"This is unbelievable, they were right under our noses the whole time!"
Ironwood gritted his teeth, slamming his fist down on Ozpin's desk as he stood before the patient, calm headmaster. Glynda stood ever present beside the wise older man, her head filled with just as much frustration and uncertainty as the General, but didn't show it. Instead, she stayed silent with her arms folded and fists clenched.
"James..." Ozpin began, holding two fingers over each temple and looking over the screens held over his desk, each one showing messages, camera footage, records and other pieces of information.
"They were here!" He exclaimed once more, cutting the Professor off.
"We are very much aware of that, Thank you." Glynda said flatly. Though the two looking more stressed than a pair of sheep surrounded by Beowolves.
"Fantastic, you're aware." Ironwood replied, not appreciating the snappy comeback. "Now are we going to do something about it, or shall we just continue to ignore what's right in front of us?" Although his tone had relaxed considerably, it was clear the military leader was still upset and anxious. However the soft beeping of the elevator doors at the other end of the spacious office cut the discussion short as Ozpin rose to his feet.
"We shall, but first we need more information. Please, come in." The Headmaster said, eyes fixed on the doors as they opened, allowing a trio to slowly flood the room.
"Sorry we took so long, someone pressed all the buttons on the way up here!" Ruby said, letting out an awkward chuckle as the two older students followed closely behind.
"If you lie and say it was me, I'll hide Crescent Rose." Cyprus pouted as he looked up to the high ranking individuals before him, his attitude quickly shifting to something more serious.
"You asked to see us, Professor?" Scylla said, wishing to get the group back on track.
Apart from Cyprus, those who dealt with the oddities of the previous evening seemed not too worse for wear. However just in case, they all arrived in their combat gear. Scylla once again donning her seafoam coloured plating, and the coral orange coloured undertones of her cloth beneath now clean and well kept. Her companion, however, hadn't had nearly as restful a night. Deep bags lay under his eyes, and his gear contained remnants of dust and glass from his brief fight, and it still left him a little shaken.
"Thank you for coming. How are you all feeling?' Ozpin asked, a well masked facade of a smile as he welcomed the new arrivals.
"Okay, I guess. Though..." Ruby said, the first to speak up. Giving a quick glance at those beside her, it was clear that they didn't share the same optimism. Cyprus still a little pale, and Scylla? Irritated was an understatement to describe her feelings towards last night's escapades.
Ironwood cut in before she could say any more. "Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about." He gave a kind smile while placing a hand on the teenagers' shoulder. "You recognised a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could."
The leader of Team RWBY thanked the towering individual, but couldn't help but feel like she did little to help against the threat. Behind him, Ozpin was standing from his seat, patiently awaiting to address them.
"Now, the General has informed us of the events that transpired last night. But now we're wondering if you had anything to add."
"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Glynda interjected, her tone much less commanding than usual, an almost pleading pitch.
Scylla stepped forward first, eager to share what she had learned with her superiors. "During the dance, I spotted someone who looked very familiar to someone who Cyprus encountered just before the event at the docks with Torchwick."
"When he was kidnapped?" Ozpin asked.
"Right. I was spotted and when I tried to find him in the crowd, he vanished. No tracks, nothing." The redhead continued, her hands held behind her back professionally.
Ironwood scratched his chin as he leaned back slightly against the Professor's desk.
"My men described a woman, dark hair. The one you two apparently fought atop the tower. Know anything about her?" He asked, folding his arms and tapping his index finger restlessly.
The room fell deafeningly silent. Three eyes trained on Scylla soon shifted, once she began to turn to her friend. Soon, everyone's gaze was fixated on Cyprus, while he stood on the spot, his mouth dry as he struggled to find the words. His attempt at taking a deep breath to continue resulted in a shaky exhale like a schoolboy about to give his first presentation to his class.
"Her name is Cinder."
"Come again? It sounds like you know her." Goodwitch said, taking a step forward.
"You could say that."
The birds of paradise cooed and chirped in the thick underbrush of the forest. The tropical escape of the Harlequin Isles always a favourite to come to for tourists who could afford the journey. Despite being known for years beforehand, the people of Remnant made the decision to keep colonisation to a minimum and preserve the stunning, Grimm-less land that was a rarity of the highest calibre.
"Where are we going?" A young boy asked as he lifted a large leaf from a low hanging branch over his head. His exposed legs and arms touched with grass stains and dirt, his teal hair messy and dishevelled as he followed the one ahead of him.
