No real notes to give. Have fun!
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 21 – Mutton to see
Blake's back pressed against hard, unyielding metal.
"I'm not here for him," the dark figure before her whispered. His eyes flashed crimson in the dark, highlighting his body, naked from the waist up. The red light from the burning warehouse flashed off his skin, slick from sweat and the rigours of their heated combat. He took a step forward, and the wall behind her prevented her doing the same.
"Who are you here for, then?" she asked. Her hand fell to Gambol Shroud but his caught her wrist before she could attack. She gasped as her hand slammed back against the container, pinned beneath his. He'd covered the distance in a fraction of a second.
His hot breath washed over her neck. "I think you know."
She was trapped. His body prevented her escape, and with one hand locked against his, she had no hope. His tentacles spread out on either side of him. One brushed up her leg. She bit down on her tongue. "I'll never surrender," she said. "Not to you."
"Really?" He leaned forward and ran his lips against her throat. Her eyes clenched shut, even as her body shivered. "Are you so sure, Blake? I can do so many things to you, after all."
All other words stopped with a gasp as he pressed his teeth against her throat, marking her. Claiming her. Gambol Shroud fell from frozen fingers as he gripped her other hand and linked that above her too. Soon a tentacle wrapped around them both, pinning her, and all of a sudden, his hands were on her hips, her stomach, her body. She was helpless to stop him.
She gasped at every tender torture.
"How do you know my name?" she managed through a haze. Her amber eyes met his red as he pulled back. There was something in his too, a something familiar, equally primal in its ferocity.
And all of it was aimed at her.
"Isn't it obvious, Blake?" he asked, cupping her cheek and making her breath hitch once more as he leaned ever closer. "I'm here for the most beautiful. I'm here for the most amazing. I'm here for the most dangerous threat to my plans, and to make sure she never wants to be that again."
She shivered as he leaned closer, until his mouth was by her ear.
"I'm here… for boop."
Eh?
"Boop. Boop. Boop!"
Wait, what?
"BOOP-BOOP-BOOP-"
The world vanished in an instant, replaced by the ceiling of her dorm room, and the incessant looping of her scroll, set to its alarm function. Her hand snapped out automatically, silencing it. A long sigh escaped her. It looked like Nora stole her scroll and changed her alarm tone into something more annoying. Again. She'd likely been the one to set the alarm too, all part of her typical jokes.
Damn it, couldn't she have waited just thirty more minutes?
It took a second to take in the real world. She was in bed, in her dorm, arms wrapped around Mr Tentacles, the stuffed toy she'd won. One of his aforementioned limbs was trapped between her legs, and she glared at it in the dark as though it were all its fault. Stupid thing. Blake stretched her arms, and a part of her mind imagined she could still feel them pinned above her. The thought sent pleasant tingling all the way down her body. Thinking about an enemy like that… well, she'd always had a thing for dangerous men.
It's just a harmless fantasy, she thought. There's no harm in it. Given real life, she'd have fought with all her strength, but what harm was there in indulging within the confines of her own mind? Now if only she could have indulged all the way to the finish. That would have been nice.
"I'm not here for him."
She could still remember those words. Those hadn't existed only within her dreams, but also in person. They taunted her, haunted her… occasionally excited her, but mostly it was the first two. He'd fought alongside the White Fang, after all. If he had an alliance with them, it might spell bad news. And since when did Adam ally himself with actual monsters? Since when do Grimm ally with anything?
Those were questions for another time. Perhaps if she saw him again, she might pose it – either Hentacle or Adam. And if he was there for her…? Well, she would have to see in what way he meant. The others seemed to think he was there for Jaune, but if that were the case, then how did Hentacle know her name?
Why had he harmed his companions – people he'd evacuated to safety – just to protect her? It didn't add up. If she weren't his target, he'd have left her to die or killed her himself. He'd done neither, and had in fact done quite the opposite.
Much like in Forever Fall, where he'd let her go unharmed. Well, relatively unharmed but for her ego.
Her arms came back down, her body sufficiently stretched. Her toes curled beneath the sheets, a luxurious sigh escaping her. The signs of her dream hung on her still. Mostly the sweat which beaded on her skin, the flushed tone of it, and perhaps the satisfied smile on her face. One thing was for sure. She was glad her team would never know. She rolled onto her side.
And stared into a face not three inches from her own.
"So," Nora said, elbows on Blake's bed, shit-eating grin on her face, "who you dreaming of?"
/-/
Jaune fought back a yawn as they finished breakfast in the cafeteria. It was earlier than he was used to, than any of them were used to, but none of them had been able to get back to sleep after the screaming, shouting and general pandemonium in the room next to theirs woke them up. On what caused it, Team RYBN were tight-lipped. Ren just mixed his tea with a bland expression, the kind that said he wasn't home and that any attempt at conversation would be met with silence.
Nora was in her own world too, but this one seemed more cheerful, for she giggled occasionally and rubbed her hands together. Yang alternated between yawning, staring at Blake and missing her mouth with her cereal. Blake? Well, she kept her face buried in a book.
It was rather red, though.
"I hope this isn't going to be a common occurrence," Weiss said. Her own attempt at intimidation was ruined by the tired look she wore.
"It won't be," Yang sighed. "Because if it is, I'll kill my team first."
"Tired…" Ruby whined. Her head slumped on the table.
"You could always sleep on Jaune's shoulder."
"Yang… go away…"
"Ouch." Yang chuckled and dug a fork into her grapefruit. It disapproved and spat in her face. "Ugh. Even my food is turning on me. Please tell me we have Grimm Studies first. I need more sleep."
"We have combat with Miss Goodwitch," Pyrrha helpfully supplied.
