Author's Note: this story is a part of the RWBY Superhero Universe, however, this is one is fairly standalone, so no prior reading is necessary! If you want to jump in from here, that can work. If you're already in, welcome back!

At night, seen from up above, the city of Atlas looked almost welcoming. There was no way to tell how cold the streets below were. The lights of twenty-four-hour businesses were deceptive; no one but the criminals, the complicit and the careless stayed out so late in Atlas. It was lonely down there. Lonely and cold.

Atlas was a cold city for cold people. That was the truth of it.

Weiss turned her back to the window of her hotel room and walked past her bed, which she had prepared for sleep hours before. She ought to have been sleeping by now, but she knew lying down would be a fruitless pursuit. She was much too anxious. Besides, she was expecting a phone call any moment now.

She went to her work desk, thinking the best use of her time might be going over her plans for tomorrow. There was no harm in revising one more time, right? It was imperative that everything went flawlessly. But as she looked at the pile of files she had been given, and her own notes, which formed an even bigger pile, her stomach turned uncomfortably. Overpreparing was a risk, she knew. She had never personally suffered from it, but she wasn't keen on testing her luck, not this time.

Inevitably, her eyes wandered to the Atlas Today issue at the far end of the desk, and then darted back swiftly back to her notes, but it was too late now. The image wouldn't disappear so easily from her mind. She had bought the newspaper on a whim, and had quickly regretted it, having spent all day avoiding looking at it. She didn't know why she was so on edge about it.

If her father were there to see…

But he wasn't. Weiss raised her head and looked around, as if making sure he wasn't lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch her in the act. After a moment, she shook her head, laughing quietly about how silly she was being.

Without truly realizing it, she picked up the newspaper and started reading the headline of the first page.

RED BOLT IN VALE – HOMETOWN HERO EXPANDS HORIZONS?

The headline was accompanied by a picture, which was what had caught Weiss' eye as she passed by the newsstand before. It showed a street in broad daylight, cars and bikes stuck in a massive traffic jam. The centerpiece, however, was a group of people in balaclavas, running away from something.

That something was what confused her. Right behind the criminals, frozen high above the sidewalk, was a mess of red, black and white, mixed together to make an indiscernible blur. But everything else in the picture was crystal clear – why was that thing so blurry? The only options she could think of were that the newspaper had edited the photo – which she deemed unlikely – or…

Well, it was just that. A blur. Whoever it was – because the article spoke as if it was who, not a what – had been caught by the photographer instants before they reached the criminals. But to go at such speed that you became nearly invisible…

Below the picture was a blurb, then pointers to the rest of the article. It seemed like the newspaper had been working on that piece for a long time.

WHO IS the Red Bolt? (pg. 5) – The Red Bolt's SECRET relation to BEACON (pg.7) – SUPERHUMANS, science or myth?, and ramifications (pg. 10)

Weiss shook her head. Now she knew Atlas Today was just trying to cash in on this new personality's fame. There was only one 'superhuman', and no more. Whoever this Red Bolt was, they didn't have a Semblance-

She dropped the newspaper on the desk, going a little pale. She wasn't supposed to know about that. She was really lucky her father was not with her.

Her phone started ringing on top of her notes. For a moment, Weiss stood frozen, staring at the phone in terror. Then, reaching with a shaking hand, she took it and brought it to her ear.

"Hello, father," she said, assuming a calm, respectful tone of voice, and her posture changed to match it.

"Weiss," her father answered curtly. "My apologies for calling so late. My flight to Vacuo suffered from stormy weather. We were forced to make a stop midway through."

"It's no matter," Weiss assured. "I was still up anyway."

"Truthfully, I was hoping you wouldn't answer. But…"

There was a disapproving edge to his voice, which was only expected. Weiss faltered a bit, but couldn't help but feel a tad annoyed. If he had been hoping she wouldn't answer, why had he called in the first place? It was almost as if he were looking for something to be disappointed at.

But she didn't say any of that, of course.

"Will that delay cause you any more trouble, father?" she asked, deftly moving past the topic. "You had appointments as soon as you landed, didn't you?"

