Author's Note: Note at the bottom about the next couple chapter updates.
Cinder didn't duck her head as the police car pulled onto the street ahead of her, that would have been a sign of weakness, but she did change course. As far as she knew, her image hadn't been fully circulated yet, at least according to her contacts within the Valean government. Why that fool Ozpin hadn't seen fit to do so, she never would have known, but it worked in her favor for now and gave her free reign of the streets, at least for the most part. That didn't give her the security to be careless, however, and she hadn't gotten to where she was by taking unneeded risks.
The streets of Vale were an organized and developed system, unlike most of the other Kingdoms. Whereas they had been developed gradually over time, resulting in the chaotic and unplanned expansion of an ever growing population, Vale had clearly been built with grand ideas for the future. The alley's and main roads had all mostly been accounted for and allowed people to move through the city efficiently and without disruption. It was possibly the one thing Ozpin had ever done right, and even now it served her in her attempts to stay hidden.
The alleys weren't nearly as dilapidated or as crime ridden in this part of the city, but one didn't need to travel far before the streets became just a little bit less safe. A bit farther, and you might even start to notice that the police didn't regularly patrol those roads. Again, small things that betrayed the very faults of those in power. The fact they served her purposes was simply irony at work, but even without Salem's influence lurking in the shadows, the city would be in disrepair, Cinder was certain of this.
Roman had been useful for a great many things, though as time went on and her carefully laid plans came crashing down around her, he had proven a bigger risk than anything else. The fact he had survived the first few assassination attempts didn't come as too much of a shock, he was like a roach in that regard; always finding something to survive. His sudden turn towards the authorities was however, something she had been quick to address. While Adam had been given a list of high profile safehouses and locations to strike, Cinder had gone after the subtler ones. The few that even dear Roman wouldn't notice going missing.
Walking through the doorway to her temporary dwelling always annoyed her. So far from the public view, the down trodden and discarded Humans and Faunus of Vale seemed to congregate. They piled over one another to hide in the halls of the few apartment blocks without any real landlords or tenants, so that they could stay safe from the elements. The fact it was raining at the moment meant the halls were even more crowded than usual, but they parted for her as she walked, they always did. She had made an example of the few that had tried something, and while these people were too desperate to seek other shelter, they were still smart enough to stay out of her way. In exchange, she let them live in their squalor and waste their lives away with drugs and whatever other poisons they seemed to be bent on using. It didn't matter to her, if everything went to plan they would die regardless, and they would be lucky ones, too high to even notice that they were about to face their inevitable deaths.
"Cinder!" Emerald opened the door the moment she approached, the hidden cameras in the halls alerting her and Mercury to her return. "There's been a development-"
"Mistral will be sending forces for the Vytal Festival, I am aware." Cinder interrupted before the girl could continue to waste her time, setting her jacket on the stand by the door. Roman and Neo's tastes had always been extravagant, and while this apartment wasn't nearly up to the former thieves' standards, it was still a noticeable contrast to what lay only a few inches past the door. Plush carpets, fine drapes, and furniture worth more than the people outside the door. The apartment would have cost most in Vale thousands of Lien every month, and all she'd had to do to get it was kill the two men guarding it and remove the bodies. A cheap price, all things considered.
Her sources had warned her about the possibility of Mistral being called on to help defend Vale for months now, but with the arrival of the Atlesian fleet, the decision had finally been made. A drop of good news in what had quickly become the worst few months of her life since her escape from Atlas. "How has Beacon responded?"
"Nothing publicly." Emerald quickly answered. "But there were reports of the Headmaster storming out of the Generals ship at Beacon only a few hours beforehand."
Reports she called them, gossip mostly. Not even secrets gathered in person but rather collected online. That was what they had been relegated to all because one girl had survived something she shouldn't have been able to. Cinder moved towards the lounge, a small section of the center room with a wine cabinet and a red velvet recliner. It had become the one place she allowed herself to somewhat relax in this cursed city.
"How has Atlas responded?" Cinder asked as she carefully pulled out a bottle of Mistralian Wine. It had once been a 'gift' from Roman, and while he had turned against them, it was still a good vintage.
"Poorly, Ma'am." Emerald responded. "The Atlesian fleet has started to position itself around the city. Most people online are saying it looks like a blockade."
"That would be an act of war." Cinder smirked as she started down into her glass. "General Ironwood would never intentionally do such a thing. A push in the right direction however…"
"Isn't that bad for us as well?" Emerald asked her question before she had fully thought it out, her panic was clear as her eyes widened. She was always so eager to please, to seem intelligent and useful, the fact she was horrified to displease her was amusing.
"The White Fang has already gone to ground." Cinder dismissed the girl's fear with an assured smile. "Adam has given them their orders to wait, and everything will be in place soon." Cinder paused to sip from her glass, allowing herself to savor the taste. "What of our missing assassin?"
"No news." Mercury answered, finally speaking up to answer her questions. In fairness, Emerald had done a passable job so far, but this task was something far more suited to him. "I'm still fairly confident that it wasn't the Faunus, this was too clean for that. Taurus would have drawn it out, made it public. This was meant to silence someone."
