I don't own RWBY
(Whitley)
So, his mother was pregnant which on the bright side meant he would be gaining a sibling soon however it also meant that his father was currently raging like an enclosed bull. Apparently, his mother had been able to hide her pregnancy for four months before being discovered; it was a new record. This meant that his father couldn't order the baby to be terminated, it also meant that he was steaming in rage and glaring ominously out the window as he plotted revenge. Either way, Whitley was getting a little sibling to spoil rotten; it would be nice to be the older sibling for a while. He really hoped it was a little sister.
His father had apparently already signed off the guardianship of the child to Juno as well since the Schnee name couldn't be soiled with a faunus using it, but the Caelum could apparently. He was pretty sure that his mother was completely fine with the child being pawned off to Juno too since the woman had only had a child in order to hurt his father; not that the man actually cared enough to be hurt by her actions. Juno would make a wonderful mother he just wished that he didn't have to lose his sibling without ever knowing them; not that he thought the woman would keep them apart, but his father would. The entire situation was causing him stress and since he couldn't go out and train like his sisters, he was playing the piano.
In retaliation of Weiss failing to tuck tail and return home, their father had increased his studying regiment once again, so he now spent most of his day in the library with his tutors. It was mainly focused on business and math although he'd heard talk of the man wanting to increase his dust studies too. The worst part, however, was that the man had also started him on learning combat strategy and weapons. He didn't mind learning, but he had a feeling that his father wanted him to be the sole inheritor of the SDC.
Weiss still had more than a month to become the leader of her team, but he doubted his father would honor the deal in the first place. He just hoped that she was happy at Beacon with her new friends. He also hoped that the White Fang would manage to finally kill his father but that didn't seem to be happening any time soon, so he was stuck with the man for the time being.
Due to the current pregnancy Juno had moved into the house with Flare although they both spent most of their time tending to his mother; mainly keeping her away from the wine. Which was a very flammable substance and it would be a shame if someone accidentally set it all on fire; not that he was thinking about doing that. Anyway, his father was out supervising a project, so he'd snuck away from his tutors. It would be a fun conversation when the man figured out what he'd done but he'd rather get into trouble than sit still and learn a heavily biased version of the faunus wars.
Hearing giggles he opened his eyes slowly to see Flare leaning against the sofa with amusement dancing in her eyes. Leaning back, he allowed his fingers to slide off the keys as he stared at her in confusion. She was supposed to be with his mother and Juno, wasn't she? After all, why would she come to spend time with him when she could be with her lover.
Yes, he knew they were together it was hard not to notice now that he lived with them and although he had no idea why Flare manipulated him, he didn't mind. It was hard to stay angry with someone who hadn't actually hurt him in any way. She might have played with his emotions, but the woman had always been his friend. Of course, due to his upbringing, his vision of human relationships was slightly strange.
"You could be a pianist," she said a wide smile on her face. It was easy now to see the dark amusement in her eyes as she manipulated him, but she still looked beautiful.
"How's my mother," he asked disregarding her comment. There was no way his father would allow him to become a musician when he had to take over the company. The only reason Weiss got to sing was that it improved the family image.
"She's doing fine," she said with a shrug. Nodding he turned his attention back to the piano without noticing the way her eyes darted past him to the window. They were on the ground floor, so it was easy for her to notice the black fabric of the White Fang outfits as one of their agents dashed past the glass. Raising an eyebrow, she straightened before heading toward the window.
"You know you'll eventually have to decide what to do with your life; after all, you won't be a child forever," she said resting her hand on the glass. Part of her still remembered what it'd been like to fight this never-ending war against human cruelty; yet, she was no longer that woman.
"I want to be a doctor," he said softly. It was something his father would never really allow but he wanted to be like Juno and help people; human and faunus. Allowing a smile to appear on her face Flare stepped to the left as the glass exploded inward causing Whitley to make a surprised sound.
