Chapter 36: A crown with hidden thorns

On the outskirts of Vale, Cinder stood glaring down at the city as she drained a soft drink. It was much later then she should have been gone, but seeing as Amber had never said when she should come back, she decided to stay as long as she wanted. (Yes, she was being petty.)

She had found a nice lookout with a single bench and a vending machine. It used to be a tourist attraction, but then those stupid angles moved in and the only to get to it was through their turf. And given it was out of cell service, nobody dared to come out here anymore.

It was the perfect place to be alone, something Cinder definitely wanted. She was so mad at Amber right now she didn't want anyone around to bother her.

Where did that ditz get off?! Punishing her for giving that mouthy bastard what he deserved! She had given her the perfect solution to getting off scot free! A few more minutes of roughing that stupid singer up and he'd be so scared he wouldn't squeal for the rest of his life!

But no! She had to be a better person and all that crap! Why couldn't she see all those stupid morals and codes did nothing but hold people back?! It was why heroes always died! If they just used their heads instead of trying to get useless idiots out of trouble then maybe they would still be alive!

Why were other people so stupid?!

Cinder slammed her fist into the vending machine, causing it to spit out another free can, joining the large pile at the base of the machine.

"So, do you hate technology or just that machine?"

Cinder let out a groan at the voice as she slammed her head against the machine. Today was not her day! First Amber and now him?! Why?! Hadn't she suffered enough?!"

"Go away, Fang." She grunted as the boy walked past her to the bench. "I do not have the patience for this right now."

"Hey, I've been coming out here since before I started Beacon. And I never saw you here before tonight. I think that means I have the right to stay here if I want." He said calmly as he sat down on the bench and pulled a board out of his backpack and set it down next to him. "So normally, I'd say you can go, but given we've both had rough days, why don't you stay and we can vent together?"

Confused, Cinder turned around and immediately upon seeing Fangs's face, she let out a mad howl of laughter!

"Hahah! W-what the hell happened to you?!" She yelled, pointed at the huge back eye covering a fourth of the boy's face. "You look like a panda! Hahahah! Why the hell isn't haven't you heal it yet! Hahahah!"

Fang, with an unamused expression, continued to step up the board he had brought with him.

"Long story short, Dudley, my teammate, got a brilliant idea to try to peep on showers at Beacon. His partner, Dee, went with him." Fang explained, not bothering to hide his irritation. "Wonder upon them by accident right when they were caught. And because Ozpin loudly calls your name when you make a team, they thought I was in on it. The rest is history."

Fang glared at Cinder who had doubled over laughing. Her hands clenched her sides as she blatantly roared at him before she fell over and continued to laugh, much to his annoyance.

After a few seconds, the dark haired girl pulled herself off the ground and wiped some tears out of her eyes.

"Man, I need that." She gasped. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? What made you think it was a good idea to hang around losers like that?"

Fang didn't reply, instead turning back to the board, which Cinder got a good look at for the first time. It was an extremely nice chess board that must have been expensive. Not as expensive as some, but definitely more expensive than your standard. The wood was hand carved and the pieces were custom made. It was also noticeable warn, but well cared for. It must be quite old.

"You like chess?" Cinder asked, walking over and looking down at the board. "Looks like you've got a nice set. How much did you spend on it?"

Fang let out a chuckle as he finished setting the pieces. "It was my mother's." He said simply and immediately Cinder felt guilt fill her gut. That explained a lot.

"Sorry." She said turning away. "I didn't know."

But despite her apology, Fang just waved it off. "Don't worry about it." He said calmly. "I'm not so immature that I'm going to start crying whenever she's mentioned. She taught me everything I know about the game and I'm proud of my skill."

Cinder let out a chuckle at his words as she turned back around. "You're a surprising breed these days. Most people get upset over practically nothing, then blame someone else for their stupidity."

Fang raised an eyebrow at her words.

"You talking about yourself? Because I'm pretty sure you just described yourself to the letter."

He ducked laughing as a glass dagger was thrown at his head. Ignoring the scowling girl shooting him a death glare.

"Not today." She said shortly, still glaring at him. "I really don't have the patience for that right now. So just put a sock in it."

Fang straightens back up, completely unfazed by the attack.

"If you insist." He said calmly. "But being perfectly blunt, I find your conversation skills a bit lacking. So I don't suppose I could challenge you to a game? That way, we might be able to talk without blades flying past my head."

