Halo, it's time for the newest chapter. Enjoy the reading.
The city of Atlas is considered the most luxurious and advanced city in all of Remnant, a floating city in the clouds, it's also considered the citadel of science and the arts. Unfortunately, this is only the looking outside, the upper city and the elites of the population can only maintain their luxurious lifestyle as long as the lower city, Mantle, where the less affluent of the population end up, is willing to work for them and live on low wages, tolerating the exploitation of the rich.
Roman thought this division was ridiculous, as the foolish, empty-headed rich couldn't fathom that their underpaid workers, mostly faunus, were like a pack of sleeping lions who only needed a pack leader and enough desperation to rise up against their oppressors. The White Fang became the way it is precisely because of the corrupt and oppressive system in Atlas.
He knew for sure that Salem's next target would be Atlas and he was also sure that she wants to use the same hatred to destroy the kingdom that had corrupted the White Fang, which is the hatred between the upper and the lower city.
He had yet to figure out how and what he could do to stop it.
- Hey, you look like smart guys. – A group of young vandals saw three of them smashing an Atlas robot, while the fourth was drawing graffiti on the brick wall of an alley. - I'm new in town and I don't really know how things are going. - He took out 300 Lien and distributed it among the teenagers. - I'll pay for your time.
- What do you want to know? – The gang leader asked after taking and looking at the robot's weapon.
- What do you think of General Ironwood? - Roman lit a cigar. - I hear he's not a very popular figure.
- A f*cking *sshole! – Another gang member kicked the smashed robot.
- He says he'll protect us, but he won't do anything against the Grimm who are breaking into the city! – Another, who inspected the robot for more valuable parts, was more rational.
- He's whipping his d*ck but he won't raise a finger to help? – Roman concluded and the young people just laughed at him.
- That's right! – The one who had just finished painting laughed and Roman saw that he had made a rather ugly caricature of Ironwood.
- Due to the embargo, the wages of the workers decreased, - the gang leader continued. - things started to become more expensive in stores and many of us barely have money for food. We took this robot apart to see if we could sell it for parts and get good money for the weapon.
- In short, your things went south because of the general. - It wasn't hard for Roman to figure out that General Ironwood wasn't very popular with the populace.
- We just hope that Robyn Hill, if she wins the election, will be able to stand up to him. - One of them pointed to a campaign poster of a woman with long light blonde hair with the title 'Vote for Robyn Hill.'
- What is this election's about?
- A few months ago, a member of the Atlas Council died in Mistral and now the two candidates, Robyn Hill and Jacques Schnee, want to fill that place.
- I've heard a lot of bad things about Jacques Schnee, but I don't know Robyn that well.
- Robyn is the best! – They clearly liked the woman more than the other candidate. - Shee and the Happy Huntresses take a serious part in Mantle's protection and as soon as the people elect her as Councilor, she will hopefully put an end to Ironwood's reign of terror.
- That sounds interesting. - Roman already had a plan in mind. - Where can I find Robyn? – The boys looked at each other suspiciously, not knowing what a stranger might want. - Don't worry, I came to help her.
- She spends most of her time with her Huntresses and helps those in need, - He finally gave the answer. — but when she's not helping the people of Mantle, she's giving shows and speeches to prospective voters at the Mountain Bike Bar.
- Got it, - Roman raised his fedora hat. - thanks for your help. Hold on in the future. – He turned and headed towards the aforementioned bar.
- You better know, - One of them shouted after him. – if you want to hurt Ms. Hill, the Happy Huntress will seriously give you a beating! They graduated top of their class at Atlas Academy and they're completely devoted to Robyn and show no mercy to any enemy!
- I keep it in mind. - Roman didn't look back, he just waved.
"Fortunately, I'm not an enemy."
He was sure that Robyn wouldn't be at the bar until the evening, because with the election coming up, she had to be trying to win people over. He had plenty of time until evening to find an apartment close to the bar where Robyn used to hang out.
