Been a bit of a crazy week. Tuesday saw no electricity, Wednesday saw no internet until late in the day and Thursday has seen me with a flat tyre on my car. Is someone trying to tell me something with all this?

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 28

"Is it safe to talk about this with her here?" Jaune nodded to Lisa Lavender, who he couldn't help but think shouldn't be privy to a meeting between him and Roman on how to literally lie to the media. The exact purpose of their meeting was to mislead the broadcasters and paint Adam in a terrible light. Having perhaps the biggest investigative reporter in Vale present didn't seem like a great idea.

"Nah." Roman waved a hand. "She's cool."

"You're sleeping with one another, aren't you?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement," Lisa said. "And I'm offended you'd think I might use my womanly ways to score a big story." Her smug grin said it all and Jaune sighed.

"No wonder Neo's been staying in my room…" He shook his head. "Is she safe, though? You know I trust- You know I respect your opinion, Roman, but it doesn't feel like a good one here."

"What was with that change halfway through?"

"On topic, Roman."

The thief sighed and ground the stub of a cigar down into the ashtray, snuffing out the last ember. "She's on board with what we're doing, even if that means fudging the news a little. Besides, we're not lying – Adam is a piss poor leader. We're just altering the details a little to highlight that fact."

"I'm not a fan of terrorists," Lisa pointed out. "And my job isn't necessarily to be the most accurate reporter; it's to find the biggest scoop. I'm judged, targeted and paid based on viewer numbers. This is going to be big news and I'll get to be at the heart of it."

"And if it goes wrong, you'll have first scoop on us lying…"

"Best make sure it doesn't go wrong," she said, not denying it. "And who better to help than yours truly? Now, tell me what you have. What are we working with?"

"Videos of the attack, any statement we want from Sienna and his ex-girlfriend, who isn't afraid to tell the truth about him that others don't see. We don't have Kali," he said. "She has to stay quiet for her husband's sake."

"Hmm." Lisa's fingers drummed on the table. "Lose the girlfriend angle. Don't get me wrong, abusive ex is a powerful weapon but she's a confirmed huntress at this point. No one in the White Fang is going to take her word seriously."

"Oh, I can't wait to tell kitty-kat that!" Roman rubbed his hands together. "The look on her face…"

"Your girlfriend is right next to you." Jaune pointed out.

"Roman and I aren't together," Lisa said. "We just… mingle. Often. And hard."

Roman's eyebrows wiggled. "Very hard."

"And then soft – and usually before I peak."

Roman winced.

"Anyway, you'll want to take her out the picture and focus on his leadership. That's what you're trying to hit and there are some faunus who would accept a serial child fiddler as their leader so long as he delivered on his promises. Throwing him out as an abuser won't bother them. They'll cover their ears and ignore it."

"We show him as a maniac instead?"

"No. Incompetent. Again, if you're honestly thinking about becoming a violent terrorist, you're probably at least a little open to a bit of mania. You're less likely to be willing to throw your life away for an idiot, though."

Lisa took the scroll from the table and watched over the limited footage they had of Adam's attack on Beacon. Most was theirs, though Ironwood had provided a little from his airships and helmet cameras on soldiers after a little prodding. Knowing what it would be used for won him over.

"We'll want to split this up," she said. "Release it bit by bit and let people chat and ferment over it. Let the anger built, then when people are just starting to calm down – wham! You drop another, worse than the last." She tapped the screen. "Here. We could say attacking Beacon is stupid, but it would have been genius if it worked. But there's a moment here where he breaks off from the main attack to head for the cafeteria. Why?"

"That's where Blake was," Jaune said. "His ex. He went to try and fight her."

"Ooh. Letting personal vendettas get in the way of the objective. That's interesting. And we can see from the other angle how the faunus he leaves behind get torn apart by Grimm." Her lips twisted at the gruesome scene. "We'll have to edit that for some sites, but others – especially those the Fang frequent – we'll leave it full gore. This is direct evidence of him leading people to their death and ignoring them when they need help." Lisa looked up. "Do we have shots from within the cafeteria?"