There were six White Fang members that had decided to trespass in the mansion; well in this part of the mansion. She had no doubt there were more of them somewhere. Their weapons were mainly swords and one had a spear; none of them had guns which at the moment was probably their biggest mistake.
"Whitley honey hide behind the piano," she ordered before moving.
In Whitley's defense this was the second time the White Fang had invaded his house in the last year although he had no idea why they would be attacking now. So, when he immediately obeyed her order and only heard strangled shouts and screams, he really did want to look to see if she was okay. What if they killed her, then killed him and his mother? The thought filled him with panic and fear.
For Flare the fight was mainly disappointing. These agents weren't trained by Viper, which honestly would have made the battle interesting, so they were easy to kill. Still cutting them apart one by one at least allowed her to work off some of her stress. She had a vague idea of why they were here too, but she couldn't actually be sure. The fact they had no idea who she was meant she wasn't their target and they hadn't tried to attack Whitley, so he wasn't either. Ice coated her hand forming claws as she deflected a spear before stabbing her hand into the final agent's spine. His strangled scream echoed as he fell to the ground unable to use his legs. Crushing his neck with her foot she looked around looking for any who were still alive. Spotting one she allowed her claws to melt.
Watching crimson drip from her fingers Flare couldn't hold back her laugh as the remaining White Fang member tried to crawl away from her. Licking the blood from her hand she hummed slightly; stalking toward the wounded faunus she wondered just what Viper had been teaching these idiots. The blonde she knew would have never approved of such a weak invasion squad. Kicking the man onto his back she mildly noted that he was a mouse faunus, given the ears, before allowing a thin blade of ice to form in her hand.
"Why are you here," she asked all too aware that any real White Fang member would die before spilling their secrets; after all, she'd once been one such member. Holding a hand to his wounded stomach he gritted his teeth and looked away from her defiantly. Eyes lighting up with sadistic glee she leaned down her lips just grazing his ear as she whispered, "I wonder do you know who I am?... Never mind, it doesn't really matter, all you need to do is send a message."
Pulling away from him she waited just long enough for hope to enter his eyes before stabbing the blade into his neck. Watching him gasp and gurgle for air she idly twitched her fingers watching as the blade expanded until it separated his head from his body. She didn't make a habit of killing anymore but these people really should have looked up who they were attacking before making a move. If the man she thought was behind this used his semblance then her message would get across just fine.
(Ruby)
Staring at Ozpin closely it was easy to see that if she didn't already know something was wrong then she would be in the dark. Tapping the metal of her scythe she felt more than saw her teammates glancing at her every few moments. She supposed it was only natural for them to be concerned since she had been oddly silent since her conversation with Ozpin. Listening to his speech with only half her attention Ruby frowned. He didn't look like a liar.
Well calling him a liar was a bit extreme; after all, secrets weren't lies, they were simply omissions of the truth. She couldn't really call him a liar if he'd never lied to her, but there was also another point bothering her more than anything else. Raven had mentioned that Ozpin had gotten her mother killed; something that she found both believable and unbelievable. On one hand, Ozpin had trained and guided her these last few months; she wanted desperately to trust him.
Yet, he also struck her as someone who would do whatever it took to win no matter the cost. If her mother could grant him the victory, he wanted then she had no doubt that he would do whatever it took to ensure that he won; even if he had to sacrifice someone. If his actions truly led to her mother's death could she forgive him? Was forgiving him really even the right choice? And why would he bother training her if he'd gotten her mother killed; surely the guilt would have kept him away from her.
She didn't even know if she could trust him anymore but right now all she could do was wait until after her mission. Thinking about what the future right now wouldn't help anyone least of all her; it also wouldn't change that fact that he'd helped her when he didn't have too. Without his training, she wouldn't have progressed as fast as she had. There was nothing she could do about tomorrow until it came; so, instead, she would focus on her team. Painting a smile on her face turned to her team as his speech ended.
