21

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Jaune felt the airship land, trembling slightly as metal met solid ground once more and eased into the full landing. Jaune's off hand gripped the handle of Crocea Mors at his waist, but Neo saw it and poked him with the needle slightly, pushing him to try and tell him to stand up. He did, taking two steps towards the lowering back door, the two he didn't know watching him closely, Neo behind him like a guard.

"Too bad you showed up when you did, me and Red were going to have fun." He paused on the third step, hand tightening on the hilt hard enough that his knuckles ached and his arm trembled slightly, looking over his shoulder at the smaller woman for a second. She raised her eyebrow and he could sense her confusion, he turned around and glared at the other two instead.

"So, where are we?" He asked quietly, taking a couple steps towards the door before they blocked him. He could glimpse dirt at the bottom of the platform, and the bases of trees as the ground slope upwards, "The forest?"

"Yeah, we're in the trees. Good eyes, dumbass." The silver one drawled, eyeing him for a second, "Em, can you handle his mind? Do your thing on him? Cinder said he was dangerous, after all." "And if she thinks anyone is dangerous…."

She rolled her eyes and he felt… something, his vision swimming for a moment before he grunted, his vision flickering between looking at himself and the girl for a few seconds. He took a breath and shook his head, his Aura surging around him protectively. and his vision returned to normal. The green haired girl groaned and sank against the wall for a second before recovering, glaring at him in confusion while both their heads ached, Jaune reaching up to rub at his forehead as his Aura went to work on it.

"He… resisted it. How did you resist it? That shouldn't even be possible! No one can resist my Semblance!" She almost snarled, grabbing one of her sickle-like weapons from her hip and threatening him with it, fear and anger rolling off her in waves that made him wonder genuinely why they weren't being swarmed by Grimm. "How the hell did you do that?"

He reached across himself for Crocea Mors when he felt something cold against his neck, turning his head to look at the grinning midget, the same red blade as earlier pressed against his neck while another hand held her Scroll, "Right over your artery, blondie, a flick of my wrist and you bleed out on the floor." "Even if that's not the fun way to end the night for us, I'm still game."

He let go of his sword, making a show of raising the empty hand and looking at 'Em', when another woman spoke, "He's a mind reader, dear Emerald. It was probably a sort of feedback, given how I believe your own abilities work." The woman walking up the ramp smiled at him almost pleasantly, if not for the blood on her black, skintight suit's chest and arms. She caught him looking at it, amusement sparking off of her, "Don't worry, Jaune, I won't hurt you. My mistress would have my head if I did. And my subordinates as well, which is why you are going to put away the knife, Neopolitan." "Unless you want to fight all four of us, of course." "I'm sure Jaune would help us handle you and Roman for self preservation reasons, if nothing else."

"Bitch." He heard Neo snarl in her mind, the cold metal leaving his throat immediately. The woman only had to look at Emerald, as the newest woman had called her, for her to do the same, looking sheepish. Almost like a chastised child, in a good many ways, and Jaune got the feeling that the sense of dread he was feeling might not be entirely his own, though he couldn't quite guess why she would be dreading him.

Jaune ignored it, instead looking at the woman as she cocked a hip and smiled at him, "You know my name?"

"Oh, I know quite a lot about you, Jaune." She almost purred, stepping into the airship and running a hand down his armored chest, amusement rolling off her when he blushed slightly, "For instance, I know where you're from. I know your father is a professional Huntsmen, and has to head out on hunts to feed his rather large family, so waiting until he leaves them is… easy, if we want to send a message." "Or make you obey, if it comes to that."

He glared at her and she chuckled lightly, "Oh, don't be like that, Jaune. If you behave, my mistress will surely be willing to… accept them, I suppose, if they surrender." She pushed past him, taking a seat in the back corner, turning so she could look at him and making a show of crossing her legs, "And don't bother trying to read my mind, I know how to keep my thoughts empty enough for you to glean little."

