In Atlas, a tall, dark-skinned man with dark, greying hair and brown eyes with a scar across his upper right cheek is standing near a fancy looking hotel called the Glass Unicorn. He wears a blue shirt which is covered by a bronze and navy blue vest, alongside straps over his chest and arms. His left shoulder is covered by a bronze pauldron. He appears to waiting for someone as he has his arms crossed.
??: Rhodes. Good to see you again.
The man turns his head to his left and sees a woman with blonde hair and dark eyes wearing a blue blouse with gold trimmings along with a cloak of a similar color scheme walking up to him with a hooded man wearing a black trenchcoat following her.
Rhodes: Elise- I mean, Aurelia. It's good to see you again as well!
Rhodes smiles at the emotionless woman, who crosses her arms. He then looks at the guard behind Elise.
Rhodes: And who might this be?
Elise: Locke, this is Rhodes. He can guarantee my safety from here on.
Locke lowers his hood and nods to Elise.
Locke: Understood. If you need me, I won't be far.
Elise nods as the Agent starts to walk past Rhodes. Locke nods at the Huntsman before walking out of sight.
Rhodes: *sarcastic* Those ISB Agents are always a ray of sunshine.
Elise: So what was it you wanted me to see? I don't get out of Mimar much as you well know, so I hope this isn't a waste of my time.
Rhodes: Heh, you're always like this, Aurelia.
Elise: Only to you, Rhodes. Because you have an unfortunate habit of making me do things that waste my vacation times.
Rhodes: I seem to recall you enjoyed that amusement park I took you and a few Agents to. Especially that rollercoaster ride.
Elise rolls her eyes, causing Rhodes to chuckle as he opens the hotel door for her and she nods in thanks as she enters. The hotel's lobby has various glass sculptures of creatures of Grimm, including Ursai, Sea Feilongs, Sabyrs, and Beowolves. It also featured a large clock above the lobby desk. Elise also noticed the roof was made of glass.
Elise: Fancy.
Rhodes: Wait until you meet the girl I want you to see.
Elise: Rhodes, you know I don't care about your love life. So if you think that by showing me a girl you like will get me jealous...
Rhodes: Pfft, it's not like that at all. I kinda see her more like a daughter than anything I suppose.
Elise raises an eyebrow as they approach the lobby desk where a lady was waiting for them with a smile.
Receptionist: Mr Rhodes, so good of you to give us your patronage again as always.
Rhodes: I'd like my usual room please.
Receptionist: Of course, um, though Cinder is still preparing it for you. So perhaps you'd like to wait-
Rhodes: That's fine, I'll have my room key now please.
Receptionist: Very well, sir.
The lady grabs a key from the desk and hands it to him. He nods before walking towards one of the hallways on the first floor. Elise follows him with her arms crossed until they reach the designated room on Rhodes's key. When they enter the room they see a young girl with two pigtails, probably 15 years old, making the bed. She gasps when she hears the door opens and turns around before giving a sigh of relief and smiles happily upon seeing Rhodes.
Cinder: Rhodes!
Cinder runs up to Rhodes and hugs him, which he returns in kind as Elise enters the room and closes the door behind them.
Rhodes: Haha, good to see you Cinder.
Cinder: How is the outside world? How have you been? Are we going to do some training tonight?
The teenager then notices Elise and suddenly freezes up in fear. Right at this point, Elise noticed Cinder wore a necklace with a yellow crystal.
Cinder: U-um.... You have a woman with you.... *To Elise* You didn't hear any of that, right?!
Elise raises an eyebrow as Rhodes places a comforting hand on Cinder's shoulder as he steps next to her.
Rhodes: Don't worry, she's a good friend of mine. Her name is Aurelia.
Cinder: Phew...
Elise: A pleasure to meet you...Cinder, was it?
Cinder: Um, yes, that's my name.
Rhodes: I've been training her for the past few years to be a Huntress. I'm quite proud of her progress so far.
As he said that, he pets Cinder's head, causing her to smile happily. It reminded Elise of a puppy getting a head pat actually.
Elise: I see....Well, that's good to hear, but why was it so important for me to meet her?
Rhodes: Um...
The three then hear a knock on the door and hear a woman's voice.
Madame: Cinder! Are you done in there?! The toilets on the third floor need scrubbing again, and then I need you to deliver Mrs Schnee her meal in twenty minutes!
Cinder: coming....
