Cinder grinned "So he has no semblance, and his fight style is more defensive but not to be underestimated. And he seems to value others over himself, possibly willing to die for them"
"Yes, from how fast he said wen I was about to choose Pyrrha I'd say so" replied Mercury
"Good" Cinder's eyes glowed like a lit fireplace as she stared at a sowing needle
--
David sighed as he entered the ball room, wearing a simple black suit with a red tie "This is choking me" he mumbled
"See, told you it would look nice!" exclaimed Yang from behind a podium, wearing a short white dress with black heels
"Yeah, but this is awkward to wear and I'll just be standing around. So have fun" he replied and walked off to the side
"We can have a dance" proposed Yang
"I can't dance at all, go have fun with Blake and stuff. I'm fine on my own" he stated before heading over to where Ruby and Ozpin were
"Hello David! Awkward time?" exclaimed Ruby
"Mhmm" replied David
"Talk, dance, drink, eat, just have fun. That's what this is all about" stated Ozpin before leaving, not allowing the two to get a word in
"Great, now we can be antisocial over here" groaned David
"We can talk with one another though" replied Ruby
"True, but about what?" asked David
"... I see your point, you aren't as big as a weapons fanatic as I am, I don't know much about your world. You can talk to John" she proposed
"True I can... I'll do that" he took out his phone
"UGH, this is horrible" he texted
"Ball?" replied John
"Yup"
"Well... you could keep an eye out for Cinder"
"Yes, I could. But no clue when she will go and I am currently standing with Ruby so yeah"
"Well, she goes after merc and em comferm everyone has a partner, so jaune goes and gets his dress and then they go, nit noticing ruby"
"Right. There is extra guards situated there. Jaune might not wear a dress but from what I know, he still has yet to grow a pair and ask Pyrrha even though they are thing"
"well the basis was that nobody would ask pyrrha out so... i could still happen right?"
"Yeah, when I see him I'll talk to him"
"And in comes the evil duo, yay"
"Well, not much yoy can do about them"
"man i wish i was there with you"
"As I have said, you should be here. Not me"
"Well, this weird multiuniversal portal thing chose you and not me, so were styck with it"
"Until either I die or the gods do something about it"
"well, we can just hope that you get things sorted out with salem so that the gods can do something about it"
"Ah yes, me talk with Salem, a woman that is part grimm and wants to destroy all of humanity"
"again i still believe thanks to ozpin, she just wants to rule as a god"
"Debatable. Only time will tell, should probably put this away incase dingus and wingus over there notice and tell Cinder"
"ok gl with the whole counter virus thing"
"You mean failure, yes. I'll update after this garbage is over"
"ok"
David sighed and put his phone in his breast pocket as Jaune walked over "I see you two are hiding at the punch bowl too"
"Yup" replied Ruby and David, almost in sync
"To the socially awkward" he stated as he lent out his glass
Ruby giggled and clinked their glasses as David watched, not holding one
"You still haven't asked Pyrrha?" asked David
"No" replied Jaune, looking at the ground
"Hey, I've only been in one relationship but I know how you feel, but just go up to her and say that you want to dance" explained David
"Wait, you were in a relationship once?" asked Ruby, raising a brow
"Yup, it was long distance and we broke up but we kept in touch and stayed as friends... haven't talked to her since I got here though" David stared at the floor in thought "Anyway, yeah do that Jaune"
"Yeah but, if I mess up-"
"You won't, and even if you do she knows you want. She's just waiting for you to say it... hey if she asks you before you ask her, wear a dress. A clean dare never hurt anyone" stated David
"What?!" exclaimed Jaune
"Yeah, if you don't ask her and she asks you instead, wear dress. But if you do ask her then you still wear a suit" explained David
Jaune sighed and set down is glass "You know what, you're right"
"I am?" asked David
"I'll find her and ask her" he said, with strength and strided off
"Yeah go Jaune!" cheered Ruby
"Uh, Ruby. I really don't want to miss this but I need to go talk to someone then probably leave. Sorry, but Yang is somewhere" came David
"Ah it's fine, go on you. I'll get a picture if Jaune wears a dress" replied Ruby
"Heh, thanks" David walked away and went to Ironwood who was standing with Ozpin "Ironwood"
