Notes: There are a few things special about this chapter. First its been a long while since the last entry, at least by my standards. Secondly it has the longest title out of every chapter I have ever made. Thirdly it has Cail in a real fighting scene!
The Snail the Witch and the Memory
The halls of Beacon lit up as a flash of red hot fire erupts from within. The windows near the flare warp and begin to crack while the snail faunus Cail flips through the air to land several feet from the person who she had been in direct contact with only moments ago. A dark scorch mark now scars the area she had just stud. Cail lets out a sigh of relief before addressing her attacker. "Wow that was a close call huh? I'm not really a fan of deep-fried snail." She said while wiping sweat and slime from her brow and chuckling.
A fiery fist clenches while the amber eyes of its owner Cinder Fall now burned with matching and ever intensifying fury. Her gaze was fixed squarely on the faunus girl before with equal parts anger and disbelief. "Snail, I will ask again. What did you just do!?" Her voice was low and more then a little threatening. Each word seeming ignite the air around her. "You better start talking before you regret it!"
Cail began scratching her head as if it was an odd question to ask. "I'm not sure what you mean Cinder Fall. That was just my way of saying hello."
Then one of fire witches two companions a green hair girl with dark skin broke out of their stunned stupor and rushed to her side. "Cinder, are you alright!?" Receiving no response from her flaming commander she attempted to reach out and touch her shoulder only to be held back when the flames flare up even higher. The green haired girl pulls back to avoid being burned alive.
Noticing her companion's panic Cinder straitens herself and her flames begin to die down. "I'm fine Emerald but, as for you!" She says while shooting another fiery glare at Cail. "You have a lot of nerve to try to pull something like this, Pendragon!"
"You know her?!" Emerald asks.
"No I don't, or at least I didn't. I don't know how she did it or even why but. After she touched my hand I seen something, I seen her memories. They were just fragments, pieces of a scattered puzzle but. It was enough to figure out her name and that she is or at least was a member of the White Fang."
"What, a White Fang member? What's a member of the White Fang doing here? I guess Ozpin really just lets anyone walk into Beacon doesn't he?" Emerald inquired.
"That he does indeed. Case… in… point." Cail says while motioning towards each of the three criminals in front of her. "Anyway, you wanted to know what it is I want. It's really quite simple really. I want to come back, I want to rejoin the White Fang. And I'm a busy person you see, I don't have the time to waste with lowly recruiters. I want to talk to the big guy in person."
"The big guy you say?" Cinder inquires.
"Come on you know full well who I am talking about. You know the one with red hair, who carries around a sword everywhere he goes, and has a thing for cats."
Cinders eyes narrow as it begins to click. "So you wish to meet with Adam?" Cail responds with a nod. "You came to me because you some how know we are connected?" Cail nods again. "What do you wish to do when you meet him?"
"Silly I just told you I wish to join the White Fang of course! I have been out of the loop for a long time but. I think its time I dusted off my mask and step back in!"
"Why?" When Cinder spoke this one word it was packed with venom then your average cobra.
Cail placed a finger to her chin as if in deep thought. "Boredom I guess. Things were so much more interesting when I was in the White Fang you know? And with all this new activity they have been involved with lately. Well let's just say my interest has been thoroughly peeked." She said with an air of excitement in her tone.
"I see…" At this point Cinders anger had been completely replaced by annoyance. And she then turned towards her two companions. "Emerald, Mercury, this girl can't be trusted so I want you to kill her. And try not to leave too much of a mess. We can't have it be traced back to us."
"Huh?" Cail responded before Emerald rushed towards her.
"Gladly!" Emerald shouted as she reaches into her uniform and pulled out two hidden weapons that appear to be handguns. She then gives them a spin shifting them into small sickle weapons. She took aim for Cail's throat and swiped at her from both sides at once. Only to realize her target had completely vanished. "Wait what, where did she go!?" She said as she began to glance back and forth searching for her until she felt a tap on her right shoulder. Emerald spun around to see the girl was directly behind her. And Emerald jumped back and transformed her weapons back into gun form before leveling them in the direction of her target only to realize she had disappear again. "What, how!?" She shouted before feeling the air above her shift and hearing an audible thud from behind her.
"Emerald watch out!" Mercury shouted as throw a kick at the snail girl that was now stud behind her.
Cail dunked under the kick and cot the handle of a sickle before it dug itself into her neck. "That was even closer than last time. If I was even a second to slow my head would have come off." Cail said while griping her own throat with her open hand and letting out a chuckle.
Emerald slashes for Cail again only for her to weave out of the way and vanish once again. "She is hiding in your blind spot you fool!" Cinder hissed.
