Cinder didn't save any cats out of trees, nor did she slowly murder abusive Headmistresses of orphanages. In the days that followed her narrowing down the location of the Vulcan Diamond, Cinder did something that was as close to second nature to her as scheming was.
She brooded.
Whilst she was making progress towards getting Khione a gift that would prove just how much she loved her and her father and the family they had somehow managed to form, she wasn't making progress anywhere else in life. Her work was a continuous slog that made her miss the days where her greatest worry was getting shot or a bone broken by the Huntsman during some of their more tumultuous tussles. That had at least been somewhat fun to do. Having to deal with Karens and whining children and snot-nosed, leering, acne ridden teenagers was not fun in any way, shape or form, though there were the occasional satisfying moments where they actually managed to get her manager involved and annoy the gruff, no-nonsense old man enough to get humbled or at least humiliated.
So her work wasn't all that bad, but it was still a significant downgrade compared to what she used to do, the pay check especially so. But the other main part of her life where progress had stalled was getting more and more annoying each day.
Her day's, almost always, started well. She would wake up in Jaune's arms. They might canoodle a little before their alarms kept bleeping or they heard Khione start stirring, after which they'd get ready for the day ahead of them before walking Khione to school. If she was lucky he'd come down to the Alaca-Joe's and they would be able to share a brief lunch together, during which she could readily grumble and complain to his listening ears. If not they'd meet again on the way to Khione's school, where they'd take their little Snowflake home together. Jaune would cook, Cinder would help with homework or just keep an eye on Khione who'd invariably switch between watching barely tolerable child's cartoons or the god awful monstrosity that Cinder was certain was devised by the world's most cruel, malevolent psychological torturers that was called Pancake the Preposterous Dog in order to lure children into watching it and dragging their parents along for the horror ride.
But not even Pancake compared to the annoyance she felt when, after they had eaten dinner together and settled onto to the sofa to watch a non-Pancake show or movie, the door would ring.
"See you guys in a bit." Jaune said, a smile on his face as he kissed Khione's head and then Cinder's cheek. One day, Cinder would have to sit down with Jaune and have a talk about how three hours was not 'a bit' let alone when those three hours were spent training with two hero-worshipping girls Cinder was halfway to absolutely certain had a crush or some form of hero worship towards him.
So as Jaune galivanted around Vale with his new sidekicks in search of the mysterious third possible sidekick the news had dubbed 'The Silent Guardian' by the more less racists outlets and the 'Faunus Menace' by those who were sponsored by the businesses targeted by Vale's newest ninja for practicing anti-Faunus business standards.
"Probably some Faunus floozy with cut ears or a cut tail or a cute some-other-thing." Cinder silently fumed, eyes twitching as Khione sang along to the theme tune of Pancake the Preposterous Dog, though thankfully it was only an advert for the blasted show. Adverts weren't long right?
One minute was one minute too long for Cinder, so she idly conjured small flames to her hand and watched them flicker up her fingers, thinking about her plan. She could certainly steal the Vulcan Diamond within the next few weeks, but the problem would be giving it to Khione. Jaune would likely blow a gasket and she also knew she'd be put on thin ice for a while, and she'd grown quite fond of their snuggles and the canoodles they managed to sneak in during the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the night. It wasn't the same as what they'd experienced in the hotel room, but it was enough to keep Cinder sated until the date she had planned. Losing that to spite Jaune seemed petty...but then again it wasn't her running around with young, attractive girls at late hours of the night. She trusted Jaune. She did not trust those sisters. She had a right to be petty considering that, especially since she knew for a fact that if she was the one galivanting around Vale with two young, attractive boys who worshipped the ground she walked on then Jaune would be jealous too, something he'd have a right to feel considering the circumstances. Cinder would trust herself not to do something stupid, something she hoped Jaune would reciprocate, but she wouldn't trust those metaphorical young boys not to do something stupid.
Now if only Jaune was only metaphorically running around Vale with the Red Crusader and Dragon. Gods what a stupid name.
Still, she wasn't just doing this out of spite. Part of her feared that Khione would replace her with another surrogate mother if Cinder wasn't good enough, a fear made all the more acute thanks to Cinder's knowledge of just how unprepared and inexperienced she was at parenting. She badly needed advice, but she had no family to turn to and the forums she had found online scared her more than helped her. Some people did not understand that too much information was a thing, or that they seemed worryingly possessive over and obsessed with their little darlings.
Cinder wasn't obsessive was she? She didn't suffocate Khione? Smother her? She glanced at the young girl in question, who's eyes were glued to the TV screen, engrossed by the weird shapes that formed the main characters of whatever cartoon she was watching and whatever adventure they were going on. She knew that in some ways she was possessive over Khione and Jaune, over the family they had made, but that was just out of a fear of losing them, one that was much more reasonable considering the life she lived. If her identity was ever discovered and leaked to the press, Cinder would have to run away and abandon them so as to not draw too much attention to them and therefore endanger them. Would they hate her for that? Understand that she wanted to be with them regardless of what had happened but was not willing to risk their safety so satisfy her own selfish love?
Or would they replace her? There were plenty who would be willing to date a man like Jaune, something she was aware of thanks to the number of times she'd caught women discreetly checking out her boyfriend when they thought neither of them was paying attention. He was a catch, but then again so was she, yet she didn't notice an uptick in men trying to leer at her. Perhaps having a six foot mountain man holding her with an arm around her waist was enough to discourage their efforts. Then again mayhaps they were just being more discreet.
'Or perhaps you're less of a catch than you thought.' Whispered something poisonous that sounded eerily like Ruby Rose.
The flames in her hand flared before she swiftly dispelled them just in time for Khione to see her Cinder staring intently at the TV.
"Did you hear something?" Khione asked, and Cinder shook her head. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong with the little white lie, so she didn't feel overly guilty.
"I think it's just the TV." Cinder replied, before her eyes darted to the old clock that ticked and tocked on the mantlepiece. "Five more minutes and you need to start getting ready for bed."
"But I need to help with the milk and cookies for the Huntsman, Dragon and the Red Crusader!" Khione retorted, even though she full well knew their actual names. Khione, as any child would, was eager to get stuck in the superhero world, something that she still needed to have a conversation with Jaune about, hence the rising displeasure she felt at what Khione had said.
It had nothing to do with the fact Khione seemed to just adore Jaune's tagalongs.
Not at all.