"You'll see..." A girl, barely a couple of years older led him through a covered path in the underbrush, small creeks and a rainbow of blooming flowers littering their path. Her black hair tied into a quick ponytail as to not get caught in any of the greenery that surrounded them.
Leading him to a small cavern in the nook of a steep hill, she beckoned him towards her, taking a small torch to light up her way into the darkness. Hesitantly, the boy followed. A few twists and turns later, and they found themselves in a small borehole passage, the ground mostly smooth with a few metal objects strewn over the floors.
"When did you find this place, Cinder?" The boy asked, eyes filled with wonder as he listened to the strong echo of his voice as it bounced around the opening.
"A few weeks after you last left, I found these in the forest and keep them here so nobody finds out." She said, holding the light over the center of the floor to reveal a small collection of steel swords, axes and spears. Quickly lifting one off the ground, the girl aloofly tossing a small blade his way. "That's not all." She continued, grinning as she placed a palm around a spearhead, turning to her companion as it began to glow a bright orange, the droplets of molten metal falling to the floor within seconds.
"Wow...Is that your semblance? That's incredible!" He exclaimed. "But...Shouldn't we hand in some of these? They could go to a museum or something."
Cinder scoffed. "And what good would that do, Cyprus? I'd rather get my effort's worth out of them. Besides, it's not like I can go and buy my own weapons. Finders keepers."
"She was always eager to get the most out of everything, make it known she could hold her own. It started innocently enough. Someone dropped a few Lien? She'd pocket it and move on, another kid try and bully her? She'd stand her ground. But she didn't seem to have a limit, greed can be a hell of a drug. I only saw her a couple of times a year, whenever my family would go on vacation. But she always seemed to like having me around, which made her even scarier when you saw how she treated people she didn't like."
"Hey, get back here!"
Cinder laughed as she ran through the bustling market, dragging Cyprus by the hand. Their smaller frames able to weave through the crowds of adult shoppers and families that stood stunned at their display, in her hand was a small bag full of sweets, the petty thievery only children could get away with, or at least get a mere slap on the wrist for getting caught. An older man with brown hair, a grey tinge at the roots shook his fist angrily as he stumbled past another couple in a vain attempt to catch up to the two.
Laughing as they ran through the streets, the couple soon found themselves back at a small cottage. Gorging on their well earned feast, a woman, the spitting image of Cinder, placed a small tray on the table before them.
"Looks like you two had fun, are you staying for dinner, Cyprus?" She asked, taking one of the steaming mugs for herself.
"Oh, I really shouldn't, Missus Fall. My parents will be wondering where I am and-"
"Who cares what they think?" Cinder asked, seeming near insulted at the rejection of the offer.
"Well, I mean they-"
"Cinder, if he thinks it's best to head home, he can. You should try listening to your parents once in a while." Her mother said, smirking.
Cinder rolled her eyes as her friend got up from his seat, taking a small handful of the candy from the table and pocketing it. Saying his goodbyes, Cyprus quickly left the cottage, the girl following him to the front gate.
"You're coming back tomorrow, right?" She said softly.
"Sure, unless Mom surprises us with another day out."
"But it's your last day, wouldn't you rather spend it with me?" The local girl asked, her questionnaire a hurried attempt to keep the boy around a little longer.
"Yeah, but I-" He was stopped before a response could fully leave him, Cinder quickly rushing forward to plant a quick kiss onto his unsuspecting lips. He'd seen it plenty of times on TV and in movies, but a first kiss isn't exactly something he prepared for. Despite his will to respond in kind, his paramour pushed him away, her dissatisfied grimace giving way to a playful grin before she rushed back inside, closing the door quickly behind her and leaving a young Cyprus to strut home with a spring in his step.
"You shouldn't tease him like that, you'll confuse the poor boy."
Cinder rolled her eyes at her mother, and made her way past the rustic furniture, taking a moment to look at the shining metal door that stood between her and her mother's private study. Always locked, a barrier unbreakable without the key that was always hidden from her.
"If the changes were subtle, I was never around to see them. By the time I saw her next, things were much different, at fifteen you don't really notice what your friends are gong through, or who they're turning into. Truth is? She scared me once I saw, scared me too much to try and change her."
Cyprus knocked one the cottage door, waiting a little while before entering, the lack of an answer made him worry slightly. He hadn't seen Cinder since his last night on the island, and as a result the teenagers' hands were clammy, his heart racing as he had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, the thunk of something solid being struck just behind the house was a giveaway to someone being on the premises. Skipping the front door, he worked around the outer wall of the home.
