Auras and Alibis

Chapter 1

Jaune wasn't worried about her. He was never worried about her. Sure, she was over an hour late from when she'd said she'd be home, and sure, she hadn't returned any of his calls or texts, but that was no cause for concern. This was hardly their first time doing this song-and-dance – the nature of his fiance's job often made it so she was away for longer than expected, often to the point where she couldn't return any of his calls. At least, that was the way she'd explained.
Still, the fact that he wasn't worried didn't mean he wasn't a little miffed. After his shift had finished, he'd spent most of his evening getting dinner ready. It was nothing fancy, just a basic baked ziti, but still. He was hungry, and the ziti had just gone back in the oven to get warmed up again for the third time.

Jaune glanced at the clock from his position at the dinner table. An hour and a half, now. A small sigh escaped him as he rose from his chair and approached the fridge. Cinder hated it when he drank anything but wine with dinner, but she wasn't here, and he could really go for a hard cider right now.

Naturally, the moment he popped the cap off the bottle, the door opened.

"Just my luck…" Jaune muttered. He put the bottle back in the fridge, praying that it wouldn't go flat in the time it took to eat. Still, he couldn't hide the warm smile that crossed his face when his fiancee entered the room. "Hey, babe."

Cinder actually jumped at the sound of his voice, turning to stare at him in surprise. "Jaune," she greeted. "I didn't think you'd be home."

"My shift ended almost three hours ago, Cin."

She blinked. "...It's been that long?" Casting a glance at the nearby clock, she scowled. "Sorry, Jaune; work kept me late."

"It's no big deal, really," Jaune offered. "So, what was it this time? Some celebrity get spooked and call for your services?"

"Something like that," Cinder said hesitantly. "It was… a stalking incident."

"Wait, for real?"

"Oh, yes," she replied, a bit too quickly. "One of my clients called me up all frantic, said she thought she saw a man with a gun wandering around her property. So I went over there to check it out; turned out to just be one of the local kids playing with those… what do you call them? The ones that shoot little plastic pellets?"
"Airsoft guns?"

"Yes, those." Cinder nodded. "He wandered into her yard looking for a good place to ambush his friends and spray them with plastic. So, false alarm, as per usual."

"Well, better a false alarm than the real thing," Jaune offered. "Still, surprised it took you that long to find a kid."

"He was hiding from me," she growled. "Said he saw the company car pull up and figured he'd be in a lot of trouble if I caught him. Little punk hid in the crawlspace under the house for ninety minutes before I found him."

"How'd you even think to check the crawlspace?"

"Because I checked everywhere else first, didn't find anything, and wanted to be thorough. Didn't realize how much time had passed."

"Well, at least you're here now," Jaune said. Her story explained her frazzled appearance, too – her hair was a bit frayed at the ends, and she was covered in small scrapes and bruises. She definitely looked like someone who had just crawled out from under someone's house.

Cinder shifted, and Jaune's attention was suddenly drawn to something held in her off-hand. He leaned in to get a better look, blinking as he did so.

"What have you got there?"

"Oh this?" she asked, nonchalantly. "It's just work stuff. Nothing major."

"What kind of work stuff?"

"Just my uniform."

"Cinder, you're wearing your uniform."

Cinder paused, then looked down at herself, her eyes widening slightly when she saw herself dressed the way he'd described. "So I am," she said, turning her attention back to him. "This is my spare uniform, Jaune. My other one got dirty, so I brought it home to wash."

"Oh, okay then," he said. "Why don't you go ahead and start dinner? You're probably starving. There's pasta being warmed in the oven, I'll just take your bag and-"

He reached for the large bag, only for Cinder to sharply pull it away from him.

"Actually, I think I'd better do my own laundry," Cinder hurriedly said.

Jaune stared at her. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Well, it's just… last time you did laundry, you turned your undershirts pink."

"That was your fault, you threw a set of lingerie in there with them by mistake."

Again, Cinder blinked. "So I did."

