One

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

Official Supporters:

Compulsive Reader, The Impossible Muffin

Adeptus Militaris, Wilger

Commissioner, Gib, Death Daddy, Le Spork

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM me for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i)scord(.)gg(slash)kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) :

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

Experimenting with indentation, lemme know how you all like it. ~ Twisted

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

"No, no, no, you stupid, inept creature! Venison chops, venison chops!" Weiss heard her father snarl, looking up and watching her father shoot to his feet so quickly his chair clattered onto the floor behind him. He spun on a heel and backhanded the servant beside him so hard it yanked her head to the side and made her stagger, and then he grabbed her by the antlers and yanked her around, shoving her face into the piping hot venison and potatoes. Grimacing, he shouted over her pained screaming, "Those are venison strips! Meant for my daughter! I'd think you would know your damn venison cuts, given these hideous… Things on your head!"

"I-I'm sorry, Master Schnee!"

"She's new, dear." Her mother said from her seat, only a foot away, casually nursing the bottle she wouldn't look away from. Ever since last year, she'd barely eaten, and her face had grown more and more gaunt, eyes ringed alternatingly by crying red and black bags. "Don't break her yet."

"She won't break, or she will." Jacques snapped dryly, pressing the woman's face into the mess even harder. "But either way, she has to learn. Doesn't she, girl?"

"Y-Yes, Master Schnee." The woman sobbed, hands clutching at the side of her head as he shifted to grip her horns better. She never touched him, though, never resisted - which was smart of her. "I-I h-have to do better!"

"Yes." He growled, "You do, or I'll send you back into the damned mines, pretty face or not!"

Weiss flinched at his words, and the look he turned on her, before he gave the Faunus a last sneer.

Finally he yanked her up and shoved her away, waving for her to take the now thoroughly ruined food away. Shuddering, trembling, and with a sauce and potato streaked but obviously burned face, the woman hesitated for only a second. But, when her father turned back to her expectantly, she rushed to do as she'd been told, bustling off with a sniffle while another servant came to clean the mess and yet another replaced his chair so he could sit. A moment later, a third appeared with a different plate - and the proper cut, of course - and set it in front of him, then bustled off when her mother held up her empty bottle for the woman to take.

And obviously replace.

Jacques sat, accepted the knife handed to him, and watched one of the servants fill up his glass of water with a frown before he sighed, "Honestly, it's so hard to find good help these days. Isn't it?"

"She's new, Dear." Her mother repeated quietly, "She'll learn."

"Hmph." Her father sneered, turning back to Weiss with a scowl, "She should already know. None here should tolerate someone who is anything less than excellent."

"I am sorry, father." Weiss ducked her head, "I will correct her."

"See that you do." Jacques snapped, "Your staff is miniscule. If you can't manage even that, how will you ever take over after me?"

"I understand."

"Perhaps we should revisit the idea of a husband…"

"N-No." She stammered, then bit her tongue for the slip-up. Before he could step on the ground she'd given him, she rose, hands behind her waist, and said, "If I may be excused, I will see to correcting her immediately. And fully. Personally."

"What do you think, Dear?" Jacques sighed, finally looking away from Weiss to speak to her mother. "Should she be excused?"

"I suppose…"

Weiss, safe now that her father was distracted, quickly slid the hand she'd curled into a tight fist around to slip the knife she'd held back into its proper place on the table. When Jacques began to turn, she brought her hand back behind her and smiled pleasantly. 'A girl ought to be pleasing to the eyes', after all, and she couldn't afford to misstep there by frowning or letting him see her anxiety. He'd latch onto either like a hound onto a bloodied leg, after all.

And then blame her for it, too.

"I also wish to finalise those reports for you." She added quietly, "And to make the payment to your lawyer."

"Over?"

"The…" She had to think, for a moment, "Over the little matter at Arclight Mine, Father."

"Fine, fine, you're dismissed." Jacques sighed, "But hurry along - it's past time the matter at Arclight was resolved. A Schnee does not tarry, Weiss."

"Of course, Father." She nodded, "I will attend to it urgently."

He didn't respond, simply waving her off and turning his attention on his meal while his wife's was left almost untouched and his daughter turned to leave. Which was fairly typical, for how much attention he paid either of them or his notably absent son. As she left, she was vaguely aware, as always, of Klein stepping away from his spot by the door, opening it and letting her through, then following her and closing it. For a while, they walked on in silence, meandering through the manor's halls leisurely.