Cinder rolled her eyes. She didn't really want to, but she still didn't want to go back yet. And maybe a game would take her mind off today's events.

"Fine." She grunted, taking a seat across from him.

"You play often?" Fang asked as he spun the board so Cinder got the white side, to which the girl simply shook her head.

"Summer tried to get me into it, but I never got the appeal." She answered honestly. "She said it teaches strategy and tactics for real battles, but I didn't understand. Both sides have the same pieces and the same abilities, so it doesn't emulate a real battle at all. And what's with the stupid rule that you hit a piece once and it goes down without any trouble? If I was a chess piece, it would take a lot more than a single attack to take me out."

Fang let out another chuckle as he leaned back, watching Cinder move a piece to the center of the board.

"You're thinking about it wrong, that's why you can't see it." He said, mimicking her move. "Instead of looking at the pieces as individuals, think of them as a team or a part of a bigger plan as chess doesn't simulate a single battle, but a much larger conflict."

"Ugg! You sound just like Summer!" Cinder groaned as she moved another piece. "How about you stop talking like you are so much smarter and just explain it like a normal person! I hate listening to metaphors and long winded philosophies that make no sense!"

"Alright, how about an example?" Fang said as he moved a different piece, putting pressure on her center line. "Think of it like a mission. You have your orders and you have to figure out a way to the objective. Your pieces are the resources you have at your disposal with varying degrees of rarity. And while it obviously won't be a one to one exactly, it will teach you how to think about risk, reward, bait, and resources."

Seeing Cinder begin to roll her eyes again, Fang immediately pressed on to explain what he meant.

"Let's say, you have a mission to break down a city wall so the rest of your army can invade. To do this, you brought one big battering ram and several explosives. In this simple scenario, your battering ram would be your queen. It's large, bulky, the easiest way to complete your object, and most importantly, the thing your opponents are going to take big risks trying to take out."

Immediately Cinder's head shot up in surprise. She couldn't believe what he had just said.

"Bait? The queen? The strongest piece in the game? Your joking right?" She asked, completely bewildered. "Why would you ever sacrifice the strongest resources you have? That sounds like a fool's gambit if you ask me."

"Should have seen that argument coming from you." Fang said with a chuckle, making Cinder smelt another knife. "Strength alone isn't enough. It doesn't matter if you have the strongest piece in play if you don't have anything to support it. Better to have more pieces that can be moved into whatever position you want then a single piece that the enemy will notice right away. But because of the fact they will want to deny you that piece-"

"They'll do whatever it takes to remove it, even take big risks to get it." Cinder said as she looked down at the board again. And suddenly it looked so very different. Fang's explanation made sense, in a real battle, it was all about outcomes. So even if you lost your most valuable asset, if you completed your objective, then it didn't matter if you had all your pieces/resources.

But…

"So what about the rest of the board?" Cinder asked, sweeping her hand over it. "It's still unrealistic that both sides have the same resources or forces. So how is that represented? In a real situation, one side will always have the upper hand. Meaning this is still illogical."

Cinder smirked at Fang thinking she had got him, but to her surprise, the boy just grinned as he moved another piece to the far side of the board.

"I'll admit, in a real battle you won't get these types of clean cut boards. But, that's the fun part of the game." He had an unusual excited expression on his face as he continued to speak about the game, a passion Cinder hadn't seen from him before. He must really like this game to be acting like this.

"If I were to ask you what the most efficient way to get the king in Checkmate, knowing you, you'd probably answer something along the lines of capturing all the pieces to win." Cinder opened her mouth to protest, but stopped short when she realized that was always her strategy when playing chess.

With a huff, she made an aggressive move to try to take the middle and let him continue.

"See, the most efficient way to win is to trap your opponent's king in between their own pieces. They can't capture them, meaning you can trap them without risking your own pieces and it takes less time than setting up your own formation. That also means your opponent isn't as likely to notice." Fang moved a knight to the center while making sure Cinder couldn't capture it and threatening her bishop, forcing her to advance it.

"This applies to real life combat as well." Fang said, making another move into her right wing, this time taking one of her pawns. "Instead of wasting energy fighting until the last man is standing, you should pin your enemies in between themselves and take them out. So going back to our hypothetical scenario, what I'd do under those conditions is make some very obvious play to move the battering ram to the wall to draw the attention of the main force, then have my other forces focus on the far side of the wall to divide their army, then use my explosives to blow the wall at a weaker defended side. Meaning the one side I wasn't attacking. Once it was opened, I'd flood my men into the breach, pinning the enemy and forcing them to fight on multiple fronts until the main unit showed up."

