Summary:
Weiss begins to take control of Atlas. She starts by convincing Jacques to give her control of a section of the mines.
Notes:
Happy New Years! Hope your 2024 is better than your 2023.
Weiss opened her eyes to see golden light surrounding them. She looked down and saw Frost turn to dust in her arms. "NNOOO!" She shouted as Frost disappeared. She felt rage engulf Jason as he grabbed her in a protective embrace.
Jason looked around the golden tunnel as he, Weiss, Oscar, and Ruby were sent careening through time. He was going to kill Salem for taking his Daughter from him. He was going to torture her for what she'd done to Weiss. He saw Oscar and Ruby wink out of existence and held onto Weiss with all the strength he could muster.
They began being pulled apart, and they grabbed hands.
"Don't let go!" Weiss shouted.
"I won't!" He shouted back.
They held on even though it physically hurt to stay together. They thought they were going to be able to stay together, but they were ripped apart and thrown away from each other.
"WEISSS!" He shouted.
"JASONNNN!" Weiss shouted.
"I SWEAR THAT I'LL FIND YOU! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES! I'LL FIND YOU!"
Before either of them could answer they were gone. Weiss stuck in a cold room in Atlas after waking up from a horrible nightmare, and Jason coming to his senses in a Mansion in Vale.
Weiss woke up in her bed crying at the horrifying nightmare she'd just had, but unlike a nightmare, this wasn't going away. It was as if what she had been dreaming about was a memory. Then other memories came rushing in, and she realized that what she thought was a dream wasn't a dream at all. Which brought fresh tears to her eyes and sobs from her throat as she cradled a pillow like it was the child she'd just lost.
"Frost." She sobbed. "Jason."
A Shadow clone appeared from her shadow. It was Jason as he was the last time she'd seen him, about 19 years old. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. She let him hold her until her sobs quieted.
"Today was the day I overheard Jacques tell mother he married her for her money."
"Want me to kill him?" Jason asked, calming her thoughts at the sound of his matured voice.
"No. If you kill him then there's a chance someone else will come in who's worse. I need to learn everything about my company so that I can take it from Jacques when the time is right."
"Okay. How do you want to do this?"
"I've already fixed my relationship with my mother, Whitley, and Winter. So, I shouldn't have as much trouble before the real problems start."
"Okay."
"The real problem is getting Jacques to teach me how to handle the business. I'll have to act as if I didn't hear what he told my mother, and I'll have to suck up to him and kiss his ass in order to get him to teach me everything so that I can take over the business and kick him out."
"Okay. I'll support you however I can."
"Thank you. Can you help me train Whitley?"
"Sure thing. I'm in Vale right now. I should be visiting you soon, and this body will fade away."
Weiss hugged Jason. "Can I just hold you until the other you shows up?"
"Whatever you need?"
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." Jason kissed her on her head.
Weiss didn't know how long it was, but eventually Jason disappeared and a much younger looking Jason, she couldn't tell his age, appeared out of a shadow.
He was short, probably from the three years on the streets, which tended to impact a person's growth. He had black hair and golden yellow eyes that reflected on the light.
"Jason?" She asked.
"Hey Weiss." He replied with the voice of a child, but it carried all the pain and suffering he'd experienced.
Weiss ran to him, and they embraced. Married partners, reduced to bodies too young to comfort each other any other way.
"I know how you're going to take down Jacques, I heard, and I'll support you. I'm going to take my business by the horns and build it into an empire. I'm going to expand into Atlas, so you'll have support close by."
"Thank you." She said. "What else are you going to be up to?"
"Well, I have an appointment with Dr. Thompkins in an hour or so. I got together with Loki to save Coral. Now I'm going to start cleaning up Vale. Everything we've talked about. Helping the kids on the streets, opening orphanages that actually help them instead of fucking them over for a profit. You're probably going to hear things about what I'm doing."
"Jason. I know you. I know what you're going to do. So, do what you do best."
"Help people by killing the ones responsible for making their lives miserable?"
"Help people."
"Oh, yeah. That."
"Jason. In order for us to end up together, we have to play the system. We can't show any interest in each other in public. At least not until we've been married for at least a year. We can be as intimate with each other as much as we want in private, but in public it can't be anything but apathy and disinterest. Meaning that you have to treat me the way that you did before Halloween, our first year at Beacon."
Jason groaned. "Do I have to?"
"Do you want to end up together?"
"Yes, but why can't we elope or something?"
"We're ten."
"Damn it!"
"So, do you agree to act like a total ass whenever you see me in public?"
"I don't want to, but yes."
"Good. Now, let's..."
The door opened and a familiar face walked in. "Miss Schnee. Are you all right?" Klein asked.
Weiss barreled into Klein's arms and sobbed. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed him. He'd stopped by almost daily while Jason was in his Coma.
Klein held her while she sobbed. He'd been with her when Jacques had told Willow that he'd only married her for her money and didn't love her or the children. It made him so very angry, even angrier, that there was nothing he could do about it.
He held Weiss until she'd cried herself to sleep and carried her to bed before tucking her in. As he was leaving, he was stopped by Jacques.
"Clean yourself up man!" He snapped. "Take some pride in your appearance!"
Klein looked down and saw where Weiss had been crying on his vest. "Of course, Mr. Schnee, right away Mr. Schnee." He said, walking upstairs to take care of his clothes before bed.
The next Morning
Weiss woke up the next morning, bathed, dressed, did her hair, and walked to Jacques office. Now was the time to put her plan into motion.
Knocking, she waited for Jacques to open the door. When he did, she looked up at him with a neutral expression. "Father. Teach me how to run the company so that I may take your place one day."
Jacques looked down at her and smirked. "I don't have time for this." He said before closing the door in her face.
Knocking again, she waited until Jacques answered again. This kept up until Jacques finally gave in.
