Chapter 28 – Ladybug
In which Blake Belladonna and Ruby Rose visit the CCT and hit up the most powerful CEO in the world.
"Goodbye," Blake said to the rear end of the bullhead as it carried her girlfriend and partner away. "Goodbye."
It couldn't hear her, but Weiss could probably see through the window if she looked, so Blake kept her smile up by clenching her teeth.
"Goodbye, Weiss. Please don't let Yang murder you again."
Ruby's smile was equally uncomfortably forced. "She won't. I think."
"So reassuring, dear partner-in-law of mine," Blake quipped.
The airship finally disappeared from view, and both of the huntresses-in-training could drop their facades. Blake frowned, and Ruby looked like her eyes were about to start watering.
"I hope they're ok," the tiny tyke said. Okay, she wasn't actually that short, but she was young, so short jokes were still on the table to Blake, who was both taller and older.
"Weiss has a good head on her shoulders, and I don't think Yang has a bad enough one to actually start fighting her."
"Blake, she's trying. I know it looks bad, but she really is trying."
She shouldn't have to try to be a good person. It's not something you're meant to have to consciously do. A proper huntress should want to be kind and compassionate.
But, as Blake had to frequently remind herself, none of this was Ruby's fault. Yang's choices were her own, and she'd promised Weiss her full support. Weiss had insisted she could handle the Yang situation, so Blake would let her. After all, it wasn't her full support if she revoked it every time she disagreed with Weiss' choices.
"Let's just focus on our own task, shall we?"
It had been a while since Blake had personally interacted with the Schnee patriarch, and that was by design on both their parts. Blake would rather have as little to do with that scumbag as possible, and Schnee the elder probably saw her as some sort of nuisance or pest that annoyed him by getting underfoot every time he tried to work with her parents on doing the stuff they did.
The SDC and White Fang cooperated on a wide scope of work. Originally, as Blake had understood it, it had been motivated as more of a PR move on Schnee's part, him attempting to be seen teaming up with the biggest Faunus organization on the planet in order to help them push for equal rights legislations, boycott unfair companies (typically the SDC's rivals), and enact systematic change.
Over time, she'd realized that he was doing it for a plethora of reasons. Yes, there was the element of having a good image, but Jacques Schnee also had been expanding his business to the markets on Menagerie and Mistral where the White Fang did a lot of work. On top of that, he was also using it as a battlefield to combat the Atlesian military, which he regarded with some enmity after they'd stolen his firstborn from him.
But the reason at the core of it all, the reason that trumped all others, the true reason he'd done it all, was none other than Weiss.
He couldn't get rid of Weiss, though Blake suspected he would have tried if a risk-free avenue had been open when she was born. She was born a Faunus, meaning that unless he wanted to have a disgraced bastard daughter for an heir, he needed Faunus to stop being outcasts in Remnant society.
Even though her memories of the peak era of anti-Faunus discrimination were hazy due to her age, Blake could vividly recall the hatred humans directed at her people. The notion that a single man could make such a difference in society on a whim was mind-boggling, and yet here Schnee stood, the lead architect of the triumvirate that had ushered in nearly ever positive change for her people.
A part of it still bothered Blake – just how Weiss had been born with wings when neither of her parents had it. Schnee's propaganda may have fooled some, but Blake knew better – human parents didn't birth Faunus children. There was no 'half-Faunus,' nor was Jacques' mother a bird Faunus with a recessive gene.
One possible benign explanation was that Jacques or Willow had some hidden Faunus trait, some tiny tuft of fur or patch of scales that explained it all away, but that would also necessitate a traceable line of Faunus parentage for whichever one of them it was. If Weiss' mother or father were a Faunus, that meant one of her grandparents was a Faunus, and one of her great-grandparents, and so on. And if that were the case, Weiss herself would also have that tiny, barely noticed trait, not her epic wingspan that enabled flight.
Alternatively, there was the far simpler possibility that Willow had actually cheated on her husband. Blake could believe it of that detestable woman who had no love left in her heart, but Weiss seemed to claim that it was only later in her childhood that her mother had become the person she was today.
