Chapter Eleven: The Dead of the Night
The warehouse where Cinder had camp set up was a lot different than the one Neo had been staying at. This one was twice the size, and instead of stacks of furniture crates, this one held crates upon crates of weapons and dust.
Workers of the white fang ran about everywhere like the animals they were and in the center of it all was a large circular table. Six chairs sat around it, but two remained empty. In one sat a girl with dual tone pink and brown hair and clothing who was sitting crosslegged, the large chair seeming to swallow up her small form. The next patron sat in the chair to the left of this neopolitan girl. He was dressed in all manners of grey with hints of silver, and had stringy silver and black fringed hair that hung over one of his eyes. There didn't seem to be a set eye, it just fell wherever he had last brushed it to.
There was an empty chair then a girl with bright red eyes and mint green hair sat. she had on a white and forest green halter top and looked both bored and alert at the same time. All sat waiting along with three empty chairs. Neither of any of them talked to one another. In fact none of them looked at one another. Neo was fine with that seeing that she wanted as little to do with these people as she could. She just wanted Roman back.
Suddenly the quiet clink of glass heels on concrete was heard as a young woman with a red dress and charcoal colored hair walked toward them and stopped in front of the table. Not taking a seat she began. "Well, now that we are all here let us begin. Who would like to go first? How about you." She said slyly and pointed a finger at the mint haired girl.
The girl with the minty hair cleared her throat. "The breach was sucessful in the fact the message got through and the public saw it. They surley are panicing now. There...there was a problem though." She said the last sentence timidly. "
Orange eyes narrowed.
"The Grimm were not able to cause any damage..." The red eyed girl said slowly. "There were reports of a cloaked figure who drove them away."
"Well we cannot win them all Emerald. We are lucky to have accomplished two out of the three of our goals." She said. Crimson eyes widened in relief, and clenched shoulders relaxed. "That still does not mean I am not...disappointed." The standing woman said then turned towards Mercury Black. "And what did you accomplish?"
"I found who you were looking for." Mercury reached down to the chair beside him and plopped a thick file of papers onto the table. "Took awhile and alot of...convincing but they got us the information." He flipped his hair into the alternate eye.
"Excellent." A slender hand reached out and Mercury slid the file towards it. Red tipped fingers opened it and quickly thumbed through it. Neo caught a glimpse of what looked like schematics and blueprints. The cool voice of the firey woman began speaking again. "Interesting..." She said as she flipped through the pages.
"What do we do now?" Emerald asked tenativly.
"We wait." Cinder said absently, completely absorbed in her schmatics. Emerald had never seen her like this. The woman was always attentive and able to pay attention to every detail, but now she seemed...immersed.
"For what? The Vytal Festival?" Mercury scoffed.
"Precisely." Cinder fall said. "And I think it's time you three began to train for it."
"Excuse me?" Emerald questioned, mint brows bunched together.
"Well as team NEMS (Nemesis) you are not going to want to lose during the teams round. In fact, I will be very disappointed if you lose during the doubles." Flame eyes were flicking back and forth across a paper lined with small black text.
"You mean, were competing?" Mercury exclaimed dropping his palms on the table.
Neo looked up, surprise viewable on her eyes. 'No!' She thought. 'No we don't have time for this! Roman is going to be killed!' Cider looked up and saw the short girls face.
"Now now." She purred. "We will get to Roman eventually, we just need to lull Vale into thinking that try are safe, and the Festival is just the thing we need." She directed the last sentences towards Neo. "Do not worry. We will get Torchwick back. It seems he would be more useful to us than I had thought."
"Pardon my asking," Mercury said leaning forward in his chair. "But how are we supposed to pull this off. We aren't exactly overqualified to break into an Atlas prison ship."
Cinder looked up and stared the younger man strait in the eyes. "Of course we are not. That's where your last teammate comes in. After one of you has moved up to the singles the other three will gather up Roman. I believe that is what Ms. Neapolitan is here for."
"Other teammate?"
"You can't have a team without four people."
"Who is it?" The mint haired thief asked.
"The best." Cinder replied with a slow smile. "She also will be the one to lead the team in the prison ship operation."
"What!" Two voices exclaimed, one belonging to black eyes and the other to light red. Dual toned eyes mirrored a grimace.
"You heard correctly. You will be operating on her team. We believe it's for the best. Now leave me. I have work to do, and you have to train."
Three chairs were pushed back, and wood scraped concrete as NEM of team NEMS left the table.