Hello again everyone! Silver here. Have the second chapter here and I thought I should explain a few background things. This is staged after around... Volume 3, Episode 3. I know that is quite the skip, but I thought it'd be a bit easier on me. :)
Cole & Ebony, if anyone was wondering, was within Atlas Academy, yes. They moved to Beacon after a conversation with Ozpin I'll have as a flashback soon in one chapter. Around the time of their second year.
If there's any other questions to clear up, I'll answer and even put them in further chapters if necessary.
Nonetheless, here's the second chapter for you lot. Like I've said countless times, I appreciate criticism and critiques. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2; Privileges
The stadium was alight with onlookers as today's newest fighters stood before each other at the center of it all.
Both of their respective teams had joined the audience along with team JNPR, CFVY and other lesser known teams.
Even a few staff members had decided to enjoy the upcoming spar between the two. Qrow, remained lounged against a pillar just outside of view, keeping his pointed gaze upon the match. Ebony waved her hand ecstatically through one of Cole's hoodies she had chosen to wear, the article of clothing much too big for her.
Speaking of the two contestants, the pair had not moved from their positions since they had entered the ring. Yang keeping herself quite content with Cole beginning to rid himself of his loafers in preparation for their match; his feet to padding along the metal flooring.
"Going barefoot, are we?" Yang teased.
"It's much more comfortable. Can't slip as much. Thought I should at least give you a challenge."
He finished with the taunting raise of his brow towards her, shifting into a loose combat stance as did she. The two of them remained still for a moment, yet to the audience it felt much longer. The arena filling with hushes and efforts to quiet each other until silence enveloped them.
Yang was the first to lift off from her footing, launching jabs towards the faunus at well-deserved pace. Cole, however, continued to effortlessly evade each strike as if dancing around her efforts.
He was judging her movements more than anything, enjoying the match with the blonde brawler for the time being. His metal hand batted her right leg away as it rose in an effort to make contact with his shoulder.
Realizing her intent, Cole appeared behind her as she leapt forwards in attempt to grapple the him. Yang spun on her heel to drive her heel to his shoulder, which Cole caught without a second thought.
His metal limb shook under her weight, having much more strength than appeared behind it and leaving him all but astonished. 'That actually kind of hurt…'
It was now Cole's opportunity to strike, tossing the woman's leg away as he loosely swung against her side. He'd let her evade it. They were more for a distraction than offering any real damage. He wanted more of this. Excitement of the moment overcoming the team leader's thoughts. Yang was skilled enough to slide along the stadium floors away from his pursuit. Yet he was relentless.
Planting one palm to the same ground, he'd swing his own towering leg out to the woman. Yang was caught unaware, tumbling to ground, but quick enough to roll backwards and recover.
Still, her opponent was not about to allow it. Cole copied her earlier efforts and tossed swift jabs in her direction.
They were quicker than the inexperienced eye to catch, but slow enough for her to spot each and just barely evade. The blonde bombshell was beginning to pick up how easily the faunus before her was dancing circles around her. As well as how much he was holding back.
Cole was surprised to notice Yang begin to trace his steps in sync with how they fought, their fists colliding and offering the stadium a reverberating shake. The two of them offered out blow after blow; each connecting to their specified area.
Audience members filled the arena with hoots and other sounds of encouragement at the fighters and their ongoing match.
Qrow narrowed his pensive gaze at the faunus currently within close combat with his niece. Judging by the series of strikes each combatant had tossed each other's way, he could tell Cole was holding back.
Had he not been, the match would have ended in a much more different and quicker result. Still, he continued to observe, curious at how the two truly seemed to connect even in their little activity.
Back in the fight, Yang and Cole remained at the standstill, their efforts redoubled by the crowd's sounds of encouragement. Fingers interlaced as they struggled to cause the other to buckle under.
The faunus team leader would abruptly lose his grip, and lunge forward in an effort to catch his opponent off guard. Encircling his arms about her head and shoulders to lock her in place.
"If you wanted to get closer, all you had to do was ask..." The sultry words rolled off her tongue, causing her opponent to tense at the closeness of the two.
The distraction, however, was enough to break Cole's concentration. Thus, giving Yang just the chance to maneuver out his hold and shoulder-tackle her opponent to the ground.
Cole, thankfully, landed back first against the cold steel of the stadium floor only to find the buxom blonde's knee pinning his waist and his arms held up above his head. Cole's wide gaze switched from the delicate weight Yang was offering quite close to the area between his legs, to the lavender orbs currently settled upon his own. She was quite pleased with her work.
