It had been a whole 24 hours since Mercury's fight and mistrust was hanging in the air of Vale like a dense fog. The joy of the tournament momentarily stunted by people's disgust of 'What Ozpin was teaching his pupils.' This of course coinciding with the final phase of our plan. It was the day we'd been waiting for. All of our dominoes set in motion and ready to topple. I would say the calm before the storm but it really didn't feel calm. The tension was palpable, doubly so for us I imagine as we knew the hellfire that was about to rain down on Vale that night. I had the feeling this was the last hilltop sunrise I was going to get the chance to experience for a little while. Cinder hadn't told us exactly what the plan was, unsurprisingly, but I knew it had something to do with the Grimm. It wasn't our job to know apparently. We just had to grab Roman and make sure the skies stayed clear of Atlas military. Knowing we were getting Roman back made me the most excited and on board I'd been in weeks. In the back of my mind though, I was still thinking about how this was going to change everything...So much had changed recently.
Neo dropped down from the branches of the tree and took a space next to me, looking forward into the sunrise. "How does it look?" I asked. She answered with a shrug. "Never were one for sentimentality." I said, cracking a smile. "Although even you must be excited about getting him back today."
She turned to me and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah me to. Bet you've been bored out of your mind with just me around." I chuckled. Neo bumped me with her hip and lightly shook her head. "Thanks Neo." I smiled. "Think we should check in with our new overlord?" I grumbled. Neo folded her arms and shook her head. "I'm not looking forward to it either but if we don't go to her, she'll just call us anyway and I don't want her talking down to us over the phone...again." Neo's shoulders slumped as she turned and began heading back to town. I sighed deeply as I trudged along behind her. Getting Roman back was going to be a godsend. I'd tried to keep mine and Neo's spirits up but I knew we were both miserable and had been this whole time. If it wasn't for the promise of violence and getting Roman back, I'm not sure Neo would have stuck around, no matter how much torturous death Cinder threatened.
We silently made our way back to the emptying warehouse and slipped inside. Cinder, Mercury and Emerald were gathered in the usual meeting area with Merc seemingly working on his leg. I could hear news report about the drastically increasing Grimm activity, meaning Cinder's plan to rile up the beasts with negativity was working. The program shut off and I heard Mercury complain as me and Neo rounded the corner. Met with the chilling voice of our leader. "Enough. Our Mercury put on a wonderful show, he was quite brave."
"Oh look who else decided to show up."
"Bite me legless."
Mercury grumbled. "These things aren't exactly cheap you know. You said everything was fine."
I scowled. "You can still walk right?"
"Don't squabble." Cinder commanded. "We're almost done and then I'm sure you'll be happy to part company."
"Music to my ears." I muttered to Neo.
Emerald spoke up now, "So what's next?"
"You and I will ensure that our next match up goes just as smoothly."
"What about me?' said Mercury.
"You get to lay low until the end." Cinder answered, "We wouldn't want people to see you on your feet and have this all be for naught now would we."
"Can do."
I chuckled. "Sitting on his ass, I think we found Mercuries secret talent." A burning grip clamped on my shoulder. "Fuuuck me. Why do you feel the need to keep doing that?" the grasp tightened and I winced. I saw Neo stepping forward, reaching for her blade handle. I moved between her and Cinder. It felt great that Neo wanted to defend me but I didn't want her to get herself hurt. "Ok ok I'm sorry, I'll stop." the hand let go and I went to rub my shoulder but Neo's hand got there first with a surprisingly soothing touch.
Cinders voice snaked into my ear. "You two have some preparing to do. A friend of ours is getting out of incarceration early for good behavior."
My nerves still scolding I nodded, "Yep, yea, got it. We'll, we'll go get him."
"Good." Cinder and Emerald walked away
I heard Mercuries snicker as me and Neo headed outside, I wanted to turn around and break the other leg, but we were so close to the finish line now, I had to keep my cool. "I can't wait for all this bullshit to finally be over." I spat. Neo finished rubbing my shoulder and moved her hand to my chin, turning my face to her direction. She nodded, with purpose and drive. A nod that said 'lets finish it then.' I smiled and carried on walking, briefly touching her forearm as a thank you for her support. "Alright, lets go over it one more time. Cinder is gonna cause some kind of chaos at the stadium that's gonna drive the Grimm over the edge and bring them swarming. Beacon academy is gonna be held at bay by Taurus and the white fang while Cinder goes and grabs whatever she needs from Ozpins basement. I swear if all this was for some stupid, petty trinket."