"Fine! But only because I won't get anything done if you keep bothering me."
Weiss knew about the business, kind of, thanks to Whitley and Jason, but she needed Jacques to teach her everything before she absolutely destroyed him.
"Sit down a keep quiet." Jacques said.
Weiss sat down in a chair and waited for Jacques to notice her... it didn't happen.
Weiss kept at this every day, mercilessly wearing Jacques down, being in his office every day, being the definition of perfect and poised, and after a month of this Jacques finally relented.
"You're not going to stop, are you?"
"I want to learn how to take care of the business when you're gone. You're not going to live forever, and someone will need to take over when you're gone."
Jacques looked at Weiss and smiled. She had a backbone, and he could respect that. "Come over here and I will show you a basic plan for the business."
Weiss walked over and looked at his computer screen. It had a table and graph that showed the business. The business was not doing good if Weiss remembered the tables, charts, and graphs Whitley had shown her.
"Tell me what you see." Jacques said.
Weiss looked at the screen for several minutes before pointing out that it looked like profits were up, the Dust mining was up, but that it seemed like they were going to begin dropping soon.
"That is correct."
"Would it not be better to drop some and make an increase with profits steadily instead of making progress quickly and lose everything later?" She asked.
"How would you do that?" Jacques asked.
"I'm not sure." Weiss lied. "I don't think I have all the data."
"How about this." Jacques said. "I will give you one billion lien and a section of the mine. In one years' time, I want you to have doubled what I've given you otherwise you will not question how I run the business? Do we have a deal?" He asked, holding out his hand.
"Yes." Weiss said, shaking his hand.
"Then it's a deal." Jacques said. "I'll have the paperwork drawn up, and you will be given control of a section of the mine next week. One year from next week we will meet again and discuss your progress or lack thereof."
"Thank you, Father." Weiss Said, already knowing what needed to be done.
Leaving the office, she made a list of things that needed to be done in the mines. As she was walking, she bumped into Whitley.
"Hello sister." Whitley said.
"Hello Whitley." Weiss replied. "I was just about to endure a training session. Would you like to join me?"
"What kind of training did you have in mind sister?"
"Oh, you know, just some light training to keep myself in shape."
"I think I will join you today." Whitley said before heading to the training room with Weiss.
Whitley gasped as Weiss knocked him to the floor again. "How-how are you th-this good?" He asked.
"Maybe I'm just naturally gifted?" Weiss suggested, barely out of breath. In truth it was because she still remembered her training and had muscle memory to fall back on. "I can help train you if you like?"
"Why do I need training?"
"What happens if you ever happen to be kidnapped. Do you think that father will waste resources getting you back, or do you think he would let your kidnappers have you?"
"He would save me, wouldn't he?"
"The only reason you and I exist are because Winter and I were kidnapped. Fathers response was to have another child because it was more cost effective than answering the kidnapper's demands..." A small lie, but close enough to the truth.
Whitley thought about this for a moment. "I think that I would like to receive training." Whitley said.
"Very well. I will set up your training. We start next week."
Whitely watched Weiss leave and wondered if he should talk to father, but, what if Weiss was right? What would he do if he was right? He didn't think that he could handle it if she was right. He would sit on this until the time was right, and then he would strike.
Weiss was walking through the halls when she bumped into Winter. "Sister." She said. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon sister." Winter said. "How are you doing this day?"
"I am doing Well, thank you for asking. Father is testing me with a section of the mine. If I exceed expectations, then he said that he would listen to my proposal."
"Good luck, you are going to need it."
"Thank you."
"Would you care to have tea?"
"Yes. I think I would."
The sisters walked through the house to the conservatory for tea.
"Now, tell me how your studies are coming." Winter said.
"They are coming Well. I think I understand the concept of our family Semblance."
"That is good to hear." Winter said, summoning an Ursa who sat next to her. "Do you understand the concept of summoning?"
"I think so." Weiss said, summoning a Beowulf to stand behind Winter before dispelling it when Winter turned around to see if someone was behind her. "Are you alright sister?" Weiss asked Winter while trying not to laugh.
"I am fine." Winter said. "I just thought someone was behind me." She took a sip of tea before continuing. "Now then, once you turn twelve, I will unlock your Aura and you can begin training your Semblance."
"Thank you, sister." Weiss said, hiding the fact that her Aura was already unlocked. She would have to find a way to let Winter unlock her Aura when she turned twelve... or lie. She could lie.
"You've been spending a lot of time around father." Winter cut off her thoughts. "Any particular reason why?"
"I thought that if I learned from father, then I could take over the family business. I'm confident that I could run things better than Father if I knew how."
"A cunning strategy. I approve."
"I have also decided to spend more time with Whitley. I believe that bonding with him will do us both good."
"I see. Will that cut into your training?"
"I have decided to make it a part of my training."
"Interesting. I wish you luck in this endeavor."
"Thank you, sister." Weiss said. 'I'm going to need it.' She thought.
The sisters finished tea, and Winter headed back to Atlas Academy while Weiss went to talk to their mother.
Willow Schnee was sitting in her room, thinking about getting another bottle of wine when there was a knock on her door.
"Mother?" Weiss called out. "Mother. Are you in there?"
"Yes Weiss." Willow slurred.
"Mother?" Weiss asked. "Why are you in such a state? You've been brooding for over a month now." She deliberately ignored the bottles of wine around the room.
"I'm sorry Weiss." Willow said. "I Just haven't felt myself for a while."
"Well, that needs to change. You don't want to be known as a trophy wife or some other unflattering name."
"I suppose you're right, but life has just lost its meaning."
"Is it because father has told you that he loves your money and not you?"
Willow gasped.
"Or was it that he is blackmailing you by telling you that he will go to the police?"