"So search and destroy," she asked tilting her head in curiosity.
Weiss nodded but her mind was obviously somewhere else entirely given the fact she'd snapped out of her thoughts like a tiger bolting out of a cage. Ruby didn't understand completely what had happened but ever since last night Weiss had been stuck in her head more than usual. The worst part, however, is that her partner wouldn't actually talk to her about anything that happened, so she was stuck being unable to help the older girl at all.
Yang agreed with a grin although her sister was busy sending nervous glances to Liam who was doing the same thing. Honestly Ruby was sure that there was more to their relationship than student and teacher just by how uncomfortable her sister looked at the moment. Yet there was also longing in her sister's lilac eyes that she didn't actually understand. It was times like this Ruby was glad she'd decided to focus on fighting rather than relationships.
"Sure," Blake said being the only one to verbally agree to Ruby's question. At least Blake wasn't acting Weird although her Second had stared at her for over ten minutes without saying anything last night. But now Blake was back to normal so maybe it wouldn't be so horrible; she could always count on her Second more than anyone else on the team.
Returning the small smile Blake sent her Ruby led her team over to the holographic displays to find a mission. She was looking for one in the southeast due to what Blake and Sun had told her about their recon mission at the White Fang rally. Not that they'd chosen to give her any other information about said rally. For some reason, though she'd hated the haunted and horrified expression on Blake's face when the girl had returned to Beacon.
Searching through the missions available Ruby started to pout when she didn't notice any located in the southeast. She was about to suggest a different mission when she heard her aunt's voice and remembered that they were assigned to a mission with the woman.
"Kids," Raven called gaining their attention as she stalked over to them. Her eyes shifting dangerously over the assembled crowd with minimal effort not that Ruby had expected anything else from the woman. However, the assembled aspiring huntsmen and huntresses obviously felt threatened by the layered scowl on her aunts face from the way they scrambled to move out of her way. Ruby couldn't find it in herself to fault them for their hasty actions.
Both Liam and Jay were flanking her on either side but only one of them was nervous. Well in truth she couldn't tell if Jay was nervous since he was wearing his mask. Though she didn't actually think he ever got nervous. Liam was a different story entirely since he was sweating like a homeless man in the middle of a Vacuo summer. Raising an eyebrow at him she shifted her gaze to her sister when Yang made a strangled noise.
"You four are with us," Raven announced once she'd reached them. Reaching out she laid a hand on Ruby's head. Leaning toward the woman Ruby hummed in contentment when Raven ruffled her hair. Looking beyond her niece to her daughter Raven smirked. She was well aware of the budding relationship between Liam and Yang.
In truth, she'd hoped that the two would become something more than just friends. Yang was her daughter; no matter how much she disliked the thought of having one. Liam was a member of her Tribe and she could trust him with her daughter. Yang would not challenge Ruby for the title of heir; yet, there was a possibility that others might. Having a capable fighter like Yang by her side would make Ruby stronger.
Now all she had to do was find a way to bind the heiress to her tribe too and they would have a supply of dust. Dropping her hand from Ruby's hair she motioned for the kids to follow her to the airship they would be taking to Mt. Glen. How Ozpin had roped her into his schemes once again was beyond her. She just wished that she'd been able to tell him, no, but it was obvious he was going to send Ruby anyway so being here to protect her heir was beneficial. There was a chance that she could repair her relationship with Yang as well; although from the indifferent glances the girl sent in her direction it seemed her daughter didn't really care. Sending a look of annoyance toward the tower where she was sure Ozpin was watching them, she hoped Tyrian killed him.
So, Yang was going to die. Her mother was the huntress they would be shadowing; it was just great. No, truly she was so happy to have the woman who'd abandoned her twice as her commanding officer. There was no way this could go wrong. Twitching she couldn't help but wish that she was back in her bed or anywhere other than here. Feeling Liam's hand land on her shoulder she froze her eyes cutting up to the man as the others began to get further away.
