Cinder Acts

It was noon in the city of Vale. Cars are driving by and vendors are starting to prepare for the Vytal Festival. It would take weeks for everything to be done so the people started to affix decorations earlier.

Mercury and Emerald were currently on their way towards the entrance of the city. An argument had broken out ever since they left their hideout. Mercury was constantly gesturing to Emerald while she kept clicking her tongue in annoyance.

"Mercury, for the last time, it's not some government experiment out to get us!" She raises her voice.

Mercury had changed over the days. Either because of his sudden obsession with the theories, he has or maybe he had actually gone crazy. Emerald had to watch over him in the hopes she could return him to his less annoying but still annoying assassin associate.

"But it is!" Mercury begins to reach for his pocket to retrieve his scroll. After a few swipes, he shoves the photos near Emerald's face.

"Look! These indents on the ground were all present during these two incidents."

The photos were from the Atlas Debacle and Dust Bomb Incident that happened weeks ago. Mercury had taken a look at the photos taken in both incidents and he got one conclusion, Atlas aided Vale in its secret program and decided to field test whatever weapon they had on Torchwick.

"Do you really think those incidents are connected just because some dirt was patterned?"

"Yes!" Mercury exclaims while returning his scroll back to where it was.

"And I'm going to prove it." He continues.

"Like how you proved it those other times?"

Flashback to Mercury hugging the concrete on the ground to look for the indents or the time he decided to examine dirt for clues. It took hours for him to get anything valuable information-wise.

"No, Em! This is different. We have a witness!" He proudly declares.

At this point, the argument had reached passersby, and was curiously looking on at the duo like they were some comedy act.

"Mercury, people are starting to stare."

"Em, maybe you could just cooperate while we-" Mercury's statement suddenly got shut by Emerald's backhand towards his head.

"Ok fine! Just go quickly so we don't have to endure public embarrassment."

Mercury immediately makes haste while Emerald follows close behind him. They were passing other people and reached a corner. Mercury turned but was met with a flurry of colors as he got smacked to the curb by a familiar set of faces.

"Wow, Mercury. You finally got your dream of getting girls to actually like you for once." Emerald sarcastically commented before she took in a better look. She started to panic.

'Uh oh, aren't these the students we were not meant to meet!'

Team RWBY in their messy state bolted off while Ruby stayed behind.

"We're kind of in a hurry so uh… sorry!"

Team RWBY went further and further into the distance as Mercury helped himself up.

"Em, wasn't tha-"

"Shush, I don't want to get barbequed by Cinder."

The rest of the journey went smoothly. Emerald and Mercury kept their mouths shut on meeting team RWBY. They reached their destination of boom barriers.

"Hello, I received a message that one of you was going to ask me about something." The man behind the booth greeted the two.

"Sup, that would be me." Mercury huddled together with the man and spoke in a quiet voice.

"So, you told me in the forums that you have something."

"Mercury, did you seriously get this from some random forum on the internet?"

Emerald was starting to question the sanity of her partner constantly chasing "evidence" that supported his ideas.

"Ignore the non-believer, tell me what happened that night."

The man takes a second to remember the details.

"At first it was all normal then a car with eight wheels came crashing on the barriers."

"Eight wheels eh?" Mercury starts scribbling down notes on a notepad he brought with him.

"A few minutes later when I repaired the barriers, an explosion happened in the middle of town."

"So that was the dust bomb incident, mhm."

Emerald was sighing at the conversation.

"I hid under the table but as soon as I did another car crashed into my hard work! The thing wasn't eight wheels anymore, it left marks on the ground that I had to clean up!"

"Marks like these perhaps?"

Mercury shows the photos during the Atlas debacle.

"Yes but a bit wider." The man shows his point by widening his hands.

"Maybe these are the ones." Mercury shows the photos with a smirk.

The markings near the dust bomb incident were shown on his scroll.

"Yes, exactly like that."

He flourishes around and faces Emerald, triumphant at the supposed proof he just obtained.

"Bingo, Emy! This proves that the government was testing the weapon on us!"

Emerald just stared at her partner acting like a lunatic and facepalms.

"Mercury, I'm putting you in a cell."

His triumphant look suddenly fades into disbelief.

"What? Why?!"

Emerald stops facepalming and points her hand at Beacon Academy.

"We just saw the girls responsible and you still insist it's some secret weapon the government hides?!" She continues.

"It's Vale! The last king disbanded the army of every nation! Why'd they want to test weapons out when they want the whole world to remove their armies?"

Mercury places a hand under his chin to think. He reached a conclusion and looked toward Emerald.

"Maybe that's what they want you to think, Emerald!"

Emerald curls her arms in anger at the stupidity.

"For Gods' sake!"

A sudden ringing stopped Emerald from pulling out her gun. They both looked towards the scroll that was dialing. Emerald relaxed and pulled it out from her pocket.

"Hello, ma'am?"

The voice of Cinder echoes through the scroll Emerald was holding to her ears.

"Emerald, I need you and Mercury to be here."

