Not Just Any Break-in

Dalastjedi: Now, before we begin; Mazon48TheWyrm, anything you want to say to the viewers before we progress any further with MSTT?

Mazon48: Read moar or I will personally hunt you down and force you to read the rest of MSTT before shanking your arteries open and disposing of your body in the fire ant pen in a nearby zoo.

Dalastjedi: Wow, leaving little to the imagination there buddy.

Mazon48: AND THE FIRE ANTS IMPREGNATE YOU.

Dalastjedi: Such a joker...seriously, this is no way to talk to the fans.

Mazon48: Maybeee it is..?

Dalastjedi: Seriously, it's not, so that's enough from you. Onto the story!

Six hours after the Fall Maiden's Ambush…

There were few times when Mason felt truly accomplished. It was often a feeling he reserved for when he burnt down a church full of priests or blew up an entire building with a single rocket, even times when he killed someone while using the severed limbs of another person as projectiles.

This time though, he felt accomplished.

With his backpack full of severed limbs and blood still dripping from his ginger afro, he felt that he went over and beyond the job he had been given. Not only did he burn down the entire encampment full of White Fang noobs, but he made sure that none of them survived to tell the tale.

"That'll teach them to reject my resume." He grumbled to himself as he pulled off the head that dangled on a key-ring by his belt and held it in front of him. "Ain't that right, Timmy?"

"Yes," said Timmy, who oddly sounded like the voice in his head that his therapist claimed went away several years back. "All those that stand if your path will taste your blade."

"All this talk of swords and tasting is making me hungry." Said the redhead, more or less ignoring the voice he heard.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything." The voice countered, confused.

"That's because you're just the head of a dumbfuck. I don't expect you to understand me." Mason giggled merrily as he hung the head by the ring on his belt, continuing through the forest to the rendezvous point that he had been given before embarking on this mission.

He hadn't even had to waste that much ammunition, as all it took was to plant the incendiary bomb into the shed where they kept all their ammunition. Well, that and to 'borrow' some of the rocket launchers they left lying about in the armoury in order to blow up anybody that tried to put out the fires apart.

After that, it was just the tedious job of burning down each of the buildings until they were nothing more than a pile of charred sticks and ash.

It wasn't even that hard to infiltrate the encampment; all he had to do was show anyone he passed the Faunus ears he kept hidden under his afro.

Lots of people would say that there was no art to murder and arson, but Mason didn't give a shit what they thought because he was an 'Arson-fucking-master'.

"Whelp, easiest stealth mission ever." Mason mused to himself as he got closer and closer to the spot where he was supposed to give the report to the black-haired woman. The broken moon hung high in the sky, as the night turned into very early dawn. If it weren't for his unsurprisingly good Faunus night-vision, Mason wouldn't be able to see more than two metres in front of him due to the faint moonlight, most of which was being blocked out by passing clouds. Even then, Mason had to watch carefully not to stumble into a thorn-bush…again.

Passing through another patch of dry twigs and leaves that stuck to his frizzy afro and scarlet-red T-shirt, he picked them off methodically, cursing under his breath that he couldn't just set them on fire without setting himself on fire.

"What are you looking at?" he shouted at a small shrub of leaves, anger barely contained. Kicking at the nearby bush with his thick rubber boots to vent his frustration, he finally noticed a light in the distance after he had completely uprooted it.

"Ah, that must be them." He said to himself again as he skipped merrily through the thickets to get to them, a complete – and sudden – change in personality in less than five seconds.

"Be warned, Blood-drinker." He heard Little Timmy's surprisingly deep voice in his head once more. "They are not to be trusted."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever." Mason dismissed as he burst through the twigs and branches and into the clearing. "Did you miss me!" he shouted as he struck a pose, pretending like he had just finished a big musical number.

The sudden outburst caught the people in the clearing by surprise, causing them to draw their weapons and point it towards him until the ash-haired woman recognized who it was and sent a scowl his way, which Mason returned with a smug smile.

"Lower your weapons." She said through gritted teeth. "He's with us."

"Hey, you look familiar." The silver-haired boy said as he relaxed out of his tense combat-stance.

"Maybe you've heard of me?" Mason said as he raised one hand to the sky while pointing the other towards the ground. "Mason Mars: mass-murdering cannibal arsonist extraordinaire!" He declared triumphantly.

