Haven disgusted her. It was a filthy city, rotten to its core, and yet it somehow possessed the audacity of trying to present itself as 'civilized'. Oh, certainly, some of the wealthier districts were somewhat more…bearable, but much of the city itself was a hive of some of the lowest scum to be found throughout Remnant.
She turned her head in disdain, forced to walk alongside them. Wretched little vermin, half of which would sell their own mother if they thought they could make a scrap of lien off of it, the other half cowardly moving as quick as they could to wherever their destination lay, not willing to dare walk the streets of the slums a moment longer than they needed to.
Unfortunately for her, it was those very slums that served her purpose so well. Cinder Fall couldn't very well waltz right into Haven with her head held high, now could she? No, she was forced to take less…savory pathways to ensure she remained undetected.
And even then, she wasn't safe. Not truly. All it would take is for one of the bastards walking around to recognize her, and within an hour the entire city would know of her presence. Likely even faster. Mistral was a breeding ground for crime, organized and otherwise, and Haven was the heart of the Kingdom.
She pulled the hood of her traveling cloak further down, and quickened her pace. It hardly mattered. Soon the need for stealth would be dispensed with. Soon, her need for this whole wretched city would be dispensed with. She smiled. I will relish in bringing the fate of Vale to this miserable Kingdom.
Only, she had to secure what she had come here for first. And to do that, she needed allies. She scowled, finally leaving the slums, bringing her closer to the academy. I wouldn't, had those two worthless traitors simply obeyed me.
But they had fled. Betrayed her. After everything she had done for them, they had fled in the night, abandoning her. She had given them both a life, a cause, in serving her, and they had thrown her generosity back in her face.
Salem may not have punished her for their transgressions, but even so, it was still another failure. Another black mark on her service, after Beacon. They shall suffer for that humiliation. Oh yes, they shall suffer. She will find them both, and burn them for their betrayal. They shall know the depths of her fury, and they will die screaming for mercy.
But not yet. Cinder breathed deeply, slowing her pace now that she was walking through the more respectable districts of the City. Salem had decreed, in no uncertain terms, that none of them were to seek out the traitors on their own. If they came across them, they were to kill them, and refuse any attempts at letting them into her service again, but they were not permitted to seek them out. And she had no desire to disobey Salem. Not anytime soon.
Her vengeance on her former servants would have to wait.
Her vengeance on Ruby Rose and her little friends, however? Cinder grinned. That would be achieved in mere days. They arrived in Haven days ago, with the girl's Uncle, Ozpin's spy, predictably arriving with them. She had a score to settle with that old bird, as well. Without his interference, she would have arrived at Beacon with the full powers of the Fall Maiden already under her command.
Instead, he had thwarted her at the very last second, severing the connection between her and the former maiden. Cinder glanced down, at where her artificial arm was concealed beneath her cloak. Perhaps that could be why my body is at odds with my powers, she mused. Salem had believed her body was rejecting the parasite within her, but it was when Qrow had intervened that the first pains began, and it wasn't until after Beacon that they truly brought her agony. It was possible the aborted attempt at claiming her powers had caused some sort of damage to her neither she nor Salem could discern.
It didn't matter either way, not really. He would meet his end for opposing her, just as his precious niece, and all of her little friends would. Opposing Salem led to nothing but death, and all of Ozpin's little pawns were witless fools for not seeing it.
But that suited her just fine. After what the silver eyed bitch did, she would accept nothing less than what is owed to her. And she would see the blood of Ruby Rose run down her swords as her friends burned around her.
First, though, she had to make a visit to a special friend.
Standing in the shadow of the academy, she let her cloak fall from her shoulders. She had no need of it now. She had made it to the grounds of the school, and Lionheart had already sent away all of the students. The rest of the Huntsman and Huntresses within the city were picked off by Tyrian and Hazel months ago.
Cinder opened the door, slowly making her way through the empty halls, savoring the details. Soon, this will be nothing but rubble. Another of Ozpin's failures, and a symbol of my triumph. Already, he had failed. The very man he had trusted with the protection of Haven had been coerced into their service, slowly bleeding Haven of its defenses. The Kingdom had fallen some time ago. The time was coming that the world would learn of it.
And it would be soon, very soon. Already, the pieces were in play. Ruby and the others had already arrived, and Tyrian had reached the city a few days before them, if the reports of an uptick in disappearances was anything to go by. Hazel was making his way to Haven, and the White Fang would lend their aid as well.
