Chapter 27: Hello there my enemy.
Two years ago
The first thing Emerald felt when she finally regained consciousness was a deep and intense soreness that pervaded throughout her whole body. The pain was like a deep bruise or like that pain you get for sleeping on your neck the wrong way, except all over her body. She let out a low mumbling groan and instantly regretted it.
That regret was spawned from the second thing she felt, the eyes of predators on her, specifically the eyes of Grimm. Aura alerts it's wielders to the presence of danger and specifically eye's upon you, Emerald had honed it well enough to be able to differentiate when Grimm was looking at her and when people were looking at her. She kept her eyes closed as her mind raced through multiple worst-case scenarios.
Did Yang just leave me in the woods to die? Am I in hell? Did Grimm kill her and leave me here? Or… the last idea frightened her worse than the others. Did Cinder rescue me and give me over to her as punishment?
That idea sent her heart racing, and she hoped it wasn't the case, death was preferable to whatever she had in mind. Emerald took stock of her situation, her arms and feet were bound. Not the greatest situation but it means I'm not dead. Her being sat in a chair ruled out being left in the woods and she heard a torch crackling somewhere nearby. Dungeon/prison it is then.
A dungeon she could deal with, she'd been in plenty of dungeons in her time as a thief. Cracking open one eye she set herself to survey her surroundings. The first thing she saw was a rough stone floor that was poorly lit by a nearby campfire. I'm not in a dungeon I'm in an altered cave. Where are the Grimm? What are they waiting for?
"We know you're awake" a familiar voice cut through making Emerald's headache in the memory. Yang! "So do us a favor and stop pretending ok?"
Looking up Emerald was greeted with a peculiar image, Yang was sat in down on her haunches with that strange white and red kimono draped over her shoulders and that terrifying Grimm mask over her head. Next to Yang was a Woman with a similar mask and black hair spilling out of her mask. Why do they feel like Grimm?
"When will it hit her?" Yang asked matching Emerald's glare.
"Any second now" the Other responded watching Yang rather than Emerald.
When will what hit me? Emerald didn't have to wonder long as a wave of nausea hit her like the Argus limited, she bent over in her chair as far as she could and retched onto the floor. She bent far but some still stained her pants. Great now the humiliation is complete.
Yang let out a little snicker at the sight, earning only more of Emerald's hatred. She couldn't wipe away a long line of drool hanging off her chin swinging like a pendulum back and forth as she rocked in the chair.
"Uh Em, you got something right there" Yang tapped her chin to bring attention to hanging drool. Emerald was determined to think up a particularly gruesome nightmare to drill into Yang's bimbo brain.
"Never tease a captive," The Other woman said standing up and walking towards Emerald, she retrieved a small red handkerchief from her pocket as she approached. Despite the handkerchief and the clear-ish intentions Emerald still leaned away from the woman. The woman said nothing, didn't even seem to notice Emerald's reaction and wiped away the hanging drool. "There all better"
Emerald had to scoff, despite her situation their tactics were obvious.
"Seriously"?" she said as the other woman packed away the handkerchief. "The good-cop-bad-cop routine?"
The dark Red woman just stared at her for a second before slamming her fist right into Emerald's stomach so hard it cracked the captive girl's aura and knocked the air out of her. Emerald struggled to regain her breath and part of her was worried she might puke once more. Fingers dug into her hair as her face was wrenched back up. Red eyes glared at her from behind a Grimm mask, there was nothing but hate and contempt in those eyes.
"There are no good-cops here Emerald Sustrai" it came out of the mask in a growling whisper and Emerald's nausea was swallowed up by her fear.
Tossing Emerald's head back the other woman leaned against the cave wall and nodded towards Yang. Rising from her squatting position she approached Emerald; still trying to recapture her breath. For a while, she just stood there and let the thief catch her breath.
"What?" Emerald spat weak deviance up at the blonde.
"How did you do it?" Yang said crouching down to look Emerald in the eye. "You're an illusionist, but was it working on me or was it working on the whole stadium?"
"What do you think?" Emerald started to gather spit in her mouth to shoot right in her captors face. I'm not going to just sit here and make it easy for them.
"It was just me then, your illusions are good; full tactile feelings on top of sounds and visuals. Would be too straining to use on the whole stadium."
Emerald said nothing all but confirming Yang's statement. Yang slowly lifted up her mask exposing her face to Emerald. She was tired, that was the first thing that passed through Emerald's mind, the fact that Yang looked incredibly tired. It took her a second to even see that her eyes were Red and another second to realize now was her opportunity to hawk the luge-e into the Blonde's face.