"Five minutes." Cinder said firmly, leaving no room for arguing in her tone. Khione huffed before turning back to the TV, knowing that whilst she had both her parents wrapped around her fingers there were times even her charm wouldn't work, and she would need to be careful about pushing her luck.
Cinder sighed internally. She knew she could be better. She just didn't know how. The diamond at least would show just how much Cinder valued Khione.
One of the cartoon triangles started to swoon after being given a pile of rubies before her square henchman. A lightbulb sparked to life over Cinder's head.
"Do you like gems? Jewels?" Cinder asked, and Khione startled before giving her a confused look. "Rubies? Emeralds? Diamonds?"
"I dunno." Khione shrugged. "They look pretty I guess, but it's not like I can really play with them? They're like marbles but less...marbley. I don't like jewellery. It looks stupid."
"You seem quite adamant on that." Cinder noted, and Khione fell silent for a moment.
"Mo-My other mom like jewellery. She wore it a lot." Khione explained quietly, and Cinder felt her stomach roil with rage and a glimmering of guilt. Khione's voice dropped to a whisper, and Cinder fought to keep her flames contained. "It always hurt dad more when she hit him with her rings."
"Snowflake…" Cinder murmured, heart wrenching when Khione sniffled slightly. "Come here sweetheart."
Cinder opened her arms and cradled Khione against her chest, soft sniffles emitting from the girl as Cinder ran a hand through her snow white hair in an effort to comfort her, in an effort to replace the memories of an inadequate witch for a 'mother' to hopefully change them into something more positive, something more akin to what every child deserved to have in regards to memory of a loving, caring mother.
"I take it you wouldn't like a gem for a present them hm?" Cinder asked, playing it off as a joke. Khione giggled a little, easing the knot that had formed in Cinder's heart.
"Not really." Khione replied, before looking up at Cinder with red, watery eyes. "Are you getting me a present? What for?"
"Who says I am?" Cinder retorted, before kissing the tip of Khione's nose. "And who says I have to have a reason for wanting to treat you? One more cartoon, then you are going to bed. No exceptions."
"Thanks mom!" Khione cheered, kissing Cinder's cheek and squirming round on her lap so that she faced the TV, resting her hands on Cinder's, which lay crossed on top of each other with her arms wrapped around Khione. "Your the best!"
"Obviously." Cinder scoffed playfully, earning another giggle. The guilt washed away, and all Cinder was left with was the soft contentedness of having her loving daughter on her lap whilst they watched cartoons. One day, Khione may not be so eager to cuddle with Cinder, a thought that terrified her to her core, so she resolved to enjoy the moment whilst she could.
Despite her happiness, she couldn't help but feel the hole left by the missing member of their family unit. Whilst Jaune would be returning some point fairly soon, or so she hoped for his sake, his absence was felt by her. She wasn't so pathetic as to fall apart because he was gone for a few hours, but there was no denying the fact she missed his presence, and she would be surprised if Khione didn't feel the same way to some extent.
She needed to get a grip. Everything would be fine. She loved Jaune, and Jaune loved her. She adored Khione, and Khione loved her. They'd be fine.
She'd make sure of that. Nothing was going to take this from her.
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"Hero or scoundrel? The Huntsman spotted with two young sidekicks fighting crime, or is there more? Body language experts weigh in on possible romance between Huntsman and Red Crusader."
"Red Huntsman, the new superhero 'ship' taking the DustNet by storm."
"Dragon or Crusader? Readers give thoughts on Huntsman's new sidekicks."
Cinder gritted her teeth and tried not to slam down the tray of food she was delivering to table nineteen. Now that it had become a more than one off appearance of Jaune with his sidekicks, people had cottoned onto the fact the Huntsman now actually had sidekicks, and the news were abuzz with a variety of headline grabbing titles designed to stoke reader's interest and sell papers.
It didn't help Cinder's mood that literally everyone seemed to be reading or talking about her boyfriend's alter ego, let alone when at least half of them believed some sort of sordid three-way relationship between the Huntsman and his sidekicks.
Everything was fine. Everything would be okay. People just needed reminding of the woman who was truly the apple in the Huntsman's eye, and the woman who had both terrorised and caught the attention of Vale for so long.
During her not too long ago heyday, there were dozens of tabloid newspaper that practically drooled over her, just like her readers. She found it annoying, and she still did, but she wouldn't deny the thought of Ruby Rose taking her limelight didn't irk her. It reminded her all to much of her private fears of Ruby Rose weaselling her way into Jaune's life and taking something else that was Cinder's.
She wasn't going to lose her family. She couldn't.
The Nefarious Nightstalker was retired, but who said she couldn't make a comeback to help train the Huntsman's pets?
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"Nefarious Nightstalker." The Huntsman intoned darkly, a underlying hint of frustration in his tone. "I thought you retired."
"I decided to make a comeback, if only to test the mettle of your new pets." The Nefarious Nightstalker sneered back, though her mask-covered face seemed to be imploring, rather than sneering at the Huntsman, who looked confused. "Speaking of which, you seem to be missing one. What happened to the yellow one?"
"She's busy elsewhere." The Huntsman replied cryptically. "You're not the only criminal in this city."
"Throwing them to the wolves already? You're more ruthless than I ever gave you credit for if you're so callous about the lives of your child soldiers." The Nefarious Nightstalker taunted, turning to the Red Crusader. "Who are you girl?"
"I'm the Red Crusader! You better thank your lucky stars my-that Dragon isn't here or you'll definitely be in jail already!"
"Of course." The Nefarious Nightstalker smiled indulgently, before turning to the Huntsman. "Where did you find this one? A nursery?"
"I'm fifteen!" The Red Crusader protested, before slapping a hand over her mouth as the Huntsman sighed. "I...uh...I mean...I drink milk!"
"Very mature of you." The Nefarious Nightstalker chuckled, fire appearing as if from out of thin air and dancing around her fingers. "If you're so big and strong then I suppose I don't need to worry about holding back."
As soon as she finished speaking a wave of fire surged out across the clean floor of the bank in the process of being robbed, or rather the bank, aka the literal Bank of Vale.
The Red Crusader lept out of the way but yelped as the tip of her cloak caught on fire. As she tried stomping it out, she didn't see the second wall of flame roaring towards her until the Huntsman jumped forward and pushed her out of the way. She yelled as she toppled behind a marble pillar, the Huntsman landing heavily above her.