"Those were mere formalities. Our Vacuo subsidiaries are desperate for anything that might help them with their animal problem. They'll make time for me, and they'll do so gratefully," he paused. "I would expect you to understand that, Weiss. As the heir of my company…"

"Yes," Weiss said swiftly. "I understand, of course. I was only concerned. You are in Vacuo, after all."

"Yes. I wouldn't be here unless I needed to. I couldn't send anyone in my stead, least of all you," his tone became even firmer. "But I must remind you, as important as our Vacuo dealings might be, they are nothing compared to your responsibilities."

Weiss nodded, even though he couldn't see. She changed her phone to her other ear, as her hand was getting rather sweaty. Before she next spoke, she had to take a deep breath to push down her anxiousness.

"I understand, father," she said. "I will not let you down, sir."

"I would hope so. The future of the Schnee Dust Company depends on the reactions of our investors tomorrow. If they are not impressed – if you do not impress them – all the time and money we've spent leading up to this moment will have been wasted."

He didn't say anything more, but Weiss caught the meaning behind his words quite well. If things went wrong, the SDC would suffer heavy losses. As for her…

"I-I understand," Weiss said, losing her composure, and she knew he noticed. "I should rest…"

"You should. Good night, Weiss."

"Good night, father. And good luck with… everything…"

He hung up, not returning her wish. Immediately Weiss knew she had made a mistake. Wishing him good luck, what had she been thinking? Huffing in frustration, she turned off the lights and threw herself on her bed.

For a long time, she simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, wishing she didn't have to shoulder so much responsibility, wishing someone would come to take her place tomorrow, wishing she wasn't so… so…

She ended up not sleeping at all. As dawn broke, she was sitting upright in her bed, reading the newspaper article the fifth time over.

WEISS SCHNEE

LOCKDOWN

"Hello! Good morning! I'm so sorry – I lost track of time. You haven't been waiting too long, have you?"

Weiss couldn't make out the pilot's response over the noise of the doors shutting automatically and the plane's engine coming to life. But she thought that, regardless of that, she wouldn't have understood him anyway. It was a fight to keep her eyes open, and she was finding it hard to keep her head high. Staying awake had been a grave mistake, and she knew she was only beginning to pay the price for it.

"The journey won't take long, Miss Schnee," she heard the pilot say beside her. "But feel free to rest on the way there. I won't tell."

Weiss leaned back on her seat and rubbed her forehead. She wanted to take the suggestion, but by now, she thought it was best to just push through. A fifteen-minute nap might just worsen the damage.

"Taking off."

The private plane lifted from the hotel's rooftop and set off eastward. The showcase wouldn't be happening in the city, of course. Some of the technology she would be showcasing today was still too untested to be brought into a highly-populated area. Not only that, but keeping them away from the company's main branches reduced the chances of leaks happening.

The SDC Research and Development Center quickly appeared in the countryside, not far at all from the city. She could have taken a car there, Weiss supposed, but traffic would have been a hassle. And she had a private plane for a reason.

They touched down in front of the facility. Weiss thanked her pilot briefly, then opened her door and exited the plane. A breeze of fresh air brushed against her face, waking her up a bit. She sighed and walked towards the entrance, examining the building absently.

It was an expansive building, with five floors each dedicated to a different branch of the company's focus. There was a peculiar smell in the air, one Weiss had become desensitized to since she had been a child. In small quantities, the smell of Dust was hardly noticeable, but here it was impossible to ignore. It wasn't particularly pleasant, but it wasn't bad either. To Weiss, it always brought forth a sense of urgency and importance.

She spent a lot of time here, now more than ever. Every summer, when she was done with school, her father had insisted on her being here, learning about what was the fundamental backbone of the family company. Much of her education had been arranged towards this, too. She had been a full-time worker here since her fourteenth birthday, practically.

That is, when she wasn't with her father. Sometimes he had her accompany him to meetings and the like, and she didn't like that nearly as much. She always felt like a child among adults, barely keeping up with the business talk and rarely ever contributing. She was there solely because she was the heiress, and she was treated accordingly. In the Center, however, she could hold her own, and her colleagues – or employees, though she tried not to think of them like that – had come to respect her because of it. It wasn't always exciting, and sometimes the pressure got to her, but it felt like home, in a way.

She didn't like to ponder about what that said of her life overall.

