Chapter 9: Use Of Fear

Adam Taurus, looking over a map of Vale Roman had labeled, stood stoic and collected. But most would only assume as such had they not known the White Fang imperator long. They would assume him unsheathing and holstering his sword with one hand to be patience and a yearn for battle. But the truth of the matter was he was angry. Not a divine fury that sparked the rebellion of Faunus against humans. But a personal vendetta against those that wronged him.

The sword, repeatedly exiting and entering the sheathe, made an echoing slicing sound as Adam toyed with it. Whenever it left his fingers, only to slide back, his hand trembled. All of this made worse because of the betrayal of his love. Or perhaps, the Belladonna had been the cause for his anger. The number of people he could trust only dwindled. The number of spies only increased.

"Why would you allow him to lead my soldiers to the heart of the city?" He growled at the maiden.

Cinder glanced him up and down, eyeing his sword. "Does it matter? The deed is done. Now, we only have to await news."

"I did not delegate such authority for you to squander my loyal forces."

"Call it an investment. Now, put down the sword, and focus. We have much to plan, and hardly a year to put it in motion."

"I will not take orders from filth!" Adam roared, unleashing his blade to draw it upon her neck. But Cinder was faster. Her own obsidian blade drawn as well, seemingly from nowhere, protecting her throat.

"And I do no take orders from the likes of you. You would do well to remember that." She reminded with an icy tone. "Do not forget our goal over some mindless rage. We are little more than partners, collaborating for the destruction of Vale. But do not think for even a moment that we are equals."

Adam gritted his teeth, pulling back his blade. He knew the bite of her words and how she intended him to receive them. "I could tell you the same. Humans and Faunus will never be equals. One must reign over the other, and we will not roll over."

"But for that to happen, the White Fang needs a little push." She returned her sword to ashes, fading in the candlelight. As she paced around the table with her arms folded, Adam was reminded of all the traits in humans he despised. Conniving, heartless, and with an ulterior motive. She is using him as much as he her. Behind his mask, Adam's eyes never wavered from his target.

"I did not agree with this 'investment'."

Cinder chuckled. "You weren't present to disagree."

"Exactly my point! You went behind my back!" I will not be pushed around like some beast.

"Then if it will shut you up, we will take you into consideration when moving forces."

"All. Decisions. Are to be run by me." The White Fang can only be left in his own care. Not Clay, not the Belladonnas, not even Sienna Khan. Control is maintained with a iron grip. Blake taught him that with her disappearance. "I don't trust this Torchwick clown."

"You don't trust anyone." Cinder smirked. "But then, a real leader need not trust those at their disposal. All a pawn must do is prove himself useful. Right this moment, I have my agents tailing them to determine this Roman's worth."

"Hah." Adam scoffed. "Typical hypocritical human. You lecture me on leadership, yet rely on these agents."

But the maiden only smiled and tilted her head in a coy manner. "There was no contradiction in my words. From what we can derive, Roman Torchwick is led by greed. That makes him useful, but unreliable. You see, a true leader commands through use of fear."

(-)

Melanie was sent flying onto the dance floor, shrieking during her descent. Roman shouted after vaulting her "Sisters should stay together! No hard feelings, sweet cheeks!". But before he could further mock her, he had to block Junior's heavy assault. He had caught his mace in the hook of his cane, but still struggled with the sheer brute force the bartender wielded.

"You really think you're getting outta here alive?!" Junior grunted, challenging Roman's strength. Another second or two and the crime lord would have been forced to yield, but a master criminal is never without an upper hand.

With a dry smile, he asked "You really think my little helper will spare your girls?"

And just like that, Junior's gaze diverted to the dance floor, hoping for a glimpse of either of his bodyguards. The weight being forced on Roman lifted, and he wasted no time in ramming his knee into Junior's gut. Then came an elbow strike to the head while the bartender keeled over. And to finish it off, a harsh strike from his cane.

Junior was quick to respond. In a rage, he swung again and again, but the sneer on the crime lord only added to his fury. Finally, he went for a leg sweep, knocking Roman off his feet. He grumbled, irate, but unloaded a blast from his cane in response. With his opponent sent flying back, Roman was able to get back on his feet. But a battle cry alerted him of the rampaging bartender.

Dead set on pulverizing the crime lord, Junior charged, ready to start swinging like a madman. Roman dodged towards the bar, but caught Junior by his foot with the hook of his cane. He crashed to the ground again, with Roman ready to strike again. Blocked off, but it didn't stop the crime lord from going to town with his cane. Junior turned over and kicked back, landing a good hit.

