Two Faunus sat across from one another at an empty cafe. One of the few "Faunus-only" cafes in Vale, it was the best spot to meet without suspicion. They'd been sitting for almost an hour, waiting for the patrons that'd arrived before them to leave; the wait staff had stopped letting in new customers despite the afternoon hour. In that time their coffee had gone cold and they'd ordered no food. They'd never even spoken a word to one another. Both were dressed in black from head to toe, topped with dark-tinted sunglasses despite the cloudiness of the day. The man was the first to speak, slowly turning to face his companion.

"You know why we called you." It wasn't a question. His voice was deep and raspy even as he spoke under a whisper. He sounded like a man who didn't laugh often. Scars were barely visible as they stretched out to his cheekbones. Scars that were normally hidden behind a white mask.

"Yes, I do. And you know what I'm going to say." Furry, black kitten ears twitched as they listened out for anyone that might be eavesdropping on their whispered conversation. However unlikely that might've been, it was still extremely important that no one overheard them. The plan they were discussing would be the most important thing their organization will ever do.

"You've gone soft," the man said, sitting back in his chair. He didn't break eye contact as he reached down and grabbed the sharp steak-knife off the wooden table. He twirled the blade between his fingers, cutting the air with the sharp, cool metal.

"You know this is better than the original plan. We can't-"

"What I know is irrelevant." He interrupted her hissed whisper with a slightly raised voice that demanded her silence.

"What matters is what the boss thinks and you're not exactly his most favorite person right now." The blade's twirling took on a rhythmic dance, slicing figure-8's into the warm afternoon air.

"He sent me to kill you… twice." The man set the knife back down on the table, having grown tired of the display.

"And you didn't." A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she stated the obvious.

"I had… reservations." He cleared his throat, fingers smoothing his lapels.

"Aw… it's almost like you missed me." The smirk had bled into her voice, smug and slightly condescending.

"He's not going to like this." He knew he was being toyed with and he refused to play this game of cat and mouse with her.

"And he doesn't get my help if he doesn't cooperate, so he's going to do it anyway." Her voice had gone from playful to professional. As if she were stating historical facts instead of possible best case scenarios.

"You're willing to take this risk? For them?" Disbelief and confusion that'd been growing for most of a year were dripping from his lips like honey. He couldn't understand why the girl who'd been born into their organization could turn her back on it. How she could vouch for the enemy.

"He's not exactly the most intimidating person. He sent someone to kill me twice and now he's begging for my help." She was sitting on top of the world. She could've rested her feet on the table and laughed. She knew she held all the cards, that both the man in front of her and her former boss would need her to cooperate if they were going to successfully execute their plan.

"You're lucky you're not dead." It was more of a warning than a threat. He wanted her to fully understand how much danger she could be in. How closely she was flirting with death. He finally broke eye contact and looked down at his cup of cold coffee, slowly stirring the drink.

"And my luck is going to help me out one more time. You're going to tell him he follows the revised plan or no deal." She knew she was pushing her luck, but she wasn't at all afraid of the man in front of her. She'd known his tall and wiry frame, his red and spiky hair, his long and curved horns and his spiderwebbed scars for most of her life. She knew he'd die before he'd let harm come to her and she had no problems taking advantage of him. The same way he'd taken advantage of her and her own talents for years.

"Why me?"

"For the same reason you didn't kill me when you had the chance. Or follow me to Beacon when you knew exactly where I was… You're still in love with me."

"This is over." He stood up in one swift motion and his companion almost flinched. He stormed away in a dramatic huff, leaving the cafe and slamming the door behind him.

"Thanks for the help, Adam." Blake left twenty Lien on the table and followed her oldest friend out the door. She thoughtfully turned the "closed" sign back around to read "open" as she left, a wide smirk still on her face.