Also (and Blake was told to never breathe as much as a word of this to anyone by her parents), Jacques had had Weiss tested – that was the reason he couldn't get rid of her. She was biologically his daughter. It was something that Weiss' father had told the leaders of the White Fang one night over dinner, once they'd all grown more comfortable with one another (and once their organizations were too intertwined for them to conceivable betray Jacques), and her parents had told her.
It perplexed Blake to no end.
The only conclusion I can come to is that Weiss is unique. I suppose that isn't too difficult to believe, my chicken wings being the product of a miracle.
The CCT was almost fully packed when they arrived, as it was not only the chief communications center of Beacon but also the kingdom at large. Due to the absurdly long off-hours wait times (Blake and Ruby weren't the only people to push off their important long-distance calls to the weekend), it took them probably an hour of waiting in line to get through the door.
Fortunately, they weren't alone, meaning that Blake and Ruby had ample time to get to know one another and bond over common interests.
Which meant that she let Ruby stumble around as she tried to 'reintroduce herself' to Blake.
"I just want to practice my social skills," Ruby had said. "For both my sake and Weiss'. I need to start fixing my problems, and one of them is how bad I am at making new friends, so I just want you to pretend to be a complete stranger and let me talk normal to you."
Blake had agreed, happy to help in taking some of the burden of aiding Ruby off of Weiss' shoulders. And so, she'd greeted Ruby with a bright smile, called herself Sasha, and asked how Ruby's day had been.
"I…my day? It's been great. I was going to the CCT with my friend Blake, but she's gone. Er, not dead. I mean, she left. Er, she didn't abandon me, cuz Blake's a good person, but she had to…um…I didn't exactly prepare for meta stuff, Blake."
It hadn't even lasted one line without Ruby immediately flubbing it. Blake was tempted to roll her eyes, but she didn't want to appear dismissive or condescending. Ruby was like an baby chicken still within its egg – she needed nurturing to break free from her shell and become the bright little huntress she was always meant to be.
"Try breaking the ice by talking about something that interest you," Blake explained. "See if that interests the other person, and play off of how well it goes. If they aren't into whatever you brought up, change topics. If they still aren't, try asking what they do like."
"Okay," Ruby said, inhaling a deep breath before launching herself into the conversation. "So, I'm super into guns. I just love all the different ways that something can destroy the Grimm."
"Oh. I'm not really a gun fan. Actually, I'm a vegan."
Ruby blinked. "Blake, you own a gun. And I've seen you eat meat."
"Blake?" asked Sasha. "Who's Blake?"
"You are."
Blake winked at Ruby.
"O-O-Oh. Oh, ohohoho, okay. Two can play at this game. I'm…I'm not actually Ruby, then. I'm Marvin, and I brew my own potato salad, and it has chives, and –"
Brothers give me strength.
"Ruby, you can't be someone else. I need to, since you want to practice talking to new people, but you have to be Ruby, since you're going to need to keep being Ruby when you get to the real deal."
"Gotcha, Blake. Er, Sasha. Okay…so, you don't like guns, eh, Sasha? Sasha… Sashay… Sarsaparilla… Salty Salsa Sasha… Salmonella Sasha of the Sahara… Squidward…"
"Ruby, are you okay?"
The hood-clad girl wilted ever so slightly. "I was trying to buy time while I thought up another topic to speak about, but I ended up getting distracted with all of the cute little nicknames for Sasha." She shot Blake finger guns. "But hey, if I ever do meet a Sasha, I'll have plenty of ways to break the ice."
Desperate time called for desperate measure. Blake placed a hand on the person in front of them in line, forcibly turned them around, and plastered on a big smile on her face.
"Hi there. I'm Blake, not Sasha, and this is my friend Ruby Rose, who is not named Marvin. She'd like to introduce herself to you."
Immersion was the best medicine, Blake supposed. Or was that revenge? Or was immersion supposed to be served cold? Either way, she was throwing Ruby into the deep end of the pool and hoping she would swim, or at least stay afloat. And if anything went wrong, Blake did have her gun with her.
I could erase Ruby's shame by killing this rando. Or Ruby. Or all three of us.