Roman fell back against the bar, while Junior took the opportunity to get up. "Son of a-" He eyed the somehow unbroken bottles of alcohol. Whisking one away with the reach of his cane, he took a quick chug. Slouched back, as though enjoying his brief respite. It only drove Junior even further off the deep end. Roman wondered how his opponent thought another barbaric attack would work.

Swinging his cane again to divert Junior's path, the crime lord followed it up by slamming him against the bar. "You're awfully hot-headed today, Junior. Why don't you have a cold one? It's on the house." And with that usual heartless grin, Roman poured the rest of the bottle over his victim's clothing and face. Part of Roman's strengths was making use of people's anger.

Through the coughing, Junior cried out. He managed to clutch Roman's collar, and the crime lord gulped hard. Through a great feat of strength, he was tossed along the bar, where he managed to catch himself. Now standing, using his cane as ballast, he found himself catwalking on the slippery surface. Junior also jumped up, eager to give the crime lord the beating he deserves. Roman himself would agree it was long overdue, but he himself never agreed with debt collectors.

Breaking a sweat, the bartender brought his mighty club down. Roman took a step back, the impact he avoided had broken a part of the counter. Junior closed the distance, swinging upwards. It caught him by the tip of the arc upwards, but had sent chunks of wood flying. Twisting his body along with the flow of recoil, Roman kicked a piece of wood directly at Junior. He batted it away like it was no more than a pesky bug.

With the massive mace now out of the question, Junior was wide open to the swift jab Roman followed up with. Another two swipes came after, each blow connecting with a satisfying thud. But Junior had turned his back to the crime lord, swiveling his entire body around for another great swing. Too easy. Roman ducked underneath, and with both hands gripping the shaft of his cane, he made another devastating stab.

The crime lord spun his body back, using the momentum to swing down with destructive might. It caught Junior and sent his entire body falling to the surface of the bar in no time. The bartender, seizing opportunity, rolled off and swept his mace across the countertop. A simple hop back was all Roman needed. He leaned back on his cane, one hand on his hip, and taunted.

"So mindless. Do you teach your crones to fight mindlessly like that? And you call the White Fang animal."

"My boys know how to get a job done!" He retorted, wiping sweat off his brow. Both his sleeve and his face were stained and dripping with whiskey. If he wasn't happy before, Roman thought, he sure ain't feeling peachy now.

"Ya gotta have class. Style. You know what they say..." Tossing his cane in the air, he caught the base of it, swinging it around. "Manners..." With Junior exhausted and distracted, he hooked the base of another bottle. It only took a quick twist of his wrist to make the bottle fly at Junior's face. "Maketh man."

(-)

Even with the senseless chaos overtaking the dance floor, Neo was able to spare many glances at Roman. It wasn't his finest work, but watching him agonize others was always a treat. With a happy sigh, Neo twirled her umbrella, parrying the oncoming attacks from the twins. Roman may be the envoy of torment, but she was a master of her own craft. Without even turning to her opponents, she was able to masterfully weave her way between their attacks and fend them off.

With a delighted smirk, she flipped over the dark twin, the hook of her weapon catching her neck. The dark diva plummeted with a yelp. Someone else had tripped over her and fell between Neo and Melanie. The illusionist wasted no time in taking advantage of the confusion. She ducked underneath the body and made a surprise attack against the ivory diva. Upon landing the blow, Neo stamped her foot onto Miltia's hand.

The twin's backlash was quick and ineffective. With Miltia jumping to her feet and slashing at her, and her sister kicking about, anyone caught in the crossfire would have been mincemeat. But Neo was a cut above the rest. She parried attack after attack, using both ends of her umbrella to block two blows at once. And in time, she wound up evading through the rest. At the finishing blows from both, she performed a handstand and kicked both of them away.

"What are you doing, Miltia? You're supposed to be slashing at her!"

"I could ask you the same! You haven't even hit-" She never got to finish. Neo had jabbed her gut while standing proud and defiant, facing Melanie.

She didn't respond well. Performing a roundhouse kick, she screeched "Nobody picks on my sister but me!"

