Here we are again, let's keep the streak going!

Beta: CrowSkull

Destiny Fated Black

Chapter 27

You know, I've never really regretted what I did just then. I couldn't because it had to be done. If I wished that I never did it, then I'd have to regret everything else I did. Which, as you can imagine extends into a far longer list… And in order to keep to certain promises, I couldn't let myself feel bad for what I did. In the end, it was necessary, and it's how I was able to get myself to where I am today, right here in this chair...

Emerald's head pounded as her darkening vision slowly cleared up more and more. Red eyes cracked open, and the pain immediately reminded her that it was there. She winced and wished that she'd never woken up in the first place for a moment, for her concern for where she was and why she was in pain overcame her instinct to simply stay asleep. Her vision scanned the room, but it was too dark for her to make anything out just yet. Trying to move brought more pain to her arms and legs. Something pulled against them and ground against her wrists, biceps, ankles, and knees. At first, she panicked. She's been caught, she had to escape, to get back to Cinder and- that's when it hit her. Police and huntsmen wouldn't tie her up like this, they wouldn't just leave her in the dark with no one watching her. Only that in the back of her mind, she knew that there was someone in the dark looking at her.

No, she wasn't alone. Couldn't be. The most recent events flowed back into her mind like a tidal wave. She was supposed to go find Marcus after he tipped them off that the assassins found him and Neo, but they'd been betrayed. Marcus used it as a cover to take out the leader of the assassins. And before she could escape, Neo took her down.

Her eyes got more and more used to the dark and as natural, she was able to start to make out her surroundings. Or more specifically, a tall broad figure lazily sitting in a seat in front of her, watching her with black eyes and wavy chin-length white hair in a messy style still a little wet with sweat from the earlier battle. She stared at him and felt anger boiling up from inside her, but she bit her tongue so that she didn't say anything rude. Marcus was the one pointing the gun at her, and she was tied up and still empty in the aura department. She was completely at his mercy.

"About time you woke up," Marcus commented. "I was afraid that Neo might have hit you a little too hard back then, luckily I know a bit of first aid myself, so you're welcome for that."

She didn't even realize she had bandages wrapped around the back of her head and forehead. "I didn't think you'd care that much about me mister master assassin." She replied, voice dripping in spite.

"Oh, I definitely consider you a friend," Marcus surprised her with the complete and genuine honesty in his voice. It might have been because she was tired and beaten, but she couldn't detect a hint of a lie there. "Have I told you that you remind me of my son? Mercury? Man, you two would have hated each other." He laughed fondly at a distant memory.

"You killed your son." Emerald pointed out.

Marcus' smile didn't fade away, though his head hung down slightly. "Yeah. I did kill him."

"I don't like the thought of you comparing me to him then…"

"I don't blame you," Marcus continued. "Anyway, let's not open up that can of worms. Might as well not get into that when this is going to be the last time we ever talk to each other."

Emerald's heart froze, though she forced herself to keep her composure. "Are you going to kill me?"

Marcus laughed. "I might as well be with what I am about to do to you." He stood up and made his way to her, Emerald grit her teeth and tried to push herself back, but she felt chills run up and down her spine when a pair of hands settled down on her shoulders and forced her to sit still. Looking up, she saw that it was Neo who was keeping her still. She smiled down at her tauntingly, just daring her to try anything like using her semblance or try to break free. She knew that she could only use it on one person at a time without knocking herself out, she'd be dead the moment she tried anything.

"Don't make this difficult for me, Grass," Marcus said as he pulled up a small table and set it up in front of her. He leaned over said table and stared at her, his previously kind expression turned cold as he looked down at her. "Tell me everything you know about Cinder, and I promise I'll make it quick." He set his gun down on the table in front of her. "Just one bullet to the head. No pain, no suffering. Just whatever happens when you die."

"I won't betray her!" Emerald snarled. "Do whatever you want to me, I am not going to go back against everything she's ever done for me!"

Marcus scoffed at her. Scoffed. She felt sick to feel his breath on her face and didn't show any fear as he picked up his gun and loaded a single bullet into the chamber. "Either way, I am going to kill her one way or another." He pulled out a scroll from his pocket and set it down in front of her. What she saw was the main international news channel for Remnant as a whole. The main topic that was being talked about, not only in Vale but in other kingdoms as well, was about the organization. The organization that she and Cinder helped Marcus destroy after being fooled into accidentally working together with the forces of Atlas and Huntsmen of Vale.