"Uh…" The thirty-something guy in front of them blinked a few times, then seemed to realize who Ruby was. "Oh. H-Her? Well, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better, Ruby."
Shit, I was joking about having to use the gun.
"Yeah, no. Fifteen, buddy, and very clearly so. Eyes on the line."
The guy seemed to recognize that he was dealing with a huntress-in-training and turned back around.
Ruby seemed utterly bewildered by the exchange. "I-Is that…was that how I'm supposed to…"
"Let's just talk about something else. As us, the real us. Why'd you become a huntress?"
"Oh! I can talk about this. I come from a family of huntresses, and while no one ever asked me to be one, I always saw the cool stuff they got to do when they helped people and wanted to be just like everyone. Both of my parents and my uncle all came from Beacon…on the same team, as it happens."
Blake wondered if it would be appropriate to inquire about why she and her sister had different mothers but thought better of it before asking. As much as Ruby might've been the more personable one, Yang was probably the more mature one and would be better to ask about such grisly subjects.
"What about you, Blake? Why do you hunt?"
Somehow, despite having been asked this very same question numerous times before, Blake found herself wondering just how to phrase her answer. To the people who she cared about, like her parents, Weiss, and hot dayum that was a depressingly short list, Blake answered with the truth – she kinda just wanted to. It sounded like the right thing to do at the time when she'd turned old enough to start practicing. To the people she could care less for, like the general public, Beacon interviewers, or teachers, the generic schlock she fed them about wanting to become the change she wished to see in the world was so full of crap that one could have used it to fertilize a field of gourds.
She didn't want to lie to Ruby about something asked in good faith, as that just instinctively felt wrong, especially since Ruby had told her the truth. However, Blake didn't like the idea of just telling Ruby 'I entered into this field you've devoted your entire life towards for the lulz.'
"I guess I mostly just followed Weiss."
That was sort of true. Weiss had always had her heart set on hunting in order to live up to the proud legacy of the Schnee (and to prove something to either her father or herself), but it was also a bit of a reversal of their relationship. Weiss had always wanted to give Blake the world, and when Blake had chosen Beacon, Weiss had promised to come along.
"What's it like being a Faunus?" Ruby asked, apparently content with the answer about Blake's motives that she'd received. "Er, that is to say…I know you've only ever been a Faunus, but given what you know about humans and everything, are there any differences other than having special ears? Is there anything special that you guys do or have done? I'm explaining this bad…"
She was, but it was a question that many humans struggled to phrase, and Blake knew the intent of what she was trying to say. It was basic curiosity – Blake and Weiss were probably Ruby's first Faunus, and she wanted to know if there were any glaring differences in their lifestyles or cultures. Many asked it from a place of morbid interest, seeing the Faunus (especially those from Menagerie), as an exotic, foreign set of beings, but Ruby was just genuinely interested in knowing more.
"First off, Faunus aren't all the same. You probably have more in common with a Faunus from Vale when it comes to daily life than I do. There's no single overarching trait we all share, no common personality trait or practice every Faunus does that ties us all. Some Faunus are hardened criminals, some Faunus are caring mothers and fathers, some Faunus are rich spoilt children, some Faunus are nerds who write fanfictions in their basements and never see the light of day.
"But if you want to know about Menagerian Faunus, I can tell you all about that. Because of our group heritage and shared lifestyle, every Faunus from the fifth kingdom all have a lot in common. We swam on the same beaches, we ate from the same kitchens, we weathered the same historical events in the same place…hell, sometimes the entire island would come together for major events like funerals, weddings, or big speeches."
Her home was something Blake could talk about for hours on end, and she gladly would have if not for the fact that they reached the front of the line by the time Blake was talking about the fashion. She'd given Ruby in depth descriptions of Menagerie's finest culinary masterpieces, the traditional dances and which holidays they were performed at, and the government. Ruby had been in awe of Blake when she learned who had founded the White Fang and currently managed both it and the island, or rather, whose parents did all that.
