Weiss was stepping from the elevator almost before the doors had opened, her security people more than a full step behind her. A petty game she played with them, and one that had been trivially easy to win. All she'd had to do was learn the timing on the elevator and start walking before it actually stopped.

"Miss Schnee," the woman on her left said as she jogged to catch up—Weiss thought her name might be Emerald but she really couldn't be bothered to care—"you really should let one of us go first." The silver-haired man on the right (Mercury?) grunted agreement, though his attention was more on scanning the rows of parked cars arrayed around them than another round of the eternal bickering between Weiss and whats-her-name. Weiss despised him a little less for that.

"It's your fault I'm late," Weiss snapped. "My father places very strict demands on my schedule, and we're already late. We can either stand here arguing or we can proceed to my next appointment only slightly behind schedule. Your call." She didn't even bother to stop walking, her long, lithe legs marking out making quick work of the distance to the white SUV with the Schnee Bank logo on the side parked nearby.

Although it wasn't parked right next to the elevator. That prime parking real estate was taken up by a motorcycle, with a blonde woman leaned up against it, back to the elevator, talking on her phone. "Yeah, Pyrrha, I get it, I get it. Jeez, I'll be there for the fitting. Yeah, I know you're nervous about the wedding, but it's not like it's your first or anything." The blonde pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing at the shrieking coming from the speaker. "Okay, okay, sorry. I'm just glad you got a prenup the first time. You got one this time, right?" Weiss sniffed and kept on walking. The woman could at least have the decency to find somewhere private and not inflict her drama on others.

Behind her came a sudden clatter, a rush of movement, a sharp snap, the smell of ozone, a groan, and a thud. Weiss spun around to see Mercury (yes, that was his name) lying on the ground, twitching, while the blonde on the phone kicked Emerald in the chest, sending her into the back of a car. Emerald staggered back to her feet, yelling "Run!" even as her hand dove under her jacket for her weapon.

"Oh, mistake, peaches. See," the blonde reached out lightning-quick and grabbed Emerald, tossing her to the ground with a groan and wrenching the gun from her grasp, "going for the gun when I'm that close was time you didn't have. Remember that, when you wake up." She planted her right hand on the back of Emerald's neck, and Weiss was startled to realize that her arm was prosthetic. Another snap and Emerald stopped struggling, her crimson eyes glazing over.

The blonde stood up and dusted herself off. "One second," she said, running over to where her phone had fallen by the motorcycle. "Yeah, Pyrrha, I'm still here. Had a work thing to do. Yeah, that thing. Yes, today. Yeah, she's fine, no worries. One sec." The blonde looked back at Weiss. "Hey, Miss Schnee, Pyrrha says hi, wishes you the best of luck, and you'll have to do lunch sometime when it's safe. Your ride is waiting in spot B-23."

"Come again?" Weiss stared at the woman, bewildered. "You just, you just assaulted my, my security guards, and you expect me to just blindly follow your instructions? Are you insane?"

"Oh for crying out loud. Pyrrha, you talk to her." With that, the blonde handed her phone to Weiss, leaning against a nearby car.

"H-Hello?" Weiss stammered. No way Pyrrha was in on this.

"Weiss." Okay, it either was Pyrrha or a very, very good impersonation. And no way was it a machine. "The blonde brute who just handed you the phone works with Ruby. She's Ruby's sister, actually, and one of my bridesmaids for my upcoming wedding. Assuming she gets fitted for her dress, which she isn't late for but might be, if she gets arrested because you can't follow instructions. I'm assuming what she just told you was the directions to your exit plan. Do what she says so I can have the woman who took a bullet for me standing with me when I marry my idiot manager. Now hand the phone back to Yang and be on your way so I can go back to having pre-wedding hysterics."

Numb, Weiss handed the phone back to Yang(?) and headed for the elevator. As she reached for the buttons, she could see the blonde woman climbing aboard the motorcycle. The last thing Weiss saw before the doors closed was the woman shooting her a thumbs-up with an enormous grin plastered on her face.

What was waiting for her two floors down was… not what she expected. For years (decades?) Weiss had traveled in cars and SUVs that were mobile fortresses, armored against her father's enemies, and by extension, hers. What she saw was a sporty red convertible the likes of which she'd always yearned for. Once, in a fit of teenage rebellion, she'd demanded one from her father. The results had been… terrible. Sitting in the driver's seat without an apparent care in the world was the person she'd been expecting to see today, Ruby. "Miss Schnee," the redhead said, smiling over at Weiss as she reached for the car door. "Sorry about the short notice, but this window of opportunity was just too good to pass up."