Weiss walked through the front door, entering the main hall. It was empty save for the receptionist – some woman she didn't recognize, probably a new hire – as nobody would be coming to work today because of the showcase. Weiss wished that wasn't the case. Having her colleagues nearby would encourage her, and if she made a mistake, they would be of great help.

She started to cross the hall towards the receptionist, but stopped when she heard footsteps behind her, then a warm, familiar voice. "Miss Schnee! You are early. Prepared as ever, I see!"

Weiss turned around and saw none other than Klein Sieben walking towards her. Short and a little over his weight range from having enjoyed too much of his own cooking, he had been the family butler since before Weiss had learned how to walk. The sight of his kindly face made her forget how worried and tired she was.

"Klein!" she said, hugging him briefly. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be overseeing Whitley's morning lessons?"

"Your brother can survive one day without his butler. The boy might even be happy about being rid of me for once, I suspect!" Klein's eyes twinkled as he looked at her. "I thought my presence would be better appreciated elsewhere today."

"I see," Weiss put her hands on her hips. "So father didn't send you here?"

"You are right as ever, Miss Schnee. We should keep this between us, don't you think?"

Weiss nodded, a smile coming to her lips. She hadn't considered it before, but Klein was just who she needed right now. Heading the showcase didn't seem like such a daunting task anymore. And it didn't hurt that he was excellent at organizing things.

"You know what I'm doing today, then?" she asked expectantly.

"Of course. Why, the files detailing the procedures seem to have inexplicably appeared in my cellphone overnight! Rather mysterious, wouldn't you say?" Klein smiled mischievously, pulling his phone out of coat's pocket.

"Very mysterious indeed," Weiss said, playing along. "You wouldn't mind helping me make sure everything is ready, then?"

"Not at all," Klein gave his phone a quick glance. "Your guests should be arriving in a couple hours. Shall we check the – ahem – Knight prototype first? Whatever that is!" his eyes narrowed. "I certainly don't know. Would you care to enlighten an old man?"

Weiss smiled, knowing exactly what Klein was up to. He had read everything about the Knight and everything else she would be presenting. This was an invitation for her to do some last-minute practice, which she was more than glad to take.

"Well, if you insist…" she said, leading him past the receptionist's desk and into an elevator. "The Knight is the latest addition to our trusted line of security…"

It took a little more than an hour for Weiss to finish the practice, but she knew the real thing might take thrice as much time. She wouldn't be talking to just one person, after all, and her father's investors, as exemplary businesspeople, were prone to grandstanding and asking questions about the most insufferably minuscule details. It would be tiring, but she wasn't so scared anymore – everything would work out great once she actually got to it, she was certain.

Now she was in the bathroom on the first floor, fixing her appearance. She had done most of the work back at the hotel, but she had noticed her lack of sleep was showing as dark rings around her eyes. It would not do for the investors to see her like that. They cared a lot about that stuff, for whatever reason, and whatever they cared about, her father cared about even more.

Luckily, it was an easy fix. And while she was busy with that, Klein was welcoming the investors and preparing them for the showcase. They would all be arriving in the same plane, provided by the company. Her father was really serious about secrecy, especially these days. She was sure they would complain anyway, but what was she supposed to do about that?

As she leaned over the sink to stare at her reflection from up close, trying to ascertain if she had done enough already, her phone vibrated and moved towards the edge of the sink. Weiss grabbed it hastily, annoyed by the interruption, and glanced at the screen.

Some unexpected guests. Not on the list. Terribly sorry, Ms. Schnee, but they cannot be turned away.

She lowered the phone a little, frowning. What did Klein mean, cannot be turned away? This was a private event. Who had the authority to intrude on that?

The phone vibrated again. It's Beacon.

Weiss dropped the phone and sighed in frustration. Beacon! This was the last thing she needed. What did they want? Because, without a doubt, they wanted something. Beacon only showed up when they had a clear objective in mind.

"…It's fine," Weiss took a deep breath. "Let them do whatever. You've got nothing to hide."

For a split second, she began to falter, but she righted herself promptly. Weiss tossed her phone inside her purse and closed it, then raised her chin and stared unblinkingly at the mirror in front of her.

The time for doubt was over.

