8,879Still haven't done my Christmas shopping. Beginning to sweat.
Cover Art: Curbizzle
Chapter 79
Trust me.
Those were the words he'd mouthed to Yang to convince her to let Cinder and Emerald take him away, and they implied he had a plan of some kind. And he did. A very simple plan: get himself into Cinder's head, betray her, profit.
Of course, he had to figure a way to do it without clueing her or Emerald off and getting himself and the child-hostage killed, and he had to do a good job playing along so Cinder didn't get suspicious and refuse to let him in her head at all. Neither of those things were going to be easy.
But he'd needed to get Yang to leave him, because she couldn't have beaten Cinder and Emerald while protecting him and a hostage, all while lacking her weapons – or even shoes. Jaune had lied to save her life, because for all that Cinder had tried to spin bullshit in his ear to convince him she wasn't an enemy, she still had the fallback option of killing Yang and abducting Jaune. Letting Cinder win a bloodless victory was better than pushing her to attack them.
Jaune's vision swam erratically as they made their way back to wherever her hiding place was. Emerald kept him under a constant illusion so that he couldn't remember it. About the best he could tell was that they were in a basement or substructure, because he'd been made to carefully pick his way down a long staircase. That didn't narrow anything down. Though Vale's walls kept it safe from Grimm, they hadn't always existed, and so almost every building in the city – and in villages and towns across Remnant – had fortified basements to act as shelters.
A door closed behind him and a lock slid across. It sounded heavy and metallic, not just the deadbolt itself, but the door as well. The air was cold and oddly dry. Emerald's illusion faded from his eyes like a blindfold being taken off, changing his view from what had been Beacon's cafeteria into an expansive underground storage facility of some kind. There were empty racks aligned against the walls and metal kegs used for transporting liquids stacked at a nearby wall. Those shone silver, not quite as dusty as he would have expected if this place were truly abandoned.
Cinder has allies, he realised. It was the only answer. Someone was looking after her and letting her stay in this place.
Jaune's eyes quickly flicked to Emerald to see if the boy was okay – or if he existed at all. He was still there, frightened and blindfolded in a more mundane manner, with a strip of cloth over his eyes. Emerald had a grip on his collar but she'd at least put her weapon away.
"As promised," Cinder said, noticing his attention. "The child is safe. Emerald, see him fed and kept warm. Give him whatever he wants, within reason."
"I want to go home," the boy whispered.
"Within reason," Cinder repeated, and took Jaune by the elbow. "You shall come with me."
He was pulled into a nearby room where some cots had been set up on either side of a portable heater. There were clothes and dust canisters scattered about, showing they'd been living here, but no empty food cartons. It was unlikely either of them felt safe enough to eat out, or take the trash out, so he could again only assume that someone was feeding them and taking the plates away after.
"You'll be sleeping there," she said, pointing to one bed. "Emerald's. Of course, she'll be awake to make sure you don't try anything untoward."
"Are we still in Vale? Surrounding me with thousands of sleeping people won't make this easy."
"That is why we'll not be taking to our beds until tomorrow morning, once the city is awake." Cinder sidestepped his question on where abouts in the city they were. "I'm aware of your... limitations. You still can't choose what dreams you end up in."
"That's right. The only successful times we've had before is when Qrow took me far out into the Emerald Forest and we were the only sleeping people for miles around." And even that had failed because they hadn't been alone as they assumed, and he'd ended up with Adam Taurus. "I thought you'd be camping out of Vale with the White Fang," he lied. "Whatever happened to your alliance with them?"
"Technically, it is still ongoing," Cinder said, surprising him by answering. He hadn't expected her to. "But even if they only know me, that agreement was made with Salem – and going to them would make it easier for her to track me. The White Fang are not so good at staying hidden."
"Ironically."
"Indeed. Oh, Adam is professional enough and so are those loyal to him, but it's still a group of idiots united in terrorism. It would only take one moron to expose us to Salem, and then the Grimm would be upon us. Besides," she waved a hand, "I'm not sure what use we have for one another anymore. Our goals no longer align."