He hesitated for a second before sighing, plopping into a seat and glaring at the diminutive girl that sat next to him, "Why'd you even bother having me get up? I thought we were going somewhere."

"I thought it would be funny, and it was." She said by way of her Scroll, grinning from ear to ear, "Was also hoping you'd start something with Queen Bitch so I could stab someone. Unless you stabbed her. Then I'd probably kiss you." "Maybe more, for killing that bitch and getting me and Roman out from under her."

He almost raised an eyebrow, the door raising behind him and sealing again as the other two returned to their spots, Emerald pouting while the silver haired one returned to the pilot's seat, but managed to catch it just in time before he felt anything from Cinder, "Probably not up for the last part, I have a feeling I die in the end." He said, tapping his head, "And I'm psychic, you don't have to type. I can hear your thoughts, I just have to focus for anything meaningful."

"Honey, you don't want to go anywhere near my mind." Neo typed again, giggling silently, "Unless you want to take a look, see what I mean." "Might drive you nuts though~ Could be fun~"

He almost questioned her, before Cinder interrupted, "I can't tell if you're enjoying this situation, or prodding for information. Allow me to help you." She chuckled dryly, gesturing at Neo, "She and Torchwick do as I say, or I kill Roman and let Neo wander without him. Emerald is my… pet, I suppose, and Mercury is my leg man, so to speak. He does the dirty work when I don't desire to." "Assuming he's even able to do the job, sometimes."

"And as to why I would tell you all this?" She raised a hand, flicking some hair over her shoulder, and sighed, "My Mistress demands your loyalty, and from what we have learned from our digging into your past, honesty achieves that. At least to get some modicum of trust from you."

"Ah, yes, trust." He said sarcastically, feeding off the woman's confident aura to keep his nerves; and his stomach, since the airship had already risen into the sky to head wherever they were going now, "That's why your friend here cut Pyrrha, I guess? Trust and friendship, that's what that was about?"

"Pyrrha? Oh, Nikos. Your partner." Cinder dismissed, shrugging lightly, "I said to get you here, not how to do it. I did, however, say to avoid hurting your friends if possible. She's alive, I assume, because of that reason, and at Beacon for the same. Nikos is strong, I am sure, she will be fine. Assuming you and I stay… friendly, at least."

Jaune sighed, letting his head thud against the ship's hull lightly, "By which I guess you mean 'do what you want', right?"

"Not necessarily." She answered quickly, the blonde looking at her in surprise, "Staying out of our way is more than enough, truly. However, if you were willing to join us, you'd be amply rewarded. Anything you could desire. Anyone, too, if that strikes your fancy." "You are, after all, a teenage boy. I'm sure young Emerald would leap, naked or not, if I demanded it."

"I- You can't give me Emerald! She's her own person!" He raised his hands, waving them around in exasperation.

"W-What?" Emerald asked quietly, looking at Cinder in concern, radiating an odd combination of suspicion, embarrassment and... Excitement? Because it would benefit Cinder, maybe? Jaune couldn't tell, really. "G-Give me to him?"

He felt Neo giggling next to him, and Cinder smiled too, though both were unsettling in different ways, "I meant that I would have you sleep with him if he agreed to join us, Emerald. Having such powers as his on hand, I'd even offer myself if he asked me to. The ability to read the very minds of our enemies is invaluable, far more so than either of our bodies." She raised a thin eyebrow, resting her chin in her palm, "Or are you saying you wouldn't be willing to help me?" "Watch me, Jaune, this is how you manipulate her. In case you take me up on my offer, it would be useful to make her obey your wishes."

"I'm not…. Buying Emerald!" Jaune snapped, shaking his head and looking at the green haired woman, "I'm not going to do that, even if you're evil. I'm not a bad person."

"Then we'll abandon that topic." Cinder said with a shrug, completely uncaring about it. "How about money, then? I can get you enough Lien to make you richer than even the Schnees, if you help us." "All we need is time."