In Vale, they have been completely rooted out and destroyed, or at least that was how the news told it. Most likely there were still plenty of stragglers still in Vale. Not every assassin was in that base all at the same time, there was just no way that was the case. But even then, what could they do? The news that Marcus killed the leader was already one of the main discussions of the topic. If he could kill the leader, then why would they even try? The assassins are mostly full of cowards who simply carry out their contracts, but wouldn't trade their life for all the lien in the world. Right now, for an unspecified amount of time, until the rest of the organization catches wind of this and try and do something about Marcus, he was completely untouchable by them.

"No one can stop me right now," Marcus boasted. "The organization just lost half of their influence and power after the little bug I put in their system prevented them from sending over any of their data or equipment and even if they do want to do something about me they'd be more worried about staying hidden. Give it a few years and they might become a problem again, but right now?" He spread his arms out to the sides, smiling widely as he did so. "Not even Ozpin or Ironwood are going to be able to do much about me. Not when they have other things to worry about, like a certain fallen maiden you and I know mutually."

"That's right," He continued when Emeralds face contorted with fear and realization. "That was part of the plan, right Neo?" Behind her, she could imagine Neo was nodding her head. "Cinder is the one to be revealed running things around here and is the holder of the rest of the maiden powers. Which subsequently then revealed that you are not to be trusted as well. And since you both supposedly came from Haven…"

Marcus swiped at the screen and an entirely new case popped up on the screen. Emerald read it with wide red eyes, unable to stop herself.

"Corrupted Headmaster of Haven Academy Leonardo Lionheart under investigation for falsifying official student records for terrorists Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Neopolitan." It read. It went into more detail, but she didn't get the chance to read the rest of it when the scroll automatically dimmed and shut off its screen.

"It was a hot take at first, but it made sense after I thought about it." Marcus went on. "I thought it was a little too easy for you and Cinder to just walk into Beacon without so much as a thorough background check for two people that seemingly popped out of nowhere. Didn't think it would be this juicy though." He laughed. "When I saw Ozpin's angry face on the news as he had to make a statement about it. Man, that was one of the best laughs of my life."

"You're not going to get away with this," Emerald snapped at him. "Cinder will find a way to get back at you for this! She's strong, smart, and she has allies! If you think for a second that-" She clicked her mouth shut, realizing that she walked right into his trap when he smiled smugly at her.

"I already figured that much out after I met Salem herself," Marcus said. "Terrifying woman, I wouldn't want to get anywhere near her if I can help it. But I do know of a Watts… he was the one to make that virus that's in the CCT, right?" Emerald refused to answer him. "Makes sense, I looked into it myself you know. I have some computer skills that I picked up over the years and that is one nasty piece of data Watts made up. Millions upon millions of packets, terabytes of invisible nearly undetectable little bugs. I won't bore you with something you don't understand and the point I'm trying to make is that I can see what you wanted to do with that. With Atlas currently occupying Vale, it's not hard to imagine the kind of chaos you can cause if you made another breach and shut down all of their tech. Or worse, turn it against everyone."

"Just get it over with," Emerald glared at him. "Are you going to keep bragging needlessly or are you going to kill me already? Or start torturing me? I didn't peg you for the type to drag things out and make me suffer."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't have to handle that myself." He chuckled. "I just wanted to have one last chat with you. Level it out with you and be completely honest. I mean, what did you expect when you found me standing over the dead body of my own son? If I'm capable of that, then why would you think I wouldn't betray you at some point?"

"Because you needed us?" Emerald guessed. "You had nowhere else to go, and Cinder liked you and admired your skills."

"Enough to be afraid of me?" Marcus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Enough to not underestimate you." Emerald corrected.

"Hmph, I guess that makes sense," Marcus thought for a moment, nodded his head, and then continued. "That's why you and she wanted me dead, isn't it? Roman too, you knew he wasn't loyal, knew that he'd betray you someday to get out of your grasp. Since you two were afraid of me at the same time. Why not get rid of two risks with one little message to Ozpin? Kill two birds with one stone as the saying goes."

"That wasn't us!" Emerald screamed. "Cinder was worried for you! She wanted you back, and was even willing to throw away everyone we helped her recruit in order to do that! You can't seriously believe that was us? Do you?"

"Of course, I don't."

