Chapter Text
"I'm back, sir" Spoke a voice from behind Roman, and he turned to find his favorite chess piece in his game, Little Red.
Her hair, since she joined them, grew out more but whenever she could she’d take a knife to keep it short and now had some uneven groups. Her leggings were covered in holes and her dress skirt outfit had been replaced with a black, tight-fitting short-sleeve turtleneck that went into a skirt with red lining the bottom. Gloves covered her hands, metal elbow pads and matching knee pads covered their respective parts and grey crosses decorated the skirt. Her short-sleeved top let her show off her deep scars, mostly from Emerald, and one went from her cheek down her neck was a gift from Neo. All of it gave her a villainous look, that along with her tore up iconic red hood and some scars here and there from her training and beatings from Mercury or Emerald, she looked outright intimidating. Almost as much as himself.
The perfect look and it looked better on the wanted ads that were starting to show around Vale.
He smiled, relieved to see that she didn’t blow off any of her limbs. Though, he was sure she was to fast for anyone to catch her, and that was his favorite part about her. She did have messy hair, smudges on her face and arms that were also partnered with cuts. Neo, from beside him, threw her elbow into his gut once she saw his smirk and he let out a painful groan.
"Don't be jealous, dear, you're irreplaceable," Roman mumbled to the duel haired girl before straining his head up to Ruby. "Welcome back Red. Status?”
Ruby sighed but nodded. “One of ours got their leg broken and six were taken down by the robot soldiers. We also didn’t see them until they marched up from below deck but we took them out, er, gracefully”
Roman came to learn that whenever Ruby added ‘gracefully’ or ‘elegantly’, things had blown up. He sighed, rubbing his eyes before looking back to Ruby, who was now shifting with embarrassment but the poker face remained. He gave her a look, and she cringed.
“It’s not like it got anyone hurt by it! Just the robots”
“Yes yes, I’ve heard it before. So, there were more soldiers on board? Atlas ones?”
She nodded. “They’re prepared for us now sir”
Neo nodded not smiling, not scowling either. Maybe Red had grown on her. Her right hand pulled out her scroll, typing something out then showing it to Ruby, who read it aloud.
"’ Any civilian casualties?’” Ruby tilted her head, confused. “Of course not"
"Shame," Roman shrugged. "Woulda got more news coverage with some deaths- or even if you sunk the ship. I miss the old days, when you used to kill anyone with no regrets"
"W-well, this way we’re on time and cleaner-"
"Liar, all your kills from before were slip-ups"
All three of them turned to find Mercury strutting up to them as if he had owned the damn room. Neo rolled her eyes, not knowing who she hated more out of all the teenagers in this place. Ruby shifted feet, regretting opening up to him in the first few months she'd been around. Emerald and Mercury were her age, or so she thought, and latched to them the quickest, only to find that they were as broken as she was. More so even.
Glaring, Ruby went to kick him and he smoothly dodged, becoming very used to her small attacks. She didn’t bother trying again, she’d only embarrass herself; one on one fighting wasn’t what she was good at, and she left before her father or sister could teach her. Speed and sniping? That's what she felt confident in.
“They were accidents, yeah, but at least I didn’t get stuck in a wall during a robbery!”
Apparently, Ruby could open closed wounds too.
Roman and Neo looked back and forth between the two as they fought. Roman realized, not in the current moment but months before, that recruiting teenagers as their right hands was probably a drawback performance-wise. Ruby was right- Mercury did get stuck in a wall, more than once according to Cinder. Having metal legs somehow resulted in getting them stuck when thrown around but Roman couldn’t think of a single job where someone would throw him into a wall.
After a couple of minutes, the two didn’t show any signs of letting up, and Roman gave a specific look to Neo. She rolled her eyes but nodded all the same.
Roman left Neo to calm the children down, and went to find Cinder, who was arguably the head of their whole operation. She’d been the one to recruit the White Fang, as reluctant as they were, then found him and his mobsters. Truly, Roman was just renting out some henchmen from one of his ‘work’ acquaintances who ran a club. A dance club. He didn’t need all those henchmen. Sure, he did some laundering, but an info broker who owned a club?
Roman didn’t like cliches, and he especially didn’t trust them.
Which was why this team up became so appealing to him. Cinder showing up, saying she had a full proof plan from her mysterious boss. He didn’t care who she was working for, it certainly wasn’t any of the running politics or academy headmasters. They were doing damage to everyone, and for the past two years with Cinder and The White Fang and half that time with Little Red, they were still operating the first phase of their plan. Their long plan.
He wasn’t in it for world domination but the world destruction.
“Speak of the devil”
“Ah, such a warm welcome. Good to know you girls can’t stop talking about me” Roman smirked but glared with his eyes at the third teenager he had too many interactions with. Emerald's red orbs held something in them, threatening and almost bored, but it wasn’t her he was concerned with, it was her boss.
Or, again arguably, their boss.
Cinder stood proudly, nodding to Roman. “Took you long enough. Thought I had sent Mercury to get you” Her voice was steady and cold.
“He decided to get in a fight with Red. Not my fault you haven’t whipped him into shape”
“As if you could whip anyone into shape” Emerald remarked.
“Little Red is in charge of the heavy lifting operations, isn’t she?” Roman spat back. “Who’s been getting all the Schnee Dust Company loads for the past month, eh?”