Cinder blinked at him as he finished his explanation. He had explained everything so rationally she couldn't even argue about it. And the way he calmly fitted a strategy into their made up battle so easily was impressive. She would never have thought of something like that. She'd probably use all her resources to just blast through with the battering ram.

Sure, his answer had some obvious problems, but she could still see the logic behind it. And given how little time he had, she knew if you gave him the proper amount of time, he'd probably be able to iron them out.

"And here I thought Amber was supposed to be the smart one in our class." Cinder said as she took his rook. "But given how quickly you answer the question, it sounds like you have her best by a mile."

The white haired boy let out a chuckle, making a careless move with his queen. "I don't think so." He said as Cinder began moving to take it. "Amber is better at this stuff than me. Sure, I can think and strategize, but she's much faster thinking on her feet. Being able to adapt and change with the flow of battle is a much more important skill than just laying battle plan in a safe environment. And when it comes down to it, I don't think there's anybody who's a faster thinker than Amber."

Cinder snorted as she took his pawn with her knight while putting it in position to take the queen. "You serious? Amber can't think her way out of a cardboard box! Honestly, it pisses me off how short sighted she is! She thinks I'm an idiot who acts impulsively! I actually have plans of my own even if she can't see them! Check."

Fang blocked her bishop with his knight. "Let me guess, your plan involved something violent? Something that you tried to string arm and beat into submission? Because if I'm being blunt, she probably did."

"If she did, she should have shown it!" Cinder snapped as she took Fang's queen. "I had that situation under control, but no! She has to do things her way! And now she's probably gotten us both expelled! If she just let me scare him into silence then everything would have been fine!"

"That bad, huh? Well, it's just my opinion, but have you tried looking at it from her position?" He asked, moving his center knight deeper into her territory. "She's the team leader, she has to think about everything. So if she shot down your plan without even wanting to hear it, I imagine she had a good reason."

"Except she didn't!" Cinder huffed moving another piece to try for the king again. "I explained it perfectly and what does she say?! That she doesn't have the energy to deal with me! Like I'm so stupid little brat! If I just had a few more minutes to intimidate that annoying pest, everything would have been fine! My plans have always worked before, so why couldn't she just let me handle it?!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything." He said, making Cinder's blood boil. But before she could say something, Fang's Rook shot across the field taking out her pawn that she had set up to protect her king, putting her in check. And to her complete surprise, she had trapped her king between all her pieces in such a way that next move was Checkmate!

"How did you-?" Cinder said bewildered as Fang just smirked at her.

"Your plans are all offense, no back up." He said calmly. "That's why Amber wasn't willing to let you take over. If you couldn't do your job, they would have no back up, no way to get back into the game. She knew that and I'm guessing she knew it was a better idea to try to repair the damage instead of letting you try your way."

"I told you my plans-!"

"They clearly do." Fang cut in gesturing to the board. "You think you can't lose, but what happens when your plans fail you? What happens when it's not enough? If you only go on the offense every time, you're going to push yourself and your team to their limit and get them killed. Being a huntress isn't a game. It's not something so easy that you can do whatever you want after getting the title. You lost this game, but what happens when these aren't pieces in a game? What happens when these are lives, you're included? What happens when you lose that game huh?"

"I won't-!"

"You might and you can! You're not invisible!" Fang snapped, glaring daggers at her. "You think you can beat the Phantom like this?! The way you are now, he'll kill you and not even remember your face! Remember what he did?! How easily he conquered an entire kingdom without making a sound?! How do you plan to beat him, huh?! Run at him and beat him until he falls over?!"

Immediately Cinder bit her lip at his words. The Phantom. Hearing that word again sent her heart rate into the sky! Her hands clenched into a fist as she glared at Fang. She hated this! She hated feeling so weak! She had sworn never to feel helpless ever again, yet no matter how much she trained, or how strong she got, there was always something eating away at her.

Yang, traumatized so much she had given up on her dream.

Her humiliation at the hands of the leader of the Enlighten Seraphim.

Amber not to trust her judgment and treating her like a child.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, Cinder turned to glare out over Vale, unable to look at Fang anymore.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" She said in a tired voice. No longer carrying all her bluster and bravado. Now betraying the weight of her failure that she felt pile up since she graduated Signal. Back then, she had been top of her class and ready for anything. Now having to deal with threats and instability the likes of which hadn't been seen in years, the eighteenth year old seemed so small.