"Oh?"
"They want to strike at Beacon and bring it low to prove a point."
Cinder took a seat on her bed and motioned for him to do the same on Emerald's. Once he had, she opened a portable minifridge and removed two cans, tossing him one. An energy drink. It made sense if they were to both stay awake. He cracked his open when she did hers, knowing it'd make no sense for her to poison him, and that it was probably safe since it was sealed anyway. It tasted like battery acid.
"The White Fang's only interest in joining forces with me was to heighten their brand by destroying Beacon. Officially, anyway. I now know Taurus has his own little relationship drama with a girl in Beacon. Pathetic."
"What could they hope to gain from harming Beacon? I realise it'd be a big terror move, but it'll make people hate the faunus. It won't help them."
"That's probably a big part of it."
"What...?"
"You shouldn't assume the White Fang wants what's best for faunuskind." Cinder waved the can at him as she talked, explaining as a teacher might to a student. "Or, at least, you shouldn't assume all of them do. Attacking Beacon and causing it damage, even if they don't destroy it, will turn people against faunus just like you say. It'll also elevate the White Fang from terrorists to public enemy. That's bad for the elements of the White Fang who want to remain as they are and take things slow, but it's good for others."
"Radicals," Jaune whispered. "The fanatics and psychopaths who want a war."
"Got it in one. Taurus is definitely among the latter, but not everyone in the White Fang agrees with him. I doubt many even know what he's up to. None of that will matter if he starts the war between the world and the White Fang, however. They'll have to take up arms whether they like it or not."
If only to defend themselves. It made sense, enough sense that he didn't think she was lying about it. The White Fang were terrorists but they'd always been at least a little logical in their attacks in the past – going after the SDC, Atlas, and other related targets. The only thing he'd been able to come up with was that they were either after Blake or Weiss, or that Cinder had somehow tricked them into thinking this was a good idea. It looked like that wasn't the case at all.
Adam had seemed oddly fatalistic in his dreams. There hadn't been much passion in the man. Little enjoyment of life or reason to continue. Jaune could believe Adam wanted Beacon to be his swansong, to kickstart a conflict he wouldn't survive to see.
"You're being awfully forthcoming about this," he said.
Cinder shrugged. "Is there any point in not being? As I told you before, I don't care to destroy Beacon anymore. You may not believe it but taking down a school dedicated to stopping Salem – who wants me dead – is not in my best interests."
"Let's not pretend we're natural allies."
"I won't. But we could be." Cinder ignored his snort. "If it were possible, I'd see no problem forging a temporary alliance with Ozpin – and yes, I know he's still alive and kicking as Oswald. But I know that isn't possible."
"You killed Amber."
"Salem sent me after her."
"You wanted her power."
"Yes, I did." Cinder's eyes flashed golden for a brief moment, flickering with maidenfire. "But I didn't even know such a power existed until Salem pointed me in its direction, and I certainly wouldn't have gone after her if she hadn't ordered it."
"What, you'd have just let that power slip through your fingers? I find that difficult to believe."
Cinder smirked. "As you should. But no, I'd have gone after the Winter maiden instead. We know where she is and she's bedridden and nearing the end of her life. I'd have much rather stabbed an ailing old woman than risk my life against someone in their prime. I'm power hungry, but I'm not stupid."
"Then why did Salem want Amber attacked?"
"Because she was in her prime. I wanted power; Salem wanted to destabilise Ozpin – and you don't destabilise much by killing an old woman who's already unable to fight. From a purely strategic point of view, the Winter maiden is already dealt with. Bedridden is better than dead, as the power would just pass on when she dies, and it might go to someone capable of joining Ozpin and fighting back. Our current bets are on Winter."
"Weiss' sister?"
"Hm. Fiercely loyal to Atlas, easily manipulated, and firmly under the control of General Ironwood. Going to kill the maiden would have risked the power being sent to her, and Salem would rather it not be held by one of the most capable huntresses Atlas has produced this generation."
