Chapter 61: Stacked Deck

"If they're talking behind your back, it means you're ahead of them!" ~ Unknown.


The following day was spent entirely at home. Almost being assassinated meant that I had to be careful wherever I went. It wasn't like those previous attempts on my life when I was a disposable associate or a relatively new family member. I was acting Don, which meant that my life was actually worth something now. So much so that someone had already paid a lot of money to try and kill me, and they were likely to spend a lot more to do it.

This was a problem because I had a lot of people I needed to meet face to face to do my business. I needed to keep in contact with Sienna and Tukson and see if George had gotten into contact with them and I dared not do that over a scroll call.

The news had managed to report on the assassination attempt as well. Names were left completely out of the report but low and behold the Vale media managed to spin it rather positively. They called all the shooting and fighting in the streets a minor gang confrontation that had been swiftly put down by seven Beacon students who just so happened to be right there, ready to defend the innocent civilians who had come there just to enjoy the nightlife. RWBY and my old team had turned into propaganda to convince the masses that the city was safe enough to hold the Vytal festival and tournament despite the massive crime wave that had been put behind the city with the end of the war. This was clearly the Vale Council doing damage control, there was no mention in the news about old Atlesians drones being used. Ironwood and the Atlas Military were still catching flak for their little faunus hooker scandal. This would clearly exacerbate the already delicate situation.

It seemed ridiculous that Ozpin and Ironwood were putting so much effort into seeing the tournament go by smoothly. A part of me pondered on why Cinder and Adam seemed to be readying their little plan to be taking place during the tournament. As a terrorist, I understood that they probably wanted it to come off as a symbolic gesture, but I still found it to be a risk with the city packed not only with Ironwood's troops, but with huntsmen and huntresses in training as well. It was certainly ambitious.

Melanie had left sometime during the night after I crashed on my couch. Apparently Fat Mike had let Miltia in and the two of them left before I could even thank Melanie for saving my life. Inadvertently or not I was grateful to her.

And since I had confined myself to my penthouse apartment for the day, it meant that I had my crew running back and forth delivering messages on my behalf or bringing them to me. It was hardly how I was accustomed to doing business, but I managed for a day.

For the most part we focused on trying to investigate just who had arranged the assassination. All evidence was pointing to this little group of Vacuan assassins, all the bodies we recovered were indeed of Vacuans and they all carried blades made from Vacuan steel. But aside from that, it was still a mystery as the evidence was still being gathered. What's more I had to deal with my crew nursing the wounds to their bodies and pride.

"How's the hand?" I asked Dove as I prepared my dinner, peeling cloves of garlic. I had to get an associate to go out and get groceries for my meals. I couldn't even do my own shopping while I was in lockdown like this.

Dove flexed the nubs that had once been his pinky and ring finger. His aura had already sealed the wounds leaving him with the missing parts.

"I'm going to need some practice if I have a hope of wielding a blade for you." Dove said, trying not to act too sour about it. "I really wish I practiced more with my left hand now."

I nodded. It couldn't be easy losing something like that. Just shearing off the first knuckle of my pinky for Junior had been hard enough, but this was much different.

"But what I can't stand is the feeling of it still being there." Dove told me as he helped to stir the pot of sauce that was simmering on the counter. He was using his left hand and even the simple act of stirring seemed awkward to him.

"I had that problem too." I told him. "I felt like it would itch randomly, it bugged the hell out of me."

"Yeah." Dove said with a sigh. "How long before that goes away?"

"It took me about a week or two." I told him. "Just give it some time and I'm sure it'll go away."

Dove nodded and flexed the little nubs once more. "I almost feel like I could still grip my sword with this hand."

"Maybe after dinner we can spar." I said to him. "The sooner we get you used to it the better."

"I feel like I'm going to have to relearn everything I already know." Dove lamented.

"You'll catch up in no time." I said, trying to be encouraging. "You're still probably better than me with your left hand."

"Stop selling yourself short." Dove told me. "You just fought with a bunch of those same guys."

"I had help." I said to him. "I'd be dead if I didn't have Neo and Blake helping me."

"Maybe so." Dove admitted with a shrug. "I'm just saying that you're underestimating your abilities."

"I'm still behind everyone." I said to him.

"Only marginally, and that's loads better than most of the wiseguys in the Family." Dove said as he continued to stir the steaming pot.

"Thanks… but you still have a lot to teach me." I said to him.

"Thanks." Dove told me.

I started to crush the garlic and pour it into the sauce pot that Dove continued to stir. Cardin stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"You want a beer Dove?" He asked him.

"Sure." Dove said to him as he scooped up a glob of the red sauce seeing how thick everything was.

Cardin pulled out two green bottles and grabbed the magnetic bottle opener on the fridge. The bottles hissed as he uncapped them and he handed one off to Dove who took it in his wounded hand. Cardin clinked them together before tipping his drink back.

"Some hoods came by to some of our store fronts and messed things up." Cardin reported to me. "I took the liberty of sending out some of our tougher associates to hit the streets and start handing out knuckle sandwiches."

"Is it anything I should be worried about?" I asked Cardin.

"I doubt it." Cardin said to me. "From the look of things, it was just some average street thugs robbing registers and stuff. People that need to learn that those places are under our protection. A few back alley beatings should do the trick."

I nodded, still feeling apprehensive. I've come to learn that when you're at the top, everything starts to look like a move against you. And the fact that I was currently holed up in my penthouse because someone just tried to wack me made me even more paranoid.

"If it gets more serious I want to know." I told Cardin. "I can't assume that things are happening for no reason."

"I understand that, but trust me boss, I got this." Cardin told me. "In fact… I think you should think about lightening the load on yourself."

"I would like nothing more." I told him with a sigh.

"I'm serious." Cardin told me. "You got a full plate, you're trying to run the Family, but you also have Sal's old rackets that you're looking after."

He had a point. I was still overlooking the rackets I had inherited from Sal after becoming acting Don, and it was a workload to say the least. The idea of temporarily passing on those duties was appealing. "Do you want the job?"

"I'd prefer to keep my work focused around you." Cardin told me. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love a promotion, but I think you need me more at the moment. I think you should hand those duties off to Fat Mike, he's been practically running them with you so he's the ideal choice. Besides, I think it'd be rude for me to undercut him."

I nodded, it was true that Mike was all but handing that side of things. As Sal's former right hand it made sense that he would be given the task. "Alright… I'll pass that onto him."

"That should clear your schedule a little bit." Dove said.

"Yeah." I said with a chuckle. "Maybe I should take up a hobby, maybe I can knit or collect stamps or something."