"How did you...?"
"The walls have ears Mother. Now, you can't be sitting here like this. You need to get up and make yourself presentable. Just because Father is acting like an ass doesn't mean you can just sit here. You need to be strong. Show him that he can't break you. He needs that. He needs to know that he's broken you to feel good about himself. Show him how wrong he is."
"Weiss. What has happened to you?"
"I am not going to stand by and let father run our company into the ground and let him tarnish our name. The Schnee Dust Company will mean something again."
"Then I suppose that I can be strong for you." Willow said, standing up and staggering from a combination of the wine and sitting too long.
"You go shower and change." Weiss said, ushering her mother towards her bathroom. "I'll wait."
Willow went to the bath and Weiss cleaned up the room.
When Willow had finished she walked out to see a cleaned soon with Weiss sitting in a chair staring outside... with a look that had no business being on her face. She was ten, she would be eleven in a few months, but she was much too young to have that look on her face. That was a look Willow had seen many times when looking in the mirror. It was a look that a mother had when thinking about her children. "Weiss? Why do you have that look on your face?"
Weiss jumped when her mother called out to her. "Huh? I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"That look on your face, why do you have it?"
"What look?" Weiss asked, confused.
"It's a Look that only someone who has given birth can have. A look they made after making a connection with a child they carried through to term. In short, it's a mothers look. Now, why do you have that look on your face."
"Mother. There are things I can't tell you. Things that you wouldn't understand. I will tell you in time, but today is not the day to tell you them."
"Weiss Abigale Schnee! I am Your Mother! I have a ri..."
"Then perhaps you should start acting like my mother rather than drinking your life away because Father said he didn't love you!" Weiss snapped back before running away from her mother's room and towards her own room.
Willow felt as though she had been struck, touching her face she felt a tear that had begun to fall because she knew that Weiss was right. She had no right to treat her daughter that way if she wasn't going to act like a mother.
Weiss ran into a shadow and appeared in her room, falling to her knees and sobbing.
Someone undid her hair and began combing through it because it always calmed her, especially when he did it.
"So..." Jason Said. "...Abigale?"
Weiss nodded as she cried. "I thought out of everyone my mother might be able to understand, but she can't. She can't know what I'm feeling!"
"I'm sorry. I felt what you went through, and even I only got a taste of it."
"But you have a better understanding of what I've gone through!" Weiss sobbed. "You refused to cut yourself off from our soul bond and felt the agony of childbirth with me, and then you lost Frost just like I did! Mother can't understand that!"
"Actually..." Willow said from the doorway. "...I can, to a point."
Jason spun around and glared at Willow. "How the fuck did you get in here without me knowing about it!" He snarled.
"How did you!?" Willow demanded. "I'm Weiss's mother!"
"And you've done such a bang up job at it!" Jason snapped. "Drinking your life away for the last month or so! Real mom material! Great job!"
Willow waved her hand and Jason was Frozen in ice.
Weiss jumped up and waved her hand; sickly, grotesque arms reaching out of a glyph and grabbing Willow.
Willow was shocked that Weiss's Semblance was unlocked, and that she had this much skill with it already. "How?" She asked, horrified.
"It's complicated." Jason said from behind her.
"What?!" Willow asked, looking at the ice to see Jason was still trapped inside.
"Let's have a chat... mom." Jason said, ushering Willow into Weiss's room.
Weiss looked from Jason to Willow, back to Jason.
"Mother. Jason and I, as well as two friends, were brought back in time by a Semblance. One month ago, I was getting ready to turn 21, not eleven."
Willow looked at Weiss confused.
"She's telling the truth." Jason said, turning to Weiss. "Do you want me to give you two some privacy?"
"Yes." Weiss said. She really didn't, but Jason would likely complicate things more than not.
'What comfort food do you want me to bring back?' He questioned her soul.
'Something unhealthy.' Weiss's soul said.
Jason nodded and disappeared into Weiss's shadow.
Weiss looked at Willow. "I didn't want to have to talk about this until later, much later, but I guess that I can't have everything my way."
"Weiss," Willow asked. "What is going on?"
"The day that Jacques said that he married you for your money, I came back in time from a timeline where everyone but Jason, myself, and two of our friends died. I don't know specifics because I was otherwise preoccupied."
"What could have happened to kill everyone?"
"I am not sure, but my friend who sent us back in time with his Semblance said that we had lost, and we needed to go back in time to fix everything. Then he sent us back in time." Weiss said as her eyes became misty.
"Weiss?" Willow asked.
Weiss wiped her eyes. "That was the day I lost my daughter." She said, her voice breaking as she began crying. "We were sent back in time to the point that we would have made the most difference, and she was lost."
Willow gasped and ran to Weiss, hugging her tightly.
Weiss returned the hug.
Willow could tell that Weiss was telling the truth, the way that some parents were able to tell that their children were lying. "How old was She?"
Weiss gripped her mother's dress tighter. "Maybe two minutes." She sobbed softly.
Willow gasped. Weiss had lost a newborn. That is why Weiss had that look on her face. "Oh Weiss." Willow said.
Weiss broke down and told Willow everything from the last two years.
Willow listened in growing horror as Weiss told her story, and not once did she get the sense that Weiss was lying, embellishing, or making any of it up.
When Weiss had finished, she felt spent, like she had no more energy for anything.
"You were tortured by Arthur Watts?"
"Yes. That is why I had such a strong connection with Frost." Weiss explained.
"Jacques was just going to give you to Arthur Marigold?"
"Yes, as punishment for disturbing the Gala."
"I wish I could have seen the look on Jacques face when Jason walked in."
Weiss thought about that and reached into her shadow, pulling out a Scroll she looked through it and found that it hadn't been erased when coming back. She opened a video and showed it to Willow.