All that remained was the spring maiden. Raven had said she would lend her aid, and the powers of the girl as well. She seemed to cooperate, sure. But Raven Branwen was not exactly someone she trusted. Their alliance was one Raven was being muscled into, and she did not seem like a woman who reacted well to being strong armed.
She better learn, Cinder thought. Raven had to know what she was risking if she didn't. She would fall in line, just as Lionheart had, if for no other reason than out of fear of Salem. And once the girl she brought along had served her purpose, Cinder would take what was rightfully hers, just as she had taken it from the girl beneath Beacon. And if Raven had a problem with that, she would join her dear brother in the grave. It made no difference to her.
Cinder came to a stop in front of the door to Lionheart's office. She grinned, thinking of how terrifying her sudden appearance would seem to him. The man was a coward, through and through. She would be glad once her business in Haven was concluded, and she never had to see the traitorous wretch ever again. Once a traitor, always a traitor. But he can at least be counted on his fear to outweigh any notions of further treachery. He would not dare cross Salem.
She knocked slowly on the door, drawing out each one. She heard the sound of shuffling behind the door, and a few muttered curses. The door flew open and for a brief moment Lionheart seemed angry, full of wrath, the very image of a Huntsman. He seemed almost noble, someone worthy of respect, who thousands of students could look upon and be proud to call their Headmaster.
Of course, the instant that he recognized just who it was that was disturbing him, the image crumbled immediately. She smiled wickedly as the man before her stumped back, stammering apologies. No, Lionheart was no proud Huntsman, no vaunted defender of humanity. Once, perhaps, he could have been called that. Once, this was a man who had managed to earn the trust of Ozma, who had countless lifetimes of experience. But Leonardo Lionheart was not that man, not any longer. He hadn't been for a long time.
Cinder wasn't actually sure just when it was the headmaster had been turned to their cause. She had been…occupied with the fall maiden, and with planning the destruction of Vale for a very long time. When the time came for her and her…former lackeys to make their way into Beacon, Salem had told her that the Headmaster of Haven would provide them with cover stories, and left it at that. She doubted it had been for very long, though. The man was a coward, and an awful liar. A couple years at the longest.
Lionheart bumped into his deck, stopping his retreat. "Miss-Miss Fall, I-I, I wasn't expecting you to-"
"Hush now, Leo," Cinder crooned. Oh, how delightful it was to watch the man squirm. Months of failure, months of recovery, months of humiliation, all of it had taken its toll on her. It was good to be in control again. "I know it's a little rude of me just to pop on in like this, but I was in the neighborhood. I thought it might be prudent to meet with one of my trusted allies, and discuss how operations are moving along."
He gulped. "Well, erm, I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean. There isn't anything that can be done without the spring maiden, and I already told you-"
"That the spring maiden is within the Branwen tribe, yes." She finished for him. "I'm quite aware. I've spoken with Raven already and we've come to something of an accord. She will lend us the use of the spring maiden to access the vault, in exchange for a guarantee that she and her tribe shall be left alone in the hostilities to come."
Lionheart frowned. "But-but I thought you were supposed to become the spring maiden. I thought you were supposed to gather the powers from all of the-"
"You do an awful lot of thinking for someone who supposedly values his life so much," She snapped, not letting him finish. His constant stuttering was growing tiresome. The old Headmaster flinched at her words, shrinking back. "You were willing to betray every moral you ever claimed to live by just to preserve your miserable little life, don't go throwing it away now by getting too big of a head."
He hung his head, and slinked around the table to take his seat. "As you say," He mumbled. "That's exactly what I've done."
Perhaps I should not have been so biting? He is a coward, yes, but push him too far and he may begin to regret his betrayal, and try to warn his old friend, Branwen. Cinder dismissed the thought. Yes, it may be a little unwise to remind him just how far he had fallen, but it served a purpose. Even now, he refused to meet her eyes, hands laced in front of him, shrinking in his seat.
The old man was harmless, and too terrified of Salem, and too burdened by fear, to easily betray them. He likely thought he was too far gone by now to even consider going back to Ozpin's doomed resistance. She just had to be a little careful, was all.
"Now, now, Leo," Cinder began, leaning over his desk. "I only meant to caution you. Ozpin abandoned you. He raised you up as Headmaster, told you secrets you were never meant to know, secrets that predated history as you knew it, and left you and you alone to defend Haven."