Now she showed why people respect the name Schnee.

Weiss walked into the inner atrium, not batting an eye as the crowd gathered there turned their heads to look at her. She approached them with composed, but confident steps, all the while registering the confusion and outrage that dawned on some of their faces. Still, she gave them no mind.

As she walked, she gave a discreet look to her surroundings. Klein had done as she had asked, concealing everything under black canvases, so she could reveal things as she went. The investors were surely dying to know what was being kept under wraps. She only hoped their impatience wouldn't lead to disappointment.

She reached the crowd and walked around it, coming to stand between them and the first exhibit. As her eyes scanned the crowd, she soon found the intruders Klein had warned her about – a blond woman with her arms crossed sternly, and beside her, a boy, also blonde, who couldn't be much younger than Weiss, looking around restlessly, as if he wished he was anywhere else but there. The contrast between them was uncanny.

Weiss crossed eyes with the woman, but while the stranger's posture grew sterner, Weiss remained impassive. She would deal with these Beacon people later. Frankly, she didn't care if they watched the showcase or jumped off the rooftop. She had more pressing concerns at the moment.

Chief among them being the other unexpected face she saw in the crowd. This one, standing beside General Ironwood, who looked imposing as ever, she recognized. And suddenly, the anxiousness she had been pushing down for hours came rushing back to the surface.

She hadn't seen Winter in more than a year. Her sister had the tradition of visiting her on her birthday, always, but this year she had had to miss it, being too busy with her business with the General. Weiss had thought then, with much sadness, that they wouldn't be seeing each other until her next birthday – more than half a year away from today. And yet here she was, with no forewarning.

She should be happy, Weiss knew, but it was difficult to take the surprise well when it made her job even more unnerving. Making a poor show in front of the investors was bad. In front of Winter? Weiss had to fight herself not to run away, consequences be damned.

Winter looked at the General, as if asking for permission, then looked at her again. She smiled. Not a wide or warm smile. It was almost professional in its nature. But it awakened Weiss to the fact that she had been standing still, staring dumbly, for minutes, it felt like.

Her head snapped up as she turned to face the investors up-front. Hands crossed behind her back. Chin held high. Her panic and fear faded to back of her mind, tucked away for later, as years of rigorous training took over.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Good morning," she spoke, acting as if nothing strange had happened, and as intended, the crowd before her seemed to forget promptly. "I apologize for any inconvenience you might have felt on the way here. We at the SDC like to keep our projects under wraps, as you're well aware, and I'm sure by the end of this little event you will understand why we are taking such rigorous steps to keep secrecy this time," Weiss saw as a few of her listeners grew even more impatient. "Regardless, we thank you for accepting our invitation. I assure you – you won't leave disappointed."

She paused for a moment, trying to place the mood of the investors. Her introductory speech seemed to have appeased most of them. General Ironwood, who had been the first one to accept the invitation, looked very interested. Winter was much the same, though her interest seemed somewhat more personal. The Beacon woman didn't move a muscle – except to kick her companion lightly in the shin as he tried to sneak away.

"Well, then," Weiss said, turning halfway around and putting a hand on the first exhibit's cover. "Let's start with something big, shall we? Let me present to you the newest model in our line of-"

"Excuse me – who the hell are you, again?"

There was a wave of scandalized whispers behind her. Weiss turned slowly and set eyes on her interrupter, recognizing her immediately - Mrs. Marigold, CEO of one of the biggest Dust Mining companies in Atlas. Or so she had used to be.

"Why, we've met before, Mrs. Marigold," Weiss said, keeping a cordial tone of voice. "Several times, if I'm not mistaken."

She waited for a response, but Mrs. Marigold only stared at her crossly. Her cheeks were suspiciously red, as if she had been drinking, but Weiss remembered telling Klein to only bring out the drinks after the presentation.

Weiss turned back, gathering her thoughts, but before she could go on with the presentation, she was interrupted once again by a fake cough.

"Ah, yes. Weiss Schnee. The little heiress, now I remember. I suppose this is a learning experience for you," Mrs. Marigold snickered. "And you'll be singing for us later, yes?"

Weiss froze, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment. Of all the things to bring up, that unfortunate singer phase of hers was the worst. Her father had known she would later regret going public, but had indulged her anyways. A valuable lesson, she supposed.

