Chapter 2: The Big Bad Wolf
"No!" She screamed. Everything was burning. "No! No! No!" She screamed to the heavens, wanting it to stop. Everyone was burning. Burning corpses littered the fields. Her vision blinded by a blazing orange accompanied by screams for mercy. "STOP! PLEASE!" She begged. Then they targeted her.
She awoke with a gasp. She took a deep breath and pushed the memories to the back of her mind.
"Good morning, mom!" Happy silver eyes greeted her.
"Morning, Ruby." She looked upon the smiling young child she now saw as her own.
That cheery face alone pushed the dark memories further away, yet there was a thought that would not vanish, Ruby would eventually see those horrific sights like she did.
"You okay?" Ruby asked with concern.
But she would make sure Ruby would never have to suffer like she did.
"I'm fine." She wiped all the doubt and fear off her face.
She got up and stretched, looking around the warehouse office that they modified to be their bedroom. Sacrifices have to be made for secrecy. She checked the rations to find they were running low on toothpaste, and dental hygiene was important. Food was nearly depleted as well, which was a problem. Three more days until the heist, then lien wouldn't be a problem.
But what was a problem was 'Junior'. He hadn't given her any updates and she wasted all her lien on him. For his sake, he better have not screwed her over. Might as well pay him a visit later. She rummaged through the rations and grabbed the toothpaste. Brushing her teeth with an old toothbrush and a dirty, cracked mirror in a dirty warehouse bathroom reminded her of how low she has fallen. Ruby, however, was humming a song while brushing her teeth as if the situation didn't bother her. A child's innocence.
She once had that same happy gleam in her eyes. Ruby wasn't completely innocent, given she wanted to help her intentionally… but she was happy she did. As they wrapped up the mundane morning rituals, she began training Ruby as usual. She usually started off easy with the girl, giving her lectures on history, dust, and occasionally weapons. Ruby paid attention to varying degrees. Not a model student but not a juvenile delinquent either.
Then they would start aura training. Aura was typically unlocked around age twelve, but since Ruby unlocked it four years early she had to have extensive aura training so she could be roughly around the same level.
Normally when aura is unlocked at the regular age, it starts off at a quarter of it's power. It's protective covering is weak, but it grows stronger as the child grows older. Since Ruby was a special exception, she probably had less than a quarter of her total aura strength. Maybe even less, since her semblance was so integrated to everyday use.
While the girl was fast, it was better safe than sorry. A single bullet would likely shatter her aura shielding. So that meant a load of aura training just so Ruby can raise her aura strength to a quarter of its real power. Ruby struggled in this area and her progress was slow. Then came Ruby's exercises. People needed strong bodies to handle the strain of aura. A physically weak person wouldn't naturally get aura, and if some fool unlocked their aura for them… the results are agonizing.
While that only occurs with exceptionally weak people, she wasn't about to take any chances with Ruby. Besides, Ruby didn't complain about the exercises… much. She was forgoing the Dust training today. She had quickly learned that Ruby did not have her skill handling Dust. The only bright side is that she can use Dust without blowing her face up, which was an improvement. Then came Ruby's semblance training, which was probably the easiest for Ruby given how much she used it. And finally, combat training.
Since Ruby was reliant on her speed, she trained Ruby on the weak points of the human body. But while she was a skilled eight year old, she was still that… an eight year old kid. Her punches lacked power and as the spar dragged on, she grew slower. Any punches she manage to land on her were laughable at best and it wasn't long before Ruby was on her back, defeated. She shouldn't feel disappointed, considering her age, but she felt a little disappointed at Ruby.
Then those sad silver eyes beamed at her and guilt replaced that disappointment. "C'mon Ruby." She helped the little girl up.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't better." Ruby muttered.
"Hey, hey. This is me we're talking about. Not a whole lot of people can beat me." She reassured her.
Ruby gave a weak smile.
"Besides, practice makes perfect. And when you're older, you'll be stronger. Now, I believe it's lunch time."
She tried to keep interactions outside in Vale to a minimum. With the rations nearly gone, they had to eat cheap fast food to save the little lien she scrounged up. However, she couldn't eat out with Ruby instead she had to get the food and bring it back to the warehouse. She was a relatively unknown player in the grand scheme of things and she opted to keep it like that. She was about to leave before she turned to face Ruby.
"Remember the rules when I am gone?"
"Keep quiet. Call if there's any trouble." Ruby held out an old scroll Cinder gave her.
"And just in case."
Ruby pocketed the scroll and took out a small pocket knife. She snapped it open to show her the sharp blade. Cinder ruffled Ruby's hair and headed out.
Cinder walked amongst the ruined buildings of Vale. The riots had taken a massive toll on the city. Smashed windows, burnt down buildings, and rubble was all the eye could see. If she didn't know about the riots, she'd wager it was the Grimm. There was a heavy police presence with one or two huntsmen watching the streets.
Fear and tension was rampant, which worked in favor of her. She reached her destination, McDoyle's. A popular fast food chain that served cheap and probably unhealthy food. Still, they had to eat something. Getting a simple salad for herself and the kid's meal for Ruby, she left the fast food restaurant, bag in hand.
She began walking through the more empty parts of Vale, the destruction there was more prominent there. She was completely alone until she saw a young girl rushing toward her. As she got closer, more of the girl's features became noticeable.
The girl was a faunus, with those cat ears. She was wearing a black scarf that covered most of her face except her piercing amber eyes. When she reached Cinder, she tried grabbing her bag. Cinder moved the bag away and with her free arm, grabbed the faunus by the wrist. Lifting her up, she looked around to make sure no one was watching.
"Now… I assume you want this?" She lifted the bag and shook it mockingly. The faunus was silent.
"Well?"
The faunus feebly nodded.
"Tell me." She paused and watched the young faunus struggle.
"Now, why should I let you go?" The faunus was silent, contemplating her actions.
Then a darkened mirror image of the faunus shot out and headbutted her. Her aura took most of the hit but the shock was enough for her to drop the girl.
"Fuck!" She yelled in reaction. The girl scrambled to run away. Cinder was about to give chase but she realized the girl was trying to survive and that made her not worth it.
Still, the girl had a semblance, which was rare. She wasn't worried about being identified for her actions, she was just another face in a crowd. Besides, with the attitude toward the faunus right now, nobody would care about her.
And with her semblance, she'd probably get swooped up by one of the combat schools or worse if anyone did care. Eventually reaching the warehouse that was her temporary home, she was almost tackled to the ground by Ruby when she entered.
"Ciiiiiinder!" She said as she clung onto her.
"Yeah?"
"Hi." Ruby let go of Cinder and plopped onto the floor.
"One kid's meal for a pretty girl." Ruby snatched the meal and almost started eating before Cinder cleared her throat.
"Manners, right." Ruby muttered. "Thank you."
She said before slowly eating her food. Cinder was about to join eating with her when her scroll let out an alert. It was from 'Junior'. Apparently he found him but there were some complications and she had to see him.
"Finally." She muttered.
"Hmm?" Ruby looked up to Cinder.
"I have to go."
"Again?" Ruby asked somewhat dejected.
"Won't be long. Stay out of trouble." Ruby gave her a small mischievous smile.
