Chapter 41

Evil Rises

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Flashback

"Scroll Communications / Tv"

Location / Date / Time Change

The cold water against her skin awoke Cinder to reality. Breaking the last of her ice off her legs, she swam to the surface of the water and gasped for air. Pulling herself onto a small shore, she stared at the wall in front of her before pushing her right hand forward and melting the stone in front of her.

Once the hole was large enough, she pushed herself up to her feet and walked out. Clutching her gut in pain, the Maiden didn't make it more than a few feet before collapsing. A concerned walker raced forward and tried to help her up only to gasp in pain. A molten sword was imbedded into her throat as Cinder smiled at her.

Haven Slums

In the busy streets of the lower level of Haven, no one paid much attention to a girl walking out of an alley. Cinder glanced at the tv screen with her picture on it. She flipped her new hood up and walked through the mob of shoppers before noticing a small spider web carved into a wooden pole.

A small smile on her face, she walked into the bar and approached the blonde woman in the back. "Not another step." She said as her guards stepped forward. Cinder reached into her robe and pulled out a coin purse before throwing it onto the table. "Let her through." The woman said.

The guards stepped back and Cinder sat down at the table. "YOU'RE Little Miss Malachite?"

"I'm Miss 'Gonna-skin-you-alive-if-ever-take-that-tone-with-me' again." The older woman replied before looking at the money. "Your life saving?"

"Someone's." Cinder replied before pulling out her Scroll and swiped to the left, showing the members of JNR, NVAR, and RWBY as well as Qrow. "I want you to find these travelers."

Miss Malachite pulled the bag closer and quickly counted the money. "Well, you came to the right place." A loud bang caught Cinder's attention as a drunken man crashed against the wall. "Jumpy, aren't we? I used to be just like you with spiders. So you know what I did?"

"Learned to kill them?" Cinder asked.

"No, no, no. The world needs spiders." The older woman chuckled. "I just made the spiders work for me." Cinder noticed the tattoo on the blondes shoulder before noticing that everyone in the bar had the same logo on their body. "You give us a week, we'll get you your information."

Cinder stood up and left the bar, glaring at the woman. One spider leaned in and whispered something to the larger woman. "I know we know, but we don't know who wants to know about her."

One Week Later

"Do you have my information?" Cinder asked, staring at the blonde. This was the longest week of her life, and she was getting extremely annoyed.

"Of course I do, honey." Little Miss chuckled. "I always deliver to my paying customers, but I can't promise you'll be happy. They were last seen boarding the Argus Limited a few weeks ago. Now, that's not far from here but that little city is rarely a destination. Chances are they're stoping there before heading to-"

"Atlas." Cinder mumbled before turning around and walking away.

Miss Malachite smirked before blowing smoke off her pipe. "You know you turned out to be quite interesting, Cinder Fall." The Maiden froze in place before slowly turning around. "It's not often a single client brings me double the business." She tapped the ash off her cigarette when a giggle caught Cinder's attention.

She looked up at what seemed to be a young teenage girl of medium height. She has long blond hair styled in drill-like pigtails, with smaller locks framing her face. Her eyes are sapphire blue, with highlights that resemble a smiling face. She wore a richly adorned pink lolita-styled dress with matching boots and fingerless gloves. She accentuates the ensemble with a parasol and a large pink hair bow.

"Who are you?" The maiden asked as the girl merely chuckled again.

"Sorry, not telling you." She teased.

"Better put away the good glasses." The bar owner said to the nearest member.

The new girl jumped off and swung her umbrella at Cinder, who blocked as the blonde flipped over and kicked her in the back. Cinder turned around to see the blonde spinning rapidly before charging again. She thrust her parasol forward at Cinder's face before thwacking her repeatedly.

She swung wide and Cinder was pushed back before the umbrella opened up. Cinder caught the end and glared at the girl before pushing back and swung her arm. The blonde blocked and smiled before ducking a series of swipes from Cinder. She threw a kick and the blonde blocked with her weapon before Cinder kicked up, grazing the girls chin before jumping onto the bar.

The girl followed suit and kicked an ash tray into Cinder. The maiden caught it and threw it back before blocking another thrust. She grabbed the umbrella and threw her opponent to the floor. Cinder jumped and threw a kick only to miss. The girls giggle caught her attention and Cinder turned around to see her appear from seemingly thin air before kicking her again.

Cinder blocked and jumped off a chair before slamming a flaming fist next to the blondes face. The force pushed them apart as Cinder stared down from the top of the bannister. "Enough!" The leader of the Spiders shouted. "As much as I enjoy dinner and a show, I think you two should take it outside." The entire gang pulled out guns and pointed them at the two.