"It's fine," Weiss snapped, then softened her tone before continuing. "I will admit, I was surprised but glad it worked out. Is that brute upstairs really your sister?"

"Half-sister, but she'd better not be upstairs anymore or I'll kick her butt," Ruby answered, silver eyes flashing with delight.

"So now what? Don't tell me this is our getaway car," Weiss, rolling her eyes as her spread hands took in the convertible.

"Yeah, it is, just get in and buckle up. The plan is, we need to make sure this doesn't look like a kidnapping-"

"Which it isn't," Weiss interrupted as her seat belt clicked into place.

"-and anyone kidnapping you would scoop you up in an SUV or van or something where somebody couldn't see you. But if you go out the front door in a convertible, in plain sight-"

"-then it looks less like a kidnapping, and more like I'm leaving of my own free will," Weiss added with a smile.

"Or at least confuses the issue. You could always be under duress or something," Ruby finished, checking her makeup in the mirror on her visor.

"Do you… do you suppose..." Weiss started, then trailed off.

"Hmm?" Ruby asked, her hand reaching for the ignition switch.

"Can I drive?"

"Nope. One, my car, personal property, nobody drives my baby but me. Two, you don't even have a driver's license," Ruby said, pressing the ignition. Weiss couldn't help but whoop with delight when the car's engine roared to life.

"Buckle up, princess, we're going for a ride," the redhead said, stepping on the gas and whipping them out of their parking space just a bit faster than necessary. Or safe. Weiss was jerked first forward, then backward in her seat. She opened her mouth to complain, then realized she'd actually enjoyed it and just laughed. Not her normal sort of laugh, the polite ones she gave at parties. Instead what burst forth was a genuine laugh from deep in her heart. It was then that Weiss realized she was now free, or at least had taken the first step toward freedom. "More," the white-haired woman growled under her breath, making Ruby laugh as she headed the car toward the ramp downward.

"Sorry, no-can-do. Not enough room to really let her stretch her legs. If you're a good kidnappee and don't put up a fight, I'll open her up on the way to our safe house."

"There are things that need to be done before my father realizes I'm missing," Weiss said.

"Yup, that's part of the package. Smile for the camera," Ruby said as they stopped at the exit to present their ticket to the attendant. The black-haired woman manning the booth barely looked up as she buzzed them out the gate. Weiss looked up at the security cameras with a smile that was easier than she expected. "For the record," Ruby added as they pulled out into traffic, "the guard's one of mine, too. It was way too easy for her to get a job here, which I'll point out if the cops figure out who she is."

"I… hadn't considered police involvement in this," Weiss said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind one ear.

"We did. You're not the first extraction we've handled from a bad situation. Battered wives, abused children, couple of battered husbands. Turn the bodyguards if you can, try not to kill or hurt them if you otherwise, keep the property damage to a minimum. We usually get out of it with a minimum of jail time served. Oh, priceless," Ruby said as they stopped behind a police SUV at a traffic light. "I love this song," she added, turning the radio waay up. "Stay close, move fast, the darkness cannot last," Ruby sang along with the radio, drumming her hands on the steering wheel.

The flashers on the police car came on, and the officer stepped out, making Weiss freeze in panic. "Ma'am," she said, looking down at Ruby, "you need to turn that down. Great song, but way too loud. Otherwise, I'll have to write you a ticket."

"Oh, I'm sorry, officer, it came on the radio and I just love it sooo much," Ruby replied, far more vapidly than Weiss would have thought possible. "Better?" she asked, turning it down to a more reasonable listening level.

"Better," the officer said, tipping her hat at both of them. "Have a nice day," she added before she turned and climbed back into her patrol vehicle.

"What were you thinking?" Weiss hissed at Ruby, careful to keep her expression pleasant. "You almost got us caught!"

"Kinda the point," Ruby laughed. "She's going to remember us. And when your father reports you missing – and trust me, once those two idiots pick themselves off the floor, it won't be long – she'll be the first one to say she saw us. And what did she see? Two young women in a convertible, me looking sheepish about the radio and you sitting there looking panicked that she noticed us. Nice acting, by the way. You picked up nicely on what I was going for. Where's the first stop?"

"I wasn't acting you dolt!" Weiss sank back in her seat sullenly, snapping the address at Ruby.

Ruby couldn't help but give a low whistle when they pulled up to the address Weiss gave her. "Big bank," she said quietly.