"Stay out of trouble." She repeated.
She exited the warehouse and made her way to the club where Junior resided. As she entered the club, she noticed something was off. There were small puddles of blood on the floor with shattered glass and bullet cases scattered amongst them. Junior was in the middle of the chaos.
"I am not going to ask about the mess, but I will ask why it took you so damn long to find one man."
"There's been a development, sweet cheeks." If she didn't need him, she wouldn't bother with this two bit criminal.
"Lopez is under lock and key."
"Just give me all the damn details." She said annoyed.
"Apparently, the old bastard fought a 'drop-out.'"
She paused.
This was bad. A drop-out was essentially a wild card, a piece that wasn't supposed to be on the board. A disruptive force in the grand scheme of things. They ranged from an annoying nuisance, up to a full-fledged threat. They got that name because they were 'drop-outs' out of a combat school. They were wanted fugitives as 'dropping out' was considered a major crime.
New drop-outs were nuisance, but drop-outs that survive a long time had the same equivalent strength as the huntsmen. There is a reason why the longer a huntsmen lived, the stronger they got, and the same applied to drop-outs. While huntsmen were pretty much sanctioned mercenaries, there was a limit to what they could get away with… mostly.
While most actual mercenaries, alongside two bit thugs like 'Junior', were little more than aura-powered-yet-semblance lacking thugs, drop-outs were skilled aura users with semblances. And that made them infinitely more dangerous. They took very illegal jobs that most often ended in bloodbaths.
"Who was it?" Cinder asked. The drop-out rate of combat schools may be steadily declining, but that still meant a few old drop-outs were still kicking.
"Felix."
Shit. FUCKING SHIT. That helmet-wearing, monologue-giving, lying sack of shit! He was bad news. He was one of the oldest drop-outs out there. The cocky bastard said it's because of luck, so much so he took a stupid alias that means 'luck'. Dumb alias aside, he was trouble. She concealed her anger. He was dangerous for sure, but if he had his partner with him…
"Just Felix?" Junior looked at her for a moment before he understood her question.
"Locus isn't with him anymore." Cinder almost let out a sigh of relief.
Felix on his own… she could take him if he was off-guard. There was still the matter of his employer.
"I don't suppose you know who employed him?"
"I don't think a young lady like you should know that. The only reason why I even told you about Felix is because you're a paying customer. But his employers..."
He paused. She thought on what he said. It was true she was young… but she wasn't that young. Her appearance probably made her seem younger than she really was. A blessing one moment, a curse the next.
"I can handle myself. Now tell me." She said with malice in her voice.
Junior gulped, not because of her but because of what she was about to tell her.
"It was the Strangerhood. They are the ones who took Lopez."
FUCK. THIS IS WORSE THAN FELIX. FUCK. FUCK. She couldn't conceal her emotions at that moment.
"Told ya." He muttered.
The Strangerhood… it was the fucking cult that worshiped the Grimm. There's a reason why they are called the 'Human Grimm'. They probably took part in every single violent act she could think of. From blood orgies to the pillaging villages to… doing unspeakable things to children. The thought of Ruby… no no no no. She pushed that thought far, far away. They make her look like a saint, but then again, she wasn't the worst person out there.
"Well, that concludes our business together." She saw a young blonde girl stumble around in the club, probably drugged out of her mind.
"And frankly, I hope we never do business again." Junior saw what she was looking at, the blonde girl.
"I can explain..."
"Don't. I'd say whatever gets your rocks off… but you disgust me. Goodbye 'Junior'."
"MY NAME IS HEI AND IT'S NOT LIKE THAT." He tried explaining as she left his club.
Despite occasional thoughts about harming children, the faunus girl… and her first encounter with Ruby came to mind, she had never actually harmed a child. The more she actually thought about it, the more ashamed she felt. How could she even think those thoughts? When she first met Ruby, she considered leaving her to the Grimm. She recoiled in disgust. Clearly her isolation had made her… too apathetic. She let her mission consume her. She was a child once too.
Yet she was more than willing to continue to hurt and kill to accomplish her retribution. But where did she draw the line? If she followed those darker thoughts, which included killing children, she would be just like them. Frankly all these horrible thoughts made her sick. She made a silent resolve not to think or even consider those horrible thoughts any more.
When she reached the warehouse, she found Ruby reading a comic book. Walking up to Ruby, her surrogate daughter gave a bright smile. She embraced Ruby in a tight and loving hug.
"Are you alright?" Ruby asked.
"I am now." She whispered into Ruby's ear. "I am now."
She awoke up early. She was holding something soft and fragile, Ruby. She fell asleep cuddling her. She didn't want to let go. She wanted to pretend that she didn't have to deal with Felix and the Strangerhood. She wanted to pretend those fears of Ruby ending up in their clutches were gone. At that moment, she felt so powerless.
She hasn't felt like that since… visions of the burning corpses flashed in her head… no no. She had to stay in control. She had to. She made a mental checklist.
Find Felix. Get information out of Felix. Kill Felix. Find where the Strangerhood are keeping Lopez. Sneak Lopez out. Enact step one of her plan. She felt a little better. She hugged Ruby and felt much better. She didn't want to leave… but she had to.
She slowly got up, making sure Ruby was still asleep. As she stretched, she looked back at Ruby. She was… adorable when she was sleeping. She gave her a small kiss on her forehead. The tribulations of the morning rituals and training was a blur for her.
Thoughts of the Strangerhood haunted her. When Ruby's training was over, she prepared herself for the trials ahead.
"Listen, Ruby. I am about to do something dangerous. Really dangerous." Ruby's silver eyes went dull.
"You're not going to leave, are you?"
"Ruby, I am not her. I won't leave you, ever. I love you." She planted a small kiss on her forehead.
"Now, please be safe. Any trouble call me. And keep that knife handy." Ruby gave her a tight hug.
"Come back, safe. Please."
"Of course, my gem." She then left the warehouse.
Taking a deep breath, she had to be focused for this. She had to focus on the hate. Felix flashed in her mind. She hated the smug bastard. She concentrated all the hatred she felt in her life onto him. Exhaling, she was focused on wiping that smug grin of his face. She had to take a taxi to get to her destination.
She sat in an uncomfortable silence with the driver while thoughts of seething hate enveloped her. As she left the taxi, she was surrounded by bright lights and tall buildings. The so-called 'Upper-Class District' of Vale. It was a sickening sight. A technological marvel for some, but to her, it was an eye-sore. Felix had a habit of frivolously spending money and went for the most expensive things. He most likely went for the biggest and most expensive apartment. She looked up for the biggest building there was and made her way to it. Charon Apartments.
Their whole building was huge and an eye-sore. She needed to give herself a small disguise, just in case. She took out a small blonde wig and put it on. Security cameras were a nuisance but as long as she didn't directly show her face or her prominent features, she should be good. Entering the building, she made her way to the reception desk. She dialed back her thoughts of hatred.
"Hey." She greeted the receptionist.
The receptionist put on a perky smile and Cinder matched her expression.
"So… um… this is quite embarrassing. So I am meeting a friend here but, he forgot to tell me which room he was staying in and… silly me, I forgot my scroll." She said in an overly happy tone. God, she hated doing this. The receptionist eyed her and determined that she wasn't a threat.