Finally, though, Klein spoke up, "The matter at Arclight Mine, Miss?"

"You know the one." She sighed, "And, evidently, he doesn't even care to remember that…"

"Your father is…" Klein sighed, "He's never been very attentive, has he?"

"No." She frowned, "He hasn't."

"For what it's worth…" She turned, meeting his gaze as he stepped up to walk alongside her and smiled gently. "I am sorry, for his failings."

"Yes, well…" She flushed, and shook her head. "I only need one father figure in my life, I suppose."

"You flatter me…"

"I don't do flattery." She smiled, "You know that."

"Yes." He chuckled, "I do."

She smiled and, as much as she hated to do it, turned her attention back to the matters at hand. "Klein, do you know the servant from earlier?"

"A Miss Ela Deery, I believe, Miss." Klein answered immediately, "One of a number of new hires among the lower level staff. A cleaning maid, mainly, but tagged for dining service as well due to an injury suffered by Mister Jacob Silver the other day."

"An injury?"

"His airship was attacked by a flock of lesser Grimm, on its way down to Mantle after a work day." Klein explained, "They were driven off, of course, but an errant round sent some shrapnel into the craft, which shattered windows. The glass was his cause of injury."

"Unfortunate…" She frowned, "How was his treatment covered?"

"He was taken to a small clinic in Mantle." Klein answered, bringing out his Scroll and flicking through its files. "One 'Mercy Medical Clinic', a distant subsidiary of Vale Medical General, oddly enough. His treatment was expensive, however, and only partially paid for, so he is unlikely-"

"Divert Lien from the Goodwill Fund to his care." She ordered quietly, stopping in a quiet hall to turn and speak to him. It was a familiar spot, one she'd scouted out months prior as a gap inside the security camera coverage - which was fine enough in her eyes, as the hall was internal and, thus, not a security risk. "And divert funding for ten others in the clinic, too."

"Disguise it as a regular drawing?"

"Exactly, Klein." The Goodwill Fund regularly ran drawings in Mantle's various clinics, paying for the care of random persons within. All to earn a bit of public favor - hence the rather on the nose name. Flicking a look over her shoulder to the end of the hall, where it split off in two directions towards the training hall and the entry hall, she went on. "I also want you to find the girl, Ela Deery. Have her brought to my room and join us."

"Ah." He smiled, "I'll fetch my medical kit."

"See to it that you do." She smiled, "Now, about Arclight…"

"Here you are, Miss." Klein said, handing his Scroll over for her to use. On it was a lengthy file on the site…

It was one of Mistral's lesser iron mines, built low in the mountains along the north-western coast, close enough that naval ships were better for supply and shipping than air-ships had been. The mine itself was a small one, on a mediocre iron vein far enough out of Mistral's sphere to be hard to protect and yet close enough and in advantageous enough terrain to allow securing it to be feasible. With Atlas' aid, of course. With that aid, came obligations - Atlas got part of what the mine produced, but also took on much of the security duties surrounding it. This included a standing garrison of soldiers, droids…

And a detachment of Atlesian Specialists.

Her sister had been stationed there for a short while, along with seven others, and when it had been attacked by the Grimm, she'd done what she could to defend it. Just like they all had. But noone could stand up to an irritated Leviathan - not without a flotilla. And even if most of the soldiers had retreated and escaped, someone had to stay to hold the line while they did.

Winter was the best of them - an army unto herself, thanks to the Schnee family Semblance - and the one in command.

So, no one could argue when she had stayed…

"As expected, the Leviathan had left before Atlas' relief forces arrived." Klein explained, paraphrasing as she read so that she could skim rather than read the parts he hadn't highlighted for her - which saved all their time. "The mine is in ruins, which is also to be expected. And to be abandoned, too."

"Winter dies for it, and that somehow makes Atlas want it less…"

"An odd thing, yes, but…" He sighed, "She was a national hero. No one wants to think on that place any longer."

"Yes, well… That isn't their choice alone." She murmured, flicking to the bottom. The mine, ruined and without Atlas' favor as it was, was listed for sale by the Mistrali Council. And for exceptionally little, too - especially as it came with the small docks that had been built a couple miles away. There were attached properties - ruined apartments and shops, mainly - but few enough of them. And Mistral didn't care.

