Cinder had just woken when she heard a fluttering.
Drowsy, she continued laying on her side, back to the window.
A shifting, a creak.
She rolled over, immediately being blasted by morning sun rays to obscure vision.
She squinted, blinded, lifting her hand to her face.
And her eye saw a figure standing there, blocking the sun.
She threw herself out of bed and summoned a flaming glass weapon, aiming it forward.
The figure held up their hands. "Hey now, I thought we agreed we weren't going to be doing that anymore?"
Cinder's vision sharpened, and she finally identified the intruder. She kept her blade pointed, just the same.
Qrow Branwen's eyes roamed down her bared, fit figure, of furrowed, damaged skin and copious burn scars, with an undisguised appreciation - which turned to disgust when he lay eyes on her out and exposed grimm arm. He returned his gaze to her face, and he held it there. Held her eye. "Could you put that away - seriously, I'm not here to fight or anything. If I was, you think I'd have come all by myself?"
Cinder snorted, lip curling. "Like you appeared to me in the park alone?"
Qrow chuckled, surprisingly, and nodded. "Yeah...well, you got me there. But this time I really am alone."
Cinder didn't move. She raised her chin at him.
Qrow sighed, took a slow step aside, away from the window. The sunlight hit Cinder in full now. "Look, you're gonna want to put some clothes on, right? Or do you get your thrills as a streaker? Wouldn't it be damn sad if the way you got found out was because somebody called in saying they saw some lady exposing herself out the window? How embarrassing would that be: Cinder Fall, tracked down by agents of Salem on charges of exhibitionism!"
Cinder growled, long and suffering. She dematerialized her weapon, stalked past Qrow with head still held high, planting a smirk on her face, and moved to retrieve some clothing.
Once dressed, she turned back to him, hand on hip. "You know, most people would have used the door."
"We're not most people, are we?"
"Point," she grumbled. She dropped her hand from hip and hopped up onto the dresser, crossing her legs there. "So - why are you here?"
Qrow leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well now, it's an interesting thing, isn't it? Apparently, there was a disturbance out on the perimeter wall last night. Reports from Mantle's finest about a cloaked figure in a mask. Evidence of a powerful Semblance being used in a heartfelt but misguided attempt at fixing the worst broken section of the wall. Stone and crystal, and even, in some places, the metal itself having seemingly stitched itself back together. And after some further investigations, they found even more spots like this along the wall - some of them looking a bit older. It seems like this mystery figure has been doing this for a couple days now - not just last night."
Cinder raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms now in addition to legs.
"And, apparently," Qrow went on. "there were related reports, all throughout the night, after the grimm started coming into the city...of that same masked figure flying around, using an incredibly powerful Semblance to defend the people. Saved a lot of lives - dozens."
"If I'd wanted to hear the news, I would have turned on the TV," Cinder spoke, gesturing to said television holo-display. "You really didn't need to come in through my window just to tell me this."
Qrow gave an insufferable grin. "You sure? Unless, of course, you already knew."
"I pride myself on being well informed."
"And I pride myself on not being a total moron - most of the time..." Qrow ran a hand through his hair, that grin disappearing now. Serious, solemn. And... "Let's drop the pretense - I'm not as much into playing games as you are. I just came by to say I appreciate all you did last night - and throughout this past week, working on that wall. That's dedication. That's...you stuck to your word - the word you gave to my niece to help when the time came. And all that other stuff about remorse and change, too. I appreciate it, and I think it's enough to say I can trust you now. At least to go that far again."
"Well...glad to hear it..." Cinder muttered, turning her head.
"Yeah. That's great, 'cause I'll be needing to call you up soon for some more help - a bit more personal, with us working closely together on it."
"Why?"
"Because the grimm attacks last night had a specific trigger - an intentional one - which you'd know if you turned on the news," Qrow responded, flashing another grin.
Cinder glared at him. "Seeing as your unexpected arrival through my window was what just woke me, how could I possibly have had time to..." she gritted out.
Qrow pulled a look of feigned surprise. "Oh, yeah. Right, right - my bad!"
"What was the cause?" Cinder snapped out, studiously ignoring the man's flare-ups of idiocy.