Up in the stands, the remaining members of team RWBY and Ebony all wore mixed reactions to the fight's proceedings.
"How can she do that?" Weiss's judgmental tone leaving nothing to chance of her opinion of the match.
"It's gettin' a bit hard to tell whether they're actually fightin' or just rubbin' on each other." Ebony chimed in, causing the collective members of RWBY and any other students to turn about and stare as if the woman had grown a second head. The archer however blinked owlishly, bringing a finger to her lips.
"What?"
As wonderful an experience it was having the blonde atop him, Cole wasn't about to lose this spar any time soon. Yang would soon find herself shot away from the faunus's lap by a pair of kinetic blasts erupted from his palms.
Thankfully he had remembered to dial down on their strength. He didn't necessarily want to blow a hole through her skull. As she managed to right herself, she'd take notice Cole chose to remain where he was. Unmoving.
And in the split second she chose to exhale, she was brought onto the defensive. Cole began to toss his arms loosely in the blonde's direction and fire off bolts of kinetic energy to pursue his opponent.
If she blocked, a bolt fired off in the direction from his palm. His arms bending in unorthodox manners to catch her off guard once she had caught his attack.
She could dodge a fist, but not a blast of energy that followed. At last, his efforts were able to earn some merit as one beam nicked the woman's shoulder and a few strands of golden locks fluttered to the stadium ground.
Yang skid back a few feet from him, the fighters taking a moment to catch their breath.
A lasting silence filled the arena thereafter, Cole's brow furrowing as he lowered his arms at the lack of applause and cheer that had just been occurring.
Befuddled by the sudden change in tone, he'd reset his gaze back upon his opponent only to evade a swift fist sailing towards his cheek.
She was no longer the feisty, slap-happy blonde he had previously addressed. A raging tempest of fire enveloped her form as she lunged towards Cole at a surprisingly quickened pace. Her blood red orbs painting her face with a demon-like expression.
It was almost instant, the change in whom was defending, as the team leader parried and dodged an onslaught of fiery haymakers. Cole hissed as the flames licked against his skin and clothing.
Speaking of his garments, they were looking very worse for wear the more she battered against him.
Yang was relentless in her assault upon the faunus, until she managed to finally land an impact against his solar plexus. Spittle flew from his open mouth as the wind suddenly burst from his lungs.
Cole was tossed like a sack of Vacuo potatoes to skid away along the stadium floor. 'Her semblance... right. Odd how I didn't remember that part.'
"Yep. That's a rib. That is definitely a rib."
Gripping the tattered cloth of his sleeveless tee, Cole tore the remains of the fabric still clinging from his form.
The faunus snorted, wiping a hand along his lip to dry the spit from his lips. 'Teenagers...' He grumbled to himself as much of the crowd's female populace cooed and hollered at the lack of clothing. He exhaled a long breath he had held, slipping into a more experienced stance. 'Suppose I should stop fooling around before she actually kills me.'
Up in the rafters, Qrow lofted a single brow as he stared upon the same stance. 'Seems he's finally taking this seriously. Not that I blame him.'
Yang, without a single quip about her opponent's lack of attire, lunged towards him. Though, as if expecting her actions, Cole was quick to act.
He skillfully slipped past her grip, while his solemn expression explained his intent. Rightfully grappling the woman by the shoulder and side. Forced off her feet, Yang found herself vaulted airborne and then backwards to collide into the stadium flooring and earning a hefty injury to her skull.
Or else it would have, if Cole had not secured the backside of her head with his palm as she made landfall. Still, the impact of the throw had done its deed, and the sound of gasps sung through the arena stands.
Team RWBY specifically was at the edge of their seats, staring down at the match going on with frightful gazes at what had just transpired. Yang, thankfully, muttered a few pained groans as consciousness began to wrestle its way back. The blonde's eyelashes fluttered open to spot her opponent smiling down at her now lavender discs as his boots stood on either side of her.
"Rise and shine sleeping beauty... I'm sad to say you lost."
Yang's pouting expression confirmed she was back to her usual self as he shifted to step away.
Though, fate would choose otherwise, as a sudden grip upon his belt brought him down to collapse atop the brawler. A series of disapproving groans and palms impacting foreheads was what the two combatants were awarded with.
Uncomfortably bracing himself upon either side her head, metallic digits intertwined with her splayed locks, Cole blinked as he was only a few inches from woman below him.