"Sure, sweetie." She almost twitched.
"What's your friend's name?" Would Felix be arrogant enough to use his well-known alias for this? Probably.
"Felix."
"Let me see..." She paused as she looked at the screen. "Oh, he is on floor thirteen, in room six-three-six. Must be a pretty loaded guy. That room has the best view."
"Yep. Thanks." She muttered. She went to the elevator and waited as the elevator slowly ascended to the heavens. She looked around the elevator, no cameras? That was a huge security oversight if she ever saw one. She activated the dust in her clothing and reconfigured her clothing to more combat appropriate attire.
A black domino mask formed over her face with a black infiltration suit. She held out her hands and a brief flash of light blinded her. And in her hands was a black bow with an arrow already in place. The elevator door opened and she aimed her bow. She looked left and right before exiting the elevator. She saw the room she was looking for right down the left hall.
Keeping her bow aimed at the door. She slowly made her way to the door. She paused right in front of the door. She took a deep breath. Hatred. Her outfit emitted a small orange hue. She kicked down the door and found Felix drinking a bottle of alcohol.
There was a second of silence. She fired her bow. Felix dropped the bottle and quickly raised up his hand. A blue shield formed, protecting most of his body. The arrow bounced off harmlessly. Damn his semblance. She primed her next arrow to detonate.
"Is that you, 'Cindy'? I like the look. But you know tiny masks don't really work." She fired her arrow. Felix dodged to the left and into the kitchen. He flipped over a table and took cover. The arrow struck a huge window pane that was in place of a wall, to allow for a 'beautiful view' of Vale.
BOOM! The arrow exploded, sending shards of glass flying. Cinder took cover by the door frame as the glass shards flew past her. Felix laughed, clearly enjoying this. She ignored him. Priming another arrow to explode, she went out of cover to fire. A knife shot out and struck the arrow out of the bow. The arrow landed at her feet, about to explode.
She leapt into the room to avoid the explosion. The explosion struck her back and pushed her to the edge of the blown out window. The explosion knocked out nearly a quarter of her aura. While she didn't have an exact number, she had mentally trained herself to identify the state of her aura. She was faced with the view of Vale, and it sickened her.
Turning around, she found Felix charging at her with a sword. Fuck fuck fuck. Switching her bow into a pair of swords, she held them out to block Felix's downward slash. As he pushed down, she fell onto one of her knees. She grunted in frustration and took her left sword and slashed. The strike pushed him back, allowing her to get up. They both charged each other. She tried striking him with both of her swords, but he activated his damn shield.
CLANG! Her attack was stopped midway and as the knock-back pushed her right back to the edge. He resumed his charge once more. She swung at him but he slid underneath her swing and managed to kick her left sword out of her hand. The sword fell helplessly toward the ground below. He got up and let out a flurry of strikes but she managed to bob and weave through them. She then let out a stream of fire from her free hand toward him. He did a flashy back flip to get away.
"I'm so awesome." He said proudly. "Tell me I am awesome." She ignored him, his mind games would cost her this if she gave in. She took out a red Dust crystal and energized it. She threw it over his head. As it arced over him, she charged him. He made a mistake.
He put his shield to block her but the red Dust crystal blew up as it hit the floor. The explosion threw him to her and she focused all her energy into one strike. The single strike propelled him into the wall. He smashed into the wall, leaving a sizable dent.
"That hurt. No mister nice guy." He threatened. She went into a defensive stance. He took out a pistol out of his pants and began firing. Dust bullets! No time to dodge. She blocked most of the bullets with her sword. But several bullets got past, hitting her in the chest and stomach. Flashes of lighting coursed through her body and caused several spasms. If she didn't have aura, she would be dead. Her aura was at half strength. He charged while the bullets disabled her temporarily. He struck her across the stomach with her sword.
Aura at a quarter of its strength. Another slash, aura nearly depleted. She wouldn't survive the next one. Desperate times. She activated the Dust in her clothing to let out a burst of flames. He jumped back as she recovered. Her aura was gone, she couldn't afford any more damage. She activated the Dust in her sword. She slash the air with her sword, a wave of fire shot out and Felix activated his shield to block the attack. But Cinder didn't stop her onslaught.
She sent several more waves of fire at Felix. With each strike, she moved closer and closer to Felix, while Felix was backed up against the wall. With his back to the wall, she energized the Dust in her sword and threw it next to Felix. The sword embedded itself into the wall. The sword flashed for a brief moment. Boom! The explosion pushed Felix forward, right into Cinder's fist. He was knocked onto the ground but before he could get up, a small orange circle appeared under him.
"Son of a bitch." He muttered before screaming in pain as a jet of flames erupted beneath him. She let him burn for a solid minute. When the flames ceased, he was suffering from first degree burns, bordering on second degree burns. Hopefully, he wasn't hurt too badly, she needed him alive, for now. She was exhausted from the battle.
She almost lost… the thought of her losing filled her with dread. She turned her back on the burnt body. She needed to move fast. Security was no doubt moving already. She had to get the information now.
"Alright, Felix. Now you're going to..." She turned around as Felix charged her, with a knife in hand. He stabbed her right in the gut.
"Argh!" She screamed. She involuntary activated her semblance. A destructive blast shot forth from her.
BOOM!
The blast knocked her into the wall while it Felix was flung out the window.
"No!" He was her only lead! The room was on fire now with smoke started filling her lungs. She had to get out now! She rushed out of the room, hand covering the wound. She had to get somewhere safe, if she didn't bleed out first.
She made her way to the elevator. The elevator opened up and revealed a female security guard. Oh hell. The guard reached for her gun, but Cinder punched the guard in the throat with her free hand. The guard clutched her throat while Cinder punched her stomach. The guard fell over, unconscious.
"Wrong place, wrong time." She muttered. She began stripping the guard out of her clothes. Ripping the clothes up, she wrapped the pieces of cloth around her wound. She willed the Dust in her clothes to reconfigure itself. Instead of something casual, she formed the Dust into an overcoat and her mask transformed into a scarf and hat.
Nobody would recognize her as the girl who went up to Felix's room. She looked down at the unconscious guard. She had to hide the body. She dragged the body out of the elevator and once the body was out, she held out her hand. Once more an orange circle underneath. A jet of fire erupted beneath the body. She held out her hand for a solid two minutes. When she lowered her hand, burnt flesh filled the air with a pile of ashes on the floor.
She went back into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby. Pain and exhaustion nearly overtook her. She leaned on the wall for support. She almost died! She would have left Ruby all alone. Fuck! This whole thing was for nothing! She lost Felix, no loss there, but still! She probably lost her only chance to find Lopez.
The elevator doors opened. She clinched her teeth and walked casually toward the entrance. Oh god the pain! Everyone was running around, panicked. Security guards were on the radio. She had to move before the police got here, or worse, a huntsman.
When she reached the entrance, she saw something that made her froze. A fucking huntress was already here. She was examining an oddly shaped dent on the street that looked like… Felix's shield. Yes! He was still alive. FUCK! He was still alive. The young huntress was surrounded by several detectives.