Again, it made a lot of sense. As the maidens got older, Ozpin and his allies would probably start thinking about replacements to train up, but they wouldn't have thought to have one in place for Amber. Hence the timing of the attack. Still, while Cinder was doing a good job of convincing him Salem was the real threat behind her actions, that didn't absolve her. Cinder still killed Amber, and she'd done so with immense pleasure.
You're not innocent, Cinder. You can convince me Salem is the guilty one all you like, but her being guilty doesn't mean you're not.
But he could play along.
"Salem is the real threat, then. Ozpin has told me a bit but not much."
"He's probably given you the history lessons. I'm the one who has had to live with and serve her." Cinder sneered. "And let me tell you, whatever nonsense he's fed you about what she once was, there's little of it left. The woman is a monster. You saw Tyrian before I killed him. He took immense pleasure in torturing and killing people. I believe he was also responsible for the death of your girlfriend's mother."
Jaune flinched. "Summer Rose...?"
"Hm. Silver eyes." Cinder took a drink from her can, her eye twitching at the horrible taste. "Siver eyes are a threat to Salem and she's taken immense pleasure in hunting them down. I was obviously much too young to have any part in that."
"How old are you?"
"Eighteen," she answered. "Nearly nineteen."
"Then yes, you are. You'd have been eight or nine when it happened."
"Hm. I wouldn't have even known about Salem at the time. I was still in the orphanage at the time. I wasn't adopted until I was eleven." Her eyes narrowed on him. "You know how that went from intruding on my nightmares."
He did. "They were abusive, weren't they?"
"Wonderfully. Monsters, one and all. The only one who showed me any affection was a bouncer called Rhodes, but even he..." Cinder clicked her tongue and looked away. Her eyes darkened. "He felt sorry for me, pitied me, but he never tried to fix it. Just assuaged his own guilt by teaching me a few things. Didn't stop him turning the other way when my mother strapped a shock collar to my neck and activated it."
Jaune wasn't sure what to say. He knew it was true from her dreams, and yet he didn't want to feel any sympathy for Cinder. At the same time, it was impossible not to. A child didn't deserve that, and if her adoptive mother had been less of a monster then Cinder might not have become one as well.
But it was too little too late to talk it out, cry, hug, and tell her everything would be okay. It wouldn't be. Cinder had become a monster, and she had committed crimes. The justifications for it didn't matter anymore.
"What was it like before that?" he asked. "Was the orphanage also bad?"
Cinder seemed surprised by the question. "No," she eventually answered. "The orphanage was... it was not wonderful, but it was not cruel. Too many children cramped under one roof, but the people who ran it did their best." She frowned. "I remember that I was so excited to be adopted, because they filled our heads with stories of how wonderful it would be. They hugged me before letting me go. Told me to be happy."
That almost made it worse.
"Did they not check up on you...?"
"I don't think so. Or, if they did, my adoptive mother spoke to them without me there. Perhaps they were too busy with other children, or maybe she misled them. Or maybe they never cared," she admitted, with a shrug. "Moving an orphan on benefitted them, and they might have convinced themselves that even a poor childhood was better than not having one at all."
"That's not right..."
"It isn't," she agreed. "But it is what it is. You can't change history."
"..." Jaune swallowed. "What do you want?"
"Hm? You know what I want."
"Specifically, I mean." He finished his can. "Just saying power doesn't give me much to work with, unless you want to light up like a Christmas tree." He hadn't meant it as a joke but Cinder snorted, amused. "You have to give me something less vague."
"Genie rules, is it? That does make sense. I wouldn't want you to give me strength by turning me into some testosterone-fuelled bodybuilder. I rather like my physique." Snorting again, she added, "And I don't think Emerald would appreciate me being turned into some she-hulk either."
It went without saying that he'd die if that happened. Anything that could be seen as sabotage would blow up in his face.
"I'd rather I know exactly what you want rather than wing it and have Emerald carve that boy's throat open."
"Understandable. And I've no interest in killing an innocent child either. Let's talk, then. Can you do for me what you did for Ozpin?"
