A Spellbound Gem (a RWBY fanfiction)

Chapter 24: Embers Of Doubt

"You want me to work faster?" The man in the white jacket questioned, amazement evident in his voice. "I got you free access to Schnee everything, disposable manpower, and the best asset of all of them. Me! And you want more, and faster?"

"You're not the only one working under me, Roman." The woman remarked, looking over a map of the city that was drawn up by the ginger in question. "You are just the one that I choose to use in Vale. You don't want me to change my choice."

"I have no idea what your grand plan is and I have given you everything but my internal organs. What exactly do you want from me this time?" He laughed, pressing for just a bit of recognition.

Burning amber eyes turned to tear into Torchwick's own green gaze. "What do I want from you?"

The temperature rose within the room as she stood, her silken red dress waving from her hips with every step towards the man. She smiled a sickeningly sweet grin, making it clear who was holding the power here. As she gently took his left hand into her own, Roman was forced to recoil at her boiling skin, what felt like his own melting under the pressure of her grip.

"What I want from you, what I need from you, is to get Emerald into the academy." She spoke, relaxed and casual as if her hands wasn't burning the man before her. Her eyes shone with fire and something he couldn't focus on past the pain. "After that, you'll have a little time to relax. Enjoy yourself for a few days."

She let go, Torchwick falling back in agony, tightly holding his wrist as he assessed the damage. The horrible red marks already looked warped and wrong, but his gaze was blocked by smaller hands carefully moving in with a light cream contrasting the skin.

"You really shouldn't upset her like that." Emerald commented, spreading the ointment over his burns as he writhed under her.

The man struggled to keep still, the pain flooding his senses completely until the cooling touch spread over his palm. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said over my nerves exploding." He groaned in strained reply.

She shook her head slowly, a very light smile on her lips. "She's not so bad once you get to know her. Maybe if you'd complain less you could learn that."

"Little late for that, I've already got the impression that she's an evil monster that eats puppies when she's peckish." He remarked, almost causing Emerald to giggle.

The girl wrapped up the burns in simple medical cloth before continuing. "I mean, that's completely on you. Mercury and I already learned how to stay on her good side, I suggest you do the same."

The younger servant of Cinder stood up and nodded a quick goodbye before walking off, leaving the ginger man in excruciating pain and some thoughts in his head.

"How the Hell did those kids get on her good side?" He mumbled half to himself. "How long has she had a good side?"

His eyes watched the girl exiting, just barely catching the heavy burns that covered her wrists, old enough to have healed away any discoloring and to have set in. Roman couldn't help but ask what stake these kids had in with Cinder, but he really couldn't come up with anything worth dealing with her more often than he already did.

In the next room, the young brunette with pink highlights messed around on her phone as a tall man with red hair and horns glared at her, his gaze covered with a white mask.

"You've been sitting there for the past hour without saying a word..." He growled, clearly cross with her. "You haven't done anything to help the cause... What are you even doing her?"

Neo looked up at him and raised a brow, still playing with her phone without putting much attention to it. She smirked at the man before turning back to her device.

"Are you ignoring me?!" He snapped, taking a step forward, fists balled. "Say something!"

"She's mute, asshole." Torchwick muttered as he walked past on his way to the main door.

The horned man looked shocked for a moment before turning away with a simple sneer.

Neo hopping up to follow Roman, sticking her tongue out at the man as they left. The tall warrior stepped forward again to strike her before hearing another interrupt.

"Adam." A boy in gray called, his matching hair slicked back. "Cinder wants you in here. Something about supply lines."

The faunus growled before he pulled back to follow the boy into the meeting room. Neo smirked and jumped next to Torchwick, taking his hand in her own.

"Please don't tease the animals, kid. You keep that up and we get kicked out of the zoo." He joked, flicking her forehead and continuing out.

The pair stepped out, Roman already putting plans through his head as to how to control the situation as it continues. His eyes drifted to Neo as he remembered what his next job is. The grin that formed over his lips was one that showed he was ready to take back a semblance of control, a mocking smirk that his boss would hate to see.

"Hey, Neo?" He questioned, forcing the girl's attention to himself. "How do you feel about going back to school?"