"I didn't become a Huntsman for money." Jaune defended bluntly, shrugging right back at her, "I did it to protect people from the Grimm- and from other people, I guess, now that I know people like you exist."

"I see. You… you wish to protect the innocent, be a hero, all that?" Cinder asked, to which he nodded anxiously, "Then I have a proposition you would almost certainly appreciate. Do as we need, help us, and in exchange we will limit casualties wherever possible. Surrenders, treating the wounded, etcetera. Deny us? And every man, woman and child we don't need will suffer and die. Far too many for you to protect classically, leaving only the one option." "Serve us and save people, or deny us and kill them."

That, at least, gave Jaune pause as the ship tilted and Mercury spoke, "Coming in for a landing, ma'am. Roman radioed in and said he'd meet you as soon as he could."

When they finally disembarked, Neo unlatched herself from his arm and ran to Roman, slamming into him with a hug and radiating relief and comfort, almost enough to make Jaune feel happy for her. Roman barely budged when she hit him, rubbing her stomach against him and sighing contentedly, and Roman started rubbing her head comfortingly, "Cinder. I see you have a particularly gangly guest. He the one you were after?" "I suppose this is what she needed Neo for."

"Yes. All went according to plan, thanks to your little… friend." She sighed, feigning disgust at them, though Jaune could sense she didn't truly care. "She did exemplary work, and your plan for the distraction both our other operations needed was more than adequate, with some minor changes." "Or as good as, admittedly."

"Minus the part where the 'drones' were Atlesian soldiers…." Mercury mumbled from behind him, disatisfaction radiating off him, "Wish you'd known about that." "Not that it mattered, really."

"Glad to hear it." "Unappreciative bitch." He gave a theatrical bow, and Jaune could sense them both grow more agitated for it, before looking at him again, "So, what should we do with, uh, 'Jaune', here? It is Jaune, right?"

"It is, and he needs a place to… stay, for a time. Until I can make certain travel arrangements for him, and so he may have some time to think." She gave him a once over, "He has decisions to make, after all." "It isn't too late, Emerald is right there~"

"I already said no, damn it." Jaune said angrily, the woman chuckling lowly. Irritated, he stepped past her and looked at Roman, grimacing slightly, "Just… show me where I'll be staying? Please?"

"Wow, manners! It's been so long since I had someone ask me nicely to do-"

"Roman, shut up and do as I told you." Cinder interrupted dryly, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder, "And you… If you deny me, nothing may happen. My Mistress, though? Deny her, and the first deaths will be your team." "Starting with Nikos, of course."

Jaune shook her hand off, following behind Roman and Neo, the small woman latched onto the criminal's arm like a tick. They walked for a while, Jaune ignoring the - literally, for him - palpable hate from the Fang Grunts they passed before Roman finally spoke up, "So, kid, how are you doing? They didn't-"

"Get to the point, please." Jaune interrupted shortly, taking a couple long strides to stand next to him, "If you're going to try and get me to help you get away from Cinder, I can talk to Ozpin and-"

"I can't escape Cinder, dumbass." Roman interrupted, chuckling lightly, "I'm going to die if I try, and die eventually for her anyways." He shook his head, letting his voice drop, "But… I can get a message out, to Ozpin even, probably. If you promise me one favor." "Hedging my bets like a real pro…"

He felt Neo suddenly grow upset and anxious, tightening her grip on his arm, and Jaune sighed, "What do you want?"

"Help Neo get away, if she needs it." He asked quietly, reaching over with his off hand to rub her head some more in a calming gesture, "If you guys don't want to stick together, I'll… I'll understand, I guess." "Just don't let her get killed."

"I'll... " He sighed, an image of Pyrrha's carved chest popping into his mind before he shook it away, "I'll try, I guess."

