RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC92: Bait (Heroes)-5

Watts was not expecting to be moved to a different room--or to find Cinder there.

"This again?" he said.

"You sure you want to do this alone?" Royal asked Cinder.

"Yes," she said, with a warning look.

"We'll be outside," Oscar said.

They left.

"I really enjoy these little tête-à-têtes with old friends," Watts said dryly, "but I don't have any new information."

"This room isn't tapped," Cinder said.

"Why would I believe that? And why would it matter?" Watts asked.

"Because we both know what happens if anyone finds out that you talked," Cinder said. "And you're not much use to us dead, for now. So this is not going to be recorded. I suggest you don't waste the chance to speak off the record."

"If you're telling the truth, you are quite the fool," Watts said. "But why should I believe you?"

Cinder just stared at him coldly.

The silence became uncomfortable for Watts.

"Well, if it is true, I still have no reason to provide any information." He sat back, shrugging. "Do you think they would contact me when I've been arrested?"

"Did you know about the attack on Menagerie?" Cinder demanded.

"I suspected they would target it," Watts said, "based on how vulnerable it was compared to Argus or any other large city. The bandits have no regard for the Faunus anymore than anyone else. It's the perfect place to make a statement. Though whatever beating those animals would prove, I don't know."

Cinder didn't care to waste her time asking him why he cared so little or how much he'd really known. Too late for that.

She moved closer and lowered her voice.

"I know why you only told us as much as you did before," she said. "And why you said nothing about Menagerie. You must have known that they wanted to take me in alive. All this time, and you're still not over that humiliation. You would sacrifice thousands of people's lives, potentially, not only to get what you wanted for yourself, but to get revenge."

"And what of it?" Watts smiled smugly. "You would do the same."

Cinder had heard that one too many times from him.

"Once," she replied stiffly, "but not now. Even you would realize, I'd think, that it only hurts you in the long run if these people go down. They protect your existence."

"But I do not have my freedom," Watts said. "Being watched like a dog is so beneath me--always compared to the others around here."

"Do you ever get tired of stroking your own ego?" Cinder shook her head. "I guess it is like looking into a mirror. I wonder if I sounded as idiotic as you do now."

"What an odd thing to hear you say," Watts said.

Cinder smiled in a way he didn't really like. "I've moved on, Arthur. I can admit I did stupid things back then because I've actually learned to do better. But, as you've never learned, it must be uncomfortable for you to fail so many times."

"How droll." Watts scowled at her. "I hope they do kill you. If you insist on going after them, it'll happen. But that never stopped you before from doing anything foolish."

"With all the failures, in the end, it served me better to take risks than it has served you to try to play both sides," Cinder noted. "And now, you're trapped. They will not save you, since you've been caught. And you will never get away, not with Theodore's ability and manpower. Where could you hide? Your only chance is if we catch them."