The empty Grimm cages that Professor Port kept for his creatures were stored in a dark back corner of the building he usually lectured in. Port didn't go out and catch these creatures himself much anymore, but it was a common test for upperclassmen to bring back specific sizes and species of Grimm under his supervision to test their tracking and tactical skills.
Right now Jaxon and Co'Balt were moving empty cages to the back of the storage area. Teir teammate Alicia was checking the locks while Professor Port walked around doing paperwork on a clip board. Rambling as he usually did.
"Well done boys, it pays to keep this place as organized as possible." The Professor said, "One small misstep and these creatures would be loose in the school."
After trading in their old text books team APRC had all spent a leisurely afternoon down in Vale going from famous sight to famous sight perusing all the varieties of shops till Alicia's Grandfather had call asking if she could bring her team to give him a hand with his new inventory. Three of the youngsters decided it was getting late, and remembered they still had classes the next day and there was the distant possibility maybe Port would throw some extra credit their way.
Three of them did.
Jaxon and Co'Balt were quietly cursing Kad while they worked, in between unrepeatable mutters wondering why the giant hadn't decided to join them…
"I'll be fine get going."
"One might think your trying to get rid of us Kad…" Co'Balt speculated standing on the ramp of the airship meant to ferry them back to the school.
"I'm busy." Kad told the Faunus.
Who was only more curious after that remark.
"This seems a little out of style for you." He pressed his leader, "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing," Kad said trying to deflect the matter, "Port just wants help managing his critters nothing important, and to talk to his granddaughter some more."
"Do you have a hot date or something?"
"What?"
Co'Balt grinned, "Is was joking I'm right aren't I who is she?"
"Good bye Co'Balt." Kad huffed, shifted Ignis on his back and started walking back to Vale. Co'Balt just turned around and walked into the airship, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Fine, you can go be as schizophrenic as you want."
Alicia had grown used to her grandfather's eccentric ways long ago Jaxon and Co'Balt however had yet to build up their tolerance. Luckily for the two of them taking inventory didn't take very long. They were about to head back to their dorm room and get on with their night but as he saw them leaving the room so quickly Professor Port stopped them.
He clapped his hands together and the three students froze, "Please young ones it would be rude of me not to offer you tea for such a wonderful job."
"Its fine Grandpa," Alicia said, "You don't need…"
"Nonsense," The old man replied, "Come now, it shall only take a moment."
Seeing no other way around this, the three of them got as comfortable as possible in the front row seats of Port's class room. The Professor brought out an expensive looking and already steaming tea set, placed it on his desk trying to make small talk as he poured four cups.
"Did you all have a good weekend?" He asked, "I know the end of the term can be stressful for first years."
Jaxon mustered the will to answer first, "Not really, I mean the weekend was fine classes are really winding down now."
Port handed him a cup, "How fortunate for all of you, I rarely caught a break when I was training to be a Huntsman."
Co'Balt rolled his eyes discreetly sensing another rant coming on. Port finished handing out tea to everyone then leaned back on his desk waiting for his own cup to cool off.
He chuckled seeing their still tensed posture, "Relax all of you, we're not in class right now."
Alicia could see why her teammates were a little reserved. Most students found it difficult when a teacher paid more than the minimum amount of attention to them, while she was glad that she got to see her grandfather more at Beacon. She was a little embarrassed that her friends had to deal with this unwanted attention.
Port looked back to his granddaughter, "How is your mother Alicia?"
"She's fine," The young Huntress replied, "Still thinks you should retire."
He laughed again, "Not a chance, some things shouldn't be trusted to the young."
Co'Balt threw back his cup in one gulp then rolled his shoulders cracking his neck, "You know professor you've been a huntsman for a long time. Did you ever think about moving up in the world? "
"I was good at what I did dear boy," Port said, "Never thought of doing anything else. I was thoroughly amused when someone submitted me as a candidate for Marshal Huntsman."
Alicia had heard about this but never really asked much about it, "Why didn't you accept? It's really important. Kad talks about it sometimes."
Port laughed, "Ha! Someone should tell him that some things are not what they appear to be. Good looking from afar but far from good looking. Or something along those lines."
Jaxon was intrigued, "Really how so?"
"Haven't you three been paying attention to my lessons at all?"
No one could look him in the eyes for a few moments.
