Before today, Emerald would have been thrilled to be in Ozpin's office. There were so many secrets and hidden goodies that could have been unearthed. Probably more than a few treasures that would have netted her enough money to purchase her own private island.
But everything was different now, and the only way that Emerald could maintain her sanity was to never think about just how monumentally things had changed in such a short span of time. She was a good guy now – or at least not a bad guy. She was in the office with Neo, team RWBY, as well as Goodwitch and Ironwood. It was awkward enough talking directly about everything that she and Neopolitan had been involved in. When you actually put it all together in a bulleted list, she really did start to sound like a terrible human being. Lots of theft, occasional assault, a couple instances of mental manipulation.
Things took a turn when the subject of what the three of them had done on that lonely road nearly a year ago came up. Ozpin went from stoic to... the only word that came to mind was 'dark'. The other girls were instructed to leave immediately, and his tone left no room for argument. They filed out in silence, and it hung in the air for a while until all the professors were certain that no one was listening in.
"I hope you understand the severity of what you took part in. That girl is still alive, but only barely. And it's clear that Cinder is dangerous enough, even with only half of the maiden's powers."
Emerald tensed up, not really a fan of being lectured. She knew full well what she had done, and she damn sure didn't like it. Especially now that she was dumping all this information right in their laps. She was in a greater danger than any of them, and she didn't have the combat chops to keep herself safe. Being told how foolish she was just poured salt in the wound.
Only the feeling of Neo's hand on her shoulder kept her centered, and her friend signed to her with a warm smile, "It's okay, just tell them. No point in backing down now."
Emerald sighed and pushed herself to sit up a little taller. "Yes. I know exactly what I did, which is why I'm here now. Not really gonna do me any good to start making excuses now. Maybe we can just focus on how we can make it right? Cinder and Merc are tough, but they're not invincible. We can help you."
Glynda pushed herself off the wall where she was leaning and looked down at them both seriously. "First things first, you can help us by staying in the tournament. If a team drops out without good reason, rumors will start to circulate, and that's how bad things get rolling. Second, you're helping us in a consultant capacity only. If we're going to bring in two wanted criminals, we'll do it by the books."
Emerald might have taken that news more in stride, but she could see Neo getting upset as well and figured if both of them were eager to do more, then maybe they would have a chance at really making things right. "No way, if there's going to be some kind of operation, we want in. They used both of us, and taking them down is just as much our business as it is yours!"
Ironwood was the one to speak up this time, perhaps even trying to cut the other two off. "Your semblances could be useful. But if you want to help, then you're going to play by some very strict rules, do you understand?" Both Ozpin and Glynda looked troubled by how quickly he was changing the script, but they also appeared unwilling to call him out on it.
She exchanged a quick glance with Neo who nodded confidently, then looked back to the general. "Understood. Um, sir."
"Good, then let's start discussing tactics."
It had taken a good deal more cajoling to convince the adults that the girls from RWBY could help. They were trying really hard to be all boring and responsible, but with the plan they'd devised so far, there was basically no reason not to have them around to support the fight. Add to that Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, the two of them, as well as some dude named Qrow and a stuck-up lady called Winter, they seemed to have amassed enough skillful warriors that they could take down Cinder and Mercury without too much trouble.
Ironwood tried to insist on bringing in his mechanical soldiers for the operation as well, but that was where everyone had to draw the line. It was already going to be hard enough to manipulate two minds into ignoring ten people, so Emerald was against it. And the others, knowing that Cinder had ways to hack into the security system, they didn't want to risk multiplying their adversaries just because Ironwood wanted to show off.
Team RWBY was shockingly quick to arrive once Emerald sent them the text, geared up and eager to make things right. The plan was fairly simple. Emerald was to get Cinder and Mercury into the empty coliseum, shielding everyone's presence from them until the attack could begin. Ruby and the other girls would focus their efforts on Mercury, armed with enough lightning Dust to overload his legs with electromagnetic energy.
Cinder was, of course, the real issue, which is why they were using the combined efforts of all the assembled professors and professionals to go against her. Emerald expected that once her part of things was done, she would probably be unable to help much. Altering one person's perceptions was difficult enough, and she was going to be doing it to two people at once. It wouldn't need to last for very long, but even just a few seconds was dangerous territory.
