Heart of Glass 12
Jaune found Pyrrha outside, on a balcony, looking at the moon.
She was beautiful. He had no doubt about that. She was also tall, kind, talented. More importantly, she was the first person to believe in him, and one of his best friends. To have feelings for her, to him, would be like throwing all that in the trash. And because after Weiss, he wasn't ready to be rejected again.
Even so, he went to her side. The music from the ball room resonated from the inside, bout outside of that, the balcony was empty and silent like the night.
"Hey, Pyr," he said, scratching the back of his head. Pyrrha turned around as if jolted out of a dream.
"Jaune! What are you doing here?" He went to her side, never looking away from her. She was wearing a very nice one piece red dress that went really well with her hair. In his opinion. Just an observation, nothing more.
"I could ask you the same thing. Not feeling well?" Pyrrha let out a sigh, looking down into the stone floor.
"I'm fine," she was lying, even a baboon could tell.
"Really? Then…" he let an uncomfortable silence set between them. He wasn't sure what to talk about, so he went for the first thing that came to mind. "… are you not dancing? No one asked you?"
She winced a little, eyes narrowing. Even so, she smiled. "Nope."
"That's crazy. You're Pyrrha Nikos! I bet they're all missing out big time," he tried to sound comforting, but he was also nervous because of what he said. He hoped she didn't take it the wrong way.
She turned back to the moon, eyes slightly glassy. She was so vulnerable. He wanted to hug her, tell her everything was fine, give her a speech. He was her leader after all. But he could not, he was scared. Afraid of doing something that would ruin their friendship.
"You know what they say. When everyone puts you on a pedestal, no one can reach you. It's just…" She greeted her teeth, as if holding something back. Jaune saw, and decided to swallow his fear and reach out, by placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. I-I'm here…" She looked at him. There were no tears in her face, only a few wrinkles.
"I'm lonely, Jaune. I'm separated from everyone else. Everyone sees me as untouchable, invincible, unreachable. No one even tries to see me as Pyrrha Nikos, the woman. They only see the Four times Champion of Mistral. And everyone wants to keep it that way. I'm tired of it. Apart from you, only one other person has made me feel like… I'm someone," Jaune was stunned. His chest was alight with anger, anger at the world for treating her like this. However, he was also curious about this person.
"Who is this person? Sounds like a cool dude, or dudette, or whatever…" Pyrrha's eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked scared, eyes slightly vacant. He had never seen her like that. It was the same face someone put when they realize they wrote the wrong answer in a test.
"I… I… It's just a fr-family. Yes, an aunt. A very good aunt," Her smile returned quickly, which unnerved him a little. He cursed his social ineptitude.
"A-Alright. I just guessed it would be your mother or something," He tried to move the conversation away.
"My mom loves me, but could never understand me," She leaved it at that, and he was satisfied.
"Yeah. My parents never understood me either. And I'm not saying that as an angsty teenager, ever since I was little, they never took me seriously unless it came to my safety. That's why I like you so much. You're the first person to ever believe in me," he smiled at her, and she looked at him with her mouth hung open. "So, I'll believe in you. I'll always have your back, Pyrrha Nikos, the woman."
She looked away, a smile creeping up on her lips. He wanted to fist pump. 'Mission: Make Pyrrha smile' accomplished.
"Thank you, Jaune. Truly," Pyrrha said, still looking away. He looked back at the ball room after hearing a commotion caused by the guests. Of course, it was Ruby and Blake having shenanigans. Having fun. He wanted the same for Pyrrha.
"Say, you know what else I believe?" He said with a challenging voice. She turned back to him.
"What?" He smirked.
"I believe I have never seen you dance. Are up to the challenge?" Pyrrha once again smiled, and Jaune feels his heart grow warm.
"I…" she looked away again. That was… a new pattern. Was she nervous about something?
"If you don't want to, then…"
"No! No! I want to! Really! But…" She grabbed her ponytail and played with it a bit. "I have to go back to the dorm. It's important, my manager needs to speak to me about the Vytal Festival." Jaune raised an eyebrow, but didn't question her. He wasn't here to bother her.