Emerald suddenly became confused. "W-what? Then why… I don't…"

"Grass, I knew you and Cinder weren't the ones who betrayed me," Marcus said as he patted her on the head gently as if she was a young girl far out of her league. That analogy wasn't that far off from the reality of her situation. "It was Anon and the organization. They've wanted me dead ever since I told them I wanted me and my family out. They were the ones who tried to get me killed, not you two idiots. C'mon Em, I thought you knew I was smarter than that, I was the one who came up with the idea to beat the shit out of you so that Qrow would think that you were just some silly victim and bring you right to Beacon."

"..."

"Yup. I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but I really did have a lot of great plans, didn't I? I mean, I managed to recruit everyone Cinder wanted me to pretty quickly and knew how to deal with all of them. I managed to escape not one, not two, but three ambushes, one of which was when I was out of aura and on my last legs. And yet still people keep trying to fuck with me. Not to mention I have Neo as an ally now, and now I know more about you and Cinder than I really need to."

"And that's not even the end of it." To make his point, Marcus moved his gun and scroll and gestured for Neo to come out from behind her. She skipped around her and placed something down on the table before her. It was another scroll, turned away from her for the time being, and looked deactivated.

"What is this?" Emerald had to ask.

"Another one of my master plans," Marcus said with a sigh. "I just got you to confess to enough crimes to land you in prison for thirty lifetimes on a Livestream."

"What!?" Emerald jerked and tried to get out of her seat, but Neo kicked her back into it and knocked the entire thing over. She landed hard on the ground and was stunned. With another resigned sigh, Marcus picked her back up and slammed her back in place. Putting the scroll back down in front of her while Neo forced her to stay still. Marcus then turned the scroll on, and with tearful eyes, Emerald looked at the live recording of herself with a red circle in the upper right corner. And a live chat that was going crazy insulting her, revealing her, and some even went as far as to track that scroll down right now. She could also imagine that this Livestream was also being transmitted to all of Vale, and by extension, Ozpin, and Ironwood. "No, no, Marcus don't do this to me!" She cried out, finally realizing what Marcus was going to do. Or rather, what he wasn't going to do. "Just kill me and get it over with!"

"Sorry, can't do that," Marcus said with a sad smirk. "I gotta gain some public favor somehow, right? I won't change anyone's minds about me, but this is bound to stir some drama. Ain't that right guys?" He looked into the camera after stepping into view from behind her. "I'm pretty sure I don't even have to set a beacon on this scroll for you guys to find this place. Well, here she is. One of the accomplices of Cinder Fall and trust me, she has a lot more information then even I know. I just don't have the time and energy to force it out of her. I mean, I just got out of that third ambush a only a few hours ago.."

"Stop it!" Emerald shouted at him. Marcus winced and Neo came into view and forced tape onto her mouth. Turning her cries for him to kill her into muffled moans and screams.

"Oh, and this one is for you, Cinder." Marcus continued as he stared into the camera, ignoring Emeralds pleas for him to stop. "I'm done working for you, I'm done killing for you. I'm done pretending to be someone that I'm not. Sleep with one eye open, because I am going to find you, and I am going to kill you. Until that happens though, to everyone else in the chat and to all of Vale and the visiting kingdoms from beyond, happy Vytal Festival!"

Marcus looked to Neo and they shared a nod. They left Emerald behind with the scroll still recording and they ignored her muffled cries for them to come back and end it. She shook and tried to escape, but with no aura and without her weapons, there was no escape for her. She might be able to free herself if she was left alone for about half an hour to recover some of her aura, but she didn't have half an hour. He doubted that she even had ten minutes. Marcus spared one last look into Emeralds red eyes before he left the room, and as she tried to call out for him, he raised two fingers to his forehead and waved them at her.

"For what its worth, I really am going to feel bad about this. Just a little bit." He turned his back to her. "Good luck, Grass. Thanks for keeping me company. Goodbye." He slammed the door shut behind him and Neo grabbed his hand, using her semblance and moving them out of what was going to very soon be a hot soon. He didn't know if Cinder was going to try and save Emerald herself, but he didn't want to risk it. He knew there was going to be a possibility since there were some plans to have Emerald use her semblance on some people during the tournament to cause a storm in the media, so that was enough reason in itself for him to get the hell out of there.

And just like that Emerald wasn't going to be a problem anymore. He wanted to get rid of her quickly because her illusionary semblance was going to be annoying and potentially fatal going up against if someone was helping her fight him. Luckily, he took no risks and stole it before she woke up. He doubted that she even felt it since she was knocked out at the time. But she'd figure it out in time, and when that time came, it would already be too late.