Sure enough, Cinder was there. But plenty had changed since they last met. Her short ponytail had grown out into long, wavy curls, though still their typical jet black colour. He last remembered her wearing typical summer dresses, which made the simple brown vest and grey sweatpants most of his attention.
"Hyah! Ah!" Her quick outbursts were a result of the next thing Cyprus noticed as he peeked from around the corner. A wooden training dummy, sturdy but hardly professional stood limp in the center of the open space of the garden, constantly struck by the young woman as she wielded a pair of short swords.
"Surprise..."
Cinder stopped dead in her tracks, her blade inches away from the nape of the idle dummy as she turned to face the source. Her eyes wide with what looked to be fury, but quickly dissipated to show something much more inviting that followed by her dropping the blades and rushing around the corner. A brief back and forth followed, the typical small talk before she had him pinned against the wall of the house, nothing but the sounds of birds and rustling of leaves around them as they revelled in each other's company.
"Since when does your Mom let you mess with swords?"
Seems he hit a nerve, Cinder quickly frowned and pushed him against the wall, using his weight to throw herself more upright. "Since she's not here. I don't need her telling me what I can and can't do."
"She working again?" Cyprus asked. Her mother had been known to work overseas plenty of times, often leaving for days or weeks at a time.
"She's pretty much never here anymore. Not that I mind, I can do whatever I want here. As far as I'm concerned, this is my house now." She scoffed, the woman barely acted like a parental figure nowadays. Swinging open the back door, Cinder led her companion inside. The building looked much the same inside as well, however the furniture was littered with all manner of objects. Crystalwear, expensive looking clothes and even a few weapons, new and antique.
"You've been busy, didn't think Ash had this kind of money." The young heir said, smiling as he toyed around with a small blade in his grasp.
"She doesn't." Cinder laughed, "Leaves me enough to get by, now come on. Let's have some fun."
What Cyprus believed to be a simple walk into town, enjoying the typical sights and how they had changed little since his visit many months ago, quickly began to shift as he would soon find out. The market wasn't especially busy this time of year, which made the young woman's personal mission that bit more difficult, which is exactly why she was happy he had arrived.
An elderly man stood at one of the decorated stands. Beautiful glass sculptures of Grimm and silhouettes of people, each coloured with swirling pigments lay in neat rows all along the tables around him.
"Want me to buy you one?"
"Please, I don't need any more trinkets. Though if it makes you feel better, go ahead and get me one of the orange ones."
Cinder smirked and watched by the side of the stand as her rarely met companion began to converse with the store owner, his age and obliviousness to anything but the sale possibility in front of him left his flank wide open. And double checking to ensure the crowd's attention was spent elsewhere, she dexterously slipped one of the smaller models into a satchel held at her side. A short while of exploring the market later, and the pair managed to find a shady spot along one of the many beaches of the Island, their feet digging under the sand to cool them from the burning particles that rested on the top layer.
Cyprus handled a well crafted statue of a Nevermore, the orange hue giving a strange, almost lifelike glow. Though it wasn't long before he noticed the girl beside him smiling as she parted her legs, allowing drops of heated glass to hit and cool in the sand, her own stolen statue melting in her grip.
"What the heck are you doing?" The heir exclaimed.
"That old man makes these things with Dust. That's what makes them glow, I'm simply putting it to a better use."
"You stole it..." He said, unsure of how to continue.
"Oh relax," Cinder responded. "He makes plenty of money off those things for one going missing to make much of a difference."
Sure enough, as the last of the burning material fell to the ground, a small strand of solid Dust revealed itself. A blue hue emanating from the object as the energy cooled her palms in an instant, a steady grin on her lips.
"Things took a turn by the next year, word got around that she robbed that old man. According to him she followed him home, threatened him and took at least a couple dozen statues. The Police never found them, though, so his rumour and his word was all they had. The last year I went on vacation before my parents died, she wasn't there."
Cyprus rapped on the door to the cottage, and to his surprise, the door swung open quickly. Though the one behind it wasn't Cinder like he had expected, instead it seemed her Mother was finally home for once.
"Mrs. Fall, it's nice to see you." He said, smiling as he gave a quick bow with his head, though the gesture seemingly went unnoticed as he would soon find out.
"Cyprus, I'm sorry..." She began. The woman looked tired, deep dark patches under her eyes, as well as the noticeable strain as faint red veins crept towards her iris. "Cinder isn't around anymore."
"What do you mean? Where is she?"