"I don't think so. I didn't create magic in him. I simply reverted him back to when he had it. I wouldn't know where to start on modifying someone's Semblance, either. It's their soul. If you want me to experiment on yours, I can, but... well... it might not be your best idea."
"Let's not," she agreed. "But you can make physical modifications. For instance, could you make me a faunus?"
Jaune hesitated. "You'd want to be...?"
"They have a lot of physical advantages humans do not. Their only weakness is discrimination, and I'm sure you can see how poorly that will go for anyone who tries it on me."
"I suppose..."
If Cinder was someone willing to pay any price for power then it kind of made sense faunus traits would be desirable to her. Faunus eyes could see in the dark – a small but noticeable advantage – and some faunus had enhanced senses as well. Blake's ears could detect more than the average person's, Tyrian's tail had delivered powerful poison, and some faunus were known to have claws. Even Sun's tail aided his balance and was also flexible and strong enough to grab onto things.
Technically speaking, those would make a person stronger.
"You want to be a faunus, then...?"
"I wouldn't say no to the advantages inherent in them. Ears, eyes, no tail, however. I'm not interested in mimicking Tyrian. Not to mention it's easier to deal with ears than have to adjust my wardrobe for an extra limb."
"Right... I mean, I can do that." Aside from being easy, it'd also be a very small power boost to her. He wasn't going to feel too guilty giving her advanced hearing and night vision. Not when he'd given Ozpin the kind of power that could shape nations. "How do cat ears sound? They're small and easily hidden."
Cinder smirked, no doubt thinking of Blake at the same time he was. "Those would do – but I expect more than faunus traits. You said half now, half later. I'm prepared to hold to that but half is not a new set of ears."
"Fine. What else?"
"You healed Ironwood of a missing arm, correct?"
"Yes. Why? Do you have an injury?"
"Of a sort. I have a... parasite..." Jaune grimaced and leaned back. "I'm not talking about tapeworms!" she hissed. "It's a Grimm parasite forced on me by Salem. Something that wriggles about inside my body."
"You... You let Salem put a Grimm in you...?"
"I'll pay any price for power, Arc. And it was less that I allowed it, and more that I didn't have a choice. It was hardly advertised ahead of time. I was told I'd have to accept it when I was alone in her tower surrounded by Grimm and her allies." Cinder rolled her eyes. "Rejection wasn't exactly a choice at that point."
"And she can't use it to kill you?"
"If she saw me, she might be able to, which is why I've been staying hidden. Luckily, she can't give orders to Grimm she can't see, and this one is buried inside me." Cinder leaned forward. "I want it out. You should want it out as well, because there's no telling what it might do to the power in me left by Amber. Better for you and Ozpin both that the power pass on when I die of old age."
"You think this parasite can stop that...?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I think there must be a good reason Salem forced it on me before sending me after the maiden. I had to use it in order to steal her power as well, so the two are connected in some way."
It was a stab in the dark for sure but Jaune nodded. "Okay. I'll deal with that as well. You may dream of it being expelled from your body, possibly of it wriggling out your skin. It won't be a pleasant dream."
"I can deal with a nightmare if it means being rid of her influence."
"And is that enough for you?" he asked.
"For now. You said you would give me half of what I want now and half later. I know full well I have to prove my side of the bargain by releasing you and the boy. I'm prepared to be generous and let you off with this minor upgrade."
It was generous.
But it was also sensible.
Cinder's biggest weakness right now was this parasite of hers that Salem could control, so it made sense she'd want that out as soon as possible. It was literally a kill-switch if Salem ever found her. As for the ears and eyes, they might just have been a proof of concept in Cinder's mind, though they'd also help her evade Qrow.
She knew she had to draw what she wanted out of him slowly. She could – and probably wanted, deep inside – to threaten and demand more, but she also knew pushing him into a corner too quickly would have him killing her in her dream even if it cost him his life after. Cinder knew she could afford to be patient, and so she was.
"I can do it," he said. "But as for faunus features, I'm going to have to go back further in the dream."
Her eyes narrowed. "Meaning...?"