Neo patted him on the arm and comforted him. Which was reciprocated by wrapping an arm around her shoulders in the closest he'd ever come to hugging her or anyone. He wasn't lying when he said he felt a little bad for Emerald there, he just sentenced her to spend the rest of her life in a maximum-security prison and he really did think of her as a distant friend even if there were only that close because of their association with Cinder. She was also his late son's age, so that dug up some locked away memories for a few moments there. It wasn't like anything was ever going to come out of that anyway, Emerald was loyal to Cinder and only loyal to Cinder. If she could, she would have given him up in a heartbeat. It didn't make it any easier like he thought it might, but at least there were some fond memories like them going out to recruit idiots like Rox, Junior, and then Tenne.

He was going to forget her soon enough, there were more important things to worry about than feeling bad for a girl that spent her entire life fighting and making people's lives harder.

The Vytal Festival was drawing near, and he had even more plans to make. When Neo moved them again with her semblance he immediately went on to his little makeshift desk in the corner of the room and went to planning. He had two days until the tournament started. Just two. It was not enough time at all, but he had to work with what he had. Behind him, Neo leaned over his shoulder and pressed her chest against his back, watching and presumably taking mental notes. She meant nothing by it, of course, and even if she did he was far too distracted to even notice it. She was the best friend he'd ever had so far though, even if she was only with him because Roman told her to before he died, he enjoyed spending time with her when they did.

'I knew you could do it…' Her voice taunted him once more. 'I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.' Over and over again, really, even dead and just a lingering fragment of a soul, Summer never changed. He scoffed at the thought and ignored the other voices of countless other souls that plagued his mind.

It was time to get shit done. He started making links with what knowledge he had on the White Fang, Cinder, Ozpin, Ironwood, Beacon, and even Salem. Then started to prepare for multiple possible outcomes. Sadly enough, all of them always included Beacon being up in flames.

All of them ended with him against Cinder one way or another as well.

Cinder caused the scroll in her hands to explode due to her flames reaching her hands and she threw the destroyed thing against the wall and roared in anger. All of the White Fang terrorists that were in the room with her shuffled out of the room nervously, all except their leader, and Tenne. Cinder screamed again and her eyes lit aflame. Cursing Marcus and everything he stood for, she only calmed down when she realized that she was creating more of a ruckus than she really intended. Taking a deep breath, she massaged her temples and forced herself to calm down.

"I've lost Torchwick, I've lost Emerald, and now my greatest ally has betrayed me." She said with barely restrained anger. "If either of you have any plans to betray me as well, do not think that I will show you mercy. Because obviously, I have been too gentle in my enforcing."

"You have nothing to worry about from me," Adam said in a bored tone. "As long as our goals align, you can trust me and my White Fang to stay by your side. I will also be more than willing to go after Marcus Black myself if needs be." He tightened his grip on his sword and growled. "I have a bone to pick with him after he stole my vengeance. I'll make sure he suffers for it."

"Don't be so foolish, Taurus," The only reason Tenne was able to get away with such insults was because she was a faunus as well, and used that to her full advantage. "Marcus Black would wipe the floor with you and still have enough energy to kill me."

"Which is why you won't be going by yourself," Cinder spoke over the two of them. Turning around to face them after she recovered from her outburst of anger. "Adam, you will get the vengeance you desire, but you should know what you won't be able to enact it all by yourself."

With an angry scowl, Adam nodded his head in understanding.

"Which is why I am going to call in an ally," Cinder continued. "Someone who is distasteful and obnoxious, but necessary and close enough and will listen to me with no hesitation if it meant pleasing her. And he is close in the outskirts of Vale as we speak."

"How long will it take this man to arrive?" Tenne asked in a hiss.

"No longer than a day with his speed." Cinder replied. "And don't you worry Adam, I know how you are reluctant to work with humans. This man is a faunus as well just like yourself."

"Hmph, that will make things much more tolerable," Adam said with a nod. "Who is he?"

"He will introduce himself when he arrives," Cinder explained. "He always liked handling his own introductions. I shall not rob that of him just this one time. Together, you two will go out to hunt Marcus Black down and together, you shall kill him and that little pest Neo. I want them both gone and out of my life. If you bring me their heads, I'll even put a reward in it for you."

"I'll consider it," Adam said quietly. "I have to go and make sure my men aren't too worried about the news. The plan continues as normal, correct?"

"With Emerald gone, there will be some minor changes." Cinder pointed out. "I will call you and update you on what those changes will be soon tomorrow. Do be prepared Adam, things are bound to get hectic quite soon."

