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"What can you give me about Hill and her huntresses?" Ironwood asked me as we walked briskly up to his office.
"Fiona has some sort of matter absorption semblance. Evidently she can put a plane in her pocket and walk away. It's Striker ranged and probably limited to non-living things, I'm speculating on that bit. Still, it's supposed to be fairly wicked. May has the invisibility field. It's got a decent radius and it's mobile. It fucked with one of my own operations once. Sabotaged me. Then there's Joanna. She's got super strength, classic Brute," I informed him. "You want me here for this? I've had a run one with them before."
"You'll be with me," he affirmed. He swung the doors open to his office and he sat down at his desk.
I took to a corner by the window. I folded my arms. My sword hilt extended over my head.
"Their weapons?" Ironwood asked me.
"These crossbow staves. Probably modifiable with dust rounds. Except Hill. She's got a crossbow with blades on either side. My man described it as like a fan or an accordian."
"Your man?"
"A union leader down in Mantle. That's how he worked with Hill. You want the details?"
He shook his head. He steepled his hands before him and we waited. Penny came skipping into the room. She saw me, smiled, and waved at me. I grinned back at her and nodded.
"Oh are we acting brooding? I'll do my best." She imitated me by the far side of the long window.
"I don't need to act. I am brooding," I laughed back. "But yeah. A little."
"Hill should be up any minute."
"Good. I was getting tired of looking relaxed."
"I'm glad you two get along," Ironwood mumbled. "It bodes well. For you in particular, Strife."
"Eh, it's mostly Ruby." I kicked my foot around, rolling out my left ankle.
"Don't say that. I thought we were friends."
"We are, Penny. I'm trying to brood, though."
"I see…"
Hill pushed her way into the room with a small smile. She took me and Penny in. She had Fiona with her and another woman I recognized as Joanna Greenleaf from a photo.
Fiona nudged Hill. "That's him. Cloud Strife. The killer mercenary."
Hill glanced at me. "I've heard a bit about you, done some nasty business in my town. What? You working for Ironwood now?"
"For the foreseeable future. Judge ordered. You could probably find out about it. Given your seat," Ironwood returned from behind his steepled fingers.
"You give up the merc life?" She asked. Her question directed at me.
"For now," I answered.
"You're a dangerous man, Strife, I'd be glad to hear you're playing for the good guys. If that's what's going on here."
"It sort of is. You fucked with my operation. Don't think I don't know."
"I did nothing illegal. Nothing anybody could prove at any rate." She showed her teeth. I liked her. "Not like you and Taurus."
"You heard anything about him?" I wondered. "I have a blood score to settle with the bastard."
"Not a peep. He's been laying low. Like I thought you and your illusionist were. Color me surprised to find you standing beside the General. Right beside the protector of Mantle after the shit you pulled."
Maybe this was why Ironwood wanted me here. To divert her focus. I doubted he wanted me for moral support. He wanted me on as a distraction. So I'd be as distracting as possible.
"Those charges were dropped," Penny said.
"You hear that?" I asked. "It's like I never did it."
"But you did do it," Fiona spat. "You killed people."
"Interesting way you phrased that," Hill said with a hand raised at Fiona beside her.
"I only killed other criminals." I shrugged. "And I got time served with a hefty fine."
"Meaningless to someone like you," Hill countered.
"Not meaningless. Just the best I could have hoped for."
"But are you reformed? Do you serve Atlas and Mantle well?" Robyn wondered.
"To the very best of my ability, I protect the people now."
"Will you swear by it?" Hill held out her hand.
"Sure. I'll promise." I took her hand. Purple flowed over my hand as I took hers and it wreathed both of us. "What do you want me to say?" I asked. Words could be very particular.
"That you serve as a guardian to the people, now."
"I serve as a guardian to the people now." I echoed. I technically did before too. Her aura flashed green. It must have registered as true because she reclined looking satisfied.
"Now that that's settled we can get down to business. When will the new tower be ready for launch?"
"Classified. You shouldn't even know about the tower," Ironwood returned.
"But I do. And this will go smoother if we work together, General. I can vote in your favor or I can vote against you at every turn. I can even raise a vote of no confidence."
The General grimaced. I think that he hoped I'd buy him more time before the nitty-gritty.
