One

"Hold your shield more steadily." Weiss listened to Pyrrha Nikos say, coaching Jaune out on the arena floor after hours while she sat in the stands, working through another of Oobleck's essays. While she skimmed her notes on the Great War and worked through the starts of her notes for her draft, she listened to Pyrrha chuckle and say, "Better. Now lower your hips… There, your balance should be better now, too."

"Y-Yeah…?"

"Yeah." She answered, so full of bright energy it made Weiss grimace a bit. "Now come at me. Try and knock me back."

"Sure!"

There went her more of the time she had to try and make friends with the Mistralian, she supposed with a sigh. But she couldn't just up and leave. She'd look angry - petty. Like she was storming out, every bit as petulant as she felt, because she wanted attention. And not even attention from a significant other, or a team member, either, so that it could even be poorly justified.

So there she sat.

Stuck…

But, just as Pyrrha once again slipped past Jaune and tripped him, sending the oaf face-first into the smooth floor of the Arena floor, she heard the door open and turned. Looking up as the Headmistress came in, frowning deeply enough she checked the time - still more than an hour before the Arena was closed to after-class sessions - before she looked up and at the man following her. He was wiry, with thick glasses, a not-too-cheap but very much not name brand suit, and thinning hair hastily gelled over his head, and carried a thick envelope in his hands.

Every ounce of him put her on edge and made her straighten, wary as they reached her…

And continued past, with barely more than a side-long glance her way.

"But if not me…" She murmured, "Then who…?"

Jaune? No. That silly oaf couldn't possibly have the wherewithal, talent or grit for any sort of legal trouble, surely. How he had even made it to Beacon was a wonder already. Illegal activity? Preposterous. But the Arena was empty aside from she and Jaune, with only left-

"Pyrrha Nikos, I, uh, trust?" The lawyer, because that's what he most certainly was, asked anxiously as he and the Headmistress made their way down a narrow set of stairs and out to where the two had been training. The redhead turned, smiling politely but looking as confused as her partner - and Weiss - felt as she nodded. Holding out the folder, he rattled out, "On behalf of the Trans-Continental Trade and Fairness Commission, you've officially been served."

"S-Served…?"

"Legal papers." The man grunted, shaking the folder until Pyrrha blinked and took it. Opening it when he gestured for her to, he explained in brief, "As you can see by the basic dossier-"

"I'm being sued?!" Pyrrha cut him off with a shout, looking up widely and adding, aghast, "By-"

"The Commission, yes." He nodded, wringing his hands as Weiss shot to her feet and went jogging down the steps to join them in the ring. As Weiss closed with them, he explained, "As a result of your move to Vale I'm afraid that you, well… Voided numerous contracts. All of which had an addendum clause in the post-junction page which stated that-"

"I-I'm sorry, the what?"

"Post-junction page." Weiss cut in, stepping up to Pyrrha's side and taking the stack of papers from her. She blinked, a bit miffed, but Weiss ignored her, flipping through the pages while the Lawyer grimaced.

"You… Do need permission to look at her legal documents…"

"Ah, yes, of course." Weiss hummed, barely paying attention to him while she found the right page - third to last, of course, for the most confusion - and asked absently. "Pyrrha, would you mind permitting me to review this? I'd prefer not to go to prison."

"I-I suppose so, when you phrase it like that?"

"Can she do that?" Jaune asked, turning to the lawyer, "Just… Ask after she's already done it?"

"I see no problem, really." The lawyer shrugged, "It's her privacy, after all. Unless she wants to file civil, the federal punishments can't be levied-"

"Because Kingdom law requires a victim, be it the Kingdom itself or an individual, and the only one here who could constitute a victim is Pyrrha." Weiss cut in, tapping her finger on the page and turning to show it to the slowly nodding Mistrali woman. "Your contract terms, since you signed onto an agency as a child, were under Mistralian child labor laws. Since those laws are invalid internationally, your contracts can't be applied in Vale. But as long as you haven't taken a payment from any of them…"

"I…" Pyrrha grimaced when Weiss turned to her, what little hope she had quickly dying as the woman frowned and avoided her gaze. "I spent my payment this month on tuition and my dorm. I-I didn't know that-"

"Ignorance isn't innocence, I'm afraid." Weiss turned a sharp, cold eye on the lawyer and he backed away, balking at her angry glare or the name behind it. Either way, he stammered out, "I-I am sorry, Miss Nikos. But I'm just a middle-man in this. The matter was considered internally by the commission and, as you've been served…"

"They want to take her to court." Weiss hummed, eyes narrowing as she thought and Jaune sputtered.

"W-What?" He stammered, stepping between her and the lawyer as if he could shield her, somehow, from the man. "Why? She hasn't done anything!"

"Jaune…"

"No." He snapped, shaking off the hand Pyrrha put on his shoulder. "This is stupid!"

"Mister Arc, please, control yourself."

"But…"

Weiss tuned them out as she turned, skimming the document and thinking about it all.

Why press for a court hearing? It would be easier to simply reach out to her quietly and demand she pay a fine and send her future payments into a fund. Charity or a savings out in Mistral - or payment to her family - all fell within the Commission's legal bounds. It was how she'd set up her contracts when she started her music career. Instead of taking money herself, it was all paid into the SDC's subsidiary 'Schnee Audibles' - terrible name that it had - so that, when she made the move to Vale, she didn't have to worry about anything but a few signatures under a Commission representative's stern gaze.

