Missing In Action

Chapter 10

Cinder let out a small groan as her eyes slowly opened. Every part of her hurt, but none more so than her torso. For a moment, she thought it was just a phantom pain from her mission at the Dust refinery, but then the memories came flooding back. Her heart just about skipped a beat when she recalled everything, and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"It's over…"

The words reassured her. That was it, then – Ironwood was dead, and she was free now. Atlas no longer had any kind of hold on her.
And yet, it was bittersweet.

She looked around for the first time since waking up, taking in the room around her. It wasn't familiar to her – it was clearly a hospital room of some kind, but it wasn't one she recognized. She was lying in bed, hooked up to all kinds of IVs and monitors. Someone had stripped her of her ruined body armor, and replaced it with a hospital gown.

She didn't have much time to ponder her situation, as the door to her room came flying open. Her yellow eyes met that same familiar set of blue, and just like that, everything was right with the world.

Jaune paused, staring at her in shock for just a fraction of a second before he rushed towards her.

"Cinder!"

Cinder let out a small gasp as he made contact, pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on her cheek. Despite her situation, a smile crossed her face at the sudden display of affection.

"I'm okay," she said. "Are you? Ironwood didn't hurt you, did he?"

Jaune shook his head. "No – he said he wanted me in one piece for when you got there. I just got a few cuts and bruises from him, nothing major like what you got."

"Yeah, well, you won't have to worry about him ever again."

Jaune's expression faltered. He turned and stared off into space, and his tone became somber.

"Dad's gone."

Somehow, his words left a pit in her stomach even though she'd already known what had happened to Miles. She lowered her head. "I know. He did it not long after I left. I'm sorry."

Jaune shook his head. "Don't be. I know why he did it. I don't blame him, or you. He did it because he wanted all of us to be safe, even if it cost him everything."

"How are the others taking it?"

"Well… it's been a few days. We've had time for it to sink in by now, I think. Mom handled it the worst, obviously – she had to keep a strong face for the younger girls who kept asking when Dad was going to come home. It was hard on her."

"I can imagine," Cinder said, her tone dripping with genuine sympathy.

She'd brought this family so much pain, and yet they'd taken it in stride purely because they knew someone had to accept her, and had taken it upon themselves to offer her a home. She owed them all more than she could ever repay, especially Miles.

Jaune suddenly gave her a gentle poke in the cheek. "I know that expression," he said.

"You do not," she rebuked.

"You're brooding again. I know what you're thinking, Cinder, and I'm telling you, it's not your fault. It never has been, and it never will be. We knew the risks when we took you in, and we accepted them and took you in anyway. Dad wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Cinder directed her gaze down to the floor as she took in Jaune's words. He had a point, of course – if she wanted to carry on Miles' memory, then brooding wasn't the way to do it.

There were footsteps down the hall, and Cinder braced herself for what was coming. She was just in time, too, as seven blonde girls burst through the door and rushed her down. Together, they pulled her into another bone-crushing hug while she braced herself.

"Girls," Jillian gently chastised. "Be gentle, please – Cinder is still very hurt."

The Arc sisters all let go of her, muttering small apologies as they did so, but Cinder waved them off. Instead, she looked towards Jillian, and said the first thing she could think of.

"I'm so sorry, Jillian – about Miles, about your home… everything."

And Jillian, naturally, wasn't having it. "Don't be, dear. We'd all make the same choices all over again if we had to, Miles included. He… was a good man. The best I've ever known." She let out a hollow chuckle. "He went out in such a typical Miles way, too – making sure that his family would be okay. He'd be proud of you for getting Jaune back. I know all of us are."

Cinder swallowed the lump in her throat, then asked the next question on her mind.

"What happens now?"

Jillian opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by more footsteps from outside. General Goodwitch entered the room, followed shortly thereafter by Captain Xiao Long.

"Now, I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you some questions," she said calmly. "Just a formality, I assure you – you are not in trouble or under arrest. However, we need to know some things about you before we can proceed."

Cinder reached for Jaune's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "He gets to stay," she insisted.

"You'll hear no arguments from me on that," General Goodwitch said. Cinder blinked, and the General shook her head. "You single-handedly took down the General of Atlas after he'd essentially committed acts of war against my Kingdom and its people. Any animosity I may have had towards you for your past affiliation with him and anything you may have done in the past is overshadowed by what you did in the past few days. If there were any doubts that you are now a staunch ally of Vale, then the way you put him in the dirt assuages all of them."

Cinder's expression tightened, but she eventually relented with a nod. "Ask away, then."

"Very well. My assistant will be taking notes. I take it that won't be an issue?"