"It's him." The huntress said to the detectives. The cops began murmuring.
"Are you sure?" One of the cops asked.
"I'm sure, Detective Burns."
"Then the investigation is all yours, Miss Goodwitch." Fuck. She now has to find Felix before this huntress does.
She hailed a taxi to take her back to the warehouse to rest and recover. As she sat there in the taxi, she tried to focus on something other than the pain. Her scroll began ringing. She took out her scroll to see who it was. It was Ruby. A huge feeling of dread filled her.
"Oh no." She whispered.
BOOM!
The explosion threw him out the window.
"OH FUCK!" He screamed as he fell.
He frantically waved his arms as he fell. The ground was getting closer and closer. There was only one possible way for him to survive this but even then… it might not work. He dived toward the ground and held out his hand. His semblance activated. A blue shield shot out a few inches in front of his hand. It was a risky move, but it was his only move.
The shield slammed into the ground and took most of the impact. Felix hovered in the air for a brief moment, looking like he was hand standing in the air.
YES! It worked, the shield took most of the impact! It was a good thing his shield was projected a few inches in front of him. He dropped his shield and fell face first.
"Ow." He muttered. He looked around at the growing crowd that began to surround him. He looked down at the ground. A sewer cover… hmm.
"Nothing to see here, folks!" He pulled out a smoke bomb from his pants and threw it at the ground. As the smoke blinded everyone, he opened the hatch and dropped down into the murky sewers below. He has some supplies stashed down here, he just had to find them. He rummaged through the sewers for about a minute before he found his bag of goodies.
A helmet, a rifle, and a collection of knives. Perfect. Now all he had to do is find where Cinder was staying at. He needs to repay the favor.
Now who was the best at getting information? 'Junior'? Pffft, he ain't dealing with him. If Locus was still here, he'd probably already have the information.
No, he didn't want to think about him, he left him and that's that. Who else was a shady motherfucker who could get information? One back-stabbing motherfucker came to mind.
Roman Torchwick. While he was a relatively unknown criminal, he was a solid criminal. He took out his scroll and tried to remember what his number was. Once he remembered, he dialed it and listened to it ring.
"Y'ello?" Roman greeted.
"Heeeeeey, Roman."
"This better not be who I think it is."
"Is that how you greet an old friend?"
"I don't even think we're mutual acquaintances." Roman retorted.
"I just need your help with something. And I am kinda in a hurry."
"What's in it for me?" Roman asked.
"A favor from yours truly. There was a pause.
"Who are you looking for?"
"A bitch named Cinder Fall."
"Ahhhhh. That's going to be a problem. See, me and her have a business agreement."
Fuck.
"Whatever she is helping you with, I'll do it for free." He offered.
He seriously hoped Roman wouldn't give that damn cliché line of 'honor amongst thieves.'
"Hmmm." At least Roman was considering it.
"I don't know where she hangs out exactly, but the last time I saw her, she was walking toward the docks. Now, when the deed is done, I will need your help in a heist."
"Glad we could come to an agreement." He hung up. He wanted to get the jump on Cinder, so he rushed through the sewers for several minutes and when he was sure he was an ample distance away from the apartment, he emerged from the sewers.
He was at the edge of the 'Upper-Class' district. He looked around the outskirts of the district. "Oooh. I likey." He said as he spotted a motorcycle with a grey and orange paint-job. He immediately hopped on and began hot-wiring it. When the engine roared to life, he sped off toward the docks. He was already forming a condescending monologue to give when he ends that bitch. He wants to see her surprised face when she comes to her little 'safe' haven, only to see him.
The thought made him smile. When he reached the docks, he found a lone rundown warehouse with several more in the distance. Cinder did like her isolation. He took out his rifle and switched off the safety. Who knows if Cinder was paranoid enough to leave booby traps in the warehouse. He slowly approached the warehouse door. He readied his rifle and kicked down the door.
He saw a little girl reading a book. She looked up and… He fired. The girl disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. He heard a door open and slam shut.
Oh this was gold. Cinder probably got knocked up. He chuckled to himself. The brat may have a semblance, but that won't help her. He now wanted to take the kid alive, but that doesn't mean he wasn't afraid to rough her up. He slowly approached the office she was hiding in. He readied his rifle once more.
If she was Cinder's kid, she wasn't completely helpless. He paused in front of the door, ready for anything. He kicked down the door and found the little girl, with knife in hand. She was clearly panicking, he could almost smell the fear.
BANG!
He fired toward her knee. She dodged to the right, leaving a small trail of petals.
Fuck it! He aimed for her chest.
BANG! She went to the left. BANG!
She charged forward, too fast for him to activate his semblance.
She let out a flurry of strikes only to be blocked by his armor. He was low on aura, and if he wasn't wearing his armor, he would have probably been seriously hurt, but it looks like the girl is lacking in the strength department. She realized the futility of it and ran past him. She was heading for the exit, not if he can help it. He took aim at the red blur and fired.
The bullet struck the girl's back and the girl skidded across the floor with the knife clattering out of her hands. He rushed toward the girl and dragged her away from the exit. The aura must have protected her from that shot, but he'd wager that her aura was depleted. The girl struggled against the grip and managed to kick him in the groin, so he shot her near the gut.
BANG!
The girl screamed out in pain.
"Oh shut up. You won't bleed out… immediately. So shut up and I won't make it worse for you."
The girl whimpered so he put his foot on her wound and pushed. He reveled to her cries of pain.
"Let her go." He turned and faced Cinder.
Now it was time for fun.
She immediately opened her scroll.
"Ruby, what's wrong?!"
"There's a man here and he tried shooting me! I am in the bedroom but I don't know what to do! Mom, I'm scared." Ruby's voice started cracking.
Felix. Dread began filling her.
"I'll be there as fast as I can. Remember your training, and try to get out of there! I won't let anything happen to you."
"O..okay." Ruby sniffled.
"Be strong. I'll be there soon." Ruby must have closed the scroll.
"Listen." She told the driver. "You better step on it or else."
The taxi screeched to a halt. "Listen, lady. Don't tell me how to drive."
She got out of the taxi and went to the driver's side. She smashed the window and dragged the driver out. She tossed him out and entered the driver's seat. She sped off toward the docks. She wasn't worried about getting identified, even if most of her features weren't already covered up.
Quickly reaching the docks, she rushed to the warehouse. A grizzly sight greeted her. Felix was stepping on a bleeding Ruby. SHE WAS GOING TO MAKE HIM SUFFER.
"Let her go." Her voice barely containing her rage.
"Nah, she's my leverage. Try anything and." He pointed his rifle toward Ruby. "Bang. You get the idea."
HE WILL BURN.
"Now, I wasn't expecting a kid, 'Cindy'. Tell me, who'd you bang for the kid."
She remained silent. She had to strike hard and fast without hurting Ruby.
"Eh, doesn't matter. Now, I am assuming you wanted to find me because of a job."
HE WILL SUFFER.
"Your silence says it all. So I am going to take a stab in the dark and assume you know about Lopez and the Strangerhood."
Silence.
"Yep, you definitely do. They pay well for a cult."