Instantly, the girls jumped out of the building as the bubblegum-themed girl vanished again. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but I won't let some random girl kill me." She summoned a pair of swords and blocked another swing before the girl slid back, a smile on face. "Smiling at the face of yours demise. I like that."

"She's not smiling at anyones demise." Cinder turned around at the new voice, belonging to a young man in a high-collared black robe with gold trim along with a large, flowing white toga draped around his torso. He had short black hair, dark eyes, and abnormally sharp canines.

Next to him was a a tall man with red-violet hair, amber eyes, some stubble and strong facial features. He appears to be middle-aged and dresses in a black trench coat and pinstripe trousers. He also wore a a red scarf and a hooded, gray and white flower-print mantle, a black fedora a black winglike accessory on his left arm. "She's smiling because you're just as skilled as they said."

"Who are you?" Cinder asked, pointing her blades at all three opponents.

"I'm surprised you even need to ask." The man chuckled. "After all, you stole all the data on my creation when you hacked Beacon." The girls eyes went wide as she lowered her weapons. "That is right, I am Zeref Dragneel. And I believe you've met my associate, Nui Harime."

The blonde girl flipped over Cinder and landed next to Zeref and the tall man, her umbrella on her shoulder. "And this is my old friend Ardyn Izunia." The man tipped his hat and politely smiled. "Now, let's talk."

Relic Chamber

*SHING*

Cinder sat on a fallen piece of stone, spinning and changing a dagger made from her magic. "This is... extraordinary." Zeref said as he and Nui stared up at the door. "This is unlike anything I have ever studied."

"It's so pretty!" Nui added, trying to grab a flower.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Ardyn said, pulling her hand back. "Who knows what kind curse that'll put on you."

"Now do you understand?" Cinder asked from behind, shaking her head at Ardyn's comment. "I need to get the relic before it can be secured in Atlas. It's the only way we can get what we want."

"And where do we come on?" Zeref asked as the two turned to look at her.

"I want Ruby Rose dead, but Salem says I can't touch her." The Maiden replied before pointing her weapon at Zeref. "You want your experiment back." She then pointed it at Nui and Ardyn. "And you two have no obligation to follow anyones orders." She meted her weapon before standing up. "Help me get to Atlas and get the Relic, help me find her and I'll help you all get what you want."

"How do you know what I want?" Nui asked.

"Same here." Ardyn added

"You just want to have a little fun." Cinder replied to the blonde. "I'm fairly certain that can happen with Ruby's little friends. And as for you-" She turned to the older man. "I recognize your name. You're related to a great Huntsman, aren't you? I bet you want to step out of his shadow. This will let you do that."

Nui smiled and stepped forward before turning back to Zeref and Ardyn. The two stood there for a moment before walking forward and the four shook hands. Cinder turned to leave, but Zeref pulled her back in. "Betray us, and I will make you my next project." He whispered into her ear before walking away.

Cinder smiled as she stepped in stride with the two. 'Finally, I'm working with someone with a back bone.'

Salem's Realm

Emerald sat on the floor as Mercury practiced his kicks. "I. HATE. Being kept in the dark like this." She complained.

"Yeah." Mercury nodded, throwing a punch. "Cinder might have been a pain, but she at least kept us informed."

He went back to the shadow fighting as Emerald turned to him. "Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"No matter my answer, you're gonna ask me." He replied before doing a scissor kick.

"Why did you come with us?" Mercury stopped mid-kick and turned to the thief. "The night Cinder and I found you, after you burned your house and killed your father?"

Mercury turned away and shrugged. "It just made sense."

"It just made sense?" She repeated in confusion.

"My whole life, my father trained me to be a killer." He explained. "Just another assassin like him. And moments after I killed him, you two showed up with looking for someone with my skills." The assassin's son delivered a spin kick. "Just seemed like it needed to be." An axe kick finished his route as he threw some punches in excitement.

"That's it?" Emerald asked, standing up. "There has to be something you want out of this."

Mercury stared at her in disbelief before speaking up. "Salem has promised us the world. We win this for her, we'll be top dogs. What more could you want?"

"It's just..." She mumbled, looking at the floor. "Cinder was the only family I ever had. She cared about me, taught me things... But without her... I don't know if what we're doing-"

"Just wake up already." Mercury interrupted. "Cinder never cared about either of us."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Emerald shouted back.

Mercury stared at the girl before chuckling a bit. "You're in denial. If you're gonna start have a crisis of identity or some crap like that, tthen keep me out of it."

Emerald growled in anger before charging. She threw a series of punches before missing a spin kick. She jumped and threw fist down, only for Mercury to catch her wrist. "I'm sorry you never had a mommy who loved you, but I had a father who hated me." He pushed the girl back and walked to her, forcing her to fight.