"You okay?" He asked, and the Red Crusader nodded silently, still shocked at how fast the Nefarious Nightstalker had been able to attack. "Search the bank, make sure there aren't any hostages. I'll handle the Nightstalker."
"But-"
"No buts!" The Huntsman instructed harshly. "You're not ready to face her yet. Make sure the area is clear of civilians. We don't want collateral damage."
"Okay." The Red Crusader nodded glumly, accepting the Huntsman's hand and getting pulled onto her feet. She hurried away quickly to fulfil her mission, not noticing the Nefarious Nightstalker had given them ample time to talk and for her to escape.
"What the hell are you doing?" Jaune demanded, turning around and stomping over to Cinder.
"There aren't any hostages and only minimal property damage." Cinder said proudly, a small smile on her face. "And I haven't actually stolen anything."
"Ci-Nightstalker." Jaune growled, earning a set of rolled eyes.
"Khione's being watched by Taiyang, and I figured I could help out with your little sidekick initiative." She explained. "They'll come across someone more powerful than your common crook eventually. They need the experience against some at least somewhat powerful and who won't actually hurt them. Seriously."
"You should have discussed this with me before doing something like this." Jaune retorted hotly.
"Like you discussed having a sidekick with me before doing so?" Cinder snapped, and Jaune blinked in surprise at the sheer vehemence in her tone.
"Is that what this is about? I thought we agreed it was okay for me to train them?"
"I thought so too. Did we agree you'd train the Silent Guardian as well?"
"The girls were just speculating, I told them no."
"You've been looking for her!"
"Only to make sure she has some support! I'm not going to train a third sidekick Ci-Nightstalker, I don't have the time for it."
"Damn right you don't! When was the last time you read a bedtime story for Khi-You know who? When was the last time you put her to bed? Tucked her in? Said goodnight to her whilst she was still awake?"
"I can't be there all the time C-Nightstalker! Damnit this is so frustrating! Why couldn't you have just yelled at me at home like a normal person?"
"Because I don't want to wake up Khi-You know who you bleeding heart oaf!"
"Look, even if I didn't have sidekicks I'd still be going out on patrol. We'd still have these problems."
"Except you'd have more leeway to go home a little earlier if you didn't have two fangirls begging you to stay out just a little longer."
"They're aren't like that."
"Aren't they? Come home early then. Prove me wrong."
"I can't help it if we find ourselves in a sticky situation."
"Is that what they call it these days?"
"Excuse me?"
"What sticky situations have you been getting into with two young women Jau-Huntsman?"
"Are you serious? Do you really think so low of me? Where is this all coming from?"
"From me Jau-Huntsman! I'm the one left alone whilst you galivant around Vale with those two floozies! I'm the one worried sick about whether you'd be coming home okay or hurt or even somehow end up in hospital! I'm the one worried that the more time you spend around them the more you'll realise just...just..."
"Just what?" Jaune asked softly, eyes imploring and almost magnetic with how they seemed to draw her gaze from the floor to those marvellous blue orbs of his. "Cin-Night-Oh to hell with it. Cinder, you need to talk to me. I can't help...I can't be a good boyfriend if I don't know what's wrong. Please. Just talk to me."
"I...I...It's just..." Cinder hesitated. Was that really what she was so worried about? Was that why she was acting so...so petty? So silly?
"Hiyah!" Someone exclaimed, and Cinder let out a genuine cry of pain and surprise as something slammed into her lower back. "How did you manage to distract the Nefarious Nightstalker? I thought she was insane."
"Rub-Red!" Jaune yelled, hurrying over to Cinder. "What the hell was that?"
"I got her whilst she had her guard down whilst you distracted her." That blasted, infernal, whining little pest said, seeming taken aback by her mentor's actions. "Wasn't that the plan?"
"Of course it wasn-ah!" Jaune exclaimed, a fireball slamming into his chest and slamming him back. He skidded across the ground, though Cinder had only used enough power to send him away. She didn't want to hurt him. The same could not be said of Rose.
"If you think one little kick is enough to take me down then you are as stupid as you look." The Nefarious Nightstalker snarled, turning on the girl who looked for all the world like a deer caught in headlights as pillars of flame swirled around the Nefarious Nightstalker, making the air hot and stuffy as she slowly rose into the air. "It's time for you to learn an important lesson you cretinous little insect."
"Uhm...oops?" The Red Crusader said simply. The Nefarious Nightstalker's eye twitched.
With a howl of rage and utter fury, pillars of spirally flame shot forth from the Nefarious Nightstalker's outstretched palms likes lasers, hurtling towards the Red Crusader with the speed of a bullet. The girl managed to leap backwards, but the Nefarious Nightstalker followed, flame following the girl as she tried with all her might to turn the annoyance into ash, melting stone and marble and pillars as she rampaged after the Red Crusader.
The Huntsman ran towards them, and the Nefarious Nightstalker let up her assault momentarily in order to conjure up a wall of flame. Unlike the rolling walls she usually sent to disperse opponents, this one was a solid line of fire that stretched from one end of the banks lobby to the other, the flames themselves rising to the ceiling, completely cutting of the Huntsman from his annoying little pest of a sidekick.
The Nefarious Nightstalker turned to deal with the pest, only to let out a surprised grunt as she saw the sole of boot flying towards her. The Red Crusader yelled out in pain as she passed the protective fire barrier to deliver a bruising kick to the Nefarious Nightstalker's face that broke her concentration and sent her toppling over onto the ground. The fire wall fell, as did the protective barrier, and the Huntsman ran forward, standing in between the Red Crusader and the Nefarious Nightstalker and stopping his sidekick from attacking the villainess whilst she was down.
"That's enough." He said firmly, turning to the Nefarious Nightstalker and approaching carefully, hands outstretched as if to help her.
The sight was enough to throw the Nightstalker back through time, to the very first time they had met. The Huntsman had bested her, having caught her by surprise, and when she had been defeated and laying on the ground in shock and pain much as she was now he had approached her then with hands outstretched and a gentle, sorry smile. There was no smile now, only worry, worry for her, for what she might do, and she remembered how she had thrown flames at him and escaped by the skin of her teeth that first time.
"Let's just try and talk this out okay?" He offered. Cinder wanted to accept. The Nightstalker still wanted blood.
"Move." She instructed, pushing herself onto her feet and conjuring flames to her hands. The Huntsman stood firm.
"We don't need to do this, we can still talk this out alright?"
"Move." She gritted out, ignoring that part of her that wanted to accept his pleas before the situation escalated anymore than it already had.