"A-Alright. How about this?" He raisee his hand, one hand on his chest. "I'll stay here until you return, and save you a dance. Arc promise." She looked at him, amusement in her face.
"So you'll wait for me?" She crossed her arms with a smirk.
"That's right," She laughed. And what a beautiful laugh it was.
"Okay, Jaune. But… are you sure? I don't know when…"
"I already came here with a dress. Staying after hours won't be a problem."
"Alright. I'll take you up on that. Then…" Pyrrha closed the distance between them and leaned close to the left side of his face. She exuded warmth, almost like a lightbulb that's been on too long.
"...I'll be back. I promise." He feels something wet on his cheek. A kiss. She kissed him.
Almost like an automaton, he touched his face after she leaned back. Then Pyrrha walked away.
By the time he had processed everything, she was gone.
The Madame had told her many things, among them was her worthlessness. Her uselessness. She was an unwanted child, that no one would help. She believed it, because in all her years of suffering, no one came. Rhodes had been a light in the darkness but, he had shown his true colors that night. He had abandoned her, deeming her no good.
Even after Summer adopted her, she still believed that she had no one but herself. It made it hard to care for anybody. That was especially problematic, since she was a huntress, and her duty was to protect people. How were you supposed to protect that which you did not care about? Simple, you dealt with the cause at it's root. Then no one would have problems, and she would not need to interact with them.
She still cared very little about people, because they would not care for her.
Or so she believed. In just a month of being back with her family, and in Beacon surrounded by friendly faces constantly made her feel strange, made her feel wanted, needed. Not because of her power or her status but… just because she was herself.
One thing was her love for her sisters Yang and Ruby. That was undeniable now. Looking back on her years in Patch, she wondered how she didn't miss it before.
But another was to worry about random students. She would have dozens, yet she remembered each and every face and name. Mostly because the job required it. Yet, on some level, she cared for them, even if they were all naive and idiotic to various levels.
So why did she, now, care about Weiss Schnee's apparently broken heart?
Because Cinder had suffered much more than that. Such naivete could not stand, it would only hurt her more. And that was something Ruby would have to deal with, so she would nip this in the bud, by herself.
She shook her head, overthinking would not help. She was walking down a hallway lined with portraits of previous headmasters of Beacon. None of them looked alike, but all of them had the same pose and expression, almost as if they were the same person in a skin suit.
She found the exit to a small balcony, overlooking the campus. There was a big balcony near the ball room, but this one was on the second. There were others strewn about of course, meant for a more private sightseeing, or sharing with couples.
True to her instincts, Weiss was present in the one she chose to go to first. The girl wore a beautiful white dress with a see trough collar, similar to Ruby's, except this one accentuated her slim figure. However, the girl simply hung her head, arms resting on the handrail.
Cinder took a breath. She had done her fair share of comforting after Summer passed, but at the time she suffered too, so it was more like sharing the pain. This time, she needed to be clear headed.
"Hey Schnee," she said, loud and clear. She smiled and walked confidently next to Weiss.
Weiss herself lifted her head, shaking it. She had not been crying after all. Good, she at least had some character.
"Professor Cinder. Is something the matter?"
"Must something be wrong for me to talk to a student?"
"It could very well be misconstrued, especially in a private setting,"
"You think I would care about that? It doesn't really matter what others think of you, as long as you get results. What does matter is... why are not down there enjoying the party."
"I… don't really feel like it. Dancing with peasants, yuck," She was not being sincere, reverting to her learned habits. Still, it disgusted her enough to force her expression into a frown.
"If you're going to be like that, at least be sincere." Cinder said, harshly. Even Weiss recoiled.
"I'm being sincere," she answered weakly, putting a palm on her collarbone and looking down.
"No you're not. No one goes to stay alone in a balcony with their head hung low because they feel disgusted. They would simply leave, or retire to a room with like-minded guests. especially if they believe they are better than the others. Am I wrong?" Cinder had lived with Atlas Nobles for a while, she knew how they acted, especially when they serviced the middle class and huntsmen.
Weiss was stunned, which brought her some satisfaction. "I-I… Alright, you got me," Weiss once again hung her head.
"Good, I guess we can talk now."
"What is there to talk about?"