Her aura was still low, it hasn't fully recharged. His aura was probably low too.
"Are you even listening? Here's a thought, if you're going to give me the silent treatment, perhaps after this, I give the brat to the Strangerhood as a gift. I'm sure they would love to bend the kid over and show her 'true love'."
She couldn't contain her rage. She shot out a concentrated beam of fire toward him. He summoned his shield, but the beam threw him off his feet. Not before he could get a shot off, which struck Ruby in the chest.
"NO!" She shot more beams of concentrated hate and anger at him. The fiery beams kept striking his shield as he was flung onto the wall, shield still holding. She fired again and again, as the concentrated streams of fire continued to hammer against his shield. Tears were sliding down her face.
RUBY WAS GONE.
His shield was now effectively pinning against the wall. She kept firing over and over as she moved closer and closer.
HE TOOK RUBY AWAY FROM HER!
His blue shield was now showing cracks all over, it was on the verge of breaking. Her onslaught of vengeance kept on going. Then his shield broke, but she didn't stop.
HE KILLED HER.
Tears fell to the floor.
"ARGH! STOP!" He begged for mercy. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW."
He shouted as she continued to fire. The beams of fire were becoming larger and more out of control. At this rate, she was going to overload the Dust and cause a massive chain reaction that would probably kill her, but in that moment she didn't care.
She heard a small cough behind her.
Could it be? Ruby! She was still alive.
She immediately ceased her vengeance and ran to Ruby.
"Ruby! I am sorry! I'm here now!" She started crying again.
Ruby gave her a weak smile as blood spilled out of her mouth. Her hands were wet with Ruby's blood as she desperately tried to stop the blood flowing out. Her eyes began to close. She wasn't going to make it. No no no no!
There was only one way to ensure her survival… but it will be unbearably painful. She decided to take that risk. She turned briefly to make sure Felix was incapacitated. He was a burnt mess, barely resembling his former self.
A child's aura was painful to unlock because of how undeveloped it was. Interacting with a child's aura is equally painful because of that fact. And one's own aura may speed up the healing process, fully healing wounds requires someone else to share their aura, which is painful in it's own right. It was even more painful if the person doing the healing had low aura. The odds were against her. But that didn't matter, what did matter was seeing Ruby's smile again.
She put her hand where Ruby's heart was. She took a deep breath and projected all of her aura into Ruby.
"ARGH!"
She clinched her teeth as it felt like her very soul was being ripped out. Her nerves were on fire! She couldn't breath! She felt her flesh melt right of her skin. Her body recoiled from the shock and the pain. Her head was throbbing with pain.
Yet she continued. Her vision started to blur but she saw Ruby's wounds closing and healing. Ruby's heart started beating faster and faster as the pain continued to increase. Then she felt her very soul touch Ruby's soul. And it was a beautiful feeling.
Ruby's soul was small and honest, and it embraced Cinder's own soul. A loving embrace between a mother and her daughter, unrelated by blood yet their souls said otherwise. Through the pain, she managed a smile. It was done and Cinder removed her hand. She nearly collapsed in exhaustion. She managed to get up and pick up Ruby.
She walked slowly and carefully walked into the office with Ruby in her arms. She gingerly put Ruby in her own bed. She brushed Ruby's hair out of her face. She wasn't going to lose her like she lost them. She left the room and looked upon the burnt mess that was Felix.
She was going to keep true to her word, he is going to suffer. She dragged a steel chair to the center of the warehouse. She then picked up Felix and dropped into the chair. She rummaged through the containers of the warehouse. She took out a set of chains and a crowbar. She tied up Felix with the chains, and prepared to make him pay.
She swung the crowbar at one of his kneecaps.
CRACK!
His aura was gone, leaving him no protection.
"ARGH!" The hit jolted him awake. "Oh, hey Cindy. I know you're probably mad about me killing your kid but..."
She swung the crowbar at his other kneecap.
CRACK!
"FUCK! ARGH! YOU WERE ALWAYS A BITCH, YOU KNOW THAT?" He started taking deep breaths.
"You think you can break me?! You can't break me!" He screamed.
She dropped the crowbar.
"Yeah, that's right." Cinder walked slowly to one of the containers. She took out a small yellow Dust crystal. She walked back to the tied up Felix.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" She ripped off his helmet and jammed the Dust crystal in his eye. She pushed it deeper and deeper while Felix screamed. Then she activated the Dust. Felix started screaming as the Dust started shooting several thousand volts of electricity through him.
"I'LL TALK! JUST STOP! PLEASE!" She waited for a whole minute before ripping the crystal out.
"I… assume… you want to know where they are keeping Lopez?" She twirled the crystal in her hand.
He eyed the crystal fearfully with his one good eye. "They are keeping him at Mountain Glenn! Just no more! PLEASE!" She energized the crystal and tossed it onto his lap.
"No! No!" A small explosion of electricity enveloped him. She was running out of time. She had to finish him now, but he didn't deserve a quick death. As he screamed she walked over and picked up his rifle. As the electricity stopped, she placed the rifle in his mouth. Then she noticed Ruby stumbling out of the room. Ruby rubbed her eyes.
She looked at the scene before her. She walked slowly to Cinder and gave her a small hug. "Are you alright, Ruby?"
Ruby hummed in response.
"Are you going to make the bad man go away?"
"… I am." Cinder said.
"Can… can… I do it?" Cinder was taken back by Ruby's question.
Did she really want Ruby to have blood on her hands this young? Then again… it was Felix. The bastard hurt her. But there was a huge disconnect between desensitizing her to violence to actually having her commit it.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to?"
"I want to be strong like you." Cinder slowly moved over and allowed Ruby to take the gun, barrel still in Felix's mouth.
"Now, when you fire a gun, it tends to have a lot more kick than you would expect." She held Ruby's arms to straighten her stance. "When you pull the trigger, expect the force of the gun to knock you off your feet."
Ruby muttered a 'yes'.
"It's okay to close your eyes, Ruby." Ruby pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Ruby was pushed back but Cinder kept her steady. Felix's head exploded into several pieces of brain matter and chunks of flesh.
THUD!
Ruby dropped the rifle, and the silence in the room was momentary broken. Ruby's hands were trembling but she was there to steady them. Ruby turned around, Cinder looked at her in shock. The girl's eyes were no longer silver but amber, her eye color.
"It was the right thing to do, right?" She regained her composure.
"Of course, Ruby." She hugged the girl. When she stopped hugging Ruby, she looked into the girl's eyes again. Ruby's eyes were silver once more, was she imagining things?
"Ruby, we've got to leave here." She said quietly. Ruby nodded solemnly. "Pack your things in the bag and change your clothes, I'll be with you in a minute."
Ruby walked slowly into the room. She searched the corpse of the deceased bastard. He had several hundred lien on him, enough for them to scrape by and buy a room. She sighed… she was going to have to burn this place down to the ground. She went to several of the containers and spilled its contents onto the floor.
Several small Dust crystals started rolling onto the floor. With that done, she picked up the rifle and entered the office. Ruby was no longer wearing her blood stained clothes and packed up for the both of them, everything from the toothpaste to the history books to Ruby's comic books. She placed the rifle into the duffel bag.
