Well, here it is, my latest plot bunny turned full blown fic. Let's see how long I can keep the steam up on this one shall we?
In true RWBY style, the two prologues will be a pair of character trailers to set up our Remnant two main characters before a MASSIVE first chapter to introduce the Halo half of our cast. So without further adieu, ON WITH THE SHOW!
For Monty
It was supposed to be simple, just another job. Get inside, find the target, get out with proof. Why couldn't it have been that simple?
Getting in was the easy part. Eighteen guards patrolling the perimeter and rotating every thirty minutes in pairs. At any given time, there were at least four eyes on every angle off approach. But that was assuming an intruder planned on walking in.
She pulled the straps tight, securing the harness that held her weapons to her shoulders. A quick tug on their hilts confirmed both were firmly locked into their holsters as a voice called back from the cockpit.
"We're over the drop site. Whenever you're ready."
"Open the hatch." The bullheads side door swung open, the wind rushing in as it cascaded off the aircrafts twin rotor blades. She almost wished she could feel the wind rushing through her hair, but stealth was more important than thrills tonight. One last minute stretch confirmed her jumpsuit and harness wouldn't restrict her movements, even if carrying her gear in all the pockets attached to it made for a more awkward stance than she was used to.
"Remember, once you're done, just activate the homing beacon in your top pocket and I'll pick you up."
"Don't wait up," she said, tugging at her mask to make sure the dark grey plate was secured over her mouth before jumping into thin air.
Between the height and the Bullheads rotor wash, most people wouldn't be able to tell up from down, let alone land on their feet. But her semblance let her do just that, a simple thought guiding the chopped wind and air away from her, then back, twisting and curling under her like an inverted tornado, cushioning her descent to the point of silence.
From there it was easy. With no guards on the roof, only security cameras slowly scanning the edges, it was only a matter of patience and elbow grease. She pried open on of the ducts connecting the mounted AC units to the mansions ventilation system, and a short crawl and drop later, she was inside.
She couldn't help but take a moment to admire the house. Calling the furnishings rich would be like calling a two-ton block of silver shiny. The walls were all lined with marble or pure crystal, and all trimmed with gold. Paintings and portraits hung on nearly every wall, the faces within all bearing the same cold features. On the floor however was her greatest ally; Vacuan rugs nearly an inch thick.
She padded through the house, careful to avoid the occasional wandering servant and watch for the odd guard, despite the intel she had been provided. Not only was the houses main owner out on business, but two of his children were gone as well, One on her way to the coast, the other tucked away in her father's penthouse inside the city.
It wasn't hard to find the room. Not only was the faint glow of a nightlight shining from under the door, but there was even the ambient noise of a TV still playing. She made her approach, feet silent on the thick carpet, the door opening on quiet well-oiled hinges. It was different from the rest of the house, sparsely furnished and lacking the gold trim the overwhelmed the rest of the mansion. It had probably been storage at some point, evidenced by the total lack of windows.
The only light came from a night light in the back left corner, where it painted the room in a slowly turning carrousel of soft yellow snowflakes. The TV's shifting light to her right fell on the four poster bed, the shifting colors of a cartoon painting the white sheets into a kaleidoscope of greens, purples and pinks. She quickly slipped inside, closing the door behind her, only for her next step to ring out with the soft click of plastic on plastic.
Ugh, of course the kid would be one of those. Instead of dolls and tiny hairbrushes or coloring books and crayons, the floor was littered with hundreds upon thousands of plastic building blocks. And since stealth was the name of the game tonight, her shoes were little more than thick socks.
Five large steps and three dozen muttered curses later she was at the bed, around which the floor was mercifully clear enough for her to work.
Her target was less than a foot away now, laying on her side and breathing softly, the thick fluffy comforter the only thing obscuring her face. She could make out curly white hair, cascading in ringlets down over her brow and the pillows around her, one laying across the bridge of her button nose. Soft cheek bones and large eyes completed the young girls face.
She reached to one of her pockets, slowly unclipping the flap and wrapping her fingers around the tool within. A quick glance to confirm the preparations she had made earlier, and all it needed was a twitch of a finger.
The camera clicked, a picture of the slumbering girl stored in its memory as She returned it to its pocket. Until now there had been only rumors, whispers of a third daughter but now there would be proof. Proof that her employer would pay through the nose for.
She glanced back, checking for a less painful way to get back to the door through the sea of toys. While the White Fang were her most reliable clients, their requests were the most dangerous. Make no mistake, her usual industrial espionage and sabotage more than paid the bills, but nothing got her blood pumping like the high stakes a job for the Fang came with.
Taurus had even put a down payment on this job, half her reward up front. The masked woman shook her head. So there was one more Schnee in the world, what difference did it really make?
She was nearly at the door again when a soft moan made her freeze. She turned her head and glanced back, watching and waiting for the girl to wake up, but instead she stretched, her legs flexing under the covers, pulling the sheets down away from her heart shaped face. Then the child shifted again, rolling over on her other side, and she had to pinch herself to believe what she saw. But it was what she heard next that made her freeze.
Footsteps. Two sets, and getting closer.
She hurried back across the room, no longer caring about the pain in her feet as she dove behind the child's bed, flattening herself against the side.