His own sable-colored hair billowing about their faces, acting as if a makeshift shield from the world. More importantly, the distance between his and hers was most assuredly gone, as he felt himself pressing against her for balance. A reddened shade stung his face as silence settled upon the stands yet again, the glow lighting his cheeks like spotlights.
"Well... this is more comfortable, hmm?" She purred. Cole flinched against the seductive nature of the blonde, leaping away animatedly as he brought himself to stand a few feet away from her. She could have sworn she had heard a yelp.
Yang, seemingly disappointed with his response to her teasing, offered a defeated shrug and rose from the ground herself.
Students had begun making their way out of the arena, seeing now that the match had been finished. Classes would begin shortly. The RWB of of her team and Ebony made their way towards the two fighters with a multitude of emotions.
"Honestly Yang, must you flirt with everything that moves?" Weiss's judgmental tone almost impossible to miss. The hoodie Ebony had worn impacted her leader's face, knocking a few bits of sense into him.
"Aw, hush your face, Ice Princess. I'm just havin' a little fun."
The heiress huffed, shaking her head at the blonde's antics and offered Cole a glance of... concern?
She hadn't exactly enjoyed his interaction with her sister, but she would still make sure her teammate had not inflicted any permanent damage. With the faunus turning to face her, Weiss's snow-white orbs would widen to rival dinner plates at how close she was to his bare, scarred chest.
The same quickly covered as Cole lowered the material over himself. A faint, but noticeable crimson spreading over her face until she shook the growing inappropriate thoughts from the recesses of her mind.
"C-Cole... I hope she didn't harm you very much. She is very protective of her hair."
The team leader in question blinked, having sorted himself, and shook his head in response before returning his attention to his teammate.
As the two of them shifted to leave the stadium, Cole's faunus ears perked at the holler he'd pick up from his past opponent. Offering a glance behind him, he was granted the sight not many would earn to see in a lifetime. Yang brought her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss in his direction, finishing the act with a wink.
"So long there, handsome."
It wasn't long until Cole had stomped out the arena with due haste, Ebony trailing not too far behind as she snickered at the faunus's unease around the flirtatious blonde. Team RWBY was left to their own as the duo finally slipped out the arena.
"Cole...? Cole...? Cole?!"
After the two members of team CELL had returned to safety of their dorm, Cole had brought it upon himself to lock himself within the bathroom. Ebony was not having any of it, bringing her fist down upon the fragile wood plank repeatedly in an effort to bring the faunus around.
"Cole... C'mon. It's just Yang. She's just teasing you. Now get outta there. You're actin' like a baby."
She was met with a muffled groan from her team leader, the effort going nowhere as she tried her best to comfort Cole in his time of...need? Cradling her forehead in her hand and relinquishing a sigh, Ebony turned on her heel from the doorway she had been trying so desperately to access.
"Alright... Well, you do you. I'm takin' a nap, fur ball."
The dorm was soon filled with a comforting silence, Cole's tired frame beginning to slacken against the door as he came back to terms. He'd raise one of his artificial arms to allow his eyes to trace along the metal's curves and indents. The wolf faunus would find himself doing such quite often as of late, finding quiet peace in it.
Regrettably, that restful relaxation was cut short with the ringing of his scroll. Hastily bringing the communication device from his pant pocket, Cole's brow furrowed curiously at the requesting message of Beacon's headmaster. Tapping the screen a few times, he'd respond with a quick confirmation of arrival before tossing the device off to the side.
He sniffed at the air, then towards his under arm. Only to recoil as a wretched smell was what he was rewarded with. "Suppose I could use a shower."
Thus, with a quick shower and few moments later, Cole found himself within the familiar elevator ride towards Ozpin's office. It seemed he was visiting the elder headmaster's office a number of times in the past few days. While not at all minding the silver-haired man's company, he couldn't help but ponder what reasoning he had this time for their meeting.
Those thoughts were left unfinished as the doors swung open for the team leader to be greeted by the collective gazes of not only Ozpin, but Ironwood, Qrow and Glynda.
Cole's perplexed expression being quite obvious, the Beacon headmaster cleared his throat from behind his desk. A lingering feeling of dread having filled the room and now washed over the faunus no matter how much he pretended to remain unphased.
"I would like to thank you for arriving on such notice, Cole. For now, I will hand over our conversation to the General. As it was actually he that requested your arrival."
Cole blinked, even more curious on the matter, and offered his previous headmaster his attention for the time being. The very same growing quite uneasy with the faunus's insightful gaze. The general appeared less than his usual cold and calculated self.
James's hands were clammy with a restless feeling, whilst his eyes flickering away from his former student's every time they seemed to meet.