"Are you okay," he asked softly. His blue eyes were filled with worry as he glanced between her and her mother who hadn't even noticed them stop.
"Totally fine," she lied. Seeing him narrow his eyes she sighed in defeat. Chancing a glance at her mother she said, "how am I supposed to act around her? I just feel so frustrated every time she treats Ruby like she's her daughter. Why can't she care about me like that?"
Clenching her fists Yang didn't realize her eyes were blazing red, nor did she notice that Liam seemed to be frowning. In truth, he didn't know why Raven cared more about Ruby, but he could guess the reason. Raven looked at Ruby like she was the woman's last hope in life. It was a lot like his mother looked at his little brother; well before the idiot got himself blown up. He had a sneaking suspicion that if Ruby died Raven would snap.
"I don't know, but I think it's because Raven was in love with Ruby's mother," he admitted. His theory hung in the air between them for a long moment before the girl turned away from him. Feeling her slowly tense under his hand he waited for her to argue or tell him he was wrong, but she simply looked down at her hands.
Some part of Yang longed to latch onto the reason and accept it at being the truth. It would make everything so much easier to understand if she could write off Raven's actions being the result of her being in love with Summer. It was such a simple easy answer that she felt like a fool for not considering it before, yet it was also so simple that she didn't want to believe it. She knew that sometimes the best answer was the simplest but at the same time knowing that everything her mother did to protect Ruby was out of some lingering love for a dead woman was…. well she didn't know how to feel.
Don't get her wrong she loved Summer like a mother, yet the woman was gone. She'd never seen any signs that her mom loved the woman as anything other than a teammate, but that might have been because she was too young to notice. The best way to find out for sure would be to ask her dad or uncle however starting that conversation with them wouldn't be very fun. There was also the option to straight up ask her mother.
In truth, Yang wasn't sure how to move on without knowing the reason why her mother wanted nothing to do with her. There was just a part of her that wanted to know the truth even if it destroyed her. Sighing she reached up to play with the strands of her hair as she said, "there is a possibility that your theory is right. Honestly, it would make sense, doesn't make it hurt less though."
"Of course not, pain doesn't go away just because you know the reason for it," he said resisting the urge to run a hand over the scars on his arm. There was a reason he'd stopped being a bounty hunter and it wasn't just because Raven scared him. Shrugging off his own memories he said, "just follow her orders and ignore her if you can."
Nodding slowly at his words Yang hesitated for a moment before reaching up to lay her hand on the one he'd placed on her shoulder. Looking down at her Liam realized that he liked her lilac eyes much better than the anger-filled red. She looked softer like this especially with the small grateful smile that tugged at her lips. Feeling the sudden urge to kiss her he panicked.
"We should catch up with the others," he said trying not to think about how close she was. Letting his hand drop from her shoulder he pretended not to see the way her face fell.
"R-Right," she said ignoring the fact she'd just stuttered. Trailing after him she let her face twist in confusion. Had she done something wrong?
Catching up to the others near the airship Yang met her mother's eyes briefly. The knowing look was honestly unnerving. Hearing footsteps she turned her attention to Mercury as he approached her sister rather than acknowledge her mother's expression. It was obvious that her sister hadn't seen him since Ruby was typing something on her scroll.
"Well now, don't you look deadly," he said amusement in his tone. Watching the girl jolt and almost drop her scroll at his sudden appearance he smirked. It really was too easy to manipulate this girl; so easy that it was almost pathetic. Glancing over her shoulder he found her golden-eyed teammate glaring at him coldly. She looked almost ready to claw his eyes out.
"Mercury," Ruby greeted her expression turning from shocked to joyful in less than a second. Almost bouncing in place she grinned up at the older boy much to his growing amusement.