"It's about a guy, isn't it?" Weiss' eyes narrowed, but her anger was not directed at her.
"Who told you? Ruby? Yang? I guarantee it was Yang."
"Maybe a bird told me." Cinder said.
"So it was Yang..." Weiss growled with a stare that promised death to someone far away. Cinder knew then that if she didn't end it then and there, this conversation would drag on. And she did feel like dancing, mostly to make heads turn and prove how good looking she was.
"Listen, I don't have all night, so I'm going to be straight with you. You're not always gonna get what you want, Weiss," her use of her name seemed to make the girl at least take this seriously. "Be it love, dreams, money, plans; everything can fail." Weiss narrowed her eyes.
"No offense, professor, but I'm not made to fail. I cannot afford to fail,"
"And why is that?" Cinder asked, crossing her arms.
"The Schnee Dust Company, it's legacy as well as my family's rests on my shoulders. After my sister cut ties, it was up to me to make things right. And for that, I can not allow any slips, be they in my strength, my judgement, or my will." Weiss turned around to look at the shattered moon.
Cinder sighed. This was a little more complicated than she thought.
"But you already failed. That guy, Neptune, is not here, is he?" At her question, Weiss' body seemed to crumble, her strong will leaving.
"I just don't understand, I did everything right. I was as forward as I needed to be, I followed all advice I'd been given to the letter, even made sure to court him a little beforehand. And he still rejected me. Is…" She hesitated for a moment, gulping. She turned to Cinder, eyes holding back tears.
"Is there something wrong with me?" Now Cinder was at a loss. How was she supposed to answer that? Weiss was a good student, and according to Ruby a fantastic partner that was at times grumpy. Judging people positively was not her strength, her strength was seeing the bad in everyone.
Yet, something stirred inside her. Memories long forgotten.
Remember girl, you are worthless. Without me, you'd be stuck in that barn, cleaning defecation for the rest of your life. I saved you, and gave you a home. Without me, you are nothing. Nothing at all. A mistake from birth.
She felt a pang of anger, and it that slip of emotion, she kneeled down to Weiss height and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look into her eyes.
"You have some flaws, Weiss, but everyone has some bad in them, but not everything that happens to you is because of that. You are strong, you are good, you are diligent, and you are a huntress in training who is going to save people and make the world safer. That is much more than what I can say of every other Atlesian I have met in my life. So keep your head high, and don't let anyone, not even yourself, tell you there is something inherently wrong with you." She looked Weiss in the eyes, never leaving them. She wanted to make sure the girl fully understood what she said.
They remained in silence for long moments, and Cinder's reason began to return to her. Embarrassed beyond belief, she got up with haste and looked away while clearing her throat.
"So remember, I won't stand this broody attitude in class. You need to be focused and committed. Understood?" The stunned Weiss shook herself out of her stupefaction, and gave her a soft smile.
"Alright. I get it," Weiss was about to say something else, but her words seemed to die in her throat as her mouth hung open. Cinder heard the click of boots behind her.
"Am I interrupting something?" A very familiar voice said from behind her.
Cinder turned around, and there was Winter, wearing her usual military uniform and smiling softly. An expression she had never seen until now.
"Oh, Ice Queen. What are you doing here?" Winter's smile morphed into a glare.
"I see my words still enter trough an ear and leave from the other. I'm here to see my sister," With that, Winter strode past her to stand in front of Weiss.
The girl stepped back, staring up into the narrowed eyes of her sister. She then stood straight, like a soldier.
"Hello, Winter. W-What bring you here? How are you here?" Weiss' mouth threatened to turn upward, but she seemed to force it down.
"Does nobody listen to me?" Winter asked to the air. "I'm here to see you. In fact… there's a lot I need to tell you," Winter put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, and the girl seemed to stiffen even more.
"Everything's fine, ma'am. Just having a talk with Professor Cinder here." Winter sighed.
"I'm not talking about that. I'm here as Ironwood's right hand, and other assignments. But most importantly, I'm worried about you," For the first time in their conversation, Weiss relaxed a bit.
"Oh. I see. But, why didn't you tell me?" Winter closed her eyes, as if bracing for something.
"I'll explain it to you," She then turned to Cinder. "Alone," Cinder nodded, turning heel to get back into the ballroom. No more needed to be said between them.