So why not simply do the same here…?

Then it struck her and she felt genuine anger burn in her chest.

"You all want to make an example." Weiss murmured, killing the conversation quickly as she turned back to the man and scowled. "After what happened with Antoine Silver last year, the Commission wants to look strong and stern here, now. And Pyrrha Nikos is a perfect target for that. Isn't she?"

"Well… I hope you will accept my assurance that such an allegation is entirely without merit." The man's half-smile was enough of an answer, and made her even angrier. He shrugged and sighed, though, as he stepped back and simply said, "She will have her day in court, Miss Schnee. Whatever ulterior motives you allege won't change that."

"But…" Pyrrha murmured, "I-I didn't even do anything… No one even told me this would be a problem!"

"Your name is signed, dear…"

"What?" Weiss turned it to show it to her, and the Mistralian scoffed, "That's printed on! I never signed-"

"It was signed electronically, by your agent, in absentia." Weiss cut in quietly, frowning, "It saves agents time. Still, someone should have informed you… Did you check your mail? Messages? Anything at all?"

"It's all empty!"

"Hmmm…" On a hunch, she turned back to the documents and frowned, flipping back through to the front and skimming slowly forward while the lawyer watched, curious, and Jaune alternated glaring at him and Goodwitch - for whatever reason. Finally, she found it and sighed as she read out, "In such case as the Contract Holder is in violation, the Agent to Hand, and associated, is thus voided of responsibility and, in lieu of future contract annuities, owed five percent of revenue generated monthly were contract to stand - which is to be paid in separate amounts not less than live percent per person."

"What does that mean…?"

"It means if your partner's contracts are voided, her lawyers and agents aren't blamed or liable." Weiss explained, turning a baleful look on the boy and sighing. "And that they get to be paid what I'm going to assume is what they get right now in spite of not having to upkeep her contracts. Isn't that right… What was your name again?"

"Henry Lily." He nodded, smiling stiffly as he backed away. "And, now my business is done-"

"B-But what am I supposed to-"

"You are supposed to settle it in court." Lily chuckled, turning and calling back, "A lawyer will be appointed to you, if you cannot acquire one, and they will explain everything in detail for you! A good evening to you!"

"Get back here, you son-of-a-"

"Mister Arc!"

"I-I just…" Jaune scowled, "Sorry, I'm just… Angry."

"Being upset is understandable." The Headmistress sighed, waiting until the door shut in Lily's wake to sigh and shake her head. More gently than Weiss had ever heard her speak, she said, "I am sorry, Miss Nikos. But, much as I would have preferred to, I couldn't turn him away. Such would have been an illegal act, and Beacon would have suffered for it."

"O-Of course…" Pyrrh muttered, staring down into the floor, eyes wide in… Well, shock, Weiss supposed. Quietly, she asked, "What am I supposed to do now…? I don't know the law…"

"And if Weiss is right, and they want to make an example out of you…"

"I'm doomed." Weiss turned, watching as the powerful warrior, the Invincible Girl, sank to her knees and hands, tears already dropping to the floor. Choking, she stammered, "All the work… Y-Years of training… Gone…"

"Pyrrha!" Jaune grunted, turning and kneeling beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tugging her into a hug while she tried not to cry. "Don't… It'll all be fine! I'm sure! W-We'll find a way, somehow, I promise!"

"Miss Goodwitch," Weiss said, already forming a plan in her mind as the two partners tried to reassure each other, "may I be excused from classes for the next two days?"

"Why would you need time off?" The Headmistress asked, turning from the two as her sympathetic gaze hardened and her eyes narrowed. "Your team is unaffected by this, and while normally mourning periods are allowed for simple friends, Miss Nikos is very alive. No one will change that over contract law."

"I need to speak to my father." She answered simply, "And after that, I need to meet with whatever lawyers he is willing to allow me to contract."

"Lawyers…" Goodwitch repeated as the other two both looked up at her, confused. "Why would you need lawyers, Miss Schnee?"

"Because if these feckless cowards think they are going to destroy a friend of Weiss Schnee, they are sorely mistaken." She growled, lips curling up viciously as she turned to the final page of the folder and read out. "And Pyrrha's admission hearing is in three days. So I need all the time I can get to arrange a proper response."

"Weiss, you're going to help us?"

"Of course I am, Arc." She scoffed, not even turning to them as she put the pressure on the Headmistress, instead, and smiled, "Assuming I'll be allowed…"

"There's no need for that, Miss Schnee…" She sighed quietly, shaking her head as she turned and stepped away, adding in parting. "You are excused from classes, but not assignments. I will see to it your partner is given your work, and you will have one week to see it done and turned in."

"Thank you, Headmistress."

"Yeah!" Jaune added, standing quickly, "Thanks!"

"Ah, and Miss Schnee?" Goodwitch added, turning with one foot on the steps leading up into the stands. Weiss raised her eyebrows and held the closed folder against her chest primly. Smiling, the Headmistress added, "If all goes well, and you need more time for your… Extra work, just come to my office and let me know. I'm sure we can work something out."

"Of course, Miss Goodwitch." Weiss smiled, "I will do precisely that."