"Little Rose," he said a bit of genuine fondness creeping into his voice. In all honesty, he didn't mind being around the small girl. She was so different from Cinder and Emerald that it would be easy to let down his guard. He doubted she would be able to harm him anyway. A hyper puppy was what she reminded him of.
"Did you come to see me off," she asked tilting her head to the side cutely. She had no idea that her action exposed her neck in a way that would make it all too easy to kill her. His lips tilted upward slightly.
"Maybe I came to ask you to stay here with me," he said ignoring the sudden growl from her faunus teammate. Smirking he said, "We could have our first date."
"S-Sorry I-"
"Just teasing, besides I wouldn't want my Little Rose to miss her chance to be a hero," he said cutting her off before her stuttering could get much worse. It was true that he would rather her stay near him just in case he needed to use her, but if this girl could foil Cinder's plans just a bit then he didn't mind her leaving his sight.
"Hero," she repeated. The expression of vulnerability that crossed her face was quickly noted down just in case he needed to use it against her later.
"Of course; maybe one day we can even have a sparring match of our own," he said as if the idea came to him suddenly. Testing how strong she was would be the next move he made. Of course, he knew she couldn't beat him but knowing the strength of Ozpin's pawn/pet/student was too good an idea to pass up. Seeing her eyes light up at the idea he knew they would be sparing soon.
"Really," she asked happiness written all over her face. Looking past her as she bounced in place, he met Blake's eyes. The possessive anger in her eyes gave him an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
"I can't wait to show you some moves," he said fully intending the double meaning in his words. For a moment Blake just froze her expression blanking as she comprehended what he truly meant by that statement. Then fury twisted across her face as she reached back to grip the hilt of her sword. He had no doubt that if she could then in that moment, she would have attacked him. Dropping her hand from her weapon the faunus grabbed her leader's wrist.
"Ruby, time to go," Blake ordered as she began tugging the girl toward the airship. Pouting the younger girl didn't notice the wink Mercury sent in her teammate's direction. Raising her hand, she waved toward the still smirking boy.
"Bye Mercury!"
Returning the wave, he felt nothing but smug satisfaction.
(Tyrian)
What did it mean to be a monster without restraint? To bathe in the blood of those that tried his patience. It meant he was a soldier for his queen. A wild dog tethered on an ever-shortening leash. It meant he was free untethered by morality or laws. He could be who he wanted to be without thinking about the consequences or caring who he hurt hence why it was so easy to tear apart those that annoyed him just by existing. Then his queen gave him one order that dictated his every movement; protect Honey Ryker, make her happy and treat her like she was his own blood.
Given the fact he gleefully slaughtered his family without hesitation, it probably wasn't the best wording, but he understood the order anyway. Honey was his first priority now and forever, but it wasn't just on the battlefield that he looked after her. While his Queen treated the child as if she was her own, he had to do the same. Given how easy it was to manipulate the girl into doing what they wanted she was easy to handle.
Honey was the Winter Maiden; a being stronger than most normal people yet she was a child. A child that he was in charge of. That's why when he woke up to the feeling of her shaking body against his own, he couldn't stop himself from stiffening. This wouldn't be the first time she'd snuck into his bed due to nightmares but unlike the other times this wasn't his room. feeling a weight on his wrist he lifted it up and sneered at the metal bracelet.
They'd been captured but at least they were alive so there was hope of escape. Trying to move his tail he shuddered at the pain that rushed through his body. He would at least finally get to meet Ozpin. He hoped that the man was worth all the hate Salem felt for him. It was doubtful that his mistress would be angry if he killed Ozpin. Sitting up slowly he ran a hand through Honey's hair as he studied the room.
He would admit they were smart to take his weapon and clear the room of anything that wasn't nailed down. Sealing his aura was a good call as well but he didn't need his aura to be dangerous. Eyes narrowing, he grinned it would be so much fun when Ozpin's little troop got within grabbing range. There were ways to kill people without damaging their aura after all and he knew all of them; he'd used all of them too.