"Professor," Weiss called out, and Cinder turned her head.
"Yes?" Weiss almost seemed to try to reach out to her, but the distance was too great already.
"Thank you. For making me feel better. I won't forget it." Cinder smiled.
"Please do. I'd rather not get teased by Yang and Ruby if you tell them." With that, she left the two sisters to talk. Despite being outside just now, Cinder felt the need for fresh air.
She had said she felt like dancing. All of that desire had faded away, replaced by exhaustion. She really was no good with emotions after all. Maybe that was why her team left.
She stood in a long balcony, where other people where chatting and enjoying the night. She, on the other hand, was drinking her sixth glass of champagne.
She didn't know where Yang and Ruby where, and she didn't care, she just looked into Beacon's school grounds. Was this her life now? Giving pep talk to kids that were dumped by their crushes? Was that really the best she could do? Maybe the Madame was right. Maybe–
"There you are," A stern and somewhat deep voice. She looked at her left, and spotted Winter approaching her.
"Weren't you with your sister?" She welcomed the company, but at the same time wouldn't mind being left alone.
"I was. We talked for a long time. Have you been here the whole time?" Winter looked at the glass she held in her hand. Cinder did was well, her head felt a little light.
"Guess so," She turned her head, but it felt somewhat heavy. "How'd it go?"
Winter sighed, placing her hands on the guardrail. "It's hard to tell. Weiss sees as… a strict teacher, rather than an older sister. That and my father's education make it hard to tell what she's feeling unless you're Klein or a friend." Cinder didn't know who those people where, but she went along with it.
"Sounds hard," the conversation died there, with neither woman saying a word. Looking back at Winter, Cinder's desire for a dance reignited. Perhaps because she knew Winter. Only because of that. She didn't like her.
Did she?
They established they misjudged each other, and they had helped each other out, and both loved for their respective siblings. But… was that enough? To warrant a dance? To warrant being… friends?
She shook her head. What did she care? She didn't need friends, or parents, or mentors, or a team. She had been alone since the start. If she wanted to dance with Winter, it was only to have fun, nothing else.
Yes. She needed to keep telling herself that until the deed was done.
"Hey, wanna dance?" She asked, leaning her head back a little too loosely. Winter arched an eyebrow.
"I'm on duty," Replied Winter, narrowing her eyes.
"So? It's a party. Besides…" She needed more courage, so she gulped the entire glass of champagne.
"Don't do that." Winter spoke first.
"What?" She nearly slurred.
"Drinking. It's not good for you, or anyone," Winter seemed more displeased than usual, but Cinder simply shrugged her shoulders.
"If you dance with me, I'll stop." She said.
"Can you even dance like that?" Winter crossed her shoulders, but… she hadn't said no in any shape or form.
"Let's see," She faced the Specialist completely. In doing so, she felt lightheaded and warm, but kept her balance. Then, she raised a hand, palm facing upwards. Winter remained standing. "Just take my hand," she replied with a deadpan expression.
Winter obliged, putting her palm above hers with a roll of her eyes. Then, Cinder put one leg behind Winters knee, her other hand behind her waist, and pulled. Winter was brought backwards, with Cinder leaning forwards, noses almost touching. Everything happened in one swift, precise motion.
"I guess I can," said Cinder with a cocky grin. She then pulled the surprised Winter upright, still holding her hand, still grabbing her waist. If they so desired, they could dance.
"I'm impressed, you handle your alcohol much better than Qrow. However…" In one swift motion, Winter lifted one leg and wound it around Cinder's lower body, entrapping her while putting her face close to hers. The professor was blushing, and she never blushed. "… you're letting your guard down."
Trying uselessly to pull away, Cinder glared at Winter. "This isn't over," Winter smirked, and let Cinder go only go pull her back into a slow dance. Both women moved together in unison despite the others effort to shake the pace and make their 'opponent' make a misstep.
"I have to admit, to be able to keep up with someone who used to go to dances, and practice due to being a noble, is quite a feat." Winter's smirk irritated Cinder to the boiling point.
