Chapter 63: Mistral City - Risky Business

Cover Art by Mi Chumi

Chapter Summary: In which we learn how things work in Mistral City.

The leaders of The White Fang had learned years ago that advertising the location of their headquarters in Mistral City was a Bad Idea™.

If they tried to set up shop in the nicer, upper levels of the city, as soon as the landlord learned who was trying to rent the space and what it was to be used for, the rent tripled. And even then, after the first month or so, some excuse was found for them to have been in noncompliance with the lease and they got the boot.

They'd tried to get around that by openly holding meetings at the home of one of the human members that lived in the mid-levels of Mistral. And as before, that had turned problematic quickly. Their host found themselves suddenly dealing with gradually escalating issues, starting with notes and minor vandalism, and gradually escalating to rocks through windows, and finally false emergency police calls claiming they were storing illegal goods onsite.

And the last straw for them had been the call that they were child-trafficking, which had resulted in heavily armed officers breaking down their door in the middle of the night and ransacking their home.

Amazingly, once they made it known that no further meetings could be held there, and that they were ceasing their open membership and support for the White Fang, all their problems evaporated like dying Grimm, and their neighbors suddenly loved them again.

Funny that.

Likewise, setting up open office-fronts in the lower reaches of Mistral proved equally problematic. They were faced with repeated break-ins and vandalism, unless they paid the local gangs protection money that was double what the local businesses were charged.

It was almost as if Mistralian society had some sort of knee-jerk fear of anyone who started talking about Faunus rights.

Adversity breeds flexibility and ingenuity, Ghira thought as he watched the regional leadership filtering into The Hot Mug Late Night Coffee in ones, twos, and threes. The establishment didn't have the best, nor the worst, coffee in mid-level Mistral, but what it did have was a surprisingly large open room in the rear of the building, if one walked past the restrooms, made a hard left, and passed through the door marked "Employees Only".

Which is what people kept quietly doing, but it took time to do so.

It was one of dozens of such locations across the Kingdom of Mistral. Just because there were no official White Fang offices did not mean they didn't exist. The members had just became extremely proficient at meeting discretely, whether it was to discuss business, or to organize a rally.

They'd learned over the last few years. Hard lessons. They'd learned not to broadcast where and when a rally or protest would occur, nor to make it obvious where they were converging. Instead, members had become incredibly adept at just… happening to show up at the same place at the same time, coalescing like fog on a dewy morning.

It didn't stop the counter-protests from forming, but it gave the White Fang time to get established first, to set up their own perimeter and booths, and get their own people in place to shield the ones delivering the message.

As the bare-walled room's folding chairs slowly filled, Ghira looked to his left where Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus stood together. They had quickly become that, the Shield of the White Fang, keeping the human supremacists, thugs and bigots at bay while Ghira and the others delivered the desperately needed message to the masses. They were the White Fang, after all. A tooth-filled jaw gleaming white… unbloodied to show that they were non-violent.

Sienna caught his eye, and gave him a brief nod.

Working together, each time their message did get delivered, at least until law enforcement arrived. That was when things went sour, rather than better. Mistralian law said that they had the absolute right to protest, but only if they filed paperwork showing the route and destination, and obtained an official permit.

And again, they'd learned the hard way that those permits were always granted, but they'd find the routes shockingly blocked by toughs and gang members, and if they managed to arrive at the approved destination, the counter-protestors would already be there, solidly entrenched.

And that meant that they could only be effective if they protested without permits, which meant that when local law enforcement arrived, they were generally there not to keep the peace, but to remove the White Fang as the bigots cheered.

Ghira's muscles bunched and his jaw clenched just thinking about it, until he felt his wife's soft hand on his arm.

"Ghira, what's got you tensed up?"

His yellow eyes found his wife's, and the sight of her beautiful face drown down with concern softened his own expression, as it always did. "Eh? Oh, just letting my mind wander."

"Down some dark alleys?" Kali gave him a gentle smile.

He barked a laugh. "These days, it seems like most of them are." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But I'll be fine. Especially with what we just learned from that young Combat School student."

Kali leaned in, "We're not spreading the news about… Menagerie, are we?"

"Oh no. Too much risk of leaks. Tonight is just about planning for the Vytal Tournament and spreading the word about our young faunus' missing friend."