Roman sighed and nodding, stopping at a door, "Well, here we are. Catering is nonexistent, the water is probably filthy, and the bed is a mat on a bunch of boxes." He clapped loudly, smiling at him, "Five star White Fang hospitality, nothing beats it." "Except prison, probably..."

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Winter kicked open the door, four Atlesian soldiers storming into the room and clearing it, and Winter almost flinched. Pyrrha, Jaune's partner, was tied to a chair and barely conscious, a syringe on the floor at her feet with a red tip, "Sergeant, call for a medical team, and get me a line to General Ironwood."

"Yes ma'am." The slightly older man said quickly, lowering his rifle and stepping towards her, "Should I report that the priority subject is missing, ma'am?"

"Yes." She sighed, stepping forward and yanking her dagger out of her blade's base, starting to cut the cords holding the young Huntress-in-training, "Get a message to Headmistress Goodwitch about it, after you get me a medical team and contact the General. Inform the medical team to bring a tox-kit as well and some stimulants for her Aura."

"Yes ma'am." He said again, turning to his men, "You two, stay with specialist Schnee. You, come with me, whoever did this could be here still. All of you stay on guard."

"Yes sir." They all echoed, one of the two order to stay moving to the window as a lookout, while the other followed the two men out the door, standing guard outside.

"You'll be alright, young lady." Winter said quietly, gently laying the likely poisoned woman down and removing her own jacket, draping it over her exposed chest, ignoring the chill that the sleeveless uniform shirt left her with, "I promise you, you'll be alright."

She reached up with a lethargic hand, looking at her with hard, if hazy, eyes, "J-Jaune…. Took him…."

"I know." she said patiently, smiling and brushing her hair back with her hand, feeling her fever. "Now I need you to stay still, okay? I know what this is, and we can treat it." Pyrrha nodded off quickly, Winter continuing to brush her hair with her hand soothingly and turning to the door, "Just like in Atlas… could it be her here too?"

"Ma'am?" One of the soldiers asked, the one by the window, "Did you say something?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, private." She said shortly, looking back at the girl and shaking her head, "Nothing at all."

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James stormed onto his command deck, turning to one of his flight officers sharply, returning the man's salute quickly, "Report."

"Sir. Seven coinciding attacks across Vale, nothing serious and very little damage, but all were against Atlesian targets. All appear to have been done with our own munitions as well." He said quickly, handing the general a folder, "The deceased are listed there, as well as the locations attacked."

"Understood. Dispatch as many men as you need and call people back from leave, it is suspended until this crisis is resolved." The other man nodded, saluting before turning to issue the commands and divert the ordered resources.

"Sir." He turned to another soldier, a woman manning the communications console, "Report from Specialist Schnee regarding the condition of target Priority One."

"Go ahead then." He said, nodding so she knew to convey the technically classified information.

"Yes, sir." She said, turning to read the report, "The target is currently missing, presumed taken by enemy combatants. His partner, temporarily designated target Priority Red, was found drugged and with signs of minor torture as well as poisoning consistent with the assassinations in Atlas a year ago. She has requested an emergency medical response team."

"Dispatch them immediately, have them stabilize her and bring her aboard for questioning and treatment." He turned to the man next to her, pointing at him and taking a seat in his command chair, "Get a communique to Headmaster Ozpin, tell him that Priority One is missing. Keep the status of Priority Red out of the report."

"Yes, sir." The two echoed crisply, and the man turned to his fleet officer.

"Order the armada into defensive positions and broadcast a general alert to our outposts and defensive stations outside Vale's wall." The man nodded, and James sighed, "Something is coming… I can feel it."

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Ozpin slammed his mug into his desk, shattering it and standing hard enough to toss the chair back, Glynda and the Atlesian soldier flinching in unison at the outburst, "Jaune has been… taken?"

"Yes, sir. And his partner was found, wounded. Our medical team is on the way now… sir." He said quietly, clearly unnerved by the older man's demeanor.