"Beacon Financial is one of the largest 'banks' in the world, and Schnee Electric is one of their biggest customers. They are more than a simple bank, Miss Rose," Weiss said as she stepped out of the car. "Let's go."

"Nope, I think you should fly solo on this. Reinforces our narrative. You got this," Ruby added, giving Weiss a wink.

Weiss stepped quickly across the floor, her heels echoing as they clicked on the tile floor. She marched straight up to the receptionist. "Good morning, my name is Weiss Schnee and I would like to speak to someone about my accounts."

The young man nodded. "Do you have an appointment, ma'am?"

"No, this is a… spontaneous visit."

"It might take a little while, then, ma'am."

Thankfully it wasn't more than twenty minutes before Weiss was being shown into a well-appointed office. The décor was very modern, white walls, grey carpet, the furniture polished steel and smoked glass. Weiss hated it, it reminded her of the house she grew up in, all cold and sterile. The man inside shook her hand before gesturing her toward a chair. "Good morning, Miss Schnee, I'm Mister Tukson, and I'll be happy to assist you today. My apologies for the delay. What can I do for you?"

Weiss smoothed out her skirt as she took her seat. "It's fine, I'm well aware how busy everyone here is, and I did arrive unannounced. What I need this morning is both simple and very complex. I've had a falling-out with my father, so I would like to remove his access to my accounts, to keep him from draining them," Weiss said.

Tukson frowned. "As you say, that's simple to say, but complex in execution. Is this falling-out likely to be permanent, or temporary?"

"Irreconcilable, I'm afraid. Thank you," she said, taking the cup of coffee she was offered by an intern.

"I see. My condolences. Divides between family can be heartbreaking. Well, we can certainly take care of that for you. It will take some time to pull up all of your accounts; we take care of a great many things for your family and the family company. There may be corporate assets that are in your name, for legal reasons."

"For today, I am primarily concerned with private assets. I need resources to support myself, a new wardrobe, someplace new to live for example." Weiss gave him a small smile, the sort she reserved for someone who has been given their instructions and is expected to follow them without question.

"That much we can accomplish relatively quickly and easily," Tukson said, nodding. "Unless your immediate financial needs are extreme, it may be simplest for us to extend you a new line of credit in your own name for the time being. That will allow you to go on your way while we pull everything together."

"Define 'extreme'" Weiss said, raising her left eyebrow and highlighting her scar.

"Given your family's history with us, more than a million Lien."

Weiss shook her head. "I don't think I will be needing that much immediately. I already have a place to stay for a few days but I will need to purchase a new wardrobe. I don't feel I can safely return home to retrieve my belongings."

When Weiss got back to the car, Ruby was arguing with a police officer. "I'm just waiting for my friend, she went inside to take care of some stuff, and it took longer than we expected so I went for coffee."

The officer shook his head. "I get it, ma'am, but I've got to tow your car. One hour parking, maximum. I'm sorry."

"Is there a problem, officer?" Her detractors in the press had said Weiss had a tongue that could strip flesh from bone, and she was in no mood to spare anyone's feelings today, much less some nameless beat cop.

He took a step back, raising his hands. "No, ma'am, just telling this young lady that I have to tow her car because she's been parked her too long."

Weiss' eyes flickered toward Ruby, taking in the woe-begotten look on the redhead's face. "It's my fault, she was waiting for me. Here, I'll save you the paperwork." The white-haired woman reached into her purse, pulling out some cash. "That should cover whatever fine we've accrued. Give the change to the Policeman's Benevolent Association or something."

He shook his head, gawking at the money she'd thrust into his hand. "Ma'am, I can't-"

"I don't have time to argue, my girlfriend and I have other errands to run before our lunch reservation. Come on, Ruby." With that, Weiss stormed around the car and sat down in the passenger seat. Ruby shrugged apologetically at the officer and started them on their way.

"Girlfriend?" Ruby asked, looking at Weiss as they stopped at a traffic light.

"F-First thing I could think of," Weiss stammered. "It was good for shock value if nothing else. Not that you are unattractive, but I have other pressing concerns."

Right. 'Other pressing concerns.' "Well, for that, you're buying lunch."

"Fine."

"Buut I will drive maybe a little faster than I normally would on the way to the safehouse."

Now that made Weiss smile.

I sat down to write the first real chapter of Strikeforce: RWBY, got a couple of hundred words in and stalled out. And then this comes creeping into my brain, so enjoy! As always, like, follow, and review to let me know what you think.