Hearing the child beside him whimper he frowned. She hadn't been this scared since he'd first found her; although it was understandable. If it was anyone else shacking like this then he would bask in their terror, but this was a child he was supposed to protect until the day he died. Narrowing his gaze at the door he wondered if he could get it open. Discarding the idea when Honey gripped his shirt tightly, he groaned. Just for undoing all the progress he'd made with getting her to trust him; he would slaughter the first person who came through that door.
Turning his attention back to Honey as she woke up, he almost growled at the cloudy glaze over her eyes. He had no doubt that she had been reliving the experiments that she went through in Atlas. Oh, how he'd loved painting those walls red. In truth, they hadn't even been looking for a Maiden but for something Watts had left behind. Find the child had been a lucky catch; he just hadn't been expecting his Queen to put him in charge of protecting the girl.
"Tyrian," she whispered fear warring with relief in her voice. It was amusing how she could be so relieved to see him despite how easily she'd watched him tear though her tormentors. He supposed it was all about perspective since anyone else would be horrified to see him upon waking up. Seeing the fear win out in her eyes his hand snapped out catching her before she could launch herself off the bed to run away from him. It had happened a few times before, but he'd never seen her this terrified. Tugging her close ran a soothing hand through her hair hoping to calm her down so she didn't hurt herself.
"Just breathe, your okay, you're safe," he said making sure not to squeeze her too tightly. It had taken him months to get the hang of calming her down. He just hoped that it had been a generic nightmare and not one of the worst ones. The times when Ironwood haunted her dreams made it difficult to calm her down. She was terrified of the man more than she feared the grimm. Given that the grimm had decided she was under their protection that wasn't saying much.
"I-I-I…"
Well, that wasn't good. Shushing her he hummed softly trying to keep her from going into a full panic. Gritting his teeth as her shacking increased, he barely stopped himself from snarling. Any action of aggression now might cause her to retreat even farther from him.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't throw me away!"
Fuck. He'd been too late. Feeling her hands clench his shirt he had no idea how to reassure her at this moment. He'd never been good with children, but this girl was the exception. Watts had been unable to care for the girl. In fact, the man had snapped at her so harshly that she'd panicked and fled the castle. Hazel had been unavailable, and his Queen didn't have time, so Tyrian had been the only option. He'd never thought about having children, but the girl gravitated toward him anyway. Having a small nine-year-old begin to follow him around hadn't been easy to accept at first but he'd gotten used to it fairly quickly. It said a lot that a serial killer was able to raise a child better than a super genius could.
"I don't want to go back! Please I won't do it again! Don't make me go back!"
"Never," he hissed. She was sobbing now as she begged him not to send her back to Ironwood. Humming softly, he said, "Just breathe, you're okay nothing will hurt you."
One day he would hunt down James Ironwood and rip him apart as he screamed. Tyrian was deranged, insane, and just slightly maniacal but it took a special kind of man to torture a little girl and say it was for the good of mankind. There was nowhere on Remnant that Ironwood would be able to hide from him.
(Cinder)
She hadn't always been this way. Which was obvious given that no one just wakes up one day and decides to be a psychopath. In fact, when she'd been younger, she'd wanted to be a huntress however she'd learned the hard way that Hunters were not heroes. They were human; as such, they were just as capable of causing pain as she was. It wasn't a stretch to say that if she'd been saved that day then she might have become some much different than she was today.
That being said; she didn't regret who she was. She wouldn't trade the rush she got from her victims screams for anything. Sinking her knife into the flesh of a helpless victim was more rewarding than anything else in the world. She preferred women though since they screamed easier than their male counterparts. Children were the best though since they always hoped for someone to come and save them. It was a little annoying that she wasn't allowed to play with Tyrian's pet Maiden, but she supposed it wasn't so bad.
Feeling the urge to play around with someone she dropped the book she'd been trying to read onto her bed. Pouting when she didn't see her pet she glanced at Mercury who was checking through his ammo.