Neo pretended to gasp in an sympathetic manner. During her jest, she twirled her umbrella around, smacking the dark diva again and again. Finally, the illusionist bowed her head, kicking Miltia once more, yet never taking her eyes off the ivory diva. Swirling her umbrella behind her back and into her other hand, Neo used it to yank forward Melania's leg. Spinning using the same motion, Neo knelt on one knee as she pointed her umbrella skyward. Right beneath Melanie. She fell onto the pointed tip with a shriek.

Pulling her umbrella away, the illusionist opened it up and hid underneath it. She glanced over her shoulder at the two, poised in such a coy manner. The way Neo shimmered and spun around these two amused herself to no end. After all, it was a dance floor. Roman sure knew how to find fun fights. Untouchable, he had called her. Though she may posses no voice to speak it, that word was her pride and joy.

The twins had recovered, and glared at her with annoyance, rather than hatred. It only amused the illusionist more. Melania charged first, kicking away like a horse. With a swift spin of her open umbrella, Neo used the extended rim to catch her foot. It was a good thing the twins were light, as it made launching the ivory diva a possible feat. Miltia wasted no time in a follow up, attempting to catch Neo off guard.

Quickly closing her umbrella, she parried off the first two attacks, both swipes. Holding her umbrella across her back, the illusionist waited for the right attack. She dodged left and right, moving ever so slightly each time. At last, the dark diva went for a stab. Twisting her body, Neo opened her umbrella. It exploded out, the bulbous shape meeting Miltia's claw. Because of the curvature of the umbrella, the claw redirected way off course.

Miltia gasped as her claw dug into one of the standing lights. The glass shattered, and electricity coursed through her. Satisfied with her work, Neo opened her umbrella to pose while she blocked Melanie's descending attack. The two twins had her cornered this time. Except now she could stop playing fair. Now it was time to use her Semblance.

They attacked at the same time, predictable as they have been. Neo's form shattered like glass upon the lightest impact, and they collided into each other. A moment of confusion before they tried to attack her once more. But now, all the cards were stacked in her favor. It only took a few attacks, disguised as the other, to fool them into thinking foul play. After that, it was accusations back and forth.

"What's your deal, Melanie?! Why are you kicking me?!"

"I don't know what you're seeing! You're the one slashing at me!"

"You are so full of it!"

"Oh, don't you dare. You know I'm stronger than you."

"Wow, you really think I'll buy a lie that obvious?"

"Oh my God, your ego is showing, Miltia!"

And from there, it was self destructive slaughter. Neo sat on the railing, pleased with her handiwork. Her sadistic grin grew as she watched the twins spar among themselves. After they started yanking at each other's hair, the illusionist felt a ping in the back of her neck. She knew someone was watching. Neo glanced back at Roman, still preoccupied with the owner of the broken down club.

But no, it wasn't him. Someone, somewhere in this large building was watching her. Under normal circumstances, she would have been on the defensive without hesitation. But Roman had warned her of this exact scenario. Interlopers in waiting. The two by Cinder's side. It was the only conclusion that made sense.

The Lieutenant had vouched for both Roman and herself. Cinder's group had been the only other intrusion into the White Fang of late, and they were treated as outcasts more than she and Roman. There was no one else it could be, as the chances of actual law authority watching was low. After all, the police would have intervened at the earliest opportunity.

She smiled, recognizing a fault in the twisting shadows. Neo was one for illusions and trickery, after all. She gazed into that uncanny platform, hiding in the corner near the ceiling. Hiding something with a trick of the light. The illusionist raised her free hand to her shoulder, so as not to raise too much attention to herself. And waved at the audience.

(-)

"She's good." Emerald remarked, uncomfortable over how Neo saw through her illusion with such ease. "Definitely a viable pawn for Cinder."

"I don't like her." Mercury mumbled. "Too quiet. I never know what she's thinking."

The thief gave a glance to her companion, before saying "That's not important. What's important is whether she can be controlled or not." She returned her attention to the fight. The flash of red hair beneath a black hat grabbed her focus. "And it looks like he has full hold of her reins."

"It's the only reason he has power." The grayed fighter remarked. "Without her, he's pretty weak."

"Don't underestimate him. Roman's might is cosmopolitan might. That is something to be wary of in it's own right."

"Cosmopol..." He mumbled, confused. "What does that have to do with the stars and-"

"It means he knows a lot of people, Mercury." Emerald groaned, rolling her eyes. "God, read a book some time."

"Hey, I'm not here for my smarts."

"Obviously." Even as she made the insulting jab at him, he didn't react. He was thinking the same as she was. "We're here because we're useful to her."