Cinder chuckled softly. "And what good it did, the Councilors policies have been accepted with even more funding than he had asked for. Truly, a legacy to live on after his death."
Councilor Greenwood had been the loudest proponent for Mistral's soon-to-come military presence in the city. He had cut a number of deals that were sure to make him rich, even while the effectiveness of the Mistralian military was still in question, but neither of those things would matter any more. He was still dead after all.
It was a shockingly proactive move, and not one Cinder had expected, but it did play quite well into her hand. It didn't much matter if it was Ozpin or Ironwood who had sent the assassin, or if it was even someone taking matters into their own hands. The fact was they had done so without leaving anything more than White Fang mask. The media ran wild with that detail, the Council publicly denounced the organization for such an action, not that they had ever truly been supporting them, but behind closed doors they knew better.
The late Councilor was a racist, as staunch and superior as they came these days, and had the White Fang gotten ahold of him the death would not have been so simple. No, Vale's council suspected a different culprit, but not one they felt confident enough to accuse, not with that person currently surrounding Vale. It was almost working out better than Cinder could have hoped, and had so much not gone wrong, it would have been perfect for her plans. As things stood, without Watts' virus, she had been concerned that she would not have been able to turn the people of Vale against their ally to the north. Now she didn't have to, they were doing it for her.
If she had the Maiden powers, she could have launched her attack at any moment, snuck into Beacon, and stolen the Relic, before fighting her way out. Without those powers, however, she had to be careful. Amber had turned out to be far more dangerous than anyone had suspected, and the few reports she had been able to get about the girl showed conflicting ideas of her powers and abilities. Only a few years ago she was a mostly 'Semblance' based fighter with little true skill in terms of her weapon. Now she appeared to be a close up and aggressive fighter with the skills to match, only using her powers to augment her own abilities and for strenuous feats. In short, this version of Amber was far deadlier than the one they had faced. Such training was impossible to develop over only a few months, and Cinder had spent that time trying to piece it all together while they had been effectively trapped in Vale.
The thought that Amber and Branwen might have been laying a trap for her had crossed her mind, but the fact that Ozpin's pet huntsmen only showed up in time to stop her from killing Amber made that unlikely. She also doubted Ozpin's ability to risk his most valuable pieces in such a way. At any rate, it didn't matter. The attack had failed, but it was only a matter of time before she claimed the power for herself. It was hers by right and she would take it from Amber before the end.
"Leave." Emerald and Mercury quickly stood, throwing on their coats before heading out into the dank hallways. She hadn't given them orders, but she was sure Emerald would find something useful to do; Mercury would stay with her out of boredom, but they both knew better than to fail her.
The last few months had been exhausting and tried her patience to the utter limit. Their flight from Haven the moment it became clear their cover had been blown, as although Headmaster Lionheart had been a fool, he had at least been malleable, and had given them the warning they needed about Branwen and the threat he posed. His loss was a setback, but nothing so great that she considered it a true failure. Their journey across Vacuo in the hopes of finding the Summer Maiden had been far more of a failure. They hadn't had too much of a lead, but the weeks spent out in the sands while Watts covered their trail had proven pointless and cost Watts his life in the end. She wasn't particularly upset about his death, he had always been far too arrogant for her taste, but Salem had been angered by the lack of results for such a heavy price.
Cinder swallowed the last of her wine before moving over to the small safe hidden behind the microwave. There were a dozen safes throughout the apartment holding jewels and Lien, and even a few interesting scroll numbers, but it was only the contents of this one that she cared to think about at the moment. Watts, for all of his blustering, had been a genius. He had managed to design a virus capable of turning Atlas' most advanced technology against them; he'd almost been insulted when Salem asked him to make a way for their scrolls to reach her in the Grimm lands. How he'd managed it, Cinder neither knew nor cared, the fact was that it made her efforts much easier when she didn't have to sneak a Grimm into the city as well. The downside was that Salem had started keeping a tighter leash ever sense, especially with her followers' failures as of late.
The scroll wasn't connected to the CCT network, at least not fully, according to what little she had cared to ask about when Watts had still been alive. It couldn't be traced, and that was all she had cared about and it was a fact she had to continually remind herself about as the call finally carried through.
"Salem." Cinder said simply, bowing her head even if the video feed wasn't carried through. The few times she hadn't it was clear Salem could tell. How she managed it, Cinder didn't know, but she found it best to commit lest she forget her place.
"Cinder." Salem responded simply, almost indifferent. It was difficult to tell what the Queen of the Grimm was thinking at the best of times, but now that all Cinder had to go by was a voice, it was impossible. "I trust you have a report?"
"Everything is going as previously planned." Cinder quickly answered the question, with her abilities in doubt it was best to make it clear that when put to the task Cinder had still managed at least some success. "We have made our adjustments and-"
"Did you find the Summer Maiden?" Cinder winced internally, pausing just long enough for her answer to be evident. "Then your plan has failed."
