"Atlas shall never yield. Resistance is-"
Qrow stomped on the last of the deadly wind-up toys. Gears and black metal scattered along the ground. The scrapped electronics mixed in with the remains of their clones.
"Finally some quiet." He did not remember Atlesian Knights being this chatty.
Even when critically damaged, the robots spewed propaganda extolling the virtues of Atlas. This functionality was designed to intimidate, though such tactics would never work against the Grimm. Words were meaningless.
But it might be effective against people. Perhaps their true targets. An unnerving thought, to be sure.
Surveying the damage, Qrow shook his head. Under the debris were multiple bullet-riddled bodies. Thankfully, all of them were masked and armed. Everyone was at least a willing combatant in this skirmish.
There were not any obvious civilians among the dead. They had seemingly been evacuated. The cat-eared girl had come through on her end.
He dug out his Scroll to call Ozpin. The headmaster would be keen to find out about this little misadventure. Atlas had made a big mess. Qrow was bitterly looking forward to rubbing their noses in it.
The connection was established after a single ring. "Qrow?"
"Oz. Hey. We got problems. Jimmy has lost his damn mind. There are Atlas mechs running amok."
"Yes, it's all over VNN." Qrow cursed, thinking they would have more time to organize before the public found out. "I have not been able to reach General Ironwood. He is not taking my call."
"Is he dodging you?"
"That or he is being inundated with requests for information. The answer shall reveal itself soon. In the meantime, where are you? What have you seen?"
"Everything. You know my luck. I'm smackdab in the middle of the action."
There was a short pause on the other end. "Did you engage their forces?"
"'Course I did." Qrow could sense Ozpin's disapproval. "You weren't down here. Their robots were shooting first and asking questions later. I had to defend myself."
"And this had nothing to do with your distaste of Atlas?" It was Qrow who went tellingly silent. "This matter shall be revisited later. Right now, you need to extract yourself from the scene. We do not need you to be overly involved."
In Qrow's opinion, that ship had sailed. He was in the thick of it. Still, there was wisdom in de-escalation.
"Right then, I'll go ahead and-" A new challenger was approaching. "Looks like I've got company. Call back soon."
"Tread carefully."
Ending the transmission, Qrow turned his full attention to the orange-haired woman in a green dress marching over to him. She was around his nieces' age. There was a cloud of seriousness that surrounded her as she neared.
A grey sword floated into her left hand from behind her back. Taking a textbook fighting position, she held the blade in a loose, single grip. A power symbol in the center of the hilt lit up in green, indicating it was tech powered.
In a high-pitched voice, she spoke. "By order of the Kingdom of Atlas, you are under arrest! Surrender or face the consequences!"
Qrow rolled his eyes. Those lines were far less intimidating when they came out of a teenager's mouth. Unlike the mechanical men, though, she could take inquiries.
"Yeah? What's the charge?"
"Uh…" Not expecting a return question, she looked around before answering confidently. "Destruction of Atlas property!"
He snorted. "Cute. Why don't-"
Dashing forward, she took a swipe at him. The girl was fast. But the distance she had to travel gave Qrow ample opportunity to counter.
"Rather rude, don't you think?" He asked after catching her wrist. "As I was saying, how about we-"
Her right hand shot out at him. Held in it was another sword. A twin of the one he had just neutralized.
He let go of the girl to hop backwards. Dual wielding, she advanced upon him. This time, he used Harbinger to catch both blades on the flat end of the great sword. His Aura enhanced knee almost buckled under the impact.
"Geez. What are they feeding you kids?" He said while straining under her surprising strength.
"Atlas Academy provides healthy and nutritious meals." She replied simply.
Before he could respond, a third sword appeared. It floated above her head, wiggling menacingly. Then a fourth joined. And a fifth and a sixth. Soon he lost count. There must have been ten in addition to the blades she already held.
"That's just plain unfair."
As the storm of swords came down upon him, Qrow juked left. He barely avoided being torn to shreds.