Lionheart had complained often about the burdens Ozpin had placed on him, and it gave her all the ammunition she needed. "But Mistral isn't the quiet little Kingdom that Vale is, nor does it have the security of Atlas. Mistral is corrupt, rotten to its bones, and it never had enough Huntsman to keep up with the Grimm even before you took over."
"Ozpin gave you a broken Kingdom, and expected you to put it in order, all on your own," Cinder pulled away to put him at ease, and began slowly circling the room as she spoke. "And you did. For so long, you kept Mistral from falling entirely, devoured by the Grimm."
Urgh. It pained her, having to sing the old man's praises, but she still had a use for him, and the last thing she needed was yet another traitor laid at her feet. "But there is no resisting Salem. There is no opposing her. You know that, don't you?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "Beacon fell. Haven must fall as well. But you don't. You're a survivor, Leonardo. You're smart."
"I brought Vale to its knees, Leonardo. I took what was mine, and murdered Ozpin myself." The old lion winced. "I possess the unbridled power of the fall maiden, and now? Now I have come to Haven. It isn't cowardice to see the truth, Leonardo, and the truth is that there was no other choice for you."
"I disagree," Cinder froze as a very familiar voice cut in, sweeping her momentum out from under her. Watts strode in smirking, full of himself. "I think you had a great many other choices, Lionheart, at various points, all of which you refused in favor of what you perceived as the easiest, the safest for you. That is the very image of cowardice, make no mistake."
"Watts!" She hissed, glaring at him. "What a pleasure to see you. I didn't expect you to come to Haven yourself. Why are you here?" She would kill him. Cinder had been carefully assuaging any guilt he may have had, to secure his cooperation, and Watts had to come in and ruin everything, with no tact whatsoever!
Her old rival sat down on the sofa on the side of the room, looking amused with himself. "If you'll recall, I was to pay a visit to our dear friend here, before your pet gremlins mutilated me. I've been otherwise occupied as of late, so I decided to finally stop by and pay that visit I had intended."
Cinder growled. Surely Salem had a need of him for some other task? Or did he find the opportunity to try and show her up just that irresistible? One of these days, he will suffer for this humiliation. For his arrogance. "Don't you think you have something better to do with your precious time?"
"Not really," Watts snarked. "Incidentally, I find it endlessly amusing, you trying to intimidate poor Lionheart. Honestly, if you want to scare the man, regale him with the horrors of what Salem has going on in Evernight, not your own past failures."
"P-Pardon?" Lionheart asked. Cinder's eyes widened. The damn fool doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He could hate her as much as he liked, she didn't care. Brothers knew how she loathed him. But Lionheart was an outsider. Bringing their…disagreements out in front of him would achieve nothing other than undermine both of their authorities.
"Oh yes," Watts grinned. "I'm afraid Cinder here is not quite the mastermind that she likes to portray herself as. The all powerful, mysterious chessmaster, just doesn't exist. Not in her, at any rate." I will kill him. I will literally kill him. With my bare hands. It was taking all of the restraint she possessed not to murder the bastard where he stood. What was he thinking?
"Where shall I begin?" He asked, pushing himself off of the sofa. He started counting off on his fingers. "To start with, you did not bring Vale to its knees. You, your little brats, that Torchwick fellow and his…whatever that girl was, Adam Taurus and the rest of the White Fang under his command, all of you brought Beacon to its knees."
He held his hand to his mouth, and gasped mockingly. "I nearly forgot! I was the one who provided you with the virus to shut down the CCT and gain control of the Atlas fleet, military robots included." He laced his hands behind his back and began pacing. "Of course, you managed to fumble that as well. How one manages to fail to kill a General when he's surrounded by highly advanced military robots under your command, I don't think even I will ever know…"
Don't kill him. Not yet. Salem needs him. But surely there had to be at least one other competent hacker in the world. "What else…Ah! I suppose you did kill Ozpin, yes. I can hardly dispute that. Congratulations! And when he shows back up again in a few months with a new host, I'm sure he'll be just as intimidated as Lionheart here by the news of his death at your hands. He won't be vengeful at all."
"Enough of this!" Cinder snapped, unable to let him continue. "Who do you think you're speaking to? Need I remind you who we both serve, Arthur?" She willed a bit of fire to flare out of her eye.