But that embarrassment didn't last long. A second snicker, accompanied by an awkward chuckle from someone else, caused a cold fury to come over her. This was her presentation, her father was trusting her to represent his company perfectly, and she wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop her from doing so.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Marigold. I was hoping someone would ask – you specifically, to be honest," Weiss turned with a smile. "It's been so long, but you've given me so much inspiration lately… The losses your company have suffered these last years – its inevitable, spiraling downfall, and soon-to-be bankruptcy – and your subtle attempts to cover up your shame by continuing to mingle with people far more relevant than you – yes, I would love to sing about you."

Mrs. Marigold gawked at her, dumbstruck, then looked around, as if expecting someone to come to her defense. No one spoke a word, but the looks on their faces told whom they sided with in this altercation. Weiss noticed with delight as Winter struggled to not smile blatantly.

Lowering her head, Mrs. Marigold shuffled backwards, leaving the front rows to disappear among the crowd. Weiss lifted a hand, beckoning anyone who had questions to come forward now, but she was only met with expectant stares.

"No more questions, then. Excellent," Weiss said, taking hold of the exhibit's canvas behind her and sweeping it off unceremoniously. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the latest model in our line of Defense and Security Robots. We call this one the Knight."

She gestured, drawing attention to the robot behind her. As she did, it came to life, its visor blinking blue as it turned its head to scan the people around it. The energy rifle in its hand hummed for a brief moment before going silent.

"As you can see, the Knight is much smaller than all its predecessors, but that's not a hindrance at all. The Knight consumes much less energy while boasting a fifty percent increase in effectiveness in all areas," she raised a finger. "Firepower. Vigilance. Defense against programming breaches. Those are all included."

"That's an easy statement to make," General Ironwood said skeptically. "The SDC have lead the automated security market since its inception, but it's difficult to believe that you could improve so much in so little time. It's barely been two years since you revealed the Protector."

"You're correct, General. When we released the Protector, our minimum estimate for a new release was six years," Weiss nodded. "But our team has made an unexpected leap, and it's given a boost to nearly all our biggest products. Trust me, you will understand soon."

The investors didn't look very convinced, but Weiss wasn't discouraged. She had predicted this exact scenario, and was rather banking on it. By the end of the presentation, she would have every one of them more than eager to contribute to the future of the SDC.

But she couldn't get ahead of herself. Step by step, she told herself, as questions about the Knight were sprung on her. She gave a perfect summary of the model's properties, going into the minutest details when needed, and was proud of herself when by the end she hadn't made a single mistake.

Why had she worried so much?

After the Knight, the showcase only got easier. She took her guests through every exhibit, answering their questions flawlessly, and not allowing herself to get flustered as their disquiet grew more and more.

Of course they were frustrated. If she were attending another company's event and they tried to sell off so many advancements at once, why, she'd have to laugh at the utter shamelessness at display. People in the business knew it took significant time for any progress to be made on anything, whether new or old – true innovation came sparingly, anything else was stalling.

The second she revealed a new Schnee car model – a market the company had given up on even before her father's time as CEO – was the moment she lost everyone. As she lowered the cover and gestured at the car, the crowd emitted a collective noise of outrage, and one or two gentlemen threatened to leave at once.

"Now, everyone, I can understand why you're skeptical," Weiss said. "But I assure you, if you just let me explain, you'll be sold on the idea."

General Ironwood stepped to the front, staring at her with barely-concealed impatience. Behind him, Winter refused to even look at Weiss. The idea that her sister might be ashamed of her almost had Weiss regretting her strategy for the showcase.

"Miss Schnee, everything you've shown today is fascinating," General Ironwood said, drawing out every word. "But to be frank, they're all empty promises as far as any of us can tell. Nothing you've said until now has convinced me that your father's company is actually capable of delivering on these new technologies."

"Ah," Weiss paused, pretending to be concerned. "That's… true. My apologies," she sighed. "Let me show one last thing, then. If you're not convinced then, I'll understand if you never want to do business with us again."