Cardin chuckled. "There's still a lot on your shoulders, boss, but it'll help. And besides, it'll be good to show faith for Mike and those working for him."

"I agree, and it'll be good if I'm going to be stuck up here in this apartment." I told him. "I can't exactly walk around talking to fishermen and dockworkers when I'm marked for death."

"Just give it till tomorrow." Cardin told me. "You'll be back in town in no time, I just suggest staying indoors and away from windows."

"I'll keep that in mind." I said to him. "Maybe I can ask Sophia for some advice."

"I'm sure Boris has some tips for playing bodyguard." Dove said to them.

"Actually… maybe I could see if Boris still has contacts for prosthetics." I said, the idea finally occurring to me. "If they could get that fancy ass arm for him, I don't see why they can't make some fingers for Dove."

"Really?" Dove said. "That fancy Atlas shit can't be cheap."

"It's the least the Family can do for you." I said to him. "And it's at least worth asking about and I know Sophia likes us and Boris… Well Boris certainly doesn't dislike us."

"Maybe those fingers can come equipped with special tools." Cardin joked. "Like maybe a screwdriver in your ring finger and a laser pointer in your pinky."

Dove chuckled at that. "It'd be like that one cartoon… you know the one with a detective with a body full of wacky gadgets."

"That's the spirit." Cardin said to him.

My scroll vibrated in my pocket and I stopped peeling garlic to pull it out and bring it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Don Arc." It was an associate named Anton who had been called to watch the stairway to my apartment. I had just met the guy this morning as Paulie entrusted him to help provide some extra muscle in case anyone tried to wack me. "There's a girl down here that has requested to see you, she came armed."

"Who is she?" I asked him.

"I don't know her." Anton told me. "She says her name is Emerald, dark skin, green hair."

"I know her, you can let her up." I said, her appearance was a surprise to be sure, but I suppose it was better than Cinder showing up unannounced.

"Yes sir." Anton said before hanging up.

"Emerald is here." I announced.

Cardin raised his eyebrow. "Oh… why?"

"I don't know." I admitted to him with a shrug. "But I'm sure she'll tell us."

I washed my hands and readied to step out into the living room.

"What should I do?" Dove asked me.

"Just keep stirring." I told him.

I stepped into the living room and spotted Neo sitting on my couch. The television was on, showing some kind of feed of the Vytal Tournament's opening ceremonies. No one was really watching it as Neo was more focused on her scroll.

"Something - up?" Neo asked, looking up from her device.

"Emerald is here." Cardin told her.

Neo gave me a look and I shrugged to show her that I wasn't quite sure why she was here but I took a seat on the couch next to her. It didn't take long before Anton opened the front door letting Emerald inside.

"Thank you Anton." I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Can I get my guns back now?" Emerald asked before Anton could leave.

"I suppose if you were here to kill me you'd probably sneak your way in so yeah." I said. "Give her the guns back Anton, if she wanted to sneak past you she could."

The associate gave me a weary look. "Are… are you sure?"

"I'm sure." I told him.

Anton reached into his jacket and produced Emerald's weapons. I was actually surprised that she had so easily agreed to hand them over to the guy but here she was cooperating. After that Anton left us and I motioned for Emerald to take a seat.

She silently took one of the comfortable chairs and crossed her legs.

"Why are you visiting?" I asked her.

"Cinder wanted to have a word, but she's busy so I offered to come. Emerald explained to me.

"What seems to be the problem?" I asked her.

"Several things." Emerald told me. "For one, the weapons shipments are coming in slower than Cinder would have liked."

I expected to be getting this talk sooner or later. It wasn't exactly an accident. Trying to subtly put a wrench into Cinder's plans so far was slow going but I had made sure that the arms shipments were trickling in instead of the usual flow she enjoyed when Roman was at the helm. What's more I had started stowing away some of those weapons, if a war was coming, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of arms and munitions of my own to use. It wasn't a lot, just a crate of guns here and there.

"It's a difficult time." I explained to Emerald. "The SDC has gotten wiser and that trouble with the breach had gotten a lot of people spooked. I need to bring in things carefully."

Emerald gave a nod of understanding. "I know that this business has a lot of challenges given recent events, but Cinder is getting impatient, we don't have a lot of time and we need to make up for everything that was lost during the breach."

I sighed. If Cinder was here, she would probably be making all kinds of threats right now and if there was no satisfaction, she would certainly be here next time and would certainly be angrier. "I'll see what I can do." I told her.

"We especially need fresh shipments on shoulder launched surface to air missiles." Emerald told me. "It's the one thing Adam has been requesting and most of the ones already provided are old."

"All of these weapons are old." I reminded Emerald. "And those launchers are especially hard to get a hold of. Politicians keep a tight control of them exactly because of people like Adam wanting to shoot commercial flights out of the sky."

"Where did you get them?" Emerald asked me.

"The Atlas military sells them back to the SDC to be disposed of. But the SDC has instead been reporting them as demolished and sells them to arms dealers." I explained to her. "We usually have to buy them from a third party, their stocks are low and they aren't cheap."

"Perhaps Cinder can find a seller." Emerald reasoned. "Would that help?"

I nodded to her. "It would. Is that all?"

"One more thing." Emerald told me. "Cinder heard about what happened with this little assassination attempt. She's concerned."

I scoffed at that. "She's worried about me?" I asked her finding the idea ridiculous.

"No but… we've heard that team RWBY and your old friends were there." Emerald explained to me. "Why was that?"

"They were meddling." Cardin said, speaking up to her. "They claimed Ozpin wanted Jaune to return to Beacon."

"And what did you tell them?" Emerald asked me.

"Nothing of importance." I told Emerald.

"Jaune told them to piss off and tell Ozpin to shove his offer up his ass." Cardin told her firmly. "And you can take that to your mistress."

"I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear it." Emerald said with a nod. "But you're certain you mentioned nothing about Cinder or our intentions?"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" I asked them. "The only thing they could know about is the White Fang and that's no secret."

"Good." Emerald said, looking over towards Neo. "And one more thing… we need you to keep her out of sight."

"This again?" I asked.

"Cinder will have a personal need for Neo soon enough and it can't be good if your old friends keep running into her." Emerald explained.

"I didn't exactly choose to have my old friends give me an intervention with Neo and everyone right here." I explained to her.

"I am only sharing Cinder's concerns." Emerald told me. "If I can be frank, she's concerned that you're still somewhat loyal to them."

"I think loyal is a stretch." I told her honestly. "But if you think I've come to hate them or that I see them as enemies you're wrong. They're obstacles to me, nothing more and nothing less."