Everyone groaned.
"Bah. I don't know what they're all whining about. You'd think they never lost any sleep before."
"Remy, you sleep inside me most of the day."
"So…?" Remy managed to somehow sound defensive. "It's not the same thing. Besides, I like combat class."
Yeah, because the parasite got his jollies from watching humans beat each other up for fun. Jaune refrained from getting into the argument, though. Being half-Grimm did a lot of things for him, but immunity to tiredness wasn't one of them. It was a Monday too, which only made the whole thing suck the worse. Their last weekend hadn't exactly been a relaxing one, what with the docks, Torchwick, burning warehouses and such.
"Hey, Jaune…" Yang waited for him to grunt and look up before she continued. "Not to worry you or anything, but are you aware that Cardin keeps looking over like, every ten seconds or so?"
"Is he?" Jaune turned around in his seat, and just caught the other guy's white face. He stared for a few seconds, waiting to see if he looked back. He watched the other boy's stiff shoulders, the way he shivered, and how he seemed able to feel Jaune's eyes on him.
Cardin rose from his seat, picked up his food, and then scurried out of the cafeteria. His team followed after him, shooting their table nervous looks.
"Okaaaaay…" Yang tilted her head. "What was that about? He looked terrified of you."
"Ah, I suppose he's worried I'll do something to him." He noticed the odd looks he was receiving from those around the table, and explained. "Not anything bad. We're in a prank war at the moment, and he already pulled one on me. It's my turn and well, I think he's really into it. That or he has high expectations for what I'll do."
Weiss snorted. "A prank war? How juvenile. Should you really be wasting your time on this? With Cardin, of all people?"
"I have to agree with Weiss," Pyrrha said. "I thought he hated you."
"I thought he wanted you," Yang joked. She went ignored.
"That's the point," Jaune said. He smiled for them and gestured to himself. "I kind of have to get involved in this. It's childish, I agree, but it's a peace offering. If Cardin and I can sort out our differences with something like this, then isn't it worth trying?"
"Pranks are pretty harmless," Ren mused. "Certainly, it's a more acceptable activity than him stripping down your underwear in front of the entire class."
Most of the girl's flushed and looked away at that, which was pretty damn ironic. Wasn't it his right to feel embarrassed? He'd been exposed to his teacher, for crying out loud! "That's kind of the point," he mumbled. "I'd rather avoid things getting worse between us. I'm not even sure what could be worse than that, but I don't want to find out."
"That idiot…" Weiss sighed and shook her head. "Well, I can't disagree with that notion. I suppose it's as you say, a better manner of diplomacy than leaving things be. I can't find fault with it, even if it is a little beneath you."
Weiss was okay with it? Jaune's shoulders relaxed a little, and a smile spread across his face. "Thanks, Weiss. I'll try not to let it involve the team or anything."
Weiss looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
"I can help if you want," Ruby said. "I'm pretty good at pranks."
"Can confirm," Yang sighed. "She's also good at running away from much-deserved punishment."
Ruby stuck her tongue out at her sister.
Did he want Ruby to help? Would that be against the rules? He wouldn't say no to a little assistance, but he didn't want to drag everyone else in. If he used Ruby, Cardin might use his team, then Weiss and Pyrrha would be caught in the crossfire. He wasn't sure if Pyrrha would find that funny or not, but there wasn't much doubt on which side of the fence Weiss stood.
Cardin might not survive her ire.
"I wouldn't mind your help on the ideas," he said carefully. "I don't want him to know you're involved, though. He might think it cheating."
"I wonder why," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Perhaps because it would be?"
"All's fair in love and war, Weiss." Ruby said.
Yang laughed. "With Cardin, it could be either of those. Isn't it an old stereotype that a bully gets the attention of the person they like with light bullying and pranks? Maybe this is his way of trying to be closer with you."
Well yeah… wasn't that what he'd already said? Why was Yang waggling her eyebrows suggestively? Whatever. He and Ruby could think up a prank later. He didn't want to leave it too long or Cardin might get upset and think he'd forgotten.
"He's more trouble than he's worth," Weiss sighed. "Well, either that or Jaune is." Her eyes narrowed. "It's hard to tell sometimes."
"Me? But I've not done anything!"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Some might disagree. Either way, so long as it's handled away from me, I'm fine with it. Just try to avoid anything that gets you in detention, please. We have a reputation to maintain."
The ringing of the bell interrupted his chance to reply. As one, and along with everyone else in the cafeteria, they rose from their seats and filed towards the doors. The arenas were in the west wing, an area opposite from the classrooms so that the noise wouldn't interfere with lectures. It was surrounded by changing rooms as well, though most arrived in uniform and only changed if they were called up. Personally, that felt a little inefficient, but Jaune had a suspicion Miss Goodwitch did it to avoid any accidents from the audience.
"I hope I don't get called up again," he said. "I'm still sore from that warehouse." Well, that and he wasn't keen for a repeat of being beaten by whomever he ended up against. He couldn't think of a single member of their two teams he could actually beat in a fair fight. Not without the use of his special abilities, anyway.
"I doubt you'll be called up," Pyrrha said, nudging her arm against his. "I think Miss Goodwitch will want to see everyone fight before she starts to make the same people do so again."
"Thank goodness…"
"Are you that worried?"
"Ah, well… my last performance wasn't exactly great."
Pyrrha hummed, but Miss Goodwitch arrived before they could continue. The stern woman strode up onto the stage. She began her lesson like she did each time, with a rundown of the rules, and a not-so-veiled threat of what would happen if they broke them. None of them interjected. They'd seen that mistake made already.
