Intermission: Shatterpoint

Wheel of Fortune

Could the Fire Witch take longer to get there? Roman was running out of patience, and the fact she sent the two kids again wasn't helping. At least they had enough self-preservation skills to stay quiet for once, even if it was because Adam wouldn't stop pacing back and forth.

Tick, Tick, Tick, Roman mimicked the sounds in his mind as he observed from the side; the man was clearly unstable, a ticking time bomb. Normally a deal with anyone like him was something reckless, to be avoided at all costs. Prevention was better than the cure, as they say, but it wasn't an option. Why did Cinder choose him, specifically?

Who knew, maybe he had connections. A little something to cut through the tension and distract Adam would be for the best, but Roman knew he couldn't rely on Cinder's couple of stooges to do it.

But what to say?

What's the matter? Cat got your self control? Nope. As much as he'd love to, it would hit all the wrong buttons, and Roman was a professional, saying something like that would only show he had moles reporting him about Adam's unhealthy mania. Chances were it would just anger him, maybe enough to cause steam to shoot out of his ears-like something out of one of Neo's cartoons-but it would also pick an unnecessary fight.

Could Roman take him? Probably. But it was best not to push his luck. That, and his workout routine was a lot harder these days, given it involved stealing every speck of Dust on Vale. He leaned against the abandoned mine cart, cane in hand, thinking.

Maybe the brats got the right idea, goddamn that psycho is just too much trouble. Why even work with his White Fang in the first place?

In the past, it was easy to deal with hotheads when they were the occasional dirty Huntsman. He'd have something to fall back on, some dirt on them, or maybe enough money to get them to look the other way if all else failed-none of that mattered when it came to Adam Taurus and his merry band of maniacs. Blowing a hole in the center of the city of Vale, what a joke.

Granted, he'd normally have more than a couple of kids who thought they were hot shit backing him up, but Neo was that someone, the one who would always ensure he'd escape in one piece. Roman had made sure she was too busy taking care of the operation, and that was for the best, he preferred his current situation to risking her. The whole meeting was just insurance, to guarantee their truce still stood, even as every passing day made it clearer how much of a meaningless truce it really was.

The man that stood before him wanted war with the human race, and as soon as this meeting ended, he would begin thinking of a way to betray both Roman and Cinder, to start hunting for blood wherever he'd find it. Pure foolishness, Roman still trusted his luck, but he wasn't enough of a fool to trust Adam Taurus, especially when he was only brought into the whole deal thanks to, again, the Fire Witch.

It all comes back to her, doesn't it?

"Getting a little impatient?" he tested. "I'd offer you a cup of coffee, but the way things are right now just saying the word would probably call the Beacon team," Roman chuckled once, those kids were strong but about as sharp as a marble.

Adam scoffed at him, "What's so funny about that?"

From his deadpan expression Adam didn't seem amused. Oh well, it wasn't as if Roman didn't try. As if on cue, Cinder appeared, jumping down from a stone drill, "The most amusing thing about it is how this time Roman is correct."

As soon as she landed, Adam was incensed, from his tone it was obvious he'd much rather skip the courtesies entirely.

"I suppose that's what this is about? Why don't we address the main cause then?" he said, as accusatory as he could. These young warlords just don't know how to play the game, do they? They were supposed to be on neutral ground, and Adam picking a fight would only make both Roman and Cinder put aside grievances to put him down.

Roman groaned mentally, and proceeded to walk towards the two, to facilitate their conversation, "What? No 'hello, how are you doing?', just straight to business? We could at least enjoy the party a little!" he punctuated the sentence planting his cane on the rocky ground.

Cinder looked around the mine, as disgustingly smug as the Fire Witch always was, "No movies, no food, and our club is a little empty, but I suppose there isn't much we can do about it... we're still making preparations for the bash."

Adam groaned, annoyed, "Then perhaps you'd like to explain how it ties into that stunt? Live on TV?"

"Are you questioning my methods?" Cinder retorted, deadpan.

"I'm questioning the results. I didn't even know we had someone inside Beacon, let alone that it was you."

Cinder's expression didn't change, "You didn't know because it was better for the plan."

As soon as the words left Cinder's mouth, a vein seemed to pop in Adam's forehead, "Excuse me?"

"The more we compartmentalize this plan, the higher the chances of success, and I'm sure you want success."

Adam snarled after hearing the words, "I'm being mocked on intercontinental TV! People think the White Fang is involved with moon-dwellers and apocalyptic cults! How can you call that 'success'?"