Willow watched as a figure clad in armor walked into the ballroom and proposed to a clearly much older Weiss. She watched as the older Weiss fought Jacques as he charged her and her new fiancé. She then watched as said Fiancé defenestrated Jacques.
Weiss smirked when she saw Jacques become defenestrated.
Willow wasn't sure how to feel about the predatory smirk Weiss gave when she watched as Jacques was thrown through a window, but she knew now that Weiss was telling the truth. She wasn't sure what she could do.
As if reading her mind Weiss spoke up. "I need you to act as if you don't know any of this mother. Continue your day to day, though I would ask that you drink less, and repair your relationship with your children. Jacques cannot know any of this. I am going to try my best at repairing the damage he has caused, but it only works if he remains ignorant."
"I can do that." Willow said. "I only ask one thing."
"What is that?" Weiss asked.
"I know that you and this Jason have something special, but please, do not do anything that would destroy your future. You are not adults anymore, you are children."
"Yes mother. We know that."
"I don't want to be a grandmother when you're not even twelve."
"Yes mother." Weiss said.
"Thank you. Now, please, come talk to me at any time."
"I will mother." Weiss said as Willow left.
Willow headed for the library, she wanted to do some light reading.
Weiss sat on her bed, and Jason appeared out of her shadow with bags of very unhealthy and greasy food. She couldn't help but smile a tired smile.
"Don't worry. We won't do anything too mature until we're at Beacon. Imagine the look on Yang and Scott's faces when they find out just what we're doing."
"That will be amusing." Weiss said, looking into Jason's golden eyes.
"What?" Jason asked.
"I'm just happy that you have eyes again. That's one thing that I love about you. Your eyes."
"Better to see you with." Jason quipped.
Weiss lightly shoved Jason and took one of the bags. Looking inside she took out the fries and began eating as if it were her first meal in weeks.
"I see that you love French fries."
"Shut up." Weiss said around a mouthful of fries. "This is my first unhealthy meal in a month. This is a spiritual moment. Let me have this."
"As you wish." Jason said, tucking into his hamburger.
Weiss felt the sheer ecstasy that Jason felt after taking a bite of his hamburger. She looked at him as if asking him for a bite.
Jason handed her his hamburger and took her bag. Taking her chicken sandwich out of her bag he took a bite and savored every second of the bite of food.
Weiss took a bite of Jason's hamburger and felt the same ecstasy that Jason had felt. She handed his hamburger back and took her chicken sandwich.
"I forgot how hard it was." Jason said. "Trying to adjust to eating normally again. I didn't know why I was so hungry all the time, but then I remembered what time of my life we're in. I returned home from off the streets a month and a half ago."
Weiss patted his hand. "I'm sorry." She said.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with Jacques. My offer to kill him is still on the table."
"No. I need to take over the family business and then we need to make him look guilty. Remember the plan."
"I remember. I Just don't like it."
"Neither do I, but we have to."
"Fine."
They finished eating in silence, letting their souls do the talking. When they had finished, Jason took the trash, gave Weiss a peck on the cheek and disappeared into her shadow.
Weiss smiled and left her room. She had work to do.
One week later
Weiss was looking at the paperwork she had signed and realized all that she had to do. She walked to her room. "Jason." She said.
Jason appeared out of her shadow. "What's up?" He asked.
"I have been given a section of the mine and have one year to double the one billion Lien Jacques gave me."
"What do you need?"
"I need to make the mine safer, increase wages, give the Faunus miners the same pay and benefits as the human miners or maybe increase the pay to whatever the guards get paid. I have a lot of stuff to do."
"Do you want me to give you the safety measures I've taken for the mines in Vale? I made an inspection last week."
"Yes, please."
Jason pulled out a pad and paper and handed it to Weiss while also pulling out different equipment.
Weiss looked at it all and smiled. "I need one more thing from you."
"Name it." Jason said.
Weiss's mine.
The guards who were supposed to keep watch, but in reality most of them just made the Faunus' lives more difficult, ran through the mine, trying to find an exit. The Shadows had come alive and had started attacking the Humans who had antagonized the Faunus and made their lives more difficult. The Shadows were still chasing them, and when one of them fell victim to the Shadows it made the others move faster, exhausting themselves only to then fall prey to the Shadows themselves.
Weiss Schnee walked out of a shadow and looked around at the deplorable conditions the miners were forced to work in.
Walking over to a miner she knelt down and looked at the poor child. "Hello." She said. "My name is Weiss. What's your name?"
The child backed away.
"I understand your fear." Weiss said. "Is your Aura activated?"
The child looked at her and shook its head. She couldn't tell the child's gender because of all the dirt and grime. It pissed her off. Children shouldn't be in the mines. "May I activate your Aura?" She asked.
The child's eyes grew wide in anticipation. It nodded its head, and she placed her hands on the child's forehead and left shoulder. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
The child's Aura glowed the color of sand, and she could see red hair under the dirt and grime. He was also a Tanuki Faunus. He had dark patches under his eyes that gave him the look of a raccoon dog. He glowed the color of sand and the rock began breaking down into sand, creating a cocoon of sand around him like a defensive barrier. When the sand dissipated, he was standing with a container on his back made out of sand.
"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.
"I will be," the boy said. "When I have taken revenge against the ones who have imprisoned us."
"Unfortunately, that was my father. He destroys everything he touches. Before him, the mines had both human and Faunus miners working in harmony, and only those who were old enough to work, and who were willing to work in the mines. Now it is primarily Faunus who are treated like slaves and humans who are being punished. I want to change things back to the way they were."
"So, you're saying that you are responsible for our predicament!" The child demanded.
"By extension of my father, yes."
"Then you will die along with your father!" The child yelled trying to engulf Weiss in sand only for the child to be pulled into his own shadow.