Ozpin leaned on the desk, staring into the wood for several long seconds before sighing, "You may leave, captain… Tell the sergeant I am grateful he had you deliver the report to me." The man nodded, turning and walking into the elevator, and Ozpin looked to Glynda, "Contact Qrow, get teams RWBY, JNPR, and CFVY up here, contact Tai Yang, and put out feelers for Raven."

"O-Ozpin?" Glynda said concernedly, looking at him for a second before speaking, "What should I tell them, sir?"

"That an asset who could bring down a Kingdom in a week has been taken from us." Ozpin said simply, sighing and shaking his head, "And that he must be recovered at any cost. This is officially a crisis the likes of which we haven't seen in any of your lives. While you're at it, gather the professors and make an announcement. Classes are suspended for an indeterminate time, missions are open to students who wish for them and will make up for grades."

"Yes sir." She said curtly, opening her Scroll and going to work, "Ozpin, James is asking you what he should do."

"Tell him to sweep the city." Ozpin said instantly, walking to a window and bracing an arm on it over his head, shaking his head lightly, "Tell him to do whatever he has to, as long as he finds Jaune Arc."

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Cinder stepped into her room, this one far nice than she was used to. It had a warm red carpet, comfortable bed with nice, black blankets and a comfortable brown chair. She relaxed into the chair, opening her Scroll and dialing a number she'd long since memorized.

"Yes, Cinder? Do you have something to report?" Salem answered tightly, making Cinder suddenly aware of the time it must be for her mistress, "It's late, I was in bed until I saw it was you."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. In my haste to report to you, the time slipped my mind." Cinder said quietly, cowed simply by Salem's voice, "I will be more mindful in the future."

"That is good." She said crisply, the sound of shifting blankets and sheets in the background before she spoke again, "Now, what is so important for you to report that you lost control of your mental faculties for a moment?"

"We've acquire Jaune Arc, the young man you were hunting. He's been captured and is being contained at one of our bases, Mistress. Once I secure travel arrangements, he'll be brought to you." Cinder reported mechanically, hand fisting in her fabric nervously.

"You have done very, very well, Cinder. I am impressed thoroughly, and look forward to meeting our young friend." Cinder almost beamed at the praise, and Salem continued, "Be careful, however. Ozpin will send everything he can spare after that boy, so you need to watch out for him and his agents alike. He put himself into the field once over this boy, I've little doubt he will do so again."

"Yes, Mistress. I'll have the White Fang tighten security immediately, and do my best to have travelling arrangements made as soon as I can." She answered quickly, still smiling lightly at the praise.

"See that you do, Cinder. I would hate to see you fail now, after such a grand success as you have made." Salem said forebodingly, ending the call. Cinder swallowed nervously, laying her head back and staring at the ceiling.

Not an easy Mistress to please, but it certainly felt wondrous when she did.

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Roman plopped onto the couch in his meager quarters, Neo hopping on as well and laying her head in his lap, snuggling against his stomach contentedly. He rubbed her head, smiling at her warmly, and pulled out a Scroll. Not his, obviously, he'd swiped it from the barracks so no one would know it had been him to make the message.

'Send a message to the head of B. Tell him I have a yellow prize for him. Make arrangements for a sale date. Thanks J. ~ TR' he locked the message over, double checking their archaic code phrasing, before sending it and looking down.

Neo stared up at him in concern, and he sighed, poking her nose lightly, "Don't worry, Songbird. I'll make sure you are taken care of, like I always do."

She signed at him rapidly, "Don't want you to die, Roman. Need you alive." She let her hand rest against his stomach and he sighed again, looking at the wall.

"Don't want to either, little one. Probably not gonna get a choice, though, and I'll be damned if I drag you down with me." She nodded, curling up and starting to cry, and Roman sighed, "You'll be okay, kiddo. Just trust me, okay?"

She nodded again, and Roman started playing with her hair and humming, to make her feel better.

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