Empyrean - Chapter 13 - What We'd Do for Hate

Emerald POV

The Emerald Sustrai who Cinder knew died that fateful night.

None of them had expected Roman to sell them out. The fear of one’s life tended to make sure people co-operated. The fact that Roman had the skills to smooth-talk Ozpin into offering him amnesty for information was not something they’d considered. They only learnt the extent of their failings when their temporary base was raided by Vale’s finest.

It wasn’t any raid. It was too thorough. Cinder was a paranoid woman, so she had escape routes, contingencies. Roman was shrewd, though. His little mute minx had already charted their base, and when they attempted to escape, they found the enemy waiting in ambush.

So thorough were their preparations that they were even aware of Emerald’s power. Escape required force, but they’d already faced that Scythe-wielding man before, and as he cut down the White Fang backup they’d strong-armed from Adam Taurus, the only option was to run and hope for the best. 

It was during this escape that she’d seen things for what they truly were. She’d always held onto hope that Cinder saw her as something more than a tool. She’d always been stingy with her affections, but jobs done well were rewarded well. Somewhere down the line, Emerald had started to think of that fake affection as the genuine article.

That night disabused her of any such notion. The only reason she and Mercury lived was because of bad luck on their opponent’s part. By the time they had made it to safety, Emerald had overused her Semblance to the point she could barely stand. Mercury was at the end of his tether, yet Cinder was unharmed.

Then, she took it all out on them. All the anger, all the frustration, blaming them for the loss of a mission where she was the one who was most at fault. Soliciting Torchwick was her idea, so was making him her main point of contact for operations in Vale.

Their failure was a result of her actions, of her faith that she could control people with fear in a foreign land, without knowing the extent of their character. It was a watershed moment for Emerald, because it revealed just how Cinder viewed those that she worked with.

“We’re all expendable tools to her, and I’m not gonna stick around and get a bullet in the back of my head.” Mercury had told her before he took to the wind, and it was the first time that Emerald hadn’t relayed crucial info to Cinder.

She hadn’t even gotten the chance to. The moment Cinder caught wind of Mercury’s escape, she was vengeful. She wanted him caught, murdered, so that any loose ends were tied up. That alone would have been abhorrent, but watching how personal Cinder took his betrayal made her realize something even worse.

They were belongings to her. Possessions. The very idea that they could simply leave was beyond her. She owned them, and she was personally affronted by the fact that Mercury would prioritise his own life over hers. She was so incensed by the sheer gall of the boy that the fact that he could also have sold them out like Torchwick did was something she didn’t even consider.

Mercury had cut ties cleanly, and for that, Cinder wanted his head. That was the last straw.

Their ‘mistress’ had done Emerald a favor by removing her from Cinder’s group. Her loss in Vale meant she was no longer to be trusted with autonomy or leadership. Within that fallout, Emerald somehow slipped through the cracks. Stationed at Atlas to keep an ear to the ground, she found something she rarely had the time for.

Free thought. Life with Cinder was hectic, moving from one job to the next. Between doing her willing and pining for her attention, interspiced by Mercury being insufferable, she rarely had the time required for rumination. Her inactivity in Atlas allowed for just that. 

It was illuminating. Just a cursory glance over her time with Cinder revealed the extent of conditioning she’d been put through, and it left her numb, unable to process anything for a month. Her reports were shallow, yet no one seemed to care. For the first time since Cinder had found her, she was well and truly alone, and it frightened her. The fear subsided over time, and was replaced with something wholly different. 

Contempt. Contempt for Cinder clashed against years of conditioning, and the need for closure arose. Mulling in her own feelings would do her no good. She needed to face Cinder. She did not know how that meeting would end, she did not know if both of them would walk out of it alive. All she knew was that it was something she needed to move forward with her own life.

The man walking towards her had put a wrench in her plans. 

He didn’t have a mask on, neither was he dressed in anything similar to the clothes he’d worn in that infamous video. Yet she knew he was the man she was looking for. 

Clothes changed, so did visages, but the feeling of control, the aura of invincibility, the sheer perfection made manifest, only one other person could emulate that kind of presence, and she was thousands of miles away, confined to her stronghold.

Even as he walked alongside Winter Schnee and James Ironwood, he commanded the hallway. His physical attributes helped, considering Emerald had never seen a man this perfect in her life, but it was his gait that spoke volumes. In front of two of the most important people in all of Remnant, he still led. 

She slipped under cover of her semblance as she walked towards them. She’d gotten into the habit of emulating those who worked in the Atlas government offices. She knew every worker by name, and could emulate them down to their very mannerisms. So, as she slipped past the man, assuming the visage of a middle manager, she couldn’t help but smirk as she quickly slipped a note into his pocket without anyone noticing.

A life of crime had its uses.

Yet, she had barely made it to the end of the hallway when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“That was a pretty neat trick.” He spoke, leaning against the wall right next to her, her note in his hands. She hadn’t even seen him move. Her instincts should have screamed at her the moment he turned, yet he’d made his way next to her without triggering her senses.

She reached for her weapon, invisible as it was under her illusion, he would never see it coming. Yet, his hand reached it first, stopping her from moving. Again, he’d moved into her personal space without her even realizing. It was a testament to the difference in their abilities. 

She’d been a fool to think her semblance would save her, and now she was at his mercy.