She bowed her head and lead the guests past a half-dozen concealed exhibits. To be honest, she was glad she didn't have to talk about those, as they were truly insignificant pieces compared to everything before. The plan had been to wait for someone to speak out – which Mr. Ironwood had kindly done now – and these last few things were put there exactly to frustrate her audience. It was rather evil, she had to admit. But it was for the greater good… of the company, if nothing else.

"Right," Weiss stopped in the middle of the atrium, where stood the biggest exhibit, still concealed beneath its black canvas. "This is it, then. Last chance!" she gave a nervous laugh, then pulled the cover off.

The resulting glow made everyone in the crowd flinch and take a step back, covering their faces with their hands. Weiss waited for them to recover, then smiled confidently and gestured to what she had just revealed – a glass globe that was three times her size, supported by a square block of solid steel at the bottom with a digital panel at the front. Inside of it was a shimmering substance that shifted color every few seconds – red, yellow, blue, purple, then red again…

"This," Weiss said. "Is the world's first Dust Energy Core," she joined her hands behind her back and paced in front of the globe, looking disinterested. "It holds enough power to sustain a city the size of Atlas for twenty four hours, or to fuel a small army of Knights," she paused, rubbing her chin. "And, if I'm not mistaken, a Schnee car will run for roughly thirty - or was it forty? - forty years before a recharge, if you hook it up to the Core for… an hour or so," she gestured apologetically. "We haven't finished the tests on that yet, I'm afraid."

Ironwood looked back at Winter, then nodded gravely at the Core. Weiss had a sense he might be thinking it was about to blow up before their very eyes. She didn't blame him for it.

"A Dust Energy Core," he repeated slowly. "And how is this any different than any Dust fuel currently used?"

"First off… Well, it's massive. That's why it could power Atlas for a day," Weiss said. "But that's the least of it. The Core wasn't designed to be just a sheer reserve of energy. It is, most importantly, infinitely and reliably renewable."

Winter stepped forward, speaking for the first time. "Renewable Dust?" she frowned. "The last I heard, that had been proven an impossible concept."

"Humanity has known for centuries that Dust is renewable. If it wasn't, it would have run out a long time ago, don't you think?" Weiss gestured around them. "Dust is everywhere, in the air, in the earth, in everything – we just can't see it. The only way we have been able to harvest it has been through Dust crystals, which emerge from the crust of the planet after millennia of shifting tectonic plates and boiling temperatures… until today."

For a moment, no one said a thing. Then someone broke the silence – the last person Weiss had expected to do so.

"That… thing… is harvesting Dust. Right now," Mrs. Marigold's voice rang dry through the atrium. "From everything around us."

"Correct," Weiss nodded.

"Oh," Mrs. Marigold looked positively ill. Maybe she had realized the last nail had just been hammered in her company's coffin.

Weiss snapped her fingers. The Knight she had first presented walked over from the other end of the atrium. When it got to her side, the light on its visor went out, and its body bent forward loosely. Its rifle nearly slipped from its grasp.

"How unfortunate. It seems it has run out of juice."

Weiss went over to the Core and tapped on its panel. It rumbled for a few seconds until it produced a glass cylinder from the side, swirling with yellow Dust. Weiss took it and opened a compartment on the Knight's back, then swapped an old cylinder with the new one. Its visor relighted and it stood to attention, rescanning the room and people around itself.

"There. That should last for a week or two," Weiss said. She faced the investors. "The Dust Energy Core could power everything I've shown you today, at once, a hundred times over, and that would consume all its charge. From then, it would take a mere day to fill it back to completion," she pointed at the Core whilst keeping a focused gaze on her audience. "This is the technology that will power the future. And we're just beginning."

Checkmate.

"Any questions?"

The end of the presentation did not bring Weiss any relief. Even as Klein ushered in drinks and food, she was bombarded with questions from nearly all her guests. The reveal of the Core had changed their minds about everything she had shown before, and they were all quite eager to learn more than she could feasibly say. It was so tiring, Weiss almost wished she had let them leave outraged before.

She was in the middle of giving an explanation about some of the Core's intricacies to one of the company's board members, when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder and looked behind her. Weiss stopped mid-sentence, her mouth remaining open as she stared, frozen, at Winter.

"Weiss, if I may have a word."