"Now, then," she said, once the rules were over. "Let's see who we shall have for the first fight. Do we have any volunteers? No?" She looked around, but it seemed no one was in the mood. An odd case, but maybe even Nora could be tired every now and then. "Very well. I shall select two from among you."
"Not me, not me, not me," he whispered.
"Ruby Rose."
Ruby perked up.
"And against her… how about one of our newer students. Cinder Fall, is it?"
Jaune's smile froze. Uh-oh.
"It is, ma'am," his Big Sis said, stepping forward and nodding her head towards the teacher. She didn't look angry. She had to keep her cover too. That meant she wouldn't go too far, right? Right!? She looked out over the crowd, and he waved slightly when she caught his eye. Cinder nodded back.
Wait, was that a `yes` nod, or a `I'll kill her` nod?
"Hey Ruby," he whispered, "maybe you should-"
Ruby was already gone.
/-/
Ruby wasn't normally so eager to fight.
She liked to, don't get her wrong, but that was more like her enjoying sparring and showing off Crescent Rose. This was different. She wanted to win. No, she needed to win. She just wasn't sure why.
Pyrrha and I never really figured out what the deal was with her, but she definitely has some kind of hold over Jaune. Ruby's eyes narrowed as she changed into her combat outfit and pulled out her beautiful weapon. Whether she's a gold digger or a potential fiancée, Jaune ran away from home and she followed. That means he ran away from HER, and probably for a reason.
That meant she was against them. This was her chance to not only prove herself, but also to defend her best friend's honour. She'd beat this woman, then make her tell the truth of why she came to Beacon. She'd stop this evil witch from enacting her dastardly plan!
"Well, not evil," she hedged, biting her lip. It was a bit unfair to go that far. Evil was bad. Like, the worst of bad. She didn't think this woman was that kind of evil, the kind like Grimm were. Just a little bit evil… more of a meanie.
It was an important distinction.
Ruby snapped her weapon into place, loading it and dragging it onto her back before she jogged back out into the arena. She grinned under the attention, waving to Yang and Jaune as she waited for her competitor to arrive.
She did so in style. Cinder Fall didn't jog out. Nor did she rush. She strode, or perhaps strutted. It was a sultry walk that caused her hips to sway and drew attention to her womanly curves. She had a lot of them, and that only served to highlight how few she had by comparison.
Ruby felt a spike of uncharacteristic jealousy. It didn't mean anything. So what if she had larger breasts, more curves, and longer legs? Did it matter that she wore a form-fitting crimson dress that hugged her body, or that her smooth and creamy legs drew the attention of every guy in the class? No. No, it didn't.
No matter how inadequate she felt. I shouldn't have come rushing out. That made me look immature. She didn't run. She looks calm and collected. Ruby did her best to hide her pout. She felt like a child. Looked like one too, probably. It wasn't fair.
Her fingers tightened around the haft of her scythe. She'd show them. She'd win this. It didn't matter if she was small and lithe, where this woman was tall and full-figured. It didn't matter if her face was cute and innocent, where Cinder's was dark and desirable. It definitely didn't bother her that most of the crowd whispered and stared at her opponent… with only her team to look at her.
It didn't bother her at all! She was just grinding her teeth together because she was excited.
Well, at least she had her team. Ruby turned to them with a smile, breathing a sigh of relief when they loudly cheered her name. Yang called for her to kick butt, Nora for her to break some legs, while even Pyrrha smiled confident. Weiss nodded too, a subtle show of companionship.
"You can do it, Ruby!" Jaune cheered.
"Ahem?" Cinder coughed loudly, then tilted her head in his direction.
"Ah… you can too, Cinder! Yeah. Go Ruby! Go Cinder!"
WHAT!?
Ruby's eyes burned. How dare this woman steal her teammate? That wasn't fair! Cinder had her own team to cheer her on. Jaune was on her team. He was hers! Cinder was trying to take him away. No. Forget it. She was evil. She was purest, evillest evil!
Cinder looked towards her, a mocking smile on her face. Her eyes did the same, looking down on her. Wasn't gold worth more than silver? Even the one thing that made her special couldn't seem to compete. It was unfair.
"Is something wrong, little girl?" Cinder asked, voice dripping with insincerity.
L-Little girl!?
"I-I'm not little," Ruby growled. She hated that it didn't sound as intimidating as she'd thought. "I'm fifteen!"
"Young girl, then. Is this fair?" Cinder looked towards the teacher. "It feels cruel of me to pick on someone so young."
Young, immature, little… Ruby didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she did the woman before her. She readied Crescent Rose, eyes begging Miss Goodwitch not to call the match off. She needn't have bothered. The teacher shook her head and stepped back, prepared to begin. Ruby swallowed. Her eyes narrowed. She had to win this. She just had to.
"Begin!"
Crescent Rose cut a pattern through the air as she dashed forward, as fast as she could, Semblance activated. She'd end it in one cut. That would show her! The blade tore down, aimed at her collarbone.
Cinder deflected it with the back of one hand, an elegant twirl that caused her skirt to flap and her hair to flutter behind her. It was enough to divert the scythe down and to the side. Worse, it even looked good.
Fine. Okay. It wouldn't be as easy as she thought, but that wasn't a problem. She circled around the older woman, weapon held before her. Cinder didn't have one of her own, but that didn't mean anything. She might fight like Yang. She could have a Semblance that meant she didn't need a real weapon.
"You seem upset," Cinder purred. "Is something the matter?"
"No." The response was immediate. It was childish. Damn it. Why did she always sound like that? Why couldn't she have a deep and sultry voice like this woman? Cinder chuckled darkly, a rich and tempting sound that drew a response from the male half of the audience.
"Perhaps I was mistaken then," she said. "It just seemed that you were… unusually invested in this."
