"last chapter for a while, till we finish chapter 9, sooo, give us a week or two"
Chapter Eight: The Fun Begins
Kneeling before the queen of darkness were Hazel and Cinder, bowed before her like the submissive thralls she desired. Today however she had a need for them, and the thought of it gave her a small smile.
"What do you wish milady?" Hazel asked.
"I required you to eliminate someone. Our little mute traitor. To be safe and ensure that she can't sing like a little canary." Salem said.
"Why bother with her, my master? She is powerless to stop us?" Cinder asked.
"You see what her departure has already accomplished? Or have you been blind this whole time?" Salem said, fully meaning every word.
Cinder gritted her teeth at that and turned her head away. Hazel then spoke up.
"It will be done." Hazel said sternly.
"Good. Perhaps maybe one of you will surprise me for once?" Salem asked.
Both bowed their heads further before swiftly leaving on their grim business. All while Salem's words rang through their heads.
"This will get his attention." Salem muttered to herself
Few days later, Beacon Academy
For Hazel and Cinder, the next few days were both nerve racking, and boring at the same time. Truth be told Neo had set into a fairly simple routine of getting up, going to classes, being with her friends, walking zwei, and going back to bed. During this time however, it left the two alone with their thoughts, and what they would do going forward.
Cinder grew to resent and despise her situation. Everything she had done for Salem, and for what? To be ridiculed, blinded, and drop to her knees for some immortal "queen" that might have all she could ever ask for? Thinking about all of that reminded her of her previous life, and now she is stuck practically in the same spot as before. This could not go on any longer. She just needed an idea on what to do next.
Hazel however at first didn't think much of the mission. He's had to liquidate plenty of targets for Salem over the years. A traitor isn't too much different than those he had to kill. However as he watched Neo, something didn't sit right. She was a kid. Either she put on a damn good act, or she didn't remember anything. What he thought was something, very simple suddenly became a hell of a lot more complicated.
Finally the day they picked to enact the plan arrived. All the recon they could ever do was done. They the night before set up a simple, yet effective plan. Hazel jumps in to keep her in one place, Cinder comes in and kills her. Simple hammer and anvil, the job is done.
As Hazel got into position, something else felt off to him. Salem seemed almost careless with this whole situation. Letting this girl run about for so long, and only now just getting around to killing her. And then you have the fact Cinder is in on this. After how many failures she's had, she still trusts her enough to do something this critical?
Neo and her friends were out in the lovely sunshine, enjoying their day. Then from around the corner Hazel walked out to meet them. He then brandished his weapon in a vaguely threatening fashion, though not putting the most amount of energy into it.
"Neo stayed behind me." Yang said, pushing the mute girl behind her, and she didn't question it.
"Stay right where you are and you don't get hurt." Hazel said in a very drawl tone.
Neo, getting all kinds of confuffled, cocks her head to the side innocently and types, 'do i know you?'
"Used to." Hazel said, "I was sent to kill you."
Confused, neo types, 'well, that's not very nice…'
"No but it gets the point across." Hazel answered dryly.
"Then why would you blow the element of surprise?" Yang asked.
"I didn't say I would follow through on that order." Hazel answered, putting his weapon back.
Neo, scratching her head, types, 'wait… am i getting hurt or not? I'm lost…'
"Since my 'partner' isn't going to show up, I'll come clean. I've come to warn you." Hazel said with a sigh.
In that moment, neo has a lightbulb moment and types, 'oh! Now I get it! You're the bad guy!'
"Does she have amnesia or is she actually soft in the head?" Hazel asked.
"Bit of both." Yang replied.
Neo, confused, types, 'i'm not soft in the head! See!?' And with that, Neo knocks on her head before typing, 'see? Perfectly solid!'
"Neo, let the adults do the talking." Weiss said after face palming.
Neo, beaming innocently types, 'okay!'
"So what is it you're just dying to warn us about?" Blake asked.
"My boss wants her dead, and sent me and a… old friend of yours to put her in the ground. And it will not take long for her to figure out that I didn't do it. And before she might send someone more willing to do it." Hazel explained.
"And you're telling us this, why?" Ruby asked, confused.
"I'm not someone who can kill a child." Hazel answered.
"Oh. Well that's pretty good of you." Ruby said simply.
Confuffled, Neo sips her juice box in an intimidating manner.
"Keep your heads down. You kids aren't out of this neck of the woods just yet." Hazel said as he turned around.
"And where are you going?" Blake asked.
"I have to speak with… an old associate." Hazel explained before walking off.
Meanwhile in nearby Vale, under a cloak she stole, Cinder made her way into a secluded back alley. Once there she pulled out her scroll, and activated the speed dial on one of the numbers.
"Hello? I'm an old associate of Roman. We need to talk." Cinder says with a smirk.