"The dream will have to be of your childhood." It only made sense to explain it in full, so she wouldn't panic. "I'll need to convince you that you've always been a faunus, if that makes sense. Then you will wake up as one. If I make you dream of suddenly growing ears, then they might keep growing and fall out in the real world. Your body needs to accept it's always been a faunus. What are your earliest memories?"
"Hmm. That does make sense. I suppose having memories of being a faunus would help me acclimatise to the extra limbs as well. Fine. As for memories... probably the orphanage. Anything before that is too vague to be pieced together."
He couldn't tell if she was lying or not, but that was fine. He was lying anyway. He could slap faunus ears on her right here and now, but he wanted her to let her guard down. Cinder might have been telling the truth when she said she no longer saw him as an enemy now that Salem was after her.
But that didn't mean she'd stopped being his enemy.
/-/
It was ten in the morning, a time when those who would be getting up across Vale were already up. By now, Beacon must have been in full search for him, but Jaune doubted they would find him in time.
"Emerald, keep watch over both of us," Cinder told her accomplice. "If anything unusual happens to me, you are to wake him immediately. Cut the dream short. If I'm harmed, or unable to defend myself, kill him. Don't hesitate."
"I won't," Emerald promised, her eyes glaring sharply at Jaune. "I'll slit his throat open."
"Unusual doesn't include faunus ears," Jaune said. "Cinder wants those."
"Ears...?"
"He isn't lying. Cat ears." Cinder held her hands up over her head and Emerald blushed. Jaune didn't miss it and neither did Cinder, not if her smug look was anything to go by. "But if anything beyond that happens then you're too wake him up. If in doubt, wake us both up and then ask me if anything is wrong."
Jaune cleared his throat.
"Oh, and if you see a black worm or insect crawl out of me – kill it. But don't touch it with your bare skin."
Emerald bit her lip. "I still don't like this, Cinder. It's so much risk—"
"I've told you before, Emerald. Risks are necessary to attain power. Joining Salem was a risk and betraying her an even greater one. Arc is less capable of coldblooded murder than she, and easier to control as well. He won't try anything with an innocent child's life on the line."
"I'm not. Besides, Cinder needs me. You both do. And as far as I can tell, Salem is only going to be angrier if you kill me and leave Ozpin with a powerup and Salem without. I'm your best bet of dealing with her once and for all."
Emerald scowled.
"He isn't wrong," Cinder said, chuckling.
The woman was insane to let him into her head, but then he'd known that. Hadn't he? Cinder had never claimed to be anything other than a risktaker, especially when it came to power. This was a woman who killed her adoptive family, joined the Grimm, betrayed the whole world, and then betrayed the Grimm as well. Someone like her, willing to make an enemy of every single person on Remnant, wasn't going to balk at the idea of letting him into her head.
If she died...
Well, in a way, she was dead anyway if she didn't win his favour. Her choices were to either try and fight Salem and Ozpin both, which would surely end with her death, or to take a shot at winning his support by proving herself here. Yes, she might die, but she'd die the other way around if this didn't work.
Cinder might have acted like she had all the power but she was between a rock and a hard place. He might have felt sorry for her if she hadn't wedged herself into that spot on her own. And if she hadn't killed Amber and tried to kill him. Jaune lay back, knowing that his mind, whirling with thoughts of Cinder, would only find one recipient at this moment. There was no way he'd end up in anyone else's dream.
"Cinder..."
"I will see you when I wake up," Cinder promised.
Oh, she would see something all right. Jaune let out a deep breath as he relaxed and closed his eyes. He had one chance to take down Cinder, and this was it. But it had to be subtle, or Emerald would carve his throat open before he could finish it.
With a flash of aura, Jaune entered the dream.
And approached a quiet, lonely orphanage on a stormy, windy evening.
Next chapter will be Jaune vs Cinder. Of a sort.
Is Cinder being stupid letting Jaune in her dreams? Yes, of course, but I guess the angle I'm going with is that she feels she has nothing to lose. You could argue "intelligent decisions" aren't something she's made much of in canon either, and she's always been one to risk her life in pursuit of power, so this isn't any different.
Next Chapter: 12th December
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