"Why doesn't that make me feel any safer?" the mint-green haired girl asked rhetorically, but Mason took the question seriously, sprinting right up to her until he was right in her face.

"I also do necrophilia." He whispered in a low, husky voice accompanied by a menacing grin, before being kicked in the shin, followed by a high-kick to his chest. The force and anger behind the blows was enough to send him onto his back.

"Watch it, before I-"

"Now, now, Emerald. This man is here to help our cause, not to fight us." Cinder said, clearly having enjoyed watching Mason being thrown onto his back, if the smirk was any indication. "In fact, I believe he has already completed his mission."

"Yep, I burned the whole encampment to the ground and brutally dismembered everyone!" Mason cheered as he simply laid on the ground, content with himself.

"Excelle-You did what?" Cinder suddenly shrieked in shock and anger, causing Mason to bolt upright.

"I burnt the whole base down to ashes. And I killed everyone; just like you asked." He said as he removed the head from his belt and held it at neck-level, in his outstretched right hand. "Isn't that right, Timmy." He said before he broke into maniacal laughter.

The voice of Little Timmy sighed. "This never ends well."

"Anyways, no need to thank me." Mason continued as he hung the severed head back onto his belt and jumped to his feet, completely oblivious of the fiery glare Cinder was sending his way, or the way her glowing eyes twitched ever so slightly from the anger and pure rage boiling under her skin. "Although, I will accept payment in the form of more incendiary weapons and-" Mason was cut off as a ball of fire was sent his way, which he narrowly dodged.

"I needed those men to be scared!" Cinder yelled, her voice echoing in the empty forest and causing her two companions to go wide-eyed and back away slowly. "I needed them alive, in fear, not dead! I specifically told you to burn the encampment, not slaughter them!" she shrieked the last part as she sent another fireball Mason's way.

Any normal person would have been terrified beyond wetting themselves. But then again, Mason wasn't anywhere close to a normal person.

"So, what?" Cinder threw another fireball.

"I can't believe I trusted this to someone like you. I should've known you would louse this up." She said through grit teeth in a softer, grittier tone – much more like a normal speaking voice – even though the intensity never left her eyes. "And now, you're going to pay for it." As she said this, her amber eyes flickered and glowed even brighter, while at the same time, the treeline around the clearing began to catch fire. The fire gradually spread from one tree to another until they were trapped in a ring of burning pillars of oak-wood.

However, none of this seemed to faze Mason. Heh, Faze. "Girl, if you're going to threaten me, then don't use nooby cliché tricks."

The remark caused Cinder to chuckle as she looked to the ground and shook her head. The flames surrounding them made her shadows appear to stretch in every direction as she looked back up. "Then how about a new trick?" she asked as a high-pitched shrieking sound seemed to come out of the ground.

By the time the ginger Faunus was able to look at the ground, he was already being blown into the air by an explosive force. Twisting in mid-air, Mason was able to turn back to face the black-haired woman as she drew back on the string of her bow and fired a volley of three arrows at him.

Drawing Fuil from its sheath on his belt, he was able to block two of the arrows before the third exploded once it hit him, sending him falling back to the ground at an angle so that he slammed into the bark of one of the burning trees.

The hot ash and embers of the tree bark singed the back of Mason's hair as well as the straps of leather he wore across his body as armour slightly, but the pain nearly didn't bother Mason as he got back to his feet and rushed the woman. With both weapons in hands, he was able to deflect all the arrows she sent his way and tackled her to the ground.

With his enemy underneath him, Mason was about to deliver the finishing blow with Bas, but was blown back by a wave of orange-coloured energy from underneath him. Not even bothering to stick the landing, he just tumbled along the ground before scrambling back up, looking from left to right as Cinder's associates began approaching him, weapons at the ready.

"No!" they suddenly froze as Cinder struggled back to her feet. Picking up her bow, she pushed both of them away, approaching Mason at a slow walk. "He's mine." She said as she sent a blast of energy his way.

Transforming Bas and Fuil into their shotgun and heavy-pistol modes, Mason fired several salvos of bullets at Cinder as she slowly approached him, only for Cinder to bat the bullets out of mid-air with her hand, a trail of embers following her hands and the bullet shells as she smacked them away.

