A few months prior, Cinnamon would have lunged forward and thrust the blades of her crossbow's arms directly up into Jacques Schnee's throat right in front of his family without a care in the world. Instead, she froze at the sight of the man and remained very still. The desire was still there, but acting on it immediately was something that she fought down in her own mind just as quickly. Cinnamon could feel her heart hammering in her chest as the man gave her a confused look as though he had absolutely no idea who she was. The notion only served to infuriate her further… and yet still, she did not move. The reasons for her hesitation were muddy in her own mind, though they did have some vague feeling attached to them of her connection to Weiss being worth more than revenge. Even so, she couldn't have attacked the man if she had wanted to… though she didn't know it at first.
Suddenly, Cinnamon felt an odd, tingly feeling around her wrist, where the crossbow was mounted. She looked down just in time to see a black glyph around her limb dissipate, freeing her to act as she saw fit. Cinnamon looked up and made eye contact with Weiss, and an unspoken conversation occurred between them. Though neither of them knew why, there was a clear trust on the heiress' end. Cinnamon knew that it wasn't so much permission to murder Jacques as it was a show that Weiss expected her to handle herself and simply wait. The man's death was still clearly on the table… but Cinnamon understood immediately that to Weiss, something else was preferable and likely worth more. Cinnamon gave the younger woman a slow nod and turned around, putting her back to Jacques as Weiss, too, stepped to the side.
"…Whitley, Winter… leave us, if you would. I'll come and talk to you both momentarily, but there are some things we need to discuss with our father in private."
Winter tensed and let out a long, slow breath through her nose as she locked eyes with her sister.
"…don't do anything you'll regret. I trust you."
"So do I," Whitley agreed as he gave Weiss a pleading look. "Do what you think is right."
Weiss nodded as Jacques stepped inside and closed the door behind himself. The man lingered for a moment near Cinnamon and let out a sigh as she turned to face him. He could tell immediately that the woman absolutely hated him… and yet, he struggled to place her in his mind.
"…you seem somewhat familiar…"
"Do I?" Cinnamon asked. "I somehow doubt that. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to check on your daughter and work toward fixing this mess with Salem. You have no idea who I am, do you? You barely even acknowledge those who would have your head…"
"No, no, I…" Jacques began, taking a hesitant step backward. "…I've certainly seen your face before, somewhere. Are you… White Fang…?"
Cinnamon's hand twitched before she balled it into a fist beneath the attached weaponry. The temptation was growing ever stronger… and yet Weiss didn't put the glyph back in place to stop her. Instead, the young woman spoke, circling into Jacques' peripheral to stand next to the faunus.
"…all of the time and effort this woman has put into tearing down our company, resisting the monopoly we have on the dust trade, and fighting for the rights of her people, and you're not sure? This is Cinnamon Shoal- the leader of the White Fang after the death of Adam Taurus."
Jacques paled, not letting his gaze leave the unfamiliar woman for a second as he addressed his daughter.
"And you've brought her… here."
"I have," Weiss agreed. "She's a member of the Atlesian Council, now, and we're working together. Against you. If you're here to try to take the company back from me, I think you'll find that we've been given permissions far beyond your reach, Jacques. We're working together for the greater good, rather than your endless greed."
"I-I'm not…" Jacques began, though Cinnamon didn't give him a chance. "How is the White Fang part of the greater g-"
"This isn't about the White Fang!" Cinnamon interrupted, throwing her arm out to the side and extending the blades of her crossbow out beyond her fingers. "And Weiss is wrong- I am no longer their leader. I've given up that role for this spot on the Council, and for the future of our people. There was a better woman to lead, and I gave up my role entirely, whether she knows it yet or not. It's also not about the Council, and it's not about the company. This, right here and now, is about you and me. The two of us, and my father."
"…he worked in the mines, no doubt," Jacques said softly. "And I'm guessing that…"
Jacques Schnee eyed the deadly points of metal extending past Cinnamon's balled fist. He knew that his meager aura wouldn't be able to stop the weapon if it was thrust at him… and he was beginning to question whether or not he would even want it to.
"Say it," Cinnamon commanded, her anger barely restrained. "Say it. You're guessing that what?"
Jacques took a sobering breath and closed his eyes, readying himself for what was to come.
"…I'm guessing that I killed him," Jacques admitted. "Through my negligence and greed. Somehow, his death, and the circumstances of your life as a result, are directly my fault. Another symptom of the shortsighted and comfortable lifestyle that I indulged in and didn't earn."
A moment passed where Jacques fully expected to feel the blades enter his stomach, or for some other physical violence to be enacted upon him. Instead, all he heard was a snapping sound as the deadly points flipped backward to collapse against the bracer on Cinnamon's arm while she let out a hiss of frustration and then spoke in a low voice.