Neo dragged her thumb across her neck. "Exactly." I nodded. "I don't care how much fire that bitch throws, if this was all for nothing, she's getting a blade through the gut." Neo rubbed my shoulder, almost like a respectful sign of encouragement from a violent sociopath, admiring my bloodlust.
She's adorable.
"Anyway, meanwhile, me and you use that handy semblance of yours to wear Atlas uniforms, sneak aboard the ship they're keeping Roman in before they take off. Cut some throats, free our boy and take hold of the skies. Easy."
Neo nodded encouragingly. "Guess all we do now is hide out at the shipping yard." We stood still and silent for a few moments. "Unless you want breakfast first?" Neo nodded before I even finished my sentence and skipped off into town. I smiled and followed on.
After the most important meal of the day, before the diner we stole it from probably got destroyed later, we headed to the shipping yard. It was pretty makeshift, considering how Atlas had only just moved to town. Thankfully, that made security pretty simplistic as well. Guess Atlas just thought nobody was mad enough to break in. Nobody ever suspects these two maniacs though. Crouched in the bushes on the perimeter, we could see 3 ships on the inside and a small building, probably converted into some kind of office. I zeroed in on the auras within the ships and my heart dropped when I couldn't detect Roman. "Shit. Roman's not here." Neo cocked her head to the side as if asking if I was serious. "Maybe he's being kept somewhere else or something." I started to think of how we could find him and remembered how obsessed Atlas is with data.
"Ships logs are most likely in there." I pointed at the small building. "That'll tell us where he is. There's probably guards though." Neo went for her blade and I gently grabbed her wrist. "If bodies turn up before the plan starts then it could all go to shit and Cinder won't be happy." Neo sulked like a teenager and I tried to come up with something at the very least a little entertaining. "Grimm numbers are on the rise right? So, spotting a stray in the city would be cause for panic but...not too much panic."
I smiled at Neo. She nodded and stood to focus her Semblance. I heard a whoosh through the air followed by yells and shouts from inside the yard as auras all began moving across the grounds, guns aimed in the air. I knew my window wasn't long so I leapt over the fence as soon as it wasn't being watched and crept up to the window of the small building. The two auras inside were at the door on the opposite end of the room, probably looking at the commotion outside. I focused my semblance into electronics, quickly getting a read on the computer. I turned the screen towards the window and felt like kicking myself in the ass. I had somehow, some way, forgotten that I couldn't read.
A deep pit of dread began forming in my stomach as Neo's illusion faded and auras began to return to posts, seemingly content that the threat was neutralized or had flown away. I thanked the brothers that Roman had thought it necessary to show me where the camera function on my scroll was. I snapped a picture of the screen as best I could before shifting the computer back into place and skedaddled back to the fence, hopping over into the bushes with seconds to spare. I limply held up my scroll to the probably confused Neo. "Got it."
Hours later I was woken up by a punch to the shoulder and a hand thrust in my face. Neo was holding something right in front of my eyes and even in my delirium, I had enough sense for sarcasm. "Neo, we've been friends awhile now and I think its time I tell you...I'm blind." Her response was a yank to my ear, indicating that I should listen. I very quickly realized who I was listening to and what it meant.
Cinder. The plan had worked. I could practically feel the despair, no doubt drawing in a horde of Grimm. Cinder was making her final speech before the attack, no doubt rehearsed over and over.
"They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is teaching his students? First, a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither."
I wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about but she spoke with the most smug conviction I'd heard yet.
"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong, but I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is equally undesirable."
A new sound flooded my ears. Ships preparing to take off. I grabbed my cane, me and Neo exchanged Nods and she semblanced our disguises as we hopped the fence. Stealthily joining the last few boarding crew members as the doors closed behind us.
"Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So, I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do you think you can trust?"
This one was a LOOOOOOONG time coming. University tends to let time get away from you and I've found sticking to a writing schedule has been far more difficult then anticipated. But I'm back, hopefully and I hope it was worth the wait. The battle of Vale and Beacon is upon us as is the climactic finale of volume 3. Along with all the heart wrenching circumstances.
I'll see you in the finale.