Watts stared at her, unimpressed. "No, you do not. It is at her request, after all, that I came." The flame in her eye extinguished, and she stepped back in surprise. "You see, our mistress was concerned that you may require assistance in retrieving the powers of the spring maiden, and the relic within the academy. After all, your last two flunkies abandoned you after finally tiring of your endless tantrums."
"I-I think I should leave." Lionheart tried to stand up from his seat, but Watts gestured for him to stay.
"Why would you?" Watts asked innocently. "We're all allies here. In order to work together best, we must have some idea of just who it is we are working with." He grinned. "Do you remember when we had you forge documents for Cinder and her 'team' from Haven? Do you recall the green haired girl, and the boy? They were Cinder's little side projects. After Beacon, well, Cinder here went a little mad over her failure. Perhaps a bit more than a little. Too obsessed with revenge, and too eager to lash out. I suppose it's no wonder they jumped ship, you're hardly the image of a model leader."
No more. I've grown tired of this. Cinder snarled, and grabbed him by the throat with her Grimm arm, slamming him into the wall. " You want to discuss failures, Arthur? What have you accomplished? You've sat idly by, twiddling your thumbs while your betters did your work for you. I succeeded in what I set out to achieve. Even you cannot deny that."
She tightened her grip, the tips of her claws drawing blood. "I already possess the powers of the fall maiden. But you? I wonder if Salem could not find someone else to take your place," She mused. "Someone with a bit more initiative."
"Kill me, then!" He spat, choking. "Prove to Salem once and for all that you're nothing more than an angry little girl, unable to set aside her own ego for the sake of victory!"
Insufferable, arrogant little bastard. I should hurl you out of the window. Rip your throat out. Every breath you take is an insult to everyone around you. Cinder breathed deeply. "You're right. I can't kill you. Salem still has a use for you."
She let him go, and he fell to the floor, coughing and clutching at his throat. Cinder grinned. "But that does not make you exempt from punishment. She grabbed his chin, once again digging into his skin with her nails, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You insulted me, Arthur. And perhaps you were right. I have failed, at times. I have let my anger get the best of me of late." She dug her nails deeper, and Watts winced in pain. "But you are nothing. No one. I am your better, Watts, in every way that matters. The very fact that you thought for an instant that you could simply waltz in, and try to humiliate me without the fear of reprisal is a grave error. And one that I intend to correct."
Cinder lifted him up, slamming his head back in the wall, pinning him there with her hand. "You tire me, Watts. You whine, and moan, and complain, about how you were mutilated by Mercury and Emerald." She snarled. What did he know of mutilation? She had suffered for Salem's cause, and he wanted to cry over a broken hand? "I'll show you mutilation…"
"Salem!" He gasped desperately. "Salem sent me here herself, to-"
"In order to extend an offer of assistance to me, yes, you mentioned that." She was sick of subtlety, of worrying about driving Lionheart back to Ozpin, or making sure she could secure Raven's assistance. Damn them all! She'll make them stay by her side, out of pure fear, if nothing else. Like she should have with Mercury and Emerald.
"Congratulations, Arthur!" She sneered. "You've succeeded in your task. You've met with me, and you've extended your offer." She leaned in closer, to hiss in his ear. "Now allow me to give you my reply."
Her hand erupted in flame, searing his skin. Watts screamed in agony, thrashing against her, but Cinder held him firmly in place, the smell of charred flesh filling the office, becoming almost nauseating. After a few more seconds, she let him go, and he fell to the ground once again.
Watts lay crumpled on the floor, whimpering like the dog he was. A thin trail of smoke rose from his ruined face. Cinder smiled cruelly, and bent down. "I would tell you to remember this, Watts, every time you think you're so much better than everyone else. I would tell you to remember this, before the next time you open your mouth. I would tell you to remember this, Watts, but I don't think that I'll have to."
Cinder stood, turning away from Watts. She sighed in relief. That felt good, putting him in his place. Salem may end up being…annoyed with the way she chose to resolve their dispute, but Cinder didn't think she would be truly displeased. All she had done was sear his face. Nothing that would impede his work for Salem.
Her eyes fell on Lionheart, who sat frozen in his chair. He was staring at Watts with a look of horror on his face. As he should. She was sick of sly manipulations. She was above such games. Lionheart would obey her out of fear, or he would suffer her wrath just as Watts had. And from the look on his face, it didn't seem like he was going to disagree with her anytime soon.