"Look kid." Jason said from the shadows. "I get it. You're pissed off at the world and want blood, but don't take it out on Weiss. We're trying to help you and others like you. Weiss is trying to make the mines a better and safer place while also taking them back to how they used to be. If you kill her, then things will only get worse. Let us help you."
"Why should I believe you!" The child demanded.
Jason let out a minor Alpha Pulse. "Because I am the Alpha, and I am here to help you."
The child seemed to calm and looked at Jason. "You? You're the Alpha?"
"Yes. I'm the Alpha, and I won't let anything bad happen to you. What's your name?"
"Liime?" The kid said.
"Liime? Like the fruit?"
"I guess?"
"Hey Liime. My name is Jason."
"Jason?"
"Yes. Now. If you want to rage, then attack me."
Liime looked at Jason. He became irrationally angry and attacked Jason with his Sand, crushing him in his sand.
Liime looked horrified. He'd killed the Alpha. He'd just killed the Alpha. He'd murdered the Alpha.
"That was unpleasant." Jason said, sitting up. "I'm going to be pulling sand out of places I didn't know had places for weeks."
"What!?" Liime asked, shocked.
"Oh, yeah. I can't die. So, if you ever need to rage quit, let me know."
"How?"
"Talk to your shadow. I gave you a shadow clone that acts like a shadow portal, locker, and place to hide."
"You can do that?"
"Yes. There are many things that I can do, most of which are considered unnatural."
"I killed the Alpha." Liime Said.
"No, you didn't, better luck next time."
"Why would I want to kill the Alpha?"
"Why indeed?" Jason asked. "Now. Let's get you back to the others."
When Jason and Liime got back to the others, almost no time had passed.
"Okay." Jason Said. "I think we're good."
"What's your name?" Weiss asked Liime.
"Liime." Liime Said.
"Liime. I'm sorry for what you and your family have had to endure. Nothing I say can make up for what was done to you, but I hope that you will be willing to give me a chance to make amends."
Liime looked at Jason.
"Don't look at me." Jason said. "I can't tell you what to do."
Liime looked from Jason to Weiss. "You want to help us?" He asked.
"Yes. You have suffered enough."
"Then, I am willing to accept your help."
"Thank you."
"What for?"
"For allowing me to help you."
Jason and Weiss spent the next few hours unlocking the Aura of everyone in Weiss's section of the mine. Some of their Semblances activated immediately, while others didn't.
One such persons Semblance surprised Jason. It was almost exactly like his except not nearly as powerful. Was it because he was the Alpha?
"Excuse me." Jason Said. "Your Semblance? What is it called?"
The child sighed. "It's called 'Penumbra Barrage'."
Jason's entire being came to a screeching halt. "That is the name of my Semblance."
"Do people not have the same Semblances?" The kid asked in a bored tone.
"Not normally. Those that do are usually related."
The kid looked at Jason before he motioned Jason to follow him.
Jason followed the kid to a couple.
"Mom, Dad. He says that we share the same Semblance."
"What Semblance?" A man who looked bored as hell even though he was in the mines, asked.
"'Penumbra Barrage'." Jason Said.
"Oh. You're one of the ones who can use that Semblance."
"Excuse me?" Jason asked.
"Our family has two Semblances that are passed down. Either 'Penumbra Barrage' or 'Caduceus'. 'Penumbra Barrage' allows control over the shadows while 'Caduceus' allows you to heal a person."
Jason went silent as he thought about that.
Weiss looked over when she felt that Jason was feeling unsure and uncertain.
She saw him talking to a family: 'Are you okay?' She asked across their bond.
'I just found family.' Jason said.
Weiss stopped what she was doing and ran over to Jason. "What?" She asked.
"Them." Jason said. "He has my Semblance." Jason pointed at the kid. "His dad said that the people in their family have two different types of Semblances."
"That's right." The man said. "A Semblance for healing, and a utility Semblance. 'Caduceus' and 'Penumbra Barrage'."
Weiss was concerned. Were they just trying to hurt Jason by giving him what he wanted?
Jason took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. 'You are my family, but I can tell that they aren't lying. They'd have to be really good liars to lie to me.'
'Okay.' Weiss sent back. 'I just don't want to see you get hurt.'
Jason gave her hand another squeeze. "I don't want to sound paranoid or anything, but how do I know we are related."
"I had two cousins," The man said. "Both of them were troublesome. Their names were Shiela Haywood, and Ember McCloud. Shiela married someone named Willis Todd while Ember married someone named Jade Valkyrie."
Jason and Weiss looked at each other.
"I don't know what has happened to them. We were enslaved by Jacques Schnee to work this mine shortly after my son was born."
Weiss closed her eyes. "I am so sorry."
"What could you have done? If you were born you would have been no older than my son."
"I can be sympathetic," Weiss explained. "Is your Aura active?"
The man glowed a light brown and opened a shadow portal to pull out drinks and handed them out. "I've learned the guard's routines, but since they aren't here, I guess that I don't need to worry."
"How is it determined which Semblance you get?" Jason asked.
"Circumstances mostly."
Jason and Weiss looked at each other. "Will you categorize everyone's Semblances?" Weiss asked.
There was a commotion and suddenly an entire wall was turned to sand leaving nothing but Dust and Ore.
Weiss smiled that this would make mining easier, but frowned when she realized that it was a child.
Jason took her hand. "I hate being the bearer of bad news," He said. "But Weiss's new mining project makes it so that child labor is abolished, in her mine."
"I'm sure that the parents will be grateful." The man said.
"I'm sorry." Weiss said. "That puts even more work on you."
"If my son doesn't have to work in the mines then I'll work harder to make sure it doesn't happen."
Weiss teared up at that, and Jason hugged her.
"I don't mean to pry or anything," The man said. "But you're both just children yourselves."