"We'll I suppose I haven't covered that yet," He mused gathering his thoughts, "In my experience the Marshal is more along the lines of a politician. Delegating, reporting, and commissioning not really much actual hunting the Marshal bears the unfortunate burden of being a politician. I do believe most of the professors here have been in line for that post at one point or another. Really if you make it to my age, becoming a professor is one of the best things that can happen to you. Aside from having a family that is."
He smiled at Alicia who looked down to her right and blushed. Port looked at the two Faunus. "Tell me have either of you thought about where you would like to hunt after you've graduated."
Jaxon hadn't really he didn't consider himself a long term thinker. He was almost surprised they let him in in the first place, having nearly been arrested before deciding to make some changes in his life.
"I don't know," The lion Faunus said, "I'd like to see the world but I also have family back in Vacuo."
Co'Balt just shrugged and kept quiet. Port kept on talking.
"It's good to travel, each kingdom is so different from all the others. If life didn't have variety it would certainly be dull wouldn't it?"
"One way of putting it." Jaxon muttered quietly.
Port chuckled and set his empty cup down, "Well I won't keep you any longer, just make sure you all get rest tonight. All of you."
This warehouse district seemed mostly abandoned,
In any other city that would mean increased police patrols. Vale's police force was small and underfunded so if any law enforcement officers were around it was because someone tipped them off. But Cinder's associates had a tight grip on the major syndicates in Vale who in turn had quieted down their petty rivals and other individuals on the wrong side of the law.
Just another urban waste land.
The kind which Kad was all too familiar with.
The perfect place to disappear in a city, or prime ambush ground.
The coordinates Cinder had sent him were somewhere in the middle of this maze of old hangar like slabs of bricks and sloped sheet metal roofs. Kad remembered the last time he was near the area there had been a lot of property advertisements all of which had disappeared.
It was almost the time his mentor had specified. Kad hadn't seen another living soul since night fell and he crossed into the industrial district. He still wasn't taking any chances of being spotted, moments ago Kad turned his jacket inside out and zipped it up so only the jet black inside was showing in the shadows around him. Keeping his hands off Ignis the sword didn't glow at all, so keeping to the darkness he approached his target unseen.
While everywhere else had been as barren a graveyard at mid-night the buildings the young Huntsman was navigating towards were turning out to be a lot livelier than the rest of this place. Kad counted two sniper nests hidden on adjacent roof tops, a few camouflaged gunmen and their spotters in each of them decently concealed from a cursory visual inspection except for the barrels of their rifles sticking from cover like a bunch of amateurs. Both nests covering overlapping fields of vision, but the giant still saw blind spots that he could slip through
Lights were flickering and moving in several of the nearby warehouses but this single open one had armed guards standing outside. Guards in very recognizable uniforms. Black hoods and long sleeved shirts under white sleeveless tunics, Grimm masks hiding their eyes. The red beast and claw marks scoured on their backs,
White Fang.
"Interesting…"
Kad couldn't say if he knew any of them, all in the same uniform for the most part none of their multitude of animal traits jogged his memory. Having not really interacted with the Faunus rights extremists Cinder dealt with, he might say he sympathized somewhat but he wouldn't trust them the considerable distance he could throw them.
The Faunus were busy unloading half a dozen bullhead airships shifting the wooden crates into the deep depths of their hideout. There was scaffolding and a raised platform bearing more people toward the rear of the building he was looking in. Four more White Fang and one person Kad would have recognized anywhere in the world.
Cinder.
Finally satisfied Kad stepped out of the shadows and calmly walked up to the gleaming portico. He could almost sense the cross hairs lining up the fatal T between his orange eyes but no one tried to blow his head off and the guards out front didn't say a word as he passed on by.
A solitary flight of steps lead straight up to the place on which Cinder was conversing with these lieutenants. The White Fang turned to study this newcomer who so loudly paced up the black metal way yet they did not get long of a look before Cinder dismissed them.
"Go, prepare your men he should be here shortly."
The four of them bowed and took the back stairway not wanting to go past the intimidating giant. Kad didn't care if they were frightened that was their problem. The giant raised up his hands like an old Atlas stage performer and for the first time in months spoke to Cinder.
"Well I'm here. What are your other two wishes?"
She almost smiled, "Just tell me how you've been."
"Can't complain really I suppose." Kad replied letting his arms drop.
"You suppose?"
"Nothing, I thought you were still going to be in Mistral for a few months?"
"We finished ahead of schedule. And a few things required our attention here."
"Our attention?"
"Mercury and Emerald are flying in later tonight."
"What's going on?"