"Are you sure?" Emerald asked me.

"What would you like me to say?" I asked her.

"I'd like to know that you're on Cinder's side." Emerald told me.

"I'm not." I admitted, pretending that I had any sense of loyalty to Cinder would only be a crack in the lies I had surrounded myself with. "I'm on my side, the Family's side, Cinder just so happens to be a facet of that."

"It doesn't need to be that simple." Emerald assured me.

"Doesn't it?" Cardin asked her. "She wants us to get her guns and help her with nefarious plans and we're doing that so long as she continues to pay us. It's business."

"Cinder has offered you a chance to be a part of something bigger." Emerald told me. "I need you to understand that."

"What?" Cardin asked her. "What is this bigger thing we're going to be a part of?"

"A new world." Emerald told him.

"Don't make us laugh." I told Emerald.

"I'm serious!" Emerald told us. "And I think you can be a part of this new world when the time comes."

"Any world made from Adam's design is not one I'm interested in." I told her frankly. "I'm sure he doesn't have any grand design for me or the Family."

"Adam is just muscle for Cinder's purposes." Emerald explained to us. "He's a tool and nothing more, in fact I'm sure Adam understands this and simply views Cinder as a tool for his own ends as well."

"And we're not tools?" Cardin asked her.

"You don't have to be." Emerald told him. "You and the Family can be much more."

I wasn't liking this turn of the conversation. It seemed that Emerald was trying to convince us to commit ourselves fully to Cinder's plot and there was no way I was going to do that. It would be dangerous and I felt that I could do more at a respectable distance. Keeping your enemies close was something I was currently doing, but I felt there had to be a limit. The last thing I needed was anyone working directly for Cinder hanging around me while I tried to undermine her.

I stood up. "Well… I'll take a look at this world when the time is right and make my decision then. Until then it's all just business."

"Don't you want to be more than just a gangster?" Emerald asked me.

"Not really." I said to her. "I've come to find that I'm perfectly happy where I am. In fact… I'd be even happier if Roman could take this seat back. I don't fit in it."

Emerald nodded to me. "That's all I came to tell you, we need weapons and you need to be careful about your friends."

"Would you like some dinner?" Cardin offered her. "Jaune here makes delicious spaghetti and meatballs."

"It's my mother's recipe." I said, not against the idea of setting a place for her so long as this talk of joining whatever cult Cinder was a part of stowed.

"Alright… I haven't eaten." Emerald said. "If it isn't too much trouble."

I turned towards the kitchen. "Don't worry about it. Here, I'll open a bottle of wine."

"Oh no!" Emerald said, sticking her palm out. "None for me, I still have nightmares about the last time I decided to take your offer of a drink."

"It's just a glass of wine." I said to her. "Hell, even my parents let me drink wine with certain meals."

"Alright, fine." Emerald said to me.

Cardin chuckled. "If it's too much and you need to barf, I'll hold your hair back again."

"That is never going to happen again." Emerald said, giving him a dangerous look that only made Cardin smirk.

I went into the kitchen where Dove was still stirring the sauce. "What's going on out there?"

"Emerald just wanted to give me a couple of messages from Cinder." I told him, not really wanting to go into the specifics until she had left and I could talk privately with my crew. I opened a bottle of chianti and filled several glasses and went back into the living room, finding Emerald sitting on the couch next to Cardin watching the opening ceremonies for the Vytal Tournament.

I only had to turn my head towards the window to look out and see the massive floating colosseum in the distance lit up as it welcomed everyone near and far to witness it.

"And to think I was once excited to be fighting in that tournament." Cardin said with a scoff.

"It's kind of strange to think about, a fighting arena is what we use to promote this idea of peace and unity between the kingdoms." Emerald said with a scoff.

"It's their way of letting everyone flex the might of their huntsmen." I said as I handed off the glasses to Emerald and Cardin.

"It's - one - big - farce." Neo said.

"That place was apparently built by all four kingdoms." I said, still finding it to be a marvel to behold, even from a distance.

"Yeah, but we all know that it's only floating because of Atlas. This is just another way for them to show off their superior technological might." Emerald said as she tipped back her glass of wine.

"Probably." I agreed looking at the screen to see as all the four kingdoms paraded their attending students, letting them wave to the crowd. I caught sight of Team RWBY in the background, not looking as cheerful as I would have expected during a grand opening for a fighting festival. The announcers even focused in on Pyrrha talking about her qualifications being in the tournament and even taking note of the very dour look on her face. I suppose they weren't going to let some missing teammate on JNPR get in the way of letting her compete. Why would they? She was a champion after all.

But it was more than what I wanted to see. Considering last night's events was still fresh in my mind, I didn't want to ponder what my friends were going through so I simply left to continue making dinner in the kitchen.

I instead worked on making the meal and staying away from the television as it went over the details of the soon to start tournament. I found a relative peace of simply cooking. It might have been easier to simply order food delivered but I felt a certain kind of control in this.

I stayed in the kitchen with Dove as he continued to help me.

"This seems a little odd to me." Dove said as he carefully handled a knife to cut up some vegetables.

"You… cooking for us." Dove said. "You're top of the pyramid, you should be having us do this for you."

"You guys are terrible cooks." I said to him.

"That's not what I mean. It just seems beneath you now." Dove explained to me. "You're Don."

"Acting Don." I corrected him. "And that means it's my job to see that there's always food on the Family's table. In this case it's a lot more literal."

Dove chuckled. "I never thought of it that way."

"There's nothing beneath me Dove, I just don't have time to do the kind of shit I used to do." I explained to him. "If things were different, I might still be out there acting as a bagman for O-Ushi and there's nothing wrong with that."

"I doubt it." Dove told me. "Even if Roman never decided to welcome you to the Family, I'm sure you would have made your way up in the Clan somehow."

"That's more confidence than I deserve." I told Dove. "A lot of this was thanks to luck."

"Speaking as a gambler, Jaune, I want you to know that luck is never enough." Dove told me. "Anyone can get a lucky hand in poker or draw a blackjack or bet on a right horse. But if you never know when to bet or fold of bluff, that luck is pretty worthless. It's about what you do with the luck you've been given and how you used yours well."

"Well thanks." I told him with a bit of a smile. "So as a gambler, how do the cards look for me right now?"

"Honestly?" Dove asked me.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want an honest answer." I told him. "I always want you guys to shoot straight with me, remember that."

"Well boss, right now I think you have a strong hand." Dove told me. "The problem is that you're all in, you've got no choice but to be all in, and someone at the table is still betting against you, so you got no choice but to flip the cards."