Jaune wasn't sure what to think at this point. Any other guy might have thought she was being strange, and she was, but that was par for the course for Cinder at this point – this was really just normal behavior from her. She was, for lack of a better term, quirky. That was part of what attracted Jaune to her in the first place – she definitely wasn't like any other girls he'd ever met. She had an air of aloofness to her, but deep down, she could be a bit of a goofball when she wanted, kind of like now.

That being said, Jaune was trying to do something nice for her, and she was resisting yet again for what had to be the hundredth time. And that just wouldn't do – after all, his parents had raised him right.

"Seriously, Cin, go ahead and start eating," Jaune told her. "I'll get the laundry taken care of."

"I really don't think you should," she said.

Jaune sighed tiredly. "Alright, what's in the bag?"

"It's…" she hesitated. "…A gun."

Jaune turned towards her, his eyes widening. "...You brought your service weapon into the apartment?"

"I forgot to leave it back in the office," Cinder said sheepishly. "Threw the holster in with my uniform by mistake when I was getting changed. Sorry."

"It's no big deal, really," Jaune explained.

"I know you don't like guns-"

"It's not that I don't like them, it's that I don't like the idea of having one in the house." Jaune sighed again. "It's not loaded, is it?"

Cinder paused. "...It might be."

"Cinder!"

"I know, I know. Hold on, I'll take care of this."

She hurried into the bedroom, brushing past him as she did so. Jaune watched her go, then quickly called out to her.

"Be careful, please!"

She didn't respond, and Jaune bit his lip, but ultimately chose not to go in after her; she'd been trained on guns as part of her private security job, so she definitely knew more about how to handle them than he did. In any case, he trusted her to handle herself just fine, though a small worry lingered in the back of his mind.

Another sigh escaped him, though he chose not to dwell on his feelings at the moment. Instead, he moved back into the kitchen, pulled the pasta out of the oven, and set the tray on the stovetop. He then fixed two plates before walking over to the table and taking a seat. He was just in time, too – the washing machine started up just as he sat down, and a moment later, Cinder emerged from down the hall and took a seat across from him.

"What's for dinner?" she asked. "It smells delicious."

"Just a baked ziti," Jaune said. "Nothing fancy. It might be a little hot, but-"

That was as far as he got before his fiancee began to dig in. Jaune watched her for a moment in surprise, but it didn't last – she had to be hungry after staying late for work; he knew he was.

"Where's the gun?" Jaune asked between bites of pasta.

Cinder paused. She thought for a moment, then said, "I put it in the lockbox in the closet. It's unloaded, don't worry."

Jaune nodded. Cinder's lockbox was the one thing they didn't share in the entire apartment. It was a case of some kind, one that only she held the key to, which she kept on a chain around her neck. Jaune had always been tempted to steal the key and see what was inside, but whatever it was, Cinder was very protective of it – she'd told him in no uncertain terms that if he ever looked inside without her permission, it'd be a major breach of her trust. And so, Jaune had shrugged and decided to just carry on not knowing.

He was sure that in time, she'd reveal its contents to him, but only when she was absolutely ready. He wasn't exactly desperate to know, either, so he was fine with letting her take her time with it.

Dinner went by in a flash. When it was over, they both worked together to wash the dishes and put the leftovers away. Once that was done, Jaune reached for his still-open bottle of cider, only for Cinder to grab his hand.

"And what do you think you're doing?" she asked, a mischievous smirk crossing her face.

"Having a drink," Jaune said.

"Mm… I think that can wait, don't you?"

"Oh? Did you have something else in mind, maybe?"

"You tell me."

Cinder leaned in for a kiss, and Jaune was quick to reciprocate. They held each other for a few seconds, their lips pressed together, before they separated. Jaune saw that familiar glint in her eyes, and knew where this was going; he wasn't surprised at all when she suddenly took him by the hand and began to pull him back towards the bedroom.

