A Prison of Ice
X.
It wasn't easy, working in the mines; but things were getting better.
Joshua had little choice, anyway. He needed to support his little sister somehow, and with him being a Faunus with no education, he didn't have very many options. Maybe things would have been different if mom and dad were still around. It was pointless to think about what-ifs though; so Joshua just got ready for work as the sun rose.
He ate breakfast and left something for Lucy before leaving for work.
It wasn't a very long commute, housing near the mines were among the cheapest in the kingdom after all. He passed by others as they made their way to the mines; all of them Faunus as well. Most of the people that worked in the mines were Faunus, to be honest. Sure, there was the occasional human toiling away in the mines, but that was a rather rare sight.
Most of the humans that worked here were in a management role instead.
Joshua didn't miss the many White Fang posters that seemed to litter over all the walls near her home. There had been an increase in their efforts at recruitment lately; after what happened to the CEO of the Yuki corporation. The White Fang claimed that the recent changes enacted by the son of the former CEO had been a result of their actions. That the humans were beginning to take notice of them; beginning to fear them even.
Some of his coworkers had even been tempted to join up.
Joshua didn't think about it that way though. If Makoto Yuki truly was fearful for his life, why would he take the risk of visiting the mines himself? He had seen him a few times already as he made his way to work; inspecting equipment and speaking with management. If it was a PR move, it sure was a risky one; he didn't even bring any bodyguards with him.
It was just him and his butler.
Joshua was honestly surprised that no one had attacked him yet. There was no lost love between the workers in the mines and the higher-ups at the Yuki Corporation after all. Perhaps it was because of how approachable he was. Makoto Yuki treated everyone the same and answered any questions that were thrown his way; even from some rather rude individuals.
And unlike so many of the others before him; he hadn't made any empty promises.
Old and dangerous equipment had been quickly replaced. Mandatory hours were lowered with overtime being added as a new option for workers. And perhaps the most important of all; those that had been injured in the mines weren't being abandoned anymore. The company now took care of all the medical expenses.
Even with all that though, there was still a growing dissent among the Faunus in Mistral.
Some people chose to believe in the new young leader of the Yuki corporation and the hope he represented. Others thought otherwise; that it was simply a PR ploy and supported the White Fang's growing thirst for violence instead. He didn't think it was right, even if his father had been a tyrant in all but name; Makoto Yuki was his own person wasn't he? And so far, he had tried his best to rectify all of his father's past mistakes.
Wasn't that enough to give someone the benefit of doubt?
Joshua supposed it didn't really matter what he thought in the end. He was only one person in the grand scheme of things, anyway. Just another cog in the rundown machine that Makoto Yuki was trying his best to put back together. They were almost similar in a way, weren't they? Two people trying to make the best out of the shitty mess that their parents left behind. Though, inheriting a vast fortune probably made things a bit easier.
At the very least, for what it was worth, Makoto Yuki would have his support for trying to do right by his people.
And that was good enough for him.
Makoto was busy.
Far busier than he had ever been. The meetings never ended. He had hired someone to help with the paperwork, but even then, the stack on his desk only seemed to grow over time. His calendar was booked for the next two months with interviews to do and public events to attend. Whatever remaining free time he had left; he spent at the mines that his company owned.
Makoto needed to make sure that his changes were actually being implemented.
He had received looks, of course. Looks of scorn, disdain, and sometimes even fear. It had been expected, father had wronged those people after all. It mattered little to him; he was simply trying to do what was right in his mind. Perhaps over time, they would change their minds about him, but for now, he simply ignored the glares that occasionally came his way.
As he continued to look through a thick stack of documents, a cup of tea was placed on his desk.
"Thank you, Jacob." Makoto mumbled as he signed off on a new project. He didn't bother looking up. "Can you tell the chef to not worry about dinner tonight? I won't have time for the usual course."
"... Might I offer some words of advice, young master?"
"Of course." Makoto reflexively replied as he checked his work email for a status update. "What is it?"
His monitor suddenly turned off, and the pen was snatched away from his fingers.
"You need a break, young master." Jacob said as he put the pen back into its drawer. "Do you know how long you have been working?"
Makoto looked up at the clock on the wall, 2 A.M. He blinked. When did it suddenly get that late?