But Fang was no stranger to that feeling. He knew all too well the feeling of having to lug a burden much too heavy for your age. Most people in their generation were. So many have to bear the weight of the sins passed onto them by their parents or their kingdoms.

So much pointless pain.

Standing up, Fang made his way to the vending machine and picked up a can.

"If you want my advice, stop running from the problem you faced. Whatever it is, go back to Amber and talk things out with her. Then and only then will the problem disappear."

A gentle breeze blew through the overlook. The cold air blew against her face and while this would normally make the girl feel at peace, today it carried a voice of her past she was desperate to leave behind.

"All you'll ever do is run…"

"I'm not running!" Cinder snapped, (more at the voice that whispered from the breeze then Fang) as she leapt to her feet "She ordered me out. I just followed her instructions!"

"I think we both know you're not the type to listen to orders." Fang said. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be on a long term mission right now? You have every right to return to your camp whenever you want."

"I know!" Cinder grunted. "I just…I don't think I'm really in the mood right now for talking with her. I…I think I'm going to blow off some more steam before heading back." She closed her eyes with a sigh as she snuck back down to the bench.

She wanted things to be fine with Amber, she really did! And while she'd never say it out loud, she actually liked the girl. But that goody-two-shoes routine always drove her crazy! Rules this! Right thing that! It was so infuriating! Why couldn't she just see that sometimes the violence was the answer?! Especially when it came to dealing with dicks like Jiao!

"Well, if you're going to stay, why don't we play another round?" Fang said, surprising Cinder. She had expected him to tell her off, not offer to let her stay.

"There's nothing wrong with still being angry and needing time and distance to calm down. That's natural. And the main reason I come out here. Well, that and doing something to take your mind off things. Rest is important."

Fang sat back down on the bench and began setting up the pieces again. But as she watched him, Cinder slowly smiled as she shifted around to face him.

"Fine. I want to reclaim my pride anyway." She said, reaching out to help him. "And just so you know, when I beat you, I'm sooo going to rub this in your face. Making people eat their words is my specialty!"

"Then put your money where your mouth is." He shot back with a grin. "Keep trying and maybe you'll get lucky. Because there's no way you're beating me at my game."

The two finished setting up the board and looked up, grinning at each other. Both were looking forward to putting the other in their place. And as the game began, Cinder found that Fang was right. This was helping her calm down.

______________________

Meanwhile at Music Fest.

Amber set staring at the cameras in the deserted security both. Eric had been able to heal Jiao without leaving a mark on his neck, which had completely impressed her. She knew he had used it to save Adam's life, but she never imagined he was this effective.

Surprisingly, team AACE hadn't been fired on the spot. Instead, Jiao had said he would speak with his manager to decide what to do with them. Right now she could see them in a private room in one of the theaters. Cinder's assault had clearly rattled them as they had even locked all the doors to the room they were in.

They were in the midst of a heated discussion that made the other two members look slightly more upset than usual. She wondered exactly what the account of the attack was and if Jiao had been entirely truthful of the servomechanisms. Thought she didn't think he had.

For all her nice words, she was already getting sick of these four and couldn't wait to leave and never see them again! She just hoped it would be at the end of the week and not tomorrow morning.

Amber was ripped from her thoughts as the door swung open. At first, she thought it was the security guy coming back from his lunch, but it was too early for him to be back, right?

But as she turned around, she nearly jumped out of her seat!

"M-Mr. Howard?! W-what are you doing here?!" She said, stammering in surprise. She knew he was one of the sponsors of Music Feat, but she had never dreamed of seeing him in the employee area this late at night.

"I was informed that one of my logos had a racist symbol for people from Vacuo. So I came to have it taken down. Then I came here to make sure there aren't any more floating around." He explained. "I'm not the huntsman I used to be. Can't go running around the whole event like I used to. The fact I'm still alive is a blessing as is. So I make sure to take it easy. Being in your late sixty sucks!"

Amber laughed at his joke before turning back to the cameras. She knew he was far past the age where most huntsmen had to retire. The fact he survived that last mission at all was a testament to his strength and resolve.

"So, what brings you here?" Howard asked as he looked at a map, marking some that he thought might have the symbol. "Unless I'm mistaken, your team was supposed to be on your mission all week."