"No!" Cinder panicked. "My lady I-" Something inside Cinder began to burn, whether it was a spell or curse, it had never been made clear, but it was just another way that Salem controlled those who worked for her. Success was met with power and rewards unlike anything most of the people on Remnant could imagine, but likewise failure was met with pain. That pain had once been foreign to her, something so rarely needed because she rarely failed. It had been happening with increasing frequency ever since she had failed to kill Amber.
"Tyrian and Watts are dead." Salem didn't raise her voice, she didn't have to, the pain currently running through Cinder's body was proof enough of the power she held without the need for such a childish act as yelling at someone. "Hazel is gravely wounded and your identity is known, and yet you claim that you are in control?"
"I am." Cinder spoke through gritted teeth, knowing that to not answer would only make matters worse. "We have adjsuted our plans."
"Your plans." Salem seemed to contemplate her words for a moment "What of my own plans? Where is the Relic you promised me?"
The pain lessened greatly, but it was still distantly present, a constant reminder of who was in control.
"I…" Cinder hesitated, genuinely fearing Salem's potential response to her words. "Don't know precisely, but-"
"You don't know?" Salem asked almost curiously. "What have you been doing for the last few months? I do hope you have not been distracted by something else… or someone, perhaps?"
Cinder swallowed, knowing exactly who she meant. "The Fall Maiden is a priority, but I have not forgotten the task you have given me. I am certain she knows where the Relic is hidden, but-"
"Is it not in the vault beneath the school?" Salem asked, the pain Cinder had felt finally fading away entirely as her Mistress seemed concentrated on the Relic itself. The relief, even if it was likely momentary, was welcomed.
"I don't think so." Cinder answered, quickly trying to explain her reasoning. "The Fall Maiden spends very little time in the school itself, instead choosing to visit numerous locations across the school grounds with notable frequency." It wasn't proof by any means, but Cinder was fairly certain that Ozpin had hidden the Relic outside the Vault, he was too controlling to let such a weapon be kept out of his reach, but the question was simply where exactly. Beacon was a large place, but there were a number of locations more carefully guarded than others. Gaining access to Beacon's camera network hadn't been too difficult, but watching and waiting had nearly driven her mad. She was fairly certain she had narrowed down the location the Relic was hidden. "I am confident that I can trick them into leading us straight to the Relic."
"And your cursed endeavor is the only means to that?" Salem replied. "If you think you know where the Relic is, why shouldn't I simply storm the city?"
"Atlas is here in strength." Cinder reported, though she knew that Salem already knew this. "Vale has never been more defended than it is at this moment, but if you give me time, I can turn those defenses on themselves!" Half of the work had already been done for her, a few pushes and maybe an assassination or two and Vale and Atlas would be fighting in the streets. Atlas had already thrown the first punch, even if most didn't know that just yet. "During the attack, The Fall Maiden will move to protect the Relic, and when she does, I will kill her and claim her power for myself… and use them to retrieve the Relic for you."
Salem remained silent for several minutes and Cinder did her best not to squirm. She had spent years trying to copy her abilities, from her Magic, to the way she made people shatter simply by looking at them, but it was always clear that Cinder wasn't at that level yet. Salem wasn't quite beyond Human wants and desires, but she did at times truly feel like it.
"Very well." Salem finally responded, allowing Cinder to breathe again. "I will allow you to launch your attack, but you will receive no further help. I have given you everything you have asked for, and yet you have failed to return to me even a single victory. Claim what it is that you desire, bring me the Relic, and awaken my champion."
"I will, my lady." Cinder bowed her head once more. "I will not fail you."
"See that you do not."
The call cut out, and Cinder had to resist the urge to shatter the scroll by throwing it against the wall. She hated reporting back to her, simply because of how humiliating those reports had become. Where once she had been the most successful member of Salem's council, now she had become a liability, or at least, that was how Salem seemed to see it. She doubted Cinder's ability to claim her prize, and even now she was likely drawing up plans for if she failed. It was humiliating, and it was for that reason that she always sent Emerald and Mercury away when she was forced to report back to her Queen. How would they respect her if she showed such weakness?
It didn't matter. Salem could doubt her if she wished, Cinder didn't care. She would succeed and claim what was hers, be that the Maiden Powers, the Relic, or even the dormant Grimm hiding beneath the Mountain. She would bring the last two back to Salem and prove herself valuable. In exchange, Salem would grant her even more power than a single Maiden. One day, she may even surpass her, but that was for another day. For now, she had a Kingdom to destroy, and a Maiden to kill.
Author's note: Shorter than normal, and that is because I have to do some packing and stuff today because I am moving. It's also for that reason that there won't be a chapter next week, or possibly the week after that while I get settled in. It's gonna be a long drive and I can't promise that I will be fully set up until at least mid may. Hopefully sooner, but I want to be realistic.
Other than that, I hope people enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to reading the reviews. This is only the second chapter showing a Cinder perspective, the first was way back before Ch 10, and it is certainly a lot larger. I wanted to give an idea of what they have been up to, why certain things have been happening, and a few hints at things to come. At any rate, let me know what you think.
Sincerely, SE