Turning on the TV, it became clear that there was no point in paying those scumbags, because he could have learned for free that Mantle didn't talk much about anything but the election. Almost all the channels had the same stuff going on, General Ironwood and Winter Schnee's speeches about the safety of Atlas, Jacques Schnee's propaganda speeches and Robyn Hill's speech about injustice.
Fortunately, Roman had another purpose for paying those kids for information and that was information flowing. He was sure there would be rumors about a smart looking businessman interested in Robyn.
After nightfall, it wasn't hard to find the bar, which was in the middle of town, lit up with big green and blue neon lights. The music and the people who came in the evening to drown their sorrows in drink could also be heard from outside.
Roman knew that Robyn Hill was also in the bar, as there was more clapping, cheering and laughter coming from outside, suggesting that there was either a performance night or someone giving a speech.
In Robyn's case, both.
Robyn was a tall woman with light blonde hair and slightly tanned skin, purple eyes, but a beauty spot under her right eye. She wore a long black vest with a light gray sweater underneath, an olive-green scarf that she attached with a gray metal brooch that showed a pair of white wings, brown pants, a pair of black knee-high boots, and a pair of black archery gloves that Roman recognized from it left her little fingers and thumbs free.
She was speaking into a microphone on stage, in the spotlight.
- …and that was the last time I asked for financial help in Haven. – She just finished a joke, which made the audience laugh. What surprised Roman was that she wasn't like a typical politician who treats the people with boring speeches, she spoke freely to people and considered herself one of them. That's definitely why it's so popular.
Roman didn't want to interrupt her performance, so he just sat down in front of the counter, hung Melodic Cludgel on his arm, ordered himself a drink and waited.
He wasn't even halfway with his drink when a large, hard-bound woman, who Roman thought was a man for a moment, sat down next to him.
She had brown skin, short dark green spiky hair, light brown eyes, and dark gray tattoos on her forehead, under her left eye and across the bridge of her nose. She was wearing a reddish-brown long coat, a dark red warm hoodie with a light gray breastplate on the chest and the same crest that was on Robyn's brooch and attached light gray protective plates from the upper arms to the wrists, a pair of brown gloves, brown pants and a pair of black boots. She strapped a two-handed metal battle staff to her shoulder, the two ends of which ended in the shape of an arrow, making it clear to Roman that she was one of Robyn's Happy Huntress.
- I hear you're asking about Robyn. – The woman spoke in a threatening style.
- I hear they like ger. – Roman, not paying attention, took another sip from his glass.
- You look like an Atlasian businessman. – The woman liked Roman less and less.
- It's not surprising, some of my clothes come from Atlas and I'm a part-time businessman.
- You're a funny boy, - The woman pulled him into a menacing smile. - I don't like funny boys.
- Lucky for me, - Roman returned the menacing smile. - that you're not my type.
- If you think your sharp tongue can get you out of trouble, you don't know who you're dealing with. – The woman gripped her war stick, indicating that she was just waiting for an excuse to use it.
- Honestly, I know exactly who I'm dealing with and I'm sure that my sharp tongue's gonna save me. – Roman downed the rest of his drink when he heard them talking to them from the microphone.
- Joanna, I see you made a new friend! - It was Robyn who spotted it from the first moment and signaled to the woman, Joanna, to check him out. - If Mr. Hatter wants to talk to me, I'm here and I'll listen.
- Thank you! – Roman got up from the chair, the spotlights were shone on him and he walked towards the stage with raised hands. – It's a real honor to meet and talk to Mantle's Local Hero in person! - It didn't take long before he was on stage and standing next to Robyn.
- So, how can we call you, Mr... - Robyn confidently held the microphone towards Roman.
- Remus Lampwick. - Roman introduced himself while raising his hat.
- And what's up with that, Remus Lampwick? – Robyn, as if she were just a host who was trying to figure out Roman's motives by directing a game.
- I heard that anyone can perform here, - Roman entered the game. – I hoped I wouldn't be the exception, because I want to share an amazing joke with you.