"Hello David, enjoying your time here?" asked Ironwood
"Eh, it's okay" replied David "Well, you know who is going to be heading to you know what soon... and even though there is extra guards I was thinking-" David scratched the back of his head
"Here" Ironwood handed a sort of card to David, it was rectangular in shape and had a plastic case and had the words "Level 0 access" on it
David stared at the card for a moment "Uh, thanks. I'll try to stop her if she gets through 'em"
"I hope you don't have to, but be safe. I'll be there in about twenty minutes" replied Ironwood
"No problem" David held the card and fast-walked out of the ball room, heading for the CCT tower
Unbenounced to him, Mercury and Emerald were watching "He's leaving, keep on your guard" Mercury said on his earpiece
"No worries, he won't be a problem" replied Cinder, watching from a roof wearing an outfit consisting of a sleeveless jacket, long gloves, stiletto heel boots, a black glass mask, and several straps with containers of powdered Dust lined across her pants. The gloves, boots and pants having black mosaic designs.
--
David made it half way to the tower then took out his phone, going to text John
"Making my way to the tower, gonna see if I can help stop Cinder before well. Things happen" he texted
"Ok, Gl, hopefully if Ruby notices she can provide backup" John replied
"I believe she's with Yang, got Jaune to try and talk to Pyrrha and if she asks for a dance first he wears a dress. Anyway, extra guard and got an access card thingy from James to enter it without problems"
"nice, let em know cinders coming, might help"
"Yeah, gonna do that. Hearts beating rn, I'll update if it goes well"
"gl"
"Yeah, I'll need it" he thought as he walked over to the entrance of the CCT tower, where there was four guards at it, two at each door. He showed the guards the card and they stepped aside for him to enter, which Cinder watched with a grin, waiting for David to walk well away from the door to take out the guards
"Looks like someone is important to the General" she thought
David kept his card for the guards inside, about ten he could see and probably more in the computer room "Someone is going to be coming here, be careful, they'll be after very specific information" he told them, getting reluctant nods from the guards being told what to do by a sixteen year old
Outside, the four guards were already unconscious as Cinder dragged them over to a nearby bush
David went up the small elevator and walked out into the access terminal room "Great, it's just me here... fuck. Right ask John for a tiny bit of help" He quickly took out his phone again
"When she arrives, what do I do? She will beat me" he texted
"Just as you see her, alert Ironwood, and hold until he gets there" John replied
"Right, and lose. Wait I won't have time, I'm in the 'puter room"
"If yoy wemt before her hide behind a dest and as you see the elevator come down then text him"
"Right. Should have plenty of time till she comes"
As he sent the last text Cinder stretched her arms, walking into the elevator past the downed and probably dead guards "Let's see how good you really are" she mumbled to herself as the elevator went up
David went under the desk on the right closest to the door of the elevator Maybe 5 minu-" the doors opened and the sound of heels clanking on the floor was heard "SHE'S HEAR NOW?!" He went to grab his scroll but dropped it from under the desk "Oh no"
Cinder looked over at the scroll and walked to it. David held his hands over his mouth, prolonging being found
Cinder grinned and crouched down, looking under the desk, looking straight at David "Hello~"
David silently screeched as Cinder grabbed his foot and dragged him out from under the desk and slid him across the floor "This is bad, do something" He went to grab his katana hilt but it was laying away from him after Cinder slid him away. David leapt over to grab the hilt but Cinder kicked forward into his stomach, causing him to roll away. Cinder done a finger wag and kicked the hilt away
David got up and threw a punch at Cinder who easily side stepped and punched him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground again. Cinder crouched down to him with a grin before standing up and kicking him hard in the face, knocking him out