I understood his meaning. Whoever was still betting against me was someone who felt that they could win, whoever paid those assassins had something they felt they could gain. That was obvious, but talking to Dove made me try to imagine it. As if I had all my enemies gathered around a poker table with me.

Ozpin and Ironwood weren't gamblers. They wouldn't play such a weak hand against me, not when they had better ways of winning. Sending huntsmen or another black ops team after me had less risk than a bunch of hired assassins, and it was also more likely to succeed. They had aces up their sleeves and that wasn't the ones they'd play given the choice. It seemed to me that Ozpin and Ironwood were folding and sitting back to watch how the game played out. I had to face the truth, with Roman out of the game, I wasn't worth the trouble to them. I wasn't moving directly against them and provoking me wouldn't do them any favors.

That meant that they were out, which I already figured.

That left me to consider the Cartel. They seemed likely given the fact that those were Vacuan assassins who tried to kill me. But I couldn't imagine they had too much to gain gambling on my death. They were already getting steady business now that the war was over and while eliminating me had a chance to expand that business, it wasn't a sure enough bet. Someone would take my place and Sophia probably wouldn't push to expand her narcotics trade here in Vale. Her power was tied to the alliance with the Family so that would be a bad bet for them, little chance for returns and they risked bringing the Family's wrath down on them. It couldn't be the Cartels.

And that left the Atlesians. Particularly Alexander and those in Atlas who voted against the Vale Bratva declaring their independence. The ones who wanted to some day reassert themselves here in Vale. The ones that were watching closely to see if Sophia and I failed to hold power. That was what made the most sense, they had the most to potentially gain, if I was taken out Sophia's power base would be weakened and they could move in on that, they could sow dissent in her own ranks.

But so far the Atlas Bratva had voted to respect the Vale's newfound independence, finding that they could do business and profit without pulling their strings. So if they were behind this it meant that it was members acting on their own accord. Which meant that it was quite possible that Nicky was still here at the table. I doubted that he had any real aces up his sleeves, but he probably had money and a few cards to play, like hiring Vacuan assassins to take me and Junior out to stir the pot a little.

Of course this was all speculation. And the fact was the more I tried to imagine all the players at the table, the more I imagined shadowy figures I couldn't identify playing at the table taking bets on me. Sitting at the top meant that too many people wanted me to fail and had the means to tip the scales if they wanted to. I couldn't draw conclusions and just order some kind of counter assassination just on speculation. I need to see my target first and perhaps I needed to wait for other people to play their hands.

"That actually helps me… thanks." I told Dove after I pondered this.

"Really?" Dove asked me.

"Yeah… it helped me get some perspective."

We finished cooking the meal and preparing the salad and bread, and when it was time to eat, we called everyone to the dining room table and they shut the television off. I refilled Emerald's wine glass when I saw that she had finished it and she didn't actually protest as we all sat down and started to eat.

It actually felt good, everyone sitting down together for a home cooked meal after a day of working from home.

"Will that antler grow back?" Emerald asked Deery as she twirled her fork on the plate to gather the noodles up. "Like a real deer?"

"It will." Deery answered her, reaching up to touch the hewn antler. "They tend to grow back every year, I've actually shave them down regularly."

"I'd love to see it fully grown one of these days." Russel told her.

"It's already a pain to get dressed with these." Deery told him. "I used to poke holes in my clothes by accident."

"Well you're a wiseguy… wisegal?" Sky said testing out the word since he wasn't really sure what to define Deery as. He waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever, my point is that you tend to wear suits and button up shirts."

"I still wear a dress when I go out." Deery told him. "And it's not just getting dressed, it's getting into cars and everything. I'd rather just keep them short."

"Yeah, that does sound like a problem." Emerald agreed as she tipped back her glass of wine to wash the spaghetti down. Her resolve to only have a single glass quickly was thrown away and I didn't bother to stop refilling her glass.

"I actually was thinking that I might keep this one trimmed down like it is." Deery explained to us.

"Why?" Neo asked her. There was no need for me to translate as some of the simpler words were now understood by them.

"It's a sign of what I did for the Family." Deery said. "Like a scar that I can be proud of."

Russel grinned. "Maybe I should go around shirtless and show off the scars on my chest."

"Please don't." I said to him.

"Really… I think it sounds kind of sexy." Deery said with a grin.

"Nah he's right, it's too cold right now." Russell said, chuckling.

We all had a chuckle at that. All save for Dove who was struggling to use his left hand to eat his dinner. So far he wasn't doing so well as his grip slipped sending his meatballs rolling all over his plate and scraping the surface. So far no one was saying anything about the unpleasant noises, but it was clear that his frustration was mounting.

"How are things going with your family?" Cardin asked Emerald as she devoured one of the meatballs.

"We're… well, we're busy." Emerald explained. Her face was rather flushed thanks to the alcohol. She hadn't drunk that much of the wine so it seemed that she really was just a common lightweight. She wasn't drunk but I could see a clear effect on her as she talked and joked with the rest of us. "With everything happening it's been quiet. Cinder hasn't had much time for anything else. She's always on her scroll these days."

"Her scroll?" I asked her.

A look of embarrassment crossed Emerald's features but before I could press her more and take advantage of the situation the loud sound of Dove's fork scraping across his plate sounded. I watched as he accidentally knocked off a meatball that rolled across the white table cloth leaving a trail of red sauce in its wake. Other noodles spilled out and got on his suit.

"Shit!" Dove shouted, throwing his fork down on the plate in frustration.

"It's alright Dove." I said to him in a calm tone.

"The rest of you are talking about showing off your scars, meanwhile I can't hold a fucking fork!" Dove grumbled as he picked up his napkin and dapped at the red sauce on his shirt. "This shit isn't anything to be proud about, we almost fucking died."

Cardin sighed. "We know that dude… Rus and Deery are just trying to make light of it."

"I'm sorry man." Russel said to him scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I wasn't thinking about how you might feel about all of this."

Deery nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry too… honestly I can't stop thinking about that sword strike. I thought it was going to cleave my skull."

Dove sighed and set the napkin down to look at his noodles strewn across the plate. "No, I'm sorry… you don't need to deal with my fucking drama."

"It's our drama." Cardin told Dove. "Fact is… I was the one that ran away leaving the rest of you all to fight."

"You were protecting Jaune." Sky pointed out.

"I know, but I still fucking hated it." Cardin said, looking at everyone. "And I don't want to think about how Melanie is feeling considering she just lost a fucking eye. My point is, you don't need to feel embarrassed, we're all going through shit right now. If you want to be angry Dove go a fucking head, if you want to get rip roaring drunk, we'll do it with you."

