Against All Odds (ch1)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGH-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPOR THROUGH THE YEAR!

Commission for Fennec9! They had some specific Monochrome ideas that rewinds and alters the canon as far back as volume 1, which is where we'll be starting off. This begins at the scene of Weiss and Blake's first argument, before anyone knows she's a Faunus.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														 Against All Odds

													Chapter 1. The First Pillar

Weiss had never really understood why people tended to avoid talking to her, if it was at all possible.

Of course, professors and other adults often seemed eager to hear what she had to say, but most people her own age never really initiated conversations with her if they didn't absolutely have to.

She'd never had to consciously consider why things were like that before.

But now... she thought she was beginning to understand.

Her argument with Blake had started back in Vale, back when the sun had still been up. And it had persisted all the way through the team's return trip back to Beacon, and even until now, when the moon hung high above.

Weiss paced the dorm room as she and Blake continued firing comments back and forth, leaving Ruby and Yang to sit back rather helplessly.

Weiss didn't understand why she was so agitated. She'd had plenty of arguments before in her life, even with people her own age. She wasn't a stranger to verbally-aggressive debates, either. And sometimes they could go on for hours on end.

So why was this one in particular firing her up so much?

She couldn't understand it at the time.

The longer it went on, the more seemingly-indignant comments that spilled from Blake's mouth, the more Weiss got fired up. To the point where she actually ended up saying things she'd never intended to say.

The last thing she'd wanted to do was reveal information about her sensitive past to a team of people she'd only just met a few weeks ago. She didn't even know for sure if she could truly trust these people, especially someone as suspicious as Blake. She was always so quiet, as though she were assessing every situation, taking mental notes, sneaking around...

Weiss didn't like it. Perhaps that was another factor that played into her harshness tonight.

There were a lot of things that contributed to her heated words as her argument with Blake dragged on. She was trying to find a way to put an end to this, a surefire comment or tidbit that would shut Blake up and prove that Weiss had won this little spat.

But to her – and everyone else's surprise – Blake was the one who ended things. With an implication and a revelation she'd clearly never meant to let see the light of day.

"Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"

And then the room fell dead silent.

It took a lot to silence Weiss Schnee, especially when she'd been caught up in such a fervent argument, and when she'd been so intent on 'winning' it.

But something as huge as that...

That shut her up for sure.

Her jaw dropped, and habit mandated that she lift a hand up to cover her mouth. Ruby and Yang were equally as shocked, and neither said a word.

The three of them could only stare at Blake, wide-eyed and speechless. Not even Weiss had anything to say in response.

Only then did it appear to settle in for Blake, what she'd just done. Her expression that had moments ago been so taut and serious during the argument changed completely. Her eyes started to flicker nervously about the room, and her posture changed drastically. She started backing away, breathing quickly, the very picture of a cornered animal.

"I-I..."

But she couldn't take back what she'd said, and she knew that.

So she ran, probably hoping beyond hope that they'd all just forget everything they'd heard if they simply couldn't see her anymore.

Ruby was the first to snap out of her trance and call out after her, but Blake didn't stop. She left her three dumbfounded teammates behind in a quiet room, where the echoes of angry shouts still lingered.

Weiss' gaze was glued to the door. Her 'opponent' in this argument may have left, fore-fitted, even...

But she didn't feel victorious at all.

In fact, Weiss felt like the defeated one.

It didn't help when Ruby and Yang eventually turned back to look at her. Ruby's eyes were tearful and swimming with a million questions, but the main emotion there was concern. Yang was obviously shocked, but a bit calmer, as though she were trying to adjust to the new information and make it work.

Neither of them were giving her accusatory looks. But a lifetime of learning how to protect herself more verbally than physically had Weiss on the defensive right away.

"Why are you both looking at me? It's... It's not my fault she's a... one of them! It's not my fault she chose to tell us! And it's not my fault she decided to run off!"

She took several steps back, unknowingly cornering herself now. This was all she could think to do – lash out and try to defend herself before anyone could attack her.

Maybe she only did it to prevent being punished.

Or maybe she did it because she knew she was guilty, but refused to admit it.

Ruby and Yang stayed where they were, now more confused than anything.

"Weiss..." Ruby mumbled. "We never said any of those things-"

"But you're thinking them!" Weiss accused. "I can see it in your eyes! And it isn't my fault!"

It was only then she felt the first drop of warmth slip down her cheek.

And that was what scared her the most.

She wasn't ever supposed to show such weakness, especially not in front of people she hardly knew.

She was mortified. To have broken down in front of people like this, people who knew nothing of the world she came from, who knew nothing of her struggles.

She rushed past both sisters as they called out for her, but Weiss didn't stop.

She followed the footsteps of her other cowardly teammate and ran.

The hallways were empty, and she made quick work of getting out of the building and into the cool night. But despite the fresh air, she didn't find her breath coming any easier.