Emerald glanced at her goddess Cinder and could see the wrathful fury growing inside her by the moment. She needed to end this quickly. She had to find that slippery snail as fast as possible if she didn't want to be cooked alive. "Stop running you cowered!" Emerald shouted as she looked back and forth and spun around several times. Each time Cail followed her movements perfectly always remaining just out of view. While staying hidden Cail decided to pull out her scroll and begin texting, even taking a moment to take a selfie with Emeralds backside.
This insanity continued until finally Cail rapped her arms around Emerald's waist and placed her head on her shoulders. "You know you're a lot of fun to play with and you're kind of cute. We should play tag like this again some time. Maybe next time it can be just the two of us though." She says while glancing at the other two staring daggers into her.
Emerald was frozen in shock until she felt slime seeping into her uniform from the arms rapped around her waist. "Gross! Let go of me perverted freak!" Emerald yelled while she switched one of her sickles into gun mode and pointed it directly at Cail's face before pulling the trigger. Cail cart wheeled backward just in time to dodge the shot. Then Emerald spun around with both guns and began firing rounds like a mad man at the slimy faunus girl.
Cail grinned as she put one hand out in front of her and created a shield of her own aura to deflecte the incoming rounds with relative easy. Cail then began to rush forward with the shield still held out in front of her and causing Emerald to panic and charge in herself. Once Cail closes the distance she drops the shield and refocuses her aura into her left hand before delivering a savage blow to Emeralds stomach. Causing her to drop down onto her knees and begin to dry heave. "What's wrong? You don't have morning sickness do you? If so what I just did may have been murder!" Cail said while pretending to be concerned.
After witnessing this crazy exchange with out a word Mercury spotted what seemed like an opening and leaped back into fray. He towards Cail and throw a heavy windmill kick aimed directly at the back of her head. Before the kick could connect, Cail had moved her arm into the path of the kick stopping it in its tracks. A look of surprise momentarily comes over Mercury's features before transforming into excitement. "Alright so this girl really does have some moves! Alright, let's see how good she really is!" He shouted as he stepped back and began throwing furious kicks from every direction.
Cail smiled as she stepped into his attack. "High kick, right side, left side, faint attack, low kick, left side, high kick!" She announced before she blocked or dodged each incoming kick with out getting scratched. Mercury pulled back again and a confused expression came over Cail's face as Mercury launched his next attack. "Right hook?" Cail questioned as she intercepted the incoming punch from the kicking fiend.
"Damn you brat, how are you doing this!?" Mercury barked as he struggled to pull out of the snails surprisingly iron grip.
"How you ask? It's not really important is it? I will say though you have good form and your and legs are so strong. With that said these arms of yours do leave a little to be desired. Maybe you shouldn't try to use these if they aren't up to snuff. It will only bite you in the end." Cail stated while she ran her hands over the length of his arm trapped in her grip causing Mercury to practically jump out of his skin and yank away from her. "What's the matter, don't tell me your no good with girls or something? Don't worry I'm already taken anyway, so there's no reason to be so shy. With that said your attacks will never reach me like this, would you like me to give you a few tips perhaps?"
"Shut it you freak! I will take your head off!" Mercury roared.
Emerald struggled back to her feet and called out to her partner. "Mercury, she is reading your movements somehow! You need to calm down so we can work together! If we don't we will be playing into her hands!" She shouted.
"You can shut it to Emerald! You couldn't even touch her, so what good would you be!?" He says dismissively before jumping in the air and throwing another kick for Cail's head.
Cail looks down and shakes her head while letting out a sigh. "You are far too predictable." She then blocks the kick with both hands crossed above her head. The moment she makes contact with his leg she could hear a click as a set of hidden guns extend from his boots and discharge a shot into her face. The shot causes Cail's head to reel backward and her aura to flicker.
"Ha got you, you little…" Mercury began before Cail's unharmed face peeked through the dust cloud that was created on impact. Her aura was laser focused around the point of impact and her expression had changed. For the first time since the fight started she seemed serious or rather annoyed. "No way in hell did you just take that on purpose!? What are you mad…Ahhhh!" He screamed as Cail grasped his leg and flipped him over her head before she slammed his face into the floor behind her. The impact causing his aura to flicker as his head seemed to bounce of hard floors surface. Cail released her grip on him while he gripped his nose and began to howl in pain.
Cail leaned down to talk into Mercury's ear. "You know I was surprised by you. You were able to hide your strategy so well so I kind of expected a more interesting attack to follow but. Maybe you just weren't thinking about it very hard. Ether way you're not ready to fight me some one like me. I don't even think you could beat that your cute little friend of yours over there." She said while motioning towards Emerald who was steadily moving closer with her blades drawn. Cail then leaned back up and began to stretch before taking a loose fighting stance. "Now then I guess it's about time for us to pick up where we left off."
