65 Under New Management

The Schnee manor was extensive, as it should be. It boasts almost three floors each with rooms for dedicated activities. It covered a huge area and lay atop far from the main city of Atlas.

Such kind of manor would be a maze to those just arriving, especially when the manor hosted guards. It almost could function as military by itself - profits from the mines made it possible for one, Jacques Schnee, to arm his employees to do his bidding.

Whether that was to whip the Faunus to work or protect their assets in the other continents. The SDC was in full control of the dust supplies, a monopoly one would think.

But as the world turns - so do the gears of change, that change was about to be orchestrated by Hanns. The machinations of which are provided by Weiss and her soon-to-be position of SDC CEO.

"The courtyard is easily entered through here. The guards might be rotated here in 5 minutes so all we have to do is go in between rotations."

Neo nodded as Weiss replayed her initial plan, Weiss was one to try to perfect a plan this time. Her last mistake would make her rethink everything constantly.

"-and just in case, we have the other contingency plans. I can go through all of them here right now but our time window is closing we need to go."

Weiss rushed through the brush and fields towards the edge of the entrance, a garden laid with bushes and hedges dot the entire courtyard as they reached the doors.

"Right Neo, let's go. We can finish this in at most half an hour. I will not let myself fail."

Neo nods as the crackle of glass encase them in an illusion mimicking the background. Strategic use of her semblance is paramount, losing so much aura from overuse is still a possibility but Weiss had her stopping points planned out.

They stepped quickly, making haste toward Weiss' directions she pointed to.

Living in the manor for most of her years made her remember every single inch of it. Having been brought up caged inside is what advantage she had over any other member in infiltrating the manor she lived in.

They go up the main stairway, light-footed steps from the girls only reached a few ears. None were the wiser that someone had already gotten through the toughest obstacle.

The second floor was home to the many servants of the Schnees, Weiss needed to reach the end where they could find the keys to Jacques' study. Only one person had that kind of access and that was Klein Sieben.

Serving for decades for the Schnee family, he was the most prominent among the servants for his dedicated service. Even so long as to have taken care of Weiss and her siblings since they were babies.

"There, Klein's room is right at the end of this hallway. There should be no one patrolling the servant's quarters. You can take off your semblance to rest."

Neo does so as the illusion breaks from her voluntarily disabling it. She breathes out before adjusting her uniform. It was a bit stuffy for her taste since it was a combination of stylish and functional.

That meant a lot of storage to place things from grenades, to ammunition and to anything they needed, it was custom-made for them. Though, she still thought it was excessive.

The pair made their way over to the door with a number pad locking the door. It turned on after it detected someone close. Weiss inputted a code, after which the click of the latch was heard.

She opened the door and looked to see which of the conditions she was waiting for; one was Klein was inside - or two, he was out at the moment.

There she saw him, the butler that served her family for ages sleeping soundly in the corner of the room.

"Neo, get inside and close the door, I'll get the keys from the drawer," Weiss whispered.

Neo nodded as they both entered and closed the door back. As Weiss crept up to the drawer, she quickly looked for the keys to Jacques' study.

Weiss shuffled through the desk and saw the key in question, it clacked around before she took it in her hand and ushered herself out as quick as possible.

"We can go now, we have a few more minutes-"

"Miss Schnee? Is that really you?"

"Klein? You were awake- Neo!"

Neo suddenly lunges at Klein like a feral cat. The parasol Neo had on her unfurled as a blade gets sheathed out. She gripped it tight as she tries to dash towards Klein with her blood rushing through her body.

Weiss grabs Neo by the back and desperately holds on with a gravity glyph holding Neo in place after her preemptive strike.

"Neo! Drop. the. umbrella."

Neo relaxes and looks back to Weiss who had her hand signaling to her. Neo raised an eyebrow as she loosens her grip on the blade.

Weiss somehow decoded whatever message Neo had. "It's fine, he's not going to leak anything out. Klein is a very important person to me, we can leave him alone."

Neo scoffs before readjusting her grip and inching it closer to Klein.