"Where's My little Emerald," she asked ignoring the way he looked up at her in annoyance. Taking pleasure in the fact he was paying attention to her she raised an eyebrow at him.
"No idea."
"How sad," she whispered. She truly was sad that Emerald wasn't around to amuse her. The thief was truly devoted to her. She couldn't wait to snatch a student though since she would be able to test that devotion even more. The thought of Emerald's eyes on her, while she dug her knife into someone's skin, was almost delicious. Resisting the urge to lick her lips she asked, "Has your little Rose left yet?"
She truly hoped that she would be able to keep Ruby after they destroyed Beacon. just imagining the girl's eyes flood with terror caused her heart to race. Noticing Mercury turn his attention back to his work she had the sudden desire to see his face twisted in agony.
"Yep, I even saw her off."
"Everything's going well then," she asked her golden eyes narrowing slightly. There were stories of assassin's growing fond of their targets and refusing to follow orders. It had been why she wanted Marcus in the first place due to the man's conviction to his craft. Mercury was young it wouldn't surprise her if he became infatuated and risked their mission.
"Of course, did you doubt me," he asked. His eyes met her own letting her see just how insulted he was by her lack of faith.
"Well she did seem immune to your charm," she teased hoping to make him mad instead he smirked amusement clouding his eyes.
"No, she was confused by my attention," he told her. Now that he knew Ruby had never dated anyone before her avoidance to him made sense. Well that and how easy she was to manipulate.
"Meaning?"
"I'm her first boyfriend," he admitted. Seeing Cinder's eyes light up with vindictive glee he stiffened.
"Oh, that's adorable," she breathed looking far too happy for him to be comfortable with. Throwing a glance toward the door he actually flinched when she grinned at him asking, "do you want to keep her?"
The question caused him to freeze. Suddenly the image of having Ruby look at him the same way Emerald saw Cinder flashed through his mind. He hated how much he actually liked the thought of keeping the girl around like some kind of pet. Shoving the sudden desire into the farthest reaches of his mind and throwing away the key he looked down at his legs so Cinder wouldn't see the internal struggle he was going through.
"I could teach you how to mold her; she would be your own little pet," The woman cooed as she shifted on her bed. Now that she thought about it the two would look good together.
People like them didn't get to have rational, normal relationships; they had pets. Devotion was the only she allowed her Emerald to feel toward her and she'd noticed how he'd hesitated at the thought of having Ruby as his pet. He was just like her; he had to be. Someone who killed as easily as he did must want the same things she did. And she'd seen the way he looked at Emerald; if he had a pet of his own then he wouldn't keep throwing glances at her own.
"I thought you wanted her dead," he said when he finally knew he wouldn't immediately agree to her idea.
"I changed my mind besides don't you think she's cute," Cinder asked as if her casually changing their plan wasn't an issue. Her impulsive nature was worrying especially given that she was the one making all the choices.
"She's our enemy," he said coldly. The remainder didn't even phase the woman.
"But wouldn't it be fun to break her down until the only thing left is what you want," she asked waving away his words. To her that was the best feeling in the world. That moment when her victim looked up at her with utter defeat was amazing. However, Mercury wouldn't be able to mold Ruby the same way she had Emerald. With their impending attack on Beacon he'd have to break the girl first. It would be best if he got as close to the girl as possible before their attack however so that the girl would be shattered by his betrayal.
"I'm not you Cinder," he stated hoping to break her out of her train of thought.
There was part of him that wanted to break Ruby, yet he was strong enough to push that part of himself away. He would not go down the same road that she did; even if he was a disgusting human being who betrayed everyone he cared for; he would not become like her. Cinder was worse than him on so many levels. If he agreed to her idea for Ruby, then he would be no better than is disgrace of a father.
"Do you like conflict Mercury," she asked suddenly. Stiffening at the sudden change of subject he hated the way her eyes narrowed in his direction.