"And I have to admit, you managed to pull that stick out of your ass pretty far, at least for now." Winter's face returned to it's serious appearance as the two women continued to dance in the balcony to the music that could be faintly heard from the ball room. She did not care if other people watched or not, in the end, she was enjoying this a bit. Someone that could keep her pace and was never intimidated by her. She… liked it.
However, before long, Cinder began to feel a little too lightheaded. She had never been this close to anyone before, and it being her rival-but-not-really did not help at all. After the next song finished, she pulled away, feeling hot.
"Is everything okay?" Winter asked, calm as ever.
"I'm fine. Maybe I had too much to drink."
"This is why you shouldn't mix work with pleasure, Cinder."
"But you just did that," Cinder said, looking back at Winter with a smirk. The specialist's mouth drew into a thin line, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.
"Well," In no time, Winter recovered her composure quickly. "It was a mistake on my part two." For some reason, that hurt a bit.
"So that's how it is," Cinder replied, looking back to the Beacon grounds. Why did she expect any different?
"That's not what I meant–"
"Yeah, yeah. I know," She dismissed Winter with a wave of her hand. However, In the middle of that action, she noticed something. A shadow moving between buildings in the campus. She was good at archery, and that required good eyesight. She tracked the shadow's movements, and determined where she was headed. The CCT tower.
"If I hurt you, then I–"
"Shut up and come here." Cinder replied, motioning Winter to hurry.
"What? What is it?" Winter asked, looking towards the campus as well.
"Someone's going to CCT, and I doubt they are authorized." Cinder replied, keeping tabs on the infiltrator.
"Where?" Winter asked, squinting her eyes. The shadow hid it's movements well, preferring to go between buildings rather than jump over them.
"There!" Cinder pointed to the CCT tower, the shadow going inside it.
"Damnit! We must warn–"
"It'll be too late by then," With that said, Cinder jumped off the balcony into a garden. Landing with a 'thud' she quickly used her scroll to call for her locker.
She heard another person land behind her as the weapon locker arrived and opened to reveal Midnight.
"I notified the general. Let's move to intercept," Winter said, pulling her sword out of it's sheath on her waist. Cinder nodded, strapping Midnight behind her back. She had no time to change, she only hoped the dress would not get ruined.
"I'll make them pay for ruining my night," with that, they were off to Beacon tower.
Cinder was not a stranger to dead bodies.
Anima was a large continent with abundant resources and beautiful landscapes, and the culture was about determination and independency, facing off against all odds. That's why it was every settlers big dream. Dream that was bound to be crushed by either bandits, or Grimm. It was a cycle. People would hear of a nice settling spot, they would settle, bandits would raid it, other bandits would hear about that and give it a try, and in the end they would overwhelm the new town, or the panic would attract Grimm.
Regardless, more often than not, huntsmen would be dispatched to these towns, but by the time they arrived, everyone would be dead, the mission turning from protecting to avenging.
That was why none of the security guards bothered her. Some were unconscious, others were Atlesian knights, but most were dead from stab wounds. Luckily, the outside guards were simply knocked out. No one would notice things were wrong.
She and Winter proceeded to an elevator that would take them to the control room. It was high up, so they stayed in an uncomfortable silence as the elevator travelled.
"Do you think Ozpin will be of help?" Asked Winter, holding steady, watching the elevator doors with a piercing gaze.
"He was at the dance, like everyone else. Perfect time for an attack," Cinder replied, much more agitated, and twirling Midnight around to do something other than stand around.
"We had guards, we reinforced security with personal, we had airships with cameras. How did anyone from outside get past us?" Winter sounded angry, angry at herself.
"Isshin was an infiltrator. Perhaps there are others." Cinder suggested.
"We did background scans on everyone, no one has the profile," Cinder raised an eyebrow at Winter's declaration.
"So there's a profile for 'rogue spy'?" She asked.
"No, but… our enemy searches for particular individuals to corrupt," said Winter. Now Cinder's eyebrow was raised even higher.
"You talk like there's some evil villain behind all of this." She was joking, of course. But the look Winter gave her was that of a child surprised you learned their secret hiding spot for cookies.