Robyn leaned over his desk and spread her palms on it. Hunching over on him.
"What's it gonna be, General? I can do worse besides. I can petition to have your council seat taken away. How long will your precious tower take to get completed then. Work with me. I just want to talk."
"You want to talk for now."
"That's right," Hill returned. "I might change my mind based on what I hear, too." At least she was open and clear about it. The value of her prizing honesty.
"The launch is two months out." Ironwood stated.
He stood up and towered over Hill with her slumping over the desk. She recoiled back and stretched to her full height. It was still nowhere near the General and closer to me though she was tall for a woman.
"All of our attention has been on raising the tower and restoring communications between the kingdoms."
"Even though Mantle suffers," she murmured.
I thought about saying something like 'Mantle always suffers' but I kept my mouth shut. It wasn't the time. Never let be said I couldn't be diplomatic.
"Some sacrifices have had to be made to get things done but we're in the final stretch now. No going back."
"I want things to get better for Mantle, General. And fast."
"I'm working as fast as I can," Ironwood vowed.
"I want you to slow down the launch of it means things can get better for Mantle. Diverting both supplies and huntsmen."
"That isn't practical."
"Practical be damned. Mantle always bears the lion's share of the suffering for Atlas. All for it's floating neighbor. You want me to not vote against you at every turn so this project gets completed? You're going to have to make concessions. That means voting my way on minimum wage increases and miner safety standards. Even if those safety standards set back your little project."
Ironwood sighed. It sounded like she had him in a corner.
"We are so close." He grunted. He sounded frustrated and exasperated. "So close to getting this project done. For everybody's benefit."
"Well it just got further away. One way or another. Not one more miner will die for this or anything else. They matter to me. What's it gonna be, James?"
"Friends call me James. You can call me Ironwood or General."
"Petty," she clicked her tongue. She had him in a vice though. She'd be petty and slow down the project too. She was a woman of her word. No one with a semblance like that wouldn't be.
"It sounds like I've got little choice. Just know that once my project is complete I won't back down so easily anymore."
"I'm counting on it, General," she turned on a clicking heel and left. Her tour de force departed with her.
"Sorry. I tried but she wasn't going to be distracted. Not by me and not by Penny."
Ironwood groaned. "The launch just got set back a month. Minimum. And if I start capitulating now who knows when it will end."
"She's a woman of her word. So you've got that going for you."
"At least it wasn't Jacque Schnee," Penny chipped in brightly. "This election could have gone much worse. She's willing to work with you if you work with her."
My scroll chirped. I pulled it out of my pocket.
"Strife. Who's this?"
"Aurum. I've got a hit on your lady friend. She's here. She's threatening me. She demanded my information. She was asking the same sort of questions you were. I need to know what that's about now."
"You don't. I'll be there."
"My life is on the line! She immolated my men!"
"Try and hold her there. I'm coming. Let's get lucky and kill her."
"Sorry Cloud but I have got to do what I got to do to protect my business."
"Just hold her. I'm on my way."
I cut the connection.
"Something important?" Ironwood asked.
"I got a hit on Cinder. She's about to burn one of my contacts to death. I need to get there."
Ironwood nodded. "Do you need reinforcements? I'll call Ace Ops."
"Better call Team RWBY too and put them on standby with Qrow. She's at The Den."
"I'm sending Penny with you."
"Let's go Penny." I said with a nod by the door. "You and I will fly there."
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Penny and I swooped down on The Den. "You take her accomplices. Let me worry about Cinder."
"Do you believe that you can defeat her?"
"We're about to find out." Let's hope that sounded confident.
I bust in the door to find the club empty and quiet. The lack of music and the distant smell of inhalants gave the place a void like feeling. It was strangely empty and lacking.
"Sorry Cloud. It's nothing personal. Just business, you understand." It was Aurum's voice coming from the top floor above me. "She forced me. You get it."
There was the clink of glass heels on the floor above us and Cinder Fall came into view.
"You," she purred. "Jaune Arc was it? I owe you for when last we met." Her one eye glowed like embers.
"It was. Not anymore. It's Cloud now."
"A change in name will mean little to my mistress. You're her son."
"Hardly. She didn't raise me," I shot back. I drew the broadsword from over my shoulder. I gripped the enormous handle beneath the titanic cross guard the shield helped form.