"I thrive in it," he stated without truly answering her question. In truth he would be happy if he never had to fight again. While he loved the rush of battle living a long life away from all of this was a life, he could be happy with.
"But do you like it," she asked again her intense eyes almost glowing as she gazed at him.
"Without conflict I would be out of a job."
"That doesn't answer my question," she said her tone tilting toward dangerous before she shrugged as if it didn't actually matter. Grinning at him she said, "Very well keep your secrets but I think we're the same. After all, both of us have killed, both of us can fight, both of us would rather die than surrender, and we both love toying with those around us."
She was right, wasn't she? They were the same and, in the end,, he would be exactly like her. People like them always got worse. She could accept that she was a horrible person with nothing to lose and he would accept it too soon enough. Humming at the thought of Mercury standing beside her as she tore apart the very foundations of Beacon academy, she bit her lip.
"Tell me, are you loyal to me?" she asked sounding almost desperate as she moved closer to him.
Mercury was currently in the 'what the hell is happening' thought process as his instincts told him to run away and never return. Either Cinder had just lost her mind, or he was imagining this situation. It was neither option and somehow that made him furious. This woman had not only manipulated him into joining her crusade, but she was now acting like he was her friend. Feeling his hand twitch at the sudden urge to strangle her he tried to contain his temper.
"Would you die for me," she whispered.
The longing desire in her tone snapped what little control he had over his emotions. Almost lunging toward her he didn't hesitate to wrap his hand around her neck. Shoving her back onto the bed he snarled his eyes almost glowing with rage as he tried to resist his desire to squeeze until she stopped breathing. It took him a moment to realize that she wasn't fighting back. The grin on her face had somehow changed becoming a dark smirk as she stared up at him in amusement. They both knew there wasn't a chance of him actually hurting her.
Stiffening as her hands came up to tangle in his hair, Mercury felt like an idiot. He'd played right into her hands. Tightening his grip on her neck as she started to tug him down onto the bed, he finally saw the lust in her eyes. He was nothing but a toy to the woman and he'd done exactly what she wanted by lashing out. Her eyes met his and he knew she was playing with him just like she did Emerald. He didn't want this; he didn't want to be some toy for her to use and discard.
Practically throwing himself away from her he stumbled back putting as much distance between them as he could. Standing there panting in frustrated panic he hated how vulnerable he felt. Deciding that anger was an easier emotion he snarled at her channeling as much rage as he could.
"I don't give a shit about your objective or cause; you can't seduce me into your bed! If you want to toy with someone go find Emerald but don't try your brainwashing shit on me, this is a job nothing more," he screamed at her before almost lunging for the door. If he'd had any doubts about betraying her, they were gone.
"How cruel," she whispered as his rejection hit her. Laying still on the bed Cinder couldn't help but chuckle as she raised a hand to touch her throat. The sound of the slamming door echoing in the room was the only thing she could focus on for a moment before she began laughing. It didn't matter what Mercury wanted; both he and Emerald were hers and neither could do anything to escape that fact.
So, I'm back with another chapter. Honestly, I think I stress wrote this entire thing. Again thank you guys for all you're support.
-LunaCat - I'm not good at emotionally expressing myself either. I'm glad you like reading my stories; I don't know if I've mentioned this but when I started publishing my fanfics I wasn't sure if anyone would like them.
-Darkfire99 - Thanks, um and I honestly do think siblings count as pets; especially when they're being annoying. I'm also an introvert and Mythology fan. Plus my youtube watch later is filled with AMVs.
-Venomous Blade - I loved SAO abridged. I also think all writers have a sadistic side; I know I have one.
- Anyway, what did you guys think about Tyrian this chapter? I was a little tense about writing for him after watching the latest chapter of volume 7. Also, that chapter was amazing by the way and I hope that Ironwood's plan wins.
- Love you guys
- Shyla