Dove nodded. "I think I'd like that."

"I'll break out some of the good stuff after dinner." I told them as I continued eating. "We'll play a drinking game or something."

Cardin nodded. "And if you want to cry about what happened dude that's fine too."

Dove nodded and awkwardly picked his fork back up with his left hand and tried to awkwardly gather some noodles in it. We all did our best to continue on with our dinner after that on our own. The tension it had caused still hung but there was no bitterness in the air as well all just talked about nothing in particular..

Eventually the plates cleared and Emerald stood up on wobbly legs. "I need to get back… I don't have much time."

"You look like you could use a ride." Cardin offered her. "I'll take you wherever you want to go."

Emerald nodded. "Thank you… I think I'll take you up on the offer."

Cardin stood up and grabbed his coat before moving towards the door towards the elevator. I waved them off before going to the kitchen to stir up some cocktails. Neo followed me inside.

"What's - going - on - between - Cardin - and - Emerald?" Neo asked me as I grabbed a bottle of gin off the counter.

"I don't know." I admitted to her. "But I'm going to ask him later."

Neo nodded. "You - need - to - be - careful - with - her."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"You - tried - getting - her - drunk - to - loosen - her - lips." Neo said, it wasn't a question.

"It almost worked." I said to her.

"That's - not - the - point." Neo told me. "If - she - says - something - she - shouldn't - because - you - kept - giving - her - drinks - it'll - make - her - suspicious. And - Emerald - certainly - wasn't - drunk - enough - to - forget - anything."

"Yeah but… we need to learn something if we're planning on doing something about Cinder." I told her.

"I - know." Neo told me. "I'm - just - telling - you - to - be - careful. Cinder - is - paranoid - after - all."

"I'll keep that in mind." I said as I fixed up a number of gin cocktails for everyone.

We hung around and drank for a while until Cardin got back. I asked him to have a private word in the kitchen. There was no point in waiting any longer to talk to him.

"How'd it go with Emerald?" I asked him.

Cardin shrugged and grabbed himself a glass from the cupboard. "I just dropped her off near a station."

I nodded. "Is there anything going on between the two of you?"

Cardin paused and set the glass down. "No, nothing like that."

"I'm sensing a but." I said, crossing my arms.

Cardin sighed. "It's not like how it was with Deery and Rus, there's no secret romance going on between us behind the scenes."

"Alright… but?" I said, trying to hear him out but still sensing that there was more that needed to be said.

"But I feel sorry for her." Cardin told me with a shake of his head. "That night when I got made and she was puking drunk… she talked to me."

"About what?" I asked him.

"All kinds of shit." Cardin told me. "She was drunk and ranting, she told me about how Cinder found and her took her in and how she fucking hated bringing Mercury into the fold. That Cinder bitch has her wrapped around her fucking finger! I hate it!"

"You like her." I said to him plainly and without judgment.

"I'm not making the same mistake Russel did with Deery." Cardin told me again.

"I'm not saying you are." I said to him. "But if you did, I'm not going to judge. I made the same mistake with Blake, remember?"

"That was different." Cardin told me.

"Maybe, but not by enough." I said to him.

"Maybe it's just pity but… Yeah I give a shit about her, is that what you want me to say?" Cardin asked me. "But that doesn't mean shit, Jaune… she's still on the wrong side of this shit and that's all there is to it."

"That's all I need to know." I told Cardin.

Cardin released a heavy sigh. "That Cinder bitch just has her all twisted up inside, she's been having doubts about all of it."

"Has she?"

Cardin nodded. "I know it might not be in the cards boss but… I want to fucking save her from this shit."

I nodded to him. "I don't know if we can Cardin, but I'll try."

"Thanks."

I stepped forward and gave him a pat on his shoulder. "But if you learn anything, you need to tell me so I can work around them. It's the only way we can hope to win."

I turned around to leave him alone for a moment.

"I asked Emerald about Cinder while I was driving her." Cardin told me. "She told me she's always on her scroll because that's where she's recording her data for her plans."

I turned around and raised my eyebrow. "She told you that?"

"More like she bitched to me about it." Cardin told me. "She's pretty loose lipped when she's had a few glasses."

"That's what I was hoping for." I told him.

Cardin gave a nod. "I don't know if you can use that… I'm sure Cinder guards that little thing seriously, if it's everything then she can't afford to be careless. She probably has it rigged to blow if anyone messes with it."

I shrugged. "Maybe we can use it, maybe not, we'll see."

We dropped the conversation from there and spent the rest of the night playing drinking games with one another and drowning our woes in cocktails. I promised myself that I'd give my crew a proper party when this was all over.

The next day I awoke to find that Sophia had called Junior and I for a sit down after everything that had happened. The meeting was set in the early afternoon at one of the newly made Atlesian night clubs called the Aurora Club, and I arranged to set out with at least a dozen enforcers hand picked by Cardin and Fat Mike.

The club was naturally empty at this time of day. Boris was outside waiting for us and fell into step in front of me as I took the very short walk from the street to the door with my aura ready and activated. Anyone trying to take a shot at me with a sniper rifle would have likely been disappointed.

I stepped inside and walked through the empty club, admiring the art deco style of it all and the cold blue lights that lit up the bar and lounge giving the place an icy feel that did certainly make me think of Atlas.

We were led to the VIP section where Sophia and Junior were waiting. To my surprise it wasn't just Junior there, but Lil' Miss Malachite as well sitting in the place of respect that Junior would usually occupy. Behind the two of them stood Miltia and Melanie. I gave Melanie an assessing look, I hadn't expected to see her up and working so soon, but she was standing diligently behind Junior almost as if she hadn't almost died a few days ago. However, one look at her face showed that her now missing eye was covered with a black eyepatch and I could see the scar left behind from where the bullet had dug a trench through her temple cutting into her hairline.

I wanted to talk to her, to thank her for taking that bullet for me. But we were here on business and it would be rude to her and the other assembled bosses to let that distract me from the issue at hand.

"I'm sorry if I kept the three of you waiting on me." I said, looking at Sophia and giving her a nod of respect followed by a respectful bow to Junior and a slightly lower bow to Lil' Miss. "I am sure you understand that my people are rather cautious after the incident."

"It's perfectly understandable." Sophia told me with a dismissive wave. "It is why we're meeting here today after all."

"How are you holding up?" Junior asked me.

"I'm fine." I said, looking from him to Melanie. "In no small part thanks to Melanie."

I looked her in her single eye and watched her silently turn away from my gaze.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lil' Miss said, snapping her fan open and waving it idly.