Kali nodded and took note that eight-year-old Blake watching them and smiling with pride. Blake had grown up seeing her parents lead the White Fang, and to her this was where they belonged, in front of people being listened to. If filled Kali with reflected pride and no small amount of trepidation.

The dimly lit room continued to fill. It took time to ensure no one saw more than a few enter the coffee shop at a time. The two dozen faunus and a handful of dedicated and idealistic humans here represented the leadership and best hope for faunus rights in Mistral City and the surrounding towns, from Wind Path in the north, to Kuchinashi in the south and Kuroyuri in the west.

Kali released her husband with a squeeze and eased over to sit beside her daughter, as Ghira shifted to the center of the open area and stepped onto a low wooden platform, which creaked under his muscular weight.

"Good evening, everyone," He began in an even voice, yellow eyes scanning the room. There were murmured responses from the crowd. They didn't yell at these meetings. It wouldn't do to make excessive noise. "Welcome to the October Meeting of the Central Mistralian Chapter of the White Fang. I'm proud to be here, to lead the White Fang as we celebrate the 35th Vytal Festival, hosted in this very city."

More murmurs of agreement, smiles, and nods. "As you are all aware, the Vytal Festival being hosted in Mistral is an incredible opportunity for the White Fang to garner media attention for the plight of our brothers and sisters in the second-most problematic Kingdom in Remnant." There were a few hisses at that, and he saw several native Atlesian faunus making sour faces. He raised his arms, palms upward in an encompassing gesture. "No one wants an incident during what is supposed to be the very symbol of unity across all of Remnant." He brought his hands together, clasped, to emphasize this. "Especially the Mistral Governing Council and the Headmasters of the various Huntsmen Academies. And this means we shall have unparalleled freedom to act openly, to stand in the light and enlighten our fellow citizens, than would otherwise be possible!"

That caused a smattering of quiet applause.

"So. We have almost a full month before Amity Coliseum arrives. A week before the city begins to shut down and retool for the hordes of visitors and tourists that will begin to filter in from the other Kingdoms. I hereby open the floor to discussion on where our efforts will be most fruitful both before and during the Tournament itself."

And with that, the room slowly separated into groups. The outlying town representatives tended to band together, as they had their own perspectives that differed from those in the capital. Those who were natives of Mistral City, on the other hand, instead clumped together based on focus, whether it was security which was Sienna Khan's forte, or gathering inside intelligence, which fell to several of the humans present, some of which wore masks and cloaks the entire time. Ghira knew one of them held a rather high position in the Mistralian police forces and thus the disguise was accepted, since if her identity leaked it would be a severe blow to the White Fang's effectiveness in Mistral. And of course, there were the leaders of the Runners and Eyes. These were primarily teenagers who had their own networks, including street rats that they kept paid and fed.

Together, it all worked like a very quiet and well-oiled machine, specifically because no one in this room knew more than a handful of members by face and name, outside the public-facing ones. The Organizers, the Faces, the Shields, the Ears, the Runners, and the Eyes. Sienna had even started putting together what she was calling a rapid reaction force, who upon hearing word of an attack on a faunus, or their home or business, could get a masked group of their stronger members there quickly to intimidate attackers, who were often just bullies and cowards anyway. Adam Taurus was fast turning out to be one of her key resources for that, combining zealous fervor, fearlessness, and a deep-seated anger at seeing faunus suffer.

Suffer as he had, Ghira knew.

Over the next two hours, Ghira and Kali worked the room, wandering from group to group and hearing their proposals and concerns, offering advice and suggestions, and feeding key bits of information from one group to the next so that at the end, when each one presented their thoughts, the others would already be primed regarding what direction they would go, and would be more likely to accept them.

That was how Ghira Belladonna, leader of the White Fang, led. He built consensus subtly, behind the scenes, and it kept the White Fang coherent despite the very real differences of opinion that bubbled beneath the surface.

At the end, Kali watched with pride, her daughter's expression beside her one of adoration and near-worship, as Ghira brought up a member of each group one by one, and a coherent and unified plan slowly formed that would give faunus, through the peaceful voice of the White Fang, hope in the coming months.