A look of panic came over Emeralds features as she transformed her weapons and was preparing to fire when a spark lit up the halls and Cail flipped out of the way of another fiery blast. When Cail landed she could feel heat on her back causing her to hop forward as pillars of flame erupted behind her. After doing so she landed on one knee and the moment she looked up to face her opponent a black sword was already pressed against her neck and the flame witch Cinder Fall was glaring down her. "So, you decided to join in on the fun?" Cail asked while tilting her head to the side and smiling.
"No, I decided to put an end to this foolishness myself. Since these two have chosen to disappoint me yet again, I find this to be the easiest method." Cinder hissed as she shot glares at each of her two companions causing them to both looking down in shame. "I will emit though, you surprised me. I didn't expect for such a strong huntress to have completely slip under my radar. Whoever you really are, I know you are only going to cause trouble. So I am going to end you, right here and right now!" Cinders tone indicated her blood thirst.
"So what are you waiting on?" Cail inquired.
"What indeed! Prepare to die!" Cinder shouted while her body ignited and she hoisted her blade high in the air. Before she could bring the blade back down on her pray her scroll began to ring. The familiar ring tone of her scroll caused her to freeze in place and glance down at her wrist where it was located. The caller ID read A.T. "Adam! I told him to never call me directly without there being an emergency!" Cinder thought to herself.
"You may want to get that, it could be important." Cail said in a taunting tone.
Without breaking eye contact with Cail, Cinder reached over and pressed a button on her scroll to accept the call. An image of a red haired black horned faunus appeared on the screen. "This had better be important Adam, I am in the middle of something."
Adam looked irate and his tone conveyed it perfectly. "Oh I bet you are! You know when I agreed to this little arrangement of ours, I was under the impression that you were serious about this. Now I am beginning to wonder if I made a mistake!" The final line was delivered along with him slamming his fist on his desk.
"What are you talking about Adam?! I am completely dedicated to achieving our goals! And how dare you question my dedication!"
"Who am I to question she says? Tell me Cinder what is the meaning of all of these ridicules text messages!? I told you when I gave you this number, it was meant for emergencies not for your brats to screw around!" Adam roared.
"Ridicules texts? I have sent you no such things Adam!"
"Oh that's funny. The only person I have given this number to would be you is it not!? So who else could it be huh?!"
"Well I don't have any idea who…" Cinder stopped while realization began to come to her. She then started to glance back down at Cail who was now typing away on her scroll and giggling to herself. "You insolent little wench, this is your doing isn't it!?"
Cail glanced up with crocked smile plastered on her face. "What, No! Don't be silly!" She said as she quickly tries to hide her scroll behind her back.
"How did you get that number snail?" Cinder roared.
Suddenly Adam's expression changed. "That voice, it couldn't be. Cinder, you are with some one right!?"
"No one you need to concern yourself with. I will soon be dispatching this insect!"
"Insect!? I take affiance to that remark! Just because I have antenna does not mean I'm a bug!" Cail snapped while pointing at her antenna.
"Would you just shut up already!?" Cinder shouted as she raised her blade once again. Before she could strike she heard the voice of Adam call out to her again.
"Stop Cinder!" Adam shouted.
"What, why Adam?"
"I know that voice anywhere. Cail Pendragon is that you, you rat!?" Adam inquired.
"You know this thing Adam?" Cinder responded.
"Unfortunately, we have been looking for her for the last three years. It seems she decided to make it easy for us." Adam responded.
"Hey Adam, long time no see! I need to see you about something important right away!" Cail shouted out as Cinder turned the screen to face Cail.
"Cinder I want you to bring her too me." Adam stated.
"You do not command me! This girl has crossed me and must pay the price!"
"Oh she will but, she is the White Fang's problem not yours. Bring her here right now, or you can consider this partnership over!"
Cinder bit down on her lip and glared down at the snail girl in front of her. "Get up! All of you! We are leaving." She said while shooting a glance to Emerald and Mercury who quickly shot up and straightened themselves. She then looked back at Cail. "You want to see Adam so badly? Fine let's go!" She then stormed off with the other three in toe using magic to repair the damage to the hallway behind her.
As Cail walks away she shoots a glance back towards corner at the end of the hallway and for a brief moment concern comes over her face. On the other end of the hallway hiding behind the corner was the teck master of team CRUS Sophia Sparks. Her expression was a mix of confusion, worry, and horror. "What the hell was all that Cail?" She said to herself. "They were talking about the White Fang right?! Is Cail really one of them?! There is no way right? Maybe I should go to the police about this? No the police around here are useless and if Cail isn't with them it will only make things worse. I could talk to a teacher maybe? No Goodwitch hates her, there is no way she will even listen to Cail's side of the story before slapping her in irons or worse. I guess I need more information before I can make a move. There is only two people I can think of who are close enough to Cail to tell me. Her Boyfriend Cardin, and Robin. Robin is her partner after all, if she was to open up to anyone it would be her." After that she sprinted down the hallway towards her dorm.