"Cole... Thank you for coming. I... There were some recent developments within Atlas that I believed... I believed you should know about."
The student in question remained puzzled at his headmaster's shaky tone, glancing behind him to the trio of guardians behind him. All he received were blank stares and a shrug from the Branwen sibling.
Returning his attentive stare to Ironwood, Cole watched as the General continued to fidget with to himself before resuming. "I would hope you remember your original teammates. Leona... and Leopold Tidalus, correct?"
James noticed Cole tense as he muttered the pair's names, the boy hesitantly nodding his head without a word. It was nothing more than how he expected his former student to respond.
"Atlas, fairly recently... has found their bodies. And the two of them are alive. They are in a recovery room. But will arrive in Beacon soon."
Silence. Gut wrenching silence is what followed the General's words, the other guardian's holding their tongues awaiting Cole's response to the news. Of course they had known beforehand due to their own connections, but they had never had the connection the faunus before them had with his previous teammates.
Speaking of which, Cole had not muttered a single phrase. His amber orbs were wide, with what one assumed to be shock. Once James had finished, he offered a spot of concern from to his student.
"Cole?"
In an attempt at reassuring him, Ironwood offered a hand to the young team leader's shoulder.
Or else it would have if James had not been found himself shoved from his stance against the glass barrier of the office's outside wall. The effort obviously having quite the amount of force from the noticeable crack that could be visible from behind the General. Cole's plated fingers seized the headmaster's collar forcibly, wrestling his face near his own.
"You KNEW!?" Cole roared at the guardian accusingly, fury staining his once peaceful amber hues. "Cole... I didn't know how else to tell you an-"
"Tell me? Tell me what!? That you lied to me, James! To Ebony! To their parents!" The other office's occupants began to grow uneasy at Cole's reaction, more than they already were. While not at all blaming him, the lot were hoping he did not outright kill the General. Glynda was the first to daringly step forward and place a soothing hand along the boy's arm.
"Cole... please let him explain himself." The look of despair in the Cole's eyes was not what the headmistress had expected to be greeted with after asking for the faunus's patience, taking a tentative step back from the duo.
Ozpin resettled himself at his desk while Qrow unscrewed his flask, believing this little encounter between the two of them to last some time. James offered Glynda a grateful nod, but before he could resume Cole would beat him to the punch.
"You approved of the mission I asked for my team. You allowed us to go to that village. You let us go. You... are the reason team CELL is in shambles. You are the reason they are like thi-!"
"I did it because I believed in you four!" It was Cole and the rest of the room's occupants' turn to grace themselves with silence and await the General's explanation. James let his gaze drop to the countless gears forever turning in endless motion below them, his voice devoid of any deception or concealing any truth.
"You four... were not only my prized team. You did not only earn the highest ranks because of your scores. But because of your unity. You were more than just students to me. I believed in your abilities. In all of you. No matter how much I regretted sending you four on that mission, I still relented. Out of faith for the four I held so close."
Cole could feel Glynda behind him bring her hands to cover the shocked expression and mouth that hung agape, though it was not without a second thought that he turned on his heel from the General.
"Cole..."
Glynda's desperate tone would halt the faunus mid step as he finally reached the elevator's doors, the same swinging open as an invitation. Just enough to make eye contact with headmistress, amber pairs bore into hers in a way she had not seen in the talented young leader for some time.
A vulnerable one. "I... I just need some time to think."
With a final click, the doors to the elevator swung shut and the four guardians were left to their musings, James keeping his head in his hands as everyone exhaled the breath they had been holding in. Qrow settled his ever skeptical gaze upon his old friend, those crimson slits inspecting the defeated General.
"Why'd you do it, Jimmy? Why'd you hide it from him for so long?"
James would lower the safety of his hands from his jawline, leaving only his right to be raised before him. What occurred next however, for the first time, brought the Branwen's eyes wide with nothing less than astonishment.
Tugging the silk cloth from his fingers, digit by digit, Ironwood inspected the now silver-plated palm that was on display for the room to see. From the surprise in not only the Signal Academy professor, but the others, it seemed this was the first time any had laid eyes on the General's new appendage.
"It is what every headmaster does, Qrow. Protect their students the best they can..."
The chill of the late afternoon licked against Cole's chin as he remained perched against the railing of the dorm's rooftop.
The secluded point had been favored by him for the year he had been within Vale academy, offering just the right amount of solitude and peace that he so desperately needed in these times.