"No."

"Good. First question: Why did you defect? From what we've been able to gather, you were Atlas' best and most loyal soldier. What made you change side so suddenly?"

"The Arc family," Cinder explained without a moment's hesitation. "They showed me the truth, I suppose is the best way to put it. Explained things in such a way that I hadn't thought of before, and that I couldn't deny. Once they started breaking it down… well, then it was all over for me as a soldier for Atlas."

"Still, that's a very sudden development," General Goodwitch pointed out. "There had to have been something else, too."

"There was," Cinder said, her gaze drifting to Jaune. She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. "They… gave me something that the General never had. Being with them was the first time it ever felt like I had people I could rely on. Despite being my enemies, they treated me better than the General ever had. I got to thinking… if these are truly my enemies, then they aren't so bad. From there, things sort of… spiraled."

"I see," General Goodwitch said with a nod. "And the incident at the farmhouse… I suppose Atlas wasn't content to simply let you go?"

Cinder shook her head. "Of course not," she growled. "As you said, I was their best and most loyal. If I didn't come back from a mission, it was because I'd died, been captured, or defected. For anyone else, Atlas would have written them off… but not me. I guess I was too valuable for them to lose. So they started looking for me – sent scouts out until they found me. They watched, and waited, and gathered information, and then when they were ready to act, they sent in a strike team."

"That's an act of aggression," General Goodwitch pointed out, surprised. "They were willing to commit an act of war on Valean soil purely to get to you?"

"I suppose I was a very valuable asset to them," Cinder said dryly. "Frankly, I was as surprised as you are. I thought they would have just left me… but I suppose they couldn't risk me speaking to you. Surely, they weighed their options and determined that the best thing for them was to come after me and kill me to keep me silent."

General Goodwitch stared at her for a moment before speaking again. "...Pardon my Atlesian, but what the hell are you?" She said bluntly. "I suppose you're good and all, but you're just one person… or at least, that's what I thought until I learned you'd torn your way through an entire Atlesian forward operating base. What did they do to you to turn you into this?"

"I am – or rather, was – Atlesian Black Ops," Cinder answered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Captain Xiao Long furiously taking notes on his scroll, but she didn't care. Anything that helped bury Atlas was fair game after they'd killed Miles. "I was raised from a very young age to be a soldier in my former Kingdom's army. I excelled at that role, and they used me as they would use any other asset. I am personally responsible for the deaths of over a hundred Valean and Vacuan citizens, untold amounts of property damage and destruction, and have inflicted untold misery on the populations of both Kingdoms."
General Goodwitch was taken aback by that information, staring at her in shock. After a moment, she pushed her glasses up slightly. "...I could have you arrested for admitting that," she said softly. "Or executed. But I won't."

"Because I am useful to you?" Cinder asked.

"Partially, yes. But also because, if what you say is true…" General Goodwitch shook her head. "Miles was a close friend of mine. If he saw fit to take you in and keep your secrets, then I see no reason why I should go against his wishes and take you into custody."

Cinder let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Was there anything else?" she asked.

General Goodwitch's gaze fell to Jaune, and then back to Cinder. Slowly, she shook her head again. "That will do for now. I have more in-depth questions, of course, regarding Atlas itself, but they can wait. I will be in contact. For now, you should rest."

With that, Goodwitch and her assistant left the room, closing the door behind them. Once she was gone, Cinder let out a small sigh and leaned into Jaune's touch.
"Guess you can't escape the military no matter which Kingdom you're in," he commented.

"Believe me, Vale can ask as many questions as they want, and it will still be preferable to Atlas in every way," Cinder replied.

"If they ask you to fight-"

"I would refuse," Cinder said without a moment's hesitation. "My days of fighting are over, or at least I hope they are. I would have no qualms about training Vale's men, but that is as far as I am willing to go, bar some certain extenuating circumstances."

Jaune's expression softened. "I'm glad. You deserve a long rest."

Cinder fell silent. As she stared at him, she thought back to the night of their date – how she'd wanted to end it a certain way, and had never gotten the chance.

She still wanted it, she realized – wanted it more than anything else in the world.

"Jaune," she said.

"Yes?" he asked, turning towards her in surprise. "Was there something-"

Cinder suddenly lunged forwards, pressing her lips against his. Jaune was surprised at first, but he didn't pull away, and after a moment's pause, he returned the kiss, leaning into it. He reached for her hand, and the two of them held each other for what felt like an eternity as they savored the kiss.

Finally, they separated. Jaune stood there for a moment, seemingly unsure of what to say, before finally, a dopey grin crossed his face.