Blake as all for futuristic technologies as much as the next genetically unmodified catgirl, but she had to wonder if a holographic attendant were truly necessary in the first place when a regular attended could have easily done the job. Like, was it truly easier to design a robot to work as the kiosk controller for this particular function when all other careers in the service industry were still manned by human and Faunus beings?
Either way, the robotic lady directed her and Ruby to the nearest unattended stall, Room 77B on floor 18, and they were given the privacy of a closed doors call for one hour, the smallest amount of time. They were politely told that if their call went longer, they would be charged for the extra time, and with that, they were ready.
"Let me do the talking," Blake had said to her teammate.
"But –"
"This isn't a reflection on you as a person, Ruby. If Headmaster Ozpin himself were standing next to me, I'd ask him to hold back and let me handle Jacques Schnee. He's not a people person, exactly."
"Like me!"
"No, Ruby. Nothing at all like you."
The CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, the largest single financial entity in the entire corporate world, was a busy man. Normally, calls of this nature would be forwarded to a secretary who would dismiss the span from rabid fans, virulent haters, or confused strangers who had gotten ahold of Jacques' private number and for some reason thought that he was the person to complain about a crack on their recently purchased Ice Dust crystal for the refrigerator.
However, there was one exception to this forwarding rule, though. If the caller had the last name Belladonna, presumed to be Ghira or Kali but extending to Blake nevertheless, it would be forwarded directly to him. It was simply assumed (rightfully so) that if the leaders of the White Fang had to reach the CEO of the SDC, it was a matter of great urgency that required his immediate attention.
Blake was more than happy to take advantage of this little loophole to get the big boss' attention directly, for she knew she would be perpetually placed on hold until her bank account ran dry from the cost of the minutes if she didn't. Schnee was a busy man, and so many messages were simply lost to the sands of time. This was something that needed his personal attention, as it required confidential Atlesian military secrets to be leaked, secrets that neither Jacques nor Blake would want passed through a secretary or assistant.
The screen flickered into view, and Blake was met with a truly appalling sight – Jacques Schnee, arms resting on his desk at the elbow, his fingers clasped in front of his smiling mouth. He had probably been working privately in his study when the call had been placed.
"Ah, dear Miss Belladonna the younger. It's always a pleasure."
"Mr. Schnee."
"And I'm Ruby!" said Ruby, waving her arm strenuously as though it was covered in bees that needed to be dislodged.
"This is Ruby."
"I see," said Schnee, keeping up the smile, but making it less predatory now that he was aware someone else was in the room. "Ruby."
He would probably forget the name within the hour…actually, he had probably never even remembered it. Fans of the SDC and the charity work it did in the name of the Faunus were a lien a dozen over the entire world. This wasn't the first time Jacques had been met with what he assumed was an a overzealous admirer, and he knew exactly how to properly keep up the façade. After all, it simply wouldn't do for him to reveal his despicably greedy nature in front of someone who could leak it to the press.
The degree to which he plays his cards close to the chest is astounding, truly. Never once has there been a single leak in his seventeen years of do-gooding. No member of the public is even aware that he doesn't care about the Faunus, or that he and Weiss have a more strained parent-child relationship than a Giant Nevermore and its juvenile fledglings.
"To what do I owe this unexpected delight, young lady?"
Blake cleared her throat and put on her own mask of neutrality to mask Jacques' one of grandfatherly gentleness. "I need a favor. I'm prepared to…barter for it."
"Barter? I'm sure I can provide you any favor you need free of charge."
Free of charge now, but something would be owed to either her or her parents later on. Blake knew how this worked.
"For what I'm asking, I think you'll wish to get something in return," Blake said.
"I see," Jacques responded.
"I'm interested in whatever information you can tell me about the recently destroyed Atlesian paladin that was rampaging around within Vale. I'll gladly take information about its pilot or its destroyer as well, but I'd imagine that you, as a participant in its construction, would know more about the instrument itself." Blake steadied her breath. "I'm prepared to pay with information about Weiss and her actions at Beacon so far."
Jacques raised an eyebrow, but Blake shook her head. "Ruby is Weiss' partner. She's already aware of anything I would say to you. Furthermore, as a member of our team, the information you could tell me regarding the paladin pertains to her as well."