The girl chose to pursue him. She let go of the two blades she held so that they could join their siblings in the air. Using her hands, she directed them as a conductor might a marching band. The weapons moved in concert to skewer him.
He deflected as well as possible. Grunts were drawn from him as nicks of Aura were carved away. His reaction was to deliver a swift roundhouse kick to her face.
And then to immediately regret that choice. "Ouch! What the-?"
His big toe, which had clashed with her temple, pulsed in pain. It felt like he kicked a brick wall. The good news was that the hit had sent the girl and her accursed swords skittering away from him.
Given space, Qrow could see his opponent more clearly. Translucent strings came from her back and attached to the weapons. She was somehow controlling them through the threads. It was either a Semblance or some new tech he was unfamiliar with.
Before Qrow could use this knowledge, he was blindsided by a flash of white invading his personal space. Another fighter had arrived. He ducked as a sword passed over his head. His hand then diverted a shorter sword aimed for his ribs.
In retaliation, he tried for a forearm smash to their neck. They merely performed a pirouette to spin out of harm's way. His attempt to follow was blocked by the appearance of an electrified glyph rising from the ground.
A Schnee glyph.
As the shield dissipated, he looked upon an angry Winter Schnee. Pure contempt roiled from her at a level that would have attracted another Lancer Queen to Vale. Qrow eyed her carefully, noting her blue and white Special Operative uniform.
"Fancy seeing you here, Ice Queen."
Without a word, she stabbed both swords into the floor. Another, much larger glyph appeared beneath her feet. From the glowing circle were summoned a flock of small white birds shaped like Juvenile Nevermore Grimm.
The Aura constructs rose into the air to circle their creator. Spotting Qrow, they took off at high speeds toward their target. Cursing, he shifted to his shotgun.
Squeezing off a round, the spread downed most of the faux Grimm. Not all of them, though. He grunted as two avians slammed into his chest. One even hit him square in the jaw. More of them fluttered around his body. They filled his vision, trying to disorient him.
Not trusting his eyes, he closed them. Over the swooshing of feathered wings, his ears picked up the sounds hidden in the distractions. Footsteps were rocketing towards him.
Two sets. One heavy. One light.
The heavy was closer. The light was faster. They would converge at the same time upon him.
Gathering his Aura, he prepared to make a stand. Then he felt a ripple. His Semblance was activating. With no way to know how Misfortune was affecting the outside world, he opted for the safest option.
He ducked just as his opponents arrived.
There was a cry of warning. A squeal as it went unheeded. Then a crash above Qrow followed by a clattering.
When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of a black boot laying on its side. The owner of said shoe, the orange-haired girl, had fallen to the ground. Comically pinned under her was an irate former heiress.
"Get off me, Polendina!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am!" She flailed while still on top of her commander. "I do not understand how this happened!"
Somehow, the girl had managed to trip into her ally. Their momentum meant neither could stop in time to prevent a collision. Making matters even more awkward was that Polendina's transparent strings had wrapped around them like a cocoon.
"I don't care how! Undo it!"
The full mechanics of how the situation had unfolded, much like his Semblance, were beyond Qrow's comprehension. But he could still take advantage. His foot came down on the bickering ladies to hold them in place.
"Now that we have that settled, why don't we have a nice little chat?" Despite the offer, the two wiggled about. "This place is a little bloody, but no worries. Beacon has room to hold a couple of rogue huntresses."
The orange-haired girl stopped struggling and gasped. "We are not rogues! This is an approved special operation!"
"Enough, cadet." Winter breathed out as she also finished resisting.
Qrow did not doubt that they were working in an official capacity. Large groups of AKs required a command ship to function. Still, it was good to get confirmation. Any ammunition he could give Ozpin in the upcoming political war was welcome.
"Polendina, was it?"
"People call me Penny!" She said cheerily as her CO groaned.