Surprisingly, it was the older hunters that showed the lack of dignity. In particular, Winter and Qrow, who were bickering like freaking children. If she had to wager a guess, there was some kind of unresolved tension there. Or maybe tension that seemed resolved and then kind of de-resolved itself. Point being, it was taking some extra patience out of Ozpin and Glynda just to keep them playing it cool. Never mind Ruby and Weiss who were both freaking out about working alongside their family members. In any other situation it might have been adorable, but here and now, it was just aggravating.
A noise from her scroll brought her back to reality and Emerald's heart leapt up into her throat. "Shit! She's on her way."
Everyone else was a little too wrapped up in their own business, so Neo gave her an emphatic arm wave. "Well? Go get ready then. You've got a loud enough voice."
Emerald nodded and ran to the middle of the dais where everyone was acting like a circus. "Hey! Cool it! She's coming, and this is only going to work if the rest of you are in position and completely still. So. Cut your bullshit for like... two hours so we can get this done. Then you all can go back to acting ridiculous." With Neo in tow, she stormed off, knowing that perhaps her attitude was a little harsh but necessary to make this plan work. Very few people save Qrow and Ruby had really seen even an ounce of how dangerous Cinder could be. With just half of the maiden's power, she had become a very real weapon willing to do anything to get what she wanted. And if backed into a corner, no doubt she would pull out all the stops.
They met a little ways outside the coliseum. The good news, as far as Emerald was concerned, was that Cinder wasn't wearing her usual battle outfit. Her 'undercover' clothes were still laced with enough Dust to take down a small militia. But that damn red dress was basically armor for all the things she could do with it. The other benefit to fighting with her in the arena was that there would be a severe lack of glass for her to utilize. No doubt, Cinder would find some way to adjust.
She and Mercury looked wary, but then again they always did. But for whatever reason they played along. "So yeah, we were talking about adding an extra boom to the big finale. Just when everything seems particularly bleak, a few carefully triggered explosions and things get sent down the drain. I mean, can you imagine this entire floating island suddenly losing power and crashing down into the ground below?"
"It's a very good plan, Emerald." Cinder spoke in her usual cool tone of voice as their footsteps brought them in to the center of the coliseum.
"Thanks. I was thinking maybe we do some proper timing, get a kind of... flashy pyrotechnic blast here to distract everyone. Just for funsies."
"No." Cinder stepped forward into the very center of the ring and looked around her. "No, the plan to stop me. It was very intelligent. Getting us here in the middle of a bunch of fighters without realizing it. Not giving us time to prepare before they all suddenly appear and attack. Clever. But pointless. I knew something was amiss the moment you disappeared for parts unknown. I see now it was because you were too busy necking with Neo. Roman will be hurt~" She addressed this last part to the other girl, who responded not with an intelligently signed statement, but instead a simple middle finger.
Well, no point in pushing her semblance past the breaking point. She released her hold and brought everyone into sight. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking, but Emerald could swear that Cinder looked almost impressed for a few moments. "If you absolutely had to gather anyone to try and take me down, you've chosen well. And the upside is, when I kill all of them, there will be no one left to stand in my way when I crush this place under my heel."
"Enough talk," was all she heard from Qrow before he leapt forward to attack her, Yang taking the cue and charging Mercury at the same time. Everyone might have been behaving like children earlier, but when it was time for business, they knew how seriously to take it.
The exhaustion hit Emerald like a brick wall, and she stumblingly removed herself from the melee. Neo was at her side, looking at her with an impressive amount of concern. Even if the girl could audibly speak, it would have been difficult to hear her over the sounds of everyone fighting. "Go, go, they need you more than I do, I'll be fine!" She continued to get herself a reasonable distance away before turning to see how everything was going.
Cinder's confidence wasn't without its reason. Each of them was fighting multiple opponents with Neopolitan constantly flipping around and creating confusing illusory enemies that shattered upon damage. If this was as far as anybody's plans went, there was every possibility that the two of them could have at least held out long enough to make some kind of escape. But splitting up Mercury and Cinder into two separate battles was just the beginning.