"I see Weiss' team is getting up to the expected extracurriculars, then," Jacques said, pulling out a work laptop.
That was a good sign; it indicated his willingness to haggle with Blake. He knew her, and she knew him, so neither of them beat around the bush. This would be tit for tat. Both parties would give information one at a time, and if either found it unsuitable, they could simply choose to stop. Both needed the other, as they were potentially the only source. No one except Jacques possessed classified details on the paladin, and Beacon was the one place Jacques could not insert a spy or other covert monitor to keep an eye on Weiss.
"I am ready. You may ask, Blake."
"Do you know how the paladin was stolen?"
Jacques nodded. "I was privy to a meeting in which Ironwood described the details of the incident. It was obtained through skill, not force. Were this some terrorist organization or rogue mercenary alone, he would have sent an army to Vale to reclaim it with even greater force, but the paladin simply was missing from the carriage it was supposed to be in. There were no leads; whoever did this was good."
Jacques nodded, waiting for Blake to give him information of equal or greater value.
And so Blake did. Very carefully.
"Weiss is partnered with Ruby and has been declared leader of her team. I am a member of this team, and Ruby's sister is my partner."
Jacques nodded again, and Blake continued.
"We succeeded in our initiation test with flying colors, and we actually were instrumental in securing the relics – the target objects on which we were graded – on behalf of another team at Beacon, Team JNPR. Furthermore, Weiss herself confronted and disarmed a team that attempted to force some young women into offering sexual favors."
Jacques coughed. "Was Weiss's honor compromised?"
"No. She intercepted and disarmed them. The team was all human and all male."
This was the kind of information that Jacques could use, and Blake was pre-emptively phrasing it in ways that spun it in Weiss' favor. She also left out any details of potential embarrassment for Weiss or the Schnee name. It was all stuff that Jacques himself could and would do if her were to use this, as either PR for the company or personal stories to brag to his rich prick friends to.
"And?" he asked.
Blake knew that the information he was providing about the paladin was far more sought after and therefore precious than Beacon gossip, meaning she would have to give more in order to match the value.
"In the first week of class, Weiss was assaulted by a human during a spar."
"Explain," Jacques said, reaching over to grab a notepad.
Blake could practically feel Ruby tense up, but she trusted her to remain silent. The fact that Yang's name or identity hadn't been mentioned was supposed to be a clue for Ruby that Blake wasn't going to give the full truth away.
"The enemy was a human female who used excessive force and broke both of Weiss' wings, causing extensive damage. The conditions of the spar were not violated, but the mediator wished to expel the human. It was only by Weiss' intervention due to the belief that the aggressor could be reformed that she was spared this fate. She is currently on a very strict probation."
"Were racial slurs used?" Jacques asked, scribbling down notes.
"She referred to Weiss as 'wings' at one point." Blake left out the word chicken, as even Jacques, disconnected from his own close friends as he was, would recognize the Belladonna's pet name for Weiss.
"Given the tone, would you describe Weiss as a victim, a martyr, courageous, or heroic?"
He was fishing for an angle to spin this. If it went into the headlines, it would probably be how racism was alive and well, as even Jacques own daughter faced it in Beacon Academy of all places, with a neat little call to action to support your local White Fang branch. Should he use this as ammunition when he had dinners with the other captains of industry, Weiss would be no doubt made into a gracious saint, too pure for Beacon and still deigning to grace the rest with her divine presence.
"In reality: victim, yes, and martyr, yes. If you want to use the other two, you'd probably have to downplay the damage. She was barely able to speak at the time, which didn't paint an image of triumph."
Jacques nodded and kept writing. "I see, I see."
Blake decided it was her turn to speak. "Have you seen the video of Mercury piloting the paladin?"
"As a matter of fact, I have. Multiple times."
"Was the manner in which he operated it genuine? Did you or any of its designers note any discrepancies?"
Jacques leaned forward. "Elaborate."
"We think Black may have been working on Torchwick's behalf to artificially generate a scenario in which he could be a hero. Were there any indicators that the paladin was not being used to the fullest extend when fighting him?"