Cinder clenches her fists angrily before walking to the door.
Cinder: See you later tonight at the usual spot.
Rhodes: Yeah. Hey, just a couple more years, okay?
Cinder nods before walking out, leaving Rhodes and Elise alone in the room.
Elise: Explain
Rhodes sighs as he crosses his arms.
Rhodes: Cinder is the adoptive daughter of the owner of this hotel. She's...not exactly in a loving relationship with her adoptive family.
Elise: So it seems. Forcing her to do all these chores seemingly on her own?
Rhodes: Yeah, this family is very abusive to her.
Elise: So your Huntsman ideals made you want to take her under your wing, in secret, until she was old enough to take the Huntsman exams so she may finally leave this place.
Rhodes: Heh, my ideals along with basic human decency, but that's right.
Elise looks at the door as she thinks about something regarding this.
Elise: Rhodes, I think she's at a breaking point. And did you ever notice that necklace she was wearing?
Rhodes: Hm? Well, yeah. It's a piece of jewelry she always wears. Why? And what do you mean she's at a breaking point?
Elise: .... You really are an idiot, aren't you?
Rhodes: Ouch.
Elise sighs and rubs her forehead.
Elise: It's all in her body language. She really wants to kill them.
Rhodes: I know, I know. But she's only got two more years and then can-
Elise: Do you seriously think her stepmother will let her little slave leave without a fight? You really are as naive as the Headmaster at Beacon.
Rhodes doesn't immediately respond to that. He's known Elise long enough that if he talks back, she will verbally decimate him until his ears literally bleed. It's happened before and he doesn't want to deal with that again.
Rhodes: That's why I want your help.
Elise: My help?
Rhodes: You're the Queen of the most secretive kingdom in Remnant. If you could get her out before she goes off...take her to Monarchia until she could start becoming a Huntress...
Elise: No.
Rhodes look at her in surprise.
Rhodes: No?! Elise, please I-
Elise: I can't just start taking random children to Monarchia just because they have troubled family lives. It would merely drain my Kingdom's resources and we likely wouldn't benefit from it unless we happen to be taking in geniuses each time. I'm sorry.
Rhodes lowers his head.
Rhodes: Elise, I've never asked much from you before. But right now...
He kneels before her, surprising the Monarch.
Rhodes: I beg you...please help me give Cinder the life she needs and deserves.
Elise blinks before closing her eyes with a sigh.
Rhodes: At least get to know her a little first. You might find she's worth it.
Elise: ....Very well, I will at least do that. But if I'm not satisfied...
Rhodes: I understand...thank you, Queen Elise.
Elise nods before sighing again. She's far too nice to this man. Curse him and his compassionate heart.
~Hours later~
At nighttime when everyone else is asleep, Elise is sitting in a storage room where lots of junk is placed. Apparently this is Cinder's bedroom. She is watching Cinder and Rhodes spar with one another. Cinder is wielding a sword while Rhodes wields two maces.
The girl blocks the maces and deflects them before hopping up in the air to strike. Rhodes manages to dodge the attack before Cinder suddenly gets hit in the gut and crashes to the ground. She quickly gets back up and grits her teeth before lunging forward.
As Elise continues watching the fight, her mind seems to be somewhere else. She is wondering why Rhodes cares so much about this girl. And how did this relationship start between them. Maybe he'll tell her sometime.
Suddenly, one of Rhodes's maces nearly hits her while the other falls to the ground near the door. Elise sees Rhodes on his knees with Cinder smirking smugly with her sword at his neck. Rhodes also smirks with pride.
Rhodes: Excellent, excellent Cinder! You're doing awesome today!
Cinder lowers her sword and smiles when Rhodes stands and pets her head. Elise clears her throat, causing the two to look at her and realize a mace was smashed into an old grandfather clock next to her, causing the two to smile nervously.
Cinder: Sorry.
Elise: Well, I think that's enough excitement for today. If you will excuse me, I am tired.
Elise stands up and walks towards the door before Rhodes calls to her.
Rhodes: Aurelia, about what we talked about?
Elise: I'm tired, Rhodes. And one night isn't enough for me to make a decision about Cinder.
Cinder: Huh? What decision?
Rhodes: Um, it's nothing yet, Cinder. Just be yourself around her and maybe...we could get you out of here a little sooner.
Cinder's eyes light up with excitement.
Cinder: You could?!