"I won't do that. You know why. Please. Let's just talk."
"Move Jaune!" The Nefarious Nightstalker snarled, the flames in her hands snuffing out from shock moments later. Surely...Did she just...?
Awkward silence filled the ruined bank lobby, Jaune's eyes wide behind hsi domino mask. The Red Crusader blinked owlishly, turning from Jaune to Nightstalker, from Nightstalker to Jaune, before falling finally onto the Nefarious Nightstalker and taking her in for what felt like the first time. Black hair was fairly common in Vale. Golden eyes were not.
Women with black hair and golden eyes who knew Jaune Arc by name, who knew them enough to be privy to his alter ego? Even fewer.
"Cinder?!" Rose gasped, and all at once the fire roared back to life in her hands. She acted out of instinct. Out of fear. Jaune saw it, the wide-eyed, instinctual and primitive thing that flashed in her eyes. He moved to block her, to save his young sidekick, but she brushed him aside and slammed a ball of flame point blank from the palm of her hand and into Ruby Rose's chest, dead centre where her heart lied beating underneath a protective layer of bone, skin, muscle and costume. Rose went soaring through the air with a pained cry before she slammed against a crumbling marble pillar that had been burnt black by her flames. A sickening crack cut through the air like the sound of shattering glass, and Cinder stilled, breathing heavily, the world slowed as if it had stopped entirely.
"Ruby!" Jaune gasped, hurrying over to the fallen, crumpled form of the fifteen year old girl. Cinder followed him, body moving on autopilot, staring intently at the worryingly still body in front of them. "Why in the hell did you do that?!"
"She knew!" Cinder protested, breathing heavily and not taking her eyes away form Rose's body. "Is she breathing? Does she have a pulse?"
"She's breathing." Jaune sighed, pressing his fingers against the girl's wrist. "She has a pulse too, but gods only knows what might be wrong with her. What if you've broken a rib? Her back even? You'd paralyse a fifteen year old girl out of panic?"
"I've killed for worse reasons." Cinder said, eyes meeting Jaune's and seeing nothing there that she liked or wished to see. She wanted his love, not his hate, yet it was disgust and anger that filled his eyes.
"I'm taking her to the hospital. Go home and make sure Khione's okay. She can't stay with Tai for much longer since he'll be rushing to the hospital soon."
"I'll take her." Cinder said, earning a scoff. "I'm faster."
"Even if you did you'd be arrested on sight or even shot by security." Jaune dismissed. "It was nice of you too chose a bank with Vale's premier hospital nearby. Very kind, very considerate of you."
"I didn't plan-I didn't want this!" Cinder retorted, knowing that to be the truth even if a part of her thought the opposite.
"Sure. A lucky coincidence then." Jaune replied, picking up Rose's limp body in his arms and turning away from her, his tone betraying the fact he didn't believe her for a second. "We'll just put it down to your diligent, be-prepared-for-anything nature then shall we? Definitely not something premeditated."
"If I was planning on harming the girl I'd be stopping you from taking her to the hospital right now!" Cinder seethed, furious at the sight of Jaune walking away from her with Rose in his arms, something she'd seen all too often in nightmares and paranoid, worried thoughts.
Jaune said nothing else as he silently rushed from the bank, sirens wailed in the distance as the VPD finally got off their fat, lazy asses and did their jobs. Cinder let out a violent howl of frustration, flames shrouding her in a pillar and melting the building around her. With a furious growl she shot into the air like a rocket, soaring away from where she needed to be to distract the VPD and whatever it was monitoring her flight path.
Even through her anger she was able to recognise that she had messed up. No, screwed up. No, even worse than that. She had no idea what Jaune was going to do, and that paranoid, scared part of her had a feeling she knew what was going to be the case.
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"If you were to be looking at Vale's direction from outside the city from a village like Domremy or such, you would have been able to see an arc of burning flame over the city skyline, something that could be easily confused for a comet or meteor coming crashing down to Remnant. In reality, that comet would be none other than the Nefarious Nightstalker retreating from her latest bout with the Huntsman after a long, unexplained hiatus. During the skirmish, one of the Huntsman's new sidekicks, the Red Crusader, was wounded, and eye witnesses report a frantic Huntsman rushing to Vale General Hospital with the young hero-in-training in his arms. Her status, and identity, remain unknown, but it is speculated that she could be in critical condition after facing such a powerful criminal. Questions are being raised about the Huntsman's judgement in bringing his sidekick to do battle with the Nefarious Nightstalker, and critics are pushing for a revival of the proposed Super Registration Act in order to hold the Huntsman accountable for his actions..."
Cinder tried to ignore the news blaring from the television hanging against the wall of the reception area. She had changed out of her outfit after giving the VPD the slip, and had worked her way through the hospital in search of Jaune. She was currently waiting outside G Floor, Ward 23, where Jaune had been hospitalised not too long ago thanks to her own stupid actions.
History did not rhyme. It repeated, especially when you did not learn from your own stupidity or become something more than a stupid little girl with a recently dead father, newly discovered fire magic and a stepmother whom you loathed.
She had not come here out of clever deduction, she had merely followed the panicked, rushing figures of Taiyang and Yang Xiao-Long to the ward. Jaune would be out soon. They could talk. She would apologise. She would do what she needed to make things right.
She would make things right.
The doors opened, and instead of a nurse or doctor like every other time, the beleaguered figure of Jaune Arc stepped out, wearing casual clothing with a blue plastic bag gripped tightly in his hand. Cinder knew from long hours seeing it up close that his cap and mask were inside. He froze when he saw her, and she rose from her uncomfortable seat awkwardly.
"Outside." He said simply, and Cinder winced at the utter lack of emotion in his cool, cold tone. She followed silently., overly conscious of doing something wrong and setting him off. They wound up in an elevator by themselves, and Cinder struggled to think of another time in her life where she felt so awkward and guilty. They silently made their way out of the hospital lobby and wound up in a cold, dark alley just behind the hospital.
"Jaune I-"
"I don't want to hear it." Jaune cut off bluntly, taking her aback. There was no hint of anything on his face, no anger, no sadness, no disappointment. No emotion at all, just a blank mask that cut her more deeply than his anger or sadness would. The worst thing of all was the hint of finality surrounding him like a miasma of misery. "We had an agreement."
"I know I-"
"We had a promise."
"I was just-"
"You broke it."