"I never had an easy day in my life. Training was more like a beating, and when I unlocked my Semblance, he stole it with his!" He threw a fist hard and fast, making Emerald flinch in fear. "'This is a crutch'." A kick forced her to duck. "'This makes you weak'. He told me I could have it back if I was strong enough."

The two circled each other as they glared into each others eyes. "So I got strong, but I never got it back! I've had to work harder than anyone else on this planet to get where I am. So you may not like it here without Cinder, but I know I'm right where I belong."

The two circled back and forth before a sinister laugh caught their attention. "Oh yes, the world's mean. And I'm a big bad man now, just like all the others."

Mercury growled before he marched over to Tyrian. "How long have you been standing there!?" Mercury reached the Faunus, who merely kicked him to the ground and then stood over him, his cyber tail pointed at his face.

"Shush..." Tyrian chuckled out as he looked up at Emerald, his tail dripping venom. "I want to tell you both a secret. Your question is all wrong... What you want from this?" He chuckled again before looking down at Mercury. "If you're not loving what you're doing, then this is the wrong field for you."

"So what?" Emerald asked back. "Are we just supposed to leave?"

The Faunus instantly looked up and laughed, shaking his hands. "No, no, no. You can't just do that."

"Then what did you come here for?" Mercury asked, turning his head to avoid drop the of poison.

Tyrian looked down and smirked. "To say farewell." He stood up and the tail left his face. "There's been a change of plans. Her Grace must act swiftly to ensure our victory. If General Ironwood comes to his senses and calls upon Vaccuo for assistance, all will be lost for us. So, the good doctor and I are being sent to Atlas to prepare."

"Prepare for-"

"TYRIAN." All three turned to the doorway and found Watts standing down the hall. "It's time."

The killer stepped away from Mercury and twirled around, his tail wrapping around his waist. "Do what makes you happiest children. I'm begging you." He walked out of the room, leaving the two teens alone.

Cinder walked out into an open plain, wearing a new left eyepatch that has straps that run both above and below her right eye. She sported a black tank top and shorts that are mostly covered with a black shoulder cape worn over her left arm, all of them having gold trimmings. Her blue feather accessory now sat over the right side of her chest. She also had a black and gold band over white bandages, a black band on her right wrist, a glove over her left arm, covering her Shadow Hand, black knee-high laced heeled boots and she also retains her two earrings from her previous attire.

She walked out with a smile as an Atlas Airship landed in the clearing, painted black instead of white. The side door opened and Zeref and Ardyn stood there, smiles on their faces. "You're sure we can get into Atlas with this?" Cinder asked.

"You'd be surprised how many people in the Atlas Military disagree with me over Ironwood." Zeref chuckled. "His neurotic behavior and restrictions on what can be done have herded many to my side. I've instructed them to infiltrate various parts of the military. But we must leave now, as their shift only lasts so long."

"And you're sure SHE can get us there in one piece?" Cinder asked, looking at Nui in the pilot seat.

"You might not think it, but she is one of the best pilots in all of Remnant." Ardyn chuckled. "She can get us there in no time."

Cinder smirked as she walked forward to the ship. "You know, a long time ago, someone once asked if I believe in destiny." She held out her hands and the two men inside pulled her up. "I can safely say that I still do." She declared, sharing an evil smile with the two as the ship took off.

Salem's Realm

Mercury stared out of the window of the destroyed meeting hall, his eyes wide in horror. "Mercury..." Emerald called out, but the teen didn't even flinch as she walked over. "I just wanted to say I-" She finally reached him and saw what he did, making her eyes go wide as well. "What is she..."

"There's an old saying." Both looked over to see Hazel walking forward to them. "If you want something done right-" Salem stood over a sludge pool and waved her hands, before three clawed digits ripped out of the goo. "Do it yourself."

The hand pulled itself out of the sludge before the goop fell off. Roman pulled himself out, the feather in his hat flowing much longer than before. A large white mask of his emblem covered his face, the left eye covered by orange hair. The collar on his jacket was permanently raised up as his clothing gained a jagged edge to it.

His left arm was a claw with black skin and spike going up the forearm. The feet were now talons and hunched as he raised his right arm. The cane and arm had fused together, a black three pronged clawed wrapped around it as he roared to the sky, black wings ripping out of the clothing.

Goddamn, this was extremely dark. Jamming all this into one chapter will have that effect. And for the record, this take place during the entire volume 6 with RWBY and company.

Yep, adding more characters from the other franchises into this story. And we are starting off strong, if I do say so. Zeref, Nui and Ardyn are all coming to Atlas with Cinder. And it's going to be a lot of fun. Add in a vengeful Roman getting an upgrade to kill Ruby and her friends; I'm just adding gasoline to an already burning fire. Hope it doesn't burn me too.

See ya next time for Volume 7.

Beta read by The ExcadrillComics