It's started to rain here in England. Yes, finally! I stood out in the storm yesterday with my shirt soaked through and my hands held towards the heavens. Well, for at least five minutes anyway.
But I'll tell you what is good. Getting into the hot tub under the gazebo while it's the middle of a thunderstorm. Bottle of wine on the side, hot tub, and the cold, cold air with heavy rain. Nothing beats it.
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 51
"In position," Jaune whispered as the crowds walked by on either side of him. Amity was packed and the noise of so much chatter threatened to overwhelm him. Still, he was able to hear Blake's reply come through the earpiece if he tried hard enough.
"Roger that. We've got eyes on the members of Team RYWN."
"You'll make sure they don't come anywhere near me?"
"I'll send warning if they do. Yang agreed to help."
"Good. Emerald should be here any moment. Radio silence from me."
"Understood. Have fun on your date."
Jaune rolled his eyes at the last little quip from his partner. When they'd first known one another, she'd seemed too serious for jokes, but he'd come to realise it was just her brand of humour, especially the sarcastic one liners. Still better than Yang's puns, he supposed.
Speaking of Yang, it was a relief she'd agreed to help, if only because as a part of Team RYWN she could keep them distracted. Ruby technically knew his fake identity, but the irony was that he wasn't in it. Cinder wanted John White to go undercover, which meant the black-haired man had to dye his hair something different. Blond, for instance.
He was now an undercover agent going undercover and coming full circle, back to Jaune Arc. He'd reached complete meta.
Sadly, that brought with it its own list of problems. Everyone and anyone could and would recognise him, especially people from Beacon. They couldn't cover everyone, even with Blake, Ren and Pyrrha helping, but most people wouldn't bother to come and talk to him. He wasn't that popular. The problem was close friends, which was why Team RYWN would be a risk, along with their current tag-a-long Penny, Ciel's odd, and possibly undead, friend.
Jaune kicked one foot against the floor impatiently and checked his scroll. No news from Emerald, even though he was at the rendezvous point. People were still arriving however, so she might be delayed. He'd heard constant mention of just how many people would be coming to the tournament, but seeing the crowds now, and the hundreds of vehicles which flew them up, hammered the point home. If Cinder was planning something here, she'd have tens of thousands of innocent people held hostage.
A fresh set of transports landed down ahead, with at least another two hundred or so people streaming off them. Most were in groups and quickly wandered off to do their own things, but there were a few who were obviously looking or waiting for people. One of them caught Jaune's eye, a brunette with short hair brushed into a wild style. Her red eyes scanned the crowd and fixed quickly on him. Her expression was filled with immediate relief – and he realised a second later because a man about their age or two years older followed, trying to chat her up.
Emerald crashed into Jaune and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She pulled herself up and pressed her lips to his, and though there was no actual kiss - or at least no movement other than their lips squashing together unromantically – Jaune felt his cheeks heat up. He barely had the presence of mind to bring his hands around to rest on the small of her back, more for support than to keep up the charade.
The man, seeing his opportunity fading, shot Jaune a frustrated glare and stomped away. The moment he did, Emerald pulled back and wiped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry about that," she grumbled. "Idiot didn't know how to take no for an answer."
"I-It's fine?" Realistically speaking, that was only his second kiss ever, though even then it was hard to call it a kiss. There hadn't been any real emotion behind it.
"He's lucky he didn't get shanked. If I didn't have to keep my cover…" Emerald sighed and crossed her arms. She looked him up and down. "Not bad, but blond? I wouldn't have pegged you for that."
"All the better to blend in, right? No one would think I'd change my hair this much."
"True. I'm surprised you managed to dye it so well. Black to blonde is tough, and I can't even see any dark roots."
"I spent a lot of time on it," he lied. "You, though? Brunette?"
Emerald stepped back and ran a hand through it. "You like?"
"I… Well, it's not bad. I think you look better with green, though." The dye job itself was well done, though he could, if he looked hard enough, see a tinge of green around the roots. Someone would need to get close for that, however. Not much else about her had changed, but it didn't need to. The images of her in the newspaper were vague at best, with her distinctive hair being the most defining thing about her.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Emerald said with a chuckle. "It was this or black and I didn't want to stand out that much."