Don't say anything. It'll just make you look immature. Besides, this is a fight. We're meant to do stuff – not talk. Ruby pulled back and squeezed off a shot.
A wave of fire blew it aside. There were impressed murmurs from the audience, made all the louder when Cinder weaved her hands like she was dancing. Flames flickered from her fingers, tracing intricate patterns in the air. A fire Semblance? That was co- No, no, no. It wasn't cool.
It wasn't special. It was just fire. Being able to run really fast was just as awesome. Even if it didn't show off quite like Cinder's did. Semblances were about helping you in a fight, not impressing people. Ruby stepped forward, then activated her own and shot towards her enemy like a rocket. Silver flashed as she drew back and slashed, aiming for the woman's legs.
Cinder danced away from it. She stepped to the side, hopped over, and then slammed her leg into the back of Ruby's skull. The added momentum killed her balance. She crashed into the mat, rolling head over heels as she lost control and almost slid off altogether.
Ruby managed to catch herself before she did, and before the match could be over from a single blow. She staggered back up, arms shaking. Why was this so hard? How was someone so strong? Even Pyrrha didn't dominate her this hard!
"You can surrender if you like," Cinder said. "No one will thank poorly of you. It's clear you're outclassed."
Outclassed. There was the word. It dug into her stomach and squirmed around. In every conceivable way, Cinder outclassed her. In looks, in skill, in everything. What was there left to beat her on? Speed? "I won't give up. I can still win."
"An indomitable will." Cinder smiled "That's cute."
Cute… never beautiful. Just cute.
"Let's see how long it lasts." Cinder was upon her before she realised it. A sword made of pure flame crashed down from above. Ruby slid to the side and counter-attacked, but her blade was caught on the woman's heel. She stamped down, locking Crescent Rose to the floor. A fist buried itself in her stomach.
It burned, even as she was sent sailing through the air. Her back hit the matt.
She didn't have her weapon! Her eyes widened, hands scrabbling to push herself up. Damn it. How was she supposed to win without her baby?
"Looking for this?" Cinder held the scythe up. She inspected it for a brief moment, then tossed it at Ruby's feet. "Here. Have it. It wouldn't be much of a fair fight otherwise."
The crowd murmured. Ruby's cheeks flushed. Was she… she was! She was being mocked. Am I so insignificant that it doesn't even matter if I have my weapon or not? Is the difference between us so huge? No. I won't believe that. She's just trying to get in my head. Worst part was, it was working. Even though she recognised that, it didn't stop her swallowing, nor how she flinched when Cinder took a step forward.
Calm down. She had to calm down. Ruby focused on her father's training, on every little trick her Uncle Qrow drilled into her head. She swept up, drew Crescent Rose back to slash, then fired off a shot and propelled herself low, underneath Cinder's arm.
The woman's golden eyes followed her. Even though she'd lost the defence, even though Ruby had her – scythe already spinning to cut the back of her knee. Even through all that… Cinder Fall did not once panic.
Her fingers clicked.
Fire exploded in front of Ruby's eyes.
Heat, hot and swift, blew over her like a wind, choking valuable oxygen before the force of it ripped through the air and catapulted her backwards. She crashed down, clothing singed and burned. A silver eye cracked open as she tried to crawl towards her weapon. If she could just… she could still do this.
"The match is over."
No… no, no, no!
"Cinder Fall is victorious," the teacher declared. "Ruby Rose loses by loss of aura. A skilful display, Miss Fall. I will admit, I'm impressed."
"It was nothing," Cinder demurred. She stepped forward. "How about you, Ruby? Are you okay? I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Cinder Fall moved forward with delectable grace, to lean forward and extend one finely manicured hand. The smile on her face was pleasant, kind… beautiful. The glow in her eyes was cruel, mocking – and victorious.
What little self-esteem she had left shattered into a thousand pieces.
/-/
"What did you expect?" Remy asked. "She was going up against Cinder."
"I know…" Jaune sighed. "She did well, though. Don't you think? Not many can hold up to Cinder that long."
"Meh. She could have wiped the floor with that silver-eyed monster if she wanted to. Cinder was just holding back."
Jaune sighed and shook his head, catching Ruby's dejected expression as she skulked back up to them. Her head was held low, eyes focused on the floor. "Hey guys," she whispered. "I uh… I didn't do very well."
"You did fine!" Pyrrha moved forward to wrap a hand around Ruby's shoulders. "You can't defeat every opponent, Ruby. The fact you held your own against someone two years older than you is incredible enough."
Six years, actually. Cinder was twenty-one, even if she was currently pretending to be their age. She pulled it off, if only because she always looked smooth-skinned and young. It wasn't just the years, though. She had trained in the Grimmlands, honed her craft against the strongest people he knew.
"Pyrrha's right," he said. "You shouldn't beat yourself up just because you couldn't win."
Ruby perked up, "Really…?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Besides, Cinder is really strong. Anyone who knows her wouldn't have expected you to have a chance in the first place."
"Oh." His teammate slumped once more.
Had he said something wrong? "Remy?"
"I don't think so. I mean, you were just being honest."
Well, she certainly looked miserable enough to suggest he had. Jaune winced and tried to think of some way to rescue the situation. "It's not that you're weak or anything. It's just that Cinder is a lot stronger than most people her age. Even I can't neat her unless I go all out."
"You can beat her?" Pyrrha asked.
Erk! Bad word choice! "Ah, well… you know. We've sparred… once or twice."
"How can you beat her where Ruby couldn't?" Weiss stepped forward, hands on her hips. "You were frankly atrocious in our spar. If you tell me you were holding back, I swear I won't be responsible for what I do."