Part of her just wanted to keep running, and it didn't matter where.

But the other part was specifically honing in on one person in particular.

She considered herself lucky that she managed to find Blake at all. Elusiveness and avoiding detection were some of her strongest skills, but she'd clearly been too flustered to use them properly thus far.

Weiss spotted her across the courtyard, standing before one of Beacon's many memorial statues. Weiss took a moment to wipe her eyes and try to compose herself as best she could. At the same time, she watched Blake lift her hand to her head, and pull the end of her ribbon.

Weiss didn't need to be close to her to know what had been revealed.

A shudder ran through her.

To think that... one of her own teammates was one of them...

They'd been ruining her grandfather's business for generations, killing people senselessly, simply for the crime of working under her father, or for being associated with her last name.

/Faunus... Those White Fang.../

She shook her head, furiously wiping away more tears.

She couldn't believe it, that one of those criminals had been right underneath her nose this entire time.

That she'd gone to class with her, studied with her, shared a room with her, fought alongside her...

So...

Was that really who Blake Belladonna was?

A Faunus who was a member of the White Fang?

Somehow... that didn't seem right to Weiss.

She hadn't gotten to know Blake very well during these last few weeks...

But she'd thought she'd gotten to know her well enough.

Well enough to be sure Blake wasn't some kind of criminal like the rest of them were. She was far too kind, too gentle, too understanding. And it was all far too genuine for it to just be an act.

Weiss would know.

After all, she came from a family of cunning people who rarely - if ever - said what they meant or meant what they said, people who plastered smiles for all the wrong reasons.

Weiss had become an expert at detecting pretenses, and she knew with all her heart that she'd found very few in Blake.

Now that she was thinking a little more clearly, Weiss began to calm down.

She continued watching Blake from afar. She'd been standing in front of that statue until now, with her ears entirely exposed.

But presently, Blake dropped to her knees and clutched at her head, curling in on herself.

To Weiss, it looked like Blake was trying to make herself disappear. She could see the way Blake's hands were moving, dragging up and over her head in clawing motions. As though she were trying to get rid of her ears.

Weiss' stomach twisted in the most terrible of ways.

Here she was, judging Blake for crimes she'd never even been accused of committing.

And there Blake was, wishing she'd never been born as she was.

Things... didn't have to be this way. They shouldn't.

Weiss understood that now.

She understood that if this arrangement – this team – had any hopes at all of working out, it needed some decent foundation to stand on.

Weiss believed she could work with Blake in order to forge that first pillar of support.

So she swallowed her pride and began making her away across the courtyard.

She made sure to allow her footsteps to echo, loudly enough so that someone like Blake would easily be able to sense her approach. Even from a distance, Weiss could see her tense up, probably debating whether or not she was going to bolt again. The heiress called out to her before she could decide.

"Blake..."

Her voice was... soft. Remorseful. Repenting. Nothing at all like what it had been mere moments earlier during their fight.

All of that arguing, all of those negative words and energy...

And for what? For a resulting sense of dread and utter exhaustion? For sheer emotional depletion?

/No./ Weiss chided herself. /This... isn't how a team is supposed to work.../

She paused just a foot or so away from where Blake was crouched on the cold cobblestone pathway, hidden in the shadow of the statue of huntsmen.

Blake didn't move for a moment. She simply continued to curl her nails into her ears as little sobs worked their way out of her lips.

Weiss took in a deep breath, then let it out.

She'd made up her mind. She knew what kind of a person – what kind of a teammate – she wanted to be.

So she reached out her hand and cleared her throat.

"Blake... let's... let's talk."

Not fight. Not argue. Just talk.

Blake was clearly wary of the offer. Slowly, she lifted her ears and then her face, turning a glare up at her. But Weiss could tell it was only half-hearted. Blake sniffled and wiped her forearm over her eyes.

"Sorry..." she mumbled. "But... I don't really feel like talking to Weiss Schnee right now..."

Weiss didn't waver.

"Then don't." She reached her hand an inch closer and offered the smallest of smiles. "Just talk to Weiss."

She watched as Blake's ears lifted, uncurling from their previous, pinned position, which had no doubt been terribly uncomfortable. Still, she hesitated, as though she expect this to be a ruse, as though she were waiting for Weiss to pull away, laugh in her face, or leave her there.

But Weiss never did any such thing. She was willing to take this chance.

So Blake was willing to give it to her.

Slowly, she reached up and took her hand. Weiss held firmly to her wrist and gave a tug.

She pulled Blake to her feet, where they stood as equals.

And that's how they stood from that moment forward.

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A/N: After how far we've come into RWBY, it's a bit hard to rewind our minds back this far and try to put ourselves back in this perspective. I tried to use the information we now know about Weiss' family (like her grandfather and her father) and incorporate it into how she might've thought back in this scene from volume 1. It's certainly interesting to rearrange things like this, and have her find Blake instead of Sun.