Penny was an eager one. She reminded Qrow of his youngest niece. It was too bad Atlas was conditioning her to be an unfeeling robot.
"Well, Penny. How about you tell me all about this 'special operation' of yours? I'm sure there must have been some misunderstanding about where Atlas' borders end."
As she was about to reply, Qrow felt the air shift. He dodged. Just in time, too, as a hunk of spinning blue metal nearly took his head off.
And then he dodged again as it arched back in the direction it was thrown.
Catching the large boomerang was another fighter. This one wore a uniform similar to Winter Schnee's own. The main difference was the addition of a red ascot.
Free of the huntsman, Winter and Penny began to disentangle themselves once more. Not wanting a three-on-one fight, Qrow moved in to re-secure his prisoners. The tables were turned when the male Operative extended his pointer finger and yelled a single word.
"Stay!"
It was a strange word to utter. Especially in a fight. The command was more fitting for a misbehaving pet rather than an enemy.
Yet it worked.
A stiffness overcame Qrow. Every muscle and joint in his body seized up. No matter how much he urged himself forward, the collection of bones and sinew that made up his person would not budge.
While this happened, Winter picked herself up. "You couldn't have done that earlier, Amin?"
"Sorry, ma'am." He remained stationary with his finger still firmly pointed at the frozen huntsman. "I did not want you two to get caught in the wave."
Qrow's mind went into hyperdrive. He was stuck within a Semblance. One that required concentration. Or at least stillness.
There was also an area of affect. The man, Amin, could not fully control the Semblance at the level of proficiency of someone like Glynda Goodwitch. The wave analogy was not far off, then. That was useful in terms of visualizing how a counter would work.
There were many unknowns.
What was the significance of the command? Did the target have to do exactly what the user said? Was Aura similarly frozen?
The third question could be tested. Qrow focused inward. He deployed an old exercise he had learned in Beacon: Aura Cycling.
Energy gathered behind his eyes. He then moved it to his nose and then his chin. His soul was sluggish, but there was a response. Feeling also began to return to the places his Aura passed through.
Amin became tense, likely sensing the movement. Qrow was on the right track. Given a few more seconds, he could break the lock on his legs and retreat.
However, a certain Operative was unwilling to let that happen. Winter limped over with her sword drawn. She placed the fine point of the rapier against his throat.
"It's over. Yield, Branwen."
Having regained the use of his mouth, he responded in the only way he knew how. He spat at Winter Schnee. A bloody loogie dripped down her face. She refused to wipe the remains away as her icy eyes bore into his soul.
"Very well."
She lifted her sword up and away. Then she brought the pommel down between Qrow's eyes. Everything went black as he lost consciousness.
XXII. An Understanding
"Bossman's going to call." Tommy said.
Leroy pulled their sedan over between two apartment buildings. Having white knuckled the entire drive, he was more than happy to get off the road. They were on the east end of Vale, far from any trouble from Atlas.
"How's our guest?" He asked while parking before turning around to face the backseat. "Did she give you any trouble?"
Since starting the drive, the two women had changed their seating arrangements. The feline faunus, Blake, was now sitting up. Her cat ears twitched angrily as she desperately tried to control her breathing.
This was done for more than just anger management. It kept the edge of her weapon from cutting her throat open. Holding the cleaver, and seated intimately in her lap, was a still disguised Neopolitan. The diminutive lass shook her head.
"Wasn't asking you." Neo pouted as he continued. "We need this one in good shape."
"Screw. You. All." Blake gritted out.
Clicking her tongue, Neo wagged a finger as if scolding a child. Before a punishment could be meted out, there was an electronic ringing sound. Tommy handed his Scroll backwards.
Neo took and held the device close to Blake's face. Her focus went to the screen as the call connected. Roman Torchwick's mocking voice came over the speaker.
"Blake Belladonna. A pleasure. I trust my associates have treated you well?"
Given that Roman could see the blade at her throat, Blake should have cursed him as well. But that was not what she responded to. Instead, she went paler than the broken moon.