Qrow sagged, blew out a breath. "Tyrian Callows. He showed up at Robyn Hill's victory party last night. Slaughtered a bunch of innocent people, fought against my kids and their friends. Was driven off from it." He looked at her a long moment. Then- "Ms. Castella and your little Maggy were there, too."
Cinder shot off the dresser, feet thudding. "What? Were they hurt, did Tyrian kill-"
"Relax, hey! They're both fine!" Qrow exclaimed, hands coming up again. "Thanks to the swift actions of their escort, one of Ruby's friends. Blake Belladona. She saw Tyrian right away, recognized the danger, and got them both out first thing. They're totally fine."
Cinder's entire being flooded with relief. And an unwilling pulse of gratitude for the faunus girl, Belladona. She fell back, hand flashing out to catch the dresser, catch herself.
"They're fine - this time," Qrow spoke on. "But now that we know Salem's sent one of her other agents here...we can expect things to really kick off soon, again. Can't we?"
Cinder shut her eye, turned away. "No...Vacuo was meant to be the next target, not Atlas."
Qrow's eyes glinted with interest. "Is that so?"
Cinder snorted. "Yes, it is."
"Huh...Wonder what made them decide to change targets."
"Probably me," Cinder muttered out, glaring down at her grimm arm, clenching those clawed fingers. "Two birds with one stone."
"Man, you and birds, huh?" Qrow laughed.
"Go screw yourself! This is not the time to joke around!"
Qrow just lifted his eyebrows at her, his meaning clear: Well, isn't it?
Cinder scoffed, stalking to Neo on the floor and giving her a kick in the ribs. Neo startled awake, rolling over to gaze up at her blearily. "Get up, get dressed. We have a guest."
Neo sat up, turned to stare with a real trace of fear at Qrow.
Qrow gave a wave, cocked a grin. "Hey there. I heard you beat the shit out of both my nieces. Qrow Branwen, good to meet you. You might know my sister."
Neo hurled herself to the floor, arms coming over her head.
Cinder rolled her eyes and strode back toward Qrow. She stood right in front of him, brushing her hair aside to reveal her damaged face and eye. "If we're keeping score, your niece did this to me. All of this." She gestured down at her body, most of it now hidden under tunic and pants.
Qrow gazed at her evenly. "I saw all that, yeah - and for the sake of our truce and my needing your help with Tyrian...I'm sorry. 'K? That make you feel better now?"
"No," she snapped. She wouldn't feel any sort of better unless those words came from Ruby Rose's bratty mouth itself. And maybe not even then, honestly.
"Didn't think so. Just outta curiosity, did your backside get blasted too, or is there still a lot there to appreciate?" Qrow brought his hands together in pantomime of a camera, aimed it down her body and mimed snapping a shot. "Cause you know, I can see a damn fine outline in those pants of yours, but whether or not what's under there is actually-"
Cinder summoned a blade and brought it to his throat, shoving her face in his, snarling.
Qrow's hands shot up. "Okay, okay - you're right, that was inappropriate, I'll just shut up now..." Nonetheless, another cocky grin came to his face. The smug asshole.
Cinder bared her teeth, flaring her eyes with amber flames. She vanished her weapon and whirled away, striding for the bathroom. "You delivered your news, now get lost, idiot. Grab my scroll there, put your number in - call me when you have to. But I don't want to hear your voice or see your face again until you do have to! You got me?"
"Got it! I'll be gone in a minute here. Swear it."
"You had better be!" Cinder slammed the bathroom door and ran the tap water, splashing the cold waters all over her face.
Cinder spent her day searching for any signs of Tyrian, and possibly even any of the others - Watts, Mercury, Emerald...
Emerald.
Another person that Cinder supposed she hadn't ever been entirely truthful with for her own ends. Lies, hiding things, using the same grand flowery language on her as Salem had used on Cinder...And the simplest of promises.
A promise made, at the time, without a care.
"Follow me, and you'll never go hungry again."
All she had ever wanted was the girl's skills in thieving and lying. Sleight of hand and patience, and coordination. For the mission, for Salem.