"There were not. However, it is worth noting that the escape mechanism requires a preparatory warm-up period longer than the time between when the battle turned in the huntsman's favor and when the ejector pod launched."
Which meant that Black had known to start bailing out early. It was basically proof.
"Does that bother anyone in Atlas?" Blake asked.
"It was determined that the mercenary started the procedure pre-emptively due to the unknown factor of an unexpected huntsman intervening. I concur with the assessment, but only for lack of any alternative explanations." He spread out his hands along his desk. "Your turn, my dear."
Blake was going to have to walk a fine line if she gave him anything more. She'd already basically sold out Yang, and she really didn't want to offer up Ruby's private life on a silver platter.
"Weiss has remained close friends with a member of Team JNPR – their leader, Jaune Arc. She and he occasionally compared notes, so to speak, on their styles of leadership. Weiss was frequently seen advising Mr. Arc on how to improve relations within his own team."
"Excellent. But, ah, Mr. Arc?"
Blake shook her head. Jacques nodded in understanding and crossed something out on his notepad.
"Beacon has asked our team, Team RWBY, to coordinate the upcoming prom dance on behalf of the school. However, my partner and Weiss' have volunteered to take on the bulk of the organizational management."
"Is there any chance that this can be rectified?"
Blake pretended to consider it. "I can't give you an answer without speaking to Weiss, but I'll be sure to inquire."
"Don't bother." Schnee waved the idea away with his hand as though it were a wisp of smoke in front of him. "I know you wouldn't even try. Tell me more about your team and Beacon. Why were you selected for this ball of theirs?"
"I believe it's because Weiss has had occasional private meetings with the headmaster."
The white mustache that covered Schnee's upper lips dipped down, suggesting he was no longer smiling.
"Voluntary, as I am to understand it, and nothing untoward. I believe she wanted to raise concerns over the health of another student who was unwilling to seek aid on their own." It had been Ruby's mental health, but Blake supposed that counted to her even if it wouldn't to Jacques. "I wasn't present at the meetings, so I'm not certain. If you want a positive take, Weiss has forged a professional relationship with the headmaster before the conclusion of her first year at Beacon."
Schnee sighed forlornly. "It would be better if she could have done something like regular tea with the man as opposed to scattered visits. Back to this dance, then. Does she have a partner?"
Blake had technically declined Weiss' offer to go together, sarcastically insisting on a more romantic proposal that Weiss was no doubt going to turn into an overly complicated but incredibly heartfelt prank of some sort. Thus, it wasn't a lie when Blake said no.
"Not at the moment." Blake shook her head. "If this changes, I can inform you when I know of it."
"See that you do," insisted Schnee.
"But Weiss is dating you, Blake," said Ruby.
Blake's blood ran cold, and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she turned to gape at the interrupting little idiot.
"Are you guys poly or something?" Ruby asked innocently.
"Ruby, go outside." Blake tried to keep the fear out of her voice, knowing that Jacques would recognize it. "Now."
"Hmmph," Schnee snickered. "Perhaps our little Ruby isn't as tight-lipped as you implied."
Blake would've cursed Ruby to the Grimmlands and back if it wouldn't be presenting a vulnerability in front of the enemy. Any chink in their collective armor would instantly be exploited to the fullest extent by the infamous negotiator on the other end of the call.
"Miss Ruby, darling, I'd like to speak with Blake alone, if you don't mind." Jacques smiled in a friendly manner. "I think she and I would both benefit from a brief spot of privacy, if you wouldn't mind."
Ruby may have been socially inept, but she was at least wise enough to know that something had changed from before. She checked with Blake to make sure she wasn't abandoning her to her fate and received a nod for confirmation.
"I'll be fine, Ruby. Mr. Schnee and I just want to talk for a little bit. Close friends and family stuff."
Biting her lips, Ruby opened up the door to the room and stepped through it. Before leaving, she gave Blake one last glance.
"I'll meet you outside, Ruby. It's okay."
The door closed, leaving Blake alone with a monster.