- Not at all, Mr. Lampwick, - Robyn handed him the microphone. - I give you the word. - She took a step back.
- Thank you. - Roman bent down and took hold of the microphone, raising his little finger for a moment, then gripped it and slid his thumb up to make sure he would hold it. - A guy walks into the bar, - He put his index, middle and ring fingers on his thumb. - he walks up to the bartender and says, - He put his index and thumb together, then crossed his index and middle fingers. - I have a bet. - He raised his little finger and placed it on top of his thumb along with all the others. - I'll bet you, - He raised his little finger again, pointed to the side with his index and index and middle fingers resting to one side and crossed them again. – with three hundred Lien, - He stuck his thumb between his index and middle fingers for a moment, as if showing a fist, then held up three fingers. – that I can pee in that glass, there, - He pointed to a table with crossed fingers, which was at least 10m from the stage. - from where I'm standing - He pointed at Robyn. – without missing a drop. – He raised his index finger and thumb, showed a fist, and then placed his thumb on his fisted fingers. - The bartender wants to clarify, so we bet 300 Lien that you from here, where you're just standing - He put his thumb on his fist again, then with two fingers, the middle one lowered a little, he pointed to the ground again. – can pee in that glass without a single drop getting out? – He raised his little finger, and then, in the same way as before, he again pointed towards the table with two fingers. – The guy says to the bartender while taking out and putting down the three hundred Lien, that's right. – He crossed his two fingers, then separated them and showed his fist again. - The bartender goes in and says, OK, let's bet. He takes out his thing, begins to concentrate strongly, looks at the glass, then at his d*ck, - With his index finger and middle finger he waves back and forth between his two eyes, the table and his crotch. – d*ck-cup, d*ck-cup, d*ck-concentrate-d*ck-cup and the waterfall just started! - He gave a big wave, as if he had started a great flood of water and continued laughing. - He's peeing all over the bar! He pees on the counter, chairs, the floor, the cash register and even the bartender! He peed as much as he could, but he didn't even hit that damn glass! The bartender, - He spread his arms and already wiped his own tears, which came from laughing. – laughs and puts away the three hundred Lien, not caring that everything, including himself, has become full of piss! After the guy finished, not bothering himself at all and not complaining about the three hundred Lien he lost, he grinned and put his d*ck away, and the bartender asked him the question that's in your mind at the moment, why are you so happy, since you just lost three hundred Lien! The guy then points to the three guys at the pool table, who are also laughing and says that it's because I bet them five hundred Lien each that I'll pee all over here and you won't be just not angry but you'll even be happy for it!
At the end, the clapper was greeted with laughter, some of whom had drinks splashed out of their noses, they were laughing so hard, some of whom even had tears in their eyes, but there were also some who were lying on the ground holding their stomachs laughing.
- Wow, - Robyn let out a laugh as well. - it looks like we are dealing with a real joke master.
- Thank you very much, - Roman bowed and handed the microphone back to Robyn. – I'll be here all week and Robyn and I'll entertain and motivate you!
- Really? – Robyn stared at the man curiously, but sternly, then turned back to the spectators. – We're taking a short break, until then anyone can come up and perform anything.
- Then, - Roman smiled at Robyn with interest. - what's next? – Robyn didn't answer, she just nodded to Joanna, who started to push the man off the stage, following Robyn, who went out a door, into a back alley.
- So, - Robyn now put her sweet face aside and strapped a bird-shaped crossbow to her arm, which she loaded and pointed at Roman. - what do you want to warn me about, Roman Torchwick?
- Oh, - Roman just raised his hands with a nervous smile. – so, not only did you understand sign language, but you also figured out who I am?
- I didn't understand much, - Joanna just shook her head in confusion. - in fact, I don't even know who this guy is.
- During the joke, - Robyn explained. - he kept gesticulating, but it was actually sign language. - He turned back to Roman. – What I don't understand, a famous criminal who played a major role in the Fall of Beacon, what is he doing in Atlas and why is he interested in the election of a Council member?