"It was a mistake Jaune!" Cinder snapped, frustrated at the lack of getting her own word in. "I...I made a mistake. I regret it. I'm sorry."
"You said that last time too, when I was the one in a hospital bed." Jaune said simply, frustration and anger starting to seep into his tone. "Now it's a fifteen year old girl. Who's next Cinder? Me again? Ruby again? Yang? Khione?"
"I would never lay a finger on her!" Cinder snarled, fury roaring back after the unsubtle implication. "I love that girl like she was my own!"
"Will you love her when she's throwing a tantrum? When she's arguing back? When she's acting spoiled and bratty? Will you love her when she's a teenager? When she's an adult? When she's not some adorable munchkin for you to fawn over like she was puppy?"
"She's my daughter!"
"She's mine!" Jaune bellowed suddenly. "I've raised her since she was a baby! I protected her from her witch of a mother! I kept her out of Jacques Schnee's claws and I've sold my body and worse to make sure I could provide for her! I will not risk her around another violent psychopath who can't keep her word. I gave you a second chance already Cinder. It was only a few months ago as well for crying out loud. If it was a year or two, at least some distance between now and before then maybe I'd be willing to forgive you. To put my faith in you. To trust you again. As it is...I can't do that."
"What do you mean?" Cinder asked weakly, feeling her hands tremble.
"It means we're done." Jaune said hoarsely, eyes watering but face set and tone final. There was no arguing, no bartering, no negotiating, no brokering or anything. His decision was final. "I'm not...Winter was like this too. It would start off with small things, but then it would just build and build the more times I forgave her and every time I did she'd push the boundaries just a little more just to see how far she could go before I snapped and pushed back. You didn't even start off slow Cinder, you started by putting me in hospital and then putting a fifteen year old girl in hospital. I don't what the hell I've been thinking these past few months, if I've gone insane or I'm just acting stupid but...You're the Nefarious Nightstalker. I thought there was a different side to you. I thought there was Cinder, an often difficult woman who it was even more difficult not to love. Was that just an act?"
"An act?" Cinder choked breathlessly, hating the weakness she felt welling in her eyes and the utter vulnerability she felt. "An act?! You think I was just toying with you? That this was some game to me? I love you! I love Khione! I love our family! You can't take that from me!"
"I won't subject Khione to another Winter. I can't." Jaune said weakly, and Cinder felt her anger well alongside her consuming sadness.
"I'm not her!" Cinder spat. "I've never laid a finger on Khione, and I've only ever fought you when we were prancing about with our alter egos. I would never do what she did."
"Winter hurt others too. Not just me but people close to me as well." Jaune said. "She hurt me, Khione, her family. Hurt Weiss. After we married I looked after her siblings like they were my own. When she came back from what the military did...it was like her brain had been flipped upside down. She was paranoid of everything and everyone. She was jealous of Weiss, of Khione, of Whitley, of my family. She didn't know if she hated me or loved me or both. She hurt them because of that. Was that why you were going so hard on Ruby? Jealousy?"
"She knew my name, who I was." Cinder tried.
"You were trying to hurt her before that." Jaune interjected. "Don't try and deny it."
"I was just angry because of her little surprise attack."
"You should've known better. You're a grown woman and she's a child."
"Don't do this." Cinder said, closing her eyes to stop her tears from actually falling, face facing downwards and away from Jaune's broken look. "Please. I...I'm begging you."
"I don't want to do this." Jaune replied weakly. "I...I love you. Khione does too. But I don't want to lose her, to see her hurt. I...I just can't. I'm sorry."
Cinder opened her eyes and looked up through blurry, watery eyes, watching as Jaune turned around and walked away, shoulders heaving silently. She tried to say something, to think of something that would make it right, but her mind was blank. She couldn't think of anything, anything to do or say or anything to salvage this mess of a situation.
So instead she watched, and when she could not see him anymore she crumbled to the floor and sobbed.
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Cinder was lost. In terms of where she was, in terms of her general state of being...any and every way possible she felt lost. Cut adrift. Her body was on autopilot as she wandered through Vale's streets, wondering what she should have done, why she hadn't thought of doing so sooner, whether she was angry or utterly depressed.
It was in such a state that Cinder would up somewhere in Vale run down industrial district, the place, possibly, of all her woes. If she hadn't been forced to flee the police and that insipid girl who'd ambushed her at her compromised lair then Jaune might have felt more willing to give her a second chance, to overlook her mistake for one final chance to not screw up and make everything go to the dogs.
Using what restraint she had left Cinder resisted the urge to burn the district down, along with the rest of Vale. She had no intention of being put down like a mad dog, and even if part of her was furious at Jaune she had no ill will against Khione, who would likely get caught up in the inferno if she did burn Vale down.
She shook her head. She was going mad, all over a boy as well. How far the mighty had fallen.
Cinder paused, cocking her head. The warehouse she was standing outside of was decrepit and rundown, yet familiar. She heard movement within, as well as muffled talking, but it was clear it wasn't the sounds of the usual menial warehouse work going on. Cinder stepped forward curiously, eager to distract herself from her wallowing misery and boiling rage. There was a metal door that was locked, barely budging when she pressed down on the handle and push. She heard someone shout from within, and with narrowed eyes she melted the door down into molten liquid pooling in front of her.
"What in the name of-Nightstalker?!" Roman Torchwick explained, a migraine instantly starting to form. Of course Cinder would recognise Torchwick's rundown safehouse, she'd been there half a dozen times for business before. "You could've knocked you know."
"I'm not in the mood for politeness." Cinder grumbled.
"I take it...you might not exactly be in the mood...for...you know?"
"You better not be suggesting what I think you are." Cinder glared. Torchwick winced.
"I...uh...I meant you don't exactly look dressed for the part right now."
"What...oh." Cinder blinked, looking down and seeing a black hoodie that did not belong to her and loose fitting, grey sweatpants. Her eyes widened even wider when her hands flew to her face and instead of a dark domino mask she felt her own skin. "Where's your little gremlin?"
"Witness. Here." Torchwick raised his hands. "I saw nothing. Who are you?"
"Forget it Torchwick." Cinder sighed. "I'll let it slide. You know what'll happen if you ever leak my identity."
"That I do." Torchwick nodded eagerly. "Now I don't mean to be rude but what in the hell are you doing here burning down my front door? I'm having to lie low at the moment thanks to little Red Riding Hood and our resident goody two shoes, though I hear I won't need to have to worry about Huntsman's little helper thanks to you."