"I'll keep that in mind." Adam left the room and shut the door gently behind him. Leaving the two women alone with each other. Cinder looked to Tenne, and Tenne quickly made it clear what her position was. Bowing her head softly, she submitted to her before Cinder even had to try.

"I am still by your side, Lady Cinder. I am not one to surrender loyalty for the illusion of freedom so easily. I may admire Marcus for his skills and strength, but that does not mean that I will follow in his footsteps." Tenne explained.

"I certainly hope not." Cinder said with a hum. Then sighed. "I think that I always knew that Marcus would someday betray me. But I didn't think it would be this soon. I always thought it would be months, maybe years before he got the courage."

"I believe it was the assassins that pushed him too far," Tenne spoke. "If I am able to share my opinion…"

"Go on," Cinder waved a hand toward her to continue.

"I won't pretend that I've known you and Marcus on a personal level, but I have heard much about the latter on more than one occasion. Before I formed my family, or gang as the humans call it, I was a member of the White Fang. I was a decently high ranking officer, and I was there when Sienna Khan herself hired Marcus for a contract some years ago to assassinate some Schnee businessmen and associates. I was also told never to trifle with the man, and not even Sienna would dare to refuse him."

"I don't see how this is relevant just yet." Cinder said.

"It is because I believe Marcus is both a man of professionalism, and also a man of pride and care. Of course, this is meant to be taken with a desert of salt, but the greed for money isn't and cannot be the only motivation required for someone to take on the contracts that Marcus did. It is well known that he used to be a student of Beacon, no?" Cinder nodded her head in agreement. "I then theorize that the huntsman that he was trained to be never left him in the first place. He was always the same man, just forced into a role he didn't believe he could escape. Until now, that is."

"Because now there is no organization for him to worry about right now," Cinder continued for her. "There is no one stopping him from being free. If he really wanted freedom, he would have left Vale already. I wouldn't chase him, and like he just said, it'd be years before the organization can regain the footing they once had on the world."

Tenne nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed. He's staying for a purpose. And that purpose is to stop you, and kill you."

"Then the only way to approach this is for him to die." Cinder said in a decisive turn. "I can kill him if he comes at me, but…" She looked around the hideout she and the rest of the White Fang were hiding in. There were windows, dozens of potential entry points, and the main bulk of the White Fang were all volunteers, not soldiers. If a huntsman with stealth training found them, or worse, if a master assassin like Marcus or Neo found them. She didn't like the thought of being killed in her sleep. She knew there was no honor in the way they fought. If they found her sleeping, she couldn't defend herself.

Her lack of explanation in verbal words was enough for Tenne to understand what was going through her mind. They weren't safe there, not when they were being hunted by huntsmen, specialist, and now two master ranked assassins. One wrong move, just falling asleep at the wrong time, and they would find themselves dead before they could realize it.

"I'll tell my men to create a secure hideout for you." Tenne said, catching Cinder's attention. "They are smart, and unlike these idiots in the White Fang, I make them train regularly at least two hours a day or more. At the very least, they would be able to alarm you to an incoming threat before it could catch you on guard."

"How can I trust you?" Cinder asked, not in a spiteful way. Tenne understood why. Just mere hours ago she'd been betrayed and now just lost Emerald.

"Because I keep to my word," Tenne explained. "And we have a deal. There is more to gain for me working with you then it is to betray you. I am a wanted terrorist myself now, you've seen the news. Even if I were to stop working with you, where would I go? My home is in Vale, and the underworld is my new plaything now that Torchwick is out of the picture. As long as we have mutual benefits, you can count on me." She chose her words carefully, and decided to be honest to a fault. "I simply have no reason to betray you."

Cinder stared at her for a good long while, thinking, wondering if she should believe her words. She couldn't trust in them, they'd only been working for mere weeks after all. But she could tell that they were genuine. She always prided herself on being an excellent judge of character, and in Tenne, she could see a woman who was similar to herself. Thirsty for power, and willing to do anything to get it. Well, almost anything in her case. But it was close enough.

"Very well," Cinder said with a nod of her head. "I will entrust you and your men to find someplace for me to think and finalize plans for the better part of the rest of this week. You have eighteen hours, do not keep me waiting for long."

Tenne smiled, satisfied with Cinder's agreement.

"As you wish, my lady."

And now an old-ish character officially makes her way to a potential threat. Interestingly enough, I originally going to have Tenne get killed early on or captured during the raid, but after a talk with my beta, we decided that it would be better if she stayed around a little longer. At least until things start to get a little more… hectic. Make of that what you will.

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