Raising his chin to the sky, the team leader let his amber orbs trace the outline of each cloud that drifted through the peach-colored skyline. It was at these times that he could forget everything about the world. All of his thoughts. All of his emotions. Left to enjoy the serenity of nature as it enveloped him.
"Hey..."
Brought from his stupor unexpectedly, Cole brought a hand to rifle through the darkened locks of hair that clung to his head and shook freely.
He knew the voice without even switching his gaze from the natural serenity of the atmosphere above them. Yang, however, stepped from the safety of the door leading to dorms towards him, leaning against the opposite side of the railing beside him. Her mane of golden thread threatening to weave with his own that now remained free of a ponytail bind.
"What's got you so down, Wolfy?"
Surprising her with a deft leap over the railing towards the side she had situated herself upon, Cole allowed his own amber-colored eyes to lock within hers of lavender.
It was only a few moments that they remained there, but it had felt as if hours had passed. The two of them reluctant to turn away until the very end. As the pair finally managed to awkwardly turn themselves away, Cole cleared his throat in an effort to say he would be the first to speak.
"I wasn't always a student here, Yang. You know that. Originally from Atlas. It's why I know the General so well. I was leader of their top team. Team CELL as you probably can guess. Now, you've met the 'C' and 'E' of that team. But the others, were not so lucky."
He'd pause to see if she was following, which thankfully she was.
"Leona and Leopold were their names. I knew them when we were children, as with Ebony. Twins that worked in perfect unison unlike any other. But... my brash mistake cost them their lives. Or what I had thought... Apparently, General Ironwood has recovered them and after healing their injuries are coming to Beacon."
"So?"
Cole twirled about to face the blonde brawler incredulously, his golden orbs wide with surprise at the woman's statement. Yang, however, was not finished and continued her response. "So what? Shouldn't you be glad they're alive..."
She paused, watching his expression shift. "You... You blame yourself, don't you?"
Her words cut deep as the faunus turned on his heel to stare out at the bustling schoolyard below them, the bars threatening to snap under the pressure of his grip. He took a tentative breath, biting his bottom lip under his thoughts.
"I can't help but believe so. I was and still am their leader. It was my responsibility to keep them safe..."
The painful grip upon the railing was suddenly met with a comforting hand from the blonde brawler, Cole's gaze returning to her again. She'd shift a bit closer for their shoulders to press up against each other and let out a sigh of relief. Her surprisingly smooth fingers intertwined with his metallic digits, clinging to them as if a lifeline.
"You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened, y'know? They probably are just happy to know you're alive. I think that's what you should be focusing on."
Halted from his musings from the attempt at comfort from the blonde huntress, Cole glanced away from her as he would try to shy away from the truth.
Yet, he would find it almost impossible with the soothing warmth of Yang at his side. She smiled up at him, only seeking to offer ease to him as the autumn winds blew past the both of them.
"Cole... you just have to be strong in this. It's gonna suck. I know it will. I've been there. But all you can do, just like my Uncle Qrow would say, is keep moving forwards. You've probably heard him say that with how close I've seen you two."
Reminded of the drunken yet almost father-figure, Cole tried his best to quiet the smile that threatened to shed its way onto his lips. He'd return his gaze to the blonde brawler that was sharing quite the close commodities with him, finally realizing the lack of distance between them.
Her scent; the enchanting lavender conditioner meeting his nostrils. The beauty in how her boundless golden locks fluttered in the wind that chilled the two of them. As if she had noticed so as well, the pair couldn't help but close in to each other. One another's lips looking more inviting with each passing moment, their eyes flickering shut.
Just as they were to meet however, he'd feel the smooth flat of her finger arrive instead. His amber orbs shot open. Confused.
"I'll save that for later. Give that to me when I win my match tomorrow."
Finishing off with a sultry wink, even placing the finger she had pressed against his lips to hers in a torturously teasing gesture. Cole couldn't help but gulp down the welling nervousness in his throat, nodding hastily. Not that he could argue.
With that, she stepped towards the exit of the door leading down to the dorms, her hips swaying in a very hypnotic manner. Obviously purposeful in that regard.
As the door swung shut on her leave, Cole shook his head from the mindlessness and settled back on the railing facing out over Beacon. All the while, a peaceful smile now replacing the frown he had sported not too long before. "Guess this wasn't such a bad idea after all."
Cole was hoping he would be able to sleep in past his alarm the next morning, finding the soft embrace of his mattress much more welcoming than watching a few teens clash with one another.