She slung the duffel bag onto her shoulders and picked up Ruby. As she exited the warehouse, she looked behind at the empty warehouse. It… was her first home with Ruby. With her free hand, she energized a red Dust crystal and tossed it into the warehouse. As she walked away, the warehouse exploded, leaving the charred remains of a former home.
Walking in the cold streets with Ruby was unnerving. She felt vulnerable with Ruby in her arms. The darkened streets of the night never frightened her, but here she was, trembling with Ruby in her arms. She was battered and beaten, utterly exhausted. It was almost like a cruel joke, she thought she was ready to take Felix easily but instead had to fight tooth and nail just to survive. But she won against Felix.
She should be happy! She finally killed that smug bastard who had beaten her time and time again whenever they met. The bastard deserved it. Yet she was not happy, she's worried. She knew it was because she almost lost Ruby. Logically, she should have not bonded with Ruby, but Cinder threw that thought out. Ruby was her daughter now, and nothing was ever going to changed that, ever. She wandered the lonely roads for several minutes looking for a place to stay.
Everything was gone, she needed to rest and recover. Ruby needed a proper roof and bed. They needed a place to stay. She recalled how much lien she had. She doesn't have enough to rent out an apartment. Cinder spotted a dirty and unkempt motel up ahead. Perhaps, she should try there? She wanted nothing more to lay down and rest.
She heard Ruby snoring quietly on her shoulder. Cinder had to admit it was adorable. The thought brightened her up somewhat, helping her forget what had transpired several minutes ago. She couldn't believe she had almost lost Ruby. The rage and despair she felt… when she thought Ruby died… she hadn't felt that level of rage or despair in a long time. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but it reminded her why she does horrible things.
Reaching the rundown motel, she entered slowly, watching every movement. She was carrying something precious, that she dared not to lose. It was safer to be overly paranoid than to let her guard drop right now.
"Hello?" She said as she rung the bell.
"Be with you in a minute." A shrill voice replied. Then the attendant came up to the counter. "And what can I help yo…. Are you alright miss?"
Cinder didn't understand her question. "P..ardon?"
"A young lady walks in with her kid looking like she took a beating. Is everything okay, miss? Do you want me to call the cops?"
Fuck, she was too tired to deal with this.
"I'm fine. I know what this seems like. And I assure you, no abusive boyfriend or anything like that. I just want to get a good night's rest with my daughter."
"Oh… okay. But I don't mean to pry, but what happened?"
Need to lie. Need to rest.
"A mugging." She lied. The attendant opened her mouth.
"I already gave the details to the police. Please, it's been a long day. I just want to sleep." The attendant looked at her with sympathy.
"Alright."
"So how much is it for a room?" Cinder asked.
"I'll make an exception for you."
"What?"
"I know what it's like being a single mom. Here is your key. It's room three." Cinder felt weird accepting a stranger's kindness. Was this a trap of some sort?
"I don't know what to say." Cinder said dumbstruck.
"It's nothing but if you need anything, let me know."
"… Thank you."
Cinder entered the grimy motel room, with Ruby resting on her shoulder. She dropped the duffel bag and gently laid Ruby on the single bed. She was exhausted and the adrenaline was dying down. The pain in her gut returned slowly. She groaned quietly. She hated how bad things went today. The price of information was too high. She lost a useful base of operations, nearly died, almost got Ruby killed.
She grimaced at the thought of her failing today. She just wanted to pretend that this horrible day never happened. She crawled into the bed with Ruby and hugged her tight as sleep took her. When she awoke, she was still holding onto Ruby tight. She stayed there in bed, contemplating her actions. The heist wasn't for a couple more days, which was a relief.
She couldn't deal with Roman right now. But what she did have to deal with was rescuing Lopez from the Strangerhood at Mountain Glenn. Fuck. She was low on Dust, and had no resources to reach Mountain Glenn. She might actually have to get… a fucking huntsman to rescue him. The thought disgusted her but she could see no other way. She looked at Ruby.
Was she a bad mother? Ruby turned around and nuzzled her head into Cinder's chest. No! Ruby needed her. Ruby needs her… and maybe she needs Ruby. She laid there on the bed, hugging Ruby for a long time. Ruby stirred and greeted Cinder with her silver eyes.
"Good morning." She yawned.
"Morning." She smiled at Ruby.
"Where are we?" She asked while blinking her eyes.
"Just a motel."
"Hmm."
"I think they got cable."
"Really?" Ruby perked up.
"Since we're in a little bind, no training for today. I suppose you can watch some television."
"I get to watch TV?" She didn't allow Ruby to watch TV, but to be fair, she didn't really have any TVs at the warehouse. "Yep." She turned on the television with the remote. The holographic screen was projected onto the wall.
"… And in other news, the dangerous mercenary known as Felix..." Cinder quickly changed the channel.
"This week on Orange vs. Violet..." She got up off the bed and made her way to the bathroom. It was dirty, small, and cramped but she'd been in worse. She undressed herself and looked into the dirty mirror. Bruises, scars, and burns marked her body. She carefully took of the cloth that was covering the stab wound.
Her aura may speed up the healing process, but like always, aura did nothing for the pain. She winced slightly as she went through the cabinet. Empty. She almost growled in frustration. She hated this feeling. She hated feeling weak, hated feeling powerless. She really hated the feeling of despair and helplessness when Ruby… was hurt.
She made a small flame in her hand and watched it flicker. Fire was dangerous and required a large amount of concentration to wield properly. She let her rage dictate her actions, and that almost got her and Ruby killed. It taught her one thing, she was still inexperienced. She thought all her time surviving, training, it would be enough.
But it wasn't. She went up against the equivalent to a skilled huntsman and nearly lost everything. She looked into the mirror and started crying. Small tears slid down her face. She thought she was strong enough to handle this. She thought she could keep calm and in control. She thought she could handle the responsibility of raising a child.
She wasn't ready for failure. She wasn't ready to feel that same level of despair again when she thought she lost Ruby. She looked in the mirror again and gave a small smile. It wasn't all bad. Ruby was now the only bright light in her life. But this experience taught her one thing, both her and Ruby needed to get stronger.
This world was full of conflict, and with her planning to actively start conflict, they needed to get better. She gave a small smile as a humorous thought entered her head of Ruby and her as a mother-daughter duo taking on the world and winning.
She gave a content sigh. She then stepped into the small shower. The hot water washed all the doubt and blood off her body. Once she was done with her shower, she dried off and put her clothes back on. She found Ruby giggling to the show she was watching.
"That was the worst throw ever. Of all time." Ruby chuckled at that one.
Cinder strolled up to the bed and sat next to Ruby. She put her arms around Ruby. Ruby gave her a happy smile and hugged Cinder tight.
She could afford a day off with Ruby, a day to be happy. Any time spent with Ruby is time well spent.
"Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow!" She laughed with Ruby at the show.
She stood inside the destroyed warehouse. In the middle of the burnt warehouse, was a corpse. The body was nearly burnt beyond recognition, but she knew. It was him. It was Felix. She examined the body and she was disgusted. It looked like a complete monster got to him. The body may have been burned, but she could still make out some signs of torture.