"Some things have changed," She looked out into the void of space behind her pupil, something had caught her attention before she could explain what had transpired in his absence. Kad turned to see what had interrupted them. There was a man walking into the warehouse, dressed in a white suit, black pants, with a black and red bowler hat on top of his head of red hair, twirling a cane around like he didn't have a care in the world.
The infamous Roman Torchwick.
Cinder stood and moved towards the black steps, Kad followed her down to talk to the thief. Torchwick laughed out loud as he looked at the Faunus. "I've got to tell you, I love what you've done with the place. Just need some straw and a couple of water bowls it'll be downright cozy."
A few muffled snarls passed through the ranks of workers, Torchwick was on dangerously thin ice. Cinder and Kad came within arm's reach of the criminal kingpin. As in the past Kad failed to see why he was so important to the cause.
He knew Vale. So did anybody with a map and half a brain.
He was a professional thief. Any idiot could rob a couple of Dust stores.
He had a network here. So what? They didn't need to deal with the who's who of the underworld.
The giant had never been impressed with the little man, but it was better his face on the news than any of their's.
"Where have you been?" Cinder asked,
"Please, a man has needs you know," Torchwick said, "Who's your pet troll here?"
Torchwick was being braver than usual Kad noted,
Cinder didn't even blink an eye at his attitude, "The cargo at the docks leaves in two days. You are going to go there tonight and acquire it for us."
"With who?" Torchwick balked, "With what?"
He waved his right hand and cane indicating the Faunus. "I'm not working with them… I tried to tell you my work is delicate I don't need a bunch of animals bumbling about. Just give me one day, a single little day I'll get the right crew, and then I'll grab you more Dust than..."
Cinder cut him off, "You use what we give you."
Torchwick pulled out a cigar and stuck it is his mouth, "Well dearie, you…"
The thief needed a reminder.
Kad had enough, the giant took one step forward reached up and grasped Torchwick by the neck. Right hand easily wrapping around the kingpin's throat to effortlessly lift him from the ground up to Kad's eye level. Roman choked dropping his cigar and cane, hands clawing at the iron grip around his neck, sucking in short strangled gulps as his face was slowly turned the same vibrant shade as his hair.
Cinder spoke, cool and collected, "I believe we had an agreement Roman. You follow the plan, do as you are told and we both benefit. Kad put him down."
"Why?"
They couldn't afford trouble. Too much was riding on the success of their plan. Kad was fond of the saying, if a man causes you a problem remeber no man no problem. He could snap Roman's scrawny neck with just a flick of his wrist.
Then maybe Cinder would actually trust him with something important…
"Kad!"
Reluctantly, Kad let him go. Torckwick fell to his hands and knees coughing and gasping for air, left hand rubbing his bruised throat.
Kad leaned over, "Do your job..."
The unspoken or else left to hang over Roman's head.
Torchwick got up shakily giving Cinder a fearful nod before quickly going to board the closest waiting bullhead. Other groups of White Fang soldiers at some unknown signal climbed into their ships as well. The transports came to life, gales of engine noise blasted through the heavy silence when soared out into the night.
Once again Cinder and Kad were alone, the pyromancer made a small sound weary sound, "Come along Kad."
The two of them found themselves back where this meeting had started, Cinder sat down and looked up to her looming pupil. "That was unnecessary."
"It worked." Kad countered.
"Regardless not everything needs to be solved by overwhelming force."
Kad crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't trust him."
"Neither do I," Cinder said nodding, "But,"
Kad cut her off, "I know, I know…"
The giant had some questions of his own, "Why did you call me here? I thought you made it clear stay in Beacon."
"We can't just speak for a minute?" Cinder asked,
"Tired of Mercury and Emerald again? You could have avoided this problem you know."
Cinder sighed, they had been down this road before. "How many times do I have to tell you Kad, you are doing an important job. You're the only one I can really trust to fall back on. Now… is something wrong?"
A dark voice from the depths of Forever Fall whispered at the back of the Primarch's mind.
"You sit in a web of lies and think yourself a spider"
He didn't want to think anything was wrong, all was transpiring as they had intended. But ideas were beginning to float around in his head and Kad didn't want to pay attention to any of them. Cinder had taken him in, given him a purpose. He was supposed to trust her completely.
He did trust her.
"No…" Kad managed to smile banishing the troubling thoughts storming inside, "I'm just glad you're back."
Cinder held out a slender hand to the giant who went down to his knees and gently clasped it between his own, "It's all right." She said, laying her other hand on top, "Now, tell me about Beacon…Tell me everything."