"She'll live." Cinder said, and Torchwick sighed.
"How the hell did a kid survive your wrath?" Torchwick said, tone teasing. He liked to push his boundaries. He had strengths in different ways to her. Cinder had raw power, he had information and a connections across the underworld. They'd once formed a mutually beneficial deal where Cinder provided the muscle and Torchwick provided the targets, but he had never anticipated she'd have a brain of her own. Cinder had formed her own network of contacts, and soon she was the one ordering Torchwick where and what to do as opposed to the other way around, something he had once rallied against but had come to terms with after seeing one of his goons turned to ash in seconds.
"She had help." Cinder replied lamely, looking around the warehouse. There was a kitchen, a living room and three cordoned off areas she assumed were bedrooms and a bathroom. "Why are you staying here of all places? Don't you have more luxurious getaways?"
"Little red sniffed out those somehow." Torchwick grumbled, plopping down heavily on the sofa and resting his cane against his lap. Cinder caught a flash of colour in the periphery of her vision, and knew it was Torchwick's little goblin slinking around in the shadows, relaxing with the knowledge Cinder meant her master no harm. "So here I am. How the mighty have fallen."
"I know the feeling." Cinder said dejectedly, before she could think otherwise, and she saw Torchwick perk up with curiosity.
"Holy shit you lost." Torchwick blinked, coming to a conclusion that was likely right but somehow wrong. "Did a protégé usurp you or something? Did you train little Red?!"
"No." Cinder sneered, a bitter taste in her mouth at the thought of Rose and training. "I...Never you mind."
The little multi-coloured goblin that named herself after ice cream popped out from seemingly thin air, perched on the couch next to Torchwick with pink and brown eyes staring at Cinder inquisitively. Cinder didn't like the look on the gremlin's face as she stared at her, before realising it was the goblin seemed transfixed by her outfit. It wasn't that bad, though the hoodie she'd technically now stolen from Jaune was a little baggy on her frame...
Something on her face must've given her away as Cinder realised why Neo seemed so hypnotised by her clothing, as the irritating little midget gasped silently, hand flying to her face to cover the 'o' that gave away her shock as her other hand swatted against Torchwick's shoulder and hat, knocking it off slightly.
"Ow! Ow! Neo not the hair for crying out loud! What's you deal?" Torchwick asked, scowling as he fixed his askew bowler hat. Neo swatted it off his head completely and pointed at Cinder urgently, bouncing up and down on the sofa. "Yeah that's the Nightstalker. No, we won't be blackmailing now that we know her face. I quite like myself being an uncharred barbeque thank you very much. Now, what have we talked about with you messing with my hat?"
Cinder smirked silently at the girl's silent scream of frustration, the comedic act unfolding in front of her amusing her slightly. Torchwick's stupidity was something that annoyed her greatly whenever she had to work with him in the past, but there were times, like now, where it could prove amusing at the least.
Neo popped out of existence, appearing behind her suddenly. Cinder jumped as the girl grabbed the side of Cinder's hoodie and waved it up and down, emphasising just how poorly fitting it was.
"For god's sake stop trying to get us killed Neo." Torchwick sighed. "Cinder isn't...wait a minute..."
Cinder must have given herself away again through some tell, as Torchwick's eyes widened to the size of small dinner plates as he spluttered and slid back in his seat.
"Someone broke up with you?" He gasped, eyes flashing. "You were dating someone?! And they dumped you?! Who in the hell had the brass balls to the do that?!"
Cinder fought down the urge to burn them. They were at least entertaining, if not annoying, and it wasn't like she had much left to lose. Maybe that was why she was honest with them. Or maybe it was because she had no-one else to turn to."
"The Huntsman." Cinder replied honestly, making Torchwick choke on thin air as he stood up suddenly, his cane falling to the floor with a clatter. Cinder head the sound of shattering glass behind her, and when she turned all she saw of Neo was a pile of multi-coloured shards before she suddenly fell from the rafters of the warehouse onto the sofa, a dazed look on her face.
"The Huntsman?!" Torchwick wheezed. "The biggest goody two shoes blondie on this side of the planet dated you? Did he break up with you because he finally find out the truth?"
"He knew from the beginning who I was...what I was."
"Jesus holy mother of what." Torchwick blinked, slowly lowering himself down into his sofa. "I didn't think he had it in him. Way to go arch nemesis."
"What does that mean?" Cinder asked, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. "I was his arch nemesis."
"Nah." Torchwick shook his head, waving a hand dismissively towards her. "Did he ever let you test out your state of the art Trap-o-Matic on you? Didn't think so. You were villain of the week at best."
"Excuse me?!" Cinder snapped, though her indignation didn't seem to faze Torchwick at all as he slumped into contemplation over his 'nemesis'.
"Wait...was that why you've been so silent since you beat him up a few months back?" Torchwick asked, blinking for a moment before turning to Cinder with wide eyes. "In the name of all that is truly holy he managed to domesticate you didn't he?"
"He did no such thing!" Cinder snarled, flames flaring to life in her hands. Torchwick realised he'd gone too far, and quickly held up his hands in surrender. "If anything I was the one to tame him. To corrupt him!"
"Then why is he running around still being all heroic?" Torchwick asked, and Cinder huffed as her mind came up blank.
"Shut up." She said eventually, flames dispelling weakly. "I'm tiring of your insipid nature."
Neo popped out from the sofa, having recovered her senses, a wicked look on her face as she held her hands flat up against one another. Cinder glared at the girl, refusing to give an answer to the silent, crude question.
All she got was a smirk back that infuriated her.
"So he dumped you because you beat up his sidekick? Damn. I would've though the whole arsonist megalomaniac persona would've been enough to clue him into what you're like. Dense as a bag of rocks oh nemesis of mine, denser than rocks." Torchwick said fondly, shaking his head in the way an uncle would at their nephews or nieces acting mischievous or stupid.
"Shut up." Cinder snapped weakly, and Torchwick shared a surprised glance with Neo, who was looking at her strangely afterwards.
"You cared about him didn't you." Torchwick said softly, though there was an undercurrent of surprise and caution in his tone.
"It's hard not to." Cinder admitted quietly, staring intently at the ground, unable to meet the judging, dare she say it even, sympathetic gazes of her fellow criminals.
"Will he take you back?"
"Probably not." Cinder said weakly, hating the shock of cold pain that lanced through her heart that came with the knowledge she'd lost one of the few things that had made her genuinely happy.