"Wow…" he breathed. "That was… wow…"

Cinder threw her arms around him and pulled him close again, and the two of them sat there, enjoying how it felt to hold one another.

The funeral was a small affair, open only to his closest friends and family. It was empty casket, of course, not that it mattered – they all knew he was gone and wouldn't be coming back.

Cinder sat there, dressed in black and surrounded by the rest of the Arc family. To her surprise, there were very few tears being shed – she supposed that they'd all gotten them out of their system already, in the days since she'd returned with Jaune.

Speaking of Jaune, he was sitting there next to her, his hand in hers, and staring ahead silently. Occasionally, he had to blink away tears, and whenever he did, she gave his hand a small squeeze.

Finally, it was time for friends and family to approach the casket. Jillian went first. She approached the coffin and rested a hand on it, and said something quietly. Her shoulders heaved with silent sobs as she talked, but she managed to get through it. As she she walked away, Cinder saw her wipe at her eyes, though she was quick to compose herself for her girls.

The rest of the family went up as they were directed, before finally getting to Jaune. He went up, said his piece, and then sat back down. As he sat down, Cinder couldn't help but turn towards him, a question burning in her mind.

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him I'd take care of Mom and the girls," Jaune said softly. "That I'd do whatever it takes to grow into the kind of man he'd be proud of."

Cinder shook her head. "You already are, Jaune."

Tears filled Jaune's eyes at her words, but he was quick to blink them away. The rest of the Arc children finished approaching the coffin, and Cinder waited for the next person to step up, but nobody did. Surprised, she looked back towards Jaune, and this time, he was the one to shake his head.

"They're waiting on you," he said softly. He gave her a small smile. "Go talk to him. You're just as much a member of the family as we are."

Cinder blinked, but then silently chastised herself for thinking otherwise. She rose from her seat and approached Miles' coffin, reaching out to rest a hand on the lid when she was within touching distance. She hesitated for a moment, then began to speak.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but somehow I think you'd hate it if I did that," she said. A tiny smile crossed her face. "I doubt I can say much beyond what the others have said. You were everything I wish the General had been, despite the brief time I had to know you. You were like the father I never had and always wanted. I wish we'd had more time together."

Tears filled her eyes, and she paused to collect herself before continuing. "...I'll take care of them," she added. "Jaune, and the others. Even if this thing with Jaune doesn't work out, I'll always consider you all my family. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family."

The tears began to spill down her face, and her shoulders shook as the dam started to break.

"Thank you," she managed to get out. "For everything. I wish we'd had more time together, but I wouldn't trade the time we had for anything. I owe you so much, and now I'm going to repay it the way I know you would have wanted." Even through her tears, she cracked a small smile. "I promise you, they're all in good hands."

With that, she turned and walked away, taking her seat next to Jaune. She didn't even try to stop herself from crying, instead leaning into Jaune's touch as he held her, and the two of them fell to pieces together.

After the funeral came the reception. Again, it was a small affair – a simple catered lunch, so the people who'd been invited wouldn't be going home hungry. All of Miles' friends came to give their condolences to the family, her included; none of them knew who she was exactly, but they knew enough to sense that she had been very important to Miles, and so they were treating her with the respect they figured he'd have wanted for her.

Cinder couldn't bring herself to hate the sudden newfound attention. Not when it was commemorating the closest person she'd ever had to a father.

During the reception, as she sat down and picked at her small plate of food, General Goodwitch approached her. Instantly, Cinder was on-edge, but the General was quick to put her at ease.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked, resting her hand on the chair next to Cinder.

Cinder's brow furrowed. She looked out into the room, only to find Jaune talking with some of Miles' friends. She turned back to the General and shook her head; General Goodwitch nodded in understanding, then pulled out the chair and took a seat.

"I've already spoken about this to the rest of the family-"

"What is this about?" Cinder couldn't help but ask. "If you wanted to ask me more questions, General Goodwitch-"

"Call me Glynda, please," came the response. "There's no need for formalities between us when I'm not in uniform."

"Very well, if you insist. If you wanted to ask me more questions, Glynda, then it could stand to wait until after the funeral."

"This isn't about that," Glynda insisted. "Rather, I wanted to discuss your family's living situation."

"Our living situation?"

Glynda nodded. "We've put you all up in hotel rooms for the time being, since you've got nowhere else to go, but I think it's time we changed that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's simple – technically, you're all still targets for Atlas. Ironwood being gone doesn't mean they're going to stop going after you. So I think the best course of action is to put you all up somewhere it's tough for them to get to, and where we can keep an eye on you all and make sure you're all doing okay. We've got a house picked out in downtown Vale for all of you already."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is that we want you to work for us," Glynda said. Cinder was about to vehemently protest when Glynda cut her off. "As a trainer," she amended. "You will not be going out into the field. Rather, we want you to put your expertise to work training our men to fight better. You would not see combat. And you would be paid, of course."