"Some."

"Send me those later. I'll do a little splicing and framing and make sure he stands there monologuing to his ex before the fight even starts. Meanwhile, his people are getting slaughtered."

"Will it be enough?"

"To turn people against him?" she asked. "No. Not on its own."

"But it's a start?"

"Yes. It's a start."

"Leave it to her," Roman said. "Trust me, kid. When it comes to causing a shitstorm, no one does it better. The net will be on fire within the hour."

/-/

"Adam! Adam!" Corsac Albain burst into the barracks Sienna had once called her own. Now, Adam sat upon the throne. Or should have been. He was pacing nearby, muttering to himself. Corsac rushed over. "Adam. You've seen the news?"

"What is it? I'm planning our debut assault."

"You haven't seen!? Forget the assault. You need to get online." He tore out his scroll and flipped through to the right site, pushing it in Adam's face. "Do you see this? You need to comment before the people lose their minds."

Adam took the device and looked down at it, reading the comments Corsac knew by heart. People questioning him. Worrying. Others defending and more calling it fake, but enough who were unsure as to keep the discussion going. It was a disaster! Worse because he'd known nothing of it himself.

"What is this? I don't care for the whining of idiots."

"They're not idiots, Adam. This is one of the forums we do most of our propaganda on. It's our forum. We recruit people from it. We spread news through it. Fennec and I have spent the last three years building it up on Sienna's orders."

"More evidence it should go ignored. Sienna was a coward."

"Sienna was overly cautious, yes, and I personally thought you would be better for the job, but that doesn't make all her decisions worthless!" Sienna was a builder, a thinker and a strategist. Adam was the warrior and general. The two were necessary to bring the White Fang to glory but in different ways. Sienna had done well in building them into a formidable force, but her caution belied her. At a time when they needed decisive action, she hesitated, wanting to cross every t and dot every i.

Adam was different. Impulsive and intuitive, he would strike and strike fast. His was a necessary evil, but Corsac wished he would at least respect the work Sienna had done.

"There is dissent in the ranks."

"Who?" Adam whirled on him. "Give me names."

"I don't have them," he lied, having no desire to discover Adam's brand of discipline or what it would do to their morale. Not when his own brother was among those most worried. "All isn't lost, Adam. The video shows you breaking away from those who fell to Grimm. It is tragic, yes, but we can argue that it isn't right to call you incompetent."

"They knew the risks. Death was something they accepted when they joined up."

"We prefer to let that be implied than stated. Recruitment tends to suffer when we tell people they're signing up for glory, freedom and certain death. Better results when we focus on the first two."

His attempt at humour met a brick wall. "I don't care for your methods, Fennec."

"Corsac. And you should, since weaker recruitment means less men for your goals."

"They will see that I am not to be trifled with when I grant us our first victory."

There isn't going to be a victory if you don't handle this! Corsac shivered in impotent rage. Speaking his mind would only draw Adam's wrath, and that was a dangerous thing. "If I may, perhaps you'd allow me to speak in your name to take care of this? If you don't care about what is being said, then you shouldn't care for what I say in your name."

"Do as you wish." Adam waved a hand, shooing him away like a nuisance. "I have bigger concerns. Have the quartermasters check our supplies – especially dust. I won't have equipment dragging us down in the field."

"Yes Adam." He bowed and backed away. "And I shall take care of this PR issue for you." Far more diplomatically than Adam ever would, that was for sure. It was better this way. Adam would go online and rage at those who spoke ill of him, driving away all but the most faithful in the process. He breathed a sigh of relief and tried to slip out the door.

"Corsac."

He winced. His stomach clenched. "Yes, Adam?"

"Tell the drillmasters to look out for those who speak against me or our cause. Have them made an example of before the other recruits."