"No witnesses?" Weiss lowers her head. "Yeah, I did kind of say that during the briefing but plans change." She remembers something as an excuse. "Hanns said something about no plan surviving first contact with the enemy."

Neo rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, Klein is a very good member of the family. He's more of a father than my actual father will ever be."

Neo blinks. She looked back at Klein who was quite relaxed at the entire situation. Neo looked back at Weiss and she begrudgingly lets her blade down.

"Miss…" Klein spoke softly.

"I apologize for sneaking around, especially when my partner came this close to eliminating you without a second thought." Weiss bowed down.

Klein chuckles. "Thanks for that comment, Miss Schnee. What are you doing back here in Atlas? Your father is quite furious even after you have left. You haven't been sending him any messages. He planned on cutting you off from your card."

"It's not anything to worry about Klein. It's just that I've been enjoying my time with my friends. Anyways, we have to do something - I have to get to my father's study."

"That's good to know Miss, I knew you would find people to talk to. May I ask what this matter is Miss Schnee? Of course, you can decide to not tell me. I just worry about your saftey."

Weiss ponders for a while, she looks toward Neo as she shrugged. It meant Neo gave her the chance to do so but they should be quick with it.

"I believe you have a right to know. Klein, I'm taking matters into my own hands from now on. I can't let Jacques ruin my grandfather's legacy."

"You plan on confronting your deadbeat of a father?"

"Not confronting anymore."

Klein finally realizes what she was implying. "If that is what it takes for this family to be much more than that waste of space called your father, then I'll be there along the way. If you do plan on doing what I think you're doing then I have a few words to share with you, it's from your mother."

"My… mother? Is she doing better?"

Klein looked dismal. "I'm afraid not, Miss. That's where I will relay to you her words, paraphrased for now. Don't forget about her and your siblings, Weiss. It's all she ever asked for."

"I- I will, Klein." She hugs the butler who returns the gesture. "Thank you, for everything. I will return to this estate and manage the company, I hope you'll be with my side all the way."

"Of course, Miss. Go now, your time is running short. I will do my best to divert anyone approaching through the 3rd floor. I may be a butler but I'm quite known here. Do what you must."

Neo opened the door for her as they both exited the room and traveled along the hallway. Heading towards the staircase that would lead to the 3rd floor.

There they reached the topmost floor, with Jacques' room situation along a hallway where the piano room was. A view Weiss already knew by heart.

They reach the room with a grand piano inside, she looks at it for only a second before heading straight to the door to Jacques' office.

They had been continuously walking around with Neo's semblance. The addition of sneaking around with another person for what almost felt like ten minutes made her Aura drain.

She staggers as they reach the door, still under the illusion.

"Neo! Are you okay? We're almost there. We just need to take father away, we can contact the others and rest inside before heading out to take Jacques with us."

Neo nodded, she felt like she was carrying bricks the size of her all the way through the manor. She needed to rest, her aura was already in the near red after all the time they walked.

"You can stay here if you want. I can deal with father alone."

Neo hesitatingly nodded her head, she was a killer and an assassin. Not typically was she one to give up with something so small as an aura breaking after a long use but her semblance was needed for the escape later.

"Alright, if you're sure."

They both don their gas masks. The last thing they needed was to inhale a puff of their own gas. Weiss took the gas grenade in her palms, she was determined to see the mission through so she pulled the pin.

She kicked the door open before throwing two grenades inside the room. She shut it just as soon after and used her glyphs to hold them down.

Jacques was inside when the room suddenly erupted in blinding and suffocating smoke. He knew it was an attack the moment the door was ungracefully forced open. The smoke filled the room, he could only take one big breath before needing to shut his mouth.

He was desperately closing every airway he could breathe with. He wasn't going to last for even a few minutes, Jacques knew he was in trouble.

So he did what he could, from his deceiving ways - he could only go for one solution. He grabbed his pistol under the desk, he held his breath before falling to the ground.