"And what about you, Leonardo?" She asked, still grinning. "Arthur here didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He thought himself invincible, or at least untouchable, simply because he was useful." She slowly stepped towards his desk. "He was wrong. Very wrong. Now you? You are useful, Leonardo, make no mistake. But you matter far less than even him, and as you can see, my patience has worn thin. Do not think for a second that I will hesitate in visiting the same fate upon you as our friend you."
"No, of course not, Miss Fall!" Lionheart cried out desperately. "I wouldn't dream of it! I have never once hesitated in carrying out Salem's will, I have always done whatever I could for you!"
"Yes, you have, haven't you?" She sneered. "So eager. So willing. You've never once argued a single thing that we asked of you. We murdered your Huntsman, first." Or rather, Tyrian and Hazel had. "The ones at the edges of the kingdom, who are always gone on longer missions anyways." She tutted. "Such a tragedy. And you never said a word. We killed the ones closer to your cities, next, slowly cutting off any protection this place could have had. You never spoke a word against us. You sent the students away at our bidding, and we slaughtered your staff as you locked yourself in your office, listening to their screams. And you never said a word. You're pathetic, Leo. I know you won't disobey. I know that you'll do anything you can to aid me, simply because you're a coward."
Oh, I should have done this ages ago. "So, Leonardo, I trust we have an understanding?"
Lionheart nodded miserably, his shoulders slumped. He refused to meet her eyes. That was fine with her. She didn't need him to see anything. He only needed to listen. "Good. Tomorrow, you will call Qrow Branwen, and you will tell him that you need to speak with him, alone." He wouldn't come alone, but that wasn't something Lionheart needed to know. "Tell him it's to plan that raid on the Branwen tribe he proposed, I don't care. But get him here. We'll kill him too, and you won't say a word this time either. Raven will cooperate once her brother's dead. And once we have the relic, and the powers of the spring maiden, Haven will have lost any use it had to us. It will fall, just as Beacon had."
Cinder sighed, and turned away from the broken man. She smiled down at Watts. He was groaning quietly now, occasionally giving a little twitch. "Have a lovely evening, Arthur. You should get yourself checked out. You might get an infection." She walked towards the door, taking her time. "If you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I have a few more important matters to attend to. See you soon, Leo."
Matters such as the spring maiden, Cinder thought, leaving the terrified Headmaster's office. Everything would come to a head tomorrow, which meant she had to pay a little visit to the Branwen tribe, immediately. She was no better than the headmaster, in truth. Both cowards who ran from their duty. Cinder hated having to rely on such people. Still, their cowardice is useful to me. And it's nearly over, anyway. For Haven, at least.
"My, oh my, isn't Haven an awful busy place today?" A voice crooned beside her. It sent a sickeningly cold shiver down her spine, and she resisted the urge to jump away. It was a voice she recognized. "I don't believe the poor headmaster expected you to pay him a visit today, and I'm sure neither of you expected dear Mister Watts." Tyrian grinned, pushing himself off of the wall he had been leaning against. "I was going to keep my presence here a little secret, but I just started to feel so left out! I hope you understand…"
"What are you doing here, Tyrian?" Cinder snarled. She had known that the psychopath was within the city, the recent murders had told her as much. That didn't explain why he had come to the academy, however.
"Why, I'm here for the same reason you are, Miss Fall," Tyrian told her gleefully.
Cinder raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt that."
"You came here, to ensure Lionheart would cooperate with you."
"Yes? What does that have to do with you?" She asked.
"I have come here to ensure the two of us have an understanding," Tyrian placed his hands behind his back, and began walking towards her, his tail swinging behind him. "Specifically, regarding Miss Ruby Rose."
She narrowed her eyes. So that's what this was about. He doesn't think to deny me what's mine, does he? If so, he was in for a rude awakening. "And just what is it about Ruby you think we have to come to an…understanding about?"
"You will not harm Miss Rose," He declared bluntly.
"The hell I won't!" Cinder yelled. "The bitch ruined everything! She butchered me, crippled me, she cost me my moment of triumph! That girl has earned her death a hundred times over, and I have earned the right to give it to her!"
"I don't care what she's done to you, or what you think you've earned. Your failures are your own problems." Excuse me? "Our mistress has spoken." Tyrian straightened up. "She charged me with bringing Ruby Rose to her, alive, and I will not be the one to fail her."