"She has bade me not kill you and your sisters have a certain fury I would dread but whatever happens happens," she sung. She spread her fingers and a flame grew across them. "You would have had me last time if not for my maiden powers. Powers which have doubled. I'm sure you are aware. And you've been spying for me. Through this rabble but you've been on the look out nonetheless."
She made Aurum call me, then. Aurum dashed out the exit, trying to keep his life intact and escaping while we were both distracted. Cinder set a trap for me. Sustrai stepped out from behind Cinder with Black in tow. I watched and my vision faded as Sustrai narrowed her eyes at me. She was trying to use her semblance on me.
I shouted at Penny and I watched a blurring kaleidoscope fly up to them and slash out at Emerald with ten floating blades appendages. My vision snapped back into focus and in perfect time for me to see Cinder descending on me with flames pouring from her feet to aid her assault. As she flew she left fire behind on the glass dance floor. I met a strike from her similarly glass weapons and stuttered back a step on the dance floor.
I activated my semblance and brought my weapon around to match her. I drew an electric crystal from my pocket. I crushed it in my palm and sent a thunderbolt at her. She blocked it by crossing her weapons and her one eye flared at me with the power of the maidens. She gestured and a half dozen fireballs floated into place before her. She blew gently. Like she was blowing a kiss at me, I didn't catch it, and I was forced to dance out of the way of the fireballs.
I went through them. I rolled and floated towards her through the conflagration. I stabbed my sword downward and tore up glass as I pushed it screeching across the dance floor towards her. She met my strike with both her weapons crossed.
Then she struck out at me in high, low, high fashion, alternating each blade. She twirled with the motion and I was forced on the defensive, blocking each one of her attacks. I never let her truly get close to me with the enormous blade between us.
She waved her palm and a flare shot up inside the tight room towards me. I couldn't be sure how Penny was doing against her two opponents because I was too focused on Cinder.
I blocked her and seesawed my weapon down on her. Sparks flew from her glass weapons from where my Titania edge but down into them.
"I'm going to kill you this time. We'll see how my Mother takes that," I whispered. I spoke softly as I threatened her. As I made my vow.
Lightning ran up her weapons and into my arms. It made me tremble in pain for a moment before she pushed me off of her and kicked me in my exposed chest. Then she flew at me.
"Aren't you quite the little rebel. Doing what makes mommy mad?" She laughed at that.
"Oh I'll piss her right the fuck off. Can't imagine she was happy I didn't bring the relic to her."
She pointed her sword at me and there was a kazzap of lightning. I blocked it on the edge of my weapon but she just swung her weapon around her body again. A trail of fire emanating from it and growing larger until she whipped a lash of red hot blaze right at my head.
I rolled again and came up thrusting at her, forcing her to block. She swung at me with one of her glass weapons but at the far range of my weapon I was too distant and she miscalculated.
She dropped into a crouch and pointed both her weapons at me and there was another mighty kazizzle of electricity. I jumped over it and brought my weapon down on her head in a move that forced her to block with both of her own. It shattered the dance floor around us for yards and yards. All the way to the edge near the bar.
"You're right of course. She was most displeased. She will punish you for it given the opportunity. I think not, however. You will die here."
She waved her hand and a gale picked up. All the glass from the once smooth and now shattered dance floor flew up from it. She gestured at me and I hunkered behind the wide edge of my weapon and weathered the storm of glass pellets. Some struck into my aura and chipped it away. I held firm against the wind.
Blue light still licked at my body but it seemed like my semblance would not be enough. I couldn't imagine spending it and then being forced to fight her without it. If I spent it, when I spent it, it would have to be for the kill. I could use it for no other purpose. And it would probably have to be the Octa slash. No other attack would do enough damage in a single go to take her down except maybe a Finishing Touch.
I'd hardly touched her. Hadn't touched her, I realized.
When the gale broke down she hit me hard with both flaming feet. Not as hard as Penny had with a similar move but hard enough to send me stumbling back. Next she delivered three lighting fast diagonal slashes to my torso. She ripped away massive chunks of my aura.
Then she thrust forward and I blocked to the side. Her weapon buried in my personal soul based force field to the hilt right next to my head. She still managed to rip away a chunk of blue light from my body.