She'd always known how the girl had looked at her, the way she'd responded to her...and she'd never cared for her back. Never cared to care!
Emerald had been talented, and tough, and clever in her own right - and she'd needed that.
Nothing more.
Anything to get that.
Just like Salem...had said what she had to to get Cinder to join her as a teenager, herself. Appealed to her in that way she knew would appeal to Cinder.
And then Cinder had given Emerald proof by talking with a grimm, commanding it in her presence.
Cinder. Never. Cared.
But now...now she knew what that was like, too, didn't she?
She still cared for Flora, she still- maybe something more. And yet Flora wanted nothing to do with her now. She was out of her life, away.
All too familiar guilt as of late rose in Cinder. She'd dragged Emerald into all of this, and then just left her there when she'd left it behind herself - never sparing a second thought to her. That she had, in fact, left her behind with Salem.
If Cinder could see Emerald again, if she could just talk to her again...she'd give her the same offer she had Neo and Miltia, and Flora. An offer of protection, of alliance, and even...maybe true friendship for once. An escape from life under Salem, that doubtless that girl was too terrified to leave on her own now. Trapped, helpless...wishing Cinder would come back for her, save her, because she cared and trusted her and it was foolish and idiotic of her and...
Cinder wished she could prove her right to feel that way now. Validate those feelings in the girl.
Be the things Emerald wanted her to be for her, like she was trying now to be the kind of woman her mother wanted her to be.
If she could just see her one last time...she could fix everything between them. Cinder was sure of it.
Fortunately, it was likely Salem would have sent Emerald and Mercury with Tyrian on this mission. They had to be here, too.
Cinder just needed for them to make a move, so she could go to them then, and make her move.
Hell, she thought she might even take Mercury back on her side - they had become close enough, hadn't they, Emerald and Mercury? Almost like friends, those two.
She had spent her whole day searching, until in late evening, around 6 PM, her scroll chimed for her.
She stopped and sat on a bus stop bench, took it out and saw the name.
She tapped to accept.
"What is it?" she asked instantly.
"Hey. My teams and I have all been invited to the Schnee place for the evening - there's this big thing going on there. A celebration of Jacques Schnee's victory in the election over Robyn Hill, and a meeting with some Councilors to discuss the problems going around lately. Grimm, Tyrian...they want answers." A pause from Qrow. "But that isn't what matters to me; would you say Tyrian would be more likely to attack here, or elsewhere while we're all holed up in one place?"
"Likely the latter," Cinder replied, not even having to think about it. "If all of you are in Atlas, he'll make his move to cause chaos and death down here in Mantle - prey on the helpless, maneuver while you all are focusing on something else."
"So then, can I trust you and your group down there to keep a handle on things? Whatever he's going to do, it's going to be real soon here. We're about five minutes out."
"I'll do what I can," Cinder said flatly.
"Good. See you around - or I might not, who knows? Qrow, out."
Cinder didn't deign to reply in kind, simply ended the call and slid her scroll into her pocket.
She stood up from the bench and began making her way back home again.
She could feel it inside her soul - this was it, this was the real deal. This...was the start of the end.
Another Beacon, another Haven.
Strange, to be on the other side of it now.
The rising fears in her were enough to make her guilt flare up again out of sheer empathy; this was how everyone she'd terrorized had felt - only, surely, a thousand times worse.
As late evening fell on Mantle, Cinder continued her search all the more intensely - she had to find Tyrian, she had to end this before it began, she had to!
But there wasn't any sign of him.
Except...
At first, Cinder hardly noticed.
The change in the air, the change in the sky - but then it all began to come down on her. Snowfall. A new bite to the wind.
And, she realized, a distinct lack of orange glow from the heaters on the streets, and on rooftop of buildings she loved traversing.
It was dim now, it was uninviting as could be.
Other people started to notice, too; Cinder watched a group emerge from her favorite little coffee place, cold whipping at their faces and snow falling on their bodies to cause trembles.
Cinder had, of course, by now pulled up her Aura - but none of these people had that benefit.