It was intoxicating. Even Kali could feel the heady blend of idealism and strength in the room. She knew, of course, that it would fade when the reality of execution crashed into them. There would be slurs, and insults. There would be roadblocks and unfair application of the law. There would be rotten fruit and foul liquid thrown at them. Possibly stones. Some of them would end up with bruises or even scars by the end of the year.

But it would have an impact. It would be worth it. Kali regarded her daughter beside her. It must be, for Blake's generation, and those after.

As the planning wound down, Ghira brought up the final order of business.

"Now, I have a final request, and it is a request. There is a young girl who we have reason to believe may have fled to Mistral City or the surrounding area," he nodded to Kali and Blake, and they rose and began distributing stacks of leaflets. "She is the friend of an… important ally of ours in Argus, and I have promised to keep an eye out for the girl. I am not ordering you to assist me, but I would consider it a personal favor, one that might benefit the White Fang in the end." As the two Belladonna females worked their way through the room, handing out the leaflets, those present began reviewing the images and speaking quietly among themselves. "I would ask that you be discrete. We have reason to believe she is not wanted by any authorities but may be very nervous about being approached. So, if you do see her, please send word to me immediately, but do not attempt to contact her yourselves."

And with that, the meeting gradually evaporated as, again, those present slowly filtered out. Some stayed to talk to Ghira or confer with friends they had not seen in months.

Adam Taurus with his shock of red hair approached him, a flyer in hand and flanked by Sienna.

"I recognize this human," the bull faunus frowned at the flyer and then up at Ghira, his young face partially obscured by the visor he wore even in the darkened room. "She was with that group of kids in Argus."

Ghira nodded, choosing not to point out that Adam was still a teen as well, at least physically. "Yes. That's correct," he cocked his head, "is that going to be an issue, Adam?"

Adam lowered his eyes to the flyer. "An issue? No. Not if it's going to be a benefit to our people. People who are suffering." His visor came back up, and Ghira could see the doubt in his expression even if he couldn't see the boy's eyes. "…not just to help some spoiled kids who think they'll be the heroes of Mistral someday."

Ghira sighed. "Adam, trust me, this is bigger than a group of young Combat School Students. This Cinder—" Kali cleared her throat behind him, and Ghira stiffened. "All I can say is that there are some contacts there that could be very beneficial to faunus both in Mistral and… elsewhere."

"Hmph," Adam appraised Kali for a moment, and then shrugged. "As you say. I'll keep a lookout for her, I guess," and he stalked off, leaving Sienna shaking her head behind him.

"That boy needs watching," Ghira said.

"He's got anger, and with good reason," Sienna said softly, "but you won't find anyone more dedicated to the cause, Ghira, nor braver." Ghira nodded. That couldn't be argued. "So, this girl, any guesses as to what she's running to or from?"

"Not really. Just that she's likely trying to not be found, which won't make it easy. I promised I'd keep an eye out."

"Understood," Sienna said. "As long as it doesn't interfere with protecting faunus-kind." She gave a brief smile, then turned and put a hand on Kali's shoulder. "Keep an eye on that husband of yours, Kali. Make sure he doesn't break himself holding this band of misfits together."

Kali smiled and put her hand over Sienna's briefly. "I will, and you be safe."

She felt a tug at her sleeve as Sienna followed Adam out of the room, which was nearly empty by that point. "Mom?" Large amber eyes peered up at her, and then down at the flyer. Blake's ears tilted slightly forward.

"Yes darling?"

"That Cinder, she seemed really nice. Do… you think she's in trouble?"

"I hope not, Blake. But if you see her, make sure you tell us immediately, okay? Don't just run up to her and try to grab her." She ruffled Blake's hair, making her daughter huff and flail her arms.

Blake's reflexive complaint was cut off by a quick hug. "Okay… I'll make sure I'm always looking around. I'll ask Ilia too. She's really good at watching people without being seen."

"That's my sweet kitten, always looking out for others."

"Mommmmmmmmm."

Cinder woke up in the basement of the Glass Unicorn on the lumpy surface of the dingy mattress that served as her bed. She could hear the sounds of the daytime filtering in, and panicked.

Her eyes shot open, terror gripping her as the grimy, dimly lit walls of the basement swam into focus. The smell of damp and mildew assaulted her nose.

It was late. It was late. I'm in the basement, I overslept.

No. No. It's impossible. It's not true. It can't be true.

Her heart started to hammer in her chest.