"What brings you here today, Oyabun Malachite?" I asked her, knowing that her presence wouldn't be a simple formality.

"I've done some digging into the recent attempt on your life." Lil' Miss explained to me. "After all, this attempt left my own daughter scarred. Even if I was willing to overlook an attempt on my allies' life, leaving Melanie scarred has turned this into a matter of personal honor."

"I see, and I thank you for taking an interest in this affair. I will need allies to weather this storm." I said to her. "What have you learned?"

"Have you heard about the Oasis Secreto?" Lil' Miss asked me.

I nodded to her. "O-Ushi told me about them shortly after the attempt. They're freelance assassins from Vacuo, they'll work for anyone who pays them enough."

Sophia nodded to me. "Indeed, though I believed most of the rumors surrounding them to be just that, rumors and nothing more."

"From everything my men and I witnessed they're certainly skilled." Junior told her. "But it's nothing we haven't seen before. They can die the same as anyone else."

"Are you sure it's really this Oasis Secreto?" I asked Lil' Miss.

Lil' Miss nodded to me. "One Vacuan steel blade would be simple enough to explain. But the many we recovered are too much of a coincidence to be discounted as coincidence. And they certainly had aura and were skilled enough to call themselves professionals. Though I doubt it was the cream of the crop that attacked you."

"So… what do we know?" I asked her. "So far our investigations into this matter have been slow. I did get news from our police contacts that the Atlesian-130 knights used during the attack were apparently reported stolen from the SDC some time ago in Vacuo. But that's about all I have been able to dig up. The Atlas military has been tying the badges up in red tape, they're testy about their tech being used in crimes like this."

"So far the Atlas military and Vale council have done us favors dressing this up as a victory for Beacon and their students." Sophia commented. "But I am concerned that further incidents like this might pressure them into taking action towards our affairs. With the Vytal Festival in full swing now we can't risk any actions that would force them to stick their noses where they don't belong. If this descends into another war, we're going to be screwed."

"Thankfully I doubt the Oasis Secreto will attempt such a high profile attempt once more." Lil' Miss told Sophia. "It's a long way to Vacuo and since they couldn't have used any of our smuggling routes I doubt that they can so easily bring more men and equipment in."

"I have ordered my organization to begin searching for any smugglers working outside our ring of influence." Sophia explained. "I discovered a private flight company from Vacuo that specializes in transporting huntsmen to and from locations. They don't usually operate smuggling but some questioning from Boris had them admitting to a private party of twelve armed people, plus another bullhead full of equipment. All of this was off the books but the managers surrendered a bank account number that we traced to a shell company."

"Diligent work." Lil Miss complimented.

"The fate of the Vale Bratva is now tied to Jaune and the Torchwick Crime Family." Sophia told her. "I cannot accept an attack on Jaune as anything less than an attack on me. And I believe this is exactly what is happening."

"Really?" I asked her.

"The shell company that paid the transport company was named Mantle Dynamics." Sophia explained to me. "Nicky once used it for simple tax evasion and for making large legal purchases."

"So… this is Nicky's doing." I said.

"It seems so." Sophia told me. "He was never completely defanged and he cannot return to Atlas. He has money but that's all a person needs to hire muscle. Killing you, Mr. Arc, is the kind of move that would weaken our alliance and even convince the Atlas Bratva to make a move."

"But is Nicky working on his own?" Junior asked us all. "Or is he acting as a proxy for his superiors in Atlas?"

"That's a good question." Lil Miss said with a swish of her fan.

"I doubt the Atlas Authority would risk their arrangement with us because there's one kid with nothing to lose and some money to throw at assassins." Sophia told me. "But I'm sure the Authority is certainly watching to see if it develops into the opportunity Nicky is hoping to create. They would have frozen and claimed his remaining assets otherwise."

"That sounds like a proxy to me." Junior said. "And that means the Atlesians is as good as declaring war on us."

"Maybe so." Sophia agreed. "But I can assure you they will not see it that way. The way they see it, Nicky is our problem that we have to deal with. They're probably refusing to help or hinder him just to see what will happen."

"So they're testing us?" I asked her.

"In a sense, yes." Sophia said to them. "If we can't continue to operate with a single problem child throwing their cash around, they'll see it as a weakness to exploit. If Roman was still at the head of your table, I'm sure they would have frozen his assets long ago but with you taking his place, they want to see what to expect in the future."

"Do you think Nicky has a hope of getting back on the table?" I asked her.

"If he can destabilize us then perhaps Alexander can prove his son's worth to the Brotherhood. But it's a long shot." Sophia told me.

"Nicky has long been regarded as a problem child." Lil Miss said. "I doubt that everyone over in Atlas is happy with the idea of him running amok. It's another chance for Alexander to build influence here in Vale."

"Yes but on better terms." Sophia explained. "Alexander will need aid if he ever hopes to bring the Vale Bratva under his thumb, meaning he will owe certain members favors."

"So you doubt they'll decide to stop him." I said, understanding her point.

"It's possible." Sophia said. "But I would prefer to handle Nicky ourselves. And I assure you that pointing our finger to those big wigs in Atlas will only invite trouble. We need to direct our wrath at Nicky."

"I think everyone is focusing too much on Nicky." Lil' Miss said to me. "He couldn't have arranged for this to happen himself. Someone likely knew that Jaune would be at Junior's club that night. Though they certainly didn't expect those huntresses to be there."

"That has caused more than a few rumors." Junior said to me. "Quite a few of my own guys now think that those Beacon girls are on Jaune's payroll. A rumor that I decided not to confirm or deny."

"Thank you Junior, as to my presence at the club it wasn't a secret to the Family." I said to them. "Everyone was welcomed to join us that night since we were inviting new members into the Family."

"That is understandable but concerning." Lil Miss said to me. "We cannot rule out the possibility that it was someone within your own ranks."

"I considered that." I admitted to them, thinking of those who were less than pleased that I was left to fill Roman's seat at the table. "But just as we shouldn't carelessly point our fingers at Atlas, I won't carelessly point fingers towards my own ranks."

"That is wise." Junior said to me. "But this incident is both a blessing and a curse. You held off an attack and have emerged looking strong. But the fact that someone has the balls to try and kill you right now tells everyone that you have enemies. And since your appointment to acting Don is new, it means others will likely doubt that you have the strength to hold your position. I wouldn't be surprised if some are talking about making you step down."

"I appreciate your wisdom Junior, but I feel that trying to quell whispers behind my back will only make them seem true." I said to him.

"That is correct." Lil' Miss said to me. "But you need to be aware. Listen to these whispers if you can and try to pinpoint the dissent in your ranks."