Weiss blinked, then looked back at the man she had been talking to. "Excuse me. I'll get back to you in a moment." Although he looked disappointed, the man didn't protest, leaving to join a circle of businesspeople drinking nearby.

"Let's go over there," Winter said, nodding subtly to the right. She took Weiss' wrist and walked away from the bulk of the people present. Weiss knew she shouldn't be letting herself be guided like this – she was the host, after all – but she couldn't find the heart to break away.

They came to a stop near a wall. Winter put Weiss in front of her and scanned her up and down, as if appraising a long-lost relic. Weiss started to fidget uncomfortably under her stare, but stopped herself shortly before it got out of control.

"You did a commendable job today, sister," Winter said finally. "I'm not so sure about the method you employed to get these people on your side, but it worked, and very well at that," she paused. "You should be proud."

"T-thank you," Weiss croaked. She lifted her head and spoke again, more clearly this time, "I mean, thank you very much, Winter. Your praise means a lot," she smiled a little. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

Winter looked to the Core, near which stood General Ironwood, still deeply interested in it, or so it appeared. "The General was the first person father invited to this event, and it seems he let slip that you would be hosting it, not him," Winter said. "The General asked if I would like to accompany him, and I accepted, of course."

"Of course," Weiss' smile widened a bit. "I'm glad you're here, Winter. It's been too long."

Winter stared down at her again, and this time there was an obvious warmth in her eyes. She raised a hand to cup Weiss' cheek. Her fingers felt strange, as if there was something invisible, but definitely solid, between them and Weiss' skin.

A chill ran down Weiss' spine. She could almost hear it, the buzzing of the power that emanated from her sister, but she knew she was imagining it. Even so, she suddenly found herself longing… longing for that buzzing… that hidden power…

"Are you okay, Weiss?"

Winter's voice broke her from her stupor. Weiss looked up at her, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I just got lost in thought."

"Let me rephrase that," Winter's gaze hardened ever so slightly. "Have you been okay? As you said… it's been a long time."

Weiss' smile faded. A sharp no rang inside her head, but it didn't come any close to escaping into spoken words. She had been trained, by tutors and by herself, to hold back, to choose carefully before she spoke.

"Yes, everything's been fine. More than fine, really," Weiss said. "Today's the evidence of that. We've been working so hard for so very long. It's great to finally share some of what we've accomplished with other people."

"I didn't ask about work," Winter said. Her words struck like a slap. Weiss took a step back, then started looking around, searching frantically for something, anything to focus on, to help her escape this conversation…

And there they were. The Beacon agents, who had remained silent through the entire showcase. The woman was now eyeing her companion very disapprovingly as he grabbed a handful of cheese cubes from a passing waiter and stuffed them in his mouth, munching nervously.

"Who are they?" Weiss wondered aloud.

"Ah. I'm afraid I'm not the only one the General let know about the showcase and your hosting," Winter said. "He's in the World Council, so he has close relations with Beacon."

"Why did he tell them?" Weiss asked, unable to stop her bitterness from showing in time. "Nevermind. I'll go ask them personally."

Winter looked troubled. "If you so wish. But mind how you speak to them, sister."

Weiss only half-registered that remark, already marching towards the Beacon agents. The woman noticed her approach first, but didn't have much of a reaction. On the other hand, when her companion noticed, he choked on his cheese cubes and tried to hide from view – and quite fruitlessly at that.

"Miss Schnee," the woman said politely, turning to face her. "I'm happy you've finally decided to come greet us," she extended a hand. "Glynda Goodwitch, Commander and Sub-Director of Beacon."

"Nice to meet you," Weiss shook her hand only as shortly as was acceptable. "And your… friend?"

The boy choked again and turned away. Goodwitch's expression fell for a brief instant before she recomposed herself. "This is Agent Jaune Arc. He's…" she paused, as if the next part was particularly difficult to say. "…shadowing me on this assignment. He's… quite green."

"That is evident, Commander," Weiss stared at the choking agent for a moment, not sure whether she was more stunned or disgusted by the sorry display, before facing Goodwitch again. "And what brings the Sub-Director of Beacon here?" her eyes narrowed. "I don't recall anyone from Beacon being sent an invitation."