(-)

Roman's body hit the counter, the harsh impact forcing a grunt from the crime lord. Junior was quick to slam his mace into him. Roman struggled to fend it off with his own cane. The sweat dripping off of Junior's face stained his jacket. The mace pressed against his face had almost reached it's mark. Roman found it more and more difficult to press against such an oppressive weight.

At last, he released his grip, and the cane fell to his feet. Roman instead grabbed at the mace, attempting to pry it off of him directly. Junior gave a satisfied laugh, pressing harder against the crime lord. "Desperate, Roman? You always were a lousy rat, scrounging at whatever could earn you-" The bartender bashed his forehead against Roman's. "-A quick buck or two!" The crime lord's vision blurred after the impact, grogginess taking over. "You're at the end of your rope. Nothing to cling onto now!"

Roman fought to keep himself awake. With the mace now crushing his chest, he found it harder to breathe. The cane, lying at his feet, caught his eye. Roman sneered, and with what little breath he could muster, managed to spit back a retort. "You're blind if you think I'm out of options." He stomped down. The cane, resting at an angle, now shot up into the air, spinning like mad. The spinning only ended when it collided with Junior's face. "Never underestimate desperation."

The bartender reeled back in surprise, allowing Roman to fend off the mace at last. He grasped at an unopened bottle and smacked his oppressor across the side of his face. Before his cane could hit the floor once more, the crime lord caught it, never once missing a beat. Equipped with a cane in his right, the bottle in his left, Roman began his retaliation. With the blunt instrument, he was able to shock and disorient his adversary.

After several blows, the bottle broke against Junior's mace, but not before dousing the bartender in more of it's intoxicating contents. It splashed all over the already soaked bartender, and for one final mocking statement, Roman ripped away the red tie now flying loose. Junior crashed to the ground, the alcohol dripping off of him. He gathered his senses, and was about to fly into another rage, already shouting. Roman held a finger up to him, in the same hand he held the red fabric of Junior's tie.

"Ah ah ah." The crime lord chided. "I've won this match." He declared, grabbing a cigar, like a trophy, and popping it between his teeth.

Junior spat blood onto the floor as Roman pulled out his lighter. "You've won nothing."

"Not from my perspective." He answered, pulling the lighter not to his cigar, but to the whiskey soaked tie. It became engulfed in flames, the blaze shining light over the soaked bartender. The realization set in, the contempt visible in Junior's eyes. Roman smirked, using the burning tie to lit his cigar. "I believe... We've come to an agreement. Have we not?"

Junior glared back. His tie smoldered with flames, but he looked past it. As though a final cursing to the crime lord, Junior glared with intensity more fiery than the tie could ever show. But in time, he gave a heavy sigh. His mace fell from his grip and rolled onto the floor. "What are your demands?"

The question brought a smile to Roman's face, his eyes shining with glee. "Collaboration between our forces. You will share info on cops, what they're capable of and what they'll use against dissenters. We'll also be taking trading logs of the various companies seeking profit in Vale."

Junior gave a low scoff. "And what exactly do you hope to achieve with this?"

"Oh, we have much planned for the city, and for Beacon. But first, we need to start small. Harass some ships with goods from Atlas, raid the Schnee's Dust supplies in the city-"

"They'll know," Junior interrupted. "The moment a Faunus has started raiding their deposits. The White Fang never leaves anyone from their attacks alive."

Roman tossed the blazing tie back and leaned forward. "They're under new management. I'll have em on their best behavior."

"And how will you manage that?"

"Well, it's in their best interests." Roman answered, waving his cigar around in his hand. "Start small, leave witnesses alive, eventually, Schnee will start arming their ships. And that's what we're after. Use the fear of the pilots, use the fear of the merchants, use the fear of the Schnees. Everyone's afraid of something, and the Schnees fear loss of profit."

"You can't seriously think it'll be that easy."

Roman laughed in surprise. "What did I say about underestimating desperation? The Schnees believe they can throw lien at their problems to make them go away. Who are we to argue?"

Bit by bit, Junior was starting to see sense. Even despite his scowl, out of the corner of his mouth, a smile had formed. Getting to his feet, he bellowed. "Hey, you louts!" By his words, the carnage was brought to a standstill. "We're done horsing around!"

"What's going on?" One White Fang member asked.

Roman extended his arms in response, shouting "An agreement has been made!"