Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-10390252-20130728185452/@comment-4830106-20130801134313

BenRG wrote: Just another idea, extendingfrom the fan-theory that someone is targetting Weiss, possibly from within the SDC. Basically, it's intended to be an episode to help forge some connections between Weiss and Blake as well as add spice to a few Ships.

Black Snow

It's just a normal day at Beacon; after breakfast, the Cadets are out in the Great Court doing morning warm-ups. Yang mentions to Apricot that Weiss and Blake are (still!) only managing an armed truce and rarely exchange more words than they need to complete an assignment or exercise. Ruby just rolls her eyes at the phrase 'armed truce' but seems more upset than annoyed.

At noonmeal, Weiss is clearly in an unusually intense strop. Ruby finally gets the courage to ask her what is wrong and she explains that she has received "a very peculiar communication" from her stepmother, Ebony Schnee. Apparently, there is some tension as to who will be the heir to the SDC, Weiss (the child of her father, Kalder's first wife) or one of the twin girls who are are his children by his second wife. Weiss's stepmother is a very capable businesswoman in her own right and has persuaded that her daughters would be a better choice than Weiss, who she characterises as a "half-wild teenager determined to find notoriety". Her father has great affection for Weiss but has made it clear that it is the board who will determine the next CEO, not he himself. Her step-mother has just written to say that "it would be better for all concerned if you step aside and focus on your careers, little girl.  There is no need for this to get unpleasent."

By this point, Weiss's rant has attracted an audience at their table and she blushes a bit. Apricot, Yang and Umber are of the opinion that Weiss should tell her stepmother to do something anatomically impossible. Ruby, Jaune and Nero think she should just throw the letter away unanswered. Blake just mutters that she doesn't know why anyone would willingly want to associate with that organisation anyway, let alone own and run it!

Weiss, with an excess of dignity, reminds Blake that the SDC is her heritage and, as much as she regrets Blake's past bad experiences, she isn't going to turn her back on it or on the chance to make things right. Blake scowls and snaps that no-one associated with SDC could be anything but her enemy and storms out. Weiss actually seems pretty broken up by this and Ruby mumbles that she needs to do something about Blake's judgemental attitude.

That evening, everyone is in 'their' corner of the school library when Ruby and Blake walk in, Ruby very obviously having nagged Blake into attending the normal evening study session. Blake glares at Ruby and begins a very obviously-rehersed apology speech when she suddenly freezes. Abruptly, she looks very, very Fauna. "There are only eight of us here," she announces. "Why can I smell another?"

There is an uncomfortable pause. "It's a public library," Nero remarks condescendingly. "I hesitate to guess how many people..."

"I'm able to differentiate between current and past scents, dolt," Blake snaps back.

Weiss seems to freeze for a moment and then mutters something about "Blended Ice and Air Dust..." She reaches into her belt pouch and pulls out a pinch of purple Dust that she tosses into the air. It's Jaune who sees the dust briefly outline the shape of a person standing very close to Weiss.

What happens next is almost too fast to track. A man seems to emerge from thin air and lunges for Weiss with a long, black dagger. Jaune reacts instinctively and shoulders the white-haired girl aside only to get the dagger right in the chest where it promptly goes right through his armour. Ruby screams as Jaune goes down, the dagger turning to dust as he does so; the assassin turns to flee and his jaw meets Yang's right fist with a burst of fire from Ember Celicia that sends him through the nearest bookshelf.

Ruby is cradling Jaune's head in her lap and is frantically trying to stop the bleeding but she can't seem to do so for some reason. Apricot runs out at a shout from Yang to get the acadamy's medic. Weiss drops down next to Ruby and peers at Jaune's punctured breastplate thoughtfully, looking at the black dust residue. "Death Dust; it's used for armour-piercing weapons and as a pest control toxin but I've never seen this particular application before..."

"What do we do?" Ruby is borderline hysterical with Jaune's blood practically fountaining between her fingers.

Weiss looks at her for a moment. "There's only one cure but only can work in the hands of love.  Can you do that, Ruby?" At the younger Cadet's frantic nod, she pulls out a tiny vial of light yellow dust. "Heart's Healing.  It can only be carried out by one with the right feelings for the victim." She grabs Ruby's hand and sprinkles the dust on her fingers. "Now, press your hand over the wound and focus on your feelings for Jaune - your deepest and most profound feelings."

Ruby bites her lip and nods, closing her eyes. She presses her hand over the wound. At first nothing happens, then Weiss snaps: "Damn it, Ruby, you'll lose him! Do you love him or not? Then let yourself feel it!" Then yellow rose petals form in the air around Ruby's hand and begin to circle around the two of them. After a few moments, they fade and the blood bubbling from Jaune's lips is gone. The blond boy opens his eyes and he and Ruby just stare at each other in astonishment.

Weiss smiles thinly, touches Ruby's shoulder and stands up to walk over to the others. Yang has the assassin in a headlock and it's taking Nero and Umber to hold Blake back. The black-clad Fauna hybrid has drawn Gambol Shroud and and struggling to get at the assassin. She's screaming that this is what she's always been saying: To "them", everyone is just an animal to be killed when they've become troublesome or when it amuses them; they'll never be safe until they're all dead...! She freezes when Weiss walks over.

"Who sent you?" Weiss snaps at the assasin, who shakes his head fiercely. "Well, I'll tell you then.  You were sent by one of my stepmother's allies of on the board... correct?" Weiss snaps out a list of names. The man still does not speak but the way his eyes widen is proof enough. Weiss snarls and steps back.

"I suppose this is just the price of 'doing business'?" Blake, still restrained, hisses.

Weiss shakes her head. "It seems you are right," she says mournfully. "There is a sickness at the heart of the company." Blake is so surprised that she goes limp and the others are able to release her. Weiss turns to Blake. "I want you to tell me everything about this situation that you know."

"Why, so you can report it to the 'proper authorities'?" Blake hisses.

"No, so I can save my family's posterity from itself... No matter what it takes."

At that point, Ozpin, Glynda and the School Nurse rush in.

Epilogue is Weiss watching Ruby and Jaune walking along the avenue, staring into each other's eyes in a frankly very sappy way. Blake walks over and sits down next to her on the low stone wall. "The assassin is still silent," Weiss announces without preamble. "I have no doubt that his sponsors in the board will have endless documentary evidence to prove he had nothing to do with them and that he was a random lunatic who stole that dagger from the weapons R&D labs."

"Welcome to my world," Blake mumbles.

Weiss suddenly touches one of Blake's hands. "Don't think that these... people... are representative of what my family have done for generations," she says quietly. "Once the Schnee Dust Company was a byword for workmanship, honesty and integrity.  I will make it my business to make that so again and I will ensure that your people benefit by this reform as much as mine will."

"Their crimes make them rich! Do you really think they'll let you stop that?" Blake snaps back, hope in her eyes but cynicism in her voice.

"Let? No.  However I do not intend to give them a choice." Weiss stands up and extends her hand to Blake again. "Will you help me find those responsible and stop them?"

"How far are you willing to go?"

"By any and all means necessary," Weiss declares coldly.

Blake takes Weiss's hand and stands up. "Maybe we're more alike than I thought," she says with a slight smile.

Roll End Credits. Excellent. I'm actually starting to like that better than my own Weiss theory. I liked the whole "evil stepmom" thing as well. The special healing dust Ruby used on Jaune was a little cheesy, but the dialogue made it sound not so bad. Was that a LOTR reference with the dagger turning to dust? The assassin and his weapon kind of reminded me of a Ringwraith and a Morgul-blade, respectively.