have. Your entire hand is weak. If you girls want any way out of this, you can't just appease anyone who comes along and threatens you. If you want your power back… you're going to have to take it by force."
The girls of Team RWBY leaned in. "What do you mean?" asked Yang.
"I mean… there's another way out of this," Winter said darkly. "You don't have to keep up this balancing act. You can establish dominance so no one will ever screw with you again, and you don't have to constantly live in fear of appeasing tyrants. I can help you with that, but it means doing things my way, not yours."
The spark of hope within Weiss roared into a flame. She excitedly leaned in, barely able to contain her joy.
"O-Okay, then! That's great!" she stated. "If you'll help us, yes! Yes, of course! What would we have to do?"
"Easy," Winter explained. "Instead of going after the SDC… we take down my father."
There was always a catch, wasn't there?
"W-What!" Weiss cried in shock.
"Your dad?" Yang asked.
"The fuck!" said Blake. "How does that make anything better? You just said that he was our only leverage!"
Winter said quietly, determined, unshaken by the young team's lack of trust. "No, I said his influence was your only leverage. The SDC is your power, not Jacques Schnee."
Yang shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not following at all."
Winter groaned, realizing she needed to spell it out. "Why does General Ironwood not want to attack you?"
"Because… we'll get Jacques to pull his money out of Ironwood's political stuff?"
"Yes. So, does Ironwood care about Jacques, or his money?"
"His… money."
"Good," Winter said bluntly. "So, if we separate Jacques from his money, then he won't be a factor anymore. Make sense."
"It was… then you lost me."
Winter rolled her eyes. "You want me to infiltrate the SDC to steal valuable company secrets. That's risky, dangerous, and above all else stupid. Instead of finding dirt on the SDC, I can go to my father's private files in our home and find damaging records on him. Father has far too many skeletons in his closet. I know that for a fact. He's committed crimes not just against his business partners and his workers, but the Kingdom. It's information Ironwood can't ignore. We give those to Sienna Khan instead, and have her actively ruin his reputation."
"But how does that help us?" Weiss asked. However, the truth slowly dawned on her. "Wait… unless…"
"If the charges against Father are serious enough, he will be pressured into resigning from the SDC," Winter explained. "He'd want to do it, too. Most of his wealth is connected to his shares, and if he remains at the SDC's helm while under federal investigation, the controversy will swallow his wealth. He would likely seek to distance himself publicly from the SDC as much as possible, maybe even try to pass the buck off to them. We've discussed such possibilities personally. His best bet under such scrutiny would be to step down as CEO and sell off his shares to someone else. Of course, his controlling interest in the company has a clause written into his stock. In any event that something happens to him, the Schnee line gets the first right of purchase to any of his stock. A direct result of a bill he helped pass the chambers."
Weiss had already figured out Winter's scheme, but Blake and Yang were only just catching on to Winter's sinister machinations.
"Wait, so that means—" Yang gasped, but Winter cut her off.
"Ideally, he'd give Whitley control of his shares, but he's ineligible to receive them because of his age. Mother already gave up interest in the SDC, she wouldn't go back in. No, he would want to keep the power close… give it to someone he thought would do what he wanted with it so he could continue ruling from the shadows. The fact is, as the law and contracts are written if anything were to happen to Jacques…" Winter held back a smirk. "I would gain control of the Schnee Dust Company."
Weiss was floored. That… that wasn't possible, was it? She thought Winter gave up interest in the SDC when she became a Huntress. Was it possible for her to just force her way back in? Hell, did she even want to control the SDC? Her dream was to be a Huntress. Besides, even if she could gain control, would Jacques really just hand away the keys to his most prized possession to someone else? She imagined her father willing to go down with the ship, stubborn to the end. The sort of controversy that would force his resignation would have to be gargantuan, a reveal of misconduct so severe that all the power of the law came down on him with full force. It didn't seem feasible.
Yang seemed ecstatic to consider the new possibility, if not a little terrified. However, Blake was the most suspicious, planting her foot and challenging Winter's claim directly.
"I'm sorry, hold on a sec," she stated. "So you just, what, make yourself queen of the SDC and take all of Jacques's money? Just like that?"
"That's the plan," Winter said simply.
"Okay… and this helps us how?"