Apart from her brown hair and red eyes, Emerald wore a white cardigan over a black tee, with grey trousers and black boots. It was casual and bright, which some people might have thought a bad idea for someone working undercover, but which he knew was best. Those that tried too hard not to stand out inevitably did, while Emerald's tight-fitting black shirt would ensure any attention on her was lower than her eyes.
He'd gone for something similar, albeit less flattering. Blue jeans, not ripped like his normal ones, black shoes and a purple short-sleeved shirt. He'd originally had the amusing idea of wearing a "Team Pyrrha" tee-shirt, one designed and sold by one of Pyrrha's fan clubs, but she'd taken one look at it, gone bright red, and then mysteriously and accidentally destroyed it. Ren had still been smiling even as Pyrrha stammered out apologies and offers to buy him a new plain shirt to replace it.
"A lot of people here," he remarked as the two walked side by side towards the main carnival area of Amity, where the multitude of food, game and souvenir stands dotted the plaza. "Things are going to be pretty hectic until the tournament starts. Should be quieter after that."
"Hm." Emerald shot him a sideways glance. "Do you have seats in the stands?"
"Do we need them?" he asked in turn. "I was kind of waiting for you to decide what we were doing."
"Typical man," Emerald scoffed. "Don't you know that if you invite a girl out on a date, you're supposed to plan ahead on what you're going to do together?"
"One, no, my dating experience is null and void." He rolled his eyes when Emerald snorted. "And two, you are technically the one who invited me." Or Cinder did, anyway. "That means you should be showing me a good time."
"Incredible. Where's your masculine pride?"
"Dead and buried long ago. I'm used to being around scary women I'd be better off listening to."
Emerald laughed and bumped her arm against his. Her smile was coy. "That's not a bad approach. Mercury was an asshole, but you're a lot easier to get along with."
"Should you be talking ill of the dead like that?"
"I don't see why not. He'd be the first to do it if things were reversed." Emerald sighed and hooked her hand under his arm, linking them together. When he looked down to her she nodded her head to the side, indicating the others around them who were walking in a similar fashion. They needed to blend in. "Not much to do until things quieten down," she murmured. "We just waste time until the fights start."
"Got it," he whispered back, and then spoke a little louder. "So, any stalls you want to visit? Do I need to show my prowess and win you something?"
"On these blatant scams?" Emerald asked loudly, ignoring the irritated look a stallholder shot her. "Not worth the effort, or the lien. Let's get some food. I'm starving."
The food court was busy when they arrived but there was a wide variety of stands, so they picked the one with the smallest queue and soon found themselves sitting on some picnic benches a little further away with a burger nestled on a bed of salad each, pretending the latter somehow offset the calories of the former.
There was a close call when he caught sight of Ruby, but Yang saw him first and subtly diverted Ruby away, saving them. If Ruby had seen him, he trusted Yang could explain. He hoped she would. Before his staring could be construed as anything such, he turned back to Emerald and blurted out the first thing he could think of.
"How did you end up working with Cinder anyway?"
Emerald froze. "What?"
"I'm just curious. Making conversation." He shrugged. "You know how it worked for me, but what got you started? How long have you been with her?"
"A while now," she said slowly, taking a bit of her food every now and then. "It's nothing special. Cinder helped me out of a bad spot. I was on the streets and probably wouldn't have survived much longer on my own. She gave me a place to be, something to work towards."
"Criminality?"
Emerald shrugged but made sure to look around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear before she replied. No one was. He'd made sure of it. "Better this than death. It's not what I expected when I was younger, but it's the best chance I ever had. Cinder gave me a purpose and a home. I'll repay her for that, no matter the cost."
"So, you're doing all of this out of loyalty?"
"Pretty much."
"And if Cinder decided she wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to saving injured puppies?"
"I'd be there." There was no doubt in her voice, no hesitation.
He wasn't sure what to make of it. The world wasn't black and white, but he'd at least been happy to say the shades of grey were indicative enough of one's view. Loyalty, though? That was a fairly good trait – if only Cinder wasn't what she was.