Which suited her just fine.

"Use funds from the Account to place a bid on it." She ordered quietly, handing the Scroll back to him. "Purchase it under your name, or another who you have in your confidence. From there, we will transfer it to the Blackwell company for management."

"The Account, my lady?" He murmured, "I… Had thought that was meant to remain a secret."

"And, ideally, it shall." It was her own account, hidden and kept in Vale with a connection through a small office in Mantle's business sector. So small as to be run by only three people, all of whom were local and easily paid to keep the matter very quiet indeed - and not ask where the funds she siphoned away from her stipends for employees from her Father, and her own investments on the sly, came from.

"It is a risk, Klein. I know." She went on, "But only it contains the Lien I need, without draining so dry as to draw questions from the bank. Or the regulatory committee."

"I see." He hummed, "May I suggest Miss Deery then?"

"The servant?"

"You need more names than mine to make these purchases, Miss." He chuckled, "And with a little kindness, and a favor or three, she will be easily turned to your favor."

"She'd also be happy to work under me on it…" Weiss murmured - a Faunus like her, owning her own mine and land would be intensely fortunate. "For now, you will use your name. Keep back some Lien in the Account. If she is amenable, you will submit a secondary bid through her using it and what was already placed."

"Very well, Miss." He nodded, "Shall I meet you in your quarters?"

"Yes." She nodded, "For now, I have training."

"Understood." He nodded, "Enjoy your training, Miss Schnee."

"Thank you, Klein." She smiled, "I will."

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

Blake stared up at the floating, monolithic thing above her for a long time, leaning against the old and rusted pipe beside her. It was a steam-pipe, running up along the back end of a laundromat, and put off enough warmth to enjoy. Especially in the cold of Mantle's streets and the dark, filthy alleyway she found herself in. Overhead, the underside of Atlas glittered dully - a thousand lights, catwalks, and buildings, for lack of a better word she knew, sticking out all along it, swarmed by airships, air-cars and AVs alike - but down here, it was dark.

Like Menagerie on a clear night when she was growing up - near to no lights, and so dark you almost couldn't see without eyes like hers.

"Blake." She heard the voice before she knew the person was there and jerked away from the pipe, hand slipping into her baggy pants for Gambol's pistol grip. Ilia, dressed in the same loose, dark cargo pants and long black cloth coat, backed away with her hands up, chuckling quietly. "Easy, Blake, easy! It's just me."

"Y-Yeah." She sighed, taking a breath to calm down and pulling her hand out of her pocket. Crossing her arms, she eased back against the warm pipe and smiled. "Sorry, just…"

"Jumpy." Ilia nodded, joining her and leaning against the other side of the pipe. It was close enough their arms were pressed together, but then, that just helped the warmth hold. Quietly, she said, "You've… Been like that for a while, you know. Ever since you and he went to-"

"Ilia…"

"I know, I know." She murmured, cowed by the warning in Blake's tone. "I just… I know what he did to you. How he hurt you. A-And I just want to, you know-"

"Can we not?"

"He deserved it, Blake." Ilia pressed, grabbing Blake's arm when she stepped away. Blake turned, scowling, and yanked her arm free. Ilia didn't fight to keep her grip. She just smiled that soft little smile that always pissed Blake off and said, "You let him go out fighting, Blake. He didn't deserve that much, but you gave it to him anyways."

"Yeah, well…" She shook her head and turned, looking up at Atlas' glittering bulk. "What did it get me? The cause?"

"Freedom." Ilia answered, "Freedom to fight the right way- Without people inside ripping us up from the inside. No one in the fight should be afraid of their comrades. He did that to you, and to me, too. And who knows how many others?"

"I know…" Logically, at least, she did. She really, truly did. Adam had been a brave, bold man, once upon a time. A leader of his time. Only… He wasn't built for the violence that he found himself thrust into. He wanted to be a hero, to be loved, and he got that love.

But almost always, after, or during, bloodshed…

Which hadn't bred anything good into him - and, soon enough, years after they had come together, that violence began to break him. To warp him. To change him, into a violent, cruel brute. Whatever little part of him knew how wrong it all was turned him paranoid and controlling next. At first, to the troops under him. Tighter regulations, stricter discipline, harsher, more frequent punishments.