The truth was I knew exactly who was likely talking behind my back. It was no secret that Victor wasn't happy with me and my appointment. But him talking out his doubts wasn't enough for me to move against him. I could, but I knew that it would only make me look bad to the rest of the Family.

"Let's consider our next move." I said to them. "We all want to keep our city stable at the moment so we have to anticipate Nicky's next move."

"It'll be tough to get another shot at you." Junior said. "And that means he'll be targeting our infrastructure."

"How much can he do with just a bank account?" I asked them. "We own this city, anyone that agrees to move against us is either going to be someone we don't deal with or some kind of outsider."

"I imagine he'll have trouble making any lasting damage." Lil Miss told him. "Any hired help here in Vale will know that we will retaliate against them. If they dared they would charge a hefty sum, and hiring professionals to come here is tricky and expensive. I'm sure those Vacuan assassins already put him back several million. That's likely why they tried hitting you outside Junior's club, it does the most damage to Junior and the Kuroi Kuma Clan."

"So the question is, where can he do the most damage next?" Junior asked, considering it.

"The warehouses along the river." I said looking at Sophia. "If Nicky hopes to force a rift, that's the obvious place. It's where the Bratva offloads it's illicit exports and where the most drug flow from the Cartels comes. And it's supposed to be a symbol of our mutual cooperation."

"You're right." Sophia agreed. "That is clearly where he could make the biggest difference in a single move. And the way things are, it could even work if he pulls it off."

"Isn't that a bit obvious?" Junior asked. "I agree it's where he could deal the most damage but anyone can see that. And now that his shot against Jaune failed, he has to understand that we're on guard now."

"Nicky was never very smart." Sophia said to Junior. "And since he has a very limited number of moves to make, he can't afford to pass it by. Hiring people to maybe shoot up clubs or kill our lesser members would be a waste of time and money. He has no choice but to go big or go home."

"He can't even go home." I said to Sophia. "He either does this or dies trying. He doesn't have any other options. If he wasn't such a bastard I might actually feel sorry for him."

"I suppose there is something admirable to his course of action." Lil' Miss said with a wave of her fan. "Like a ronin continuing his duty despite being masterless."

Sophia sneered. "Let us not dress Nicky's desperation up as nobility. He put himself in this situation and he continues down this spiral because he knows that there's no alternative routes for him."

"He could have run away with what money he had." Junior stated. "Several million is enough to live out the rest of his days in relative comfort. But he instead has decided to strike his enemy to the very end. I hate to say it myself but I too find something admirable in this course of action."

"No." Sophia said. "Nicky couldn't just run, the Atlas Authority would have eventually frozen his accounts or they would have sent someone to kill him. Nicky knows too much to let run free. He's not some noble ronin, he's just a rabid dog, and his former masters don't want to put him down themselves."

"It doesn't matter what he is." I told them. "Because however we want to look at him, he's a threat and we need to be ready for it. And if it is true that someone within my own ranks has reported to Nicky, then I feel attempting to set a trap myself could be tipping him off and would only prolong this conflict."

"I am hesitant to commit forces as well." Sophia said. "We have yet to rebuild our strength and committing any significant resources to guarding them could be leaving other important targets exposed."

"I thought we agreed that those warehouses are the most important resource you have?" Junior asked her.

"They are, but I doubt they're the only target. And convincing my captains to commit their enforcers is going to be difficult. I cannot demand they lend me their men." Sophia explained.

"You could if you were to only declare yourself their boss." Junior told her. "Isn't it time you abandon this pretense of collective leadership? It is only hindering you and your brotherhood."

"We are currently in the process of electing our new chairman." Sophia reported. "In three weeks this matter will be put to rest. Until then, I am the de facto head of the Vale Bratva and I am taking advantage of the situation. In truth I have been trying to delay a vote in the hope of handling Nicky before then, but I am running out of time."

"How many contenders?" I asked her.

"Three, not including myself." Sophia said. "We agreed that anyone wishing to run needed to be a member of the Authority with at least ten years experience."

"I see… well if I could vote I would happily give you mine." I told Sophia.

"I'm sure we would all cast our ballots for her if we could." Lil' Miss said as she snapped her fan closed. "But to focus on the business at hand, I did not come here empty handed. I have called upon the Aoi Sasori clan and they have sworn twelve of their finest enforcers."

"Only twelve?" Sophia asked dubiously.

"I assure you they are the finest swordsmen of the Aoi Sasori. Each and every one of them have been handpicked from prestigious combat schools to serve in the Aoi Sasori. It was the best I could gather on such short notice, but they're more than adequate. They shall be our counter attack. They will protect those warehouses with their lives and slay anyone who dares to reveal themselves as our enemies."

"You certainly seem sure of their capabilities." I said to her. "Are you sure this is all the muscle we will require?"

"Perhaps the assassins of the Oasis Secreto could provide them with a challenge." Lil Miss admitted. "But whatever rabble that would dare accept Nicky's coin will be no match. I shall send them to observe the warehouses and collect intel. They are experts at discretion, as far as I understand they have already arrived in Vale unnoticed."

"Very well." Sophia said to her. "But I am leaving this in your care. Understand that if this fails, I will have no choice but to hold you accountable."

"I am prepared to accept any failure on my part." Lil' Miss said. "But remember, my daughter was hurt in this attempt on Jaune's life. I hold Nicky personally accountable for that."

"Not the Oasis Secreto?" Sophia asked her.

"They are nothing but tools carelessly pointed. You do not swear vengeance on the blade that cut you, you swear vengeance on the one who wielded it. Nicky and those who assisted him are the ones I aim my vengeance at."

"An eye for an eye." I said, giving a glance towards Melanie.

"Indeed." Lil Miss said with another wave of her fan. "I believe that is all I have to say today."

"Myself as well." Junior said standing up to leave.

"I have a few things I would like to discuss with Mr. Arc." Sophia said, giving me a look. "If that is acceptable."

"I have no problem discussing further business. But if I may make a request of Oyabun Malachite and the Kuroi Kuma Clan, I would like to talk to Melanie after this business is concluded." I explained to them. "I have yet to convey my gratitude."

"Very well." Lil Miss said giving her daughter a look that told her she would abide and stay here and wait for me. Melanie nodded and gave me an oddly neutral look before stepping out of the room to let Sophia and I talk in private.

Once we were alone together I decided to speak. "Neo and I have considered your offer to become Anna's godparents, and have decided to accept."

Sophia nodded. "I am glad to hear that, Anna certainly will be pleased to learn the news. And I was hoping you would reach this decision soon. If you accepted, I was intending to hold it on her upcoming birthday."