Elise: Nothing is set in stone. I can't just do this for anyone. Prove that you are worth the effort and I will help you. If not, you will have to wait another two years.
Cinder: I understand!
Elise nods before exiting Cinder's room. Rhodes grabs Cinder's shoulder and pulls the young girl for a side hug.
Rhodes: Aurelia is a very powerful woman and I know she'll find you worthwhile. But she's very practical and rarely lets her emotions guide her judgement. But when she does let her emotions guide her, she's a force of nature you simply can't stop.
Cinder smiles happily as it feels like she might be seeing a way out of this nightmare. She can't pass this up.
~Montage~
Elise is sitting in a lounge while reading a book about the recent science on Auras published by an Atlesian scientist in robotics named Polendina. Her throat then feels dry and before she could get up, Cinder appears out of nowhere with a smile while holding a pitcher of tea.
~
Cinder is holding a tray of food as she walks out of the kitchen and heads towards a dining room where Elise and Rhodes are sitting. While she was passing by a door, it suddenly slams open and smacks Cinder's arm, causing her to lose her grip on the tray as she frantically tries to hold on but she then loses her balance and falls.
Elise and Rhodes look over and see a girl with straight orange hair walk past Cinder as the latter tries to clean up the mess.
Step-sister: oops.
Elise easily knew she wasn't sorry. She even caught a small glimpse of an amused smile from the girl before she walked away. Cinder sighs sadly as she cleans up. Rhodes walks over to help her while Elise glares at the leaving stepsister. Her eyes glow briefly and the stepsister suddenly trips.
Stepsister: what the?!
Elise simply sips her tea as Cinder smirks at the stepsister.
~
As her time at the hotel goes by as days pass, Elise keeps seeing Cinder abused by her step family. They always seem to make it look like Cinder made little accidents but anyone as observant as Elise can see it's obvious. Unfortunately though, Cinder has not given her much reason to really help her yet as the abuse she's been able to see so far has been, regretful to say, bearable in her eyes.
~One day~
Elise exits Rhodes's room one morning. She was planning to head out to meet with a doctor she had read about on the papers that was an expert on robotics. He was apparently experimenting with creating an android with an artificial Aura. Of course, this part isn't public knowledge, it's classified intelligence that the ISB barely got their hands on without getting caught. It may be beneficial to see what Polendina has to say about artificial Auras as that could be very beneficial to Mimar's own android population.
As Elise opens the door to the room, she sees Cinder waiting there for her like a puppy waiting for her owner.
Cinder: Good morning, Miss Aurelia.
Elise: Hello Cinder, did you sleep well? I know you were worked a little hard yesterday.
Cinder: I did, I did....kinda. But anyway, is there anything you need right now?
Elise: No, thank you. I'm heading out.
Cinder: Huh?? For how long?
Elise: Maybe a day or two. I have some business to attend to. After that, I'll be here for one more day before leaving the kingdom.
Cinder: U-um, have you considered what you and Rhodes were talking about before??
Crap, Elise was hoping that wouldn't come up.
Elise: ..... Cinder, you seem like a good girl that was dealt a bad hand but...
Cinder: But??
Elise: I'm not sure if I should make the effort to take you out of here early. You have potential, and you clearly do have problems here, but I haven't seen anything to justify-
Cinder: You don't know what it's like!!
Elise is silenced by Cinder suddenly raising her voice. She's glad that there aren't many guests in this hallway, and that Rhodes is already out, so it's just them two.
Cinder: You don't know what it's like to live hungry simply because people don't like you for no reason... To be beaten, kicked, and spat on for no real reason...to have all of your pride and dignity slowly sucked away from you as you are helpless to fight back. You don't know...
Elise hears her sniffle as she sees tears drop from Cinder's face as she also shakes from perhaps the first time she's ever stood up for herself. Elise felt pity for her, but she still isn't sure about helping her as she soon leaves the hotel to meet with Doctor Polendina. Elise eventually would reach a transport station to take her to the city of Mantle below the floating city of Atlas.
When she reaches Mantle, she walks the streets while still thinking about Cinder's plea for help until she reaches a clinic where a short old lady with optical prosthetics walks out while testing out her implants to make sure they were working. Elise walks into the clinic to meet with the man she came down here for.
~Nighttime~
Cinder is trying to fix a water pipe in a hallway panel that she opened up while the Madame was standing over her. The girl seemed emotionally numbed after her interaction with "Aurelia" earlier. What was she thinking?! Why did she yell at one of her only tickets out of here like that?! Is she really that desperate??
Cinder sighs as she hears the Madame tap her foot on the floor impatiently. Cinder then thinks about how Aurelia was always a long shot. Why should she stick her neck out for a nobody like Cinder?
That line of thought enrages Cinder, causing her to grip the wrench in her hand tightly as she was twisting a bolt. She apparently didn't realize her own strength as the bolt she was turning suddenly came flying off the pipe, causing the pipe to come loose and shoot water at her. Cinder's training kicked in as she quickly dodged the water, but the Madame was behind her and now she was the target of the water.
The Madame screams as she tries blocking the water with her hand.
Madame: Turn it off, turn it off!!
Cinder quickly reaches for the pipe's water valve and shuts off the water flow, but not before the Madame was soaking wet.
Madame: Ugh....
Cinder suddenly then placed a hand over her mouth as she tries in vain to hold back a laugh. The Madame gets only angrier at Cinder a pulls out a small remote that shuts Cinder up and now look at her in fear.
Madame: So, you think it's funny to make a mess like this and cost over a dozen potential customers their water?!
Cinder: No no, wait! I'm sorr-!!
The Madame presses the button on the remote and the crystal on Cinder's necklace starts emitting electricity that shocks Cinder, causing her to scream in pain.
Elise walks back into the hotel after a long day. She managed to talk to Pietro Polendina about his project like she planned....but by the Gods he wouldn't shut up! It was actually cute though to be honest. It's always a pleasure to see someone passionate about their work...even when it becomes somewhat annoying when they talk too much. Anyway, she's looking forward to getting some sleep.
She then hears screaming upstairs as she passed the front desk.
Elise: Hm?
Receptionist: Um, don't worry about that. Someone... must've turned a shower on too hot. That happens a lot.
Elise:...
She starts heading to the floor she heard the screaming from. When she reaches the floor, she follows the screaming to a currently uninhabited hallway and sees Cinder laying on the ground with her hands around her neck as she's being electrocuted by the necklace. Elise then notices the Madame standing over her with a remote that she is pressing on while smiling sadistically.
Madame: You seem to keep forgetting, without me, you are nothing!
Seeing this sight causes Elise's eyes to illuminate its respective eye color. She then dashes toward the Madame and punches her face, knocking her to the ground with a bloody nose. The Madame loses her grip on the remote as she then covers her nose in pain.
Madame: ARGH!! What the hell?!
She looks up to see Elise staring at her coldly. The Madame could FEEL her murderous intent.
Madame: M-Miss Aurelia! I didn't realize that you came back!
Elise: .....
Madame: I-I was just defending myself from Cinder! She tried attacking me with that wrench right there! Such a troubled girl, I don't know why I keep her around!
Elise silently glances at the wrench the Madame pointed it too. However, she also notices the pipe panel open.
Madame: Um-
Elise: Silence
The Madame does so in terror.
Elise: It's clear to me that if I do leave Cinder here for even a year longer, you might actually end up killing her. So in a month, I will be taking her away from here.
Madame: WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! ON WHOSE AUTHORITY?!
Elise's appearance changes to her usual attire and her white hair and purple eyes.
Elise: On the authority of the Queen of Mimar. If you resist, tell anyone, or even lay a finger on Cinder; You'll be dead within the HOUR from an "unfortunate accident." Am. I. CLEAR?
The Madame shrinks in terror as Elise returns to her original look. She looks at Cinder, who is unconscious from the shock, and picks her up and walks away from the Madame.
~An hour later~
Cinder wakes up in her room with Rhodes sitting by the side of her bed as he was asleep.
Cinder: Rhodes?
Hearing Cinder's voice, Rhodes quickly but groggily woke up. He looks at her happily.
Rhodes: Cinder, you're awake!
Cinder: I'm...in my room? When did I...?
Rhodes: Aurelia brought you down here after an incident with your stepmother.
Cinder: Oh...
Now she remembers. She was shocked until she went unconscious. But Aurelia brought her downstairs?
Rhodes: I don't know exactly what happened but Aurelia left.
Cinder lowers her head and pulls her knees up to her chest. Rhodes, however, was still smiling.
Rhodes: You'll be leaving in a month, Cinder!
Cinder looks at Rhodes with surprise in her eyes.
Cinder: What???
Rhodes: Aurelia said that she went home to make the arrangements for you. The Madame was apparently strong-armed into agreeing to terms. She is not to hurt you or she will suffer the consequences. You just need to wait patiently and then you will be free.
Cinder's eyes widen as she smiles happily, more happily than before. She's going to be free. Rhodes then grabs a long box and gives it to Cinder. She tilts her head and looks at him.
Cinder: What is this?
Rhodes: Open it and find out.
Cinder does as instructed and opens the box. She finds a sword in it.
Rhodes: It's a gift for you. It may look like a basic sword, but as a Huntress you will likely have to modify it over time. It will grow and change, just like you will.
Cinder stares at the sword as tears swell up in her eyes as she starts to cry in joy. Rhodes smiles and sits on the bed next to her and gives her a hug just like how a father would.
Just one month.
...
...
...
The Madame couldn't restrain herself for that long.
~The day before the deadline~
The stepsisters rush to their mother in the hotel lobby. The straight-haired one speaks while the curly-haired one grins.
Step Sister: Mom, come quick, we found something. It's Cinder! She has a weapon!
Madame: Hmm.
A clock shows 11:38. Madame follows the stepsisters to Cinder's room. Maybe the fact that Cinder has a weapon will convince the Mimaran Queen to not take away the Madame's little slave. The clock jumps to 11:57. Rhodes enters the hotel to find no one at the front desk.
Rhodes: Hello? Anyone?
A crash is heard. Rhodes runs through an open door. He opens the door to Cinder's room to find the stepsisters dead on the floor, just as the 12:00 bell begins to ring. Cinder holds Madame in the air by her throat, as Madame continuously presses the button on the remote, electric sparks emanating from Cinder's necklace.
Cinder: You're right. Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything.
A crunch is heard, and Madame goes limp. Cinder drops her on the floor.
Rhodes: Cinder.
Cinder looks at Rhodes with a wide-eyed broken smile.
Cinder: I won't have to run now.
He looks at her sadly.
Rhodes: That's all you'll ever do.
Rhodes draws his dual maces. Cinder's expression turns to surprise.
~Two Days Later~
Elise, in her usual appearance, waits in an office inside the palace in the city of Monarchia. She's actually pacing around her office as she is waiting for something or someone.
Elise then hears the door to the office open. She turns around quickly to see Agent Locke walk in.
Elise: What's your report?
Locke: My Queen, our team found four bodies at the Glass Unicorn at 12:38 two days ago. The owner, her two daughters, and Rhodes.
Elise: ..... And Cinder?
Locke: She took a transport out of Atlas to Mistral. She disappeared when it arrived before our agents there could catch her.
Elise is silent as she sits down behind her desk.
Locke: We'll keep you updated.
The ISB Agent bows before walking out and closing the door behind him. Elise sits in her office alone, silently....
~Present day, almost ten years later~
Cinder is silently sitting on the bed in the exchange dorm room for her team. She is staring at her sword, which is the same one Rhodes gave her. It has been modified over the years, just like he said it would. It no longer even looks like what it used to and it could even split into two swords or become a bow.
Midnight. The moment she killed the Madame and started fighting Rhodes was at midnight....it was only fitting her weapon should be called as such.
Cinder sighs thinking about Rhodes. Why did he have to come that night? If he didn't, he wouldn't have died and she wouldn't have had to run from Aurelia's men who came for her. Once they found Rhodes, Cinder knew they would have changed their priority of retrieving her to capture or kill her. After all, Rhodes was Aurelia's friend.
Aurelia....she must be so disappointed in her. But....she understands.....right?
And Cinder's encounter with the Mimaran Queen felt so... familiar. And everything she said.... It felt like things Aurelia would say.
Cinder lays down after planting Midnight nearby. She just wants to forget her past trauma. Under Salem at least, she could finally have the power to never be abused again. She can be feared and powerful.
But is the cost worth it? Would Rhodes approve of what she became?
Maybe not.... he'd see her as a monster.
Cinder closes her eyes to take an afternoon nap. Meanwhile, Elise and Locke were sitting at the courtyard with Claire and three Royal Guards standing nearby.
Locke: What should we do? We finally found her. And too conveniently I might add.
Elise: We do nothing for now. Keep an eye on her and her team, and check her Haven record. Someone like Cinder is a perfect pawn for my mother. I just need to be sure.
Locke: Understood.
Elise sighs and looks at the sky.
~End Part~