Jason and Weiss looked down at each other and remembered that yeah, they were just kids. It was easy to forget when they were mentally adults and got caught up in work.
"It's complicated." Jason said.
"I'll leave you too it then." The man said.
"What's your name?" Jason asked.
"My name is Shimm. My sons name is Maro, and my wife's name is Yuma."
A woman who had been sitting quietly looked at Jason and Weiss and smiled. "Are you both eating enough? You really shouldn't be here."
Shimm hugged his wife, but Jason caught his whispered "Troublesome."
"We'll unlock the other's Aura's and I'll be back later." Weiss said.
"Please forgive my wife." Shimm said. "Before all this, she was more cheerful and upbeat and would have doted on you until you couldn't handle it, but the years in here have not been kind."
"Never apologize for something that you have no control over." Jason said. "We will make Remnant a better place for all. Hopefully your wife can return to her normal self."
Shimm nodded and gave a wistful smile.
Jason and Weiss went through the mine and unlocked the others Aura, which was either a testament to how much Aura they had or how few people were in the mines.
When they finished, they left with Weiss telling the group that they would be back.
They met back in Weiss's room and went their separate ways for the day.
That night
Jacques was in his office when a guard came in. "Mr. Schnee. We were chased out of the mine by the shadows. When we came back, the animals Aura's had been unlocked. The killed Ernst, Fritz, and Hanz. They almost killed me, but I was barely able to escape."
The man felt something bit him on the neck and slapped his neck to see an insect hit Jacques table.
"That section of the mine is not any of my concern, Frank." Jacques said. "That is Weiss's responsibility. If she gets killed by the Faunus, so be it. When she dies or after the year is up, we will flood that section of the mine. It's practically empty anyway."
"Yes sir Mr. Schnee." Frank Said.
"Good. Now, get out."
Frank left for his house but didn't make it. Succumbing to the toxin in the insect. None of the guards had survived. Their cruel ways would be wiped out slowly.
The next day
Weiss walked into the mine to see it had expanded. There was much more room with sturdy support made out of rock.
The ground was littered with more Dust and Ore than Weiss had expected.
"Miss Schnee." Shimm Said.
"Shimm." Weiss Said. "How has the Mine gotten to this point in only one day?"
"Well, the obvious explanation is Liime."
"Who?"
"The tanuki Faunus who attacked you yesterday. We came in this morning and the mine was like this. Liime must have worked through the night, leaving the Dust and Ore for us to collect before going to bed. He's nocturnal."
"Oh. I see."
"Yes. Have you seen the guards? They haven't been seen since the attack last night."
"Attack?! What attack?"
"The guards came back and were less than pleasant and began attacking us. Liime, well..."
The Night before
Shimm watched as the others prepared to go home for the night. Their plans were interrupted by the guards, Hans, Fritz, Ernst, and Frank(Francis), coming into the mine.
"Who was it that chased us out?" Hans asked.
The group stayed quiet. They weren't going to sell out the ones who had unlocked their Aura's and promised help, even if the help was unlikely to come.
"I see. Then back to work! You'll work until one of you filthy animals break!"
"Make us." Liime, the red headed tanuki Faunus, challenged.
"Oh. I intend to." Hans said. "You won't be paid until someone talks, and you'll have to work until someone talks."
Liime held his hands up and the wall eroded into sand until he had enough and engulfed Hans in sand before crushing him. "Who's next?!" He asked sadistically.
"Brothers above." Weiss said, holding her hand to her mouth.
"Yes. Francis got away, but Shin said that the bugs from his Semblance killed and disposed of him."
"Okay."
"What do you want us to do about it?"
"For now, nothing. We will wait and see what happens. You will be my go between. You keep me informed by what's going on down here, and you'll keep the others informed about what's going on outside."
"Troublesome." Shimm said but agreed.
They walked the mines and were shocked to see just how much Dust and Ore had been found.
"This is so much!" Weiss explained.
"Thank Liime." Shimm Said. "He's expanded the mine more in one night than we could have in at least six months."
"Where is he?"
"Over here." Shimm said, leading Weiss to a section of the mine where Liime was standing.
"Liime." Weiss said, causing him to jump. Weiss held her hands up non-threateningly. "I just wanted to thank you and tell you that if you are going to be up at night then you should sleep during the day."
"What?" Liime asked, shocked.
"If you're going to be up at night, you should sleep during the day."
Liime looked at Shimm.
"You can trust her." Shimm Said.
Liime looked from Shimm to Weiss. "You want me to sleep during the day?" He asked.
"Yes." She said. Personally, she'd want all the children forced to work in the mines to be out of the mines, but she couldn't do that. They were far safer in the mines than outside in Mantle where anyone could take advantage of them or hurt them. She was going to change that, but it would take time. "Sleep during the day, work at night, take two nights a week off, and a fifteen minute break every four hours you work, a lunch break after five or six hours. Don't work more than twelve hours a day, and if you do work twelve hour days take three days off instead of two."
Shimm and Liime looked at Weiss in shock and awe.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"We're used to working ten to twelve hour days a week." Shimm said. "You want us to take days off?"
"Yes. I'm going to change things around here. You will have to put up with the mines for a while longer, but I'm going to make it better while you work here, and if you don't want to work in the mines when I've finished, you'll be free to leave."
"No offense." Shimm said. "But you're a child. How are you going to make this level of change?"
"I can be very determined."
"I hope you're telling the truth." Shimm said. "I don't want to get my hopes up."
"Then I hope that I won't disappoint."
"GRIMM!" A voice shouted.
Weiss ran through the mine towards the voice and saw Creepers moving towards them. Taking a breath, she activated her Semblance and created an army of Grimm Summons that attacked and shredded the Creepers to pieces.
Looking around the mines at the others she saw them, saw their looks of shock, awe, and horror.
