The next chapter is here, and things moving along.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 40

Weiss didn't always get a little time to herself, which meant it was something she liked to savour when she did. Her team were wonderful, they really were. She'd been thrilled to have Pyrrha on it, though less excited at the other two, who she'd expected to be little more than baggage. It hadn't taken long for them to prove their worth, however, and – if she dared admit it – to help her improve as a person as well. Weiss really did like her team, both professionally and personally.

But that didn't mean she wanted to spend every hour of every day with them. Sometimes it was nice to just have some time to yourself, or better yet, time to spend with a sister you really didn't get to see as much as you used to.

"Things are going great," Weiss said in response to Winter's question. "I think we have a good chance of performing well in the Vytal Festival."

"Only a good chance, Weiss?"

"I don't want to tempt fate by saying I'm confident we can win."

"But you are."

Weiss tried to hide her smile. "Perhaps…"

"Well, I look forward to seeing you show the competition who you are." Winter and she chuckled as they made their way through the gardens of Beacon towards the more secluded areas. It was a hot afternoon and various students were lounging and enjoying their free time on the cool grass, or in the shade of various trees, but it wasn't overcrowded. There were just as many catching up on homework or taking lazy naps in their rooms.

That was where Ruby and Pyrrha were, the two playing a board game the last Weiss had seen, and with plans to invite Nora, Yang and Blake to take part as well if they could find them. Jaune had mentioned something about a sister coming to Vale and having to meet her, but had turned down Ruby and Pyrrha's offers to come along. Apparently, his sister was a little shy.

"What about you?" Weiss asked. "Do you have to return to Atlas until the tournament begins?"

"I will be staying, actually."

That caught Weiss off-guard, and she almost gaped at her sister if it wasn't for her discipline preventing it. When last they'd spoken, the clear plan had been that Winter needed to return to Atlas, but would come back for the festival itself. "Oh," Weiss chimed. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing you ought to worry about, Weiss. How is your team doing of late?"

The conversation change was obvious, but she knew better than to point it out. If Winter couldn't tell her, then she couldn't tell her. "They are performing well," she said. "Pyrrha remains at the top of class for sparring, often fighting entire teams on her own, but I have the highest grades in academics." And if that was a little boastful, it was only because her sister was in front of her.

Winter smiled. "I would expect nothing less." Her smile slipped. "What of the child? Ruby, was it?"

That was something far more complicated, and Weiss had to bite back a little annoyance at the tone of Winter's voice. It was subtle, but the way she'd spoken made it clear she expected Ruby to be a problem. That was probably her fault to be honest, but it didn't make it any better.

"Ruby is doing fantastically," she defended. "Her poorer academic score was only because she missed two years of lessons being moved ahead. She's hard working and has managed to catch up with my aid in tutoring her."

"You have been forced to tutor her? It seems unfair her deficiencies should drag you down."

"I was not forced to do anything, sister. I volunteered."

"Even so, such charity will only impact your free time. If the girl is not ready, she should not-"

"Ruby is fine," Weiss stated. No, she declared. Her tone made it clear there was no argument. "She is a valuable member of our team. I will not have her spoken ill of, Winter. Forgive me, but not even by you."

Winter's intake of air suggested her surprise, and her displeasure. Like a good Schnee, she hid it, however. A Schnee did not make a scene. "You are the one who complained of her in your letters," she pointed out.

"Yes." Weiss' eyes closed as she felt shame well up inside. "I was wrong. I made a poor judgment based on insufficient information. She has taught me the error of such thinking."

"I see…"

She did not, but that was fine. In all measurements, Ruby was not someone who should have ever been considered a friend of a Schnee. Loud, brash, foolish, naïve, idealistic, poor, uneducated, and far too enthusiastic about everything. She failed on every account. It made Weiss wonder if it was not Ruby that was faulty, but the standards they tried to hold themselves to. Her entire team failed on the scale of what friends a Schnee should aspire to, and yet she was the happiest she had been in years.

"And what of your final teammate?"

"Jaune?"

"Yes," Winter said, looking as though she were swallowing a lemon. "Your boyfriend."

Oh, right. That. It still hadn't quite sunken in that they were `dating`, and the thought still caused her cheeks to heat up, which was probably a good thing and helped to sell the disguise. It certainly seemed enough to convince Winter, who wasn't quite able to hide her quiet sigh at Weiss' implicit response.

"Things are… things are good." She hated how much of a cop-out that sounded, but she still had no idea what to actually say or do in regard to him. As far as Winter knew, they'd been on a few dinner dates with one another, but that was about it. If she sounded too confident, she might think it suspicious and investigate further.

"Have you…" Winter hesitated.

"Have we what?"

"Taken the… well…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, intrigued and a little disturbed. Her elder sister rarely sounded so uncertain, and hesitated to speak her mind even less. What was it that had her so tongue-twisted?

"The two of you," Winter began anew, sighing. "Have you… taken the next step in your relationship?"

Weiss had no idea what she meant. "Engagement? It seems a little soon to be speaking of that."

"Not that!" Winter somehow managed to look even more ill at the thought of them tying the knot, though to be fair she was probably imagining their father's response. "I mean, other things. Teenagers these days are so quick to make decisions, and I know studying in a place like Beacon can be stressful, and you do share a room together…"

All of those things were true, but Weiss still wasn't sure what her sister meant. She also shared a room with two other girls. Did she mean Weiss seeing Jaune in various stages of undress? That did happen occasionally, despite his attempts to not show them anything and their efforts to afford him his privacy. Or, well, her efforts, anyway. While Ruby and Pyrrha always tried to be polite, there was no denying that they were the first to look every time Jaune pulled his top off.

She did too, of course. Whatever people might have said about her, she was still a young woman, and Jaune – if nothing else – was a huntsman in training. His physique was not in question. It did not mean she held feelings for him, just that she could admire what was on show.

Pyrrha and Ruby? She wasn't so sure on that front. Those two seemed to go a little beyond mere admiration, even if neither would admit it. With Ruby's sister involved, it already looked like the most complicated romantic scenario seen on Remnant, so Weiss was relieved to be left out of it. The day she developed feelings for Jaune Arc was the day she threw herself off the cliffs of Beacon. It would be a more merciful fate than getting involved in that mess!

"We all do our best to respect the privacy of our teammates," Weiss said in answer to Winter's question. "Even if we share a room, we're polite enough that there aren't often any problems. I certainly haven't heard any complaints, and I feel we're close enough to be vocal about it if there were."

"Erk-" Winter choked on air, and then tried to hide it in a quick coughing fit. "I-I see… that is… that is polite of you both, I suppose."

Was it? She felt it was fairly obvious. "Anyone would expect the same courtesy in return."

"I'm sure they would." Winter didn't quite meet her eyes. "Such things are banned in the Atlas Military."

Changing in front of people was banned? Weiss shot her sister an odd look, but didn't question it. It wasn't like Winter would lie, and even if it didn't make sense, it wasn't her place to disparage military doctrine.

"Such things could cause distractions," Winter said, no doubt seeing her confusion.

"I suppose," Weiss allowed.

"There are places off the base where people are free to go if they wish to continue with such things. We don't seek to make it impossible."

Changing rooms off the base? "Wouldn't that be hugely inconvenient?"

"W-Well, yes, but… It's just not the same, Weiss. Far be it for me to try and control your life, but I would appreciate it if we could leave this topic behind. I do not need to know what my sister, my little sister, does behind closed doors."

Winter was totally overreacting, which was a little odd given her character, but maybe Vale really was more liberal than Atlas. She'd never noticed before, but it wasn't like she'd ever shared a room with anyone before Beacon, either. The mansion back home had almost fifty spare rooms for visiting guests, after all.

Honestly, she didn't see the issue. So what if she occasionally caught a glimpse of Jaune's back? It wasn't like she was giving him a show, and he was a perfect gentleman, retiring to the bathroom of waiting outside if they needed to change. But if Winter wanted to change the conversation, she'd allow it. All this talk of her fake relationship was tiring as it was.

"Have the two of you been on any more dates since the last?" Winter asked.

Or not. Weiss sighed, realising she wasn't getting out of this so easily. "We have not," she said. "There hasn't been much time and we are both busy with our preparations for the Vytal Festival."

"That is strange," Winter said carefully, almost as though she were nervous of something. "It is just that… one of my men may have seen something… contrary to that statement."

Weiss swallowed nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Two nights ago," Winter said. "Jaune Arc departed Beacon with another woman."

Two nights…? It didn't take Weiss long to realise what she meant. It was the night Jaune had dressed up in the fanciest suit she'd ever seen him wear, and then claimed that he was going to meet his sister in Vale. She hadn't believed him, of course. She doubted anyone had. Even Pyrrha and Ruby had instantly caught on to what was really happening – Jaune being, as usual, very bad at the whole lying business.

That Ruby's sister just so happened to also be absent that night only confirmed it, and Weiss honestly wished them well. She'd kept that to herself, of course, reading the air in their room perfectly and realising that Ruby and Pyrrha – despite their apparent happiness – were both walking around like people at a funeral.

Jaune and Yang going on a date had been interesting, but not overly exciting. She'd asked him how it went, he'd made up some story about him and his sister, and she'd let it go. If the two of them wanted to keep it secret, it was none of her business. She trusted her partner to handle his own affairs, and Yang wasn't a bad sort.

She just hadn't factored in the possibility of Winter finding out – and neither had Jaune, she expected.

Well… this was awkward.

"He went out to meet with his sister," Weiss said, deciding that sticking to his story might be safest. At least that way they'd both give the same excuses if questioned. "He is doing that today as well, I understand."

"He left with a woman from Beacon. One Yang Xiao-Long."

"The two are friends. He likely wanted to introduce Yang to his sister."

"And not you?"

"It's a little soon to meet the family, don't you think?"

"Considering what the two of you are doing already?" Winter grumbled. She sighed and shook her head. "Weiss, the two were dressed in finery, and went to dine at el'Effestro's of all places. With no other guest, I might add."

Hm, el'Effestro's? She would give Jaune points for effort – and then subtract ten thousand for not thinking to watch out for spying older sisters. Curse him! "I have complete faith in the two of them," Weiss said, aiming to shut down the topic entirely. "I know what you are suggesting, sister, and it is nonsense. Jaune would not cheat on me. He… we… what we have is…" She cringed. "Special. We love one another." Gods, she felt ill even saying it.

"And you trust him in this?" Winter asked. "Are you sure you are not allowing your emotions, your heart, to cloud your judgment?"

"I am not," Weiss assured.

"Very well, sister. I will trust you in this."

Weiss relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief.

She never noticed Winter's eyes narrowing.

/-/

When Jaune had said he was going out into Vale to meet with his sister, he hadn't been entirely lying, just bending the truth. "Hello, Cinder," he said, stepping into the dilapidated warehouse she'd invited him to.

His Big Sis was alone, but he could hear movement and sound a little deeper in. She turned and placed a finger to her lips, dragging him into a side room that was empty. "You came," she said. "I'm glad."

"You told me you needed me. You said it would be part of our agreement."

"I did. It is." She glanced around and quickly checked the corners of the room, searching for something. Whatever it was, she seemed relieved to not find it. "I need you to transform," she said. "I need you in your natural form for this."

"For what? I don't even know what's going on."

"I apologise, but I need you to transform first. You don't want anyone here knowing the identity of your disguise in Beacon."

It was clear she wasn't going to explain until he did, and it wasn't as though she was wrong, either. With a quick nod, he closed his eyes and concentrated, breathing a sigh when he felt the change come over him. In a way, he always felt a little more comfortable in Grimm form. Controlling and hiding all of that within him, tentacles included, wasn't exactly comfortable. "There, I'm transformed. Can you tell me what this is about now?"

Cinder looked him up and down, but nodded her head. "Someone wishes to meet with you. Someone I need to keep impressed and on my side."

"Anyone I'd know?"

"No. You have not met them before."

His eyes narrowed. "Is it someone I would approve of?"

Her silence was telling.

"Cinder…"

"You said you would help me," she accused. "You told me that you would be willing to perform as Hentacle if I had need of you, so long as it did not directly harm your friends. Well, this will not. I only need you to show your face and speak to this person." She turned to the side, glancing at him from the corner of one eye. "That is if you intend to keep your promise to me, of course. I kept my side of the bargain and told you what I want in Beacon. Are you going to turn on me now? After I practically raised you?"

She was laying it on fairly thick. Even he could see that. Why not point out the times she bandaged his knee when he skinned it, or how she begrudgingly let him sleep with her when he'd had a nightmare. Of course he wasn't going to turn on her like that. She was his Big Sis. She was the woman he'd wanted to impress and please the most in his life.

"I'll help," he said. "You knew I would, so you don't need to guilt trip me…"

"You are the Prince of the Grimm," Cinder said. "You should not even feel guilt, let alone allow it to control you." She sighed dramatically. "Where did I go wrong?"

"Probably when you kept using it to make me do what you wanted?"

She glared at him. "Rhetorical question, Jaune."

"Oh…"

Cinder pinched the bridge of her nose and silently counted to ten, leaving him to shuffle awkwardly like a Beowolf with its claw caught in the human (or hand in the cookie jar, as he'd heard Ruby say it). "Never mind," she said. "I suppose it's just a part of who you are now. I will just have to make do and be sure I am always there to guide you in the right direction. Like now," she added, eyes snapping back to his. "There are a few things I need you to remember, and you must follow my instructions to the letter. Am I understood?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Her eyes narrowed. "No."

"Then yes, I understand."

She eyed him for a second regardless, just to be sure. "Very well. First of all, you must not agree to anything he proposes. It is I he must go through, not you. I am in control. I can't trust you not to accidentally agree to something ridiculous or dangerous. So, don't."