The spit wad splattered against Yang's cheek right but the only reaction she got was a slight twitch of the eye.
"Tell me Em," she said calmly wiping the spittle off her cheek and flicking it to the floor. "Did you make Mercury say 'there's not going to be a next time blondie' or was that all him?"
Yang did a pretty good impression of Emerald's partner in crime, but the intensity in Yang's eyes made it hard to find humor in that fact, dust it made it hard for her to even remember who did it. Emerald mumbled a bit before regaining her composer under that unblinking gaze.
"Mercury. He lightened my load by saying it himself" Emerald finally answered hoping Yang would look somewhere else at the very least, she felt like a fly under a microscope. Luckily Yang did turn her head and with a quick little illusion set in Place Emerald began work at her bindings. Yang's fingers reached up, wiped away the spit and then buried themselves in her hair and began to shake.
Is she crying? Emerald thought somehow unable to draw pleasure from that. All at once the shaking stopped, the hand fell and Yang turned back to face her a soft smile on her face.
"Thanks, emerald" was all she said.
"You're wel-" before the word left Emerald's lips Yang's fist collided with her cheek and knocked her chair off balance. The chair started to tip over only to be caught by Yang, lifted up and thrown onto the cave floor, shattering the chair into splinters.
Emerald was in a daze; it had all happened so fast and she barely managed to compose herself in time to see Yang straddle her, rear her head back and slam her masked forehead right into Emerald's face. Then again. And again.
Grabbing both sides of Emerald's face Yang roared a furious hate filled scream into the master thief.
"YOU BITCH!" Yang threw her into the cave wall sending pain shooting up Emerald's shoulder as it struck stone. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE! AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE! WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?"
I need to get out of here, I need to escape! Desperation coursed through Emerald's mind making her illusion difficult to maintain. She started to crawl away only for Yang to hoist her up by her hair and whisper-shouted into her ear.
"Answer me!" her words hissed through her teeth flooded with hatred. "Why did you do it?"
Emerald felt blood dribbling out of her nose the world suddenly felt so surreal. "Wuh-w-we needed people to panic" Emerald managed to croak out. Yang's hand tightened and twisted her hair causing Emerald to yelp at the pain. "WHAT? THAT'S THE TRUTH!"
"WHY ME?" The other woman was closer now keeping her eyes fixed on Yang rather than Emerald as if she didn't care what Emerald had to say in this interrogation. "Was it just cause I was picked or were you planning this?"
Ember Celica unfolded in a not so subtle threat. Emerald knew she couldn't get herself out of the bonds in time to save herself if Yang decided to start beating her with those gauntlets.
Think! think! think! I need to stall. What would Cinder do? Emerald was in a dicey situation, she was trapped in a cave who knows where being interrogated by a very emotional, VERY punch happy warden. With no guarantee of life even if I do tell them everything.
"Mercury wanted to fight you." A Half-truth, not the real reason they picked her but it might buy time. "He figured gun-gauntlets vs gun-boots would be an interesting fight"
That got a chuckle from the blonde-bruiser, though it sounded hollow. Letting go of her hair Yang let Emerald fall to the ground. Squatting down on her haunches Yang treated emerald to a knowing smile and a tired look.
"That's funny Em, It's a lie, but it's a funny lie" Emerald's eyes drifted back to the shotgun gauntlets on Yang's wrist and unconsciously swallowed. "I want the truth, all of it"
Beads of sweat started to form on Emerald's face and fight or flight started to take over.
"You were a hot head, everyone knew. That's what made it believable. It's why we picked you" There was no look of surprise or widening of eyes just a small defeated look as if Yang had already known but had wanted more.
She was quiet for a long time and the interrogation cave became so quiet that Emerald worried about the noise her straining against her restraints might make even with her semblance. Then Yang nodded, not to Emerald really, it was more of a nod to herself and without a word, she stood up and left the room.
Leaving me with the other one? She strained her eyes towards Other woman but like Yang, she wasn't paying attention to her, she was looking towards where Yang went. Is it too much to ask that I be the center of attention in my own interrogation?
Raven
Raven waited a bit before following Yang out of the interrogation chamber. Outside of the cell door was a long pathway of carven stone that led to another door. Raven removed her helm before stepping into the other room. They were back in the stop-off base they had stayed in when Raven first rescued Yang. Dust that feels like a lifetime ago.