It wasn't exactly uncommon for her to be this forward, but it also wasn't a regular occurrence, either. Still, he knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The next day, Jaune stirred awake first. Cinder was still asleep, one arm wrapped around him and her head resting on his bare chest. Jaune leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, earning a small, sleepy murmur from her in response; his heart swelled at the sound of it, and he shook his head.

"You're too cute for your own good, and you don't even know it."

Carefully, so as not to wake her, Jaune rose out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. A quick shave and a shower later, and he was ready to start the day. After pulling on his set of medical scrubs, he stepped into the kitchen for a quick breakfast, turning on the TV just as he slipped two pieces of bread into the toaster.

He was met by a scene of pure mayhem in downtown Vale. A jewelry store was on fire, with several squads of firefighters present to help battle the blaze. They were succeeding, by the looks of things, but the store itself was done for – even Jaune could see.

"-of destruction late yesterday in downtown Vale," the newscaster, Lisa Lavender, reported. "Noted villain Queen Malevolent has struck again, stealing tens of thousands of lien worth of diamonds before setting the store on fire. Nobody was killed, however the shopkeeper only barely managed to escape the store before being consumed by the blaze; he was transported to a local hospital for a concussion and minor smoke inhalation, but his injuries are not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery."

Jaune's brow furrowed at the report. It was unfortunate that some people sought to use their Aura and Semblances for evil rather than good, but on a certain level, he supposed it was inevitable – with great power came great responsibility, and some people simply weren't cut out to shoulder that kind of burden.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn from the nearby doorway. Jaune turned, a thin smile crossing his face.

"Morning, beautiful."

Cinder muttered a response he couldn't hear, then stepped into the kitchen. Jaune had been careful to get her coffee ready for her before now; she was not a morning person at all, and he knew it, so the least he could do was make things a little easier for her. As she sipped from her steaming, corgi-pattern mug, he eyed her up and down, a frown crossing his face.

"Is that my Peripheral concert shirt?"

Cinder flashed him a sly grin. "Perhaps."

"That's a limited edition, you know."

"But it's so comfy, Jaune. And besides, I wear it well."

She was right, he had to admit that much. The shirt was oversized on her, stretching down to just past her knees, showing off her slender, cream-colored legs. Jaune couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing anything underneath it, or if she'd just thrown it on and marched out for breakfast without a care in the world.

Cinder sniffed, her brow furrowing. "Toast is burning."

"Ah, crap!" Jaune exclaimed, popping the toaster and pulling the pieces of bread out. Sure enough, they were both blackened and completely inedible. He gave a frustrated sigh as he dropped them both in the nearby trash can. He turned towards Cinder, only to pause when he saw her bent over and rooting around in the lower part of the pantry for something. A luminescent blush crossed his face as he stared.

Definitely not wearing anything underneath it.

He tugged at his collar as she continued to search for something. Finally, it became too much for Jaune, and he stepped over to her. Cinder paused, but Jaune paid her no mind, instead taking the shirt and gently tugging it down enough to cover her modesty a bit.

"I'm headed out," he announced as he stepped over to the nearby door. "It's a full shift today, so I won't be back until just after six. I'll pick up dinner on the way since it'll be so late."

That, and he really didn't want Cinder cooking. Once was enough.

Cinder pouted about something, but didn't argue. "Have a good day, love."

"I will. Love you, Cin."

"Love you too, Jaune."

With that, he stepped out and closed the apartment door behind him, leaving her all alone.

The moment Jaune was out of the apartment, Cinder let out a frustrated sigh. She loved Jaune, really she did, but he could be oblivious at the worst possible times. Seriously, she'd straight-up flashed him and he still hadn't gotten the hint. He'd even covered her up! One might think of her as being ridiculous about it – after all, she was Cinder Fall, and Cinder Fall generally took whatever Cinder Fall wanted – but at this point, her enticing him was a game more than anything, one that he was very adept at beating her at, whether he knew it or not.

He was too good for her, in more ways than one. But that wasn't going to stop her from pursuing this path; after all, she took what she wanted.