He most likely didn't realize it, but the way he worded things made it too easy for Roman. It was a good chance to talk him down, "What, you mean that circus, CommLink? Did people suddenly start taking them seriously? Because I didn't get the memo."

Adam clenched his jaw, "Not just them. Every news station is using this opportunity to mock the White Fang," he pointed a finger at Cinder, "And that's definitely not what we agreed on."

Cinder stared him down, "Oh? And what did we agree on again?"

Ah, nice one, Roman had to admit, if only mentally and never, ever vocally. He didn't know what the specifics of their deal was, but from the way Adam was infuriated as Cinder asked the question, he could guess it was less of a mutual agreement and more of a threat.

Realizing his mistake, Adam composed himself, "What about all the faunus of the White Fang, the ones who joined us? I'll have to explain this, and they're certainly not happy about it either."

"Good," Cinder retorted, without missing a beat.

"Good?"

Cinder smiled, "Yes, good. You're not doing this because you're happy, are you? I know they're certainly not." She paused for a second, before continuing, "And I detest this. Even if this situation is… unexpected, are they angry at you?"

Roman took the chance to cut in before Adam could answer, "If they are, I certainly haven't heard any of it, If anything, they're working harder than ever!"

Cinder turned to him, "And I'll assume they're being properly compensated."

"Dear, I may be a thief but I'm not a Schnee," Roman picked up his cane as he faced Adam, "You do business with me, you get, simple as that. Speaking of which, did you see Perry's new bike?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow, "Red one, with the white decals?"

Roman nodded in return, smirking. He knew saying that much was unnecessary, but he wasn't sure if it was enough to get through Adam's skull.

The smug smile returned to Cinder's face, briefly satisfied, "So you see? If anything, this was a victory."

Adam's brows furrowed behind the mask, "And I'm supposed to believe it was always a part of the plan?"

Before he could continue Roman cut in once more, "Does it matter? We just moved literal tons worth of Dust in here, and there's more coming. They couldn't stop us if they tried!"

Still calm, Cinder continued from Roman's remark, "We'll delay the plan just a while longer, and since you're already here, Adam, perhaps the presence will bring some extra motivation among your troops."

Adam groaned, noncommittal, "That can be done. I'll stay for now, goodbye." He walked away from them first, jumping to higher levels so he could walk into one of the many cave formations. Roman knew it wouldn't satisfy him, but it would be enough for a while, and having their leader around wouldn't just make the white fang happy, It'd lighten the load on all of them; less time spent planning and watching his back, more time getting things done. The sooner he got those dust bombs loaded, the sooner he could be free of the Fire Witch.

As Adam moved safely out of sight, Roman turned on his heel, walking away from Cinder, "Well then, I believe business is done for today, so we must part ways."

"Not yet," Roman heard Cinder say from behind him. The two brats approached him from the front, surrounding him.

Oh my, what could she need now? He knew she'd ask for something, but he didn't think she'd ask immediately. It had to be important to her, or else she'd just keep the debt as a bargain chip forever, a better move, at least according to Roman's experience. He stopped, waiting.

Cinder smiled, "There's still something left to do. Something about him."

Tomorrow Comes Today

She crawled out of the burned-down rubble, intact.

The others, what about the others? Glynda took a palm to her pocket, looking for her scroll. Reaching inside her front pocket she found it, wrecked. Couldn't see her team's status. One foot in front of the other, she walked out of the rubble, to the ruined street. Had they at least evacuated the village? Looking at the damage done, the building was in shambles, but maybe her team...

"We got a live one!" she heard nearby, behind and to her left. Eyes widening, she turned around in an instant.

Just a first responder, not a Huntsman or a bandit. How long was she out? Glynda hardly felt like it was for that long, but then again, she didn't feel much of anything. There was a chance the rest of her team was gone, and somehow, something inside her didn't seem to have processed the information yet.

Of course it hadn't, she was a Beacon student after all. Huntsman and Huntresses were supposed to be strong. Even if they lost fights, even if they lost everyone, they wouldn't stop, wouldn't cry, not until the mission was done. Huntsmen had no weakness, and she was meant to be a Huntress.

If she was still in one piece, then maybe they made it too.

"Glynda!" she heard a familiar voice call that time. For a moment she hoped it was Olivia, ready to dish a never-ending flurry of insults for the stunt she pulled. Instead, she recognized the voice of a boy, Another student.