"That… That may damage morale."

There was no may about it.

"If it does, I'll make an example of them as well. The time for coddling is over. I am not Sienna, and I will not accept the incompetence shown by our people in Vale. It's time we became the elite force we were destined to be. If a few branches need to be pruned for that to happen, so be it."

Corsac's stomach rolled. Something thick and noxious rushed up his throat. "I'll see it done, Adam."

He left the room in a hurry, out past the guards, who were fervently loyal to Adam and part of his own well-trained elite. They watched anyone who approached, wary of the leadership changing as it had with Sienna. They watched him too, someone who should have had the full confidence of Adam and his people. That he did not was a worrying sign.

Fennec awaited him outside the building. "I told you so."

"I haven't even said how the meeting went."

"Your face does that well enough. He is mentally unsound."

"I know that now!" Corsac ran a hand over his face, dragging it down over his skin. "And yes, you said it before, but we needed someone more aggressive than Sienna. Someone who had the support of the rank and file. There could have been no one else."

"The video is damning."

"I'm aware. It makes me nervous myself – knowing he would throw away his goal to hunt Belladonna." And if he'd known that in advance he might have sided with Fennec on not wanting Adam in control. Might have. Sienna had been close to making a deal with Beacon. She had to go before that could happen. "He's given me the right to respond in his name. I'll be handling his online persona from now on. Make sure everyone knows problems are to be brought to me."

"I'm sure that will be taken well. No one wants to bring him bad news. He's volatile."

"He's passionate."

"Is that what we're calling it now? He has stationed men around the Belladonna manor."

Corsac fumbled and nearly dropped his scroll. "What!?"

"You heard me."

"Tell me he hasn't moved on Ghira!"

"He hasn't, though only because I stepped in to ensure the guards did not encroach. I also had to speak with Ghira about the situation. He knows, Corsac. He made no attempt to hide the fact and I didn't waste time trying to convince him otherwise."

More bad news. Corsac pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to ten. It was all bad news lately, ever since Sienna's death and Adam taking over. Such was expected. You couldn't change leaders without some pushback.

The two of them had dedicated their lives to becoming the public outreach side of the White Fang. The smiling unmasked faces to the masked terrorists. They were the ones who spoke kindly to worried parents, who provided a shoulder for the upset, a smile for the hopeful and a face for a faceless organisation. Sienna respected what they did, even if she didn't like them. Theirs had always been a tense relationship. But even then, Sienna knew it was wise to keep them around and listen, and even if they planned her eventual assassination, they'd deeply respected her. Corsac had been the one to push for Adam, but he still considered Sienna the founder of what the White Fang was today. He'd planned for her to go down a hero.

Did he regret the decision? No. Unfortunately, he did not. Decisions had to be made, and sometimes those were hard decisions. Putting up with Adam was one such, but it had to be done.

"Blake Belladonna won't be coming back here. I'd be surprised if Kali does either."

"That's one mercy at least. I half expected him to try and take Kali as his wife – if only for the physical resemblance."

"He's not that insane," Corsac said. "Troubled, yes, and I'll admit his obsession with Blake is unhealthy, but he wouldn't be so mad as to try and force a woman into his bed. Of all the things you can accuse him of, not that."

Fennec snorted. "I wouldn't put it past him."

"Be quiet!" Corsac hissed. "If not for my sake than for your own. If Adam hears you expressing such doubts there's no telling what he'll do." He sighed and let his ears droop through his hood. "This is a storm we will have to weather for now, brother. Adam is necessary for the White Fang, but what is necessary is not always enjoyable."

"I suppose you are correct. It is up to us, then, to ease the burden. What is your plan?"

Corsac laughed and began to make an account for Adam.

"I'll do the only thing I can. Deny. Deny. Deny."