Cinder fell silent. Glynda frowned. "I understand that this would be quite the adjustment for you-"

"I accept," Cinder announced.

"Truly? You should at least think about it-"

Cinder shook her head. "You are offering my family living arrangements in a safe part of the Kingdom, with the only caveat being that I train your men. It would be foolish of me not to accept, given the circumstances."

Glynda blinked, then relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "I will contact you with the details later. For now, I'm going to tell Jillian about my offer, and that you accepted."

With that, Glynda left her. After a moment, Jaune came wandering back over, a quizzical look on his face.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Our new life," Cinder told him. "I believe I just got us a new house, and myself a new job."

"Uh, what?"

She'd seen pictures of the house, of course, but nothing compared to the real thing. It was big, as was necessary in order to fit them all. Even without Miles, there were still ten of them, and the house had to be equally large in order to match their needs. It wasn't extravagant in anything aside from its size, as was expected of a group that was at least trying to keep a low profile.

Still, despite the roominess, Cinder couldn't help but find it lacking compared to the old Arc family home. Miles had built that house with his own two hands; something like this simply couldn't compare.

Jillian led the way into the house, pushing her way inside. Everyone trailed in after her, and she led them all to their respective rooms. There should have been enough room for everyone to have their own, or so Cinder thought.

All the girls except Cinder got their rooms first, and then Jillian stopped by the last room in the hallway and turned towards her and Jaune, a mischievous look in her eye.

"And this one is for you two," she announced.

Instantly, Jaune paled. "Us two…? Uh, Mom-"

"Sorry, dear – there was another bedroom, but I had to repurpose it for my office, since my new job has a work-from-home requirement. So I guess you two will just have to share a room for the time being. I take it that won't be a problem?"

"Why would you need your own office for that…? You could have just set it up in the living-"

"Anyway, let me show you both your room," Jillian announced. She pushed her way through the door and stepped aside, allowing them both to enter.

It was barebones, of course – the only things inside the room were some basic pieces of furniture, plus two beds. They didn't really have any possessions besides what they were carrying in backpacks, so the furniture was all empty, too. That would change in time, as all the Arc children who were old enough got their own jobs and were able to buy their own stuff. For now, it was bare, but to Cinder, that represented a new beginning.
This was the first step in her new life, same as the rest of them, and she was eager to make the most of it.

Jillian let out an annoyed sigh. "Oh, drat – I just realized I haven't gotten groceries yet."

"I'll come with you," Jaune offered.

Instantly, Jillian stopped him by holding up a hand. "No, dear – I need you and Cinder to watch the house while the girls and I go."

"But why-"

"Jaune, just watch the house with Cinder," Jillian said tiredly.

"Fine, fine," Jaune surrendered.

With that, Jillian left them, closing the door behind her as she went. Jaune watched her go, then turned back to Cinder and shook his head.

"I swear, she's been acting so weird about this," he said. "She already had us sharing a hotel room. No idea why she's so insistent about this."

"Same," Cinder said. She let out a small yawn, which Jaune caught.

"Tired?" he asked.

"A little," Cinder replied. "Come on. Let's try the bed out."

Jaune's face turned bright red, for reasons Cinder couldn't understand, considering she'd only asked him to go to sleep with her. She shrugged, then climbed into bed, not even bothering to disrobe first. She got under the covers, then held them up for Jaune to get in. He hesitated for a moment, then got under them right alongside her, throwing an arm around her as he settled in.

She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, and he tightened his hold around her torso slightly in response, just enough to help her feel secure.
For the first time ever, Cinder closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

And there's the end. Personally, I think it turned out a lot better than the ending to Black Widow, but that's just me.

I don't have too much to say about it, other than I really enjoyed working on this story. This has easily been one of my favorites to write so far, it was just an absolute joy to work on. I hope you all enjoyed it, too.

Next update is probably going to be Black Sun. I'm aiming for an update this weekend, but I'll have to see what my schedule is like. I should have time for it, but I just don't know at the moment, so I'm leaving it tentative for now. The next Plastered Paradox update might take a bit, though - I've got some stuff going on that's distracting me from that story. It's nothing bad, I assure you, but it is taking up a lot of my time, so I haven't been able to write for that story at all this week, unfortunately. I hope to get back into the swing of things with that story soon, though.

Past that, I've got nothing else. Hope you all had fun with this story, and I'll see you all next time!