Tempered Spite
Seven Years Ago
Adam Taurus was not a complicated young man. He hated the SDC, hated Atlas, and hated the majority of Humanity. Generally, if not always, in that order. Similarly, he respected Ghira, believed in Sienna, and enjoyed Illia's company.
He knew his place in the world. He knew that he would fight for the rights and freedom of the faunus. Knew that he would, in all likelihood, die young for the cause. He knew what his superiors expected from him, knew what he expected from himself, and knew that he would give his all to live up to the expectations placed upon him.
But even after three years of knowing her, he had no idea what to make of Cinder Fall.
"Such a deep expression." The girl mocked as they rode through the Mistralian countryside, Sienna driving their van with Yuma up front, they mere 'prospective hunters' riding in the back. "How unlike you, dear Adam."
He growled, hating how easily she could rile him up. "Snide and dismissive, how very like you, Cinder."
A groan came from behind them, Ilia drawling from the rearmost seats. "Could you two leave off the flirting, please? Or just have hate-sex and be done with it."
He wasn't sure which of them was more insulted at the insinuation, both of them letting out disgusted sounds though Cinder beat him to speaking. "The very notion is disgusting!"
"I agree." He growled. "I would sooner bed a Schnee than lower myself to touch her."
Typically, the comment made her bristle at once. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"That you are arrogant, hot tempered, insufferable, and human." He listed off. "I fail to see what anyone would find attractive about you."
Her lips twisted unpleasantly, voice becoming sickly sweet. "Then why have I caught you staring at my chest when we spar, dear Adam?"
Because while every ounce of his waking brain may have said no, his hormones stubbornly refused to get the message.
Sienna earned his undying loyalty when she called back, "That's enough, children! Stop provoking each other while we're in the wild, unless you want to explain to the Chieftain why there are Grimm surrounding us!"
There were enough of them with aura that they probably served as a tempting meal for any Grimm anyway, but she had a point. Letting their emotions run wild just serve as an additional bit of bait.
Still... facing Ghira's disappointed expression sounded better than remaining in the car with Cinder for another four hours.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then a sudden crackle of gunfire made them all flinch. Sienna slammed on the breaks, the old vehicle groaning in protest as it slid to a stop inches behind the car ahead of them.
"Out! Out! Out!"
Heart hammering in his chest, he ripped the door open as threw himself outside. More gunfire snapped, impacts against his aura making him flinch. A single look told him that the shooters were all on this side of the convoy, and he quickly sprinted to get on the safe side of the vehicle.
Everyone else quickly followed, taking cover as dust-rounds began shattering various windows.
"We're just passing through!" He'd ended up near Ghira, the man bellowing at their attackers. "What do you want!?"
The gunfire slowed enough for another man to shout back, "You animals passed through the wrong town!"
Ghira rose, up slightly, "We haven't passed through any-"
A round slammed into his shoulder, driving the big man to a knee. He snarled in pain as his aura flickered. "Dammit!"
Sienna hissed, turning to him. "Adam, flank right. Everyone else provide cover and-where's Cinder!?"
He snapped his head round. Ilia and Yuma were crouched to his left, while Ghira's personal staff were huddled together just ahead.
Their only Human member was distinct in her absence... at least until someone let out a surprised yelp, a gun emptying in the rapid shots of panic-fire.
Adam leaped to his feat in time to see Cinder slam the flat of one of her swords against a woman's face, bouncing her head off a tree hard enough to drop her instantly. Two more men emerged, backpedaling as they frantically reloaded, one screaming, "Huntress!"
Cinder was on them before they could finish. Her blades sang as she hammered a gun out of a man's hands, blood flew as she left two deep cuts across his chest. He fell, screaming and clutching at himself, ignored as she bounded over him.
The second bandit fared no better. He thrust with his gun's bayonet, a blow she took on her aura without slowing down as she simply ran directly into him. Orange and red light shimmered across her as she brought her semblance up across her body the moment she was in physical contact with him.
More screaming. Sizzling. A smell disturbingly close to burnt pork reaching his nose.
Other would-be ambushes were running now. Fleeing deeper into the woods. Only one, the most well dressed, stayed behind. He emerged from behind a tree behind Cinder, pistol aimed squarely at her back.
Adam slammed his sheathed sword across the back of his head before he could pull the trigger.
Cinder snapped her head around, glancing at him and then down at the man who'd been about to shoot her.
"Don't read into it." He snapped, making sure to step on the unconscious bandit as he walked to check on the others she'd put down.
Her smirk was her only reply.
Growling, he raised his voice. "Cleared! They're retreating!"
The others quickly began to emerge, looking equal parts impressed and confused as to how quickly everything had happened. Ghira shook out his left arm as he strode into the open, staring hard at the two of them, and then at the bodies on the ground.