While he did in fact make it past his own alarm, he was not so lucky in the fact of when the door to their dorm seized upon. The sudden sound of steel impacting the wall roused the duo from the slumber; both wide awake and focused at the doorway.
Cole rose to one knee, palm outstretched with a charge of kinetic energy humming to fire within it towards the doorway. Ebony was quick to wrap her fingers around the firearm she kept behind her bed frame, cocking the hammer back and taking aim.
Both, however, would find themselves without an enemy as the the pensive gaze of Professor Goodwitch stood waiting in the doorway.
"Glynda...?"
"Follow me to the Headmaster's Office. You can change later. Move NOW!" The two of them new better than to keep the headmistress waiting and leapt from their sheets to follow with due haste. Ebony shot Cole a questioning glance, which he returned with a shrug. Her guess was as good as his.
When the elevator doors swung open, Glynda wasted no time in stomping along the floor to Ozpin's desk. Ironwood having already arrived earlier and caught in an argument between him and Qrow. The pair would halt their conflict momentarily as the newcomers entered, as James adjusted his tie and Qrow took it open himself to take another drink from his silver flask.
Poor Ozpin sat with his head situated at his hands but glanced up when the elevator arrived. "Cole. Ebony. Good to see you could make it."
He received a dismissive snort from the dark-skinned marksman, while her hands settled at her waist. "Not like we had much'a chance with Glyndy. Almost shot her when she slammed our door wide open!"
Ozpin's questioning stare drifted to his assistant and the very same did her best to avoid all eye contact sent towards her.
"Anyway... James, Qrow and I have recently uncovered something while the two of you slept. Something we believed you should see for yourself..."
Before any of them could question for an explanation, a screen hummed to life and appeared between them and the headmaster at his desk. The image was hazy in quality but was just visible enough to show an image of a woman. A particular woman the two members of team CELL knew all too well.
"Cinder..." Cole finally muttered, Ebony not too far behind.
"And her two goons as well from the looks of it." And right she was at that assumption, as two other individuals could be seen behind her and following with a specific intent. The hologram did nothing but provide them with an image.
"This was found upon Beacon surveillance not too long ago. The three of them are apparently using Haven academy uniforms and going around saying that they're from the very same."
Qrow's tone was undeniably course as he described the trio, as the flask in his grip did no job in hiding the less than pleased expression.
"So she's here... Do we have any idea why?" Cole's question rung around the room, it's occupants pondering the very same. "We don't know her motives yet. But we have to act swiftly and-."
"That's just like you! Isn't it, James?! Rushing into the fray with no shape of a second thought at all!"
Ironwood was cut off at the sudden protest of Ozpin's assistant, Glynda backing him into a corner as she did. James was not one to back down however, as he redoubled and refuted her claim. "You're saying we do nothing?! That we wait for her to act and take how many lives, Glynda?!"
The shouting in the room began to increase as Qrow encouraged Glynda's point, much to the Atlas headmaster's chagrin. The trio began to go forth once again, almost as if they had forgotten that the team had arrived.
"Enough!" The team leader's voice rang through the office, slamming his metal palm upon the desk hard enough to rattle it. Ebony, however made her way to push Ironwood and Glynda away from each other.
"I understand your crave to end this quickly, James. I do... More than anyone. But if we intervene we might never get another chance to find out what she or... Salem is planning..."
"Then we capture her and question her for information!"
"You're not getting it, James!" Cole was losing what sort of patience he had in this conversation, if any at all. Having been dragged out of bed and clad in only a sleeveless shirt and gym shorts.
He was cold. And he was beyond irritated. "She will NEVER rat out Salem! And whatever torture you could be thinking about is child's play from what she could do. Use your damn head, James... because I have an idea."
That statement caught not only the General, but room's other occupants as well. An expectant stare was pressed upon him, causing him to roll his jaw in thought. He massaged his forehead, taking a few steps towards the screen once again.
"We wait... And you all will observe as I meet her. Peacefully. I will find out as much as I can, without making too much of a move. As old friends..." His head slunk as he played the possible events in his head over and over again.
Qrow was the first to speak, swirling the liquid in his flask about as he did. "So, you want us to play back up while you go in for investigation? I don't like it... but other than do nothing I don't see much else a choice..."
Cole nodded as he took notice of Ebony's furrowed brow, while the girl was obviously displeased with the idea. "Ebony. I'll be fine. It'll be done with before we know it." He then refocused his gaze upon Ozpin through the hologram. "I'll relay anything I have back to you. I'll keep it quick and quiet. She'll probably want to speak with me privately."