Cinder then went to one of the access terminals and easily got onto it, random code appearing brfore changing into a chess piece "Got it, we're done here" she said into her ear piece. Cinder heads for the side doors, smiling at David as she walks through them and Ironwood and two guards burst into a still dazed David getting up from the floor
Ironwood pointed at the side doors and the soldiers went over to check it out "David, are you alright?" asked Ironwood, helping him up
"No, two hits to the stomach an one to the face... and she got what she needed" choked David as years welled up in his eyes
"Damn. It's okay, you tried. But it'll be ok" Ironwood assured, using a handkerchief to wipe David's tears. The guards returned and shook their heads
"Where do I-" started David
"Are you seriously injured?" asked Ironwood
"No, just need some time to recover is all... we need to do a scan of the network, hopefully find and remove the virus before it does anything" replied David
"Right. Are you sure you're okay? Do you need any help?" asked Ironwood, offering his shoulder to help David walk
"No, I'm okay. I'll head back to the ball, see how everyone is doing..." he trailed off before making his way to the side door
--
David sighed as he sat down on one of the seats "Failure" he thought. He placed his hands on his head before he took out his phone
"I fucked up" he texted
"How" John replied
"She went in early, must have seen me. And when she got in well, I was scared that I couldn't do shit. She easily beat, and if she didn't have time constraints would have toyed why me like a cat to a mouse and got the virus on"
"Shit, did you get a scan done to try and find it?"
"They are doing it right now, I'm sitting back at the ball resting. Can't do much after two gut hits and a kick to the face"
"Pyrrha is going to die because of me"
"No she isn't, just tell her about ems semblance thing"
"And go friggin help"
"That won't do much, that's Penny. What?"
"Get help up there, and i think having accidentally killed someone would weigh on her mind during the fall, don't you?"
"Help up where? Probably, yeah"
"Tower"
"Train more, unlock your semblance, ask how you can try strengthen your aura"
"CCT tower? But I don't know how to check for viruses there. Oh, but"
"Yeah just cuz the virus is there, doesn't mean the fall will kill everyone, just be there to give the help neccisary"
"Yes but. I don't know what to do. I'm sitting in the ball room as everyone else is dancing"
"Rn, there's nothing you can do"
"Right. I'll wait, tomorrow I think or something. I panicked, dropped the scroll which lead her to me and couldn't even fight back, I only threw a punch which she dodged"
"But seriously train, if you ain't doing hwk or studying, train"
"I know, Yang has a morning training set up for us"
"Ok good"
"But that's only 4 extra months for Cinder who's has close to 20 years and will have Maiden powers"
"At that point you will be able to hold your own in a fight and give pyrrha the upper hand, maybe train with her too, so you get to know her fighting style better"
"Train with Pyrrha? But John, 10 months vs 20 years"
"Again, you will be able to give Pyrrha the boost she needs, she can do the rest, just provide support"
"And fail"
"Maybe if your semblance turns our to be a healy one you can save her that way"
"Jaune"
"Has he unlocked his?"
"No, not yet"
"Keep going at it"
"Right"
"10 months is better than 4"
"Yeah but compared to 20 years is nothing"
"We agreed that you would try either way"
"Yeah, and I'm kinda forced to"
"Well, we always knew it wasn't going to be easy"
"Yes"
David sighed and was about to put the phone in his breast pocket when the sound of chatter and laughter made him look up. Jaune walked in wearing a white dress, going over to Pyrrha
David grinned to himself and watched them "Guess this is good, a way to distract myself" he thought
--
David yawned as he entered is room and placed his phone in a drawer of the desk "Four or five months left till the whole big thing. Great" he mumbled to himself. He chucked himself onto his bed, falling asleep almost as soon as he hit the pillow
Later, Cinder slowly opened the drawer and took the phone "Fingerprint, good" Cinder grabbed his wrist and slowly moved his forefinger up and against the back of the phone where the fingerprint scanner was, below the camera Aha"
Cinder went through the phone, checking messages between him and John and anything she deemed important "So you know this much, good. Didn't think you saw me that way" she thought, placing the phone back in the drawer and leaving a note on top of the desk "Sleep tight"