/-/

Oscar read through the news reports at Ozpin's request. He didn't need to read them because Ozpin could do so through his eyes, but he found himself doing so anyway. To be fair, they weren't the only ones. Weiss, Ruby, Blake and Yang all were reading, some more intently than others. In the short time he'd been with Team RWBY he'd learned a little about each of them.

How Weiss could be cold and critical but how that actually implied she liked you. How Ruby, despite her age, was probably the best to go to for advice or help. How Yang sometimes put on her joking persona as a way to cheer people up.

And how Blake was obsessed with the White Fang.

"Don't feel like a detective for figuring that one out. Did you know she set fire to an entire shipping district to out them?"

No, but it wouldn't have surprised him. That was another thing, too. Ozpin helped him cheat a little on getting to know the girls, chipping in every now and then with a piece of insight that Oscar couldn't possibly have figured out. Some was in context of him knowing them from his time as headmaster, but sometimes it was almost magical how Ozpin could pick out personality details from nowhere. Like how Yang obsessed over her hair not because of personal vanity but because her mother had commented how much she loved it. Or how Weiss always tried to establish control because it was something she'd been denied most of her life, and now she had an almost childish – almost, but not quite childish - desire to be the one in control.

"People are not so difficult to understand once you have been around a few centuries."

"Looks like he's denying it ever happened," Yang said. "Like, wow. Seriously? You can't just pretend that video isn't there. He literally walked off and left them to die."

"It could be fake," Weiss said.

"Uh, Weiss? We were there."

"I know that, you idiot! I meant that they could say it was fake."

"A few are," Ruby said. "The comments below are split between those still angry and those defending him and saying it's not real. Oh, he's made another comment. Hm. He says that if someone did abandon their comrades like that, they'd deserve all the derision, but that he never would. Huh. He's surprisingly polite in comments."

"It's not Adam," Blake said. "Someone is commenting in his name."

"Likely an assistant of sorts," Ozpin remarked. "Ask her if she intends to tell the headmaster that."

Oscar did so.

"I'm sure he's figured it out already," she replied.

"Push. She shouldn't assume and let such insight go unused."

"You should still tell him," he said. "It may be obvious to you but not everyone else."

"Yeah," Yang said. "You can tell because you spent years around him. The Prof might have no idea. Some people can be absolute dicks in real life, but the nicest person ever online."

"Fine." Blake rolled her eyes. "I'll bring it up with him tonight. Satisfied?"

"Yes."

"Would he really not know?" Oscar asked in his head.

"He might. But it's all too common for people to assume and never bring it up. I cannot count the number of times people neglected to tell me things because they were so sure I'd already know. It's quite vexing."

"What happens now? With the White Fang, I mean."

"Jaune's plan is an interesting one. Not something I would normally indulge in, but clever in its own way. It won't destroy the White Fang, but it may weaken them. There are downsides, however."

"Like…?"

"If Adam is replaced, who is to say he will not be replaced with someone more competent?" Ozpin let the question hover and Oscar winced. "They will be dangerous no matter who is in command. At least Adam is a known quantity, and with weaknesses we can exploit."

"Maybe you should tell the headmaster not to do this. If he's making a mistake."

"Did I say he was mistaken? All actions have consequences, Oscar. I only gave one downside of removing him. There are plenty of upsides, not least of all it leaves the White Fang paralysed while they elect a new leader. And if you do that too many times the rank and file become restless. Some may leave and morale plummets."

"With regard to Adam, though. I expect he – or his spokesperson – will simply deny everything. Label it as fake and the loyal will support him. Still, that won't last. He needs to move sooner rather than later. He needs to prove himself capable."

"He's going to attack!?"

"Yes. Not here, but somewhere. And do not worry – I have already made sure Jaune is aware."

"Shouldn't we do something, though?"

"No. And I'll thank you not to say something like that around Miss Belladonna or you'll personally be out there fighting the White Fang before you know it."