"How do you know my name?"
"I know lots of things. There are eyes and ears throughout Vale. Beacon Academy is no exception." Blake shook, uneasily. "I take it, you know who I am?"
"Yes." Neo nudged her in the ribs. "Yes, sir."
"Now, what happens next depends entirely on you. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and you are going to answer them truthfully. Lie to me? Well, you can probably guess what will happen to you next."
Both Tommy and Leroy shivered. They remembered a similar, yet more explicit ultimatum given to them by the gentleman thief. Neither of them doubted that he would have followed through.
"I can."
"Good. So, Blake, are you currently a member of the White Fang?"
"No." She said emphatically.
Roman sighed. "How disappointing. We can't even get through the first question without you telling a tall tale."
He might have been disappointed, but Neo was not. She lightly traced the other girl's neck with the razor to savor the upcoming kill. Blake's Aura flared as she trembled, though not in fear.
"I'm not lying! I'm not with the White Fang!" Blake raged while trying to lean away. "Not anymore."
"Not anymore, huh? That makes you, what? A defector?"
Blake gulped. "I lost faith in the movement. They were becoming too violent. Too power hungry. I had to leave that life behind."
"I might have believed that explanation. Except, if you did break up with your old pallywals, why were you at the rally at all? Dressed as one of them to boot?"
Neo rubbed a small portion of Blake's white jacket between her fingertips. "There are these stories going around about what they are doing. I just can't… I… needed to see for myself. So, I showed up and offered to work floor security."
"And they just let you? I would think there would still be some lingering resentment."
She weighed her words before responding. "Despite our differences, many still think of me as family."
Family. That jogged a memory in Leroy. He remembered where he had heard of Blake Belladonna before this moment.
"Belladonna." Leroy whispered before saying louder. "You're related to Ghira Belladonna, aren't you? His daughter, I'm guessing?"
Belladonna was a common enough family name to obscure her lineage. Plenty of orphans had taken flower surnames after the Great War. However, Leroy only knew of one faunus family that could still hold sway with the Fang even after leaving the group.
The girl looked up at him with surprise before turning her head to the side, embarrassed. There was a long silence as the implications settled in. It was Tommy who bulldozed through the awkwardness.
"Guess I'll be the ignoramus here. Who the hell is Ghira Belladonna?"
"Founder and former High Leader of the White Fang. Currently, he is the Chieftain of Menagerie." Leroy answered.
It had not been a seamless transition between those roles. The current High Leader had pushed Ghira out of his leadership position in a bloodless coup. This was a surprise, given that the man had been defiant in the face of giving up the reins.
While the insurgents had the muscle, Ghira still had popular support on the homeland. He was a highly competent administrator. They could not just kill him and take over without facing huge opposition. Yet, it looked as though their hand would be forced.
Talks of a civil war had been on everyone's lips.
Then, one day, Ghira announced he was stepping down as High Leader. The reason given was to focus solely on domestic matters. He then ceded all military powers to his successor, Sienna Khan.
Shock and celebration broke out in the faunus diaspora. To most, it was the best of both worlds. Those who knew better could read between the lines. Khan had pulled off a power grab, but no one knew how. The Belladonnas had, by all appearances, given up willingly.
Leroy now had suspicions on how the political surrender had been orchestrated. When Ghira had been talking about 'domestic matters,' he meant more than just Menagerie. His most precious domestic matter was currently staring out the sedan window, wishing she were anywhere else.
"Welly, well, lady and gents." Roman chuckled harshly. "Looks like we are in the presence of royalty."
Blake's hands curled into fists in her lap. "My father is not a king."
"And I'm not a court jester, yet you're playing me like one. You said you had this change of heart. But then you just decide to walk around a White Fang rally dressed as them? Make it make sense."
"There have been so many stories about the White Fang in the news. Robbing Dust transports. Killing civilians. They can't all be right." Her cat ears fell flat. "Surely…"
"Didn't you say you left because they were becoming too violent?"