Things were seriously not good. Her magic was too much for me and her competence with a blade in each hand was nothing to scoff at.
I kicked her back. A move that caught her in the gut. Then I swung my blade towards her head in a massive strike that she caught with both her weapons. Making yet another 'x' shape. It seemed to be her go to in order to block against my titanic sword.
I screamed and flew at her. Closing the little distance between us with a shoulder check that knocked her to the ground.
I danced at her, flowing like water as she caught herself on one hand and tried to cartwheel back but I chased her roll now that she was out of position. Now that she was in serious disadvantage and close to me I made to capitalize on it.
I caught up to her and hit her once vertically diagonally downward and to the right. Then I reversed and came diagonally up and to the left. Then I can back down on her diagonally and from the right once more in a staggering triple hit. The kind I'd seen do twenty-five percent or more of Ruby's aura when I wasn't Limit Broken. When I wasn't Limitless.
I didn't spend the charge on it but I did shout, a scream left my lips as I performed the move with exertion. It flung her back and into one of the bars and into the wall in a shattering of glass and bottles.
She flew out of the hole in the wall and through the crevice her body had left in the bar. A trail of flame coming behind her and at her feet. I flew to meet her and where we struck the ground rippled like it was made of liquid for a moment before elasticity caught up with it and it shattered.
I was taller than her. I was conventionally stronger, too. Especially while Limit Break was active and I slowly lowered my weapon down onto her while her back twisted from trying to match me in the crater on the floor.
She kicked my leg at the hip but I only grunted and took it. I took one hand off my blade and backhanded her hard with my knuckles. Then I slid forward a step and reversed my hand and grabbed her by the throat and picked her up into the air. I pulled her in and kneed her in the stomach hard enough to make spittle fly from her lips.
Then Mercury came flying and kicked me in the back. Then he shot me in the back with both of his boot guns.
I twisted to my feet again on a pocket of air. He was breathing hard. So was Cinder where I'd knocked the wind out of her.
I wasn't much better and now that they were alone Emerald let out a scream where Penny slammed her hard into a wall.
"Ma'am…" Mercury trailed.
"Save Emerald," Cinder hissed.
Then I gambled. I dashed forward like I was going to hit Cinder. Then I spent Limit on a thrust but not at her. I thrust up and into Mercury's aura and then into his chest in a crackle of violet energy.
Blood flew from his lips as I speared him. Penny had done enough work for this to pay off and from the sounds of things she'd defeat Emerald too.
"No," Cinder whispered. The battle was out of her favor.
"Yes!" I roared. The edge was ours now.
I watched as Emerald plucked herself from the wall and fell to her knees. A tear on her face as we all saw Mercury slide onto my six foot blade.
"Emerald! Get us out of here!" Cinder called.
I swung my sword and Mercury flopped off the blade. He was already dead. I flexed and started charging my next semblance. With slow promise I stood and began the charge. Soon.
"Emerald!" Cinder barked. I was assaulted with a massive illusion. Penny was too from the way she stepped back in shock on the second floor. A gigantic image of my Mother rose from the twisted glass and roared.
Cinder burned a hole in the wall and grabbed Emerald's sobbing form and fled. I was too shocked by the cyclopean vision of my Mother to move.
"Cloud!" Penny called to me distantly. I fell to my knees before the image of my Mother and held my hands up like I was expecting an attack, I fumbled my sword with dumb hands. My brain burned and my mind was ajar.
Mother…
I thought. And despite that I knew it was an illusion. Despite the distance between us I heard her answer.
"My son…"
"No…" I whimpered.
"Yes…"
The voice seethed.
"Yes… you belong to me… I am your mistress…"
I could feel her shadow on the corner of my mind. She twisted into me and trapped me between agonies I knew weren't true.
"Cloud are you alright?"
The massive image of my Mother faded. But she lingered on my brain. A growing pressure. I howled in pain. She raked at my body and I convulsed.
"Cloud, it wasn't real."
"She's in my… my… my…" I stuttered like a broken record player. Then I started to froth at the mouth. I seized on the broken dance floor.
"My son… my precious son…"
"Oh my gods!" I heard Penny cry. "Don't worry, Cloud, help is on the way!"
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-WG