Then, he'd turned it on their friends…

And then, finally, her.

So, when the Spider-Mech on the train had managed to overwhelm him enough he needed her to buy time… She'd almost done it, but hesitated. And he'd threatened her, ordered her to cover him. That threat, that moment of hesitation, was all she needed. So, as Adam ducked and dodged… She leapt, turned, and cut away the train cars, letting his section fall away as Blake's continued on. For days, she sat in one of the Valean safe-houses, wondering and afraid for if he'd survived and what he'd do when he came in.

Then, another Fang member had arrived and passed on word of the man's death. And she'd felt sick for a whole new reason…

Enough that she'd been more than happy to leap on the chance to come to Mantle and fight Atlas directly when Sienna offered it. Sienna had insisted on seeing her, on speaking to her about just how dangerous Mantle would be for her, of course. The daughter of Ghira Belladonna? Atlas would have adored to get their hands on her - as would a thousand groups in the Kingdom.

And Sienna trusted her with it.

How could she have said no?

With that thought, she sighed and asked, "Can we just focus on the job for now, please?"

"Sure, Blake." Ilia nodded, sighing. "Our contact in the Manor was… Hurt, earlier today."

"Hurt?" Blake turned, scowled, "How?"

"Jacques Schnee… Shoved her face into potatoes and venison fresh out of the oven." Ilia sighed, "The burns aren't bad, but…"

"Gods take him." Blake sighed, "What now? She needs an extract?"

"Actually…"

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

Weiss turned from the files on her desk as the door opened and Klein stepped in, followed by the young woman from earlier, who trailed behind him anxiously. Half her face was red, and her eye was blood-shot too. But she tried to hold herself well, jaw set and eyes on the floor as she curtsied and Klein sighed. While he put his case on the long table beside the door, Weiss closed her files, took a breath and stood.

Turning to her, she said, "Sit, edge of the bed."

"O-Oh." She blinked, then swallowed and moved to sit at the end of her bed, right beside Weiss' trunk of things. Winter's, mostly, things she couldn't get rid of - but also where she kept Myrtenaster. Easing onto the pale white cover, she murmured, "H-How can I help you, Miss Schnee?"

"By sitting." She sighed, standing at her side and grunting, "Klein?"

"Here we are." The butler smiled, turning and striding over to them with a bottle of cream and some bandages. When the Faunus looked confused, then worried, he laughed, bright and chipper, "Now, now, dearie, no need for any o' that! Just here to help you with those rather nasty burns o' yours."

"Y-You are?"

"Mhm." He smiled, kneeling in front of her and setting the bandages aside. Rubbing the cream into his palms he explained, "Pain-killer cream with disinfectant and a stimulant to help, well, stimulate your cells! It'll heal you right up!"

"But…"

"Why?" Weiss guessed, "Because you need it, and I can provide it." I don't need another reason to give it to you, do I?"

"I-I suppose not…"

"But?"

"I-I shouldn't-"

"You work for me." Weiss sighed, "I'm making honesty part of your job description. So, why wouldn't you expect it?"

"You're… A Schnee?"

"Indeed." She sighed, turning to stare out her window. "And you're a Faunus. So, going to stab me now my back's turned? Rob me blind?"

"No!"

"Then let's dispel with the stereotypes." The woman hissed and Weiss turned, watching Klein gingerly cradle her face, rubbing the ointment in. While he worked, she went on, "To that end, how would you feel about helping me… Get one over on Jacques, as it were?"

"On your- Fuck!" She hissed, and Klein murmured an apology, "Father?"

"On my excuse for one." Weiss nodded, "Yes."

"I…" She paused, one eye looking up into Weiss' for a long moment. There was something there, in her eyes, that Weiss couldn't place. Not hunger or greed, Weiss was familiar with those. No, this was something… New. Interesting. Finally, she looked away and offered, "I… Wouldn't be opposed to hearing it."

Weiss smirked - she was in, or would be, by the end of the night.

One more piece on the board…

XxX----XxX----XxX---XxX

So, a bit of a more political, espionage sorta take on this. Which, for those familiar with my stuff, is something completely different. For now, just a starter. Dunno when or if I'll continue it. But anyone that wants to is free to ape from this, I will too eventually. Have fun, lol.

Anyway, laters~