"Have you tried?"
"He made his feelings clear."
"Oh for the love of...why did I think otherwise?"
"What do you mean?" Cinder asked, hating her vulnerability as she looked up and saw disapproval on Neo's face and Torchwick shaking his head with the sad air of someone who had been proven wrong.
"For a moment there I thought you actually did care about him, but I should've known otherwise with it coming from you." Torchwick sighed dismissively. "If you cared about him so much then why'd you do nothing?"
"I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't listen!"
"You just hurt his sidekick, of course he wouldn't listen! If someone somehow managed to hurt Neo I wouldn't exactly be in a merciful mood to say the least."
"Exactly!"
"But the Huntsman isn't me. He's a good guy. He's all about forgiveness."
"He already has!"
"You think there's a limit to his compassion? To his forgiveness? For crying out loud the guy let me test my Trap-o-Matic on him because he was touched an enemy would go through the effort of developing something like that for him! If he was willing to do that then he'd be willing to give the woman he loves more than a few chances to not be a bi-evil!"
"He wouldn't listen!"
"Because he was angry! You just need to give him a few mintues to calm down! He was the same with me and Neo when he thought we'd intentionally put his family at risk to get his attention."
"You did what?" Cinder blinked, flames flaring in her palms. She hadn't even met Jaune's family yet!
"It was a coincidence!" Torchwick defended, once again raising his hands in surrender whilst looking nervous. "Look, just talk it out with him. I'm sure things will be fine."
"I can't."
"You won't."
"I can't."
"Fine then. Be the villain. Neo, remind our good friend of what she really is. What she really wants to be."
Neo saluted, and before Cinder could do anything she was falling through a mess of colour until she landed against cold, hard ground. She groaned before pushing herself to her feet quickly, shooting a murderous glance at the smirking little imp in front of her.
"What the hell have you done?" Cinder demanded, and her only response was Neo pointing at a busy shopping square outside the alley they were in. There were flashing lights and the aroma of freshly cooked food and the loud chatter of hundreds of different people. There was large crowd of moving people that parted long enough for Cinder to spot a family eating hotdogs together, a little child squeezed in between two parents who were laughing at the sight of ketchup smudging against their child's nose.
Neo lifted up her umbrella, the blade sheathed within sliding free with a chilling rasp. Neo cocked her head, pointing the blade at the family, before smirking cruelly.
Realisation hit Cinder like a brick, and she hastily grabbed the little goblins wrist, only for Neo to shatter into glass. Panic started to well inside her, so she pushed her way through the crowd, trying to find the family before Neo did.
She was too frantic, too panicked, and she barely stopped before barrelling into them, instead just shoving the man's shoulder.
"What the-!" The man exclaimed, turning around and glaring at Cinder with too blue eyes that softened when seeing the look of fright on her face. "Are you alright?"
"I-I...Yes. I'm fine." Cinder said, smiling weakly. "Sorry about that, just some idiot teens in the crowd. Have a good evening."
"You too." The man said, shooting her a sympathetic smile before turning back to his family. Cinder saw a flash of pink next to her, and the gleam of dull metal, so she through herself forward without thinking.
The world exploded into a flash of swirling colour, and the sound of shattering glass echoed through her eyes.
Cinder groaned as she fell against the ground again, though for some reason it felt familiar and soft. She pushed herself to her feet, glowering at the multi-coloured hair girl who smirked back up at her.
"Where are we now? I'm tiring of your games girl." Cinder snapped, before taking in her surroundings. "This is...How do you know where he lives?!"
Neo winked, before she shattered into glass as Cinder reached forward to throttle her.
"Damnit!" Cinder cursed, spinning around frantically, wondering how to escape.
"Neo? Torchwick? I'm not harbouring you two again after last time so you better find...somewhere..." Jaune fell silent, light spilling from the hallway as he opened the door to his living room and saw Cinder there. There were dark rings under his eyes, and his eyes themselves were red and puffy.
He'd been crying.
"Cinder?" He asked breathlessly. She looked away, not wanting to see anger or hate in his eyes, hands balling up into fists against her sides.
"Blame Torchwick's little gremlin for bringing me here." Cinder said, forcing herself to seem calm and unaffected when she was the very opposite of those things. "How do you know them?" How long?"
"A year or two now." Jaune shrugged, tone awkward. "I didn't know you knew them, personally that is."
"I don't."
"I see."
The silence between them was cutting.
"How's Khione?" Cinder asked weakly. Jaune seemed startled, surprised even, and the thought that her showing genuine care for Khione surprising him annoyed her more than she would have liked to say. Did he truly believe she had spent nearly a year of her life acting just for some nefarious reason?
"Asleep. I...She doesn't know yet."
"When were you going to tell her?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think she wouldn't notice?" Cinder sneered, and Jaune looked away. Anger gave Cinder the strength she needed to look at him, to face him. "Do you think she'd just wait and calmly accept whoever it is you replace me with?"
"I don't want to do that." Jaune said firmly, and Cinder scoffed.
"Why did you walk away then? Why did you end us? I made a mistake. I acknowledge that. The Nefarious Nightstalker is dead. I can't...I won't be that anymore."
"Ruby-"
"I'll apologise to her as soon as I can. For crying out loud I'd prostate myself before her if that's what you want!"
"You put her in hospital out of jealousy!"
"She knew who I was so I panicked!"
"Before-"
"Before I wasn't jealous!" Cinder snapped, stomping forward and glaring up at him, face inches away from his. "I was worried, but I trusted you and feared her hero worship would lead to you rejecting her and making things awkward. That was it. I...I wasn't jealous. I was scared."
"What do you mean?" Jaune frowned, and Cinder fought hard to keep eye contact with him an not turn away.
"I was scared because...I was scared because she's good. You're good. I'm...I'm not. I have no illusions as to what I am Jaune. I'm a monster. Sometimes I wonder if I'm insane or a psychopath or a sociopath but the fact is at the end of the day...I'm not you. I'm not like you. I don't save cats from trees, I burn the damn tree down. I was scared that the more time you spent running around Vale being good with goody two shoes Ruby Rose the more...the more likely it was you'd come to realise just how horrible I am. That you'd want to leave me for someone who actually is good, someone who you can...can...can actually love."
Jaune's gaze was piercing, and the silence that stretched out between them after her little speech left her heart plummeting into her stomach. That had been the first time Cinder had shared one of her deepest, darkest, truest fears in a very long time, and Jaune's lack of response left her shaking with fear. She lowered her head, staring at the carpet in the face of defeat.