"Jimmy," she whispered under her breath.

It could have taken ten seconds or a minute, but she walked his way. As she did so, everything weighed just a little too much. Breathing hurt, her vision was a little spotty, and the floor seemed to tilt when she turned her head too quickly. As quickly as she assessed the damage done, her aura healed it, little by little, but it wasn't everything.

Her semblance was different now. It felt familiar, even if everything about it told her it wasn't. How did it happen? When?

Jimmy hobbled over to her. He still wasn't used to the new leg, Although if his new uniform was any indication, it seemed like he got a promotion, "Glynda, what happened? First I hear about bandits, next Team GOLD disappears off the map, and now this. Is that your blood?"

Glynda looked down at her blouse, tainted a mahogany red. A touch to her forehead confirmed it, congealed blood.

"Glynda, you okay?"

It didn't matter.

She pointed her crop to the ruined building, and on her command pieces drifted back to the places where they once belonged, retrograde telekinesis that used a fraction of a fraction of the focus Glynda needed before. In a matter of seconds, the building stood again, as new. She barely needed a thought to make it happen, where before she'd need to see, assess, and focus on moving each individual piece. In the past, the crop helped as something to focus her power through, something of a crutch. She didn't even need it anymore.

Has anything else changed? Did she hit her head and now found herself trapped in some kind of dream? Glynda never even knew it could happen, not enough people with semblances around to tell tales about things like that.

For a moment, Jimmy was speechless. He looked at her, likely thinking about the same thing, "You couldn't do that before…"

"Getting a little jealous, Jimmy?"

It struck a nerve, and amused Glynda. As always, James scowled before answering, "I told you to call me James."

She smirked, if only because it would get on his nerves again, "And I believe told you to, and I quote, 'bite me'?"

"One of these days I actually will."

That was better, when Jimmy got miffed, he worried less about her, and it was exactly what she wanted. He pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed.

"You saw the emergency mission on the board, didn't you? Got here in record time too."

"Did anyone else take it?"

"No, nobody."

It wouldn't matter either way, the village was a lost cause, is what Glynda knew he wanted to say. Jimmy was a good person, she was sure about it, but Atlas military wasn't doing him any good. He lost something along with that leg of his, and it seemed like it was starting to become a trend with him.

Glynda would rather not think about it. "We need to find the rest of my team, they could still be in there. If they're hurt then I need to help them. They were helping people too."

Jimmy looked away, "Sure… Let's look for survivors."

Glynda's eyes snapped open.

I knew it. A long, long time before I can sleep well again. She'd at least avoided sleeping in the lounge, yet even in the confines of her own room it didn't feel much better.

Why did it have to show her that day again, though? She'd replayed it in her head more than enough times, burned every detail in her mind, from the smell of the ash, to the village's name and the color of the sky.

She knew it would happen however, because Glynda was exactly aware of what weighed on her conscience. The weight of thirty Atlesian operatives staging a bandit attack in Vale? That was something she could bear for a while. If only because it could be a power play, someone from Atlas trying to frame James. It was the only reason she agreed to keep it under wraps.

She told herself there was still a chance, so why didn't Glynda believe it?

The weight of thirty gunners honed in on a student she'd nearly lead to her death? Impossible to bear, no matter what. If she didn't have her powers, it was likely that Glynda wouldn't even know they were there. Ozpin sure hadn't warned her about it, and if he had, she'd have objected on principle.

Hopefully it was just a one-time lapse in his judgement, something that wouldn't repeat itself.

However... Thirty bandits, or thirty gunners, did it matter which threatened the lives of her students? Even if Cinder was a spy, did that justify it? She sat up on her bed, crossing her legs she leaned on a hand, thinking.

If Cinder was some kind of infiltrator, then that meant had to be the one who tried to kill Amber, it's the only thing they'd have to gain. Did she even have it in her, to do something like that? Back in the forest when she left camp, from the way she looked clear through her, as if Glynda was a pane of glass, the girl looked haunted, not just stressed or overwhelmed. If what she said was true, and she really couldn't sleep, then she had the same symptoms other students sometimes did.

Which took Glynda to the next thought. Night terrors. None of them screamed in their sleep, but that wasn't the only way it could manifest. Team Juniper reported their teammate's condition, and it seemed like the Valkyrie girl was mostly fine, most of the time, but it was a sign of trauma and stress. It was starting to become too common among Beacon students, and it was usually handled by the teams and the doctors. But the transfer student didn't have a team, and sure didn't seem preoccupied with looking for a doctor.