The headmaster's pointed gaze was expressionless, pointedly watching the image until the ivy gaze settled upon his student. "Go then. And please, Cole... be safe." The faunus returned with a nod, stepping from the office with Ebony in tow.
The elevator ride was a quiet one, before Ebony finally broke the silence. "Y'know, you don't have to do this alone." Her tone was earnest, devoid of the usual jovial attitude she had.
Cole exhaled a sigh he'd been holding in for some time, rolling his jaw thoughtfully. "I have to do this. I've had to do it for some time now. I knew the day would arrive. It was only a matter of time." Then there was silence again.
"I could however use someone to distract her goons as you so delicately put it." He watched her lips curve into a smile, slamming her fist into her open palm.
"Hell yeah! Cole and Ebony back in business, baby!"
This was the place.
The usual dorms of Beacon ended off before turning into a hall in the direction of classes, and the specific room they had been searching for was the last dorm remaining.
Cole cast a glance behind him to Ebony, the very same teammate resting her hands at her hips and awaiting their meeting. Her leader would do just that, rapping a few fingers against the wooden surface.
A bit of commotion could be heard past the barrier as they waited. It would not be a long silence, as the door clicked upon the reveal a rather short woman with sea green hair and skin similar to Ebony's. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"
The tone was strangely fake, causing his brow to furrow. "I am here to see your team leader. We have a past." That got a reaction from her at least. A mixture of shock, uncertainty and then suspicion.
She disappeared for a moment, holding her index finger into the air as the universal signal of 'one moment.'
Cole was a patient man. The team leader would give them the time they needed to prepare, because he was sure they needed it. He began to fidget with his scroll for a moment before the door swung ajar once again. Oh, how his astounded expression betrayed him.
She had grown from the sickly-looking teen he and Ebony had known so many years ago. Now fully developed in a sense. He could not fight the urge as his gaze scanned her in the Haven Academy uniform. Her midnight colored locks swayed as she mimicked his reaction.
The both of them stood there like fools in silence as they took in the others appearance. Each had changed in their own regard. "Cinder."
"Cole." She answered with a slight edge to her tone, easily explaining the lack in emotion as he had possibly interrupted something. "And Ebony? My what a reunion we have? And how you two have changed. I hardly recognized you, Cole." His name rolled off her tongue with a purr, the very same muscle running over his lips as she took his appearance once more. 'Like a piece of meat...', he thought.
'Focus'
"I'd like to talk in private if I may. We have a bit of... personal catching up to do." That only widened the grin she held, her two subordinates professing their disagreement and disapproval of the action.
Cinder, however, ceased their conflicting views with a single raise of the hand. "I would be happy to. Mercury. Emerald. Why don't you socialize with Ebony here outside? I'm sure Cole and I will only take a moment."
He stalked past the twin glares shot towards him, ignoring the hatred and distrust burning in them. It didn't matter what they thought. All that mattered was the information she could provide him.
The dorm room was similar to his own, except segmented between two beds, while the others could be found past a small alcove. 'Interesting set up.' Cole's stare fixed upon her finally as finished his scan of the room.
"So, what did you wish to speak about, Cole? Hm?" She has occupied herself with lounging quite provocatively along her mattress, with one hand draped over her stomach.
Cole knew this behavior all too well, crossing the metal appendages over his chest instead of reacting to the tantalizing scene before him. "I'll get straight to the point..."
That seemed to sour her mood. "...why are you here? You and I both know you're not from Haven. What is your game?" His fingers drummed along his bicep as she waved a dismissive hand at the questioning. He wasn't sure she was even taking their conversation seriously.
"I cannot simply enter by my own terms. I believe you know that well, dear." He pushed down the welling sense of disgust that lingered as she called him anything but his name. "I'm simply visiting the school of the gifted... Nothing more. Nothing less."
Cole then gestured to the doorway with a jab of his thumb, separating them from the other trio of students. "Who's the new posse you seem to have found yourself with?"
She waved her hand as if the subject mattered little importance to her, which Cole was beginning to realize was true. "Simple comrades. Nothing special about them." Cole mouthed a 'right' as she spoke, his amber orbs rolling up the ceiling as he did.
"And do they know your... allegiance? Hardly worth your time if they're simple comrades."
She took her time to answer his next question, whilst probably formulating an explanation that did not reveal too much. "They will show their potential soon. Wether they ally or not. It does not matter. Expendable tools come and go."
Cole's grip on his bicep tightened as metal scraped against metal. 'She said it with such ease.' He quieted his concerns and bit down on his tongue for a moment.
