Weiss Schnee prided herself on her composure. A trait she considered not just an asset but a requirement as a lady of her standing. She carried the weight of the Schnee name like steel armor, impervious to trivialities and unbecoming displays. And yet, here she stood, utterly dumbfounded by Jaune.
It wasn't the first time today he had caused her to question the boundaries of her patience, but this… this was a new level of absurdity.
"You… what?" Weiss asked, her voice barely hiding her incredulity.
"Stuff you into a bag," Jaune repeated, as though the words made perfect sense. Then he seemed to catch himself, holding his hands up defensively. "Ah, wait! Not exactly what you think. It's a misunderstanding!"
Weiss's fingers twitched with the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. She resisted, fixing him with her best icy glare. The problem wasn't that she doubted his sincerity. Jaune was almost painfully sincere. It was that he often lacked the basic refinement to phrase his intentions clearly. And yet, there was something about him… a glint in his eye, a shift in his posture, that made her suspect there was more to this madness than met the eye.
"You're concerned about us… about me… walking into that kind of fight," Weiss said, testing him. "Is that why you're saying these things?"
For a fraction of a second, his pupils shifted — a telltale flicker she had learned to read in high society as easily as breathing. She almost smirked. Got you.
"Well, partly," Jaune admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, it is a dangerous situation, and, ah, you are a Weiss lady."
Weiss arched a brow, stopping herself short from commenting about that awful pun.
"It would be a dishonor to the Schnee name if I couldn't pick up on such a basic negotiation tactic. Offering something absurd to make the real deal seem more palatable — it's classic."
"Well, sure," Jaune said, his tone sheepish. "But, uh, I also really do plan to stuff you all into a bag."
Weiss blinked. Her brain seemed to grind to a halt. She was not utterly confused.
"I beg your pardon?"
"It's better if I just show you," Jaune said, fishing into his pocket. He pulled out a small vial filled with an iridescent liquid.
Weiss watched, half in curiosity, half in horror, as Jaune uncorked the vial and took a sip. Before she could voice her protests, something… unnatural began to happen.
Jaune started to shrink.
Her ice-blue eyes widened as his already modest height diminished further and further until he was no larger than a toy soldier. He stood there on the rooftop, looking up at her with a sheepish grin, his tiny figure almost absurdly comical.
Weiss's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Words failed her.
"How…?" she finally managed to choke out.
"Ah, well, it's a potion," Jaune said casually, his tiny voice remarkably clear. "Got it from the Herbalist."
"The… Herbalist?" Weiss crouched down, bringing her face closer to the now-miniature Jaune. She studied him intently, her lips pressing into a thin line as she resisted the urge to laugh. "Is this a Semblance? Technology? Magic?"
"It's just a potion," Jaune said.
Tentatively, Weiss extended a finger and poked him gently in the chest. She couldn't help the slight upward twitch of her lips as he stumbled back a step, his expression comically indignant.
"Hey! That kind of hurts, you know," Jaune complained, brushing himself off.
"It's not every day someone shrinks themselves to the size of a toy soldier," Weiss said, unable to suppress her amusement entirely. "Wait, so this potion actually works on people? Can you reverse it? Are there side effects? What happens if something goes wrong?"
"Relax, I've got it all figured out," Jaune said, lifting another vial from his belt— a bright pink liquid this time. He took a sip, and within seconds, he began to grow again.
Weiss took a wary step back, watching as Jaune returned to his normal height. The process was seamless, as though nothing unusual had happened at all.
"It's a potion that makes you grow back?" Weiss asked, her voice laced with skepticism.
"It's not a potion technically," Jaune corrected. "It's a parfait."
Weiss stared at him, her mind scrambling to reconcile the absurdity of the situation with the undeniable proof in front of her. She held up a hand, gesturing for silence as she tried to process.
"Let me get this straight," she said slowly. "You're suggesting that we, Team RWBY and JNPR, shrink ourselves down using this… concoction… and smuggle ourselves into Menagerie in a bag?"
"Exactly!" Jaune said, beaming.
"That's insane," Weiss said flatly.
"It's brilliant," Jaune countered, crossing his arms. "They won't see it coming.
Weiss stared at him, then let out a long, exasperated sigh. "And what happens if the potion wears off mid-transit? Or if someone accidentally crushes us? Or if—"
"Details, details," Jaune said, waving a hand dismissively.
"Details?!" Weiss repeated, her voice rising an octave.
"Look, it's not like we have other options," Jaune said, his tone more serious now. "This is the safest way to get in undetected. I've tested the potion; it works perfectly. And once we're in, we'll figure out the rest."
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something under her breath that Jaune was certain was not meant to be complimentary. Though, he seems to have another card on his sleeve.
"You're unbelievable," she said finally.
"Thanks," Jaune said, flashing her a grin.
"That wasn't a compliment," Weiss snapped, though the corners of her mouth twitched ever so slightly.
"Come on," Jaune said, his voice softening. "You trust me, don't you?"
Weiss froze. The question caught her off guard, more than she cared to admit.
Did she trust him? The bumbling fool with the ridiculous plans and the occasional flash of brilliance? The same Jaune who somehow always seemed to surprise her, make her heart beat loud, even when she thought she had him figured out?
She sighed again, letting her shoulders relax. "Against my better judgment… yes, I trust you."
"Then let's do this," Jaune said, his grin widening.
Weiss rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile on her lips as she turned to leave. "If this goes horribly wrong, I'm blaming you. I'm going to call everyone here. You wait right here! Don't move!"
"Fair enough," Jaune called after her.
As Weiss descended the rooftop stairs, she couldn't help but shake her head, a small sigh escaping her.