Probably for the best that didn't happen. The headmaster would take care of it, and preferably without him having to tangle first-hand with terrorists. He was getting better. Finally, able to hold his aura indefinitely, though it still required him to actually think about it. Jaune assured him it would become instinctive and almost automatic, especially with Neo making his body and mind work overdrive to try and escape the pain.

"You know, I'd thought his methods cruel but there's no arguing with results."

No arguing with Neo either. She would just pet his head like he was a cute little puppy and ignore anything he said. Still better than how she treated the headmaster. She had some weird obsession with making him lay back on her lap lately.

Lucky guy. No one on Team RWBY was offering him a lap pillow.

Kali had, after he nearly collapsed last night, but that was different. Kali gave one to everyone she was so nice and motherly that it would have made him physically ill to think about her in any other way. She was more a mother than his actual mother.

Not without fangs, though. Doctor Oobleck had brought her in with Sienna for history the other day, saying they'd had one side of the coin from Sienna Khan, but should also get the thoughts and opinions of the previous leader of the White Fang. That had been an interesting lesson. Interesting in the sense that it was interesting just how many biting comments one could deliver to someone while still maintaining such a happy and demure smile.

Sienna looked downright terrified. Blake had been mortified.

Yang loved it, but then Yang adored Kali anyway.

"I wonder what Adam will do next. You think we'll hear about it?"

"I'm almost certain we shall, Oscar. It won't be quiet, whatever it is…"

/-/

"There haven't been any attempts to break you out."

Winter watched Cinder read her book. She counted the seconds between page turns and found them too uniform, too constant. She was listening, just pretending not to. Rather than call such behaviour out and alienate her, Winter chose to keep speaking and let the small show of defiance stand.

"But then, you know that. Don't you? I'm sure you didn't expect them to come, especially not now you've lost your worth to them."

Another flap of pages turning.

"I've spoken to Jaune regarding your position."

There. A small twitch of the eyebrows. Cinder always reacted when Jaune's name was mentioned. Subtle as she tried to be, it was painfully obvious in the silence. No matter how she said it, his name never failed to draw something out.

"He's made it clear you joining Beacon is not and will never be an option." For reasons Winter and Ironwood could both understand. Their own was a dangerous offer to make, but Cinder's crimes against Atlas were, while not insignificant, enough so as to be brushed away. No one could expect the same in Vale. "Your only way out of here is to work with us, Miss Fall. General Ironwood is willing to provide you rank, employment and legal immunity while you do so. Within reason. You would be protected from the consequences of the crimes you have committed."

Cinder licked her thumb and used it to turn the page.

Winter didn't let it frustrate her. Patience was key at times like this and the only one who really suffered from the inaction was Cinder herself. If that made her more open to persuasion, so be it. She would be here until Cinder agreed to join Atlas.

"It's a better offer than you deserve but General Ironwood believes your information to be key in defeating Salem. Or at the very least leading to the arrest of your associates – all of whom would face punishments far worse than your own."

There was still no reaction, but that was reaction in and of itself. It told her Cinder knew all this, that nothing she heard was surprising her. That meant she was well aware her safety would be jeopardised by her freedom. That only death awaited her if Salem actually did come to rescue her. With her underlings dead by Winter and Weiss' own hands, Cinder had run out of allies.

All that was left was for the overly proud woman to accept that.

"The offer is on the table, should you wish it." She would, in time. Winter could be patient, especially with Ironwood waiting for her report. A report that would be awkward to deliver since by now he would have noticed Weiss' absence.

Qrow's advice seemed so much worse now.

I'll have to play dumb. Pretend I misunderstood his orders. He said to take a team I trusted, and I trust Weiss. Technically speaking, I didn't disobey him. Just interpreted his instructions in an unclear manner.

And it would be too inconvenient to send Weiss back now, especially with her settled in Beacon. If Weiss dug her heels in and tried to stay this would blow up in her face, but she hoped her sister would understand that.

Maybe Ironwood would be mollified with some progress on the Cinder front.