"H-how?" Shimm asked.
"You have the power inside yourselves to do this too. You just have to figure out how you can. Liime has his sand that he could use to kill them. Shimm could use his shadows, Shin could use his insects. Your Semblance is a weapon that you always have on you so long as you have Aura. I can have weapons made for you to help if you get attacked by Grimm again."
"Why would you give us weapons?" Someone asked. "Aren't you afraid we'll turn on you?"
"Because, you deserve to be able to defend yourselves. No, I'm not afraid of you attacking me. The weapons won't be too big. They'll be small weapons so you can hide them on yourselves. Knives, throwing weapons, etc."
"Why aren't you afraid we'll attack you?" Someone asked.
"Because she's able to summon hundreds of arms that can hold you at bay, drop into her shadow to escape, or maybe I'll just show up." Jason said, appearing out of Weiss's shadow. "Let me just say that if I show up then..."
"JASON!" Weiss snapped. "Stop this right now!"
Jason backed down.
"Back into my shadow!"
Jason looked at Weiss and slowly disappeared into her shadow.
"How did you do that?" Shimm asked.
"Jason is overprotective as hell." Weiss explained. "Establishing that I can take care of myself calms him down. He's still here, but he knows that he doesn't need to worry."
"Okay. It's just, you controlled the Alpha."
"He's not the Alpha to me, he's Just Jason."
Everyone looked at her in awe and horror. They began talking in Mantlese, a different dialect of Atlesian, which she understood thanks to spending time among the people of Mantle aboard Beacon II. They were calling her Omega, Jason was the Alpha and she was the Omega. They kept each other in constant and perfect balance. Jason would attack and she would defend, and she would attack, and Jason would defend.
"I need to go, when I come back, I will bring supplies and news."
"Thank you." Shimm Said. "We will wait for you."
"You're Welcome." Weiss said as she disappeared into her shadow and appeared out of a shadow in her room.
"You want me to make them the weapons?" Jason asked.
"If it's not too much trouble."
"I'll have them ready for you tomorrow morning before you head back into the mine. I figured that I would make Kunai, daggers, throwing knives, throwing stars, Kama, the odd Kusanagi."
"You want to make them Ninja's weapons?"
"Those are easily hidden, lethal, and don't lie and tell me it doesn't look like those people were ripped out of the Naruto animé. Liime is an almost perfect replica of Gaara."
"I know, I know. We can't let Nora find out, otherwise... yikes. She might annoy them to the point where they might have preferred the mines."
"I wouldn't wish that on any..." Jason dove into Weiss's shadow and Jacques burst into her room.
"Explain yourself!" Jacques roared.
Weiss sent calm through her and Jason's soul bond. 'DON'T!' She told him. "What am I explaining?" Weiss asked, nonchalantly.
"You unlocked the Aura's of those miners! Are you trying to start an uprising!?"
"No. I'm just making the choice that makes the most logical and business sense."
"BUSINESS SENSE! YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS SENSE! YOU HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR ONE WEEK! UNLOCKING THOSE ANIMAL'S AURA WILL ONLY INCITE THEM TO VIOLENCE AND UPRISING!"
"You told me that I could run that section of the mine however I see fit. Unlocking their Aura so they have protection seemed like a logical choice. Now they can work without the fear of being crushed by rocks or killed by the Grimm. Speaking of, I didn't see any guards today. Was that your doing?"
"No, but seeing as you can apparently handle yourself, I don't see the problem. Run the mine however you see fit. Just don't come crying to me when they rise up and kill you."
"By that logic I wouldn't be able to complain if I'm dead."
"Too true." Jacques said as he left her room.
When he was gone for good, Jason appeared out of her shadow. He's going to flood that section of the mine when your year is up, or whenever they kill you." He said. "I overheard him last night."
"And you didn't kill him?"
"You don't want me to kill him, wiping that smug smile off his smug, prick face."
"Thank you." Weiss patted his arm. "I know that it must be difficult, to repress the need to kill the person who not only ruined our wedding, but plotted to torture and kill you, and torture me before giving me off to a man that you hate." She deliberately didn't mention Frost. That wound was still raw.
"Speaking of which. I'm hunting down Watts, and I'm going to pay Arthur Marigold a, what do you call that thing?"
"A visit?"
"A beating! I'm going to pay him a beating."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to show him why lusting after my wife is a bad idea."
"Wouldn't it be much more satisfying to take his wealth and sanity from him piece by piece? Driving him to insanity while taking everything that he holds dear away from him?"
"Stop talking, you're making me horny with how devious you can be." Jason moaned, an odd thing to hear from a ten year old boy.
"I know, but not until we're at least sixteen, at Beacon would be better, but at least sixteen."
"I hate being back in this body. Too many rules to follow."
"You break the laws every time you kill or torture someone." Weiss deadpanned.
"I mean important laws, like we can't be together like we used to because we're stuck in these bodies."
"Hey, don't complain. I haven't hit my period yet, and I'm not looking forward to that particular headache."
"Don't you mean..."
Weiss froze him and dropped him into her shadow. He needed to cool off.
The next morning
Weiss was about to leave for the mines when her door opened, and Whitley walked in.
"Sister. I thought we were supposed to train this morning."
"Oh, I'm sorry brother. I forgot since I've taken over part of the mine. Would you like to come with me?"
Whitley looked unsure.
"No one will hurt you."
"Um, I don't know. Father says to stay away from the mines."
"I've been to the mines multiple times. There's nothing to be scared of."
"There isn't?"
"No."
"Then I suppose so."
"Very well, take my hand and we shall head for the mine."
Whitley took Weiss's hand and led him into a shadow that led them to the mines.
"What?" Whitley asked, "how did we get from your room to the mines? Is it your Semblance?"