"I know those doesn't change what I've done. I...I don't expect you to change your mind and forgive me or anything like that. I...Just let me say goodbye to Khione. I love her, both of you, and I don't want her to think I've abandoned her."
"Would you...Would you be able to forgive me?"
"W-What?" Cinder blinked, head jerking up so fast the dust lining the mantle piece behind her across the living room was kicked up by the gust of wind that came with her momentum. Jaune looked sheepish and ashamed, and this time he was the one who couldn't meet her eyes.
"Would you be able to forgive me for leaving you in that alley?" Jaune asked, voice barely even a whisper. "For overreacting? Panicking?"
"Would you be able to forgive me for being a monster?" Cinder asked back, and Jaune shook his head.
"I can't forgive you for being something you're not. Your human. You made a mistake, a serious mistake, and I expect you to make things right."
"I will." Cinder blinked, throat clogging up. "Are you being serious?"
"Yes." Jaune said, eyes widening and a look akin to fear showing on his face. "Are you?"
"Yes." Cinder nodded fervently, breathing heavy sighs of relief. "Are...Are we okay?"
"I think so." Jaune said, a weak smile on his face. "I'm sorry."
"So am I."
"I'm pretty sure we're okay then." Jaune smiled more genuinely this time, face falling. "I really am sorry about what I did, what I said. It's...I just panicked. Winter...It's safe to say I don't think I've moved on enough from her and what she did than I thought I was."
"I'll help you forget her." Cinder promised, tentatively reaching forward and grabbing his hand. When Jaune squeezed hers back she lept forward and pulled him into a hug, unable to contain herself. She buried her face in his chest, her arms loping around his side and digging her fingers into his back like claws to hold him tightly. Jaune reciprocated the hug, and Cinder relaxed at the feeling of his breathe against her hair. "I hope you know that I'm never letting you go now."
"Good." Jaune chuckled, and she enjoyed the sound of his fluttering heart beat. "I'm never letting you go either."
"I...I'd like to push my luck." Cinder said quietly, and Jaune sighed.
"This'll be good." He said, though despite the overall weariness in his tone there was an underlying current of good naturedness meaning he was willing to at least hear her out. "What?"
"I want my own protégé." Cinder blurted quickly. "You already have Rose and Xiao-Long to continue your legacy as a superhero. I want my own."
"The reason I'm training them is to keep the city safe so that I can retire from superheroing." Jaune said with a sigh. "Letting you train a villainess to continue the cycle negates the point of what I'm trying to do."
"I never said I'd train them well." Cinder grumbled, and Jaune sighed again.
"Do you really want to do this?" He asked, curiosity in his tone. "Where is this coming from?"
"I'm tired of waiting for you to come back with your sidekicks after doing what you love. I just want to have something similar." Cinder explained, taking a page from Khione's book and doing her best to pull of puppy eyes, something she would never have considered doing for anyone other than Jaune and Khione. "Please?"
"Just one?" Jaune asked, closing his eyes. Cinder smirked.
So it wasn't just Khione who had him wrapped around their finger.
"Just one." Cinder affirmed, nodding despite his eyes still being closed.
"Fine." Jaune sighed heavily. "Just don't train them too well yeah?"
"No promises." Cinder said, kissing Jaune's cheek before nuzzling back against his chest. "It's a competition now. Who's the better teacher?"
"Me, obviously."
"We'll see."
"Nu-uh."
"Uh-uh."
Jaune flicked her cheek. She flicked his nose in retaliation.
It was a draw...for now.
"I have a question." Cinder said suddenly, something quietly bubbling inside of her though it hadn't festered for as long as the sidekick issue.
"Shoot." Jaune smiled.
"Why the hell does Torchwick think he's your arch nemesis?"
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Omake
"Uhm...Cinder? Honey?" Jaune called out, barely able to see a thing in the dimly lit bedroom. His senses had him on edge, and he was starting to get worried. She'd sent a text not too long ago whilst he was out shopping with Khione, who was now being minded by Yang. It sounded like she was in danger, somehow, and he was terrified of what he might be walking into.
He stepped further into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind him suddenly, leaving him spinning around in darkness.
Footsteps padded against the carpet behind him, and he swung his fists at his attacker, he seemed to disappear into thin air before he felt himself get pushed back. He yelled out in panic as he toppled over and knocked into something. Springing springs gave it away as the bed, and before he could gather his bearings his assailant leaped on top of him, grabbing his wrists and keeping him pinned.
A small spark of fire swept to the left, and before he knew it the room was illuminated by a ring of candles, revealing rose petals littering the bed and Cinder in her form fitting Nefarious Nightstalker catsuit perched on top of him, a smirk on her face that did things to him.
"C-Cinder?"
"I'm afraid your darling girlfriend isn't hear Huntsman." Cinder taunted, voice low and sultry. "Tonight you are dealing with the Nefarious Nightstalker."
"Is this seriously about that fact that Torchwick said-"
"Hush." Cinder commanded, pressing a finger against his lips. He rolled his eyes, and before he moved his now freed hand to move her finger he heard a sudden click. With the speed of lightning, Cinder had handcuffed his hands together behind the head board. "Seeing as I am your true arch nemesis, it is only fitting we have one last...tussle before my retirement."
"Cin-Nightstalker?" Jaune gulped, knowing he could easily break free but part of him really not wanting to as she started to slowly unbutton his shirt. "L-Let's talk about this okay?"
"There's no talking in this Trap-o-Matic." Cinder smirked, leaning forward so that her lips hovered just against his ear, voice falling to a husky whisper. "Though I supposed an exception can be made for moaning and screaming. Especially if it's my name being screamed."
"Uh-" Jaune said, brain sparking out slightly before shutting down completely as she leaned forward and capture his lips in a passionate kiss that left him tasting a fiery aroma in his mouth. "I think I can agree to those terms."
"Good." Cinder smirked, eyes seeming to gleam in the candle light. "Now then, unlike Torchwick's inferior variant, my Trap-o-Matic will leave you in a state of comatose delirium. It's only fitting as your arch nemesis after all. Oh, and by the way, there is no safe word."
"W-Wha that doesn't seem very-oh..." Jaune blinked, swallowing back a breathless moan as she pressed a searing kiss against his neck that left smudged red lipstick behind. Then she kissed down his chest. Then lower still. "Oh!"