"And so, what are you here for then? I hardly suspected you to be the celebratory type." She giggled at his musings, with a hand held to hide her lips from view. It was such a distasteful sound.
"I am here on official business, yes. But for you to know... I would have to disagree upon that. Let us just say I intend to make Beacon fall."
Cole's amber discs widened ever so slightly, which left him unprepared as she appeared before him so suddenly. As if teleporting from her original location with the speeds she held. She did not hide the fact she noticed him tense, with a devious smile curving her lips.
'I didn't even see...' His thoughts were cut short as her razor-life nails delicately traced circles along his pectoral. Her gold-colored gaze rising to his own now watching her intently. He was on edge and she knew it. It was almost as if she was reading him like a book. Her predatory-like stare glazed over him like the prey she so wished to take.
His fingers wrapped into fists as her nail dug a bit into his collar. Not enough to break the skin with his Aura, but to get a reaction out of him.
Before her musings could continue, Cole caught her hand between his own grip. He held himself enough so that he did not simply break the bones in her hand.
How the action was tempting. To elicit some sort of pain from the woman that had caused him so much.
His thoughts halted suddenly as he felt the familiar cut of her nails dig around his neck and force him again the wall adjacent to the door.
Cole instinctively brought both hands to the one about his throat, attempting to pry the grip from him. How did the gap in power between the two widen so much in their separation? A welling sense of desperation threatening to surface, but he hastily quieted it.
"Cole. Do us both a favor, will you? I would rather not kill you, so why don't you simply walk away from the chessboard of pawns Ozpin has collected and live for once. Maybe then you won't lose as many friends this time."
His narrowed gaze ripped wide, earning her a feral-sounding growl from his lips. His work at the hand from his neck paid off as he switched their position so that her back harshly impacted the wall.
"Oh? Touched a nerve, did I? Why don't you do what you do best? And run back to Ozpin with your tail between your legs like the dog you are? Or did this wolf finally grow some teeth?"
She was pushing him, and she knew it. Yet, the blind fury that rose in his eyes was hard to pass up. It felt good to not be the one on the receiving end.
The metal digits slunk around her throat, aching to contract around the soft flesh. Her golden eyes danced off his, while a soft sensual groan elicited from her lips. The reaction was genuine, he could tell, as he felt his core begin to break under the stress. The two of them were against the dorm's wall, Cinder roughly squared between it and himself. And how they moved...
'Oh…'
His finger relented, the woman lunging to him and taking his lips for her own. Their tongues clashed as hers traced along the edges of his fangs. It felt wrong. So very wrong.
Stumbling backwards, Cole felt the harsh impact of the floor full at his backside. Uttering a pained gasp, Cinder took it upon herself to switch to his neck. Canines graced his skin at the nape of his neck, his jaw hung agape as she worked.
He was powerless. His breath exhaled as heavy gasps for air, as if she was suffocating him under her will. His entire body shivered at her workings, as she punctured the skin at his neck. Earning herself the taste of the warm crimson fluid.
He was hers. How the tables had turned on how authoritative he was. "How dreadful… the wolf bent and collared so easily…"
Reality collided into Cole's mind like a bullet train. He remembered Ebony. Yang. The order. Amber tore wide as he wrenched her from himself. Cinder impacted the desk nearest them sharply, as a pained sound slipped past her clenched teeth. "You insufferable little…"
The enchantress was awarded with Cole rising to one knee, a metal hand covering the mark she had made at his neck. Rage. Disgust. These mixes were what Cole was feeling before his nerves began to settle. "We're done."
The lingering pain and pleasure stung at his senses, yet he pushed forward.
The fury that seeped from her remarks seemed to fade as he paid them no mind. He couldn't make that mistake. He wouldn't. With no hesitation in his stride, the faunus ripped the door wide and was awarded with an incredulous stare from the trio outside.
Mercury and Emerald were the first to retreat and rush into their dorm. Cole swore he could have spotted a look of worry in the green-haired woman's eyes.
With due haste, he wrapped his fingers about Ebony's arm and bolted from the scene before any questions could be formed.
She could have her victory.
Wow! What a chapter! I know this was sort of a wild ride and had different tones to set up. Was a bit difficult to fully decide how Cole and Cinder's reunion would go about. If it clears it up, yes, the two of them were an item in the past.
I made a schedule for each chapter that every Friday I will post one up. I thought I should at least have the second a little early though... just for the hell of it. Like I said above, respond/critique/ask. I'm all ears!
Anyways, until next time!