"Now, then." Schnee folded back up his arms and returned to the default business position they'd found him in. "Are you just fucking my daughter, or will this actually amount to something? I just want to know so that the company and I can proactively start championing any new causes it now supports."
Blake couldn't help but let some of her dislike for the man leak out onto her face.
"I would rather we speak plainly, my dear. Neither of us would like our time wasted, now would we?"
"Fine," Blake spat out. "And what the hell do you mean by 'new causes' and 'now supports?' The SDC and White Fang have always been a progressive proponent of Faunus-human relationships. You're supposed to be from one."
"And now we're going to throw our weight behind same-sex marriage as well." Schnee's smile was a coiled snake. "Oh, won't the future just be oh so wonderfully inclusive?"
If he wasn't holding back, then neither would she. It was almost already impossible to keep herself reigned in.
"Do you even see me as a person, or am I just a token?"
"Honestly?" Jacques' mouth slid to the side slightly. "Off the record? I used to believe your kind were barnyard animals. Faunus, that is, not homosexuals. But now, I acknowledge that you're fully equal to humans in all ways that matters – equal sources of talent to be utilized, equal markets to be advertised to, equal sources of revenue from which to profit."
"So humans and Faunus are both just tools to you?"
"Quite so," said Schnee, without an ounce of shame. The man didn't even miss a beat as he answered her question. "Absolutely."
Disgusting. That was the only word to describe Jacques Schnee as he truly was when the pretenses were dropped. Entirely, completely, unequivocally disgusting by every criteria from now until the end of time.
Disgusting.
He had the audacity to snort as Blake glared. "Am I truly so bad, dear daughter-in-law? Regardless of what I believe, I think it's no stretch for either of us to admit that I've done more for the Faunus cause than you ever have, in terms of actionable change. Your parents probably say my name like it's a dirty word when they're alone together, but even they acknowledge the significance of what I've contributed. The White Fang would never have accomplished any of its original objectives without my aid."
"And you would have demonized us if that somehow benefitted your quarterly earnings!" Blake exploded. The rooms were soundproofed, as this was a calling center, so there was no need to worry about being overheard. "You don't care about the Faunus; you just want to use us for free PR so you can turn a profit and feed your own ego!"
"Again, true. I long ago realized that it would be, ehhhhh, less laborious to look to the future than to tie myself to the past."
Blake's teeth clenched. "You mean exploit the future."
"Less laborious to exploit the future, then." Jacques shrugged those gaunt shoulders of his. "The point remains. If I'm happy with those generous quarterly earnings I care so much about, your kind are sitting pretty with the civil rights that were requested, and the company's future is secure as the champion of all those little liberal causes you and Weiss insist upon…then who's suffering?"
"One of these days," Blake seethed. "One of these days, your racist mindset is going to slip through. You'll say the wrong thing to the wrong person, or you'll lose your temper, or you'll do something to out yourself, and the whole wide world will see your true colors."
That only made Schnee's grin grow wider. Blake wasn't sure she appreciated the way he looked so amused by her accusations.
The man leaned forward. "The whole wide world sees me as Ghira Belladonna's closest chum, Blake. I am a symbol for this era's Faunus rights movement. If I fall from grace, it would lose its biggest ally, and our shared racist enemies would be the only ones who stand to gain from the ensuing discord. So tell me, Blake: do you desire for that day to come? Do you really want me to be exposed for who I am?"
Blake slammed her fist on the 'End Call' button, and Jacques Schnee's smirking face shrank away to nothingness.
Next Chapter: Bumbleby
In which Yang Xiao-Long and Blake Belladonna do some magical spellcasting bullshit or something. I'm not really sure.
Author's Notes
This was actually one of the first conversations I wrote for this fic – not the paladin stuff, but an exchange between Blake and Jacques regarding the latter's role in the world. Back when I was still conceiving of the notion of outwardly good Jacques, I wanted to have someone (especially Blake) tell him how much she hated him, only for him to point out that he was only evil in theory, and in practice is indispensably good.
We briefly leave Weiss and Yang, but it's not like they were doing anything important or anything. I'm sure the adventures of Ruby and Blake was more important to see right now.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!