"You've read through that book twice now."

Cinder's shoulders tensed.

"Would you like me to procure you some more?"

For the first time, amber eyes met hers. "Yes."

No please. Not from Cinder Fall. Winter didn't expect it. As minor as it was, even something as simple as buying books for a prisoner could earn you their respect. "Do you have any preferences in genre?"

"Something mature," Cinder hissed, snapping her book shut. "Something adult."

Adult…?

"I'll ask my sister for recommendations. She has quite the collection." Cinder was a young woman, and obviously not demure or shy given her criminal nature. It made sense, in a way. "I'll bring some tomorrow, when we next meet."

Establish a routine with the prisoner. Make sure you become a focal part of their thoughts and timetable. Familiarity breeds contempt, but also comfort. Propinquity trumps all other forms of social interaction, especially when the subject has none.

"If there is anything else you would like, feel free to let me know. If it's within my ability, I'll see it done. Perhaps some better food? It must be stuffy in here."

"Wine. Red wine."

"I'll have a carton brought in." No bottles, obviously. No glass. She didn't miss the grimace on Cinder's face but wouldn't be budged in that regard. She didn't seem the type to take her own life, but certainly was the type to attack someone who entered. "I'll leave you for now. Unless there is something you wanted to say before I leave?"

Cinder slowly looked away, back to the wall, as silent a dismissal as there ever had been.

Winter nodded, stood and made her way to the door. "Then I shall bid you farewell. Until tomorrow, Miss Fall. Have a pleasant night."

No response. No farewell.

Even so, Winter felt comfortable saying progress had been made. General Ironwood would be pleased.

/-/

Cinder sat on her bed and looked at the wall, ignoring Winter as she stood and left, closing and locking the door behind her. Another day proceeded another meeting and another paltry attempt to force her to side with Atlas. Another rejection from her, of course.

To accept was not to join Atlas but to serve. Hers would be an indenture that would last a lifetime, likely with conditions, collars and controls to ensure she never had a moment to herself. Salem would never stand for it. Without the maiden's powers to defend herself, she would be dead within a month. It was safer here in Beacon, if a little uncomfortable.

Salem will think twice before risking an attack on Beacon so soon after the last. Jaune must know that. Of course he did. He planned it that way. Both to keep me safe and to prevent a rescue.

He'd won.

Again.

The knowledge burned through her veins.

There was that old saying that came to mind. That once was an accident, twice a coincidence and three times a pattern. He'd foiled her that many times now and the niggling doubt was eating away at her. Could she beat him? Had she ever been his equal?

How far back did the games begin?

She'd been in such control the first times! Though even then, he'd been unusually calm. Unlike Roman, he weathered her fire and stared her down the whole time. It should have been the first sign of the threat he posed, but all she could think was how useful he could be. How valuable a pawn had fallen into her lap. It was humiliating to look back on that now.

I need to start thinking like him. Schemes within schemes. What does he gain from trying to send me to Atlas?

He got rid of her, made her Ironwood's problem and ensured she couldn't act against him. Those were the most obvious things, but she dared not think it was his only consideration. He also got rid of those pesky sanctions, but again, he was intelligent enough to remove those on his own if he wanted to. No. There was more here. Something she was missing.

Jaune Arc would not settle for just getting rid of her. He had to have more planned.

Why hadn't he extended the offer for her to serve him? She would not of course, but he should still have made the offer. Did that feed into it somehow? Again, the obvious answer was that he just didn't trust her.

Too simplistic. He'd have a plan in store for me betraying him. I'd be a fool to do so. Think, Cinder. Schemes within schemes. Plans within plans. There must be a reason he hasn't asked me to join him and has made the fact clear even to Winter and Ironwood.

Wait! Of course!

He wasn't misleading her – he was misleading Atlas!