"I wouldn't be so quick to throw around insults, Callows," Cinder growled. "If you've been here listening in on our conversation, then I'm sure you heard what happened when Watts decided he would leap at the chance to try and humiliate me."
"Oh, I certainly did," He confirmed. "You'll find that I won't be burned quite so easily as Mister Watts. But why bother with threats?" Tyrian backed away, lowering his stinger. "I can't afford the delay, and I doubt starting a fight with me, as well as burning Watts would please Salem very much. I wanted to make you an offer, Miss Fall."
"What kind of offer?" Cinder asked hesitantly.
"You don't have enough allies," Tyrian pointed out. "Your former servants have abandoned you, Miss Branwen cannot be relied upon, and you made it clear what you thought of Watt's offer. Miss Rose does not travel alone, and her party has only grown larger since arriving. I don't care what you do with the rest of her little friends, but Ruby is to be spared until I can bring her to our mistress. Agree to that, and I shall lend you my aid."
"Never!" She hissed, and for a moment it looked like Tyrian might attack her outright. Oh, how she wished he would. How dare he try and set terms for me. Me! I possess the power of the fall maiden, and I am the one who will bring down Haven, just as I brought down Beacon.
But Tyrian simply shrugged. "If you insist. Worry not, I won't interfere." He giggled. "I don't think I'll have to. You will bring your own defeat upon you, Cinder, as you always have. I suppose I will have to wait even longer before retrieving Miss Rose, but better to wait and secure my victory, than to strike hastily and meet failure."
He turned to leave, waving a hand lazily. "Farewell, Miss Fall. I doubt we'll meet again."
Cinder simmered in anger, barely restraining herself. Arrogant bastard…Who does he think he is? She didn't need his help, any more than she needed Watts. Haven would fall. She will claim what belonged to her by right, and she would see Ruby Rose dead by this time tomorrow.
Slowly, she made her way down the stairs, savoring every detail of the academy just as she had when she first arrived.
Everything was in place. Haven would fall, and nothing could stop it.
All that remained now was to meet with Raven, and simply wait.
Watts had recovered enough to drag himself out of the office a few hours ago. Lionheart hadn't dared try to offer his help, or call for aid. Doubtless the scientist had something in mind, or he would have demanded Lionheart to assist him. He didn't get a good look at the man's face, but he could briefly spot the unmistakable imprint of a hand as he dragged himself to his feet.
I suppose I can take a little solace knowing that it would scar. Aura can only do so much, after all. Personally, Lionheart hoped the man would die of an infection, but he doubted it. Ill fortune rarely came to those who deserved it. Myself included.
Lionheart groaned once again, grasping his head with both hands as he sunk down in his chair. His guilty conscience was nothing new. Ever since the very moment Watts had come to him that first time, with his offer from Salem, it felt as though his heart had never stopped racing.
It had made so much more sense back then. No less despicable, of course, but much more rational. Ozpin's prior incarnation had raised him up as Headmaster, and left him to his own devices for years. He had begged for aid, for one of his peers to lend a few Huntsman, or anything, really. Cinder had been right about one thing, Mistral was nothing like Vale or Atas. It was plagued with bandits and rampant with corruption, far more so than any of its sister Kingdoms.
And yet, none of them ever listened. His pleas for aid were always dismissed, or downplayed, or occasionally flat out refused. And then there was the fact that Ozpin thought it a good idea to elect a faunus as the Headmaster of the one Kingdom even more prejudiced than Atlas. He had told him it would be good for bridging relations, and he had believed him then. He had hoped. And yet all it accomplished was ensuring that each and every time he had tried to urge the council to push back on corruption, or drive up recruitment rates for the academy, or even organize a raid on one of the many bandit camps littering the Kingdom, it was always met with harsh opposition.
It was maddening. Lionheart had never been suited to leadership. He had told Ozpin's prior incarnation as much, when he first approached him for the position. He was a Huntsman, not a Headmaster. Only, he had been once again ignored, and Ozpin had called him too humble.
He had tried to argue, but it led nowhere. He was the only man Ozpin could trust in Haven to take the place of the previous Headmaster, and Lionheart had felt compelled, even though he knew he was making a mistake. He had always been jumpy, easily stressed and prone to worrying. About his friends, about his teammates as a student, and eventually about his Kingdom, and his students. But despite that, he had tried his best to take care of Mistral, and be a mentor to his students. He had been a good man, once. A good Huntsman. A brave one.