Another ping and Emerald could see a marked map being sent by Cinder.

"We're on our way, ma'am."

"Good." The line gets cut and Emerald visibly relaxes her stiff body.

"Mercury we need to keep your conspiracy theory on hold. We need to report to Cinder."

Mercury nods and follows her. Emerald was thankful that he could still be serious when Cinder was involved.

"I'm telling you Em, the government has them!" Mercury says one last time.

Or maybe not.

A few minutes later they arrived at the place Cinder marked on the map.

The two enter an old-looking warehouse that was repurposed and turned into a base on the inside.

It was the perfect cover. The dust bomb incident increased the number of guards looking around after they cordoned off the area. The situation cooled and it could let them set this up when the guards lessened.

With the White Fang now being overseen by Cinder herself, they could now properly start robbing dust stores.

Failure after failure to rob dust stores forced Cinder to whip her subordinates to shape. Her superior needed her to succeed so she amped up her violence towards the White Fang.

The only success they had was when Hei and his own people were involved. It was time for Cinder to confront the White Fang and their local leader.

Cinder was sitting on the opposite side of the building while Hei and his personal enforcers were flanking the right side of Cinder.

"Ah, you two. Come, we need to "negotiate" with our fellow comrades."

Mercury and Emerald became more serious at the command. Cinder was livid and they didn't want to be the target of being burned alive.

After they stood to her left side another figure entered the room along with a dozen other individuals.

"Adam."

"Cinder."

One word was exchanged but everyone in the room knew what the other was doing.

Their voices reverberated in the silent room, the people behind them stood firm while their bosses intimidated the other.

A minute passed and no one budged from their positions.

"I've heard that your White Fang has been uncooperative towards our shared goal. Tell me why that is, Adam."

Adam scoffs.

"We have no obligation to follow humans."

Cinder sparks her hand and flames burst out for a moment. Adam stood up and placed his hand towards his sheate.

"Your beliefs are second to the goal that we all share. The people in power, the ones you deemed responsible for your race' suffering being brought down." Cinder stands up and extinguishes her flame.

"The purging of all humans can come at a later date, for now it is in your best interest to work with us. Don't you want to take revenge for that scar of yours?" Cinder walks calmly towards Adam who is getting more aggravated.

She gets closer and closer before continuing.

"Or perhaps you want another scar matching the other one?"

Anger overwhelms Adam and he clicks out his weapon and aims directly towards the seemingly exposed Cinder.

"Enough of this farce!"

He struck down Cinder who left a horrified look at the sudden strike. A deep gash crossing into her torso.

A moment of relief came to Adam before the impaled body of Cinder suddenly shoots up and smiles.

"What is this?"

Screams suddenly filled the room as Cinder burned the White Fang behind Adam in only seconds.

Their agony added more rage and confusion to Adam.

The illusion put on his mind by Emerald's semblance breaks and the once impaled body of Cinder disappears from his sword. The real one being behind him and clutching his burning neck.

"Gah!!"

Adam struggles as the painful streaks of burning flesh left a horrid smell that fumes into the area.

"You will obey. I will not receive any more news of your treachery."

Cinder releases her ignited hand and leaves marks on the neck of Adam who falls to the floor desperately grabbing his neck from the pain.

"Before I forget." Cinder nods towards Emerald and Mercury.

The two went towards Adam who was still desperately holding on to his burned neck. They each took up both arms of Adam and lifted him up to face Cinder.

"I did tell you that I would make a scar to match the other." Cinder sparks her hand and reaches towards the other remaining undamaged eye of Adam.

"No! Damn you!"

An ear piercing scream emanated from the old warehouse. While Adam twitched and struggled with the burning of his other eye. He wrestled against the two holding his arms to let Cinder sear his flesh down to the bone.

He wailed and screeched, his throat already being injured further made his shrieks more pained and intense.

The screams continued, Cinder making sure that it would be a mark that never left and would never be forgotten.

As the torture finished, Adam slumped towards the table and Cinder lets out a satisfied smile.

She nods to Emerald and Mercury who finally let go of Adam who went into shock.

Goons from Hei walked inside and retrieved the severely injured Adam. He would still be useful blind or not. After this moment the White Fang will learn to fear Cinder.

"Mercury, Emerald. We have to pay another visit."

The two visibly stiffen from their names being suddenly called. They had seen what she could do, and they feared that she was going to do the same.

"I'll leave the operation to Hei Xiong. We have to meet with our little friend in Haven Academy."

The plan has shifted a bit from Cinder's original form. It would be late to make a breach that threatened Vale but they still had to make due with what they had.

They would still enter as students for the Vytal Festival as competitors. They needed another member which would be one of the twins.

Cinder would continue what they initially started albeit later than usual.

"Are we going to need to straighten out Lionheart as well?" Mercury asks.

"No, our friend is much more obedient to our Queen. We just have to finalize our transfer."

Mercury and Emerald nodded and looked at each other. Perhaps they shouldn't tell Cinder that they went asking around instead of staying where they should be.