"W-Well, it's not my sword skills," he stammered. "I fought you as best I could."
"Then how could you ever hold your own against her?"
"Um, well…" He looked around for help, but Pyrrha and Ruby provided none. In fact, Ruby seemed unusually focused on his answer. "It's… kind of… other abilities?"
"Other abilities?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You mean a Semblance?"
A Semblance? Sure, why not. "Yeah. One of those. It's uh… not something I can really use in spars, though." On account of what the class would think when he turned into a Grimm and sprouted tentacles. After their last meeting, he was fairly sure Blake would try to kill him for what he'd almost done to her. Ruby would be angry too.
"You can't use it on people, even in a spar?" Weiss didn't look convinced. "Why?"
"Yeah Jaune, why?" Remy mocked.
"If you want to comment, do so with an idea!" Here he was, trying to save their ass, and the last thing he needed was his passenger laughing at his expense.
"I'm waiting," Weiss said, tapping her foot against the ground.
"I-It's too powerful," he said. "I can't use it on allies because it could hurt them."
"Can't you control it?"
"No. I've tried, but… yeah, it's too big a deal. I can't even show it to you because the damage it would cause might kill you. Sorry."
Ruby and Pyrrha seemed to understand, and he breathed a sigh of relief when they nodded and stopped staring at him so intently. Okay. Disaster averted. That was good.
"Yet you're willing to use it on her?" Weiss pointed out. "Sounds fishy to me."
Argh. Damn Weiss and her ability to pick holes in everything he said! Ruby's head snapped back to stare at him once more, and Pyrrha crossed her arms. Why couldn't they just take it at face value? "Cinder could take it. Back when I was trying to use it, I ended up using it on her. She was able to survive, but… uh… well, I don't use it anymore. I'm trying to get used to using a sword."
"Hm…" Weiss stared at him. He squirmed. "I'll let it go for now," she said. "You certainly need to improve your swordsmanship if your last display was any indication. Perhaps control of your Semblance will come as a result of that."
"Y-Yeah. That would be good."
"Still doesn't explain how she's so strong," Yang piped up, having been on the edge of the conversation the whole time. "What is she to you anyway? If Mercury is a friend from your younger years, doesn't that make her the same?"
Uh-oh. This was the question he'd been trying to avoid, mostly because he wasn't sure what his Big Sis wanted him to say. Definitely he should keep their relation secret, since that would cause problems if either of them were found out. If he got caught, he didn't want her being arrested. He also couldn't break her cover and say who or what she really was. Well, with all that in mind why not go with Yang's convenient excuse? "Yeah. She's something of an old friend."
"I thought you said she was a daughter of an employee?" Weiss pointed out.
"I thought you said she came to convince you to go back home," Ruby added.
Sweat beaded on his brow.
"Maybe you should try and keep your stories straight."
"I don't even know what the story is," he howled inside his mind. "Big Sis never told me!" He squirmed under everyone's gazes, fighting for the right answer.
"It's… complicated?"
"It must be," Weiss drawled, "for you to not even have an answer. She's involved in your mother's business, correct?"
"Yes." In the most obvious sense of the word.
"She grew up in the same place as you. On your mother's land."
He nodded.
"She trained and sparred with you."
"Yeah…" And taught him his numbers and letters, along with how to frame a crime on someone else and a number of other useful skills. Not that there was anyone to frame it on. He'd tried on his sisters once.
Once…
"Were the two of you close?" Ruby asked.
"I guess?" It was hard not to be. She was his Big Sis, plus his mentor. She was the person he'd run to when he had a nightmare. Well, the person he ran to whenever Mom and Dad were together. He'd run to them because of a nightmare once.
Once…
The images… they burned. His sisters had given him such pitying looks, ones that said they'd been there and witnessed such horrors in their childhood too.
"But you ran away," Pyrrha said. She waited for him to nod, and then continued, "and you didn't tell her you were going to do it."
"Well, no." he said. "She would have stopped me. She wouldn't have understood."
"Aren't you afraid she'll try and force you to go back?"
"I am, but…" Jaune sighed and shook his head. "It's fine. She said she won't, so she won't." Someone moved over, and he grasped the distraction for what it was. "Hey look. It's Mercury. Hey man, how are things?"
/-/
Pyrrha watched him go, along with Weiss and Ruby.
"Tell me you didn't believe any of that," Weiss sighed.
"Jaune isn't a very good liar," Pyrrha said. Normally, she'd have been offended he'd tried at all, but this certainly sounded like a personal matter. His bumbling attempts had come across as endearing instead. "It sounds like an issue he doesn't want to share."
"Then why not just say that?" Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at his back. "Such an idiot. Well, he must have a Semblance of some kind. With his paltry skills, he'd have been dead long before now without some kind of hidden ace. I doubt he'd have escaped the Beowolves in Forever Fall without one."
"Maybe it's embarrassing," Pyrrha offered. "Or maybe he's just embarrassed that he can't control it." A Semblance was an extension of your aura, after all, and thus part of the soul. Being unable to control it was one of those things some people would consider weird or telling. As though it meant something about how he perceived himself… life wasn't quite that easy, but some still thought it. She'd met people who struggled to control their Semblances before. Sometimes it was all about how complex your ability was.
Some Semblances were rather passive, after all. Others, like her own, required intense concentration. Not to mention, a lot of practice.
"There's definitely something going on with that Fall woman," Weiss said. "He was too anxious to end the conversation. He's hiding something."
"Do you remember what that Neo girl said?"
"The mute?"
"Okay, not said," Pyrrha admitted. "She confirmed it, though."
"Yes, I remember." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "That she wanted to take advantage of my partner for her own ends. To seduce him and take him back to his mother, likely so she could marry into the family and have access to his wealth." Weiss' face said what she thought of that concept. She'd likely had a few such offers in her life, despite her age.