Yang was sat on one of the couches near the cave entrance, her mask left to the side and her head in her hands. She was shaking. Crying. Raven approached her daughter keeping an arm's length from her still unused to being a mother. She started to reach a hand out to… hold her? pat her on the back? I don't even know why she's crying? What's the protocol here?
Her fingertips rested on Yang's back causing her shaking to subside ever so slightly.
"Yang?" her voice was soft and she tried to put some comfort in it thinking back to the day she told Yang how proud she was.
"I'm not crazy," Yang said face leaving the confines of her hands. There were tears streaming down her face in rivers but she was smiling despite the tears, a small shaking grin. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and took a shuddering breath in. "I'm not Crazy" she repeated as if she couldn't quite believe it herself.
It was one thing to be told you're right, its another thing to know it. The relief that comes from vindication is enough to make a person forget that they'd been wronged and somehow hope that the world would make sense once more. Raven sat down next to Yang, brushing her hand up and down her back.
"You're not crazy daughter mine, you never were" Raven turned Yang to face her and rested her hands on her hips. Her air of comfort dissipated away allowing her aura of the teacher to flood back in. "You are sane Yang, but the question remains what are you going to do now that you know that?"
Yang looked up face still slightly puffy from the tear. "I-I don't know…" she let her hands fall between her knees and a bit of helplessness started to creep in on her. "I guess I could get Emerald to confess this to Ozpin or Ironwood."
Yang's brow furrowed at the words coming out of her mouth and for an instant Raven's mouth twitched upwards in approval.
"No" Yang continued, "Ozpin and Ironwood thought I was crazy from the start, after all, I did for them! I mean it's not like a mind-altering semblance is unheard of right?"
Raven nodded. Yang stood up the energy of anger flowing through her now. "They made me see that crap to agitate the Grimm, Ozpin, and Ironwood locked me up to placate the Grimm. These two idiots are fighting their little idiot war and I get caught in the middle of this garbage" Yang's hands were shaking and she was gesturing around wildly. "They wanna wreck my life for their plan, then I'm not gonna leave them to Oz and Ironwood. That's too easy" she threw her hand towards the door leading to where Emerald was chained up.
Raven suppressed a chuckled at Yang's bravado, she was so much like her father wanting to give appropriate payback and ignoring the dangers. "are you sure Yang? These people are dangerous"
Yang smirked at that baring her pearly white teeth. "So am I mom, this Cinder woman she's got a master right? That singer in my head. I'm sticking with the plan, and that Grimm woman will have to deal with it.." She cocked Ember Celica for added effect "and, I'll leave Ozpin and Ironwood with the shame that I sorted out their problem better than they did."
Raven matched her daughter's grin. "My thoughts exactly Daughter mine" This is professional courtesy Salem, your pawn overstepped her bounds this is what she gets. "Cinder still has allies in the city, I suggest we rectify that"
Blake
Blake was making great time through the crowded halls of Beacon, on any other day she'd be impressed with this accomplishment. Well that's not entirely true on any other day she'd take her sweet time with the walk back to her dorm, content to laze about as she returned to her place of rest, but this wasn't any other day. Dust it hadn't been 'any other day' for weeks now. Her ears twitched beneath her bow as she heard words of veiled threats sent her way as she ran, these threats weren't uncommon for her. This treatment was one she'd experienced many times before… but never here at Beacon and never in her guise as a human.
She tried to ignore them as she ran but it was omnipresent, a part of her felt defiled by the judgment and another part felt like her hackles were raised. She'd been on edge the past two weeks, this once safe school had become a dangerous location, her and her teammates had become persona non grata and, if Blake was being fair, her paranoia had gone into overdrive of late.
Is it actually paranoia is I'm actually surrounded by enemies. She mused as she hopped over the heads of a group of students rude enough to chat in the middle of a hallway. They're not your enemies Blake they're your fellow students, they won't attack you.
That thought felt hollow in her skull and try as she might she couldn't bring herself to play along with the lie. People were scared and when people get scared they lash out and they'd lash out against her for being even tangentially related to the present problem. Yang. That thought was poison in her head and she was unsure how to feel. She skidded to a halt outside her dorm door and threw herself inside.
The dorm was a strange sight now, Weiss was sat in front of the desk with her hair undone and clear signs of recent combat all about her. Ruby was standing just behind Weiss leaning against the desk her whole-body tense while her hands were busy reassembling Crescent rose with casual ease. In front of both girls leaning against the window frame was a lanky grey man who Ruby referred to as 'Uncle Qrow'. Ruby gave Blake a smile at her entrance while Weiss merely glanced over her.