Jaune paced the rooftop of Beacon, the cool night air stirring his blond hair, the white streaks catching the moonlight. He was deep in thought, running over the plan in his mind. It was audacious, maybe even reckless, but it was their best shot. He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of the rooftop door opening. Turning, he saw Weiss approaching with measured steps, her expression a mixture of calm annoyance.
"I'm back," Weiss said, her voice crisp. "I got everyone here as well. You'll demonstrate and explain."
Jaune chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I figured it'd be better to explain everything before everyone gets involved. You've got a sharp mind, Weiss. I need you to help poke holes in this plan, if there are any."
Weiss tilted her head, her icy blue eyes narrowing. "I think it has a lot of holes already. Especially the 'we shrink everyone and stuff into a bag and smuggle everyone into a civil war' part of the plan."
Before Jaune could retort, Pyrrha appeared at the doorway, her presence soft but noticeable. She glanced between Jaune and Weiss, a flicker of wariness crossing her features. Jaune smiled at her.
"Pyrrha, perfect timing," Jaune said, beckoning her over.
"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," Pyrrha said softly, stepping forward. "But I was curious about what's going on."
Jaune nodded. "It's good you're here. This involves all of us."
The door creaked open again, and Ruby, Nora, and Ren filed in, their expressions ranging from eager curiosity to quiet patience.
"Alright, fearless leader," Nora said, grinning. "What's the deal?"
Jaune took a deep breath. "We're all going to Menagerie."
The group froze. Nora's grin faltered, Ruby's eyebrows shot up, and Ren folded his arms, his face calm but questioning.
"That's… ambitious," Ren said. "Especially with the civil war."
"Ambitious is putting it lightly," Weiss added, crossing her arms. "Its borderline insanity."
"Hold on," Jaune said, raising a hand. "I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. I have a plan."
Nora's grin returned in full force. "A Jaune Arc plan? Oh, this I gotta hear."
Jaune chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small vial filled with iridescent liquid. "It starts with this."
Weiss groaned softly. "This again."
Ignoring her, Jaune uncorked the vial and took a sip. Once more, he began to shrink, his form diminishing until he stood no taller than a toy soldier.
Nora's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, he's tiny! Lemme hold you!"
She lunged forward, hands outstretched, but before she could grab him, Pyrrha's Semblance flared, lifting Jaune off the ground and holding him aloft.
"Hey!" Jaune protested, his tiny voice high-pitched. "You're gonna crush me if you keep that up!"
Pyrrha gently floated Jaune into her palm, her cheeks pink as she examined him closely. She was breathing a bit harder than usual, her emerald eyes shimmering with something Jaune couldn't quite place.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, tilting his head. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Pyrrha said quickly, averting her gaze.
"Can you turn back to normal?" Ren asked, his tone calm but curious.
Jaune nodded. "Watch this."
He leaped from Pyrrha's hand, much to her startled gasp, and took another potion in mid-air. In a flash, he returned to his normal size, landing on his feet with practiced ease.
Ruby's jaw dropped. "That's so cool!"
"It's insane," Weiss corrected, her voice flat. "Shrinking ourselves, then smuggle us to Menagerie."
"Thank you," Jaune said, grinning. "But there's more."
He pulled out another vial, this one containing a pale blue liquid. Without hesitation, he drank it. Moments later, white wolf's ears sprouted from his head, and his hair turned snow white to match.
"Whoa," Nora whispered. "Can I be a cat girl?"
Jaune sighed. "No, it only does wolf disguises. Sorry, Nor."
Nora deflated, then thought positive. "Well, I can still be a wolf-girl!"
Weiss stepped forward, her arms crossed and her gaze sharp. "When, exactly, did you get this potion?"
Jaune hesitated, scratching his cheek. "Uh… I had it. You know, if you need to be convinced more about the safety and all of that.."
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course. Keeping your cards hidden, eh?"
Ruby's excitement hadn't waned. "So the plan is to shrink ourselves, smuggled ourselves, get disguised as Faunus, and sneak into Menagerie?"
"Pretty much," Jaune said, shrugging.
Ren raised a hand. "Wouldn't we still be noticeable, even disguised?"
"I don't think so. Who'd expect that I'd be us?" Jaune grinned. "Not with these potions. They'll last long enough for us to blend in, and I've got antidotes ready to reverse everything when the time comes."
Weiss rubbed her temples. "This is absurd."
"But it's viable," Pyrrha said quietly, surprising everyone. "It will keep our identities hidden and get a read on the situation in Menagerie."
Nora threw an arm around Pyrrha's shoulder. "That's that then! We'll be like sheep in wolves' clothing!"
"That's not the right how you use that- oh, whatever," Ren shook his head, but offered a small smile. "I'm in."
Ruby gave a thumbs-up. "Me too!"
Weiss hesitated, glancing at Jaune. His expression was serious now, his eyes steady and determined.
"This is going to be dangerous," she said softly, then turned to her leader.. "It's a civil war. We could get hurt."
"I know," Ruby replied. "But we've got to try, right?"
Weiss took a deep breath, then nodded. "Alright. I'm in. I'm worried about those dolts anyway and not that I could leave you fools without me."
"Aww," Nora poked Weiss in the side. "You care!"
"I-I don't!" Weiss protested shyly, making Nora smirk harder.
Jaune smiled, his relief clear. Without Weiss forking the Lien for the smuggler, it wouldn't matter.
"Thank you, Weiss. Thank you, everyone."
The group stood together on the rooftop, the weight of their decision settling over them.
"Time to go to Menagerie," Jaune said, flashing a smile, his voice steady and resolute.