- Hm, - Roman kept his smile. - I'm not sure if you'd believe it, but your life is in danger, as are Atlas and Mantle.
- Is this a threat? - Joanna pointed her war stick at him.
- I'm not threatening. - Roman assured them. - This is a warning. - The smile faded from his face and he looked warningly at Robyn. - Fearful, by becoming a hero of the people, you painted a target on your back.
- Is it about the general or Jacques? - Robyn, although she lowered her crossbow, still pointed at him.
- None of them. - Roman said as seriously as he has never said anything before. - From the same filths that made me destitute, I lost everything and now they're hunting me.
- Hm, - Robyn closed her crossbow with a smile. – So, you want protection, right? Or use me as a tool for your revenge?
- Let's call it self-defense. - Roman wanted to preserve his masculine honor. - And it's not just about me. Or even about you. But about the whole of Atlas. They want to repeat Beacon's disaster, with the difference that this time they will also destroy the entire city.
- Believable. - Joanna wasn't very inclined to believe Roman's story.
- Take my hand. - Robyn held out her hand.
- What? – Roman didn't understand what she could want.
- Take my hand if you want me to consider your offer. - Roman hesitated, his internal alarm went off for a moment, but he obeyed and took her hand, as there was no other option. A purple light was projected around Robyn's hand, covering both her and Roman's hands. - Now, tell me, what is your real purpose? – Roman felt that this ability was some kind of lie detector, so he had to be careful to word it so that there would be no lies in what you said.
- To protect you and thereby my own life. - The light around Robyn and Roman's arms turned green.
- You're right. - Robyn found it odd.
- Why would a criminal want to help Mantle's people? - Joanna didn't agree and neither did Robyn.
- I told you, - Roman pulled his hand out of Robyn's. – I want to protect Robyn because of my own life. Let that be enough.
- Who wants to kill me? - Robyn had a lot more questions. - Why would they want to destroy Atlas and what does this have to do with me?
- I'm sure, - Roman assured Robyn of one thing. - that you wouldn't believe it. They will certainly not show themselves until the day of the election and until then I will be here and help in whatever I can. - Roman adjusted his hat and leaned on Melodic Cludgel. - If you don't need my help, I'll leave.
- For now, you stay and help. - Robyn nailed it.
- Robyn, are you sure this is a good idea? – Joanna was worried, she believed in Robyn, but she didn't think it was a good idea to form an alliance with Roman.
- Honestly, - Robyn just crossed her arms. – I have no idea, but I know that there are things that he keeps silent about and I would like to get them out of him. If I'd force them, he'd disappear.
The old, outdated codes were child's play to crack in Mantle, which allowed Watts to control anything on the streets of the lower city, mainly turning off the surveillance systems so that he and his two companions, Tyrion and Neo, could travel undetected.
"First point, to blind them. Completed.".
By turning off the surveillance cameras, he ordered Neo and Tyrion to quietly start hunting down and killing the loudest people protesting against General Ironwood and while Tyrion did so, Neo had other ideas. With her Semblance, she was able to disguise herself as an Atlasian soldier and instead beat up the protesters, only to later spread the word that Ironwood's men were behind it.
Watts didn't like that she was improvising, but he had to let it go, it was much better than his original plan.
"Second point, pointing at each other. Completed."
The incitement of hatred between the people and the general was going well, but the election gave him a brilliant idea.
People see Robyn Hill as their greatest ray of hope and believe that if she is elected Councilor, she can stand up to General Ironwood and speak out against him for Mantle's sake.
"Third point, overthrowing the hero. Starts.".
Watts had already figured out a way to get Robyn out of the way and had an idea for using the chaos that followed, but for that he absolutely needed access to the codes of Atlas' upper city, which, no matter how brilliant he was, he couldn't do on his own.