That tension is still there it seems. Blake thought remembering her shouting match with Weiss right before this whole mess devolved.
"I got your message Ruby," Blake said slightly out of breath, she shut the door behind her. "What's going on?"
"Ruby's uncle has some information concerning Yang," Weiss said looking at her own hands rather than at Blake. "We wanted you to be here before he told us"
Everyone's eyes shifted to the teacher in their midst. A thousand thoughts were running through her head about what 'information concerning Yang' meant and she was certain her team were considering similar things.
Did they find the body? Being the grimmest of ideas. Qrow let out a sigh before turning to face them, his hand briefly drifting towards the flask at his hip before being locked into his folded arms. He took a deep breath before he spoke.
"Yang's alive"
When Qrow had finished speaking, when he had finished explaining every detail of the event, the room seemed like an entirely different world. Ruby was clutching onto him weeping joyful tears crying as she held onto her uncle, while Weiss simply covered her mouth and cried shaking tears picturesque even in this emotionally compromised state. Blake, on the other hand, was quietly slouched against the corner of her make-shift bunkbed.
"I didn't kill her, I didn't kill her" Ruby repeated again and again through her tears. "I didn't kill my sister!"
"No Ruby you didn't," Qrow said patting her back. Ruby was settling down, that was good, great even. Blake was anything but settled.
Oh, dust it's happening again. Qrows description of Yang sent a chill running up Blake's spine, the Grimm masks just like the white fang, the emotionally targeting attacks. There was a grim similarity here that was sending Blake's heart racing. Her hands were shaking her breath was coming in short bursts. I'm having a panic attack!
Blake stumbled crashing against the bedpost and shaking the already precariously balanced bunk-bed. A stack of books fell loose from the bed and the top bunk collapsed onto the bottom bunk in a deafening crash. Blake gripped her chest and took in quick shallow breaths trying to regain some control ignoring all that was around her.
I just do this to people, don't I? I turn good people rotten don't I, I need to run need to get out of here! Adam Yang Adam Yang! She started to struggle to get up somehow escape. I can't be around people, They'll go bad too! I know they will.
A warm hand touched Blake's shoulder and she flinched away in surprise, turning to look into Ruby's Silver eyes. Those eyes were stained with tears and her cheeks were puffy red from her crying and yet there was a strength to those eyes and a solidness. Blake needed that solid rock.
"Blake." Just Ruby saying her name was enough to lessen the mania in Blake's mind. "Deep breaths Blake, breath deep"
She said it slowly, breathing with Blake and sticking close until the Faunus had recovered her breath. It shook Blake, despite the fact that Blake had denounced her sister and was having a panic attack after hearing that Yang had survived, Ruby was still there to help her teammate.
No one could ruin Ruby. Blake thought, bringing her breathing back to normal and sitting up into a less precarious position. She nodded to Ruby and Ruby simply nodded back satisfied that her teammate had herself under control.
"So Yang said she was a 'secret' Faunus?" there was half a chuckle in Weiss's voice when she asked Qrow. "After Blake's big reveal you'd think she would come forward with something like that"
Weiss was joking around a bit in an effort to distract from the big question looming over everyone's heads What do we do now? Qrow scratched the back of his head letting out a half-hearted laugh.
"No Tai and… Yang's mom aren't Faunus. Pretty sure Yang was jerking me around" Qrow answered not noticing Ruby hug herself at the mention of 'Yang's mom. Blake, on the other hand, did see. "Still she had a Grimm mask on. Might be worth it to see what the fang in Vale knows"
"The white fang isn't the only group who wear Grimm-masks you know?" Blake retorted clearly annoyed. Though I shouldn't be, now isn't the time for that kind of behavior.
Qrow to his credit was just as quick as Blake was in his response. "Then check all those other Grimm-mask wearing groups too. We're in the early weeks of this, if we act quickly, we might be able to find her before anyone else does"
"Where've you been Uncle Qrow?" the room froze as the question lingered in the air, the question was almost as shocking as the one who asked it. Ruby was half asking half accusing when she spoke. "When Yang escaped you were somewhere else, and since then you've been gone most of the time. I know you have missions but you were spotted on campus a few times. What have you been doing? I needed your help. Yang needed your help."
Qrow swallowed before sitting himself on Weiss' bunch letting out a tired sigh that reminded Blake of her father when the white fang turned militant. This time Qrow did take a swig from his bottle.
"Tell me, kid, what's your favorite fairy-tale?"