I nodded. "How do you want to go about this?"

"Publicly." Sophia answered.

"Then should we perform this in a church?" I asked.

"That is how these things are usually done." Sophia said. "I don't consider myself to be a religious woman, but in this case we should stand on ceremony. If you're uncomfortable with this, I'll make all the arrangements for you."

"No." I said with a raise of my hand. "I already have a church and a priest in mind."

Sophia nodded. "As you wish, such things don't hold much meaning to me."

"Saint Leonard's and one of it's priests, Father Matteo, have personal ties to me." I explained to her. "It was where the Family held Sal's funeral and I sought guidance there once. I'm agnostic when it comes to religious matters but this place and this priest has ties to the Family that would help give meaning to members of the Torchwick Family."

"That is good." Sophia said with a smile. "This is all about further cementing our alliance for all to see, so any meaning this place or priest has, then it is good to capitalize on this."

"Is that all you wished to talk about?" I asked her.

"That was the primary reason." Sophia admitted to me. "Everything else can wait, I need to make preparations. You and Neo will be recognized as her legal godparents after all."

"I look forward to it." I said to her. "How is Anna by the way?"

"She's doing well, though she's starting to feel cooped up." Sophia said to me. "With Nicky still on the loose, I haven't felt good about enrolling her in private school, so I've hired a tutor."

"That has to be tough." I said to her.

"It is." Sophia said with a nod. "But that ordeal has certainly made Anna understand why she has to be protected. She has grown a lot because of this unpleasant business. She has hardly complained, but I can't help but feel guilty."

"You're doing your best." I reassured her. "If it isn't rude… may I ask about her father?"

"It isn't rude." Sophia assured me. "You're going to be her godfather and have every right to ask such things. And it isn't anything I consider secret. Sophia's father was Bratva like me, we met in Atlas and became lovers for a while. I left him and Atlas behind shortly after I got pregnant. We didn't have any interest in becoming a family together so we went our separate ways. Though he never hesitated to provide anything I or Anna could ever need."

"Is he still around?" I asked her.

Sophia shook her head. "He was killed five years ago."

"Who killed him?" I asked her.

"Some cops with twitchy trigger fingers. He was caught up in a raid and shot down with a pack of cigarettes in his hand." Sophia said with a bitter chuckle. "It was rather embarrassing, he left behind a will of his legal assets. But most of his capital and rackets were claimed by the Authority."

"That must have been difficult." I said. "Did Anna ever know him?"

"No, he wasn't even around for her birth." Sophia told me as she stood. "Fact is our relationship was always transactional. I wanted to keep Anna distanced from this line of work, and that's hard enough with one parent in this business. He was the type who would have encouraged her to become Bratva and that is not something I would wish for her."

"I understand." I told her. "As much as I have come to appreciate this business, I would never want to pull anyone into it."

"I'm glad you understand." Sophia said. "Because as her godfather, I need you to understand that I have no interest in ever seeing Anna in this business. I don't care if she decides to become a doctor or a baker or even if she ends up as a spoiled girl with a trust fund. She cannot grow to become like us."

I nodded to her. "I understand, and you have my word that I will respect this decision."

"Thank you." Sophia said.

"One more thing." I told her. "I have a favor to ask you."

"You are always welcome to ask me for a favor." Sophia told me.

"My friend, Dove. He was hurt badly in the attempt on my life. He killed one of the assassins but lost two of his fingers in the fighting. I was hoping whatever connections you and Boris have could be used in helping him find high quality cybernetics. I'll pay whatever price is necessary but I want to do right by him."

Sophia nodded. "That's easy enough, consider them a gift to our continued alliance. I offered that one Malachite sister a similar arrangement. Atlas has made advancements in the field of ocular implants. She politely declined."

I raised my eyebrow at that. "She refused?"

"I don't know why, she didn't say." Sophia told me. "And I didn't press the issue, some things are not that simple to fix."

I nodded and readied myself to speak to Melanie.

We stood up and made to leave. We exited the back room and into the main floor of the empty club where Melanie waited along with Boris and Neo. I moved over to Melanie as the rest saw themselves out or waited at a distance for us to decide to leave. Neo joined me as I approached her.

I opened my mouth to speak but Melanie held her hand up stopping me. "Don't!" She said firmly. "I don't want you to give me any bullshit about how I saved you and how you're thankful to me for it. I didn't do anything, I just stepped in the path of a bullet. It was a fluke and you don't owe me anything for that."

"Well that still saved my life." I told her. "And fluke or not, I'm grateful to you."

Neo nodded alongside me. "I'm - grateful - as - well."

Melanie's fist clenched and she looked away. "Yesterday… I was fitted for a glass eye. And the truth is I'm pretty sure that if I knew that bullet was coming I wouldn't have moved to save you."

"Why did you refuse the implant Sophia offered?" I asked her.

"Have you seen those fucking things?" Melanie said to me. "I'd look like a fucking freak with one, and they don't even see that well! I'd have to get them calibrated constantly. Fuck that! I'd rather look hideous in this fucking eye patch."

"You're not hideous." I told her.

"Spare me!" Melanie said, looking away.

"I'm serious." I said to her.

"Really!?" Melanie hissed, tearing the patch off. Even though one eye was gone, it was still tearing up. The empty socket gaping dark and red. "You look me in this one good eye and tell me I'm not a fucking freak now!"

Neo stepped forward and stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Neo turned her head and brushed her hair away from her face, her fingers tracing over the scar that had been left behind before giving her a kiss.

"I'm not going to pretend that I find that empty socket or that scar attractive." I said, stepping close myself and brushing it with my fingers as Neo broke the kiss and continued to hold her. "But I've never found you more beautiful than right now."

I brought my head down and gave her another kiss on the lips. Neo and I held Melanie as she cried. With every sob I felt the burning desire for vengeance blooming inside of me.


Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. I know that it wasn't much but I figured the aftermath of the assassination attempt needed to be focused on. Even though they survived they were left with scars and regrets and planning what happens next is an important step. What's more I imagined that Cinder wouldn't be happy with the extra heat now that her plan is getting closer. Qrow mentioned that crime had strangly dropped after Roman was apprehended and I figured that could only be done with some serious power in the underworld pulling the strings. Jaune in this case is tasked with keeping things relatively quiet while he's still having to face enemies from the shadows.

Thank you my committee for beta reading and providing ideas. So thank you MidKnightMoonglow99, MajorBrony95, CrypidCobra, TheSlySage, Firefly25, BigBrain411, Iownnick67, Cyperink and DrknssRules1 for all their help and support making this story come together.