"I guess not everyone gets into this kind of life because they wanted to," he said.
"Some don't have a choice," Emerald agreed. "Cinder is better than many in that regard. She expects a lot and she won't put up with failure, but at least she doesn't recruit people at the barrel of a gun. She gave me the choice to come with her. She lets me do what I want so long as I don't cause her any problems. And if I do, she threatens me, sure, but it could be a lot worse. She's given me plenty of second chances. That's why me and Mercury didn't get on," she admitted with a sigh.
"What do you mean?"
"Mercury didn't do all of this for any good reason. To him, hurting people was a game, or for fun. Sometimes he could come across normal, but at other times he'd do something pointlessly cruel for the sake of it." Emerald sighed. "He dragged me into killing some faunus runaway before. We could have done it subtle, but he had to go in the front door like an idiot."
"And you didn't like him because he was reckless?"
"No," Emerald said. "I didn't like him because he was a sociopath. If he'd done it for loyalty like me, belief like the White Fang, or hell, even for money like Torchwick, then I'd have been fine with it. At least those make sense. But he would kill for the sake of it." She sighed and picked at her burger. "I don't know if he was looking for answers, entertainment or just something to do with his life, but he was twisted. He had no good reason to come with us or stay loyal other than the fact he knew something big would happen if he stayed."
"He wanted to see it," Jaune guessed. "Live or die, success of failure, he just wanted to be a part of something big."
"Pretty much. He was messed up – and it was probably more his dad's fault than his own, but that didn't make him any more trustworthy. Don't tell Cinder, but I'm glad he died. I'm glad he's gone."
"I won't say anything."
"And hey," Emerald said, suddenly a little more cheerful, and teasing. "His death opened up a spot for you to join – and you're easier to talk to, you listen, you don't make stupid wisecracks and you're not some kind of sociopath."
Jaune laughed. "You say it like those things don't include, like, every normal person on Remnant."
"I'll take what I can get, John. Compared to Mercury, you're a saint."
He laughed, even as he hid his doubts in a swig of soda. This had to be as much a test from her and Cinder as it did a mission. Mercury had been a loose cannon, and they wanted someone a little more reliable.
"What about you?" Emerald asked. "What convinced you to shack up with someone like Torchwick?"
And there it was, the question. She'd buttered him up with her past, true or otherwise, and now expected him to return the favour. It was clumsy, he supposed, but only because she didn't have to be subtle about it. Wasn't like he had much of an opportunity to back out now.
"Roman wasn't so much my first choice as the only choice. I wanted to be a huntsman, but I wasn't good enough, and suddenly I had no skills and qualifications other than knowing how to fight. What was I supposed to do, open up a coffee shop?" He grinned when Emerald laughed. "In the end, I had to earn money somehow and Junior was the only one hiring. Roman was a step up, with a promised pay packet a little higher than Junior's, all for a little more risk."
"You're in it for the money then?"
"Not entirely. Everyone needs money to get by, but I was in it because I had to be. A guy's got to make a living and my skills didn't really apply anywhere else. It was this or starve."
"Necessity."
Jaune shrugged. "I guess…"
"Not a bad reason. Not the worst, anyway. Why do you want to join up with Cinder, then? That seems like a bit of a jump. It's not like Mercury or I got paid a salary."
"Roman betrayed my trust."
"Ah." Emerald grinned understandingly. "So, you wanted a new employer. One that wouldn't do the same."
"White Fang was out of the option for obvious reasons, and there wasn't anyone else in Vale who could fit. I won't claim to know everything Cinder is after, but considering she got by this far with just you and Mercury, I figured she's someone who looks after those who work for her."
"Unlike Roman, who would throw someone away if it was to save his own skin," Emerald guessed. "Yeah, I can see that. White Fang are just a bunch of martyrs and Junior's gang is a joke." She finished her burger and licked her fingers clean, flashing him a smile afterwards. "Stick with us and we'll see you looked after, John. Mercury's death, much as I hated him, was a freak occurrence. We didn't know who or what we were up against and they got the drop on us. But those guys are gone now. Destroyed. They're not going to be a problem anymore."
"I guess so, Emerald. I guess so."