"The chef has already left for the night as well, in case you haven't noticed."
He rubbed a hand over his hair and leaned back against his chair, letting out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in.
"... I see that now, Jacob." Makoto dryly remarked.
"Unfortunately, you'll have to make do with my own meager cooking for the night." The butler sagely replied. "That is, if you decide to heed my advice."
Unfortunately, his stomach betrayed him and grumbled as soon as Jacob mentioned food. He should have expected as much; he hadn't eaten since the morning after all. The work could wait until tomorrow he supposed, or at the very least, until after having a nice warm meal.
"I'll go eat, Jacob." Makoto answered as he stood up and stretched his arms. "... You're cooking isn't that bad either. Far better than what I could do."
"I would hope so, young master. Otherwise, I would be out of the job."
Makoto just let out a small chuckle as he followed the older man out of his office; the tea cup laying forgotten on his desk. As they made their way into the kitchen, he pulled out his scroll and froze. Rubbing a hand over his hair once more, he let out a small sigh as he took a seat at the table the kitchen staff typically used while Jacob prepared a light meal. There was a missed call highlighted on the front of his scroll's screen.
He had forgotten about Weiss, they usually had their weekly calls today.
She wouldn't be happy about that. It was pretty late already though, should he still call back? He didn't want to wake her if she was already asleep. After a good while of mulling over it, he eventually decided on sending a text message.
"Sorry I missed your call. I was caught up with work."
Jacob placed a bowl in front of him and poured another fresh cup of tea for him as well. It was a fairly simple Mistralean meal of rice, vegetables, and meat. With how hungry he was though, it was one of the best meals he'd eaten all week. As he shoveled another spoonful of rice into his mouth, his scroll vibrated.
"It's alright. I understand. You have your duties as the leader of the company after all."
Makoto typed out something in response.
"I'll give you a call tomorrow night?"
He ate another couple of bites before Weiss responded.
"That would be acceptable."
Makoto let out a small chuckle; she always was so serious with her text messages. He finished his meal and let out a small sigh of content before he typed out his reply.
"Sweet dreams."
Satisfied, he put his scroll away and took a few sips from his teacup. Jacob walked by and collected the bowl to wash. It was late at night so the mansion was quiet; the only sounds being the water coming from the faucet and Jacob scrubbing away at the dishes in the kitchen sink. It was oddly relaxing.
Covering a yawn, Makoto could feel his eyelids grow heavy.
He could feel the clutches of sleep threaten to overtake him. There were still a few tasks he wanted to get done before the night truly ended, but at this point, this was a battle he didn't think he was going to win. As he felt his consciousness start to fade, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and closed his eyes. He had tried to avoid it, but his pursuer had finally caught up to him it seemed; exhaustion.
The last thing he could recall before slipping away into the abyss of sleep was a hand on his shoulder.
Plop.
The drops of blood that dripped from the kitchen knife in his hands shook him from his stupor. He let out a sudden gasp of air, greedily sucking in as much oxygen as possible. His mind was racing at a million miles an hour. The soulless eyes that stared back at him were empty; completely devoid of life.
Any second now, his father would get up.
He would stand up and smack the knife out of his hands; perhaps beat him until he was unconscious this time. No matter how much time passed, Marcus never got back up though. Mercury didn't know how long he had been standing there; wasn't sure what he had been expecting. It wasn't the first time he had killed someone after all.
This was different though; this was Marcus. He had never been able to win against his old man before.
And now, he had killed him.
Mercury couldn't help but laugh. Was it from nervousness? Or perhaps hysteria? Or maybe even excitement? He didn't even know anymore; he just laughed. It just happened, he hadn't planned on killing his old man. Pop had found the scroll he'd been hiding underneath his bed, the one that Makoto had given him.
Marcus had always loved taking away his things.
His old man took anything and everything from him. He took mom away. He took his Semblance away. All he ever did was take, take, and take. Nothing he ever did was good enough for him. It was always one beating after another, or if he were in a good mood, a simple threat.
Mercury had grown sick of it.
He was so sick of Marcus taking away every single little thing of his. And so when he tried to take away the scroll that was hidden underneath his bed? The one gift that someone in this godforsaken world had ever given him? The one time someone had given him something instead of taking from him?
He just… snapped.