She sighed, extended her arm, and brought Maiden powers to bear; she ripped the great wooden sign off the entrance to the coffee shop, letting it slam down onto the street. She flicked a wrist, and a burning stream of flames ignited the sign, roaring to life in brilliant crackling.
"Oh my- how did you-" A woman was staring at her with wide eyes.
Cinder had already turned away, and launched herself into the air on Maiden flames.
She soared high and far, and took her scroll out as she hovered far above.
"We got a problem down there?" Qrow's voice came immediately.
"Not Tyrian - likely Arthur Watts' doing," Cinder spoke, strained. "The heating is offline in Mantle - all of it. The entire grid. It's already- awful, and I have Aura."
"Damn...that'd explain a lot lately..."
"What's your plan?" Cinder went on, ignoring the comment.
"We'll get down there - join you soon. Just do everything you can to-"
"I'm already doing everything I can," Cinder growled. "You don't need to tell me to-"
"Okay, okay! Jeez. Got it. We'll be there soon, then. Take care."
Cinder ended the call, breathing to release her anger.
She needed to focus now.
Another long night was ahead - worse than the one before.
And this time, she was determined to have Neo and Miltia beside her for it.
She flew home, right in through the window - subtlety was out.
"You two! Get your asses in gear, get your gear - now!"
Miltia was hugging herself, wrapped up in blankets.
Neo did a double take, pulling a face.
"Salem's agents are here, and if you want to live through tonight you're going to do everything you can to help other people live through tonight!"
"I don't want to be a super hero," Miltia retorted, shaking her head.
Cinder growled. "I'm not asking you to be! I'm just asking you to be- decent. Is that really so hard?! If even I can manage it...Ugh, come on! Either way, Tyrian or others will be coming for you, for me, for being with me! Tonight is the night, so like it or not, you need your weapons and you need to come with me!"
Neo hopped to her feet and snatched up her umbrella, her face set - determined now. She gave a nod, gliding over to join Cinder. She also joined Cinder in gazing very pointedly at Miltia.
"Come on, Miltia, do you actually want to die that...badly..." Cinder trailed off. "You're kidding me."
Miltia sagged, turning away completely.
Cinder strode forth, seizing Miltia's arm and yanking her right around. She shoved her face in hers. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Miltia's eyes stared blankly - beyond Cinder, through her. "I just...want to see my sister again."
"So you just sit here and freeze yourself to death? Is that it?"
"Seems like a good way to go...nice and comfy..."
"Look, if you want to die so badly, at least do it in battle! At least do it doing something good in your life! Fight with us, fight the grimm, fight Tyrian! Make some kind of mark on the world before you go back to your sister! But don't just sit here in a shitty hotel room until you're a popsicle! I like popsicles as much as the next woman, but that is not the way you want to go out! It's pointless, it's senseless, it's stupid, and you're an idiot for it!"
"I thought you were supposed to be trying to pep talk me..."
"Hnnnnnnngh..." Cinder let a breath go - visible in frigid air. She sat herself down and, after a hesitant moment, she did something she'd never once done in her life - but that had been done to her often in memory, to great effect. It was that effect she hoped to implement now, as she pulled Miltia into her arms roughly.
"Wha...what're you...?"
"Listen to me," Cinder hissed in the girl's ear. "Do you think your sister would want you to be this idiotic about your life? Do you think she'd be happy knowing you were being so stupid?! Wasting yourself, trying to die just to be with her? The best thing you could ever do for her memory...is to get up, get moving, and try to make something of yourself! Help me, help Mantle, help the world. Or at the very least, just drop this crap and try to live! Keep living. For her. But most of all...for yourself! Trust me, I know - my mother was killed not weeks ago, or don't you remember? Do you see me wallowing in filth and cold? No, you don't! I'm doing what I should be doing. And so should you. So hurry it up already and get up! Get your frozen little ass into gear already!"
"I'm just...so tired...I don't want to..."
"I know," Cinder said, pitching her voice as soft as she could. "But do it anyways."
A long moment. Then, a soul-deep sigh was expelled. "Sure, let's...let's go."
"Wait, really?" That actually worked?
"Yes, really." Miltia squirmed, shoved at her. "I can't get my weapons if I'm still trapped like this! Let go, weirdo!"