Realising this tactic wasn't working, the redhead transformed Bas back into its notched-axe form before charging the menacing woman before him, head on.

Every few times he swung out at Cinder, he was able to hit her on her arms and legs – her Aura absorbing almost all the damage he dealt. The other times, the axe caught the blades of the bow as she repeatedly tried to push him back up against the burning tree again. However, as their fight progressed, Mason felt himself get stronger, and it was obvious Cinder did too.

Switching in between slashing at her with his axe and taking a pot-shot with his pistol seemed to wear her down, but it wasn't enough to do any real damage. Eventually, while Mason was twisting on his spot, he tried to fire a shot straight into Cinder's exposed torso. However, the ash-haired woman anticipated the attack and grabbed the end of the gun, aiming it away so that the shot completely missed before twisting the gun in Mason's grip. Unable to register that he should let go of the gun, the redhead was sent tumbling to the ground as he was tossed across the clearing.

"You cannot win this encounter. You must retreat." Mason heard the voice of Timmy in his head tell him, and he couldn't help but agree as the heat of the flames was starting to get to him. It was only then did he notice that some of his armour was on fire – probably from being blasted at.

Quickly patting the fire away, he spoke out loud. "You're right; if I die here, I'll just be another redshirt character in this stupid story."

"What does that even mean?"

"Doesn't matter!" Mason snapped back as he pulled the head off his belt. "Do not worry, Little Timmy, you're sacrifice will be remembered and avenged." He said, turning all his attention to the head which he had learned to call his best friend over the course of the last day.

"When I return, you shall be the first of my dark culling." Mason heard the voice tell him as he tossed the head in his hand like a ball. Cinder was already approaching him, her hands seemingly unharmed even though they were in balls of flame.

"Hey biatch! Get Rekt!" Mason hollered as he tossed the head through the air, directed towards Cinder. As expected, she instead threw a fireball at it, which reacted with the explosive plastics he had stuffed the head with, along with some phosphorus, magnesium and iron nails.

The result; a flash-smoke-nail-grenade.

It wasn't the most conventional escape tool, but it worked nonetheless. The flash stunned Cinder and the others, while the shower of rusty nails was enough to knock her on her back – her Aura still absorbing almost all the damage that was dealt. While all that went down, Mason quickly made a run for the treeline, concealed by the smokescreen.

When he was a suitable enough distance from the treeline, he silently swore to avenge the death of his fallen comrade; Little Timmy. Just for that, I'm gonna make sure I don't lube-up before going in. With my cold, hard, sword. Right through her throat…all the way into her stomach. He said to himself in his mind as the clearing burst with flame several times, the flames catching more trees alight.

Roughly 4 Months before Volume 1…

"You want me to what?"

Cinder groaned incredulously as she paced back and forth in front of the holo-screen that displayed a map of Remnant. "It's simple, really." Going over the plan in more detail, for a second time. "We've arranged you safe transport to Atlas, you'll be where we asked you to be at the designated time. Then, once everything is in place, we'll give you the signal to move on the Cross-Continental Transmit Tower. Make your way to the communications floor, and then just put the Scroll in the console that connects to the whole mainframe. It'll do the rest itself, then once it's done, take it with you and get out, quietly."

The black-haired boy scoffed sarcastically. "You say that like it'll be easy. You know what they call that tower back in Vacuo?" he asked rhetorically. "The Iron Column. That building is more secured than their national bank. Not to mention, there's really only one entrance and exit if I'm heading for the Comms. Floor."

Cinder sent the teen a glare before continuing. "I never said this was going to be easy. But, Emerald trusts you, and if her thievery is as good as her choice of thieves, then I'll assume that you're worth your pay-check."

Sze Khun thought this over, memorising every little detail about the plan in his head before turning to Emerald, who stood at his side. He quirked an eyebrow at the woman, and she just nodded her head in Cinder's direction, giving the rogue the indication that he should continue to hear her out before coming to a final decision.

"And the payment?" he asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. He had seen how much Cinder was willing to pay him for this suicidal mission, and it almost made up for how dangerous and insane the task was.