“About that,” Cinder interrupted, not caring for their squabbling. “The past year Ruby’s been training, and this month you’ve proven just how much of a fast learner she is. Determined, I like that. We’ve hit the Schnee Dust Company hard, and now it’s time to put on the breaks”
Roman blinked, processing what she said. “Huh?”
“We need to slow down. We’ve attracted too much attention, from the authorities and the Schnee’s. One of them is a Specialist, sitting up in Atlas with its military. Our actions will spark a war, Roman. We need a little time to let it die down”
“You’re scared of a few snooty tooty Schnees?”
Cinders' eyes sharpened. “Don’t underestimate your enemies, Roman”
He held back the urge to roll his eyes. He felt like a child being scolded by their parents, which Roman hated since one, he didn’t have parents and two, he didn’t want Cinder thinking she was the boss of him (power wise). He also couldn’t see Cinder being concerned about the Schnees- she must have a lot of enemies. Well, she looked like it.
“That family, pfft. They’re too high up on their horse to be paying attention to us, much less getting down to get their hands dirty and fight”
“You try fighting one”
Roman didn’t bother glancing behind him. Ever since they upped their operation plans and got more White Fang members for extra manpower, the White Fangs leader (or someone) Adam stuck around. Probably to mooch off them, and he didn’t like him around. Acted all high and mighty. Sure, he acted self centered himself, but at least he’s a gentleman about it. Plus, two redheads in charge? Chaos.
“I’m guessing you have, then?”
“Faced one personally,” Adam approached them. “Burned their disgusting logo onto my face”
Probably deserved it was his response inside his head but bit his tongue, knowing Cinder didn’t want him to fuck this up. Plus, Adam single-handedly took down a fleet of guards the first job he actually participated in. If ‘massacre’ was a good point to have on your resume, he had just about three.
Roman just nodded and looked to Cinder. “Okay, so we’re slowing down. What goes down until we pick up again?”
“We lay low. Keep Ruby on a short leash, she’s… hyper. I’m awaiting confirmation, but next we will be going to step two,” Cinder walked past Roman and Adam then stopped and looked back to them, “so keep out talk in mind, Roman”
Roman watched her leave, not glaring until he watched Emerald walk after her. “I swear, Cider’s team is full of lost puppies thinking that this is where they belong. She outta keep them on a short leash” Roman said aloud, not intentionally starting making small talk.
“Says the one with two leeches following him around”
He turned at that. “I’ll have you know that Neo is a full adult, and Little Red is a valuable piece to have on our side. In case it wasn’t clear to you, the reason we are slowing down is because of my little leech” Roman sneered, wanting to make the Faunus's teeth grind with jealousy.
Adam scoffed. “You’re either keeping her to brag or using her to overcompensate for your failures” he eyed Roman up and down. “I think it's the latter”
“Why you-”
“Adam!” A new girl entered from the side, a mask that all the other animals were wearing on her face and cat ears on her head. A crowd of other Faunus was behind her, some limping and others bleeding. “We ended the mission and, well, now you’re being called by Sienna”
“Well, would ya look at that. I may have a leech, but you have a pussy following you around”
Before Adam could whack Roman for his slur, Ruby zoomed around the corner in a blur of petals. He internally groaned. Just as he was winning too.
“Roman, Mercury said Cinder needs you-” Ruby stopped mid sentence, looking beside Roman to Adam. He looked super threatening, and the first time Ruby saw him she decided she’d rather be a trillion miles away from him. He towered over her, making her gulp.
“Don’t worry Red, I already talked to the hag”
Ruby nodded in response, taking a respectful step away from Adam and beside the other girl. From the corner of her eye, Ruby noticed the girl looking her up and down, so she took one more step back and put on her neutral face, prompting Adam to scoff...
She was the girl Cinders partner was so proud of? Looking her up and down, he could only see a little girl who wanted a thrill with the bad guys. Torn leggings and messy hair, how cliche. He looked over to his own girl, Blake, who looked perfect in the mask she belonged in. It fitted her so well, and in his opinion, her black crop top that was protected by a fauld (armor that covered her chest and abdomen) then hidden with a sheer black kimono was more elegant and strong all in one. Along with old white torn pants, black boots, and weapons, it all made her who she was. She could kick anyone's ass in her heeled boots with the accompany of Gambol Shroud, her weapon. Her main one, at least, small throwing knives were hidden all over her. For the last touch, she had a black ribbon tied around her bicep- the thing she used to rely on. Her monochrome outfit made Adam drawn to her, and she was the reason he ended up following Cinder in the first place.
Blake was way above the highest point the small girl would ever reach.
“I’ll let her know of you’re little nickname there, Roman,” Adam said.
Roman rolled his eyes. “Cinder has more problems to deal with, namely all the animals” he pointedly looked at Blake. “There's too many around here”
“How professional,” The Faunus girl remarked with a hand on her hip and it was Romans teeth that were grinding. He hated the Faunus, Adam and his kitty cat making it to the top of his list.
“Yes, well little girl, stick around and maybe you’ll learn something about being a grown up, something you gotta be to be a professional”
The three others around him cringed. What was he, a 9 year old? Before anyone else could talk to him, Roman said his goodbyes and left. He passed Mercury, grabbing Neo as he passed and ignored the boy's complaints. He was angry, and with no missions coming up, he needed some classic one on one time with Neo...
...beating someone within an inch of their death. Preferably killing them, but you know, can’t draw any more attention.