Cinder retreated back to the bedroom, changing out of Jaune's old band shirt and into her usual red dress. Jaune had once asked her how much her clothes had cost, and she'd told him a little white lie, as she usually did when they talked about money. He was under the impression that they were constantly in the red; that couldn't have been further from the truth, but it was a lie that had paid dividends so far, and so she kept it going.

Of course, that just made it all the more frustrating when he felt compelled to pick up an extra shift in order to make up for what he thought was a shortage on their rent money. Cinder appreciated what he was trying to do, but the truth was that he could quit his job at any point and neither one of them would have to worry about money for a long time.

Of course, she couldn't exactly tell him that, so she was stuck suffering in silence while her fiance worked himself to the bone for no reason.

Cinder flopped down on the couch, turning the TV over to another news channel. This one had what she was looking for – close-ups of the burning jewelry store. She stared at the screen, transfixed by the flames as they curled up into the air, spewing acrid, inky-black smoke across several city blocks.
It hadn't been necessary to set the place on fire. It never was. And yet she did it anyway; at first it was just her message. She wanted Vale and the entire world to know her power and to never forget her. Years later now however, and it was almost a compulsion, or an addiction. Cinder enjoyed watching the flames lick and lap at their surroundings, consuming everything they touched and leaving little more than a withered, charred husk behind.

Power corrupted, there was no doubt about that. But fire was nature's power, and what good was nature's power if not properly harnessed, corruption or not? The fire would consume what it wanted until contained; it would burn away into embers until there was nothing left, and in its place, something new would arise in time. There was just something about the feeling of setting something alight and leaving it to burn – to do so was to literally hold the power of life and death in her hands. It was thrilling.

Jaune wouldn't approve, she knew, but that didn't bother her. After all, it would only be a problem if he ever figured it out. And he wouldn't – she was sure of that.

Cinder scroll suddenly beeped, and she drew it from her pocket to read the message.

Unknown Number: Water's nice at Warehouse 13. Not a cloud in the sky.

She smirked as her eyes darted across the screen. Without missing a beat, she closed her scroll and left it behind, then retreated into the bedroom to grab her gear. Once she had the bag slung over her shoulder, she exited the apartment and began making her way towards the docks. As she walked, she absentmindedly snapped her fingers, causing small embers to dance between them.
It was time to go to work.

And now, a word from everyone's favorite boi, Ickbard:

WHAT'S UP BIITCHEEEES! So Minnie here wanted to see some of my writing and I had this premise lying around for a lil over a year. It was an OC that I realized worked great as a FanFic and I pitched the idea to Minnie. Homie has swung away with this work and we both hope you enjoy the story! Remember to smash that like button and finger that subscribe button… oh yeah, this isn't my YouTube channel, anywho, till next time!

And there you have it. This is something the two of us are working on together - it's a collaborative effort between us. Not to say the others aren't, but this one is even more so, since it was Ickbard's idea in the first place. He pitched it to me, I thought it sounded really cool, and now we're here.

This is basically a minor AU, of sorts? The players and pieces are all the same, but instead of Huntsmen, we have superheroes and villains. Admittedly, Ickbard's probably way more knowledgeable about that stuff than me, so it's a good thing we're working together on this one, because otherwise I'd be very lost lol.

Anyway, you all know the drill - regular rotation, trying for an update every couple of weeks same as the rest, etc. No idea how long this one's gonna end up being just yet, but we'll find out, I guess.

Past that, I don't think we've got anything else for you. Hope you all enjoyed, and we'll see you next time!

Enjoy my work and want to help me out a bit? You can support me, as well as read more of my writing, over on Amazon. My second original story is available for purchase now, you can find it by going on Amazon and searching for 'Dead World' by John Haruspex. The story is available now for three bucks in ebook format (or free with Kindle Unlimited) or twelve bucks in paperback format, if you prefer physical media. (Remove the spaces)

www . amazon Dead-World-John-Haruspex / dp /B0C2RPGXVC / ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1682982861&sr=8-2

My first original story is also still available at the following link as well:

www . amazon dp/ B0BLFL72MX