Jaune knew she would read between the lines; trusted her to do so. He made it clear to Atlas that if they recruited her, she would be loyal only to them. No doubt he intended on the side to approach her to make her spy on them for his purposes. Or did he even need to ask? She could see through it. Maybe he knew she would. Was he so good as to be able to predict not just her actions but her every thought?

Possibly. She couldn't rule it out.

Cinder glanced about the room, aware there would be cameras. Jaune would watch her. He was no fool. She smoothed her expression and hid away her doubt, sitting proud under their gaze. Her every moment would be considered, her every emotion tracked. She could see him now, sat behind his desk like the mastermind he was, hands steepled before him as her face played out on the screen. As he considered her every expression and categorised it. As he made his plans and schemes.

And she was still important to them. Integral, in fact. Why else would he push so for her to join Atlas if he didn't anticipate her accepting? It was his plan. It had to be. He'd prepared for her capture and laid the seeds for Atlas, and now Winter and Ironwood were dancing to his tune, unwitting puppets to his machinations. They didn't even know.

But she did. She would not be fooled.

She was his adversary. His nemesis. His equal. Captured and without her power, she was still dangerous. Still the one he feared more than even Salem. The realisation struck hard and she had to fight not to show her shock. Jaune feared her. Jaune respected her. Perhaps even admired her, in the way all schemers and strategists would admire a worthy rival.

Was that what she was to him? His rival? The one – perhaps the only one on Remnant – who could truly match him? How could she not be? He'd come for her. He'd hunted her. In a world where Salem existed, and where dangerous foes like Tyrian, Hazel and Watts ran free, Jaune Arc had decided she was the most dangerous threat. He'd come to Mistral and laid a trap solely to capture her – proving just how much he respected her. How much he feared her.

Perhaps even how much he wanted her.

Why else keep her alive and here? Why else dangle before her the offer of Atlas? He was trying to wear her down. Trying to make her desperate so he could spring his own deal. What better way to deal with your rivals than by recruiting them to your cause? It was what she'd tried with him and now he turned the tables on her.

A battle of wills. A battle of minds. A battle of the ages.

One that had her sitting taller, and which had all her confidence rushing back. What if he wanted her for more than that? Her heart skipped a beat. They'd danced the dance for so long now, and no sooner had she vanished from Beacon did he step out and hunt her, bring her back so that they could dance once more. Was that a sign of more than just rivalry? What if he sought her for more – what if he wanted her for more.

A power couple…? Who else could challenge Salem but they…?

He needs me. I'm the one with power here, even if it doesn't look like it. Jaune needs me to play along with his schemes. He can't do this without me.

She took a deep breath. Her heart was racing and her mind whirring. Thoughts of what she could do to yield a reaction flashed through her mind – some more daunting than others. Thoughts of his eyes on her at all times of the day. Not looking at prisoner, but a prize object. A treasure. A dangerous object you knew might be your ruin, but which you could not take your eyes off.

Cinder purred, brushing some hair away and over her shoulder. Jaune was playing a new game. An exciting game. A lesser person might not have realised it, but she was not his nemesis without good reason. She could see through his schemes. And she still had power – just a different kind of power. He needed to know that and so she closed her eyes, all too aware of his gaze on her. Able to feel him watching. Her lips curved up and she spoke, knowing he would hear.

"I know you're watching me, Jaune."

In her head, she saw his eyes narrow. His lips drawn into a frown.

/-/

Jaune's eyes narrowed. His lips drew down. He took a deep breath and stared at his adversary.

"Kings." he said.

Kali's smirk answered him. "Go fish."

"Damn it!"

"Queens."

"DAMN IT!"

Cinder no. Just no.

That moment where you overthink so hard you completely outthink yourself. Add a dash of arrogance, a smidgeon of ego and a scattering of stir-crazy, and you get a delightful cake of pure misunderstanding. Just the kind Jaune likes.

No omake this week because I need to organise a tyre change for my car, etc.

Next Chapter: 3rd October

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur