"Mm...Neo its to early...get o- AH!" I jumped out of bed. Wide awake. Neo was standing in front of me, smiling innocently and holding her parasol behind her.
"Get out!" She just shook her head.
"Ugh, what do you want?" I watched her do her little body language.
"´Scuse me? I´m not due for any...jobs? What jobs? I beat Roman yesterday, he owns me ammo I owe him nothing. That was our deal." I frowned as I saw more body movements. Subtle as they may be they were bright as day to me.
"Cinder ordered me to? I don´t take orders. I didn't even ask to be here. Point is, i´m not breaking the law, unless absolutely required." Neo flashed pink and teleported away.
"Weird..." I had a bad feeling now, but I shrugged it off and started my daily morning routine. Only difference was now I had my to swords clipped to my sides. Well, the hilts since the swords sheathed were inside the hilt itself.
"What do you mean he doesn't take orders? He is under our control! We brought him here to use him and to-"
"Thats enough!" Cinder snapped. Turning to Adam Taurus who had been talking. He almost let slip what the plan was and Cinder did not want that.
"This is ridiculous. We kidnap him, force him to stay here and he does what he wants? We´ve been to soft, we need to show him where he is and his situation. Hes gotten to comfortable, he feels safe." Roman said, staring at Cinder.
"If we are brutal and make him suffer he will want to leave. Like he tried when we first arrived. If we are nice and work with him, he will help." Cinder countered, to which Adam grunted.
"He couldn't escape even if he wanted to. With all the men we have, Emerald, Mercury, Roman, myself and you, how could he? He doesn't even know the world. The one thing we have done correctly is not letting him explore much. He´d escape and be completely lost. We should use him how we see fit, and make him see how helpless he is." Adam and Roman nodded at each other and Cinder narrowed her eyes.
"What have you two done?" She said.
"We sent some people to remind him of how weak and helpless he is. Nothing serious, but this will teach him." Roman smiled as Adam left the room. Adam was about to take care of this personally.
I bent back, as if I was playing limbo. A sword passed right above my face. I flipped backwards then dashed forward, tackling into two of them and sending them down to the ground, dazed. The minute I had gone outside ten fang members had ambushed me. I yelped and lifted my right sword, then grunting as I was forced down. A foot kicked me hard from the left, sending me down completely and making pain go through my side. I growled and jumped up, hilts aimed at the four now, I fired two dust rounds. They went flying into the warehouse wall with some surprised yelling and I went flying backwards.
"Get over here!" One of the others said,he had a hammer. I flipped over him and his weapon as it came down to the floor, smashing where I was moments before. I landed behind him and and spun, my heel hitting his face, I heard someone behind me and crouched, spinning with my leg stretched to trip him, then jump on him and give him a quick punch to the face, knocking him out. Six down. For a little bit at least, four more to go. I actually made quick work of them, so far the hardest enemy i´ve had was Roman. These guys were even weaker than him. I looked around, the ten faunus spread across the ground around me.
"Why did you attack me?! I´m not the enemy!" I growled at them.
"Because I told them to. Its time you learned a lesson." I turned, glaring at the newcomer. It faded quickly and was replaced but a worried frown. Adam, this was not gonna end well for me...
"Um...hey...Adam. Whats up?" I gave him a nervous smile, my guard lowered. He simply chuckled and put a hand on his hilt, his leggings bending a little. He was going to fight me, uh oh. Lets see what I remember, his fighting style was always sheathing the sword after an attack, the sword could be shot out of its sheath, the sheath itself was a rifle, seemed to be short ranged but I couldn't be sure. So, plan. If I stay far away then I should be fine. Maybe when hes distracted I can make it into the warehouse, get some help or hide. Weirdly, this second option bothered me. I didnt want to run or hide, even it was smart. I wanted to fight.
"Well, careful Addy, you might get hurt." His smile left. Romans little comments were a good thing to copy, they pissed of the enemy pretty well. His sword shot out and I jumped to the side, raising my own swords to parry his blow. He was fast. Covered that distance in two seconds. I flipped frontwards as he tried to get me again, spun with the intent to kick. He grabbed my foot, pulled me back and I fell. He let go of my foot and I rolled, lifting my arms in an X and forcing aura to concentrate there. His sword got locked between them and I pulled it out of his hand, jumping back up I slashed with his own weapon, forcing him back. I made short movements with the sword, deflecting five bullets and didn't realized he charged. He tackled me, taking his sword as I fell, but I managed to roll back and grab my weapons at the same time and flipping backwards various times to avoid his multiple blows but he eventually got smart and on my sixth flip he waited and charged, slamming me into a tree. My aura held though. I yelped and ducked as his sword impaled itself in the tree, where my head was moments before. I growled grabbing his arm to keep him from using his sword and kicking upwards to the chin , like Roman, but Adam grabbed my foot, pulled his sword out despite my hand and stabbed me through the stomach. I yelled letting go and falling down.
"You really thought you were strong? That you were safe? That you belonged here?" He shook his head, twisting his sword and making me yell again. "Remember your place."
"Heh, i-i beat Roman...thats a start." I reached for y sword and he pressed down, basically nailing e to the floor as I felt the sword exit my back.
"You really think Roman is that weak? He let you get beaten to see what you could do, if you were a threat. Me and him planned that."He pulled his sword out, then sheathed it. "You will listen to us, or die, understand?"
"F-fuck you!" I flinched as he shifted, expecting another sword. But as it never came I saw Adam had turned.
"You´ll listen, sooner or later...we´ll make sure about that." He began to walk off and I blacked out, from blood lose or exhaustion, or maybe both. I don't know.
"You did what?!" Cinder shouted, walking up to Adam.
"I fought him. I defeated him. I made him see how weak he is and how foolish aswell." He stared down at Cinder. "You are getting very concerned over the boy."
She sighed, turning to Roman. "Why was I not informed of this?" She asked.
"Uh...heh, funny story. Adam, I need to go count the dust. You can explain things to her." He shot the other tow a smile before leaving the room.
"You were to nice to him. He needed, he still needs, to e shown his dilemma. To be used. We won´t get anywhere if we are nice." Adam said.
Cinder disagreed. Completely. She hated this but instead of voicing her thoughts she put her neutral face on and nodded. "Next time, tell me. Or let Neo do the work. I want him to have little contact with most of us, Neo is his main partner but if you ust use Emerald or Mercury."
"Your...ok with this?" He asked, sounded confused. He had expected more arguing.
"Of course. I didn't bring him here to enjoy himself, we cannot let him ruin our plan." Adam nodded then left the room.
Cinder sighed, sitting on a nearby chair. She really could not let her emotions show anymore. It would compromise her. She wanted to be nice, but if she was then the rest wouldn't listen to her. They´d accuse her of liking the boy and maybe even remove her from everything. She couldn't have that. "Sorry, Alessandro. Looks like we shall see how tough you really are, because I can´t keep you from suffering anymore." She said, still, he won´t survive what she had planned for him. Better for her to stop caring. Why had she even cared to begin with? She still did not know...
Ugh. Where was I? I sat up and groaned as I felt pain race up my stomach. I ignored it and sat up anyways, looking around. I was in my room, no one in here. I can´t believe Adam had done that. Where was Mercury and Emerald? I had only gone out to see them, Merc told me to go
...had he lied to me. Tricked me? He had to, it was the only thing that could've happened. I got up, ignoring the pain. No, I wont deal with this. I closed my eyes and flared my aura on the wound, after a few moments I felt the pain leave. Odd, I wasn´t tired from it. That should´ve tired me...maybe emotions let me use it more than normal? I chuckled as I walked out of the room. Even in this mess I could over think and even laugh. I loved that of me. As I walked out, Neo came to me. I frowned as she "talked" to me.
"They...want me for a heist? Neo, I sa-" I froze, eyes wide and gulped. Her sword was against my neck, she was smiling in that sadistic way of hers. "Neo...i´ll give you one chance to move away..." My aura had already been active since I flared it, if she tried to cut I was fairly sure I could flare it again fast enough. I rolled my eyes as she "spoke".
"Just shut it. I´ll go, but threats weren't necessary. I mean, we are working together, right?" I raised an eyebrow at her. After Adam I was really stating to doubt the good/bad thing again. I might be dumb for considering it so little, but they had been great to me and I had no where to go and no goal yet. Still...i´d have to be careful now. She wrapped her arm around mine and we began walking. I sighed, knowing she wouldn't let me go. She loved this little things that bugged me. We walked into the conference room, which only made me more curious. I had never gone in or been allowed. It was sound proof to so I even when I tried to hear I couldn't. Cinder, Roman, Adam, the fang lieutenant. Neo kissed my cheek and left the room, I shifted nervously as the all just stared at me. Even Cinder who usually showed me some emotion was rock solid. This was serious.
"So...why am I here?" I asked.
"Well kid, seeing as your strong enough to fight police and any other pests during our heists, most of them at least. We´ve decided to put you to work. I´m starting my next string of robberies tomorrow, we´re hitting twenty dust shops, a shipment at the docks and a convoy of delivery trucks. The convoy has protection, docks shouldn't have much. Dust shops are easy pickings." He smiled wider. "You gotta listen to everything I say."
"..." I turned to Cinder, then Adam. This had to be a joke. They couldn't expect me to rob anything. Hell, most of my life I wanted to be a cop. If they're was something better on Earth like Hunters I would've been a hunter.
"Alessandro, you´ve learned enough. And we´ve taken care of you for enough time. You must, carry your own weight, so to speak. Remember, there won´t be any deaths or hurt civilians and this is for the faunus. They need this or humans will eventually crush them." She smiled at me in that motherly way of hers, I couldn't help but smile a bit back. Plus, she wasn't wrong. This was for the faunus, the greater good...right? Wait, no. Ugh, I shouldn't be thinking like this. The "greater good" was an excuse for people to do bad stuff. Earth proved that. I shook my head.
"Sorry, but know. Ask me to unload it, prep the trucks, weapons. Something like that and fine, i´ll do it. But...robbery? I´m sorry, I can´t. I won´t." I crossed my arms, staring at the three. Cinder sighed, looking disappointed. I felt a pang of guilt. But didn't change my mind. Adam nodded to Roman who aimed his cane at me.
"Hey!" I back up, hands on hilts. "What are you doing?!"
"You will go with us, or you´ll be punished, kiddo. And trust me, Neo knows how to punish people." He grinned. I looked around at everyone, none of them reacted. I sighed.
"Ok...but if i´m going we are doing it my way. I don´t want a single bullet fired or a single sword slashed. I don´t want anyone to get hurt, civilians or us." I crossed my arms, glaring at Roman and daring him to say otherwise. He looked around and the three apparently got to a silent agreement. Cinder looking bothered.
"We are not making deals here. You do it, or you suffer the consequences. What do you not get about that?" Adam said walking a little closer to me. "When we brought you here, no deal was made. When we trained you, no deal was made. Their are no deals!" He grabbed my neck, lighting fast and smashed me against the wall, I couldn't even react. "You. Will. Go."
"Go...to hell!" I croaked, grabbing his arm and kicking him. I felt his knee pin my leg to the wall.
"You will if you don´t obey!" I felt his grip tighten, My air cut off. I struggled uselessly against him.
"Come on kid, we don´t have all day. You just have to go, grab the dust. Leave. Its not that evil or hard." Roman said,
"Alessandro, just go. We could use your help. Its not dangerous to anyone but us and its not hard even for someone like you." Cinder said, her soft voice working its way into my head. Besides, I could trust her. She was like a mother, she kept me safe. She couldn't fight Adam, her ally, but still tried to help. I nodded slowly and Adam dropped me. I retched and gagged, air working its way back into me.
"Good. You will go at night. Hit ten of the twenty stores. Roman is leading the heists, this time you will be his only company. The only orders you have are listen to him and protect him at all costs. Shouldn't be a problem for you." Adam said before walking out.
"Hm, as if I need protection." Roman huffed before leaving himself.
I shakily got to my feet, eying Cinder. She was staring at me and I couldn't tell what she was thinking about. After a few seconds she walked over and hugged me.
"I´m sorry. But there is nothing I can do." She whispered in my ear. I nodded,
"I understand. Don´t worry, i´ll be fine." I said, then walked out to prepare myself.