"Okay… What kind of person is this exactly?"

"That's not important. Secondly, you need to stay confident – and yes, I know that's not your strong point," she quickly added when he opened his mouth to complain. "I don't mean confidence in the way your father implies. Confidence is not making asinine one-liners or embarrassing yourself in front of women."

"I don't do that."

"You really do." Remy said.

"You really do," Cinder unwittingly echoed. "It's bad enough you and those… those people you call friends. They take advantage of you at every turn."

"What? No, they don't."

"The fact that you are oblivious to the fact only proves me right," Cinder said, sighing. "Salem grant me patience. All I need you to do is not back down, not seem afraid or nervous, and not to make this person feel like they have any control or influence over you. Can you do that?"

"Do you mean you want me to act like Mom?"

Cinder paused. "Do you think you could?"

"I could give it a go. I don't have to spend a lot of time around him, right?"

"No. Less than an hour here, I would hope." She regarded him carefully, and Jaune adopted a straight-backed pose with his arms crossed and a small, subtle sneer. It was more a mix of Mom and Uncle Watts, really, but it seemed to work. "Hm, not bad. If you can maintain that, I believe it could work. Yes, I like this idea."

Acting like Mom wasn't easy, and he doubted he'd have been able to keep it going for any longer amount of time, which was why he hadn't tried to put on airs or act any different from how he was in Beacon. If it were just for a single meeting though, he should be fine. Or he hoped so, anyway.

"Are you going to tell me what kind of person this is?" he asked.

"And finally," she said, ignoring the question. "I need you to not react negatively to anything he might say."

Jaune's expression was flat. "He's evil, isn't he?"

"Evil is a subjective term, Jaune."

"Cinder…"

"Would you call me evil?"

"Cinder…"

"The world is not so black and white. It is made of a thousand different shades of grey."

"And I'm guessing he's a particularly dark shade, right?"

"Moving on, the only other thing to keep in mind is that you must not tell any of your friends about this. That should go without saying," she said, poking a finger into his chest, "but I will say it anyway. Do not tell them. This is a dangerous situation. I've already promised to try and keep them out of the way of any harm of mine, but I can't manage that if you personally drag them in."

She made it sound like he wanted to drag them into trouble, but he supposed she didn't know any better. Honestly, he'd tried so damn hard to keep them out of the White Fang's way, out of Roman's, heck, even out of Hentacle's way, and it had backfired over and over again.

"I'll try my best," he promised. "I won't tell them, but I can't be held responsible for Roman. He's the most obvious thief I've ever seen. In fact, that's the point! Should he even be seen by anyone?"

"No," Cinder said, "and I agree with you completely. He is an idiot. I have uses for him, however."

Jaune grimaced, feeling a little sick, and also a little protective at the same time. Whatever Cinder's uses for Roman Torchwick, he didn't want to know. If she had needs – like Roman had suggested the last time – then that was natural, but he just wasn't right for her.

"I don't like him," Jaune said, crossing his arms and clearly upset. "He isn't good enough for you."

Cinder's smirk was nothing short of self-satisfied. "I cannot disagree," she purred. "Sadly, I do not have a lot of options right now. Should someone better show up, believe that I would drop him in an instant. Then again, your sister seems to have shown an interest in him, so he might soon be out of my hands entirely." Cinder glared off to the side and muttered something under her breath.

Jaune, however, stood stock still, his mouth open.

Lavender… and Torchwick? No, worse, Lavender stealing him away from Cinder? That was… Torchwick wasn't good enough for either of them, but he had no idea what to think about the fact that Lavender would do something so callous.

You couldn't just steal someone's lover like that.

"I'll talk with her," he promised.

"Hm? You don't have to. It seems a foregone conclusion for now. It would be a waste of time."

She might have been willing to wave it off, but he wasn't, and he stepped forward, catching Cinder's shoulder before she could turn away. He brought her back around and stared into her eyes. "It's not," he said. "It's not a waste of time, and neither are you. He's… he's an idiot, but if he's important to you, then I'm willing to let it happen, even if I don't want to." He sighed, feeling a weight in his stomach. "And I'll talk to Lavender, too. It isn't right for her to do that to you. In fact, it's completely out of line, and I'm not going to stand for it."

"Really, it's not that big of a deal…"

"It is," he insisted, leaning closer. How could she value herself so little? "It is a big deal, Cinder. You are a big deal."

For once in her life, Cinder appeared lost for words. She stared at him for a few seconds, and when she tore her eyes away, there was no hiding the red in her cheeks. "W-Well," she said. "I suppose if you feel that heavily about it, then who am I to argue?" She swallowed. "Thank you. I..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. He could see as much, and didn't push.

This must have been hard enough for her already. He wasn't going to make it worse, but he would be having words with Lavender, and with Roman. How dare he hurt his Big Sis like that? He was nothing. He was utterly expendable.

That Cinder deigned to give him the opportunity to be more was her choice, but for him to spit in her face?

No. He wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't allow it any more than he would have any man to take advantage of one of his special people. He would have raged were it Cinder, Sapphire, or even Ruby, Weiss or Pyrrha. They deserved happiness with whomever they chose to stand alongside them.

"Let's focus more on the matter at hand," Cinder said, desperately trying to draw the conversation back to safer, less confusing, ground. "I will introduce you to him, but I need you to keep what I've told you in mind. I need his help, but he needs me more, so I am negotiating from a position of strength. I do not wish to lose it."

He nodded to show he understood, even if he kind of didn't. Not the purpose, anyway, but he knew all about negotiations. That was Uncle Watts' territory, and had been a subject of lessons between them when he was younger. As Grimm, they didn't normally negotiate with people – or anyone, really – but it was important for their human forms, and for understanding how the agreements between the Kingdoms were made. Even if Mom never intended to enter diplomatic agreements, it helped to know what could be used to fracture or influence those of other people.

Of course, he'd paid more attention for the other aspects; things like Watts telling him it would help in making friends and such. It had been a bribe on the older man's part, Jaune knew. Tell him he could use the lessons to make friends, and he was assured of his fullest attention, but that didn't make it a lie.

"I'll do my best," he assured. "You can trust me, Cinder."

And she could – and she knew that. Perhaps not trust him to be perfect, but she could trust him not to intentionally bring her any harm, and that was the best she could hope for. She nodded and took his wrist in hand, leading him out of the room and into the building proper. It was a run-down and mostly empty place, and he had the feeling it had been picked as a meeting place specifically because it wasn't in use, and because if something did go wrong, or if he told the other members of his team, then it wouldn't make a difference if the place was raided or not.

But when he saw the masked people waiting outside a door, he quickly realised what was going on – and shot Cinder a glare she ignored.

The White Fang? She wanted him to meet with the White Fang?

What the hell!?

There were six faunus in total, and they all looked in their direction with clear mistrust. Two reached for weapons, but neither he nor Cinder paid them any mind. He was more than strong enough to deal with them, as was she.

"We are here to see Adam," she said. "He is expecting us."

The terrorists exchanged glances between them, but none seemed confident enough to challenge the two of them. One banged his arm against the door twice. "They're here, Adam."

"Send them in," a low voice called back.

The door opened, and Jaune took a deep breath.

/-/

Adam had prepared himself for this creature's arrival long before the door opened, and yet there was no denying the immediate sense of revulsion that washed over him. It dressed human, in black jeans and a white shirt open at the top, and yet it was so utterly non-human that it came across stranger for the effort. Its skin was pasty white, and held less colour than even a dead body, while the veins that stood out against its face screamed of disease and wrongness. It was the eyes that were the worst, however, red gems in twin pools of thick, black tar.

He hated humans, but this, what could one even begin to call it?

Certainly not human, and to his begrudging realisation, that was all that really mattered.

Cinder stepped quietly into the room, not just pretending to be unaffected by the visage of the monster next to her, but genuinely so. The way she held herself and the ease by which she showed her back to it spoke of more than confidence. It spoke of trust, implicit and subconscious trust.

Reading people's thoughts through movement was a past-time of his, and a valuable tool that had served him well. Many would have looked at his past, his ideals, and the way he was trying to draw the White Fang, and called him a savage. Those people might not have been wrong, but if they believed him little more than a brainless fool with a sword and a motive, they were very wrong. A person's body gave off far more information than some realised, such as the way Cinder's eyes glanced to the monster's before she sat. That spoke of a message, hidden, of course, but a message nonetheless.

It spoke of communication, of understanding, of two people who could exchange words without the words themselves. It meant Cinder and this creature had known one another for a while, and if nothing else, that they had some level of interaction between them prior to this point. It also told him this thing, this Hentacle had a personality, though what that might be was unknown at the moment. Intelligence had been a given, but personality as well? The Grimm were certainly becoming more and more dangerous.

A cursory look over it also revealed no weapon, but its posture – not to mention those tentacles – told him he was dangerous nonetheless. The way it kept its centre of balance slightly backwards suggested the tentacles would balance it by moving forwards, an aggressive motion if he were attacked, and the fact he considered that a possibility told Adam the creature was cautious and intelligent.