"No. It's my bodyguard's Semblance."
"Bodyguard?"
"Yes." Weiss Said as she walked up to Shimm. "Good morning, Shimm. How has everything gone since I left yesterday?"
"Everything has been good. We have not been attacked, we could use more food and water."
Crates began appearing out of Weiss's shadow, a lot of crates.
When the crates stopped coming Jason, an older girl, and a corgi jumped out of her shadow. "Hey Weiss." Jason Said. "I brought supplies and help. This is Jaq." He pointed at the girl, "and this is Drei. She's my doggo and she's the best girl in the whole world... aside from you of course."
"Thank you." Weiss said, petting Drei and looking at Jaq. She was at least sixteen with dark skin. Her long, hip length hair was done up in three plaits that led to a braid that went down her back. There were beads in her hair that Weiss realized were as much a weapon as decoration. She wore No makeup, but didn't need it, and she had a pair of assets that made Weiss burn with jealousy. She was at least a C-Cup if not bigger, she could have been binding to make them more manageable. She fumed.
'You know that I don't care if your Bust was a B-Cup on your best days, right?' Jason asked over their bond.
Weiss glared at him. 'Who is She?'
'This is Jaq. She's my second in command in Vale. She's helping me clean up the streets of Vale with Loki and Coral run the orphanage's.'
"Hey." Jaq said. "You must be Weiss. Jason doesn't shut up about you. I'm always hearing about how great you are. It's annoying, but I'm glad he's happy."
Weiss wanted to be mad, but she couldn't. She looked at Jason. "What did you bring?"
"I have three crates of weapons, six crates of sheathes, holders, bags, carriers, etc., twelve crates of food, and thirty-six crates of water. I also bought six bags of Lien in case we needed it."
"Great. Anything else?"
"Jaq's Semblance is Bean. She can plant Bean stocks or just give out beans. She can only make one bean a day though, so she collects the beans."
Jaq walked through the mine handing out beans to the miners, urging them to eat.
When Shimm ate the bean, he felt all his aches and pains subside. He felt rejuvenated and like he could do anything. "what are these?"
"Beans." Jaq explained. "From my Semblance. They heal you and give you energy."
"Thank you." Shimm Said.
"Don't thank me yet." Jaq said. "I haven't done anything yet." When she had passed out beans to everyone in the mine she went and planted beans in the ground at strategic points and watched as her Beans grew into Bean Stocks and acted as a third layer of support for the mine and offered beans for the miners. "You can only receive the benefits of the beans once per day, I recommend at the start of shift."
The miners looked at Jaq in awe. They would live for her, die for her, and kill for her.
Jason grabbed Jaq and pulled her and Drei into Weiss's shadow.
Weiss looked around and saw the faces of the miners.
"Thank you!" The miners said in unison, bowing to her. "Because of you, we have food, water, the beans, and weapons to defend ourselves with."
"You're welcome." Weiss returned the bow. "Now, come up and get your gear and food. The rest will be put into Shimm's shadow for storage."
Shimm looked shocked. "Me? You want to give me the responsibility?"
"I trust you, that's good enough for me."
"Thank you." Shimm Said.
Weiss and Whitley passed out the gear, a sheath for knives, a holder for Kunai, a pouch for throwing stars, two knives, three Kunai, five throwing stars, food, water, and a small bag of ten Lien.
The miners thanked Weiss and Whitley, grateful for their generosity.
Whitley was not sure what to think or say as he passed out the supplies. He was shocked that the Faunus were not animals or mongrels like his father had said. They were people, not people like him or Weiss, but people just the same.
When everyone had gotten supplies Weiss and Shimm moved the supplies into Shimm's shadow to hold the rest.
When that was done, Weiss and Whitley walked through Weiss's shadow, into Whitley's room before Weiss disappeared and walked into a shadow to her room where Jason was waiting.
Jason could feel the annoyance through their soul bond.
"Who is She?" Weiss asked, annoyance in every syllable.
"She has a name." Jason said. "It's Jaq. She's my number one in Vale."
"What happened to Loki and Coral?!"
"They are busy running the three Orphanages that I've established in Vale. Their hands are beyond full. I needed someone to help. I found her on the streets the first week we got back. She's good, almost as good as Loki and Coral... at this point in time. She helped me kill the drug running asshats that hurt Loki."
"What?"
"I was on my way to take them out and she followed me. I slaughtered them, and one of them tried sneaking up on me. She called out to me, she didn't need to since I already knew, but I decided to see what she was made of and let her help me with some things around Vale and she was pretty useful to have around, so I let her stick around. She's been helpful. She's not going to replace you. No one can replace you."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Fine. She can stay."
"She wants to go to Beacon, but she wants to go when we go."
"Why?" Weiss asked suspiciously.
"Not for the reason you're thinking." Jason said.
"Then why?"
"She wants to go with someone she knows."
"I guess." Weiss thought. "But if she starts making moves on you, I'm going to kick her ass."
"Can I watch?" Jason asked. "Can you do it in a mud pit in an early Atlesian spring?"
Weiss could feel what Jason was feeling across their bond. "Pervert." She rolled her eyes.
"That wasn't a no." Jason said in a singsong voice.
"Just get out of here!" Weiss yelled, trying to hold back laughter.
Jason smiled and disappeared into her shadow. "As you wish." He said as he disappeared.
Weiss walked to her window and looked out over Atlas. She didn't know why she was jealous over Jaq. She knew that Jason loved her and that he would never cheat on her. She knew because of their bond. She went back inside and laid down, unsure what tomorrow would bring, let alone the year. She was kind of excited to find out though.
AN: Welcome to Volume 1 of alTOStRatus. A JADE Story.
Notes:
I am sorry to say that alTOStRatus will only be updated once a month for the foreseeable future due to school and IRL.