The ash-haired woman sighed once before waving her Scroll at the holo-screen, causing it to display the small image of a wooden box. "Your payment is in the lock-box and is being transported to Atlas as we speak. Complete your mission and we'll give you the coordinates and codes to the box. After that, do whatever you want with the money." She said as a grin tugged at her face. "However, should you call the number in the box; I can promise you that we can make you wealthier beyond your dreams. Provided you can perform the assignments we give you."

The black-haired boy nodded his head, his glasses recording their conference as well as downloading the details of the mission that he had already decided to accept, no matter what.

However…

"What happens if I double-cross you? What happens if, instead, I were to tell the Atlesian authorities about this 'plan' of yours? From what I can see," he said, gesturing to the warehouse they were in, which was stocked with Dust, weaponry, several smelly White Fang goons and a multitude of stolen goods. "-you've probably got one hell of a grudge against the leading governments. Not to mention, planting a virus in the Atlas Network is a crime short of a life-sentence in prison."

She gave a small, appreciative hum as she walked right up to Sze Khun, faces inches apart with a devious smirk on his face. The invasion of personal space by such a dangerous – but admittedly attractive – woman was making the rogue sweat and his mind go numb.

"I like you S-ze K-hun" she said, still getting the pronunciation wrong, but Sze Khun's mind was still too fuzzy to correct her. "So inquisitive, so curious, so eager to test the waters." She said as she slid her hand along his neck, only to cup his face with a firm grip. "Only to be burnt. So, for your sake, don't even think about trying to betray me. And trust me; I'll know if you do." She said the last part in a sing-song voice before sauntering over to the holo-screen once more.

It wasn't the response he wanted, but he was too scared to ask again. If this woman was anything, she was hot. Oh…and dangerous. Probably very dangerous.

"She means it." Emerald said from his left, catching his attention and causing him to turn to her, who had a look of sympathy for him. Though, Sze Khun couldn't quite place what the look meant.

Breathing out a sigh that felt heavier than it should have, Sze Khun couldn't quite help but feel that he didn't even know what he was getting himself into. Military-grade weaponry, several AK models, a militia of Faunus terrorists…what does this mean? Looks like the start of a coup if anything.

"So when do we move out?" he directed the question to Cinder, who turned around just as Mercury walked up to whisper something to Emerald. They both looked in his direction before sharing a look and shrugging.

"We're still waiting on a few more assets to fall into place, but regardless, we'll be moving out a few hours past midnight." Cinder said as she walked over to a metal table off to the side of the corner of the warehouse they were in. "So relax, and be ready to move when I say so." She said in her silk-smooth voice as she walked back over to the black-haired teen, passing him the cardboard packet she had picked up off the table.

He turned the packet around to look at the label, finding that it was a packet of high-quality bandages. Anti-septic and absorbent...He looked back at Cinder and found that she wore a rather pleased look on her face. "Like I said; I reward those that get things done very generously."

He huffed as she turned to walk off before taking off in the direction of a set of foldable chairs that rested against the wall. Just as he was about to pull one out and set about changing his bandages, he was shoved in the shoulder, causing the packet of bandages to slip out of his hands. He fumbled with catching them for a few moments before he finally caught hold of the box.

He turned to send a glare at Mercury and Emerald, unsure of who had shoved him, but still angry at their snickers.

"Just wanted to say 'Welcome to the Team'. No need to take it personally." Mercury said, trying to supress his snickering as he held out his hand to be shaken. When Sze Khun didn't return the gesture – only continuing to glare at the teen – he pulled his hand back and wore an incredulous on his face. "Fine, Mr. Too-Cool-For-School doesn't want a handshake, he's not going to get one." He said, raising his arms up in surrender before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Ignore him, See Khun." Emerald said, gently elbowing him in the side, but still getting the pronunciation of his name wrong. "Who knows; he might grow on you."

Unfolding the chair and falling into it, the black-haired rogue set about removing the bandages that he still hadn't changed since meeting the mint-haired girl. "I told you, just call me SK. At this rate, you'll never get the pronunciation right."

Emerald chuckled lightly before running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, no sweat. Listen, I'm gonna catch up with Merc, don't get into trouble without us." She said the last part over her shoulder as she turned to follow the silver-haired boy, but Sze Khun was barely paying attention.

'Welcome to the Team'…Like that's some kind of honour or something…