/-/
"They're just sitting there talking," Qrow reported.
"Most likely Mr Arc's companion is waiting for the crowds to diminish," Ozpin replied, voice audible through Qrow's scroll. "Keep watch on them for now, but once the tournament starts I need you there."
"What about these two?"
"Trust Mr Arc to look after himself. I have to go, Qrow. I'm expected to give a speech." The call ended a moment later and Qrow stuffed the scroll back into his pocket, sparing another glance for the spy and the terrorist, both of which were smiling and laughing together like old friends.
Qrow wasn't sure how the kid managed it. He was no stranger to keeping secrets, but it was easier not to say something than to lie convincingly. That this kid, less than half his age, could do so in front of people who could, and would, kill him if they knew the truth, was both incredible and distressing.
Children shouldn't be forced into shit like this. Bad enough Oz wanted Ruby as a huntress, but at least if all went well she'd be nineteen when she graduated, and she'd have her sister to look after her. Taking some seventeen-year-old on to play undercover against some of the most dangerous people on Remnant left a bad taste in his mouth.
It was even worse since they were now countenancing it. What the VSS did was wrong, even if it was necessary, or they convinced themselves it was. An adult could have played this role just as easily as a kid and been more experienced for it. They needed someone in there, but it didn't have to be someone Yang's age. It was easy to hate them for that…
And now here they were, him and Ozpin, allowing the kid to do the same. Necessity, Ozpin called it. Cruel necessity.
Maybe it was.
But it still left a sour taste in Qrow's mouth. This made them alarmingly similar to the kid's old employers – better that they wouldn't turn on him, but still just as bad in their own way.
"It should be me down there," Qrow growled. "I should be the one risking my life for this. I should be doing something."
Nothing sucked as bad as being useless. Summer wouldn't have sat by while something like this happened, but Qrow had never been the same since she'd died. Few of them had. She'd left them all diminished in some way. Even Raven, no matter how little his sister would admit it.
It should have been him back then, too.
The kid stood up, along with his associate. They walked together past a bin, dropping their litter within. As the announcers began to call that the tournament would start in fifteen minutes, the crowds began to excitedly make their way towards the stands.
All except the two of them, who slipped behind some tents in the opposite direction.
Did he follow?
Ozpin said otherwise.
Trust the kid. Jaune.
But was that really trust, or just a willingness to sacrifice Jaune if it came to it? A part of him wanted to shadow along to provide held if needed. But if by doing so, he put the kid in danger, he'd never forgive himself.
"Damn it all."
He'd hold back for now – and hate himself for it later. Just another thing to add to the ever-growing list. But next time this had to happen, he'd talk to the kid first and ask what he wanted. It was the least he could do to pay him back for saving Ruby.
With a heavy heart, Qrow made his way to the stands.
"Good luck, kid."
/-/
"This doesn't feel right," Pyrrha whispered.
"He's safe," Blake replied. "He's done this before."
"I know, but we're a team. Or we're supposed to be. I don't like the idea of leaving him to do this on his own. What if something goes wrong?"
"Then he'll deal with it, and he can reach me if he needs to." Blake tapped the earpiece she still wore. "We can be there in a moment." The words didn't do much to calm Pyrrha, and Blake could understand why. "Look, this is how it's always been," she explained. "What Jaune does… it's not something a team can always work alongside with. Most of those times he and I were out together, he was the one in real danger and I was just sat somewhere close by, watching and waiting in case he needed me."
And she'd hated that back then, just as she did now. In a way it was nice to have people to share the frustration with. Pyrrha wore it obviously but Ren was far subtler, frustration only showing in the way he gripped his drink a little tighter than necessary.
"I won't say it gets any easier, but it's the way it has to be. All we accomplish if we try and tag along is putting him in danger."
"I know that. I just… I just hate not being able to do anything."
"We're not doing nothing," Ren said, speaking for the first time. "We're providing support. Just by being alert and ready, we tell Jaune that we can react at a moment's notice to support him." He looked to Blake. "That's what you're trying to say, is it not?"
Blake nodded. "Yeah, it is."