Pyrrha's head perked up as she heard Ruby growl something under her breath. The younger girl looked furious, eyes locked onto the floor, hands clenched into little fists. She didn't think she'd ever seen Ruby look so mad.
Pyrrha knew why, though. How could she not?
"Pyrrha…"
"Yes, Ruby?"
"You're strong, right?"
"It's been said." She was a championship fighter for a reason, after all.
"Really strong, right? Like, one of the strongest people of our age?"
"I can't say on that point." There were always people who didn't care for the competitions. "I'm certainly one of the strongest, though. Why?"
"Can you… can you train me?"
"Hm?" Pyrrha turned to face her partner. "I could. Why?"
"I need to be stronger." Ruby looked up, eyes sharp. "I need to be strong enough."
Pyrrha wanted to ask what she needed to be strong enough for, but she was fairly sure she already knew. The way Weiss rolled her eyes said she'd noticed it too. It was hard not to. This fight… no, calling it that wasn't very accurate. This massacre, had clearly affected Ruby. It probably didn't help that it was by someone who claimed to be closer to Jaune than Ruby was.
It seemed Ruby's competitive spark had been ignited.
Pyrrha just wished it could be towards someone she wasn't also interested in. This was going to get ugly. She could just tell. Still, Ruby is my partner and my friend. Even if she would end up competing against me, I can't bring myself to purposefully sabotage her. She sighed and nodded her head.
"I'll help you," she said. "The rooftops are empty at night. We can practice up there. It's out of the way and won't cause problems for Weiss and Jaune. You'll need to fit it in around Weiss' lessons, though…"
"I can make amendments," the heiress said, earning a relieved and thankful look from Ruby. "If she wants to better herself, I'm not going to get in the way of that. Besides, you're catching up on the theory work rather well. I think we can afford to cut that down to a single hour a night."
Ruby's eyes glittered. "Thank you. I won't let you down. I promise."
/-/
Cinder ran a hand through her hair and let out a pleased sigh. There was nothing quite like a chance to put someone in their place, especially when they tried so hard to climb out. It also felt good to use her powers for a change. She'd planned to avoid those in case someone recognised her, but so far, her plans hadn't required her to do so, giving her free access to all of her abilities. That would make things easier moving forwards.
Emerald met her outside the changing rooms, a deferential expression on her face.
"Where's Mercury?" Cinder asked.
"He's with those idiots." Emerald looked back over to where her little brother and his friends were, to see Mercury's silver hair among them. Emerald sounded… not jealous, or at least she would never admit that, but clearly not pleased either.
She, on the other hand, was more so. Mercury was following her orders to the letter, and what's more, showing off his new-found reliability at the same time. I could get used to this. He's being a real asset for once. "What about Neo?"
"Also with them."
That was news less welcome, but there was nothing she could do about it for now. Mercury would watch her, no doubt. She'd find out later what the silent girl did.
"Cinder… can I ask a question?"
"Feel free."
"That fight…" Emerald trailed off and looked back to the ring. "Um…"
Cinder waited for a moment, but patience was not her forte, even if she was in a good mood. "Speak your mind, Emerald. What bothers you? Did something happen?"
"No, no. Nothing happened. It's just… didn't you tell us not to draw attention to ourselves in this class?"
"I did." It wouldn't do to make themselves too obvious, after all. They wanted to fit in, to blend into the background. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, but you… you just…"
"Yes?"
Emerald wilted. "Never mind."
Hm. I wonder what's bothering her? Cinder shrugged. No matter. I won't let anyone rain on my parade. Poor little Ruby. That will show you to look at that which belongs to me in such a manner. Next time, think twice.
Right now, she had a task at hand, however. Her mistress had requested something and she… she would deliver. It was all she could do.
/-/
Salem sat down on her throne and prepared herself for the task at hand. It was a solemn one. A task that could have consequences… ramifications that could spread over not just days, but years, decades – perhaps even generations. The Queen of all the Grimm took a deep breath and prepared herself. She allowed a hand to fall to the side of the throne, and Mannie, Jaune's loyal Beowolf, nuzzled his snout against it.
In the absence of its master, the Grimm had been melancholy and taken to spending its time in the throne room. When it wasn't antagonising her daughters, that was.
Cinder had come through. Who could expect any less? She was one of her most loyal, and also the single woman she'd trusted to be in charge of her baby boy's education. She would make such a good daughter… if only she realised.
For now, however, there was a more pressing task. Salem's hand lifted from the Beowolf's head, falling instead to the manila folder Watts had printed off for her. Within, lay information which could shape the very future. With a trembling hand, she opened it.
"Ooh. Hm… very nice. I have to say, I see what Cinder means now…" Salem tilted the picture to the side and focused. Ah yes, a delightful specimen. What was its name? Ah, Cinder had thought to include it at the bottom.
Yang Xiao-Long.
Hm, she has a good figure, nice round hips – young, but she'll grow in time. Hmm… I see what she means about the hair and eyes, though. She's so similar, she could pass as one of my children already. Oh, what's this? Salem read a little note at the bottom and had to bite down on the squeal that threatened to escape.
A date? Her little boy had been on a date? No – two dates!
She had to be calm. She had to stay calm. She was the Queen of the Grimm. Her little baby had taken the first step to becoming a man! "Hngh!"
Maybe looking at another would help. Salem turned the page, revealed a tall and shapely redhead with bright green eyes, then almost suffered an aneurism. Red hair! Not orange, but actual, bright red – the colour of blood. What if the children inherited her eyes? Oh, it would look absolutely darling when they were lording over the inferior species, or plotting their evil plans.