"We will interrogate them, once we capture whoever they are,"
"Sounds fantastic,"
The doors opened, giving sight to a room bathed in green light and holographic monitors. Several rows of computer terminals lined the cylindrical chamber, which held in it's center a giant pillar of green circuits. The famous beacon the school was named after, once a simple inexhaustible light source, now a column of circuitry that transferred information from… everywhere in Beacon.
Several bodies were strewn about, bloodied and beaten. None of the terminals were damaged, however. The attackers were precise.
"They must be on the other side," Winter said, exiting the elevator. "I'll go left, you go right."
"Screw you, I'm going left,"
"Ugh, fine." Both women split up, weapons in hand while keeping their eyes glued to the central pillar.
Cinder walked, avoiding any bodies, the click of her heels resounding in the room. They had to know they were here. She hated not having the element of surprise.
Once they had covered a quarter of the room's circumference, they saw the infiltrator, sitting on the slightly elevated platform that allowed direct access to the pillar.
A slim, athletic figure dressed in a dark grey skintight suit with slight armor padding that was black in color. She was female, but any other features were covered. She wore a visor over her head, exposing nothing of her features. The woman looked towards Cinder, and she cursed her uncle, since she was sure his semblance had rubbed off on her.
"Forgive the mess, I'll be done in a second." An apathetic voice, a young woman's voice, distorted by a filter. She could not recognize it.
"Who are you?" Cinder asked her, raising Midnight while trying to circle and regroup with Winter. She could catch a glimpse of her, on the other side of the room, weapons pointed at the same person.
"I don't think it matters. What does matter…" The woman got up, and took out two Sai from behind her waist, twirling them around like nothing. She then pointed them at Cinder. "… is who you are."
"Me?" Cinder asked, stopping in her tracks. What would anyone want with her? She was a top Beacon graduate, but she hadn't done anything of note after that, merely choosing to fight Grimm and bandits in Mistral.
"Yes. I have a proposition from our mistress, Cinder Fall." Fall? What kind of second name was that? She had no memory of it, nor was it any kind of nickname that had been given to her.
"What are you talking about?" Cinder asked. Winter was near, just a few more steps.
"We are interested in you skills. You've impressed our lady, and she wants you to join us, so we can change this world, this sick system. What do you say?" The idea was laughable. She actually chuckled at how ridiculous it was.
"You want me to drop everything and join you? Are you stupid or something?" She reached Winter. Both women now stood side by side against their adversary.
"How disappointing." Mused the woman.
"By order of the Atlas High Command, you are under arrest! Drop your weapons, and come peacefully!" Winter said, voice high and booming. It was impressive. The figure stood still, Sai pointed toward the ground. She stared at Winter.
"Sorry but I refuse." Was her answer.
"That's not an option," Something appeared under the Specialist, a black glyph, and she darted at top speed against her target.
(A/N: Play "You're mine" from Carpenter Burt, Furi OST)
Winter thrusted with her sword, however, it was blocked and caught by the woman's Sai. She proceeded to attempt a stab at Winter's side. However, the specialist evaded it and grabbed her wrist, locking them in a struggle.
Cinder wasted no time. She could not catch up, and rather than waste time getting there, she opted to use Midnight's bow mode. She fused the pommels, the blades segmented and a string shot from one edge to the other. The huntress drew an arrow and shot, followed by another in quick succession.
They all missed, flying by the infiltrator's side just barely.
"What?!" Cinder yelled.
With a grunt of struggle, Winter removed her sword from the sai's grip and attempted slashes and stabs at the infiltrator, but she was nimble, avoiding every blow with grace. However, it was not so much grace that should allow her to dodge so easily. Even if Cinder hadn't fought Winter in years, she still remembered her most lethal weapon, her precision.
How could the specialist have difficult aiming at a normal sized human? How could Cinder herself miss? It did not matter. She was angry now.
She ran towards the fighting women. The infiltrator, despite her enormous luck and nimbleness was still on the defensive, not able to keep up with Winter's speed. The specialist could not use glyphs now, she need an opening.
Cinder jumped between them, slashing with both swords of Midnight, hitting and ground and then trying to hit the infiltrator.
The attacker parried, ducked and caught attacks with her Sai's. Cinder felt wrong, like something pulling her swords away from the woman.