"Right..." Cinder released her and stood, arms awkwardly at her sides. "So- your gauntlets are over-"
"I know where I put my weapons."
"Right. Sorry."
Miltia moved with an agonizing slowness, off the bed, over to the dresser. She pulled on some clothes, and then her retractable claw gauntlets. She looked them over, gave a few taps of her fingernails to the sides of the blades. She nodded, muttered to herself, and then she sighed and turned toward Cinder. "Ready."
"Okay." Cinder looked at Miltia - looked at Neo, who gave a thumbs up and a wide, fake smile. "Let's get out there and try to just-"
A powerful blasting noise interrupted her, and the door to the hotel room flew open.
A slender figure stood framed in the doorway, out in the hall.
"Try to just what?" Mercury Black took a single, easy step into the room. He cocked his head, smirking. A hand came up, flourished. "Go on - I'm dying to hear the rest of that. It's all just so- so inspirational, even I'm feeling a little teary-eyed here!"
Cinder stalked forth, seizing onto Miltia along the way and shoving her back behind herself. She continued on, and stood before Mercury. He folded his arms at her, smirk firmly in place. Cinder met his gaze, and in silence they stood like this. Frozen as the world around them.
"I'm sorry."
Mercury's smirk vanished instantly. "What was that again?"
Cinder's own just grew. "I said: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you both behind, I'm sorry I even pulled you into this life to begin with, and I'm sorry I never cared. But I won't leave you behind now, I want to get you out of that life now, and I want to show you that I do care for you both now. If you'll just give me the chance, and come back to my side again."
"Wait a sec...are you offering, or demanding?"
"I'm offering - you can take it or not."
Mercury turned, hand coming to stroke his chin. "Hmmm...and now I feel like a total jackass for being the one to tell Em you didn't care about her."
"I didn't - but I want to now," Cinder admitted.
Silence.
Mercury let his hand fall away, threw up both his arms and shrugged. "Welp, I think we both know if I try to refuse, there's no way I could ever take on a Maiden by myself - seriously, what idiot sent me to do this and expected I'd even stand a chance?"
"Salem."
Mercury gave her a sidelong look. A grin spread on his face. "That's the one!"
"So, you'll come back to me? You want to?"
"Eh, why the hell not? Let's get the dream team back together again, and see what we can do. Between you and me, I'd bet on you over that freak Tyrian, or Watts - seriously, what a pompous loser."
Cinder smiled. "Okay." She hesitated, eye searching behind Mercury. "Where's Emerald?"
Mercury's face went blank. "Oh, right. Her. Well you see...what with you running off and all...Salem needed somebody on her team who could hope to stand against you. So-"
"So she sent Emerald after the Winter Maiden?"
"Pretty much, yep."
"She's going to die," Cinder said flatly.
"I said the same thing," Mercury confided. "Told her she didn't have a chance - but she wouldn't listen. She's gotten all weird lately - like you, apparently. All this talk about right and wrong, love and care, motivation and life story - I don't really care about all that crap. But she's big into it now."
Cinder swept her eye around the room, looking at her...team. "Neo, you get up there to Atlas - find Emerald, find the Winter Maiden. Stop her, tell her- tell her I'm sorry, tell her I care, tell her I want her back. Tell her Mercury already is. Use any means necessary - I don't care. Just get to her before she does...something she'll regret."
Emerald, in all her life so far, had never actually killed a single person.
Cinder didn't want that to change tonight.
When she thought back to being sixteen, to having just killed her stepfamily in grimm massacre...to those times afterward, with Lisari and Jenna...
She never wanted Emerald to have to feel that way, too.
Neo gave her a serious nod, and then she vaulted out the window without a second glance.
"That's great for her, but what do we do?" Mercury asked, holding out his hands.
"We do what we can here," Cinder replied, even.
A look of surprise came over Mercury's face. "Huh, things really have changed around here, haven't they? Alright, I'm down for it - why the hell not? Everyone else is losing their minds, whole world's going topsy turvy...why not join in on it?"
"Thank you."
Mercury blanched. "Still freaks me out, though..."
Cinder laughed.