For his part Adam knew what his leader would want to know, and began to check on their potential prisoners. The woman Cinder had hit first was still breathing, he saw her feebly trying to regain her wits before Ilia quickly ran over to restrain her. Similarly, her burn victim was both alive and awake, though from the whimpering he wasn't happy about either of those things.
The other man however...
Adam had seen people die before, in the dust mines. Seen them killed by Grimm after he and a few others had fled enslavement. Seeing a man laying in a pool of his own blood turned his stomach far less than the smell coming from the scorched flesh of the man behind him.
But something in Cinder's expression as she stared down at the corpse made his back tighten.
"It was so easy." Her words were quiet, intended only for herself he thought. "Why is it so easy?"
He said nothing. He merely waited for Ghira to arrive, looking down as well. The man let out a tired breath, sank to a knee despite the blood, and gently closed the bandit's eyes. "Cinder. Why did you kill him?"
The girl shrugged carelessly. "He was a bandit trying to kill us."
"A bandit without aura." The Chieftain rumbled in reply. "All but helpless against you. There was no need to end his life."
Cinder's single eye narrowed. "It is not as if any will mourn him."
"Everyone has people who will mourn them."
She scoffed only for Sienna's voice to carry. "Cinder! Adam! Very well done!"
They all turned, Adam noting Ghira's scowl as the leader of his security detail approached. Her ears were perked up, her smile wide and genuine. Despite the fact that she walking ever closer, she kept her voice loud and clear. "Genuine heroes of the hour, the both of you!"
A ragged cheer went up from the others, the others waving, smiling, or otherwise showing their appreciation. Sienna clearly noticed, her smile widening ever further even as she finally spoke normally. "Next time though, communicate a bit more? We could have gotten more of them if we'd been able to coordinate, Cinder. I know you don't like taking orders, but that doesn't mean you can't at least tell us what you're doing so we can coordinate."
The girl nodded once. "I'll... try to keep that in mind."
"Good. Why don't-"
Ghira interrupted her. "Why don't the two of you help everyone else check over the cars and accept your... hero's reward. I need to talk with Sienna alone."
Adam glanced between the two, and felt... something shifting beneath his feet. Something in Sienna's wide smile, something Ghira's clenched jaw...
From Cinder's calculating expression, she could feel it too.
Cinder Fall
Present Day
The Sleeping Ranger was the kind of pub that even I could appreciate. It catered to huntsman, its interior was filled with rich wooden columns and tables, and the conversation was muted even at its busiest. There were no giant screen behind the bar, no children flailing about on a dance floor.
Just good food, comfortable booths, and excellent drinks.
"So once we had everyone's left shoe, we toss them into the showers and let 'em run all night." Coco recounted their latest endeavor, grinning over her tropical cocktail. "Jas was practically in tears."
I chuckled, idly swirling my wine as I lounged across from her. "Childish, yet amusing."
"Bitch shouldn't have accused me of cheating then." The leader of team CFEY tossed the rest of her drink back with every sign of pleasure. "Ahh. This place is too quiet for me, but it's got the best drinks in the east side. You really should try one, Yats."
The largest member of the team smiled as he lowered his glass of water. "One of us must be sober."
"I only had one!"
He nodded to his right where Fox and Emerald were competing to finish their third. "And do you wish to deal with them alone?"
Coco groaned. "Always the voice of reason. Shouldn't you be, you know, stopping your little girl from getting wasted?"
"She is hardly a little girl." I rolled my single eye. "She is of age to make her own decisions. If she thinks the fun tonight will be worth the hangover tomorrow, that is her affair. And do not deflect from your own responsibility as a team leader."
"Hey I'm a great team leader. She tied her own shoes this morning, all by herself."
Emerald choked on her drink even as I chuckled, "What of her uniform's tie?"
"I'm not a miracle worker." Coco grinned as Emerald coughed, slamming her tankard down. Glaring at the other girl even as her cheeks darkened. "Maybe she'll be able to handle that by the time graduation rolls around."
"Coco!" My disciple finally managed to gasp.
"It would not surprise me. It took me three years to teach her to properly braid her hair."
Her embarrassment worsened at once. "Cinder!"
Coco threw back her head, not laughing so much as cackling. Even the quiet giant smiled, an expression that grew when Fox slammed his empty tankard down. "Victory."
"I was distracted!" Emerald protested.
The blind man grinned. "A proper hunter cannot allow themselves to be distracted no matter the situation, right Miss Fall?"
"Correct." Raising my glass, I savored the last of my wine before setting it down. "Finish your drink, Emerald. Then I believe it is time to call it an evening."
My disciple kept pouting even as she brought her heavier drink to her lips. There wasn't much left, it didn't take her long to finish it.
Getting her up on her own feet after was far more of an adventure. I felt the muscles in my neck strain slightly as she clung to me, mumbling something about how I smelled while she buried her face in my shoulder. Wrapping one arm around her to keep her upright, I left lien on the table with the other.