There was so much to be gleaned, and from so little. Adam rose from his seat, making sure they both saw that his sword was not attached at the hip, but leaning against the table. Close enough to draw if necessary, but far away enough to suggest it would not be. He nodded his head in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Cinder."

"Yourself as well, Adam. I take it you have already started to take over from your predecessors here?" As always, her voice was soft like velvet, tantalising and rich in a way that might have stirred his body had she not been the worst example of humanity. As a result, it affected him not a jot.

"I have. To my frustration, it was as you say. The people before me were enthusiastic at best and incompetent at worst." There had been a focus on quantity over quality, a foolish notion when one considered they were a terrorist organisation and that their numbers would never eclipse those of the military. "I have implemented some sweeping changes which should see things improve. There will be fewer men to call on for a while, but those who remain are being rigorously trained by my veterans as we speak. They will not reach the level of a huntsman, but they will be stronger than they were before."

"I'm glad to hear it." Cinder crossed one leg over the other and gestured to the thing beside her, who had yet to sit and continued to watch Adam with fiery eyes. "This is the one you wished to meet. As promised, I've brought him."

"Yes." Adam met the beast's eyes and maintained contact, determined not to show weakness. "I'll admit, I am somewhat impressed. When I pressed you for a meeting, I expected it would take some time."

"I'm a woman who gets things done."

"So I see." He could respect that, even if he mistrusted and disliked her. If he was the kind of person to always take the most well-liked options, he'd have never earned the success he had within the White Fang. Sometimes you had to do things you didn't like. Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made. This would be just another one of them. "My name is Adam Taurus," he said, offering a hand.

The creature looked at it for a moment and then looked back up. "I am Hentacle."

Adam's hand fell, and he bit back a frown, not only at that but at the name as well. It was such a foolish moniker, and with such stupid connotations. "Surely that is not your true name."

"It is what you humans call me. It will suffice."

Cinder seemed amused at his response, placing both hands atop her bare knee and leaning back in her seat. Clearly, she seemed content to let the creature talk.

"I am no human, Grimm. I am a faunus. I am a revolutionary. I fight for equality."

"Is that what you call it?" Hentacle's face was blank, but his eyes flashed. "The distinction matters little to me and my kind. Human, faunus – you are all equal to me."

His men stiffened at the obvious threat, and Adam felt more than heard the tension in the room increase. To a Grimm, everyone was prey. He held up a hand, a simple gesture to stop his men from doing anything they might regret. Even though their rage was strong, they listened to him and stood still.

"I will forgive you this once because I believe you do not understand the implications of what you say. In future, I would have you refer to us as faunus. Not human."

"As you say."

He was hard to read, this Hentacle. His face gave away little, but that might have been a trick of the light, or the inhuman nature of it fooling Adam's instincts. The tentacles were most active part of him, flickering and twisting in the air above and behind his body, but what that meant was something he could not know. He was used to discerning the intentions of human and faunus, who for all their differences at least had the same ticks and movements. This was different. This was an alien creature that did not play by the same rules.

"Cinder tells me you are willing to work with us in some small way," Adam said, sitting down and gesturing for him to do the same. He did not, and Adam inwardly cursed at having given up the high ground. He could not stand back up now, or he would look an indecisive fool. "I would like to know in what ways this would be."

"He won't be working with the White Fang," Cinder said, joining the conversation at last. "I've mentioned before that his interests don't run entirely in that direction. He has, however, volunteered to show his presence in recruitment if necessary. He has become something of a popular figure to many faunus and White Fang applicants."

Adam dreaded to imagine why. Still, a show of force might be enough to make recruits feel safer when enrolling, and that would be a valuable tool – but it wasn't enough. Not for him. "He could be of great use on a raid," he pointed out.

"He would not-"

"You misunderstand-"

The two spoke at the same time, and paused at the same time as well. They looked to one another, and Cinder shook her head minutely. Hentacle, however, merely raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. To his surprise, it was Cinder who gave in, nodding and looking away.

Interesting…

"My power might be useful in the field to you, but the attention I bring would not be," Hentacle said, speaking to him once more. "Beacon has already repeatedly made efforts to hunt me, and an unknown huntress did the same the last time I appeared."

"An unknown huntress?" Adam asked.

"Why was I not informed of this?" Cinder whispered, eyes wide. "Emerald- that fool! Did she not think this important?" Her head shot to the Grimm creature. "Why did you not tell me?"

"It was not important."

"What? How could-"

"Cinder!" The creature's voice rose suddenly, cutting her off – and he stared at her meaningfully. When Cinder backed down and remained silent, Adam was forced to reassess the dynamics he'd first expected.