There had been a scuffle. Yells and screams. He couldn't recall much of it, he never did remember much of the details from his kills. It had always been like that; even from his first kill, he didn't know why. Warm drops of blood slid down his forehead, he could recall Marcus cracking a beer bottle over his head, but not much else.
This was it, wasn't it?
Marcus was gone? Mercury was… free? He had dreamed of this day, of course. He didn't feel as happy as he thought he would have. There was no joy, no satisfaction. His chest just felt tight, as if someone had a hand wrapped around his heart. If he had to describe how he felt; he just felt strangely… hollow inside.
Mercury dropped the knife from his hands.
It landed edge first into the wooden floors with a sharp thud. Ever so slowly, he picked up the scroll that had been tossed aside during the scuffle. The screen was cracked and there were specks of blood splattered over it, but it still worked. A flash of anger sparked inside his mind for a moment, anger at Marcus for breaking his things, but then it quickly faded away.
It didn't matter anymore; Marcus was gone.
He couldn't take away his things anymore. Mercury left the corpse of his father there and gathered all the liquor that the old man had been stashing over the years. He shattered them all against the walls, splashing liquor everywhere. Lighting a match, he flicked it towards the mess and set the house ablaze.
He had nothing but terrible memories of the house, anyway.
Mercury watched as the flames consumed everything. Heat radiated out from the inferno like an angry curse at the heavens and in the destruction's wake, a terrible joy. It was as if the fire was a reflection of himself, an angry child that cursed the world around him and reveled in its destruction.
If he were to be honest with himself, he wanted to go back; to a better place where the memories were of better times. Of halcyon days.
Almost instinctively, his hands reached for the scroll hidden away in his pockets. There was only one person in the contacts listing, but that was all he ever needed, really. Ever so slowly, he hit the call button and held the scroll by his ear. One ring. Two, and then three. The scroll continued to ring, but in the end, no one picked up. The hand holding the scroll fell limply against his side, forgotten.
In the end, what had he been expecting?
Makoto Yuki was the wealthy son of a CEO, one of the privileged few in this godforsaken world, and he was just the son of a dirty assassin. That Makoto had even bothered to respond to his occasional messages was already more than he had expected. There was no salvation in this world; not for people like him.
Perhaps Marcus had been right, the bastard.
And then the scroll in his hands shook. He had shut off the ringtone on the scroll a long time ago to hide from Marcus. Slowly, he held the scroll in front of him as he stared at the now brightly lit up screen.
Makoto Yuki.
He answered the call and was greeted by the leader of the Yuki Corporation. He recognized the office that Makoto was sitting in; it used to belong to his father. He didn't look any different, a little older, and perhaps a bit sleep deprived. There was a surprised look in his eyes, however, and another strange emotion that Mercury wasn't sure about.
"Mercury…?" Makoto asked. "Are you alright?"
He wasn't sure how to answer that question, so he didn't. A single memory bubbled up to the top of his consciousness.
If you ever need anything, just give me a call.
"... Hey, you remember what you said the day I left?" He eventually replied. "That offer you gave me still good to cash in?"
If Makoto had been surprised at his sudden question; he didn't show it.
"What do you need?"
Mercury held the scroll in an angle so Makoto could see the burned down house behind him.
"Let's just say me and the old man had a disagreement." He answered, doing his best to keep his voice calm. "... I'm out of the job now and need some work."
It was a stupid thought, but if anyone could prove Marcus wrong… It would be his one and only friend, wouldn't it?
"... After what happened with the White Fang, I do find myself in need of a bodyguard these days."
Mercury felt his lips twitch into a smirk. "Just so you know, my services don't come cheap."
"I'm sure I can afford it." Makoto dryly answered before the humor faded from his eyes. "... I'll have someone pick you up shortly, so just stay put for now, alright?"
"... You got it, boss."
And then Mercury cut the line.
It was strange, even though he was standing out here alone in the dark. The house that he had spent most of his life in, now nothing more but a burned down husk. The father that had been a looming shadow for so long reduced to nothing but ashes…
Mercury Black felt strangely content.
Author's Notes- Dang, this story is getting kind of dark... I didn't plan on it, but it just kind of happened, I guess. I should go back to the fluff, haha. Thanks for all the reviews and I'll see you all next time.