"Nikos goes on the yes pile," Salem said, putting the picture on top of Xiao-Long's. Really, her son had such good taste in women. And to think she'd been worried. The next one was apparently his partner, a beautiful little thing with hair the shade of hers, but eyes of pure crystal. Salem let out a little coo as she saw her.
Oh, it was like a pretty little mini-me. How adorable. The girl wore an angry expression, and was berating his son in the image, and while that would have normally left her angry, the faintly bemused expression on her little Grimmling's face instead made it seem adorable. Cinder always did say he would need someone to keep him in line, and if the children inherited some of this Weiss girl's confidence? Well, that couldn't be a bad thing. The eyes were a bonus. She loved Nicky's dark blue, like the deep ocean, but this girl had eyes of a clear sky, and that was beautiful in its own right.
Another yes. She was slight and slim, not all that fit for birthing, but she was young. Hm… this was getting complicated. Maybe the next would be a little easier.
Oh my… well, Nora Valkyrie was certainly a very healthy young woman. There could be no doubting that figure. Cinder had written the word `insane` on the image, but that was likely just her being her usual self. This Nora girl was fairly cute, and that smile – while a little overly friendly – was very pretty nonetheless. I approve. It would be nice to have some children with her energy around here.
Blake Belladonna… hmm, there was a note tacked on about how she was actually a faunus, and his feline ears under that bow of hers. Well, well, she was certainly a classical beauty. She had a good figure and pretty yellow eyes, but really, she went on the yes pile the moment she read about the ears. Little grandchildren with furry ears and tails, purring as she stroked them on her lap?
She'd take a hundred, please.
Ruby Rose… hmm… that name sounded familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. The image was a poor one, more of a shot from the side than anything, and didn't really capture her features well. She was small. Very small. That might be problematic. The image was cute, however, of the girl leaning on her son, one hand on his shoulder and cheek pressed to his as she read something he was looking at. She could just make out the words on the spine, Mistralian Customs and Cultural norms. That didn't really make much sense to her, but the simple scene made her heart melt all the same. Very well, girl. You can go onto the yes pile as well. If you're related to this Yang girl as the notes say, then I'm sure you'll bloom in time.
Salem blinked as she put the image down. Oh dear… the yes pile was quite occupied, but it seemed there was something of a lack of anything in the no section. This was harder than she'd anticipated.
Unless… what if he simply had all of them?
He was a Prince, after all. He would one day be King. Wasn't it right that he have consorts of his own? That would also ensure there wasn't any downtime between grandchildren. Nine months and almost that many women – enough if she counted Cinder among them. Oh, there could be grandchildren every month of the year.
Her eyes flickered in bliss as she imagined it. So… many… grandbabies…
Oh wait, there was another. Cinder drew it out and inspected the figure. Well… in a school full of such bountiful beauties, it was almost inevitable some would fail to measure up. Her breasts were rather flat, her figure slight. The pyjamas she wore did little to hide it, and with her being crushed against the Nora girl's side, the different was only exacerbated. She was still beautiful in her own way. A fine jaw line, smooth features, a mysterious expression. Not to mention that hair, those eyes…
"Don't worry my dear, you'll also have a place." Salem chuckled and placed the girl on the yes pile, along with all her sisters. What a pretty young woman, and with a pretty name too. Ren. It had an almost exotic quality.
Job done, and pile assorted beside her, Salem found it hard to resist her glee. This sojourn for her son… it was still a bad idea, she knew, but there was no denying the benefits. So many potential wives, so many potential grandchildren. What was more, the competition might give dear Cinder the kick she needed to take initiative and bring her son to heel. Well, to heel, ankle, knee and then a little higher.
Salem sighed. And to think, she'd even planned a `you've lost your virginity` party for them, but they'd never gotten around to it. What a wasted opportunity. She'd had Tyrian break into that party store too.
Her eyes fell to something beside the throne. With a wicked smile, she picked up the scroll and dialled a number. It beeped for a few seconds, but then connected through. "You'll never guess what," she said.
There was a mumble from the other side.
"Jaune has a girlfriend!"
The voice got louder.
"I know! No, it's not Cinder. I'm still confident she'll stake her claim, but he's dating a delightful blonde girl." Salem twirled her hair around her finger. "Uh huh. Yes. Oh, but that's not the best part. He's surrounded himself with quite the horde of beauties. Yes. Yes, I know! Oh, Nicky, he takes after you so much. Well, apart from the horde part." Her eyes flashed. "I am right on that, aren't I?"
The scroll shook as he replied.
She leaned back, a coy smile on her face. "Oh my… you certainly know the right things to say, my dear. It's a wonder you didn't stay locked in my basement?"
Her eyes widened as he replied.
"Nicholas!" she gasped. "Well, there's still your shackles in there if you want to visit. I won't say no to having you prisoner." She bit her lip. "Hm, you're right. We should celebrate Jaune's success. What were you thinking?"
The scroll made some noise.
"What am I wearing?" Salem leaned back, fingers dipping to her cleavage. Her voice came out in a seductive purr. "Why don't you find somewhere to sit down and turn on your camera," she whispered, "then I'll show you~"
Mannie's huge paws skittered across the floor as he fled the room, tail tucked between his legs.
/-/
Deep in a bar in the outskirts of Vale, and even deeper into a glass of hard liqueur, the grizzled and aged huntsman fished out his beeping scroll. "Hm." Qrow grunted as he saw the contact. So, Ozpin wanted to get in touch, did he? It better not be about another mission. He was having some well-deserved time off. With a sigh, he flicked it open either way. At least it was a message and not a call.