"Would you like to share your brilliant plan with us?", Neo sent a message and a bored picture of herself. "It's fine to kill and beat up Ironwood's opposition, but is there anything we want to achieve besides making the general more hated by the people?"
- I'm having a good time. - Tyrion joined in too. - As long as we act for our mistress, I don't care how many lives I have to take. - He started laughing maniacally. - Pleasant with the useful!
- Just keep doing what you've been doing. - Watts instructed them. - It's smarter not to reveal all the details of my plan, in case you're caught and interrogated. You can't tell what you don't know. – He saw the projector broadcasting Jacques Schnee's propaganda speech and Ironwood's speech and already had another idea. - There will be radio silence for a while. Don't call or write.
He turned off his radio and went to the airport, where he bought himself a ticket, straight to the upper city. The road was calm and he watched in silence as the lights of the floating, rich city lights shining in the night came closer and closer.
Stepping off the plane, he was relieved to find that Atlas was exactly what he remembered, beautiful mansions, expensive restaurants, museums, galleries, and huge skyscrapers filled with office workers that gave the impression of a beehive.
The most beautiful city that runs the dirtiest businesses, the most powerful army that could be hacked with a simple virus, the people who live here say they are happy to help others and everybody is equal, but as soon as they see an opportunity to make some money, they throw away their humanity and principles.
For those who know Atlas, these things aren't surprising. The people in the upper city are greedy, stupid and blinded by their own arrogance. Flattery, promises and money can get you anywhere and Watts knew exactly who to go to get the codes.
The mansion of the Schnee family was the largest of them all, and with its magnificence it towered over the other apartments of the rich section like a giant.
Fortunately, in the evening, no one was walking on the street and he could walk straight towards the mansion like a shadow. Hacking the huge white gate's security system was child's play, as was turning off the cameras and guard robots.
The staff had already gone home, but the lights were still on, which only led to the conclusion that someone was still awake. In one of the corridors, a young boy of around 14 with white hair and a suit was walking and Watts was sure he knew who he was.
- Mr. Whitley Schnee! - The boy flinched as soon as he saw the unexpected intruder.
- Who are you?! - The boy took out a small remote control as soon as he could pressed a button.
- Don't tire yourself, son. - Watts just rubbed his mustache proudly. – The alarm and robots won't activate.
- What do you want, - The boy, although he was afraid, didn't allow himself to be intimidated and stood proudly looking at the stranger. – money?
- Oh, my dear child, - Watts, as if offended, put a hand to his chest. - if you knew how much you are degrading both my knowledge and my motivation. I just want to talk to your father. - He stepped threateningly closer to the boy. - Would you guide me to him?
Whitley just gulped nervously, feeling that this man was dangerous and that no matter what he did, he would get what he wanted.
- Follow me.
Whitley led the way through the corridors upstairs, feeling the man's gaze on his neck as he followed him obliviously as he admired the mansion's decorations. Finally, he stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it.
- Father... - He said nervously and worriedly. – you have a… visitor.
- I said, - The man inside said back angrily. - I don't want to be disturbed today! Why did you let him in?!
- It wasn't me. - The boy looked nervously to the side, towards Watts. - He let himself in.
- This boy is quite good-looking, Jacques. - Watts decided to enter the office while Jacques looked at the man as if he were seeing a ghost. - Definitely inherited your… influence.
- Arthur... - Jacques, with a glass of whiskey in his hand, still could hardly comprehend who he saw in front of him. - Whitley, leave us alone! - As soon as he came to his senses, he realized how much danger he could pose, not the man to him, but to his reputation if they found out he was talking to him. - Close the door! – The boy looked confused and confused at his father, then at Watts and didn't understand who this stranger could be who has such an influence on his father. - I said shut the door!
Whitley didn't dare defy his father, so he obeyed, leaving his father alone with this stranger.
Watts was pacing up and down the office with a smug smile, but Jacques was still looking at the man in disbelief and concern, whose motivations were unknown to him.
- I... - The one thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to kill him, because he could have done it already. He wants something from him. - You should be dead.