Even if it was Felix, he didn't deserve this. The cops were already investigating the scene but their hearts weren't in it. To them, the case was already done. They were more than willing to take the death of Felix as a win and let the monster who did this go.
Would it be acceptable to claim this as a victory? No. All this meant was there was another monster who is extremely dangerous. If they could take down Felix, then they are most certainly dangerous. And as she looeds at Felix's dead body, extremely violent.
They are an unknown. Given their estimated skill level, the perpetrator was likely on a level of a huntsman or maybe more. She pinched her nose in frustration. She hated not knowing things. Knowledge is power, and without it, they are powerless.
She did not need an unknown player in her kingdom. Despite the fact that huntsmen and huntresses technically have no allegiance, Vale was her home. She wanted this mystery solved. She looked at the facts. The perpetrator most likely had an aura, possibly a semblance, and may be a Dust user given the Dust residue here. If they could take on Felix, then they either had years of experience or lots of training or possibly both.
Felix was an experienced...ugh… 'drop-out', she despised the term, and would likely have put up a fight. Given his fight with an unknown assailant at Charon Apartments, would the same assailant track him down and finish him or was Felix taken off guard by a third party? No, he was too resourceful for that. She went with the theory that the same assailant attacked him at Charon and tracked him down and finished him off here.
She looked at the report that one of the detectives gave her. There were signs of someone living here, which meant the perpetrator tracked him down to his base of operations, tortured him, and then blew up his base. Now the perpetrator was obviously skilled, possibly a huntsman or huntress? It was a very small possibility, normally a huntsman would claim credit for the bounty, but is this a huntsman who wanted revenge on Felix?
Felix made a lot of enemies over the years. She wondered how he could have fallen so low. She remembered him when he first became a huntsman-in-training, stern and straight forward. Then he was gone, and he resurfaced as a mercen...ugh… 'drop-out'. She hated that term but it was used to differentiate aura-powered, semblance-using mercenaries who trained in a secondary academy and freelancers, regular aura-powered mercenaries who may or may not have have a primary combat school education; both were considered mercenaries, but they require different titles.
The huge difference between the two, besides the semblance, was the training. A freelancer lacks a semblance, and thus couldn't go into secondary combat school if they even went into a primary combat academy in the first place. Most of them don't, as once it becomes clear that a primary combat student doesn't have a semblance, their options become limited.
They can either join the police, or the military. While a freelancer isn't on the same level as a 'drop-out', they were dangerous in their own right. Perhaps a freelancer got him? Unlikely, as the damage indicated a lone attacker, and plus she doubted anything less than a skilled group of freelancers could have taken him. Was it possible that the perpetrator was another… 'drop-out'?
It was a likely possibility. An experienced 'drop-out' could possibly have taken out Felix. Out of his many enemies, it would be surprising if he hadn't made any enemies with other 'drop-outs'. She decided to look at any other possibilities.
The local criminal element? She heavily doubted it, most of the criminals either… 'grunts', untrained aura-powered street thugs, or 'non-powered'. She hated the official terminology because of how little it was used because nobody outside of huntsmen and huntresses actually used it. She made a small note to deal with that issue later. Back on task, the criminal underworld was dealing with a power struggle, with a new player, 'Junior' making pretty big waves, they were too busy to do something this big.
Even with rumors of him acquiring someone with a semblance, likely a 'drop-out', he was too wrapped up in gang wars to deal with Felix. But that wasn't her mission, and the local police had it covered… for now.
Or perhaps she is dealing with a rogue? They were rare… and mostly unheard of. They were someone who had an aura and a semblance, but most importantly who weren't trained by any academy. When someone unlocks their aura, they are immediately placed into a combat academy, for the safety of everyone.
Aura and semblances were dangerous, and everyone under the age of eighteen has the potential for it. That's why they are placed into combat schools. Students who have their semblances move up to secondary combat school while those who do not have their semblances end up in the police force, the military… or end up as 'grunts' or 'freelancers'.
But a rogue had none of that. They can range from weak to extremely dangerous. And they either hid their abilities or do what they pleased with them. However that was the theory she most heavily doubted. It was probably just another 'drop-out' who did this heinous act.
She knew that the police were going to drop this, chalk it up as a victory, and go home. But she wasn't. Most huntsmen and huntresses treated this as a job, taking missions, and getting paid. But not her. She was one of the few huntresses out there that actually upheld what it meant to be a huntress. And that meant helping out her fellow man.
Even if it was someone as despicable as Felix, he didn't deserve to have his killer walk free. And so when all the cops left the crime scene, she didn't. She was determined to find something, anything. She kept searching until the sun began to rise. All that work, and she found nothing. She took a deep breath, anger would serve her no purpose.
Too many times she saw people give in to their anger and paid the ultimate price. Someone would lose their focus and get beaten hard. Other times they almost lost everything. She heard someone walk into the warehouse. She turned around and raised her weapon at the intruder. A man with a green suit and a cane came strolling in… it was him.
"Ozpin." She begrudgingly greeted the man.
"Glynda." He said with that amused tone of his.
"Why are you here? Don't you have something more important to do? You've been making waves in the news, headmaster."
Ozpin chuckled at that. "You flatter me."
"Either tell me why you are here or go away, I have official huntress business here." She retorted.
"I sincerely doubt that." Glynda shot him a look. "The police consider this case closed, so I ask you, why are you here?"
She sighed heavily.
"They consider this case closed, but I don't. I am a huntress, and that means helping your fellow man. Despite Felix being a despicable man, I won't let his killer walk free. It isn't right. Now I ask why are you here?"
"I'm here to offer you a job, Miss Goodwitch."
"What?"
Ruby was dreaming, she knew that. She had fallen asleep in Cinder's warm embrace. She dreamed of shooting that man… that evil, evil man.
She thought she would feel… bad about it, but she didn't. She remembered what Cinder told her.
"People who get in our way and want to hurt us deserve to die." Her words echoed in her heard. "It was the right thing to do."
It was the right thing to do. That man didn't deserve to live. He… hurt her… and he wanted to hurt Cinder. He didn't deserve to live. She remembered the way the gun felt in her hands, it felt right. She didn't enjoy the particular action, but it felt right.
Cinder would be proud of her, right? She wanted nothing more than to make Cinder happy. She was the only one she has, she didn't want to lose her. Cinder wasn't going to leave her like them. She loved Cinder, and utterly trusted her with all her being.
She remembered something special about Cinder. When she was… shot, it was cold. It was very, very cold. She couldn't feel anything. And then Cinder was there, like a warming fire, and she could feel again. She always felt a connection to Cinder but that… it was something deeper. It was like the very core of her bonded with Cinder, as if a part of Cinder was now in her. That thought was pleasant for the young girl. It gave a warm feeling and gave her happy thoughts. She wanted to keep that warm feeling with her.
Ruby awoke slowly, with Cinder quickly turning off the TV.
"Mmm. Hey." Ruby said while yawning. Cinder seemed worried for a second before she gave a smile.
"You hungry, Ruby?"
"Y..yeah." She mumbled while rubbing her eyes.
"I can't get anything fancy, so don't be picky."
"Eh..."
"Ruby."
"Fine…. I won't be picky."