"Not against innocents!"
She was okay with causing pain and destruction. It just had to be directed at group's she found deserving. With great difficulty, Leroy tried to hold in any external displays of his distaste for the hypocrite in their car.
Apparently, he did not hide it very well. Tommy glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. Their guest did not notice. Roman was keeping her busy.
"So after you defected, you, what? Decided to enroll at Beacon Academy? Why?"
"I needed to atone." She said as a matter of fact.
"What do you feel guilty about? Did you kill someone?"
"Of course not! I felt it was best-"
He then shifted gears. "Does the faculty at Beacon know about your colorful past?"
"Nobody there knows anything. I applied through-"
"Convenient. Makes me wonder if you left the White Fang at all. Maybe you are in Beacon to hurt people there too? Perhaps a certain Schnee heiress who is also there as a student?"
"No!" She winced after leaning forward and forgetting about Neo. "I would never…"
The interrogation was dizzying. Roman moved constantly from subject to subject to keep Blake off kilter. Over the next ten minutes, she slowly broke down as the questions piled up. Finally, her words came out as a broken sob.
"You have to believe me! I would never purposefully harm anyone at my school!" She croaked with a raw throat.
Seeing the girl's mascara run down her cheeks made Leroy uncomfortable. Even Tommy, no stranger to psychological torture, was squirming in his seat. Blake was either a confused teenager in over her head or Remnant's greatest actor.
Neither Roman nor Neo were swayed, however. They kept the pressure up.
"That's the problem, Blake Belladonna. I don't believe you." The faunus girl began to hyperventilate, closing her eyes while waiting for her execution. "Luckily, I don't need to."
Neo pulled the weapon away.
Blake starred as she was handed the Scroll. Her jailor scooted her rear end off Blake's knees while still keeping her dainty feet on top. The faux-faunus took up a more leisurely position against the backdoor behind Tommy.
He resumed. "Whether you are a current or former member, you know the White Fang. You understand their methods. Their structure. How they think. That is an invaluable resource to my group."
"I'm not a…" She glanced at Neo, warily. "I will not betray them to you."
"You won't?" Roman sounded befuddled. "And you still say that you cut ties with them?"
"I may not agree with everything they do, but you saw what happened tonight! They attacked my people just for attending a rally! Without the White Fang, Atlas will steamroll us! I'd sooner die than-"
The fire that had been flaring up in the feline was doused when Neopolitan simply tapped her belly with a toe. Blake, knowing she was talking herself into an early grave, bit her tongue. Leroy shook his head.
Stubborn girl. She was willfully ignorant. Those people were in danger because of the Fang.
"I see no reason it should come to that. Truthfully, I don't care about the White Fang, per se. Rather, I am after certain individuals they are harboring."
It was her turn to be confused. "Who?"
"Old patrons of mine. Human patrons."
"Thieves like you will work for other people?"
"If the price is right..."
"What did they have you do?"
"The terms of our contract were for me to procure vast quantities of Dust. That was before they decided to replace me with our mutual friends." Her eyes grew large at the revelation. "You can see the result of this change in the headlines."
"That doesn't make sense! The White Fang would not follow the orders of some lousy humans!"
"Hmm. Well, these 'lousy humans' can be rather persuasive."
She blushed at the light chastisement but was undeterred. "Who are they?"
"Should I remind you who holds all the cards here?" Neo sat prepared to do so on his behalf. "Here's our terms, kitty-cat; You'll help me track down these rotten apples. In exchange, we will remove them from your precious White Fang barrel."
"And then?"
"Then, we will go on as if we never crossed paths. A win-win scenario, in my book. What do you say?"
The brunette looked down at her knees. Her conscience weighed heavily. At least, until she decided on something sensible.
"O-okay." She accepted shakily. "I can agree to that."
"Excellent!" He then let out an obnoxiously put-upon yawn. "Look at that time! We all need our beauty sleep, so how about my associates give you a lift somewhere?"
"Wait, don't you want that information?"
"All in good time. For now, when we need you, we'll find you. Toodles!"
And then he hung up. She stared at the blank screen, totally lost for words. Then she looked up at the rest of the car.
Leroy caught her eye and asked. "So, where to?"
After much deliberation on her part, she directed them to drive downtown. He was not sure why. The public transports were closed and the hotels she could actually afford were on the other end of the city.
Most likely, it was for the illusion of safety. He decided not to question it.
"About Torchwick's former employers." She started while glancing out the window. "What do you plan on doing to them?"
"What'd you think?" Tommy answered.
To clarify their stance further, Neo drew a thumb over her throat. Blake cringed at the gesture, likely recalling that exact feeling. Yet she did not say much else.
Leroy pulled into a horseshoe driveway outside a deserted office building. It was not an important enough corporation to have a security guard. This made it the perfect place to let her loose.
Once he came to a stop, she was fast in trying to open the door. There was one problem. It would not budge.
Jiggling the handle violently, she cried. "I already agreed! You can't keep me here!"
"Chill. There is a child's lock."
With a press of a button, she could finally escape. As if not believing they would actually let her go, she jumped out and took a defensive crouch. The three left in the car merely stared at her with expressions ranging from unimpressed to bored.
She sheepishly returned to the sedan. "Can I… have my sword back?"
The current wielder, Neo, leaned over to hold the weapon out. As Blake reached for it, she leaned back. Huffing, the faunus followed her part way back into the sedan.
"Do I have to say 'please?'" Neo nodded. "Okay. Can I please have my sword back?"
Neo scratched her chin. Then she nodded again. Blake reached forward once more.
Then, Neo snapped forward to grab Blake's head. Leroy and Tommy reflexively winced at the expected violence. Instead, the tri-colored girl leaned in to leave a sloppy, wet kiss on the monochrome girl's cheek.
Shocked, Blake was unprepared for Neo to follow-up the sign of affection by pushing her wholly out of the car. She fell backward onto the sidewalk. Her weapon dropped next to her before the door closed again.
Taking that as a cue, Leroy hit the accelerator. In the rearview, he saw Blake struggling to pick her jaw off the ground. Meanwhile, Neo finally dropped the illusion as she made herself comfortable in the back seat.
"Crazy cow." Tommy grumbled lowly.
Leroy focused on the road.
/ / /
Despite the late hour, Vale was abuzz with activity. Lights and sounds from emergency vehicles had awoken every corner of the city. Everyone was in a hurry.
Yet Roman Torchwick stood still.
His spectral form pressed upon the glass of his high-rise flat. Behind him in the bathroom, he could hear Jaune retching into the toilet. Unsure if any Atlas soldiers were following them, the duo had holed up in Roman's old apartment complex.
It was risky coming back, but the reward seemed greater. At worst, Atlas finding them would burn an already exposed hideout. At best, they would know that the flat worked as an occasional rest stop.
No one had kicked down the door so far. Roman had also flown around the lower levels. They appeared to be in the clear.
After speaking with their newest collaborator, now was the time to rest and think. Roman had been going over the day's events. What he had seen did not fill him with confidence. Neither did the sight of Jaune as he exited the bathroom.
He was a mess. Their interrogation of his little classmate had taken its toll. Pale and now dressed in silk pajamas, he came to stand beside Roman.
"They look like ants from up here." He said, looking down on the people moving about.
That was because they were ants. "Feeling better?"
"A little. Yeah." The boy replied before asking quietly. "What do you think? Was Blake telling the truth?"
"Worried about your wannabe girlfriend?"
"Not… just that. Weiss, I can keep an eye out for her safety. I'm more worried for Ruby and her team."
Although Roman did not share the fear, he did understand it. Sleeping in the same room as a self-proclaimed former terrorist put them at risk. A risk they were unaware of and thus unprepared for.