- I've gotten better, but I want people to keep believe that. - Watts, as he walked up and down the office, ventured closer and closer to Jacques. - Although, I've heard things about you too, Jacques. That you have some problems with General Ironwood and Robyn Hill.
- Pf, - Hearing the two names, Jacques became terribly nervous. – those two idiots cause me the loss of a lot of money, each day! Ironwood with the stupid embargo and Robyn with her hypocritical vigilantes! I'd be willing to give decent wages and health insurance to all my workers at Mantle for another year, even the faunus, if I could get their votes! Despite all my threats and attempts at bribery, many people are still pulling for Robyn and there is a good chance that I will lose the election!
- What if I said, - Watts has already seen that he has a won cause, since Jacques only sees money and political influence, both in the embargo and in the election. – you can have your cake and eat it too.
- Are you sure no one will be looking for us here? - Mandy had concerns about Cinder's chosen hiding place.
- We couldn't find a more perfect hiding place. – Cinder was confident with the abandoned hotel she found in the upper city of Atlas as a hideout. - No one has been here since the owners were killed.
- How do you know about it? – Adam asked, while Cinder looked to the side confused.
- I've been around here for a long time. – She admitted after a little hesitation.
- Wuz it a great place? - Genna, she was without her helmet, she saw, despite the many damages, cobwebs, broken windows and torn police tape, the hotel was still considered a popular place in its heyday.
- It was popular in its time. - Cinder replied.
- Let's not waste time, - Adam didn't care how good the place was in its heyday, he found it suitable for them to stay here. - we're staying here.
- Glass Unicorn? - Mandy read the name of the hotel. - I can imagine that the owner was some snobbish guy in a suit with a scruffy mustache and slicked back hair who spent hours managing the smallest details and had his nose so high you could even see his brain.
- It was a woman. - Cinder corrected her. - But you guessed everything else, she was a peevish harpy.
The door was open, but it creaked open and a huge room, a dining room, opened before them, but the tables were covered with white sheets, as if they had been closed only last night and the staff could come at any time to start the morning routine tasks and the next day calmly to open. On the ground floor, there was a glass Beowolf and an Ursa statue, but both were covered in dust.
The ceiling was at least five stories high, where a long flight of stairs led to the various floors where the rooms were located. Across the dining room was another set of stairs that led to the kitchen.
Everything in the kitchen was as if it had been closed only last night, everything was packed in its place, in perfect order, except that most of the food and drinks had already spoiled and weren't suitable for human consumption.
- Did sumpn happen? – Genna saw a trail of four dead bodies drawn in chalk on the floor.
- Do you think, - Mandy guessed. - that the cook just had a bad day and vent his anger like this?
- I heard about this case, - this place was familiar to Adam. – the owner and his family were brutally murdered, but even a Hunter fell victim. The killer hasn't been found to this day.
- It doesn't matter what happened. - Cinder left the kitchen and looked at the dining room with hateful memories. - No one will find us here and we can wait for the right moment, - She clenched her Grimm hand. - when the general makes a mistake, I get the relics, the power of Winter Maiden, - She looked at Mandy and Adam. – you the revenge and you... - Looking at Genna, she didn't quite know what to say.
- Mah bounty. – Genna saw an interesting sign on the counter. - Teme duj, - She nudged towards Adam and Mandy. – you naglo some rules.
- What are you... - Adam shook his head in confusion, he still didn't understand Genna's unusual speaking style, but he gripped his katana angrily when he saw the sign that said "Faunus are not allowed". He cut it in half in the blink of an eye.
-*ssholes. – Mandy just followed Adam, but still looked back at Genna and Cinder. – Just a quick question, who could only dream of sleeping in a hotel room like this in their childhood? – She immediately put her hand up, Adam stopped, he didn't turn around but he put up his hand too. Mandy looked down to see Genna put her hand up as well, but Cinder, her eyes filled with hatred ever since they set foot here, put her hand up as well. - Figured.