"…you're acknowledging it? That all of this- everything you've caused, all of the suffering, unnecessary death, the living conditions in Mantle, the continued suppression of the faunus…"
"Yes," Jacques agreed as he opened his eyes again. "All of it is a direct result of my actions… but I'm not admitting to it for any noble reason. That just isn't who I am, and I will admit that, as well. I'm an old man who has begun rethinking his life and all that I've done because I'm scared, and it seems that… we as a people may be reaching the end. Confronting reality is my way of… I-I don't know. None of the excess, none of the millions of lien or political favors did anything to save us when the time came for Salem to make herself known. None of it matters, now… but had I taken a different path, maybe it would have. Maybe, with people like the two of you at the helm, maybe my company can be worth something after all. Maybe it isn't too late."
"Maybe it isn't," Weiss agreed as she marched over to Jacques' desk and waved for him to follow. "Come. If what you're saying is how you truly feel, then do something about it. I have papers for you to sign that turn your words into action. You have no place at the head of the S.D.C. anymore. Not after all you've done. Not with the situation in Remnant being what it is, and your actions directly contributing to our inability to resist Salem in Mantle."
"Right," Jacques acknowledged, sounding defeated as he made his way to the desk. "I'm going to assume you want me to sign control of the company over to you, formally? Consider it done, Weiss. You've proven yourself capable o-"
"I don't care what you think of me," Weiss interrupted as she held out a pen for the man. "And this isn't just about control of the company. This will transfer the company into my hands, alongside all of its stocks and assets… but moving forward, I'll be drafting another contract to share the responsibility of co-running the S.D.C. alongside Cinnamon."
The faunus merely stared for a moment, not quite following.
"…what…?"
"You heard me," Weiss insisted. "We'll make something more of this than a monument to excess, together, and support Kali in the endeavor of making sure your people are taken care of in the process. I won't need anything from you anytime soon, but once Salem has been dealt with… I'll create the paperwork to make it a joint partnership between us and get the ball rolling on restructuring the S.D.C.."
"Do with the company as you see fit," Jacques relented as he took the pen and signed his name at the bottom of the first page. "It is no longer mine."
"That's… it?" Cinnamon asked as she approached, looking confused as she stared at the man's signature. "Just like that…?"
"Just like that," Jacques echoed as he turned the page and began to sign in the additional required places. "Weiss, I am… proud of you, for what i-"
"Spare me," Weiss said, cutting him off. "I don't want or need your praise. You've stood in my way at every turn, from becoming a huntress to starting a relationship with Marrow just because he has a tail. I don't want to hear it. Finish the deal, and leave."
Jacques let out a sigh and shook his head, turning the page to sign once again.
"…right. And to both of you… I hope that this gesture is enough to allow you to find it within yourselves to at least partially forgive me. Perhaps not tonight, but…"
"…the abuser doesn't get to decide when they're forgiven, if ever," Cinnamon warned. "This is a step on the path to healing. Not some immediate panacea in the form of a grand gesture."
"Of course," Jacques agreed as he made the final signature and stood up straight. "If that is all for tonight, I'll… take my leave of you both. If you need me, I'll be in my room…"
"Sleep well," Weiss offered, her tone full of bile. She watched as Jacques swiftly exited the office, before turning her attention to Cinnamon and allowing her voice to soften. "...thank you…"
"I could have killed him," Cinnamon said, her voice hollow. "I probably should have killed him… and yet, you didn't try to stop me. Dispelling that glyph could have been interpreted as a sign to go ahead and do it… but I know you didn't want me to. Why? Why take the risk instead of just locking me down for the duration?"
Weiss turned and sat upon the edge of her father's desk, bracing her palms on either side of herself as she took a moment to think.
"Because… I believe in something better than the way things are now," Weiss answered as she looked up at the faunus. "I believe in a brighter future… and I believe in people."
"Stand clear! Coming in hot!"
The heavy steel doors to Caroline Cordovin's control room flew off their hinges and bounced across the floor end over end as the charge attached to their handles went off. Kali ran in right afterward, her golden guns sweeping the room as her ghostly Semblance arms held effigies of her own head and an incense burner aloft.
"What the hell was that!?" Caroline cried. She and her men were clear on the other side of the room and in no present danger, though several of them looked shaken by the blast. "We could've died!"
"Why do you think I asked where you were in the room over comms?" Kali asked rhetorically. "Always wanted to do that."
"It was cool," Amaya confirmed as she strode in after Kali. The bat faunus was covered in grimm ash and streaks of blood, though she looked not at all bothered by either substance. "Building's clear. Sorry it took so long, but we wanted to wipe the place clean of grimm."
Caroline let out a sigh and shook her head before nodding to one of her subordinates.
"Status report?"
"The building does show up clean on an initial scan, Ma'am," the recruit answered as he looked at one of the many displays around the office. "What are your orders?"
Caroline strode over to Kali, who holstered her pistols while looking very proud of herself. With a grumble, the military woman offered a hand upward to the much taller faunus, which Kali happily accepted.
"We take our city back, starting right now," Caroline declared. "We're leaving none of those bastards alive."
Author's Note:
None of you are ready for the next two weeks.
-RD