After Cinder came back from the tower at Pyrrha's side, Glynda knew they more than liked each other, could see it in their eyes. Feelings like that that were perfectly natural, so she didn't comment on it. It didn't interfere on their mission in the slightest, and they needed to live their lives, take the chances she herself never could.

So that was out the question, it probably wasn't some sort of acting expected of an infiltrator, which kept Glynda's train of thought moving. Cinder was surprised when she tried to check up on her, and closed off immediately. It seemed more like she was confused, in the same way students caught breaking rules always were, nothing too suspicious. Said she lived with anxiety, but there was more to that, given what Glynda already knew.

After Ozpin called her to the meeting? She looked scared. Not just surprised, or confused, but scared for her life. Maybe she didn't know, but there was a chance her aura tried to warn her of the imminent danger.

Could that girl really be the assassin that nearly killed Amber, and tried to take her powers? Even if she was, was killing her the right thing to do? Amber still lived, and perhaps they could find another way. She didn't want to think of a student as a threat.

The scroll's alarm beeped, meaning it was four in the morning, time for her to get up. It was a benefit of having aura, that she needed less sleep, and got more out of each hour of rest.

She took it, and out of habit checked the student's records. Students had to notify when they were leaving, only so the Academy would be able to keep track of them. None had done so, except the students who were away on missions, but something felt off to Glynda, and she had a terrible feeling she knew exactly what.

Calling Professor Ann might at least help calm her nerves, and chances were Ozpin wasn't watching her as closely.

Ann picked up on the third ring, like always, "Geez Glynda, do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, four o'clock. Are you still here in Beacon?"

"Just coming back from patrol. I'm fine, by the way." Ann said, likely alluding to the bullet wound she received a couple of days before.

Glynda sighed, she was letting her concern get the better of her. Then again, with aura on play not many injuries short of amputation were permanent, "Sorry. Hey, could you do me a favour?"

"Always, what do you need?" Ann asked through the phone, cheery as always.

"Could you… Could you check up on a student for me?" Glynda asked, considering perhaps she should have asked it in person.

"Whoa, where's that coming from?"

"Nowhere, I just need to know if she's fine. It's Cinder, the transfer student from Mistral. I think she's at the west wing, room 636."

"On my way there, It'll just take a minute. Is that student from the news?"

"Yes."

Ann hummed, thinking, "And you checked the records already?"

"First thing in the morning," Glynda answered.

"So let me guess, you're either scared something's going to happen, or that she has a target on her back now?"

Glynda would've chuckled if Ann wasn't so close to the reality of the matter, "I guess you could say that."

If it was possible to hear a sly smile from the phone, then Glynda could swear she would have as soon as Ann said the first words, "That's so like you. Just admit it, you're a big ol' softie."

Glynda groaned, not out of annoyance, but impatience, "There's also the fact she's still a student, Ann. To us things like that aren't a big deal, but to them that's their entire world. Usually they'll at least have their teams, but I don't know why, but her dorm was assigned to the west wing. There's no one else there, and there won't be for a couple of months."

"Sounds like it sucks, a completely empty wing?"

"Normally it wouldn't be, but with the Vytal Festival on its way, we're still making preparations. Last time I checked the place was desolate." Glynda let it hang on the air until she heard the distant sound of Ann knocking on the door.

"Anyone in there? Time to get up, kid!" Ann called as she knocked on the door.

Ann tried again, knocking harder the next time, and thrice more. No response as they waited for over ten minutes, It was starting to become worrisome.

"Screw this, I'm going in."

Glynda didn't hear anything, but she knew the Stealth and Security Professor could pick a simple door.

"Holy... who installs four locks on their door?"

"Someone worried about their safety, maybe. Is she fine?"

Ann remained calm, even as she answered, "She might be okay but she's definitely not here. I guess she sneaked out then."

Did she? For someone suspected of being an infiltrator, it didn't look good, but Glynda had done the same back in her time as a student. Not everything was as suspicious as it initially seemed.

"I guess she did. Alright, thanks Anne," Glynda said, nearly on autopilot, turning off the scroll a moment after Anne answered.

Then there were practical worries. She could have sneaked out to enjoy a night partying, just as easily as Beacon's security could've been breached, and the girl kidnapped. It was a completely empty wing after all.

What now, what was she supposed to think now?