"We covered for him with the others too," Ren went on. "If Jaune's identity as a student were revealed to that girl, his life might be in danger. I hope Ozpin has something planned for today. If our team is called to fight…"
"Jaune said Ozpin would handle it," Blake said.
"He did, but I question how. While I'm sure he can prevent our team being called up to fight today, we have no evidence that Jaune won't be busy tomorrow. And surely these people are watching the tournament. If Jaune fights at all, his identity is put at risk."
"We could forfeit," Pyrrha offered. When they both stared at her, she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care for tournaments anymore and it's not like this isn't more important."
"True," Blake said.
"It would be too suspicious," Ren countered. "Ignoring the fact the public expects to see us – or Pyrrha, specifically – fight, there's the fact that we've made plans to do so. Nora would never believe that I'd decided to forfeit, and I'm sure there are plenty of others who would be equally suspicious. We'd draw more attention to Jaune than not."
Pyrrha grimaced, and Blake could understand why. She was too famous to not compete, and even if they gave up now the late-night news would question why a former champion had done so. It would be the talk of the tournament, and there was a good chance their team and its members would be brought up in such. Ironically, Jaune's name and face would be circulated even more if they gave up.
"How about a disguise?" Pyrrha suggested. "For Jaune, I mean. A mask or a hood."
"Wouldn't work. The aura monitors will show his face and name, and people who know him would question why he was trying to disguise himself in the first place."
They were cut off by the roulette wheel in the centre of the arena beginning to spin. Despite assurances that Ozpin would handle it, Blake still tensed as the teams were selected, paranoia setting in.
To her relief, it settled on Team RYWN against a team from Vacuo, called Team NDGO. When their friends left for the arena, Blake joined in with Pyrrha and Ren on cheering and wishing them well.
If it came to it, though, Pyrrha had a point. They needed a way out of being called up to fight. It would be a shame to miss their chance in the tournament, but this was just more important. And besides, in a way whatever they did in Beacon wouldn't matter. They all had places in the new VSS once their education was over if they wanted it.
It was hard to sit still and watch the fight knowing that something big was happening in the background. Harder still not to show any reaction or signs of such knowledge. Blake wondered how Ciel managed it, but the former ASF Agent gave away no such secrets, stood further to the side with Penny, a pensive frown on her face.
Something big was coming. They could all feel it.
/-/
Emerald tapped her foot and waited for John to come back from his little scouting trip. They were inside the back chambers of Amity, where staff and volunteers kept the tournament running from behind the scenes.
John was an odd one, Emerald felt. She'd spoken no lies when she said she preferred him to Mercury. He was more focused, more serious, and generally less of a pain in the ass to deal with. Like Cinder, she also approved of his ability to get the job done, even if it ought to have been beyond his abilities. She might have found that suspicious, but she was starting to realise it was just how plucky the guy was.
Footsteps suggested someone was coming close. Emerald took a hold of her Semblance, but let it go when blond hair and blue eyes crept back around the corner.
"It's clear," John said. "A couple of people in uniform further up, but they were all rushing back to the main stands."
"Good timing on our parts then," she returned. "Let's go."
John nodded and followed, the two keeping to a fast walk but trying not to look too suspicious while doing so. This was a restricted area, but they could still fall back on being lost or bumbling teens looking for a quiet spot to fool around if they had to. Not so if they were caught creeping or skulking in the shadows. If it were just one person to find them, she could also put them under an illusion and slip by.
"What exactly are we looking for?" John asked, not for the first time.
"You'll know when we find it."
He grumbled but didn't argue. Another thing she liked. She knew he was frustrated at the lack of trust, and to be fair she would be too, but at least he had the sense not to make a meal out of it. Such secrecy wasn't her choice, either. Cinder's orders were absolute.
"Neo would have been useful for this," he commented instead.
"She would have," Emerald agreed, "But Cinder's not sure how far she trusts Roman anymore, and Neo is fanatically loyal to him."
John looked surprised. "You think he'll turn on us?"
"I think he'll do what he can to save his own skin. It would be stupid to actually betray us, but if he can find a way to get away with it and escape, I think he'd give it a go." Roman was a coward like that and they'd always known it. Threats kept him in line, but the closer they got to the main event, the less time they had to focus on him. "It doesn't matter much. He has his place in the plan, but Cinder has contingencies in place if he goes rogue."