Once Yatsuhashi and Coco had the other inebriated student upright as well we made for the door.
The cool night air felt good, as did handing Emerald off to her team leader. My disciple protested separating from me, protested again when everyone teased her about it, and swayed a bit when I patted her head.
"Get her to bed." I ordered. "I will be there to pick her up at the end of the week."
"Yes mother." Coco drawled, already pulling her away. "Come on Emerald. If you throw up on me again you're buying me an entire new wardrobe. And I don't want to hear about how tight Cinder's ass is the entire way to Beacon either!"
"Coco!"
"What? She's got a fantastic one, but it's just weird hearing it come from you!"
Huffing in amusement, I strode in the opposite direction of the team as they kept up their familiar bickering. They were children, as I'd said, but amusing ones. Competent ones as well. For all of her compulsive teasing, Coco Adel was extremely powerful for her age with a respectable combat semblance. She was protective and loyal, Emerald could have done far worse in partners.
I'd have still rather Emerald been the one to lead her team, but I'd come to accept the other girl.
As far as the young men went... they similarly had potential. Both had semblances that would be beyond useful in my work, if they could be recruited.
Even better, Emerald's rather abrasive nature early in her tenure at Beacon had actually worked in my favor there. The would-be-bullying she'd suffered from other students had seen her new team close ranks quickly, defending her before retaliating.
There was every chance I could get them to start undertaking minor matters for me even now. I wouldn't, not until I could be assured of their loyalty, but I was making good progress in securing their appreciation.
"Slow, steady progress." I mused as I climbed onto my bike, its monstrous engine rumbling to life. "No need to rush it just yet."
I could make more progress there in the next school year. For tonight, I had scrolls to finish cracking, and an apartment to check on. Pulling my scroll out, I sent off a short message to prepare things for my arrival before pocketing the device.
The drive was a longer one, especially since I stuck to the back roads rather than the elevated highway that looped through the city. Part of that was because I took a simple pleasure in riding, but mostly it was because I wanted to avoid the numerous speed cameras set up on the faster road.
I knew they were more than they seemed. It was hard not to when an operation to hack them had revealed that someone else already had remote access, and had been able to effortlessly shut down my attempt to gain control.
In that Vale's elitist snobbery worked in my favor; the roads of the cramped, lower-class neighborhoods were more poorly maintained, and generally lacked the security features that filled other parts of the city.
It was why I rented a small apartment on the poor west side. The old building right on the river, staring across at the ugly skyline of the industrial sector.
Pulling in to the underground garage, I slowly rolled my bike forwards to stained and battered security door in the back. Killing the engine, I got off and went through the long routine of unlocking it, then pushing the vehicle into the cramped space beyond. Retrieving Midnight from where I'd left it on a simple hook within, I set both of the physical locks and the electronic one before heading for the stairs.
The building was silent, it was rather late, and the only sound was my footsteps when I reached the fourth floor.
Apartment Four-Oh-One's door was still locked when I arrived. Still, I separated Midnight into its two halves, hanging one blade from my belt while the holding the other in my left.
My paranoia proved unwarranted; there was no one waiting for me when I swept inside. My small kitchen was empty, the living room with its battered furniture just as I'd left it. The stolen lap-scroll was still on the table, a command line operation still ticking off a new line once every few seconds.
A routine check of the windows showed the security tape was still in... ah.
"Finally." I dropped to a knee next to the bedroom window, a genuine smile coming out as I ran a finger over the chipped paint. Someone had broken the tape there, replaced it, but hadn't quite accounted for how old the window was. They'd damaged the paint, exposing old wood beneath, probably when they'd pulled up the torn section.
Rising, I quickly secured the rest of the one-bedroom home. No one was present.
Quick strides brought me back to the living room so that I could check on the device. My smile remained when I saw the routine clock script still simply ticking off the time every five seconds or so.
Leaving the device where it was, I casually strolled back to the front door, opened it, and then headed for the elevator.
Inspecting the old box for listening devices and cameras took as long as it always did, but as usual revealed nothing. Either they hadn't left any, or my other assets had already removed them. Either way I was free to pull out a key and insert it into the fireman's lock.
Twisting it, I pushed down on the top floor at the same time.
Rather than rising, the elevator promptly began to descend. Floor numbers ticked by, hitting zero, then B1, then flickering to display an error. I held both the key and the button until it finally clanked to a stop, the doors creaking open to let in the stench of Vale's labyrinth of an underground.
Ah. The benefits of working in a city nearly older than time. Countless subway systems, sewer systems, basements, bomb shelters, personal bunkers, underground garages... there had been so much work done over so much time that it was all but impossible to map. The only times anyone of authority ever came down was to check the various foundations when it came to rebuild condemned structures on the surface.
All but impossible to map... but a useful shortcut if you knew the right paths.
Striking out to my left, went twenty paces before dipping through a narrow crack in the stone and concrete, a crumbling stairwell carrying me further down. The bottom opened into an abandoned subway tunnel, and I took the western route; walking beneath the river itself.
I was perhaps thirty yards down before a shadow detached itself from the wall and fell into step beside me.
"Report." I ordered without looking at her.
"Two masked agents entered your apartment." Blake Belladonna replied at once. "One by the window, they let the other in through the front. They stayed for fifteen minutes before exiting through the front."
Finally. Finally! "Did you pursue?"
The young terrorist shook her head. "A car with tinted windows pulled up when they came out. I relayed the plates to Perry, but I doubt the car belongs to a retiree in the farming sector."
I hummed, not at all surprised.
"Most people wouldn't look that happy to know people broke into their home."
"I am not most people." I replied dismissively. "Was your man able to crack the Councilor's devices?"
She nodded. "Yes. He's going through them now, but there's a lot to go over. It'll be a while before he can say anything for certain."
"That is fine. Thoroughness is more important than haste." Knowing that Vale's Secret Service had been alarmed enough to try and recover them from my home was proof enough that there was something good on them. Something worth them risking detection. "I will need you all to be prepared for phase two."
Blake lowered her voice, "That's... going to be hard. We're still dealing with that anti-faunus militia in the western kingdom, and protecting Glade down south."
I waved a dismissive hand. "I merely need you prepared, not for you to stand idle. If needs be I can arrange a trip to the west to wrap up that matter quickly once the school year concludes. They would not dare act against a huntress, especially if I arrive with a Beacon student."
"That would be... appreciated." The girl sighed. "It's turning into a bit of a mess out there. We may have to leave before then to help that branch deal with the problems."
"Keep me informed, I will not micromanage the White Fang." Not that I didn't desire to, and not because they didn't need a controlling hand from time to time. Even at their best they tended towards a vague incompetence thanks to inability to turn away even the least qualified help. But they were, much like myself, extremely averse to being given orders. Especially from a Human. A species that I just happened to have been born as.
I was powerful and respected among them, but not so powerful or respected that I could simply dictate their policies and actions.
"You are aware that you won't be able to deal with that militia peaceably, are you not?" I asked as we hopped across the rail lines, entering an old utility tunnel.
"Yes." Ghira's daughter replied. "I... would rather not kill anyone, but sometimes you have to. I don't have to like it to accept it."
I hummed. Blake was far more difficult to work with than Emerald, or even Emerald's teammates. People devoted to a cause seemed to require a more delicate hand than I'd prefer. They would work with me only so long as my objectives aligned, or seemed to align, with their own.
Fortunately the secrecy inherent to my enemies made that an easy sell. Especially if the VSS realized just who I was working with and took direct action against the White Fang. That would neatly remove any future problems in securing their long-term aid, at least so long as someone survived the attack to tell the tale.
We said nothing further as we walked on, Dropping another level, cutting through a sewer, and passing the outer checkpoints. Armed faunus greeted us both with good cheer as we passed them, and we both relaxed our guard as we finally reached the ladder leading up to the current base of operations.
The cavernous warehouse was an older one, but well cared for. Cargo containers had been carefully arranged to create 'rooms', and to block off easy access from the building's proper entrances.
Unmasked faunus were everywhere, casually doing maintenance on arms, relaxing on couches, or talking while they ate a late dinner.
A single glance around led me to ask, "Where is Adam?"
"Mountain Glenn." Blake replied at once, pulling her mask off. "More Grimm. He took Banesaw and Ilia with him."
Unfortunate. Oh well, I would relay Ozpin's questions when he returned. "Very well. Tell him I need to speak with him when he returns. Tell Tukson to alert me the moment he's finished with his analysis."
The girl nodded before splitting off, heading to where Trifa was watching drama on a television propped up by cardboard boxes.
Leaving them to it, I casually strolled through the building. Several terrorists greeted me by name, and I returned them in kind. While I honestly cared not a whit for most of them as individuals, even the smallest of personal touches worked wonders at inspiring both loyalty and camaraderie. I'd watched both Sienna and Ghira work crowds enough to know as much.
So I tolerated the questions on how Emerald was doing, asked after children I'd never met, and only slowly reached the office tucked away in the corner.
My real home within the city.
Luxurious rugs covered up the cold floor, an expansive bed had been carefully settled in to the back, and a wine rack was filled with a collection of my favorites. Some illicitly taken, some honestly purchased, much like the mahogany wardrobe beside them.
I let my eye linger on the wine before asserting my self control, closing the door behind me.
Tonight I would rest. Soon enough I would discover if today had been the victory it seemed.
Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."
Thanks, Kat