"Our mission is guarding a band." Amber replied, eyes still scanning the area around the Three Dragons, looking for any threats. Eric was just outside the building, but with Adam on break and Cinder still missing, so there were several holes in their defenses.

"Sounds rough." Howard said as he looked at the screens she was watching intently. "Celebrities always attract kidnappers and thieves. And most of the time, they are insurable to boot. And this is your first mission right? I certainly don't envy you."

Amber let out a sigh as she looked back at the room they were in. "Well, I'm not sure if it'll be my problem for much longer." She said defeatedly, immediately making the old man look over at her.

"Something wrong?" He asked and the girl's head slumped against the desk where she buried it under her arms in response.

"I'm a horrible leader." She said, her muffled voice concealing her despair and hopelessness. "I can't give orders, I can't control my team, the mission is falling apart on my watch and there's nothing I can do to stop it! I just-! It's so frustrating watching everything you worked for crumbling around and being unable to stop it!"

Amber let out a frustrated groan as she buried her face deeper in her arms, she knew she was acting like a child, but after the weeks upon weeks of stress and anxiety she had suffered since Professor Ozpin had named her leader was finally starting to tip her over the edge!

Mr. Howard looked down at the sad girl. She was clearly in over her head and her teammates weren't helping. The poor thing had been forced into a position she never asked for and didn't want. For what must be the thousandth time, the old man cursed Ozpin and how he always put so much pressure on top of people without so much as an ounce of preparation.

But he could at least help this one girl here today and start the long process of fixing what the bastard had broken.

"The burden of leadership is a crown many want, as they are unaware that thorns sit within." He spoke gently as he pulled a chair to himself and sat down. "But it has been forced upon me and thus I must decide for myself what the future holds for both myself and those who would see me hang. Do you know where this quote is from?"

"Emperor Bolin, the last emperor of Minstrel who took the throne at the age of seventeen." Amber said immediately without looking up. "He made the controversial decision to surrender to Vale during the Great War, effectively ending any chance Atlas had of winning."

"Correct." Mr. Howard said, leaning forward in his chair. "And do you know what his second most important act was? Abolishing the monarchy and creating the electoral process they use now. That new system is what split Atlas to begin with and resulted in the people's republic being formed."

"Which played a key role in the defeat of the monarchy. Yes, I'm aware." Amber had a bit of a bite in her voice, but right now she was just too tired to care. "I like a history trivia game as much as the next nerd, but I don't see how this has any relevance to my current situation."

"Because you're not seeing leadership for what it is." Mr. Howard exclaimed. "You think you have to do everything yourself to shield those under you when things go south. That's not how leadership works."

Amber turned her head so she was facing the man as he spoke. He wasn't completely right, but he was close enough that it hit very close to home for her.

"A leader needs to assign responsibility to those under them, not take everything for themselves. Sure, you need to make sure they have everything they need for it and that they're the right person for the job. But that's how leadership works." Amber was listening intently at this point. She had thought about it like that before. She knew several huntsmen just abused the position and she had been determined not to become like them, but now that she thought about it, she had never really thought about what being a leader actually meant. She was just so used to being alone, doing everything herself had just become her natural instinct.

"After they are assigned, you have to hold them responsible for whatever task they were doing. If you do everything yourself, then your team will just think, oh, well Amber's just going to do it anyway so I don't have to try. I can not stress that last part enough, always hold them accountable for their jobs."

Amber didn't say anything. Turning her attention back to the security cameras.

"How?" She asked after a few seconds. "How are you supposed to do that? Beat them black and blue? Because that's not the kind of person I want to be. Huntsmen are supposed to carry themselves with honor and mercy, not a tight fist of control. That's for dictators."

Mr. Howard chuckled at her question which did not give her much confidence.

"Unfortunately, things are never that simple." He said plainly. "I wish it was that easy, but if you do, then all that will do is breed resentment and make the team eventually fall apart. As for what you should do, I suggest talking to them. Make them understand why they can't do whatever they do. And if they do it again, well, as leader, you have the power to ground them before a mission. That tends to work wonders."

Ground them? Like ban them from mission? That seems so harsh!" Amber protested, but Mr. Howard simply gave a nod.

"It is." He said. "That's the point. After graduation, you'll be thrown into life or death situations in every job you take. And if you have an insubordinate teammate, innocences tends to pay the price. That is something you can afford to risk."