Could it be that Cinder was not nearly as in charge as she believed herself to be? She may have spoken and made it seem like she could control this creature, but what he had seen so far ran contradictory to that claim. In fact, Cinder had warned him she was unsure how long it would take to ensure their meeting, and then arranged it but two days later.

That might have been nothing more than good timing on her part initially, but it might have also been a hint he missed. Had she control over it, she could have arranged the meeting in advance. The fact she could not hinted she had to seek its opinion.

She had to ask its permission.

So, he is the true mastermind here, it seems. Cinder's surrender to him makes sense, and her immediate panic when his life seemed to be in danger. If it is he who protects and grants her power, it would explain her fear for his life.

"She was a powerful huntress," Hentacle said. "Capable of creating portals to attack from any angle, and wielding a crimson blade."

Adam's back stiffened. No. It could not be. Impossible.

"I will find out whatever I can of her," Cinder offered. "It might be prudent to remove her before she becomes a threat."

"She is strong," Hentacle warned.

"As am I," she countered, eyes narrowing.

Hentacle sighed. "I know. Just be careful. It is not worth your life."

Adam's eyes flickered between the two. What was this? One moment he silenced her with but a glare, the next she could glower back without him striking her down. Grimm were monsters, and his mannerisms suggested he considered them all lesser life forms, so for him to not only allow, but entertain Cinder speaking with such disrespect, spoke of something more. And the parting words – was that concern for her safety? Concern for her life?

"There you have it, Adam," Cinder said. "While he might be able to add some much-needed muscle, the attention he gathers would only make your life harder. After his last debacle where he summoned Grimm into the city, I imagine things will only get worse."

"It is kind of you to think of our safety," Adam said, scowling behind his mask. There could be no denying his point, simple as it was. If he did draw huntsmen to him like moths to a flame, then it would be best for his men to be nowhere near that. Still, it was too convenient. It allowed this creature complete freedom to do whatever he wanted, while giving Adam and the White Fang little option on how they might utilise their strange alliance.

That would not do.

"What is your plan, Hentacle?" he asked. "What is it you want?"

"Would you believe me if I said world peace?"

Adam sneered. "I will not be made a fool of."

"Then do not presume to judge my intent, human."

"I am a faunus!"

"Then do not presume to judge my intent, faunus."

"Now, now," Cinder said, standing quickly and stepping between them with a coy smile. "I don't see why we need to come to blows here. Adam, Hentacle's goals are… difficult to grasp, even for myself. On the other hand, the distinction is important to Adam and his people, J- Hentacle. It would be for the best if you could remember it."

Hentacle sniffed imperiously. "I will try."

She touched one of his tentacles with her hand. "That's all I ask."

It struck him instantly, and it was without any hesitation that Adam realised what they truly were. The easy words, the manner in which they stood – even the way he allowed her not only into his personal space, but did not as much as flinch when she touched him. The way in which Cinder did the same, even though she was one of the most guarded women he had ever met.

They were lovers. Cinder Fall had sold more than just her allegiance to the Grimm; she had sold her body, too. How repugnant.

But she was still useful. For now…

"Hentacle will aid you in some small ways," Cinder said. "Believe me on that. While your aims might not entirely coincide, he has promised me some level of support."

Hentacle's grudging nod supported that statement, and the idea of the two being so close. What had she done to earn that, Adam wondered. He'd rather not know.

"At the very least, the two of you have enemies in common, and that is something unlikely to change. Adam, right now, Hentacle wishes to remain as incognito as possible. The recent attention on him has made life… difficult for the both of us."

"I see. I will not have the White Fang be glorified meat shields, however."

"I am not asking you to be. I am simply saying his support will be more forthcoming for missions that do not do more to startle Vale and Atlas. The last thing either of us wants is increased security and focus on us."

Adam nodded. "That is true."

"We can hash out more in future," Cinder said, standing up and stepping back so that she was beside her inhuman partner. Whether she realised it or not, she stood closer than any normal person would, and well within range of dangerous tentacles that she did not bat an eyelid at. The complete lack of fear was telling. "Right now, we just wanted to meet – and I am sure you wanted proof that I could in fact bring you Hentacle. Is that not correct?"

"It is," he admitted easily. "Such claims are not easy to believe."

"And are you satisfied?"

Not entirely, and not on how much they would be working together – but on Cinder's honesty? "I am," he said, standing as well. "While this meeting may not have been overly productive, it has assuaged some of my concerns." This time, he made no move to shake either of their hands, and instead nodded once to the creature. "I will look forward to working with you in the future, Hentacle, but you'll forgive me if that is all for now. I'm afraid I cannot fully trust someone unless we have drawn swords together."

"Perhaps in time," Cinder purred. "For now, we should-"

An explosion cut off her words, shaking the ground beneath them and sending the White Fang on either side of him into a frenzy. They tore their weapons free, and focused on the immediate threat – the human and the Grimm in front. Cinder's eyes widened, but Hentacle was faster, wrapping her in his tentacles and drawing her back against him even as Adam threw out his hand.

"Stop!" he growled. "Do not attack." He gestured to one. "Go outside and see what is happening. Find out where the sentries are."

"Yes, sir!" the masked faunus dashed past, giving their two visitors a wide berth. With the immediate threat over, they relaxed as well, the tentacles loosing just enough for Cinder to pry herself out. She looked flustered, shooting a glare at her benefactor even as she adjusted her hair into something more resembling its normal style.

"You assured me the meeting point was safe!"

"It was," Adam said. "I inspected it myself. I assume the two of you were not followed." It was a foolish notion. No one would have followed a Grimm monster and not attacked earlier. If they were compromised, they would have known long before this meeting. That meant it was something on his end, and he had a good idea as to who.

Those idiots in the old Vale cell. They truly are useless.

Several gunshots echoed outside, followed by silence, and Adam reached for his sword. "It would seem our little meeting has drawn attention, Hentacle. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to fight together already."

"We can't," Cinder hissed. Her voice was strained, panicked in a way he had not heard it before, and one glance was enough to reveal why. While he had his mask and notoriety, and Hentacle was already a known factor, Cinder Fall wore a school uniform from Haven and had little in the means of disguising that fact. "Adam, is there no escape route? I cannot be seen here!"

"There is none," he admitted, equally annoyed. "We relied on secrecy for this."

Cinder swore and summoned a weapon into her hand, a small black sword of some strange design. A second appeared in her off-hand, and she crossed them before herself, facing the door. She swallowed nervously, not afraid of the fight ahead, but no doubt of what it might mean for her plans. Adam worried, too. She better served them in a position of power.

He looked to Hentacle. "Is there nothing you can do, Grimm?"

"Nothi- no, wait. There is something."

His eyes narrowed.

Cinder never saw it coming.

/-/

The attack caught her by surprise, striking her between her breasts and slamming her into a wall. Her swords fell to the floor and she didn't have the time to summon them again, too busy trying to pry loose the impossibly strong limb that was now wrapped about her throat. Her fingers pried at it even as she gasped for breath. Her feet kicked uselessly, her body raised up off the floor and pinned against solid concrete.

She couldn't breathe. Jaune was…

Why…?

She tried to meet his eyes, tried to make him stop – tried to do anything but gurgle as her eyes dimmed and oxygen was robbed from her. Her fingers worked even harder to try and pull his tentacle away, but she'd been robbed of strength and they were weak and ineffectual, scrabbling uselessly against him.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed.

Her struggles weakened.

Why…?

The door exploded inwards – followed by a body of flesh and steel. There was a loud gunshot, followed by a sudden rush of air as the tentacle killing her was torn in two by an explosive round. She fell to the floor, and then to her knees, gasping for breath with one hand held to her throat. It had been so tight that she couldn't speak, nor cry out as Atlas soldiers rushed into the room. She tried to reach for her weapons, but a hand on her shoulder prevented her. When she saw who it belonged to, she almost died then and there.

"Don't worry," James Ironwood – General of the Atlas military – whispered. "You are safe now. Leave this to us."

Had she the mental faculties for anything but breathing, she might have politely asked him what the hell he meant – and then stabbed him through the throat before he could imprison her. As it was, she could only gurgle weakly.

Another explosion swallowed the room, this one followed by a flash of red light as Adam tore through two robotic human figures, cutting them in two as sparks dashed in the air. He tore past and out of the door, Jaune in hot pursuit. At the last, he turned back to look towards Cinder. She wondered if he was going to rescue her.

"Don't even think it, monster!" Ironwood growled, standing tall before her. "Whatever your purpose with her, she is under my protection now."

Cinder froze.

What the fu…?

Realisation set in. Jaune – the idiot! The absolute, unmitigated, self-sacrificing moron! This wasn't a good trade! Sure, it saved her, but if he got hurt Salem would kill her. Cinder tried to shake her head, but the stubborn fool had already made up his mind. With a theatrical snarl, Jaune turned and dashed away, out into a warehouse filled with Atlas' latest technological weapon, and with only Adam bloody Taurus to help him.

If he got himself hurt, she was going to kill him!

Poor Cindere. Poor Jaune. To be honest, this whole chapter is a series of sibling over-protectiveness, I suppose, and all of it misaligned. As people may have noticed, this is somewhat departing the canon plan of the show, something I did want to do because you can only re-write canon so many times before losing your mind.

Next Chapter: 2nd November

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur