This time It wasn't evening as I stood on my hilltop. I was feeling the suns rays on my face as it rose instead of fell. This time, I also wasn't alone. Neo stood beside me. We hadn't moved or even made a sound for almost half an hour. It felt like eternity though and with how peaceful it was, I wouldn't have complained. Just being there beside her, I couldn't explain it but it just made me feel secure. Finally I broke the silence.
"Next match will be starting soon"
Neo turned to me and nodded. "What do you say we go take in a show?" She folded her arms and cocked her head. "Don't worry" I continued with a grin. "I'll be sure to remain unseen this time" Neo took a deep silent breath and shook her head slightly, before heading off down the hill and gesturing for me to follow. "That's the spirit" I chuckled. "May as well take in some entertainment while we're not informed of the plan"
We slipped our way onto a transport, Neo's semblance and my blindness as our disguises. We made sure to arrive after most of the crowd was seated. Having to walk through that would have made my brain bleed. We stood apart from everyone else where Neo could see the monitors and I could still sense what was happening in the arena. I'll admit I little surprise when all four of the auras were familiar.
Mercury and Emerald vs That girl with the minigun and her 7 foot friend. I may not have known Cinders full plan but I had the feeling that after the close encounters I'd had, she was removing dangerous pieces from the board. If these kids were to busy nursing wounds then they wouldn't be paying attention to underground criminal activity.
And as much as I hated those two little shits, it was entertaining to watch them kick ass all over the place. Also further enlightening to me at how good these two were. I could definitely see why Cinder kept them around. They used a perfect combination of stealth, speed, power and ferocity. You could tell that they had learnt to be merciless in their own special way. Emerald fought to survive. Careful, measured and tactical. Whereas Mercury. The kid was cold almost sadistic. He didn't care how much he hurt someone.
Suffice to say the school kids didn't stand a chance.
Neo seemed a little bored at the spectacle so we decided to not join our fellow teammates celebrations and just catch a ship back to Vale with as few passengers as possible. And then we wait.....and wait and wait and
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE" I threw the fire dust crystal against the wall with instant regret as the explosion ripped my ears "FUUUUUCK"
I heard a familiar snicker behind me. "Someone's getting impatient" Mercury sneered.
I felt my grip on my cane tighten. "Someone's still an asshole." I heard him scoff as I turned around. "Feeling cocky after your big win?"
Emerald chimed in. "At least we were out there doing something"
"Trust me, the last thing I want is to be cooped up in here. I'm sick and tired of not looking at this place!" I felt a sharp, quick pain as Neo snapped Hush against the back of my legs "Shit, brothers sake Neo" I turned to get in her face but her cross armed figure spoke 100 words, so I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth and nodded. "I'm calm, I'm calm, I am calm"
"Tell your face" Emerald giggled. I took another deep breath that turned into a growl half way through.
"If you're so desperate to make yourself useful. I have something for you, my sensory impaired friends"
The voice pierced me like a dagger, same as always. I looked up to see Cinder burning aura on the walkway above. "Do you always have to make a dramatic and foreboding entrance?" I didn't need sight to know she was glaring down on me with burning eyes. "So uh, something you had for us?"
"Qrow Branwen"
"The Huntsman? What about him?"
"I want you to watch him, his every move. I want to know what he's doing and who he is with"
"Doing surveillance one of the most notoriously skilled and powerful Huntsman in all of Revenant. Easy"
"He should be around the school, likely with Ozpin"
I looked to Neo and she was already on her way out. I followed close behind.
Mercury folded his arms and snickered. "If anyone can keep an EYE on him its you"
Neo shoulder barged him as she went. A small gesture of comradery but one greatly appreciated as I smirked my way past those insufferable shits.
Me and Neo made our way up to the school. It wasn't as crowded as before, everyone was either inside or enjoying festival. "How are we supposed to get all the way up to Ozpins office without being seen" Neo just shrugged in response. "Real helpful Neo." I rubbed my temple, trying to think. "If I knew his aura then I could amplify my semblance to find him but I have no idea what to look for." Neo shook her head and I heard the shimmering sound of her semblance activating. "Is this going to help us?"
She just smacked me on the shoulder in response and skipped away. "I'll just stay here shall I? Alone. By myself..........Now I'm talking to myself.....Great"
I woke up to a kick in the shin, didn't even have to sense to know who it was. "Did you get anything?" She yanked me off my feet and dragged me a few feet away, placing my hand on a wall. "Is the wall going to help?" She grabbed my wrist to guide my hand.
V
G
A
M
E
S
"V games? Does the V stand for something?" She nodded. "When I said I wanted a job to do, I didn't mean bloody charades.......Video games" Another nod. "I don't think I even wanna know"
Nothing left to do but wait for him to make a move. So we waited and waited and waited. Deep into the evening. Me and Neo never really needed talk. We understood each other on a different level, we didn't mind the silence.
"I miss Roman"
Neo nodded in agreement. "We've only ever had each other. Me, you and him. Everyone that we're doing, its not teamwork, its not the same. Especially without him" Neo just gave me a side glance before turning back towards the school. I chuckled. "I'm trying to have a moment here, I know you're not one for the sappy stuff but you could at least humor me" She just punched me on the shoulder "Thanks. I know that's your term of endearment" We stood side by side, Neo looking off at the school. I could feel the sun rising behind it. "We could just run ya know. Away from Cinder. All of this......but not without him" I buried my face in my hand. "I'm sorry, I know you don't-" My words came to a stop as a felt something else on my shoulder. Not a punch, the complete opposite.
Neo rested her head on me and I couldn't help but take in a small, shaky breath. I hesitated for what felt like an hour before slowly moving my arm up and around her shoulders. She didn't flinch or move she just...let me. We stood in silence again for almost an hour, as the sun fully set in the distance.
A sudden clarity hit me. "Wait a minute. If Qrow is one of Ozpins right hands. I don't need to know his aura, I just need to see who's in Ozpins office" I turned to Neo, grinning. "Shall we?"
Neo practically cartwheeled into a sprint and I followed directly behind. We slowed into a creep as we approached the school, moving against the back wall. "This is gonna be a headache" I placed my hand against the wall and focused as much of my aura as possible into my semblance. I could already feel the strain, my blood flowing, heart pounding as my head started to throb. "Come on, come on. Just got to find them" I could feel my semblance snaking up the sides of the school. My senses on the hunt, searching. Until eventually, with my semblance pulled to the edges of capability, I found the office and locked onto three auras. I let out a deep breath as I relaxed my semblance. I had them now, less focused was required to just watch them. Three figures in the room. All three very powerful. One was female. The weakest of the three but still burning with potential. One leant against the wall. Male, powerful, honed, rough. Must be Branwen. But Ozpin. That mans aura was impossible. I never felt power like it. Layers upon layers of energy. It was barely an aura. It felt like raw power. After a minute or two, another pair of auras entered range. I was far to weak to make any analysis, but I knew they were there. After another minute I could feel my aura screaming. They all piled onto an elevator, I knew because it started moving down with speed. I tensed my whole being to keep track of them. I couldn't hold it any longer and I felt my aura dissipate. But just before it did, the auras vanished....beneath the school.
I stumbled backwards, keeling over onto the ground. Neo immediately knelt at my side. "What the fu-"
"Beneath the school? You're certain"
"Positive. They took the elevator and it went all the way down under the ground level"
"All this time....right under our feet" Cinder muttered. Not at all conspicuous or ominous.
"I'm guessing it won't get me anywhere to ask what that means"
The malicious intent in her voice was clear "It means everything is in place"