*THUD!*

A few minutes pass and Weiss entered the gas-ridden room, she looks at the different furniture scattered and spots her father's body behind the desk.

"Neo, stay back while I check to see. It's been a while since I threw those in."

Neo agreed - she was tired from her aura depleting and she was not going to be the person that needs to carry Jacques to the extraction.

The Command Center was a ways away but it was their only option for transportation. Hanns already voiced his concern about needing to exit. He couldn't transform while in battle so they needed to use a commandeered bullhead.

Neo watched as Weiss approached the body. Neo recalls that each person could at maximum survive 3 minutes before forcing themselves to breathe.

Neo checks the time, sure it was a few minutes that passed but it was possible one could hold their breath for 2 minutes long.

She raises her head as she focused on Weiss slowly creeping her way to the body. She widens her eyes at something near the fingers.

Neo saw a twitch.

Neo raised her inner alarms. She couldn't scream out to Weiss but she could rush forward to get her out.

"You damn intruder!" Jacques suddenly raises himself up while pointing his shaky arms at the masked duo.

Weiss saw the barrel pointing and swaying as she tries raising her arms to form a glyph.

*BANG!*

Weiss gets knocked to the ground as she looks back to see Neo getting sent backward by a gun. A smoking barrel made her assume the worst. She could feel her hand tighten around her rapier.

Neo successfully knocks Weiss down before feeling her head get the blowback from the intense force. Weiss heard Neo's aura shatter, like glass breaking. It wasn't her illusion, her aura was already depleted.

"Neo!" Weiss screams out.

"Weiss?! You failure of a daughter. You-"

Weiss doesn't take Jacques' words or actions kindly. She couldn't hold back anymore - she drives her body from the floor to Jacques and slammed her father to the wall.

"You!" She snarked out.

His head was locked to looking upwards, his body except for his voice couldn't do anything. "Weiss, I never thought someone as weak as you could do such a thing. You couldn't live up to expectations so you decide to force it didn't you? I should've known that you took your mother's traits, weak, imprudent and lowly!"

Weiss held back tears, everything her father said was true one way or another. She could've done way better all her life, she could've been a better person. That all changed eventually but she was not one to quickly forget.

Then again, she thought, she had her friends and her true family near her. She didn't respond to her father's hurtful words. She saw Neo getting shot and her grief could only be satiated by one thing.

She raises her rapier and points it to her father's chest. Embroiled in every negative emotion, her judgment was clouded. She wanted him gone.

"Weiss, stop this nonsense! What are you doing?!"

"Succeeding you, father."

She plunged the blade deep, all the resentment and all the grief she held inside was poured into her thrust.

Weiss heard the bones in Jacques' ribs break apart as muscle and skin tore apart. Jacques didn't move, his body was still under the effects of the gas.

His last words were of berating his daughter and his death was silent but echoed through Weiss' consciousness. She didn't feel sadness, regret, or fear - she was happy and relieved.

Weiss gets out of her stare down on her now dead father, the gas now slowly dissipates as she rushes to Neo.

"Neo! By the Gods' - I thought you were gone… you're still okay. Haaa-" her face fell first into her palms.

Neo's mask was broken and the bullet lodged itself to its side. Miraculously, her aura held long enough to make the bullet lose most of its kinetic force. The mask took the remnants of the bullet and it cracked from the force.

Neo was in a daze, she took in some of the gas. She smiled behind her mask before the lack of an aura made her unconscious.

"Neo… at least you're okay."

Weiss looked back to her dead father, her rapier still skewered into him. "I killed him…" she looked to the door. "Case F is in effect. I'll have to wait for Neo but I can set everything else up."

She opens her scroll and finds Torchwick's number. "Hello? Yes, there's a change in plans. Yes, I did kill him so case F is a go. Neo is out cold, I can set up everything else while she rests. Don't worry, I have someone who can take care of Neo."

She ends the call as she dusts herself off and takes out the rapier, now bathed in blood. "I was the one to say that yet here I am - with my father in the next life. Say hello to the devil for me while you get comfortable, Jacques."