How? Was it all… a dream? Am I insane?

One shaking hand lifted to her throat, where the hated necklace would be. The thing that bonded her, tortured her, punished her.

And found only light scarring, and below that, more loosely, a thin silver chain.

Cinder's hand jerked, moving further down to her blouse, where she felt the half-heart pendant, and she sobbed in relief.

"No," she whispered. "I'm not there. I'm never going back there."

She slowly rolled to her back, letting her eyes roam over the room that looked and felt so much like the bad old days.

It was… small and dingy. There was a single window, but it was mostly boarded up. She was laying on a stained mattress on the floor, but there was a second one against the opposite wall.

There was a door in the room, and it was closed.

Am I trapped here, though?

She could see why her instincts had tortured her. It was a lot like the Glass Unicorn. It had that feel. She shifted and eased to her feet, crouching with her back against the wall, and gave the room a more thorough review.

Her backpack was next to the mattress, still closed.

Okay, that's something. She grabbed it and checked for the hunting knife that she'd stolen back in Argus, and found it there in the bottom of the bag. Her other stuff, such as it was, was still there, too.

The knife felt… comforting in her hand. She wasn't defenseless. And she had Scorching Caress—

Burning flesh. Empty eyes.

She felt like throwing up.

No. No. I'm…

She took great gulps of air, staring at the door.

"Stop it," Cinder hissed at herself. "Flipping stop! Get a hold of yourself, girl!"

She stood still and took stock of her own condition.

Okay, you're not hurt. And you've still got your stuff. Nobody's robbed you. And they didn't take your knife. Does that mean…

She eased forward on unsteady feet, and tried the doorknob. It turned, but there was a deadbolt above it that was engaged. But she could turn the lock from the inside.

Okay…

She unlocked the deadbolt and tried the knob again. The door creaked open to show an equally dingy hall. The carpet was threadbare, and the bottom inches of the wall looked like it had grown its own ecosystem. Cinder blinked and peered left and right to find a series of numbered doors, just like the one she was now peeking out from behind, up and down the hall.

Oh…

She eased back and slowly closed the door, locked it, and then looked at the room with fresh eyes.

This is… a really, really nasty apartment.

She peered around, and finally noticed a scrap of paper on the mattress next to her.

Hey Syrah,

Sorry to leave you with a note like this. I needed to get some things, and you were pretty (the next word was scribbled out but started with an 'f') messed up. I got us some really temp lodgings here. Yeah it's gross, but we'll upgrade ASAP so don't freak out. Be back soonest. Don't let any weirdos in.

-Dania

Cinder felt a hysterical giggle bubble up. Don't freak out? Too friggin' late. Already freaked out.

. . .

When someone knocked on the door thirty minutes later, Cinder nearly jumped out of her skin until a muffled voice called out.

"Hey kid, you still in there?"

Cinder willed her heartbeat to slow before answering. "Yeah… I'm… here."

She heard the sound of a key grinding into a keyhole, the lock complained and released, and the door opened. Dania was there with a few bags. "Hey… I…" she looked around the room. "Ugh, it didn't get better while I was gone, did it."

Cinder laughed. "No, this is a dump." Her face heated. "Geez I'm sorry! I didn't mean that—"

"It's okay, Syrah. I wasn't real picky. Didn't have time. I figured you needed somewhere to recover, and I needed to be able to grab some things for us." She pushed the door closed and locked it back. "This place is crappy, but it's not dangerous. I paid for a whole week, but the faster we get out and find someplace less…. this… the better."

"What… uh… happened to me?"

Dania gave a low laugh, "Life finally caught up with you. Trust me, I've seen it happen to the best of us." Her face paled, and she cursed under her breath and changed the subject quickly. "I got a few changes of clothes from a thrift shop. Trying to make the lien go as far as I can. We should both change and hold on to our other clothes for a while." She held out a bag. "I think some of these should fit you."

Cinder took the proffered bag, frowning. "You… keep sayin' us."

Dania sighed. "Yeah, I… crap… look, believe it or not, having you around has helped me. Okay? And… I don't think you're in the right frame of mind to go it on your own right now." She set the rest of the bags down and let one hand rub the opposite bicep. "I just… think you should stick with me for a while. Nothing creepy, I promise."

Cinder considered the woman in front of her. She'd seemed so confident on the train, but now she was nervous and felt a lot younger. And Dania had looked out for her, she didn't have to do that.

Cinder nodded. "Okay. That'd be… I'd like that."

Dania let out her breath with a whoosh. "Great. So, let's get changed and seek our fortunes in the wide world, what do you say?"

Cinder nodded. There in the crappy room it felt like… something new and hopeful.

Maybe this was the chance to start over. To be what I need to be.

. . .

"So, I was thinking. I know I told you that you didn't want to go messing with the Spiders. That's Malachite's gang. But you did put a bug in my ear when you mentioned it." She took another bite of her sandwich, chewed thoughtfully before continuing. "I said I hoped to get a job doing security. But without contacts, and no money, and… since I lost my ID," she gave Cinder a look, "I can't exactly be all picky. And I've got some skills that Malachite might find handy."

Cinder nodded along just to be agreeable as she alternated between her own sandwich and sips of soda. They were sitting on the curb near a street vendor who'd sold the food to them. Cinder had offered to pay and had used a little more of her own precious lien as a gesture of thanks for Dania taking care of the clothes. She'd swapped the wool cap for a hoodie and was wearing regular sunglasses now.

"So, I guess what I'm saying is, I've tried nothing else, and I'm all out of ideas unless you've got something better?"

Cinder shook her head. "I dunno what you're good at, Dania."

The blue-haired woman blinked at her, and then shook her head laughing quietly. "Sh-crap. I keep forgetting. Yeah. Right. Well, I'm not a freaking accountant, that's for sure." She eyed Cinder behind her own shades carefully, "I guess since we're stuck with each other…." she chewed her lip. "I'm Aura-trained."

Cinder felt her pulse leap.

Was she a… huntress? Would she know I am trained? No wait… if she was a huntress, she'd have just said that. And not everybody with Aura was a Huntsmen. Some were Tournament fighters, or just people with some training.

So, she just nodded, and kept her mouth shut. "That's cool." She thought. "Useful too, huh?"

"Right. Malachite would love to get an Aura user on her security detail. Heck, I think she's got a couple already. It's not…. honest work… but it'll buy us some time."

"Okay. That sounds smart."

"Nah, smart would be not getting my ass, sorry, in this situation in the first place." Her face seemed to twist at some painful memory, and she was quiet for a bit. "This is just… what I have to do."

Cinder could understand that.

. . .

Which is how they found themselves walking into The Laughing Widow several hours later. If Cinder had thought about it, really thought about it, she probably would have realized that coming back there was not the best idea.

It was only as they strolled into the main floor, Dania leading and Cinder trailing behind, that she began to realize it might be a problem, and by then it was too late. Li'l Miss Malachite's attention had locked onto them before they made it halfway across the room, and she made a few subtle hand gestures that caused the crowd to part like the sea between them.

But she waited until they were close before she spoke, lavender eyes glinting with humor. "Well well, look who's back."

Dania halted and blinked. "Ma'am, I don't think I've been here before."

Li'l Miss popped open her fan and tched dismissively. "Not you, darlin'. I was addressin' the tagalong there."

Cinder felt the ground suddenly become unsteady as Dania turned and raised an eyebrow at her, then let out a breath when her new friend shrugged and turned back. "Well, she's with me now."

"I got eyes, don't I? Though I'm curious as to whether you dug up this little Lump o' coal."

Dania smiled, "Well, if your reputation is correct, ma'am, you expect to pay and be paid for information and services, what's it worth to you?"

Malachite laughed. "Nothin' and nothin'. You here to waste my time? Or do you have business to conduct.

"I'm looking for a job. And me and my 'sister' here are looking for new IDs. Something decent and fast."

"Is that so…" Malachite gave Cinder a long look, making her squirm. "And if you're lookin' for work, I'm betting aces over kings that you don't have the lien up front for those IDs. So why am I interested, sugah?" She let her attention wander, fanning herself slightly as if bored.

"Because I can do security work for you," Dania said, and Cinder could tell she didn't like even saying the words.

"Oh honey, I got toughs, and you don't look like much from this side of the table."

"Looks can be deceiving, ma'am. I've got some… combat skills, and Aura training."

Malachite's fan snapped closed, and she leaned back. "Oho. Now that's a Grimm of a different flavor. Got a valid Huntress license?"