He paused for a moment as he studied the girl. Then, he pressed on, speaking slowly and gently so as not to startle her.

"I get why you're so against violence as a solution. I…I read about what happened to your village. You want through something no ten year old should. But you need to understand, what happened isn't your fault."

Amber felt her chest tighten like it did whenever she had this conversation. A mix of sadness and anger fill her stomach at his words, the same words she always heard. 'It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. Sometimes things happen, but you have to move on.' She was so sick of hearing that over and over again! They didn't know what had happened! They weren't there! She had been the only survivor and in a moment of her cowardice, she had lied to the huntsmen who found her and wrote that damn report!

She wished everyone would just shut up and stop telling her how she should feel about it! She hated it so much! They didn't know what happened! They didn't know what she did! She was so SICK of constantly being told she was innocent by people who had no idea what they were talking about! She just wanted to scream at them! To grab them by their collars and beat just a little bit of her pain into them to make them stop!

But she didn't.

Instead, she forced that same stupid goofy smile people so readily excepted and lowered her voice to her normal pitch. Even as tired as she was, she had mastered the art of lying. Something both Cinder and Adam could use some work on. Seriously, the fact he actually thought she hadn't noticed the suspicious way the Three Dragons were acting was insulting!

"Yeah, I know." She said, lying through her smile as always. "Don't worry about me. I've been working with my therapist on any survivor's guilt I might still have. They've been very helpful and thanks to them, I've been healing very well."

She stood up and gave him an appreciative bow, catching the older man off guard.

"But thanks for your advice. I'll talk with my team later tonight and hopefully tomorrow, we'll still have the mission." That's right. Change the subject before they could start poking at her lies. Even the sharpest people could be thrown a little off by this method and not want to press her on a personal subject they had just finished speaking about.

And seeing as people liked to avoid trouble, they always bought her goofy little girl act.

"It's an honor to have a living legend giving me advice!" All her own lies were starting to make her feel nauseous, but she pressed on anyway. "I'll make sure to do you proud! Your advice won't go to waste!"

Mr. Howard smiled at her as he too stood. "I'm glad my advice was helpful. I know a smart girl like you will put it to good use."

With that he turned and began making his way to the door, pausing as it slid open.

"If you ever want to talk, my door is always open." He said, turning and looking kindly into Amber's eyes. "Silver was a good friend of mine, so any way I can help her daughter is my pleasure. Besides, you have a bright future ahead of you. Even if you don't see it."

With that, Mr. Howard stepped through the door and disappeared as it slid shut.

Amber let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. His parting words left a strong impression he had seen through her. And she'd admit that wasn't her most convincing act.

But she didn't have the time or energy for that right now. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cinder reentering the docks and making her way towards the trailer her team had been given. Taking a deep breath, she stood and grabbed her staff which had been propped up against the wall.

"Adam, time to switch with me." She said into her earpiece. "I'm going to talk with our teammate now that she's back. Keep an eye on the cameras until I get back, okay?" Amber paused as she waited for a response. And when she didn't get one, she spoke slightly louder into the coms.

"Adam? You there? Response if you can hear me!" More silence. That was not good!

"Adam! Come in! Can you hear me?! Are you in trouble?! Hang on, I'm on my-!"

"I'm here." Adam's voice said through the mic. He spoke surprisingly quietly that immediately sent several red flags through Amber's head. "Sorry, I was taking a piss and couldn't reach my com."

Amber frowned at his words. His acting was good, but she could still tell a lie when she heard it. The way he whispered told her he was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. And he was risking detection if he spoke.

But instead of confronting him about it, she simply played off him.

"How does using the toilet stop you from reaching-?" She paused for a second as if she had realized something. Then expertly changed her tone to understanding. "Ohh! Yeah, never mind. I wouldn't want to touch my head either until I washed thoroughly. Anyway, just head over to the security booth and take over for me. Be quick, I want to catch Cinder before anything else goes wrong today."

Adam resisted the urge to groan. Of course his leader would call him right now! With an irritated glare, he slunk out of the scaffolding where he had been eavesdropping, being carefully not to be seen or heard.

Below him, the Three Dragons and their manager continued their conversation on blackmailing team AACE to ensure their silence until the mission's end.

____________________

A little while later.

Cinder made her way to their trailer, ready to turn in for the night. She was a bit frustrated she hadn't beaten Fang even once, but she was getting better and next time she'd nail him!

As thoughts of victory ran through her head, she was a little distracted and didn't notice Amber coming towards her until she was standing right in front of her.