"Now stay here, don't open the door for anyone. And be safe." Cinder gave a tight hug before leaving.
"And brush your teeth!" Cinder shouted outside the room.
"Ugh." Ruby moaned. She grumbled and contemplated if she should brush her teeth. She grumbled as she made her way to the bathroom. She went through the mundane motions of brushing her teeth. As she finished brushing her teeth, she looked in the mirror.
She was shocked to see the color of her eyes had changed. It was no longer silver but amber… just like Cinder's.
Naturally, Ruby had one response. "SO COOL!"
Ruby had fallen asleep watching cartoons with Cinder. Cinder looked at the girl she claimed as her own. For the first few weeks with Ruby, it was jarring at first for her to suddenly be raising a girl. But Ruby grew on her, and now she saw Ruby as her own daughter. She let the girl rest in her arms, while she changed the channel. She decided to watch the news in order to see if there was any interesting developments that she could use to her advantage.
"This is the Vale News Network with Cyril Ian."
A smug anchorman appeared on the screen.
"Welcome to the 12 o'clock news. I am your host Cyril Ian. In a shocking turn of events, Ozpin, the famed huntsman, is now the headmaster of Beacon Academy, Vale's very own combat academy. He had this to say."
A clip of Ozpin began to play. Cinder watched with disgust.
"This is a huge honor and I know I have big shoes to fill, but I assure you I will do everything in my power to help raise the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses to be the best."
Cinder rolled her eyes. The reporter appeared again on the screen.
"In other news, the Achieve Men's very own Ray has departed from the beloved boy band. Countless teens and preteens are in shock as he announced that he will be pursing his own project. But sources say that Ray left the Achieve Men on good terms. Many speculate that famed rap star, Dooley Noted, who the band has collaborated previously in the past, may be joining the boy band."
Cinder wanted to hurl, boy bands? Pfft.
"And in more music news, the band, Sex Swing has gotten back together for a reunion tour around Remnant. The band, consisting of 'Tommy Steale', 'Jamez Ripher', 'Tha Schling', 'Spunkie Bruester', and 'Max Kochram', had been broken up for almost five years. Best known for their album, "Funhaus", they are veterans of an older era. When asked about their comeback tour, 'Tommy Steale' had this to say, "I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE, MAN! Wot? Comeback tour? We're doing that? … Of course we're doing a comeback tour. Gonna be better than those Achieve Men or whatever. SEX SWING FOR LIFE, MATE!"
Cinder chuckled at the drug addled rock star.
"Research shows that popular soup brand, 'Dude Soup' is actually not healthy and is in fact quite deadly. Their special ingredient of 'manliness' is actually Dust. Dust is extremely hazardous to consume."
Cinder wanted throw her hands up in exasperation. Dust wasn't poisonous. They were worried that there was an off chance that the Dust might actually fuse with someone. It was not unheard of people without aura and wielding Dust. If they were skilled enough, they could probably take on a low level huntsman.
"In more serious news, the elusive killer, "Mister Diddlez" is still at large. Despite the name, the police urge the public to keep their distance and call the police. He has claimed over fifty victims, thirty of which were children."
Cinder recoiled in disgust. If she even sees the bastard…
"The production company, ScrewAttack, has announced a new series called 'Death Battle' in which competing huntsmen and huntresses fight to claim victory, fame, and a large cash prize."
Cinder hated that. It was clearly propaganda marketed toward the youth to 'inspire' them to become huntsmen and huntresses. It was disgusting and deplorable. If she didn't meet Ruby, she would have been brainwashed by this 'show' to become a huntress. Huntsmen and huntresses were always painted in the most positive light, being portrayed as 'heroes' when really they were nothing more than glorified mercenaries. And the public eats it up, with the most arrogant huntsmen being arguably the most famous.
"The show hopes to compete with the Vytal Festival. Can they top last year's 36th Vytal Festival?"
Oh god, more huntsmen propaganda. The festival is designed to appeal to the dumb public and show 'it's cool to be a huntsmen'. It's also pretending there is no tension between the kingdoms, and to show how 'united' they are. The reporter paused as if he was being told something. This should be interesting.
"This just in!" The reporter said in a loud voice.
"The leader of the White Fang has just been murdered!"
Oh fuck. FUCK. No no no no. This was bad. If he says what she is thinking…
"… will be missed. The leadership of the White Fang has been claimed by..."
No! FUCK! She knew what this meant. It was obvious what happened. Faunus unrest has been steadily growing, with the White Fang losing support every passing moment. It was ripe for a takeover. She was hoping to manipulate Lopez, a wolf faunus who was infamous for his role in the Faunus Rights Revolution, into becoming the new leader of the White Fang. He would be a puppet led on by a set of strings and that would have been part one of her plan… but that was no longer happening.
FUCK! This changes things, a lot of things. There was no way she could use the White Fang now. Shit.
"He has announced his intentions for the new White Fang. They have declared war on humanity. Quoting him, 'We have been abused and tortured for too long. So it is time for my fellow faunus to rise up. And strike down our oppressors.'"
Definitely can't use them now. She turned off the television. She needed to think! WHAT THE FUCK WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!
She already lost her base of operations and now part one of her 'grand' plan was in tatters! She took a deep breath, she had to remain in control.
How can she benefit from this chaos? Use the chaos as a smoke screen of course. She was going to remove a few pieces off the board a bit earlier than usual, and what better way to cover it up than blame it on the White Fang? She took a deep breath, if she couldn't use the White Fang then she shall use their name to cover up her actions.
So she had to reevaluate her priorities. Number one, Ruby. Number two, Lopez was no longer an option, leave him to rot. She nearly smacked herself when she realized she wasted all of her lien finding him. Number three, the heist was coming up. She needed a source of lien to fund herself. Number four, plan her next step.
That was sufficient enough for now. She turned on the TV again, to see if there was any more relevant information.
"We are live at the Schnee's family manor, where they are hosting a fundraiser to help with the relief effort in Vale after the 'Kingsmen riots'. Despite the attack on the manor just a few days ago, spirits are high. Look there is the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company himself, 'Mister Schnee!'"
The CEO was in the middle of the crowd when suddenly. BOOM! A massive explosion occurred, sending everyone flying. Then faunus wearing the White Fang insignia began filling the screen shooting the crowd. Then a blank screen saying 'Technical Difficulties' appeared on the screen.
Remnant really was a shit hole. She sat on the bed contemplating her actions.
"We apologize for the… technical difficulties." The smug reporter seemed concerned, probably for his fellow colleague.
"In… other news, the huntsman, Qrow Branwen..." Cinder perked up. Wait who? That name sounded familiar, Ruby told her the name of her uncle, could it be?
"Who is now offering a cash reward to anyone who can help locate his nieces, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long." No no no no no! Ruby was her daughter now.
HE WON'T TAKE HER AWAY. She looked at Ruby worriedly. For whatever reason, people feel a connection to someone they are related to by blood.
Would Ruby go back to her uncle? She knew the answer was probably no, but she wouldn't take the chance. Ruby began to stir and she immediately turned off the channel.
She wouldn't take that chance.
Edited/Beta'd by Spartacus400. Next chapter: Snow White