"No," The blue-haired woman answered flatly.

"Alright, alright, don't get all touchy darlin'. We can work around that. Tell you what. Hows about you let little—I'm sorry darlin, I didn't catch your name."

Cinder felt like she wanted to crawl under a table, cause the look on Miss Malachite's face was not friendly teasing, it was predatory. She was toying with her. But she knew better than to make her mad. "Syrah," Cinder answered quietly.

"Well, that's just a lovely name, young lady," Malachite said, her voice pure syrup. "Simply lovely. It suits you so much." She turned back to Dania. "So how about little Syrah has a seat over there, while us adults talk business."

Cinder was starting to realize exactly how screwed she really was here. What if Malachite's daughters saw her?! They'd just blurt out her name for sure.

I am not smart. I am not smart. I am not smart.

But as she sat near the bar, trying to make herself as small as possible, things continued to not blow up in her face.

. . .

Finally Dania walked over. "We're in luck. Apparently, her primary Aura-muscle bailed on her a couple weeks ago. Some guy named Ronan. So, she was willing to give me a shot." She frowned. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

"You said-"

"Yeah. I know, but the reality is harder than the thinking." Dania sighed. "On a brighter note, she's letting us crash at one of her safe houses for the week, 'until I prove my worth'. After that, I'll get paid if I work out, or get kicked to the curb."

Cinder's eyes widened as she saw Malachite's dark blonde hair bob into view behind Dania.

"And you bettah prove your worth, honey, if you plan on staying in Mistral," Malachite said as she eased up. "But for now, I need a moment with your 'sister'." Dania turned and started to object. "Oh no, darlin'. You work for me now. Don't forget that, ever. And I just want to chat with her for a few seconds. Nothin'… untoward."

There were a few moments as everyone processed that. The fact was, they were now at Malachite's mercy, but they didn't have anything else they could really do.

So Cinder, with a ton of nervousness, let herself be led a few yards away, but within sight of Dania.

Malachite lifted the corner of her mouth. "So… little Miss Scoria, things not work out with your precious little family?" Cinder felt her stomach twist and had to bite down the urge to… to… express herself. "Oh, don't give me that face. You're the one who's crawlin' back here."

"I… no. I… decided to head out," Cinder tried.

"Uh huh. Well… listen here, 'Syrah', you can't leach off other people forever. Someday, you're gonna have ta stand on your own feet, pay your own way. You got me?" Cinder nodded. It wasn't… wrong. She knew that. "Good. And when you do, well, just consider that Auntie Malachite will be here, with a world of opportunities for you. Got me?"

"Yes… ma'am."

"Good girl."

She didn't feel like a good girl at that moment. She felt… soiled.

"Now git. The faster you're settled, the faster I get Dania there working for me and showing me what she can do."

Cinder didn't have to be told twice.

[A/N] Thanks to AtomicR4y for your recent review! Yep. I'm just along for the ride!

Hope you all found this chapter interesting and enjoyable.

I wanted to delve into the inner workings of The White Fang almost a decade before canon Volume 1, as well as see how Cinder and Dania are doing. So you start to get some feel for how The White Fang is forced to operate, how freaking unfair the system really is in Mistral toward them, and we get a bit of foreshadowing of how Ghira, Sienna, and Adam might end up where they do in 9 years canonically, especially once Ghira hands over the reins in 4 years to Sienna and takes up leadership of Menagerie (if that happens in this timeline). We also see some hints of Blake's hero-worship of her parents, and how she could become so invested in the White Fang as a movement.

And finally, Ghira is making good on his promise, and we talk briefly about how he's got "Eyes, Ears, and Runners" that will be the ones keeping a lookout. And then a POV switch back to Cinder, who has some SERIOUS PTSD flashbacks when she wakes up in what's basically a flophouse, but recovers pretty fast, and then makes a tactical error and shows her face to Malachite, who makes her a future offer that just feels… pretty troubling if you ask me.

Thankfully, Dania's looking out for Cinder, but she's under Malachite's thumb too. This can't possibly turn into an issue. But for now, it looks like Cinder and Dania won't be living on the streets, which is good, right? Next chapter we'll return to Patch and Beacon for a little lighter chapter, then back to Argus and Mistral.