Coming to a stop, Cinder looked up and locked eyes with Amber. She hadn't expected her to be here. She thought the workaholic would be sticking around those pompous pretty boys until they were fired or let go. She honestly thought they wouldn't see each other until tomorrow.

But she might as well try to apologize now and get it over with.

"Look, Amber. About this morning-."

"I'm not angry at you about that."

Cinder's head immediately flew up at Amber's words. She had thought the girl would still be upset about her breaking that asshole's nose! But honestly this was better! If she wasn't mad, then Cinder didn't have to apologize for something she still believed she had under control!

"I'm not going to ask for an apology or reprimand you. I know that isn't worth energy. Besides, I don't need to tell you what's at stake, you already know." Amber said, pointedly not looking at the girl she was talking to. Choosing to stare up at the shattered moon instead.

"Believe it or not, they haven't let us go yet. So instead of an apology I'm going to ask for something else as compensation."

And there goes Cinder free ride. Great.

"Look, I am sorry about what happened back there. But I do think if you could have given me-."

Cinder stopped as Amber raised her hand, still not looking at her.

"If you really feel that way, then I want you to promise me something." She said, her tone completely unreadable. "If we aren't fired, from this point on, no more acting on emotions, no crazy stunts, No nothing! We simply guard this band of…people until our mission is over. After that, you can do whatever you want, okay?"

"Do whatever I want?" Cinder asked, her voice changing slightly. "You don't mean-?"

"Yes." Amber said, her voice still in that same emotionless tone. Though it did carry a bit of frustration after hearing Cinder's very subtle excitement. "Once this mission is over, I'm stepping down as leader. And assuming we're still in school, I'm going to recommend you as leader. After that, you'll be in charge. You'll have the crown AND the burden."

Cinder stood there in shock. When Ozpin had made his announcement, she had been thrilled to get into Beacon, she hadn't bothered to complain. But now she was getting the title of leader as well?! That was incredible! She had wanted to be leader and she knew she had the skill for it! It made sense.

But…

"Are you sure?" Cinder asked, her voice carrying uncertainty. "I mean, you're just as qualified as I am. I'm perfectly fine following you as the leader. And you're better at strategy than me, so-."

"It's fine!" Amber cut her off again, this time turning and smiling at the dark haired girl. "I'm not doing this on a whim. I've put a lot of thought into it and I've decided this is the best course of action for the team. I can't lead! That much has been proven by now. But you? I think you can! Or you have the potential too! You hold more authority and can command much better than me! Plus, you live for the spotlight. The role of leader just seems to fit you better."

Cinder could barely believe what she was hearing! Amber was fine with being demoted and even willing to let go of the mantle! She wasn't even upset about it! This was probably the best case scenario where Cinder would become the leader!

"But! That only holds true IF you promise me, no more stuns or acting on emotions!" Amber said, breaking Cinder out of her thoughts. "If not, then I'll stay in my position and not let it go. You can think of this as a test run. Pass and the position's all your. But fail, and I keep it. Simple isn't it?"

With that, she extended her hand to Cinder, a bright smile on her face.

And as the dark haired girl clasped it, the two shook, looking into the others eyes.

"I promise." Cinder said, squeezing Amber's hand tightly. And she meant it. No more letting that bastard egg her on, no more acting out. She didn't want to disappoint Amber again and if she was going to be leader, she'd still be heavily counting on the dark skinned girl for support.

And as the two turned towards the trailer and went into a strained but normal talk about how frustrating the band was, Cinder found it harder and harder to ignore the growing guilt in her stomach.

////////////////////////////

So, let's talk about Amber. Her reason for giving up her position is very simple, she's done. Had enough. Sick of being everyone else's scapegoat!

Honestly, I don't blame her. Being a leader sucks! And that's when everyone is following your instructions. I can't even begin to fathom how difficult dealing with people like Cinder is.

I know someone is probably going to be a bit butt hurt about her decision, and while I can't really blame you, put yourself in her position. Nobody's willing to listen, everyone doing what they want, your teammate just did the one thing you told her not to do, and she's being held accountable by a bunch of dicks. I personally think that more than enough to make most people quit.

As for putting Cinder in charge, that was out of spite. You should be able to guess by now, but she can be quite resentful. This is her saying, "fine. You think this shit is easy? You do it!" Yeah, I think everyone has a moment where they'd like to yell that at someone.