This was her greatest thrill, being one decision, literal feet away from being caught. She steadied her breathing, not knowing how sound proofed the walls were, only for the answer to come filtering in from outside.
"So this is it? The mystery girls room?"
"Yeap. This is where she stays." The footsteps had ended, and the voices weren't getting any further away. They had taken positions outside the door. Great. For a moment the two guards kept silent, likely with their backs to the door, in her mind holding some sort of plain factory dust rifle, but more than likely just a holstered sidearm.
"Hey Sim."
"Yeah?"
"You ever wonder why we're here?" She could hear the frustration in the other man's huff.
"We talking specifically, or existentially?"
"What does exist-ant-hilly even mean? I mean why are we here, guarding a little girls bed room? Shouldn't we be like, patrolling the perimeter or watching the cameras or something?" The conversation went from idiotic to interesting in an instant, and she quickly retrieved her scroll and set it to record.
"I don't know. Mr. Schnee said he wanted the kid under surveillance at all times."
"That's another thing I don't get. The boss has two girls already and he lets them out into the world just fine. Hell didn't Winter leave for the academy earlier today?"
"I know what you're thinking Griff, but honestly I have no idea. Like you said he's already let one go off to huntress training, and he keeps Weiss with him almost everywhere he goes, but for some reason number three here's special."
You mean an embarrassment. She poked her head over the bed, looking between the door and the tiny girl still sleeping soundly less than a foot away. She looked so small in the middle of that queen size bed. She couldn't be more than four or five. Now the lack of windows made perfect sense.
"Griff, Sims, come in." She jumped slightly when a third voice spoke up. She hadn't heard any footsteps, but the small beep that came before the guards answered told her it was from a radio.
"Yeah Sarge?"
"I need you two down in the mess. Those blue bastards set off some kinda chili bomb."
"We're a little busy here, or did you forget that you made sure we drew the short straws again tonight?" If it wouldn't give her away she'd be laughing right now, not because they were funny, but at the reality of utter morons guarding the wealthiest family in the Kingdoms.
"Private, did I give you permission to bitch? Now get your ass down here, double time!"
"Sir yes sir. *sigh* Translation, Donut made a mess in the break room again. Come on, better help clean it up."
"You sure Sims? Aren't we supposed to, you know not leave?"
"Since when do you worry about goofing off?"
"When it involves more work."
"Fair enough. But would you prefer clean up duty tonight, or a ball busting from Sarge's shotgun in the morning?"
"…. Let's go." She breathed a sigh of relief as they moved away, down the hall until she couldn't hear their footsteps anymore.
As she closed the door, and started back toward her point of entrance, her mind wandered. Should she have taken another picture? Would the child's secret affect her status in the White Fang's eyes, or would she remain a target regardless?
She reached the vent she had knocked loose coming in, slipping it back open and ready to climb when she stopped.
The eldest Schnee child was about to start her advanced combat training, and their father rarely let the middle child out of his sight. The new Schnee would become a tempting target. Tucked away in the family mansion she made the best option for kidnapping, but Taurus wouldn't stop at a ransom once he found out why the girl was hidden away. He would kill her, or worse, make a symbol out of her.
With freedom and another reward only inches away, she made her decision and headed back toward the girl's room, praying all the while this would somehow be worth it in the end.
Then she got caught.
The next morning she was still in the house, still inside the same opulent walls, still resting her feet on the same plush sound sucking carpets. Right now however, looking across the room from where she sat chained to a very expensive hand carved chair, you could've heard a pebble drop. Or drop dead if the man glaring at her from behind his desk had any say in the matter. She couldn't see his mouth beneath the thick mustache sprouting from his upper lip, but she doubted it had moved since she was dragged in. Thankfully the guards hadn't messed with her clothes, letting her keep the guard protecting her mouth firmly in place. Not that hiding her identity made a difference now.
"Umbra Hancock I presume," He said slowly, eyes narrowing a hair more as if her name was some great secret. Normally she'd be flattered at the idea, were it not for her situation.
"Mr. Schnee," she returned flatly as the man pulled a folder from his desk, his gaze never once leaving her hazel eyes.
"You're quite the celebrity you know. Atlas' most famous mercenary."
"Personally I prefer freelance saboteur."
"Do you?" He asked mockingly, pulling out a thick stack of near identical papers. "33 counts of breaking and entering, 19 counts of fraud and forgery, and suspect in 27 cases of industrial espionage."
"Girl's gotta eat," she said dismissively, thankful her mask was hiding her tongue as she rolled it back and forth behind her teeth in a nervous tell.
"And by the looks of it you eat very well," he said, reclining in his chair, his features hardening back into the cold mask he was known for. "I know you saw her. Who were the pictures for?" Umbra kept silent, fully prepared to either lock her lips or start haggling a price if the opportunity arose. She almost did when the SDC president fell silent again, until.
"How much do your current … ventures pay Ms. Hancock?" Umbra quirked an eyebrow, a little surprised that the elder Schnee had managed to blindside her so easily.
"Enough for a few quiet comforts," she answered simply, not ready to show her hand just yet.
"And what would you say if I offered to triple it?" Now Umbra felt utterly betrayed, both her eye brows shoot up in surprise before she could force herself behind a business mask.
"I'd say I'm listening."