Suddenly, the infiltrator jumped back. From her previous position was an ice glyph. Winter then made more, each shooting out a sharp pillar of ice. The infiltrator dodged them all. Cinder tried to assist with arrows, but they all missed.
Now pissed beyond belief, Cinder ran after her.
"Pin her down!" She yelled. She didn't know if Winter caught that, but she better had.
Once again, she engaged the infiltrator in a sword fight, slashing and cutting with some kicks and elbows mixed in. Her hand-to-hand hits seemed to have better results than her swords.
Suddenly, a black glyph appeared and pushed the infiltrator's upper body down. Cinder used the chance to attempt a sure kill. Yet, her slashes still missed, as the infiltrator managed to parry them all.
So she gave up, and used her legs. A kick to the head, another to the stomach, a knee to the chin. The attacker's aura flickered. Then she heard a voice.
"Get out of there!" Cinder jumped back, and the glyph turned blue followed by an explosion of ice and frost. A small glacier-like structure stood there, possibly freezing anything inside. But there was nothing in it's interior.
Winter was at her side in an instant. Both women were back to back.
"Where is she?" Winter asked, head jerking back and fort.
"I don't know." Cinder replied. Her vision darted from side to side. Why would anyone come here? Sabotage? Not the right place. Theft? Yes, but the only way to steal a lot of relevant information was to…
"The console!" Cinder yelled, running to the side of the central pillar that housed the main computer. Indeed, the infiltrator was there, hastily tipping something on the keyboard.
Cinder switched Midnight to bow and drew an air arrow. Air dust had special properties when imbued on projectiles. It allowed them to use the air to change direction and achieve a poor 'homing' function.
She launched three at the attacker. Precision didn't matter, since the three arrows quickly had streaks of air that propelled them in a single line towards the target.
But again, they missed. Or more precisely, they passed trough. The infiltrator looked at them, before vanishing like a video call window being closed.
She had escaped.
(A/N: Song end.)
Cinder had given it her all, but… she had failed. She had been sloppy, missed all her shots. How could this be?
She was angry, angry at herself.
"Fuck!" She yelled into the empty room. Well, nearly empty.
Winter was at the console, quickly tapping away. In a flash Cinder was along with her, looking into what exactly she had stolen.
"What did she get?" She asked. Winter narrowed her eyes.
"Profiles, backgrounds, medical records. All documents from staff and students, along schematics." Winter said as various files with the tag 'copied' were entering view.
"What do you think? Bombing?" Cinder asked.
"Perhaps it was a heist, information broking." Winter said. Cinder narrowed her eyes.
"I doubt it. That woman did not talk like a simple thief." She said. At this, Winter stopped typing to look her in the eye.
"Cinder Fall… That's what she called you." An accusatory glare. That was what Winter was giving her. She felt hurt, and confused.
"I have never been called that in my life. Ask Ruby and Yang, even Ozpin if you really must," Hearing her answer, Winter seemed to back off.
"But what did that mean?" Asked the specialist.
"I wish I knew. But… I don't like it. Not at all,"
Despite using her semblance constantly for half an hour, Emerald was enjoying the dance with Mercury, somewhat. He held her during a slow song, head just above her shoulder. She did not see his face, nor did she want to. She didn't think of him that way, and even pretending to do so made her uncomfortable.
She liked tricking people. It was easy, and the reactions were priceless when the illusions were dispelled. However, this time she had to be discreet about it.
She looked around at other dancing couples. Blake and Ruby, Nora and Ren, Professor Goodwitch and Ironwood, Jaune and Pyrrha, all slow dancing. Ruby and Blake looked especially close, while Nora needed to be held in place by her partner. Ozpin watched everyone from afar. None of them knew anything.
She heard a beep in her ear, and put two fingers on it.
"Emerald here,"
"I'm coming back. How's it going?"
"No one suspects a thing,"
"Good. Thank you for the cover. I'll handle it from here, just make sure no one notices. Please enjoy the dance."
"Maybe if you were here."
"We'll see. I did have a date after all."
A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this one. Much more than the others. Nothing more to say, except I'm glad this arc is over. Now, we can get into some juicy plot and action and drama. What do you think awaits Cinder in the future?