"Enough to deal with him?"
"Enough to make him regret the day he ever tried to turn on us," Emerald snorted. She turned left, through a door labelled communications. "In here. Close the door behind you." She paused to rummage around in her pocket and draw out a scroll, a special one designed by someone Cinder seemed to both hate and respect. "Keep an eye on the door while I hook this in to the main systems. Anyone comes, give me a shout as warning."
"Should I try and knock them out?"
"Only if they attack us. Still better to surrender and play idiots than tip Vale off."
"Got it."
Cinder's orders again. This was a delicate point in the plan, and one where she could royally mess things up, and that was something Cinder would never forgive her for. It was honestly a miracle the White Fang had managed to keep the planned attack on Amity quiet as it was. Maybe that was because Adam had them all outside the city itself, collecting Grimm in the forests. A thankless task and one she was glad to have no part of.
It didn't take her long to find the main machine Cinder had shown her a picture of. It connected to the main commentator's booth above, but this was where analytics software would record and pick out moments for the main screen, which those above could then commentate on. Most of it was handled by limited AI designed by Atlas, little more than sensors and subroutines that could pick out the most explosive bits of action and focus cameras on it.
It was sophisticated code, but code nonetheless. It could be cracked. Emerald peeled off a strap on the back of the scroll to reveal a sticky surface. Connecting it under the desk of the main system, she drew out two wires and plugged them in. The scroll's screen flashed but there was no immediate reaction. That was a relief. Her own scroll pinged a second later. Cinder's message said the connection was made, which meant their first job was done.
"We're done here," she called to John. "Onto the next spot."
"Which is…?"
"You'll see when we get there," she repeated.
He sighed. "Alright, alright. I'm just trying to help."
"If you want to help, carry this," she said, tossing him a small satchel she'd been wearing under her cardigan, strapped onto her back. He caught it and looked down on it. "What's in it?"
"One or two nasty surprises. Don't drop it."
John flinched. "Bombs!?"
"In a manner of speaking. Nothing you need to be worried about getting killed by, though. They're designed to take out computer and power systems in a radius. Electro-magnetic pulses." Emerald gestured to the computers surrounding them. "Pretty useful considering how much of Amity is run by them. Should also deal with those robots Atlas brought along."
"We're planting these in the stands, I guess."
"Got it in one – but under the stands is the main goal. They're not designed to kill anyone directly, but they'll make life easier for our side. More importantly, it'll make the evacuation efforts that much more difficult."
"We're keeping the evacuees here?" he asked. "Are we taking them hostage?"
"Nah, just using them as a distraction."
The two of them ducked into a store room. It was filled with crates of dust, and a prime spot for the first charge. She beckoned for him to bring one out, and she started to fix it on the back wall, out of sight.
"These will keep Beacon and Atlas' attention focused on Amity while we hit Beacon for the main objective. Longer it takes to evac them all, the longer we'll have to bring Beacon to the ground."
"Assuming it's undefended…"
"Even if it is, we'll be enough. The White Fang are coming in big numbers and Roman has his place in the plan."
"We're using the White Fang as a distraction, then?"
"Best use for them," Emerald scoffed. "While they're busy getting glut on bloodlust, we'll be in and out with the objective. Whether Beacon falls or not hardly even matters. Vale will be too busy trying to handle the aftermath of this and hunt down the White Fang to care about us."
"Nice plan," John commented. "Let's hope it works as intended."
"Ha. I wouldn't worry about that. Cinder's thought of everything. We'll be fine."
"Everything…?"
There was a distinctive click from behind her, and the cool sensation of a barrel being placed to the back of her skull. Emerald went still.
"Are you sure about that?"
Jaune of the one-liner coming in hot.
Oh Emerald, you're going through a crazy range of shit in my stories at the moment. Insanity in Captain Dragon, Retainer in White Sheep, childhood in Relic and now this. At least Jaune bought you a burger, which means the timelines have been preserved.
Next Chapter: 5th August
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