"Gone. She didn't say where, by the time I came home she was already off the Island." Ash mumbled, shrugging as she made her way back inside the house, leaving the door wide open for the teenager to enter. Compared to the last time he was there, the interior was completely disparate. Shelves were empty and gathering dust, the small television was nowhere to be seen, and instead only a few small armchairs remained surrounding a small coffee table in the living room.
"How long has she been gone?" Cyprus questioned.
"I'm not sure, she was here a few weeks ago when I came home from my duties. But she didn't seem to be particularly happy I was home." Ash replied, staring into a lukewarm mug on the simple oak table.
"Did she say anything?"
"Not a word, we barely spoke when I came home. My own fault, I thought she was old enough to look after herself, she's always been the independent type." The aged woman replied with a worn out chuckle.
"I'm sure she's...Alright." He said. The young man never had to comfort someone like this before, he could imagine a friend leaving, but someone's daughter disappearing on them? He hadn't the faintest idea how to help. "If I hear anything, I'll make sure to let you know."
"Thank you, Cyprus. You've always been kind to her, I'm surprised she didn't say anything to you. I'll be keeping an eye out for her while I'm on business, as well."
He figured this would be the last possibility to ask, "What do you do for work, exactly?"
"I thought Cinder's fighting spirit made it obvious." She smiled, "I'm a Huntress."
Strange, he thought. Ash had never shown any signs of being one to have a career against the forces of Grimm, if she had weapons and a proper set of attire, he never saw it. Still, Hunters and Huntresses come in all shapes and sizes, so who was he to judge character?
"So, what will you do now? Continue your training?"
"Actually..." He began, "I've decided to give up the whole 'Huntsman' thing."
Ash raised a brow. "Oh? And why's that?"
"It wasn't really to my liking, in the end. Decided to pursue other things."
"And your parents?"
"Not really all that bothered in the end. I've got options, and since they sold the business there's not really a whole lot of pressure on us right now. Don't worry, I'm not about to turn into some lazy idiot pissing away Mom and Dad's Lien."
"Language."
"Sorry."
Cyprus said his goodbyes to the woman and returned to his holiday home, strangely enough his parents never questioned his relationship with Cinder, not that they saw the two together very often. The return home trip resulted in a mindset that nagged at him for weeks, searching relentlessly for any word on his fling until he finally gave up his personal investigation. Little did he know that soon after, his parents would buy their dream home and promptly meet their end within it's walls. No more vacations to the Island, and his time spent with the Fall family would fade away into the sea of distant memory.
"Well, it seems this meeting wasn't a waste of time after all, Ozpin." Ironwood said, smugly. though there was no smile on his face, instead the same cold, focused expression as he spoke.
Ruby and Scylla both took a step back. Ruby for one found it incredibly lucky that her friend had such a history with one of their most important suspects, although Scylla hardly felt the same. Instead she felt painted with worry and suspicion. How come he had never mentioned her before? Save for the hint of crazy it seems like someone she would have learnt about by now, Cyprus wasn't the type to keep his mouth shut.
"So her semblance seems to be some kind of super heating. Used to melt or reform objects?" Glynda said, tapping her Riding crop lightly on her upper sleeve.
"Not to mention her clothing lighting up when she attacked us...Though I don't know how important that is." Ruby piped up, her voice slowly descending in volume the more she revealed.
Ozpin scratched his chin. "It is possible this woman, and the one's you saw tonight, Miss Varun, to be involved with Torchwick and the White Fang. But There's not enough evidence to link them together just yet."
"Actually, I think I heard something about a hideout in the Southeast, just outside the kingdom." The youngest said, her eyes darting between the three adults in front of her.
"Rubes, what are you-"
"Interesting." Ozpin interrupted with a hint of a smile. "Thank you for your co-operation, Ruby. You may leave, and enjoy some time off with your team."
"But I-" Ruby protested.
"-You have a big day ahead of you, and please..." he paused for a moment, ensuring her full attention. "Be discreet about this matter."
"Yes sir."
The three began to make their way towards the exit, almost reaching the elevator until a voice cut them off.
"Cyprus, Scylla. Please, remain here." The general stated, stepping to the front of the cluster around the Professor's desk. Goodwitch, Ozpin and the General were silent for a moment, awaiting news, or an assignment.
"Is something wrong? I'm sure Cyprus has told you everything." Scylla said with a tinge of bitterness.
"Considering all the information you've given us, we agreed that it is especially important that..."
The pair were left in suspense, a rather cruel thing to do considering what they had heard next. Ironwood looked to the Headmaster, who took a breath before nodding once.
"You leave Beacon, and Vale, as soon as possible."