Yang was keeping most of Mercury's attention, trading kicks for punches over and over again. On Ruby's signal (it had taken a lot of work to stop her from making the code phrase 'electroshock therapy') Yang back-stepped, her place taken up by Blake who immediately started fighting him instead, making clone after clone of ionized air. While he was distracted by that, Ruby and Weiss both loaded up as much Dust as they could before frying the ever-loving crap out of Mercury's cybernetic legs. He tried as hard as he could to keep them running, but the overload was too much and soon he was on the ground, growling in frustration.
Cinder was harder to trick and disable, but she was also fighting much more skilled hunters. Neopolitan made a good moving target to keep her frustrated, bolstered by whatever useful minion Winter could summon. Qrow kept up the main assault in direct melee, aided by his sheer rage at having his mission to protect Amber utterly trashed. Glynda was firing anything and everything she could at her, and Ironwood was basically never not firing his gun. And Oz was... well... it was difficult to tell. He was kind of phasing in and out of reality, clashing over and over against Cinder's knives.
At this point, Cinder could very well have made something of a victory and gotten away. But Mercury was dispatched so quickly that now she also had team RWBY turning their attention on her. "Tsk tsk, for the supposed good guys, you really aren't fighting fair."
Qrow growled as he took a step toward her, holding the point of his scythe at her neck. "Shove it. You weren't terribly merciful when you attacked the Fall Maiden."
"I only took half her powers, and she's still alive."
"Because I showed up and you chickened out! Now, any last words before I make you pay?"
"Stand down, Qrow! We need her alive." Glynda's voice was hard as steel and a little terrifying. She pushed him aside and stepped forward, pointing her crop in Cinder's face, who didn't so much as flinch. "She can't pay for her crimes if we destroy her. And seeing as I had to help care for Amber when she was brought here, I'm eager to see Miss Fall suffer." Glynda flicked her weapon again, sending out a wave of energy beams that turned into shackles, surrounding and binding her limbs. "Ironwood. Time to see if your scientists know what they're talking about or if they're blowing smoke up your..." she paused and glanced at the gathered students, perhaps deciding to censor herself. "...nose..."
The general strode up to where Cinder stood, not even bothering to struggle against the energy holding her in place. She just had that same look of smug assurance as always. That was worriesome. Ironwood slapped a patch on her neck, and just as suddenly some of the color drained from her face and she started to waver slightly. "As you can see, we know what we are doing in Atlas. Whether it's military intelligence or scientific endeavors, when we seek to do something, we make it happen. She might still have the powers of half a Fall Maiden, but her semblance is locked away. That should make things significantly easier."
Things were winding down, and nobody looked particularly relieved. After all, this wasn't over yet, and all the confidence in the world wouldn't save them if Cinder got free and came back for them with a vengeance. But this particular job was done and they still had a tournament to compete in. "Go on, kids. You've earned a rest." Ozpin waved them off while helping to escort Cinder and Mercury... somewhere else. Emerald didn't know where, and she didn't want to know.
As they all left and began heading in various directions, Ruby came up alongside her and Neopolitan with a little smirk. "...is it true what she said about you two? Because that's seriously adorable." Amazing that she could participate in this kind of knock-down, drag-out brawl and still find time to squee over someone else's love life.
Wait, love life? Was that an accurate phrase? They had flirted the other day, and they had shared a bed and been at least kind of close. But perhaps in the end that was just because they were alone together in all of this. Was that a terrible reason to like somebody?
Neopolitan was actually the one to respond, signing a bit awkwardly with her hands, "We haven't necked yet, but it's in the works at least." Which, of course, Ruby couldn't understand, Emerald was too embarrassed to translate, and nobody else had seen. Once it became clear she wasn't going to get a verbal answer, Ruby went back to annoying her girlfriends instead.
Emerald looked over at her with a small smile. "Was that a serious answer or were you just saying that because you knew she wouldn't get it anyway?"
Starting to get that old smug grin back, Neo just replied "I haven't quite decided yet, but I'm open to being convinced. Besides, as a very wise woman once said – I'm a multitasker, I can be both serious and joking at the same time."