He was shivering behind his Grimm-mask, and yet his sweat was making the inside of his hood cling to the back of his neck. He took in huge gulps of breath as he ran through the docks darting between crates and storage rooms, the whole time the sound of his brethren in a fiercely one-sided battle was echoing back at him. Panic gripped Cernia as he contemplated removing his white fang uniform for the third time in the past minute.
I mean I'd be naked but if this thing is after the fang who fuckin cares?. He thought to himself as he shoved himself into an open crate. He started to remove the mask when another thought interrupted. But if she's attacking us cause we're Faunus ill need all the armor I can wear.
Cernia had been going back and forth with this debate of to strip or not to strip for the last five minutes. Suddenly the sounds of gunshots and explosions died downed and Cernia was trapped in a dark empty crate with deafening silence. The quiet was worse than the sounds of battle and he felt an old, almost primal feeling take hold inside him.
Once, when he was young, Cernia had explored the deserts of Menagerie. While he was out there he became lost. In the 2 days that he was lost he'd been stalked by a lone Beowulf. The situation had been terrifying, having to struggle to hide and keep his mind on other things while the oppressive feeling of a predator bearing down on him threatened to overwhelm him. He'd been afraid of the desert since that day and always stuck to heavily guarded cities and kept well away from forests.
It had all been for naught it seems since in this silence he felt that same oppressive terror that he had when the Beowulf was right behind him. He blew out a shaking breath and pressed his back to the container walls.
Keep calm, keep calm. Follow the protocol. He thought as he pulled out his scroll with shaking hand. He knew he had to get a message out to his higher-ups or risk their ire if he survived and sent them nothing. Although that's a big if.
Still, if he was going to be stuck trapped in this room he'd be safest distracting himself from the predator stalking him and his outside. His fingers tapped silently over the screen trying to write the message properly when there was tapping on the wall behind him. Cernia nearly jumped out of his skin at the noise and had to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming out loud in shock. That predator feeling was going into overdrive and despite his best efforts, he couldn't drown the fear out.
Metal started to scream as something pried at the crate's walls pulling them apart with impossibly strong hands. The first thing to poke through the newly torn hole was a Grimm skull and red glowing eyes.
No no no no. I'm going to Die! I'm going to die! The Grimm's claws tore the hull apart like it was made of tissue paper and Cernia felt tears of terror run down his cheeks as he made peace with himself.
"Please I don't want to die" he whined as the Grimm stalked towards him. Suddenly it lunged forward its claw shooting out and hammering through the wall right next to him. He Froze in utter terror unable to move scream or run away.
"BOO!" the Grimm said and Cernia jumped back in surprise banging his head against the metal crate wall and sending himself into the unconscious void.
He knocked himself out. Yang had to laugh, the whole situation was utterly hilarious. The same type of funny that comes from scaring smaller kids in a haunted house but magnified tenfold. This fanger had Elk antlers poking out of his hood and blue tinted hair that somehow seemed discordant with the antlers.
Reaching down Yang retrieved the scroll from the unconscious Elk-man and found the yet to be sent message to his superiors. This wasn't the first time that she'd seen a message like this, heck she was sure she found a have typed out scroll message in the warehouse she and Neo hit when they grabbed Emerald. Since that, though she'd picked up scrolls with messages just like this one on the scrolls of fangers all across vale.
C: We're under attack, dust cache's exploded. An attacker in a Grimm mask.
And it's being sent to an A.T wonder who that is? Yang gave a shrug and pressed send on the scroll before retrieving her own scroll and searching through her target zones. She stepped out of the crate into the open docks, behind her there were dozens of unconscious white fang operatives and a whole crate of dust set ablaze, she paused briefly her eyes lingering on the snow-flake symbol adorning the side of the crate.
Best not linger on the past, that's what mom would tell you.
Shaking her head Yang checked back with her scroll and saw that the white-fang outposts were barely weathering the storm that was the Branwen fury. Each safe house, each base, even the tiny agents were getting jumped by her new team… who still needed a name.
Roman, Raven, Neo, and Yang. The two Rs aren't the best when it comes to a team name.
Y: Dock 4 taken care of, heading to safehouse 7.
R: Excellent! Remember to keep away from safe house 9 till later.
Y: you sure I'm running hot right now I think I could take Cinder on myself.
That was an understatement Yang was buzzing with excitement and energy from these raids, the fights were intense and she was free to just unleash herself at them with not even the lingering feeling of guilt. She had to scoff at Ozpin and Ironwood, they'd both left the fang alone after the breach in vale and like a tumorous infection, they'd only grown subtly beneath the surface. At every place, she'd hit she saw that the White Fang was planning something big, either against Beacon or the Atlas military itself.