"We're not answering an invitation. Director Ozpin sent me here for a very specific reason, and it just so happened that today was the best date for me to fulfill that order," Goodwitch grinned. "And I had the privilege of learning all about the advancements your company has been making. I was very lucky, indeed."

"Right," Weiss sighed, running out of patience fast. "What do you want, then? Something about our research, I'm sure. You've found something to be concerned about – instead of being concerned with real problems, such as the White Fang."

"You're close. We have suspicions of some very concerning research happening in this building, but, as far as we know, neither your father nor your colleagues know anything about it," Goodwitch paused. "Unlike you."

Weiss' heart skipped a beat. The room around her was becoming an indiscernible mess of lights and colors, everything except Glynda Goodwitch and the recovering Jaune Arc.

"You have your own private lab, don't you, Miss Schnee?"

"I… I do," Weiss replied mechanically. No! Why had she said that? Why hadn't she lied? But there was no point… Goodwitch knew, Beacon knew, lying would be useless – no, it would only make everything worse.

"Good. Agent Arc, you'll accompany Miss Schnee to her lab and inspect it thoroughly for what I've told you about," Goodwitch said. "Understood?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Jaune stood a little taller, but he still looked very uncomfortable. "But why me? I thought…"

"I have something I'd like to discuss with James Ironwood and his companion," Goodwitch explained, looking at him firmly. "Don't panic and you'll do fine, Arc. Miss Schnee will cooperate fully, I'm sure."

Jaune didn't look very reassured, but he didn't dare say another word. Goodwitch stared at him for a while longer, then started walking towards Ironwood and Winter. She stopped shortly, however, to throw a last look back at Weiss.

"Miss Schnee, I hope you understand…" she said quietly. "Semblance research is banned for a reason. Replication… well… Let's hope our suspicions are unfounded."

Weiss stood still, staring at Goodwitch's back as she walked away. Her mind had gone completely blank. Like a short-circuited machine, she couldn't process a single thought anymore.

Everything had been going so well. Why now? Why now?

"So, err…" Jaune spoke up, standing next to her. "Let's get going…?"

"…Yes," Weiss said slowly. "Fourth floor. We'll take an elevator."

"Cool," he gulped. "I like elevators. Lead the way."

There had to be a way out of this.

Back in the entrance hall, the SDC Research and Development Center's newest hire hung back in her chair, feet up on the receptionists' desk. She had been filing her fingernails for the past half hour, and there was hardly anything more she could work on anymore.

Waiting was always the hardest part. She should have been accustomed to it by now, but she couldn't help who she was. A girl needed action, especially after so many months of planning.

Just a little more… Soon, it would be time…

Her phone buzzed on the desk. She leaned forward and took it in her hands, grinning in delight as she read the message on the screen.

In position. Reply when job is done.

Yes! Eager, she took a flash drive from her pocket and inserted it on the computer beside her. After a few seconds, the screen flashed white, and suddenly the desktop was replaced by a still image of a bowl hat and a cane.

The Protector guards near the entrance whirred to life and looked at her. Their visors went from blue to red. A steel screen lowered from the ceiling, blocking the way outside.

This wasn't happening everywhere, of course. It would not be good if today's victims were alerted ahead of time by shutting doors and traitorous robots… No, the virus was progressing methodically, all according to the plan. For example, the backdoor entrance to the building was still open now, which was where her friends would be coming in from.

She took her phone and typed a message swiftly. Ready, boss. Party time!

Leaving her chair, she grabbed the top of her wig and removed it from her head, letting brown and pink locks of hairs cascade over her shoulders and down her back. She drew a hidden knife from her belt, then jumped over the counter and walked off in the direction of the inner atrium.

Today was going to be so much fun!

Hey, guys! Welcome (back) to the RSU! (sorry for the slight delay between stories, just needed to get some things in order before I was ready to move forward with the universe)

So! Weiss! She's my favorite of the RWBY team, and I love writing about her, so you gotta wonder why I left her for last... Well, I'm not gonna spoil anything on the first chapter, but there are reasons!

I don't wanna go on too long about anything now. Rambles are not for first chapters! So let's save those for the next seven chapters! I hope you all have fun reading this story - which, being 100% honest, I am really excited to write. Wooooooh I'm readyyyyyyyy~

-Zeroan