The Bloodstained Rose

Stirring Faults

"I mean aside from running a Dust syndicate in Vale, remember the robberies of dust shops around the city and the Kingdom?" Blake spoke up, "She's never good news."

"You mean you have encountered her before?" Weiss asked them all, starting to feel out of the loop. "Ruby?"

"Ask your Father. He knows her very well." Ruby hissed, taking a cookie from the array of snacks presented on the coffee table. "No matter, we have to keep an eye on them. Did any of her goons see you?" She inquired turning to Yang and Blake. 

"Emerald and Mercury saw us lurking close by but they didn't have time to ask what we were doing there. They probably know." Yang replied, picking up the agitation in her sister's voice. "Ruby..."

"Lay low and avoid them. If Adam finds out you both are here, it will ensue a fight. Stay in Beacon and stay alert. We have to find out what they want to do." Ruby stood p and left the group in the parlor, heading to who knows where.

Weiss frowned and decided to let Ruby calm down and clear her head before she asks her questions.

===========================

Emerald and Mercury returned to the base limping and injured, their auras drained to the core. This didn't go unnoticed with Cinder and Adam who were in the middle of discussing something important. 

Cinder and Adam came to help the two and assisted them to rest somewhere. Infuriated from this, Cinder's eyes was slowly starting to glow. 

"What happened?" She asked in a stern and mad voice. 

Emerald took a minute to catch her breath before replying to Cinder's question. "Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna happened." She replied. 

 "How could you suffer from those two like this. You might not be as strong as we thought you were." Adom scoffed, leaving them. Mercury found this very rude from someone who's just as much of a pawn as they were.  

"Try fighting them. We'll see how you'll stay standing after going against them!" Mercury proposed, mad at the way they were being treated. Little to no compassion, hidden in the dark for who these bunch of these kids are, why do they bother these two masterminds? 

"I have, boy. You don't want to know how it ended." Adam hissed at him and pointed his sword down the boy's neck. "You have no idea what you were up against, weren't you?" Adam asked, sheathing his sword and walking away before he can slice off Mercury's head off his shoulder. 

Emerald hung her head. Just what were they hiding. from the sounds of it...

"You fought with them before." She guessed and looked up at Cinder who had a trace of something less than her usual menacing and loathing look. She looked...afraid. 

Mercury turned to the ladies and listened in their conversation. "You...knew them before we joined you?" 

Cinder sighed. "It's none of your business, Mercury. I suggest you stop going after them. If Vale is under their protection, it's only a matter of time before they find out what we're doing here.  Go to your rooms. Rest and recover. We'll be leaving Vale in a matter of days."

"Wait, didn't you mention that we have to take over Beacon? For our goal? Why are you backing out now? What changed?" Mercury asked, pissed at the mere fact that a bunch of younger kids made their fearless leaders change their minds with the invasion of Vale.

Cinder frowned and raised her hand and hit Mercury without thinking twice. "Your insolence and much questions will leave you in the streets again. Do you want that? I suggest you stop sticking your head where it does not belong or I will personally have you mutilated awake."