While the two faunus checked the upper rooms, Cinder and Genna stayed on the ground floor, searching for possible intruders, although they knew the chances were slim.
Arriving in a corridor where goods were usually taken, she saw an expensive vase, which she had to knock down.
- Nassan googles, - Genna warned. – hif thayure is adaj comuni, it'll hear us.
- There is no one and nothing here. - Cinder didn't care if the entire Atlas army heard, she just had to do it.
At the end of the corridor was an old, abandoned storage room, full of covered furniture, the carpet on the floor was musty, everything was covered in dust and cobwebs, the window was high and the moon was shining in properly.
- Did komoni sleep here? - Genna saw an old, tattered blanket and pillow in a corner.
- Long time ago. - Cinder, if you didn't quite understand what exactly Genna said, she just guessed. - The one who was here won't come back.
Genna looked at Cinder curiously as she walked past.
- Tu santed? – It was clear to Genna, but Cinder didn't understand what she said either, she just left the warehouse without a word.
This time Cinder went into an office which wasn't only a library but also a dressing room which was full of old but elegant and expensive looking clothes, in front of one of the bookshelves there was a stained but gilded edged and rose patterned mirror and there was also a desk in the middle, on which were all kinds of papers, which seemed like uninteresting, boring documents. Cinder swept the papers off the table, tore apart a pile of clothes with her Grimm hand and tossed the books as well.
- Should Ah mukk you? - Cinder, in the middle of the big mess, forgot that Genna was in the room as well.
- It felt good... - Cinder also realized that she had done something very stupid, no matter how good it felt for her. - to let out some steam.
- Ahm not crimizing, krat weird uh little. - Genna was about to leave the office. - Few rampaged out churself, tcheav to us.
Cinder waited for Genna to close the door so she could safely continue to ransack the office, breaking several valuable looking statues, crumpling and tearing the pictures. She was about to open the drawers of the desk, but she noticed that they were all locked one by one.
She remembered that the Madame always had a set of keys that opened everything in the hotel. Fortunately, with the power of Maiden, she easily ripped out the first drawer, but it contained nothing but several stacks of Liens, bills and documents for the business.
The second account was more interesting, lots of reports of missing or abducted girls across Remnant and a police summon to the Madame saying a parent had accused her of child abduction and she had to go to the police. In another letter, a formal apology from the police for wrongly accusing her.
Tearing open the third drawer, she found an interesting correspondence between the police captain and the Madame, since the Madame had sent the captain plenty of bribes to turn a blind eye to her daughters' transgressions, to keep his detectives away from her business and to do something about the worried parents who, despite, that her innocence was revealed in court, they were still suspected of the disappearance of their missing daughter.
Several fines and warnings were received from the police, in which mainly the Madame's daughters were the main subject, for vandalism, shoplifting, public indecency, physical assault, underage drinking, drug possession and consumption.
In the fourth and last drawer there were no more papers, only a few injection needles and several small vials of super strong painkillers and sleeping pills, but this wasn't the previously mentioned drug, but the kind used in hospitals before operations, only doctors have license to use them.
Cinder found the whole thing more and more strange, she remembered that her step-sisters often came home late at night, drunk and half-naked and accompanied by the police but she didn't know that they had also consumed drugs. There was a lot here that she couldn't fathom as a child.
She got up from the table and saw that behind one of the bookcases, from where she threw the books, saw a door handle and recognized that there was a secret door behind the furniture. As she examined the closet more closely, she saw that there was a small button on one of the shelves, which she pressed and the closet immediately sank to the floor.
The gray metal security door was of course locked, but Cinder was able to break it in easily with a firebomb and after the smoke and dust cleared, she found a dark set of stairs leading down. The light switch, next to the door didn't work of course but Cinder didn't mind because she summoned flames into her Grimm hand, which lit the place up.
She went deeper and deeper down the flight of stairs until she came to another security door but it wasn't locked. As soon as she opened it, a horrible stench hit her nose and she almost threw up. She would have preferred to go back upstairs but she wanted to find out what her stepfamily had been up to that even she didn't know about.
Entering, she found a sterile operating room, in the center of which was a table with an electric saw that could cut through bones and dozens of serrated knives lying next to it, chains hanging from the ceiling and a shower-like tub in the corner. a wire rope was tied in a loop in place of the shower head.
Cinder's stomach also clenched from what she saw, she knew that the Madame was evil but not that she was such a psycho.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a freezer door that she opened, but it was a huge mistake because that was the source of the stench. If the stench wasn't enough, the sight was for Cinder throwing up on the spot and emptying the contents of her stomach onto the sterile operating floor was enough.
The freezer was full of mutilated female body parts but since the power supply had been turned off, it hadn't been frozen, so the body parts inside had deteriorated and thousands of maggots and dead flies were already nesting in the severed arms, legs and entrails.
She immediately closed the freezer and tried to forget what she had seen. When she reached the desk, she found a pile of files, each with a girl's name written on it, which matched the names of the missing girls found on the desk above.
The penultimate one was the same girl who disappeared in Mantle and her parents accused the Madame but she paid off the police and the accusing family, who were poor, had no chance in court. In the file, she saw the girl's pictures, how she was forced to work in the hotel above, they treated her like a slave and she had the same collar on her neck as Cinder had.
Cinder, as if she only read about herself in the dossier, with the difference that when the girl reached the age of 18, all surveillance simply stopped and they wrote about her that "She's ripe for slaughter."
The following pages describe in detail how they gave her a sleeping pill, while in her room, in the warehouse where Cinder slept, drugged her with an injection while she slept than took her down into the shower tub, hanged her neck to the wire loop and cut her veins so that her heart could pump out as much blood as it could, and at the end her throat was cut. They put her on the operating table to cut up her body with the electric saw and knives seen earlier and freeze it and eat it over time but they had a different plan for the head.
Cinder saw her own name on the next file and, just like the previous girl, she was also made to work, observed, and when she reached the age of 18, it was written next to her that "She's ripe for the slaughter."
The rest stopped because Cinder remembered well that the day her stepmother tried to drug her, she took her fate into her own hands and killed her and her daughters. She didn't even care about the shocker in her collar that kept her paralyzed and terrified all the time. It was her anger that gave her enough strength to awaken her Aura, withstand the shock and take the life of the woman who had only tormented her during her whole life.
She wasn't done with everything yet, she wanted to know what happened to the girl's head and she found the answer in the room on the other side of the operating room and the climax of the horror show so far was an aquarium collection with the heads of young girls rotting beyond recognition, sinking in green, infectious water. There were those whose eyes were eaten by worms and parasites a long time ago.
Each tank was labeled, the same girls that were on the list, but one of the tanks that would have been next was empty but had Cinder's name on it.
She didn't want to see any more, so she closed the door and wanted to go back downstairs, but there was another door behind which she didn't look and all her instincts and common sense were already begging her to get out from here, she still had to see what was there behind the last door.
This door was locked, but like the previous locks, it didn't cause any particular obstacle for Cinder but what she saw behind the door made her blood run cold.
For a moment, she thought she saw her own body but as she looked more closely, it was another girl, very young, maybe 12 or 13 years old, with the same black hair as her and the same ragged clothes. She was handcuffed to the wall, her legs were tied, her mouth wasn't covered, but clearly, she could scream but nobody would have heard it. Based on the smell, she stooled a several times, the flies and worms completely covered her body, which could indicate that she had been locked in here for years, since Cinder killed the Madame and her daughters and escaped.
Since no one but them knew of her presence, she remained here, locked up and starved to death.
Cinder closed the door, left the operating room, went up the stairs, back into the office, down the hall and back into the kitchen. She fell to her knees and still couldn't believe what she saw her stepmother and sisters did, how close she came to a cruel and brutal death without anyone knowing.
What's worse is that she wouldn't have been the first or the last.
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