No longer, He thought bitterly.
Funnily enough, what had started it all, began with nothing but the best of intentions. The spring maiden had come to Haven, seeking asylum. Not the girl who was staying with the Branwen tribe, the one before her. The one who ran from Ozpin. She had been a student of his once, and he supposed she must have felt safer with him. He knew she was panicking, that she hated her powers. He had meant to hold her there, and wait for Ozpin to arrive and soothe the girl, perhaps give her a better handle on her powers.
But an idea had stuck him, and wormed its way into his head until he couldn't think of anything else. He never told Ozpin. He asked the girl to open the vault for him, and gave her some supplies and advice to stay away from the other academies if she wished to remain hidden.
He had entered the vault, alone. He had spoken with Jinn, using the name Ozpin had given him when he accepted his post, only to be used in the direst of emergencies, and he had asked her a question. He had truly thought it would change things. He had hope. So much hope.
He had asked her how Salem might finally be killed.
Lionheart had been in a daze, the first few days after he spoke with Jinn. Revelation after revelation piled on top of one another after he had learned that Salem was well and truly immortal. Suddenly, Raven abandoning Ozpin's side made much more sense.
Worst of all, though, was the crushing weight of the realization that Ozpin must have known. Countless lifetimes, he had to have asked Jinn before, and been given the same answer. And still he had lied to them, telling them they had a chance, that they were fighting for a future free of the Grimm, when all they were doing was delaying the inevitable.
He had truly believed in Ozpin, before. He had doubts, reservations yes, but he believed. He had accepted the position of Headmaster despite his hesitation, because he knew Ozpin needed someone he could trust. He wanted to prepare the next generation for the fight against Salem.
But it wasn't a fight, not really. It was a slaughter. One with no hope of it ever ending. And Lionheart had despaired.
When Watts first came to him, extending an offer from Salem, he had wondered if they somehow had learned of his revelation? They certainly had to by now. He had accepted, not out of bitterness towards Ozpin, or some new conviction birthed by the knowledge that Salem would eventually stand victorious, but simply because he saw no other option. He was a broken shell of a man by then, and in the grasp of hopelessness.
He had given them the names of Huntsman, and told himself it was a mercy. After all, wouldn't it be better to spare them the pain of fighting for a meaningless war? Again and again he had capitulated to their demands, never a word of argument. He had never seen the point in it. It would never accomplish anything.
But what Cinder had said…she had taken every awful thing he knew about himself, every doubt, every weight on his shoulders, and thrown it back at him. She had shown him just how much of a coward he was, how weak he had been.
And for the first time in years, Lionheart had stopped to think about everything he had done. How far he had fallen. How pathetic he was.
He had let friends he had known for decades be slaughtered, never knowing he was responsible for their deaths. He had crippled the very Kingdom he had sworn to protect, and facilitated the Fall of Beacon by remaining silent.
How did it ever come to this? He had never wanted to be burdened with the knowledge he had, he had never even wanted to become Headmaster in the first place!
But he was. And tomorrow, he would have to go through it all again. Ozpin, who had been a mentor to him in one form or another since his very first year attending Haven, when he had met his prior incarnation during the Vytal festival. And Qrow, who he had worked with for years. Worst of all, the children. Never before had he let children die because of him, save for Beacon. Now, though, he was supposed to help Cinder murder children, who had come to his city trusting him.
He had been a good man, once. A brave one.
Lionheart stared down at the scroll on his desk, and bit his lip.
A Huntsman.
He grabbed the scroll, and made a call.
You know, this entire chapter was originally meant to be like, five hundred works at max, and was just meant to show Cinder's thoughts as she met with Lionheart. It kinda spiraled out of control from there. For the better, in my opinion, this chapter was a lot of fun. I love how it reads, too.
No Mercury and Emerald in this chapter, unfortunately. Don't worry, the next chapter is ALL about them. Specifically, about the ramifications of Emeralds newfound feelings. That'll be fun.
The battle of Haven draws closer, Mercury and Emerald are simultaneously becoming more comfortable with the Cotta-Arc's, as well as more on edge, as tensions rise with Jadis. Sooner rather than later, a decision is going to have to be made.
If you enjoyed the chapter, please, leave a comment! I love hearing your thoughts on it!
As always, I crosspost on AO3!
Next chapter: Tuesday, May 14th