[Qrow. I need you to come to Vale. The Queen has made her move, and it is aimed towards a piece we were not yet aware of. The piece is unrefined, but holds potential. A pawn placed to become something far stronger. With your influence, that potential might be realised.]
The huntsman paused, sighed, and then read through it again. Bloody Ozpin and his chess analogies. He needed a hobby… or to get laid. No. That would be bad. He'd probably just start talking about how the King took the Queen, and placed her into Check. Qrow yawned and typed in a response, briefly looking it over before he sent it.
[Basically, you want me to come to Vale to train someone?]
It was a minute or so before he received Ozpin's reply.
[Yes.]
Qrow sighed. [Sounds like a thankless task,] he typed. [I'll pass.]
[This is important.]
[Like the last time you sent me to Vacuo? I spent two months there, Ozpin. TWO MONTHS! Signal wasn't exactly pleased as it was, but then I didn't even find anything.]
Ozpin's reply took a little longer to arrive. When it did, it didn't do much for Qrow's annoyance.
[That would seem more a failing on your part than mine.]
"Deep breaths," Qrow growled. He then ignored his own advice and took a swig of booze instead. It usually worked better for calming himself down anyway. The glass slammed down, pushed towards the barman, who took it with a nod and started to refill it. Qrow grinned and flicked some lien onto the counter, typing in a message with his other hand.
[I failed to find anything because there was NOTHING there. You wasted my time.]
[No result is still a result. It showed us the Queen does not have a stronghold in Vacuo. This is important information.]
No. No, it wasn't. They didn't have a stronghold in Vacuo, either. No one did. It was a shit hole, a place that was more sand, insects and overbearing sun than anything else. The days were boiling, the nights freezing. It was like the world's anus of locations. Seriously. Fuck Vacuo.
[What's so special about this pawn of yours?]
[The enemy have tried to capture him multiple times. He holds a power they fear, or one they desire. He has proven unusually resilient, escaping from two kidnapping attempts. There have been others, however, and I fear they will get worse.]
Damn. Sounded bad. Qrow accepted his new drink and took a swig, gasping in pleasure. Damn, that was some strong stuff. Not as good as Mistralian wine, but strong nonetheless. Nowhere could compete with the stuff from Mistral. Then again, with how messed up that place was, it was no wonder they had strong booze. He'd want to forget being part of that culture too.
[Like I said, sounds thankless. Why should I be interested?]
Qrow grinned and placed the scroll down. If Ozpin wanted him, he'd have to go a little further. He'd help eventually… he always did. After that Vacuo mess, though? Well, Ozpin deserved to beg a little. The scroll beeped, and Qrow picked it up with a grin.
It soon died.
[The boy is dating your niece.]
The glass in Qrow's hand cracked. [Which one?] he typed back.
[Honestly… I'm not even sure. Both, maybe? Here, I'm sending you an image of him.]
Oh good, that would be handy. He needed to know who it was he had to kill. Qrow took another drink to fortify himself before he dared actually look. Blonde hair, blue eyes – that was honestly as far as he got before his face slammed down on the table and he groaned.
"Fuck me, it's another Taiyang. Nooooo…"
It was like seeing his own team all over again. Two girls, one a Branwen (technically), the other a Rose, both interested in the same blonde-haired, blue-eyed, bastard. It was already creepily similar before he took into account that the two were sisters. How complicated was this? Qrow growled and slammed his glass down.
[Fine.] he typed. [I'll come and kill the guy. You happy now?]
[I'm fairly sure I said train, not kill.]
Oops, right. [It's a Vacuo mistranslation. Train means kill in Vacuo. Like killing their weakness through training.]
[…] A second message came soon after the first. [Please do not kill him. If the Grimm fear his ability, it could prove valuable to the survival of humankind. Also, your nieces would cry, and then I'd have Taiyang knocking down my door and demanding to know what I did.]
[You haven't told him Ruby and Yang are lusting after this guy, right?] Qrow typed nervously.
[I'm not an idiot, Qrow. Of course I haven't told him.]
Okay, good. That was a kettle of fish he didn't want to approach. Hell, he was having trouble rationalising the idea in his head too. Yang was mature enough to start dating, she was – no matter how much his stomach rolled at the idea, or how his hands clenched. It was hard to say it, but she was seventeen. She would be okay…
Ruby, though? Nuh-uh. No way. Not happening. Someone was going to be introduced to his scythe, but if the guy was important, then Qrow supposed he could just cut a certain part of his anatomy off and be done with it.
[You're the bearer of bad news as usual, Ozpin. Fine. I'll be there in a day or so. Have a room ready for me – one with booze in, please.] Qrow sent the message, took another long drink, and then quickly added, [Is that all? Or do you have some other terrible news to tell me?]
Ozpin didn't reply. At least not with words. His scroll made a pinging noise, one he recognised as meaning another image had been sent. Qrow picked it up and had a look, watching the grainy picture come into focus. It looked like a snapshot of the front of a newspaper.
The image was of his youngest niece, little Ruby, being held upside down by some half-naked tentacle monster.
The glass in his hand shattered into a million pieces.
Just to answer a question I'm sure I'll get. Cinder used her red dress and her fire powers because unlike canon, she was never called in to support Roman. As such, her identity remains a mystery and she doesn't need to hide her abilities from Glynda. I know some might say `but Qrow saw her` it's worth remembering that he only saw her using her Grimm parasite at the end when the battle was done.
If he could recognise her face, it would be another matter, but that's a concern whether it's canon or white sheep.
As for asking how Cinder got a picture of Ren in his pyjamas? If you're confused, I think you should take the second to remember who is on his team, and then realise you probably have the information already. In hindsight, it should have been obvious.
Next Chapter: 15th June
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur