Crimson Immoderation Part 20: Freight Expectations

“She drank it!”

“Okay, I think you're maybe overreacting a little–“

“SHE DRANK IT!!!”

I hold my scroll away from my ear as I let Summer rant herself out. Honestly the situation is mostly just amusing to me, save for the part that makes me somewhat uncomfortable. While Ruby getting involved in my hijinks is an inevitability, it's a little too soon for my tastes if you catch my meaning.

This is all your fault you know! You and your stupid stuff tasting so good with your stupid dick wizard powers! Now my baby girl wants to know where I got it from! What am I supposed to tell her, huh?! My baby was pure and innocent and now she's going to turn into some depraved cum-guzzler!”

It's fairly telling that she thinks that outcome is a given. Hell, the entire reason this happened is because Summer herself wanted to stock up her pantry with my special ingredient. Couldn't hold herself back from getting a taste even with Ruby visiting. “You know you could just not tell her what was in it, right?”

“Of course I'm not going to tell her! That doesn't stop her from asking for some every time she comes over from now on!”

“Then just tell her no?”

“... You have a daughter who's cute as a button and knows it. Then tell me how easy it is to deny your baby girl anything.”

Well that just sounds like an excuse.

“Also, you freaking lied to me about the whole gaining weight thing!”

I blink at the sudden subject change. Weight gain? “What do you mean?”

“You told me I wouldn't get fat anymore! Yet somehow I've had to buy new bras thanks to going up a full cup size!”

… Ah. That's not what I said, but I should probably have worded it better. “I, err, I didn't say you wouldn't get fat I said you wouldn't have to worry about gaining weight.”

“What's that supposed to mean?!”

“Well... It's been long enough that the effect will have worn off by now. But what it did was not so much stopping you from putting on fat entirely, as much as... localising it to a certain region.”

There's silence on the other end of the line for a worrying amount of time given she's been so eager to yell at me up to this point. “You're telling me... If I keep having sex with you my tits will get bigger?”

“And excess body fat from elsewhere will be consumed first, yes.” The silence is back. “... At least you'll always look great for bikini season?”

I yank the scroll away again as an inarticulate scream of rage comes from the speaker, before it suddenly cuts off. Either she hung up or she needs a new scroll now.

… She'll... Probably calm down eventually.

I hope.

“Woman trouble?” Cinder asks as she props her cushioned backside on the edge of my desk. She twists to demonstrate an alluring pose.

I lean back in my chair to get a better look. I'm amazed I haven't gotten tired of the view yet. Cinder certainly knows how to flaunt her charms. “You know, I was going to say something pithy like 'always'. But aside from the occasional foul up, things are going quite well. Then again, most of the trouble that does occur tends to be at your hands.”

“Oh Vlad, how cruel,” she simpers with a put-upon frown. “Isn't it about time we put our differences aside if we're to work together? And here I was about to invite you to see my operation.”

“Your operation.” My eyes rise from her distracting body to look her in her golden eyes. “The operation that now has absolutely no purpose. Made up of criminals and faunus supremacists. That operation?”

“Oh come now,” she coos, gliding a finger along my jaw, “You don't appreciate the White Fang? I must say I find that surprising. You don't like them fighting for equality?”

“There's the White Fang and then there's the group you strong-armed... Out of curiosity, did you actually choose the most ruthless and extremist cell of their organisation? Or was it a happy accident?” I can't imagine any other branch of the White Fang would have consented to bringing Grimm into a kingdom. The faunus get enough unfounded suspicion about a connection to the Grimm as it is. Adam, or whatever her female counterpart is called here, is more than willing to openly invoke that aspect of fearmongering. The only other character to wear a Grimm mask is Raven. Not exactly the kind of person you want to emulate if you think you're making good, sane decisions.

“Would you be surprised to learn it was both?” she asks without a hint of shame. “The best option in the kingdom and also the closest to Vale. It was remarkably convenient. Were they more measured I would likely have looked elsewhere for disposable minions. Thankfully Auburn proved to be the exact kind of mad cow I needed.”

Auburn. Given that's a shade of red and Cinder calling her a cow I guess that makes her Adam? “And now she's a loose end that needs to be dealt with. Roma is a criminal but she exists for her own self-interest. Just pointing Neo at her could get her onside. We can re-appropriate her and the resources she gathered. But a bunch of fanatics led by a bigger fanatic?”

“And that is precisely why we need to pay them a visit.” she spins as she comes off of the desk to put her hands on my shoulders. “We can't leave such madness unchecked can we? Besides, if you want that chameleon girl so badly, Auburn will be needed for us to acquire her. Unless you want to take a trip across the ocean.”

My head tips back as I sigh, looking up at her smile of knowing victory. “Fine. When? Tonight?”

“The sooner the better, don't you think?”

-(-)-

A night time journey into Vale proper. They twilight view of the city from the Beacon cliffs is pretty amazing. Enough to make me realise there's probably more to appreciate about this world than the never ending parade of tens that populate it. The darkened fields to the south, the industrial district shutting down for the night. The commercial district coming to life as the Vale nightlife kicks off.

Not that we have any interest in the nightlife. At least, not that kind. Instead my team take on Neo-made disguises as we cross the river into the industrial district. Warehouses upon warehouses upon factories. Further to the southern edge of the district and far away from the police station to the west, we reach our destination. A warehouse that from the outside looks out of use. On heading inside I can see it's anything but.

Training to give me the attitude of nobility, plus the added benefit of Confidence means I'm just as secure and in control as Cinder as I enter. Even so I can feel the eyes behind the White Fang masks watching me. We shed our disguises as son as we were inside to make clear 'the boss' is here (which for the moment is Cinder). As such they can see exactly who I am. And they know exactly who I am.

“Isn't that the Impaler?”

He's a blue blood, right? And he's part of this? Auburn won't be happy.”

“Isn't he the one fucking the Schnee bitch?”

My eyes flick to the source of that comment. Even hiding behind his mask he isn't brave enough to keep his eyes on me, choosing to look busy instead. He raised a good point though. I have to wonder how much my reputation will make things difficult with their leader.

Their number two however, “You...” a burly faunus in a tajitu mask blocks our path.

“Me,” I answer. If he isn't actually going to vocalise his problem then I don't really have anything to say to him.

“Is there a problem?” Cinder asks, sounding her usually sinister kind of friendly.

He stares me down, or at least I assume he does. The fingers of his right hand twitch, his want to do something stupid warring with his self-preservation. He knows Cinder could kill him. He knows I'm no slouch. And in the end, he knows it's not his call. “Auburn will hear of this.”

“As she should,” Cinder replies, “We are allies, aren't we Lieutenant?”

He grunts irritably as he turns and walks past us. The chainsaw, sorry, chainsword on his back is–... Huh. He might actually be a dangerous opponent for me now that I think about it. Stronger than me with a weapon that could chew through my aura faster than I could steal it from him? That might be a prob– Oh wait. I can roast him the same way Cinder can now. Never mind.

Man, fake maiden powers can solve a lot of problems. Just makes me want magic all the more. Glynda and Amber. One day. Even if one's far easier than the other.

No one else bothers us as we walk through enormous amounts of dust containers being sorted by White Fang members. Then through a door at the back wall into what would probably be the manager's office. Though in a sense I guess it still is. Roma has her back to us looking at a crude map of Vale and Neo–

Wait, Neo? She waves at me from her place on the office desk, legs crossed. I look to the Neo that has been walking with us and it shatters.

How...? I really wish I knew how her semblance worked.

Roma whirls around in dramatic fashion, planting her cane in front of her to lean on with both hands. And she is just wearing that suit, hot damn. Don't know why but women in suits just do it for me for some reason. “Cinder! Hey, sweetie! How was school? Making lots of friends? Keeping up with your homework? If you get an F on your report card I'm gonna be real disappointed in you, young lady!”

“Oh Roma, you joke but I've learned things you can't even imagine.”

“Well well! Haven't you mellowed out!” the orange-haired criminal notes with a smirk. “Who would've known all you needed was someone to pull that stick out of your ass. Then shove it back in, then out again, you get the idea.”

Cinder's brows draw in even as the smile stays on her face. Irritated, but trying to hide it. She glances at me, then the smile turns to a smirk and the tension eases out of her expression. “You know, you might be right about that, Roma. Maybe you should consider giving it a try.” It would be easy to take it as a joke from words alone but she says it with such sincerity it's clear she means every word, that the suggestion is genuine… Oh. She's doing it again, isn't she. “Well, Vlad?” she asks as she smirks up at me. “Care to take her for a spin? You have a thing for bad girls after all.”

While I don't think that's true, it's hard to argue when half my picks coming into this life were the entire villain team. “We did come here for a reason, Cinder. Roma getting it in wasn't it.”

“You're too young for me anyway, kid.”

My eyebrow rises as I smirk challengingly. “I'd have you screaming my name in thirty seconds.” Her eyes narrow. Oh, oops. Shouldn't have said it like that if I want to actually get things done today. She's the exact kind of woman to get hit by Yang's perk isn't she? Time to move on before she tries to prove me wrong. “So, dust.”

Cinder lets out a disappointed sigh. “Yes, Roma. How is your little project coming along?”

“Little project she says,” Roma grouses, twirling her cane in her right hand, “Stealing every grain, crystal and drop of dust in Vale ain't any kind of 'little project' darlin'! Not to mention what comes next! Once that freighter comes in to resupply? We'll be all ready to move ahead with the next phase.” She looks back at the map again. “Is what I'd like to say, but I'll need more guys to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Something you just made a whole hell of a lot harder to get when you brought in enemy boytoy number one. Now all the animals are gonna get pissy.”

Oh. Right. I forgot she was like that about faunus. Damn it, now I want to bend her over that desk to teach her a lesson. I've been thinking with my lower brain too much lately.

“Emerald, get the door,” Cinder orders mildly. Emerald being such a dutiful servant, the door quietly swings shut an instant later. “There has been a slight change of plans.”

“Of course there has,” the criminal breathes, “Can't come in here with just 'Hey, Roma! Good job stealing every speck of dust in the city!' Alright great and mighty Cinder. How might you make my life harder today?”

“Dear Roma, where does all of this ingratitude come from? You almost make me feel bad for letting you off the hook.”

“For whatting me what now?”

The half-maiden's arm comes up, hand twirling dismissively. “Yes, it's been made clear that the old plan would be incredibly inefficient for getting us all what we want. So we're going to take a different route. One that doesn't require phases two and three of the plan.”

The emotions are written plain on the thief's face. First confusion, then elation as she realises she no longer has to become Vale's most wanted, or possibly die. Then irritation. “So you're telling me I pinched all this dust for nothing?!”

“Hardly nothing, Roma,” Cinder chuckles. “After all, you are a thief and the job of a thief is to steal what's valuable, correct? And thanks to your escapades, dust is now priced at a premium, even more than it already was!”

And suddenly the irritation on the redhead's face vanishes, replaced with relief. “You're saying we can turn all of it into one big payday? Okay, this is a plan I can get behind. I'll talk to the Xiong and the– Oh.” She grimaces suddenly. “We still have to hit the freighter.”

“Why?” Emerald asks. “Cinder just said we don't need you to grab dust anymore.”

“Because, Minty Fresh,” Roma rolls her eyes and points the end of her cane at Emerald, “The beast brigade aren't in this for your benefit. They want to stick it to humanity and especially the Schnee. And wouldn't you like to guess what logo is stamped on that shipment coming in. If we try to rein 'em in after only robbing some dust shops they're gonna go feral.” Okay, maybe she's laying on the animal cracks a bit thick. “Besides, if we wanna sell dust at a premium we need to keep the city's supply low to keep demand high.”

“While the second point isn't so important,” I'm not keen on keeping the dust supply low in the first place, “She's right about the first. We've got a battalion of angry fanatics and they aren't great with being told 'no'.”

The cane twirls to point at me, “See? Tall and gangly gets it,” then twirls to rest beside her for her to lean on.

This might be the most ruthless thought I've had in quite a while, but, “It seems to me we have a large number of loose ends, and a plan we don't especially need to succeed. So... Why not tie up one loose end with the others.”

Cinder's lips curl into a sinister smirk of approval. “It would be such a shame if the authorities were to find out about this endeavour. Suddenly dear Auburn loses all of her men. We would need to bring her in closer to salvage the plan...”

I don't know whether to be happy or sad that Cinder has suddenly turned all of her malevolent scheming toward bringing me more girls to fuck. I mean it's great but it's also deeply unnerving.

“Sell 'em out to save our own skin? I can get behind that. They're just animals after all.”

Oh shut up, Roma.

-(-)-

A/N: I'm not sorry about the pun title.