I wonder how ole jimmy's going to react when his guys find these broken and burning bases in the morning? She let out a harsh laugh before grabbing ahold of the Fanger's scroll and ripping it in half.
Cinder
Another light blinked out on the holographic screen showing that yet another scroll went dead. The holographic projection gave off a bluish light that filled up the measly tent that constituted a base of operations. The men around the holo-projections were all wearing white Grimm masks and even though cinder couldn't directly see their eyes she could feel their staring gazes upon her.
The gaze wasn't a leering, ogling or admiring gaze, no this was a more hateful spiteful type of look. The type of look that had a little voice inside Cinder's head scream I'm in danger. She got a similar feeling anytime Salem was upset, so in comparison to that, these little would be revolutionaries were pretty much nothing.
A black gloved hand reached across the table and switched off the projection turning back to face her. Adam Taurus was enormous in size and could look down on anyone Cinder included, she was sure that this greatly enhanced his presence amongst his faunus peers.
"This relationship is no longer benefitting the white fang," He said flatly and like a fact. "We had a window of opportunity to strike and your operative fumbled it."
"I disagree" Cinder responded in her usually calming, wiser-than-thou tone that was getting harder and harder to maintain these days. "The tensions between Vale and Atlas have never been higher this is the perfect time t-"
"Retreat and wait for a proper moment" Adam cut her off. Cinder had to repress the urge to light Adam Taurus ablaze. Mercury, being more in tune with Cinder's moods, sidled away from the half maiden. "The conflict hasn't created division between Atlas and Vale it's forced them to work in concert. One huge united force centered at Beacon Academy."
'One toe out of line' that's what she'd told Emerald and Mercury. 'No missteps' she said as if the point needed to be expressed. Again and again, she'd made that point.
Though it's the poor workman who blames their tools. Emerald had fumbled but Cinder had to admit it was she who let it all crumble around them after that. She'd been so concerned with finding Pyrrha, the new fall maiden, that she'd lost her most powerful asset, her assassin, and Roman Torchwick. Since then her relationship with the Fang had become… Strained to say the least.
"A united force that is distracted with the Grimm at the moment, with our forces we might-"
Again she was interrupted this time by the masked lieutenant "Our forces are nothing, 2 weeks ago we-!"
"Silence!" she let out in a hissing roar that caused Mercury and half the Faunus present to jump. "I was speaking to your commander, not the tiny little bug that you are!"
A flame blazed behind her eyes and the temperature of the room rose noticeably, she took a step towards the Faunus just waiting for him to give her an excuse to make an example of him. That would be a great way to keep these animals in line.
The thought pleased her almost as much as Adam Taurus stepping before her displeased her. He lifted his sword still sealed in its scabbard but the threat was clear and she knew how quickly he could draw the blade.
"He and I are of the same mind. Your venture has cost us men and resources." As Adam spoke she burned the air around him making sure he knew who was in charge here, he seemed to shrug it off with some effort. "We were with you when you had a plan and resources, now you're lacking both and we're bleeding our forces"
Cinder gripped the bridge of her nose so hard she worried she might break it. She let out a tired sigh. As much as she'd hate to admit it; she needed these animals and she especially needed this Adam Taurus. She couldn't intimidate them into subservience anymore it seems her own fumbling had shown weakness to them and they no longer feared her.
The sap rather than the sword it is then.
"Then a simple job will have to suffice, a last alliance between to two of us until both our resources are replenished and a partnership can be brokered yet again" the tension in the room lessened at her words and she smiled her cruel knowing smile to all present. She lifted a finger "one job; I need you to find and kill one woman, a beacon student"
A couple Faunus lent in, now they were curious, with a quick movement Cinder flung the photo onto the desk and when it had finished spinning all could see the long red hair and bronze crown atop her head.
"Find her and I will be in your debt" despite the White fang's disdain for her they were silently awed at the prospect. Now was the time to twist the knife. "Kill her and I will give you the greatest weapon in the world"
I'll grant you a first-hand look in fact. And when Adam Taurus gave the nod of agreement Cinder couldn't help but sneer in satisfaction.
Author's Notes
Hope you enjoy this chapter and are excited for the one to come, my planning sabbatical has really been helpful for my creative thinking and I have some things to show you. Next chapter will have more fight scenes that I've been lacking of late. As always leave a Review and share this where you can. Thanks for your time.