"We have Belladonna under our thumb. She'll be too paranoid to step out of line." Seeing that his words were not having the intended effect, Roman did concede one point. "But yeah. I do think she was being honest. She really is an idyllic fool."
"I don't think it is foolish to want the world to be better."
"It is when you deny reality." And she was steeped in denial. "Regardless, she will be an asset. Even if I am not sure how yet."
As they had discussed, her familiarity with the White Fang could prove useful. Given how the night had gone, there was much they did not understand. Chief among them was their relationship to ex-members.
There was also the possibility of having her run risky errands. Blackmail was a strong motivator, and she was as disposable as the other goons. Although, Roman was keeping that idea to himself.
Jaune was liable to get overly protective.
"What about Atlas? Or that Qrow guy? What do you think of them?"
"They are seemingly after the White Fang. How firm they are in their pursuit is yet to be seen."
Atlas appeared committed to rooting them out. Perhaps overcommitted. Roman could already think of several ways for the White Fang to turn their sworn enemies' arrival on foreign soil to their advantage.
Then there was the ScareQrow. Huntsmen were a wild card at the best of times. They did not get much 'wilder' than Qrow Branwen. If Beacon wanted to calm the waters, then they should not have released a shark.
"You're saying they might not really be after the White Fang?"
"Cinder charmed Kingsnake and VPD into a non-aggression pact. There is no reason to believe she can't do the same with Beacon or the Atlas military." Seeing Jaune deflate, Roman changed topics. "Speaking of old friends, we heard from one recently, right?"
"Oh! I forgot!" Jaune dug out his Scroll. "Madam Amour!"
While they were setting up surveillance, Leroy had received a message from the cabaret owner. The grunt had been told to forward it to her 'little lamb.' They had decided to focus on the rally, but now they could fully contemplate her note.
"Don't sound too excited now." Roman teased.
"Here is what she said: 'Darling. Your search for female companionship is at its end. Let me show you why I remain the only woman you need.'" Jaune blushed profusely at the suggestive tone. "That's code, right? Means she has found something on Cinder?"
"Or Emerald." But finding one was as good as locating the other. "Anything else?"
"Just a line of 'x's and 'o's. Does that also have a double meaning?"
The spirit gaped at his anchor to the world of the living. "How sheltered are you?"
"What do you mean?"
The answer was 'very.'
After further discussions, Roman was finally able to coax his ward into bed. Despite his protests to the contrary, Jaune was asleep as soon as his head hit the satin-sheet pillows. The shade of the gentleman thief, as he did every night, kept vigil and schemed.
/ / /
"Atlas has come to play." Mercury groused.
While an inelegant turn of phrase, Cinder found herself agreeing. She had been discussing Dust deliveries with her inner circle. They had gone late to accommodate their faunus visitor.
Part way into their meeting, they began hearing sirens. Everyone at the dining room table could not help but tense as the sounds passed their suburban hideout. After the third time this happened, Emerald wheeled in the portable TV and turned on VNN.
The late-night anchors were sweating profusely in their expensive suits. The chyron rolled absurd messages from the Council proclaiming that everything was under control. Countering this were recordings of Atlas-style military hardware rolling through the streets.
There were also images of faunus being loaded into unmarked transports. None of the captured looked particularly fearsome, but Atlas was proclaiming them 'White Fang collaborators.' Trifa, who sat beside Mercury, was glued to the screen.
These developments did not surprise Cinder. Forming a pact with the White Fang guaranteed that Atlas would eventually involve themselves in her actions. Still, the aggressiveness of this response had come along much sooner than anticipated.
Ultimately, this was of little concern. A few alterations would have to be made, but that was all. Her plans were not disturbed for one simple reason.
Cinder Fall did not have a plan. She had a goal.
There was a 'guiding star' that led the way, but nothing was set in stone. This fact made her agile and adaptable. Which was why she was not upset when Trifa stood up to excuse herself from their presence.
Emerald was not as forgiving. "Where are you going?"
"I need to check on my people."
When the spider faunus spoke, the words were addressed to Cinder only. While her subordinate fumed at the dismissal, she merely inclined her head. This was another foreseen turn of events.
"Send my regards to Adam."
With a bow, Trifa exited into the night. Mercury gave a mock salute. Emerald frowned after the faunus before turning to her mistress.
"We weren't done yet."
Before Cinder could answer, Mercury piped up. "We are well ahead on Dust thefts. A couple of missed opportunities are not going to sink us."
"I doubt her commitment."
"Of course Trifa isn't committed. She's on loan to further her own group's cause. But who cares?" Mercury shrugged before popping his shoulders. "She does good work and is significantly less of a pain in the ass than some people."
"Talking about yourself there, Merc?"
"Eh, I'm not the one complaining at every small inconvenience, Em."
"No, you're just the one making snide remarks every five minutes."
"Can't help but react to what I'm given."
"Then how about I give you my foot up your-"
"Enough, you two." Cinder commanded, wishing she could replace them both with Trifa. "Mercury is correct. We are rapidly approaching the cut off point for Dust acquisitions. This is an opportunity to look towards the future."
The male looked smugly upon his fellow minion before asking. "What's next, then?"
Rather than answer directly, she reached under the table to pull out four binders. She took the top two, labeled 'Emerald' and 'Mercury,' and slid them to their respective assignee. Both opened their file with keen interest.
"This is…" Emerald trailed off as she got lost in reading.
Cinder finished for her with a cruel sneer. "Infiltration."
Author Notes: Once again, we end with our friends and foes in a similar state as the last volume. 'It's like poetry. It rhymes.' xD
Coda: Hounded
Ash and blood were in the air.
Much revelry was to be had under the lingering negativity.
Sniffing. Scratching. Searching for more.
It knew there were no others. It was different from its Beowolf brethren. It was smarter.
What was left of their prey was gone.
Left. Evacuated. Fled for safety.
Such was the last recourse. Their walls could not hold. Would not hold.
Their defenders were powerless against the tide of darkness. Those who stood against were devoured. A last-ditch effort was attempted. Little did they know, the chaos masked its movements.
The Soulbound defenders were overconfident. The shock—the fear! —when it fell upon them was delicious. The last of them had tried to use fire to defeat it.
This accomplished nothing. Nothing but set their sanctuary alight. Now it watched as everything burned.
It savored the victory.
But mindless death and destruction was not why it was there. The Goddess had dispatched it for a higher purpose. Yet it could not resist the call to destroy. To reject its nature was diametrically opposed to what made it a Creature of Grimm.
Now that the bloodlust had faded, it sat upon the ashes. Waiting. The sun rose and fell several times, yet it remained. Eventually, as foretold, another servant approached.
Through the desolation, a lumpy body composed of green vines slithered close. The mass oscillated and undulated. A lone, red eye rose up to meet its gaze. The Child of the Nightmare offered a tendril.
It accepted.
Once contact was established, its mind was assaulted. Images flashed before its inhuman mind. Memories of intense battles were relived as though it had witnessed them.
A queen, but not its Queen, fought the Soulbound. The fake sovereign had sought to expand their dominion. The sky turned black with flying soldiers. Yet the skyward armada had fallen. Brought low by their lessers.
No pity was felt. That was not the way of the Grimm. Its primary feeling was contempt for their failure.
Yet there was a secondary concern. One that bubbled under the surface: Curiosity.
How had the armada been defeated?
Sensing interest through the shared link, Nightmare's Child provided depictions of a trio of Soulbound that were involved with the fall. It was unimpressed with the first two shown. Eyes of red and blue were of no interest.
The last pair, though…
A growl left its snout at the sight of the last image. Silver eyes. The most hated of colors.
At once, the waking dream ended. With the message delivered, the messenger tilted their head. The Child waited for a response.
The Hound answered with a mighty howl.