The Knights of Grimm - Act 3 - Shattered Memory

Chapter 31 - The Clean Slate - Pt. 2

Whitley

The Heir to the Schnee Dust Company looks out on his home city, the lights slowly beginning to turn back on. Building by building as the workers reactivate the power plants that fuel their luxuries. The Cross Continental Transmit Tower also comes back online, re-establishing connection with the rest of the world. He has his arm behind his back as always, stood tall with either pride or a sense of purpose, head held high as if to stop a pin from jabbing into his neck.

He stares across the city, waiting for the moment he has been waiting for to occur. The television in the corner regains connectivity now that the power is back on, and on the screen is Lisa Lavender. She looks around and she has a sigh of relief that normality has returned. Nobody has any idea of what is coming, no idea that there is a bomb beneath that building.

The building that Whitley is a safe distance from.

A hologram forms behind him and he turns to it, seeing Ortega in the image. He has his hands behind his back and he is wearing the dress blues of the Acolytes of Lien again. Medals pinned to the coat, creating a real sense of authority as he looks at the Schnee Boy. Whitley turns to him and walks over to him, picking a glass of whiskey up from the table, just as his father does. "Is everything ready?" Whitley asks him, speaking with his own form of authority. Ortega nods his head as he stands there in the hologram.

"Yes, the weapon is in place." Ortega confirms as he stands there, by the looks of things he must be aboard the Drift of Wandering Star. It must be hidden somewhere nearby the city of Atlas, perhaps even in Mantle somewhere. Clearly there is something on Ortega's mind from the way he looks down from Whitley, and he catches onto that.

"Is there something on your mind, Admiral?" Whitley inquires, Ortega sighs and his eyes turn to the Heir of the Schnee Fortune.

"Your mother in that building – don't you want her safe?" Ortega questions, clearly seeming to have more humanity in him than the boy does. A sad realisation when the man who is the youngest here, is less of a human being than the Admiral is. Whitley looks down at the alcoholic drink in his grasp, the ice cubes clink against each other; he sighs and looks at Darren.

"She chose her own fate." Whitley states coldly – just as cold as his father. Whitley turns away from Ortega and the Admiral clearly does not share the same thoughts as he does, his eyes dart around the bridge of the Drift of Wandering Star.

"Vacuo is ready as well – just say the word." Ortega states, Whitley continues to look out at the city. Staring directly at the Grand Hall in the centre of the huge city itself, a large structure with gold and marble constructing it. The most expensive building there, making the Schnee Manor look like it was made out of a pittance in comparison.

Whitley responds briefly. "Very good – you may go now, Ortega." Whitley says, Ortega stares at the boy and he sighs. He respectfully bows his head and turns, walking away from the live feed that records him. Whitley continues to stare out at the city, and his eyes turn to the picture of his mother on the desk. He looks away from it with a pain in his heart, then he roars with rage, picking the picture frame up and catapulting it across the room.

The picture frame shatters against the wall, shards of glass break off and fall onto the ground. The Photograph shatters upon contact as it hits the wall, chunks of it all over the wall.

Whitley has finally severed all ties with his mother.

The only things that can save her now are Jaune and his team stopping that bomb from detonating.

Whitley stands there, and he looks at the screen that shows Lavender's Live Feed on the Coalition being ratified.

The mother of the Schnees stands amongst the crowd, in fact at the front of them with Ironwood at her side. Her dress is beautiful along with a necklace that carries the Schnee Name on it, the snowflake itself. She slowly looks around at the place as all the politicians across the world all stand inside. The lead councilmen and councilwomen from every single Kingdom of Remnant. She hears the voice of President Thaddeus Brimstone sigh as he stands there, clapping his hands together as he sees the lights return. "Ah! There you go, as I said, everything is perfectly fine." Thaddeus assures, lying obviously due to the rate his heart is beating. He was totally crapping his pants, all because of being such a coward in his life. Hiding behind the money and the walls that Atlas has to offer.