"Because you'll finally have an ally worth a damn," Winter stated. "Once I control the SDC's assets, you can renegotiate. I can announce an investigation into our workforce and gradually divest it off Faunus slaves, so Sienna will get off your back about it. With Jacques's finances, I can establish boundaries with Ironwood so he doesn't threaten you anymore. He'll be just as happy to rid himself of Jacques as the rest of us. Once I fully establish control, you can work with the system instead of constantly fighting it. Doesn't that sound nice?"
It did sound nice. Far too nice. Exactly the reason Blake was doubtful.
"Yeah… no."
"Blake, hold on," Yang suggested, but Blake held firm.
"Guys, this is not what we talked about," Blake reasoned to her teammates. "Like, you do realize if we did that, we would be burning two bridges at once? Not just Jacques—I mean, obviously we'd be burning a bridge with Jacques. I don't know how good of an idea it is to openly fuck with a super dangerous billionaire. But we'd also be screwing with Sienna, too. What are we supposed to do? Walk up to her and say, 'Hey Sienna, we know we promised you a scandal about the Faunus at the SDC, but actually we're gonna do something completely different and align ourselves even further with it. Sorry.' We're already on pretty thin ice with her. I don't know if changing plans on her again will make things easier."
"If Sienna is really so passionate about the Faunus as you claim, she'll pounce at the chance to free them," Winter said confidently.
"Again… not liking the way you said pounce," Blake shook her head.
"You raising objections with my morals because you don't have any with my plan," Winter said, growing more agitated. "This is your clearest opportunity to cease power, and you're holding yourself back. Why? Out of politeness? I thought you were the anarchist, Blake. You should love blowing things up."
"I did!" Blake exclaimed. "And then I actually blew something up, and everything became worse. You know what I think? I think the only reason you want to go after Jacques instead of following our plan is because you want revenge."
Winter didn't even hesitate. "Of course, I want revenge!" The room fell deathly quiet. Winter's stoicism turned into something far uglier. "That man took everything from me. Everything. You can't even comprehend the kind of absolute hell he put me through—that he made me put Weiss through. I want my father to suffer for what he did to me. I want to gouge his fucking eyes out and rip out every one of his teeth. There is nothing I could do to him that would be too cruel for what he deserves. Taking the Schnee Dust Company from him is the least I could do to punish him. I'm not hiding that. But that doesn't change the fact this is your best way out of the mess you made!"
Winter was breathing heavily and only calmed down when Weiss slowly approached her and put her hand on her shoulder. That rage, that vengeance… it was a side of Winter that her sister had never seen. They both wished it could have stayed that way, but there was no going back. Winter saw the road clearly in front of her, and it was paved with blood. Weiss silently hoped she didn't lose herself along the way.
"Winter…"
The hand was yanked off her shoulder. Winter sighed, trying to recompose herself. "Listen, I… I understand that is a very important decision to make. If I were to take control of the SDC… everything would change. I can't guarantee it would play out like I think it will."
Weiss nodded. The risks were overwhelming. Yet, the voice in the back of her mind urged her forward. If it did work out…
"I owe you all for saving me," Winter sighed. "I think your original plan is going to fail. Even if it holds Sienna off for the moment, you're playing with fire. But, if that is really what you want me to do, I'll do it. I'll go along with your idea, just once. Just so we're even. Then, I'm done following anyone's orders. All I'm saying is that if you really want to gain your freedom, you can't be afraid to break what shouldn't be broken. I see that now, more than ever."
The quiet lingered long after Winter stopped talking. Her rage had brought forward a new possibility, one that would permanently upend the delicate status quo Team RWBY had struggled to build for themselves. They would be damn foolish not to even consider it, but just speaking the threat out loud, exciting as it was, made them shiver.
Attack the SDC's Faunus treatment with Sienna, or destroy Jacques Schnee with Winter.
Keep their masters satisfied, or burn everything to the ground.
Play it safe with the balance they created, or throw caution to the wind for a new world they controlled.
The only thing clear to them now was they had a lot to consider… and they really needed to call Ruby.
"Weiss? Hello?"
"Ruby! We need to talk. Something kind of huge happened."
"Is everything okay with you-know-what?"
"Yes. Better than okay actually."
"Oh, thank god."
"But Ruby…"
"Wait, before you say anything—"
"I really think you should hear this—"
"No, no, trust me. You are not going to believe the day that I just had…"