“That was an interesting note.” He spoke, a gentle smile on his face. “I remember you from Beacon. Emerald, right?” He asked, and what shocked her more than the fact that he’d already read her rather lengthy note was that somehow, he knew her.

It was then that she got a closer look at him. Those dark blue eyes, the blonde hair, the Arc logo on his coat. She’d seen it before, in a report, in news articles, and recognition came next.

Jaune Arc, someone who hadn’t even been worth their notice outside of the fact that he was Pyrrha Nikos’ team leader, was her quarry. She’d personally seen him at Beacon, and he’d seen her, yet how someone so… useless could transform into the monster in front of her was something that completely eluded her.

“Let’s talk, shall we?” He spoke, a sly smirk on his face. “Your illusions are useless against me, but you just gave me a really good idea.” 

She snapped herself out of her stupor. She could see the mirth on his face. He had a plan, a plan that he’d somehow concocted within a minute of coming in contact of her semblance.

“What’s in it for me?” She asked.

He replied by raising the hand that held her note, bringing her face to face with her own handwriting. “This, I might not be able to accomplish this myself, but I can make sure it’ll happen. That, plus a full pardon, contingent on our success, of course.”

Her eyes widened. A full pardon, that was not something easy to give. Yet as she saw Ironwood and Winter walk over, yet not impede Jaune’s actions one bit, she came to the realization that he was the one person who could reasonably promise, and even accomplish something like that.

Which raised the question, just what was it that the strongest man in the world had planned that required her semblance to achieve?

He caught on to the confusion on her face quickly, and she’d never admit to the blush that appeared on her face once she saw the playful smile on his face. No, that never happened. She definitely did not blush at the sight of the impossibly gorgeous blonde. Never. 

“You see, Emerald, we have a bit of a problem, something that I could fix with force, at great cost.” He spoke, his gaze never leaving hers. “I’ve spent all day mitigating that cost, so have my companions here.”

He waved towards Schnee and Ironwood, who returned a terse nod. They were definitely not as comfortable with this turn of events as Jaune was, and who could blame them? They’d fallen for her illusions, as evidenced by their tardy response. Just the implication of my presence was enough to set them on edge, and if he had the chance, Ironwood would definitely incarcerate her first, and ask questions later.

Yet, they were subservient to Jaune, which was a testament to just who he was, to what he had accomplished, and to how much they needed him. What for? She did not know.

“With your semblance and your co-operation, I think there’s a chance that we could mitigate that damage to a point where it ceases to exist.” He offered her a handshake and the fact that her entire future depended on this handshake, on the agreement that came with it, was not lost on her.

“Tell me, Emerald, would you like to help me fuck over the richest man in the world?”

LB

Winter POV

Emerald was uncomfortable, good. Sadly, so was she. 

They’d repurposed General Ironwood’s office for the meeting. It was the only room that was secure enough, especially after Jaune’s run-in with her father. That alone had raised a concern about information security that was not easily answered. 

She knew her father had eyes and ears everywhere. Yet, this was beyond even her own estimates. They’d have to do an internal audit to root out the people who were in Jacques’ pockets. Such an action would put them weeks behind schedule, if not months.

That was until Jaune explained his plan. 

It was alarming and impressive in equal measure. Sure, it was missing some details, but Jaune wasn’t a politician, he was a man of action, and by his own admission, he’d come up with this plan on the fly once he saw Emerald’s semblance in action.

“So, do you think this would be possible?” He asked, his gaze locked on Emerald. She took the attention well, better than Winter expected, considering her current company.

Around the table sat General Ironwood, herself, Jaune, Glynda Goodwitch, and Emerald. Yet, the only person here who Emerald was careful around was Jaune, and considering how thoroughly Jaune had dismantled her ridiculous semblance, that made sense.

“It can be done. I’ll need access to the target, will need a week to study his mannerisms, and a copy of the documents you want me to emulate, but if you are able to distract Schnee, I don’t see why this plan can’t succeed.” She spoke quickly and nodded. She’d put some real thought into her response, which was good to see.

What Jaune had offered her was a lifeline. To see that she was treating it with respect and caution was good. She knew way too many people who, in her shoes, would have promised more than they could realistically achieve, just to fall short when it mattered most.

“The plan itself is sound. Yet, it hinges on too many external factors, factors that we will have to deal with before we can put it into motion.” General Ironwood spoke in a calm and measured tone, but the underlying tone of hope in his voice was not missed by anyone present, nor was it something anyone could disagree with.

“I assume you will make sure we can cover all our bases.” Jaune spoke, giving the General a nod. “I’ve already spoken with Robyn and her team. They will get back to you with an affirmative soon enough. Once they do, the immortals will help them relocate.”

“What makes you so sure Robyn’s group will co-operate? You’re asking them to convince Mantle to move. As good as the alternative may be, it doesn’t guarantee they will co-operate.” James asked.

“They have no choice.” Jaune shot back, expressionless. “What I offered them was a truth disguised as a possibility. The more they ruminate on it, the more they will realize the inevitability of what I said.”

“There really is no hope for Mantle as long as Atlas exists, is there?” he asked, and Jaune shook his head. “It truly is a shame, the lack of personnel will hurt Atlas in the short-term.”

“The extra revenue streams generated by the new mines in the north, coupled with cheaper, higher quality dust should mitigate any issues that arise.” Jaune answered, and again, the fact that he’d thought so far ahead surprised Winter. 

Was there a possibility that his semblance affected his intelligence as well? It wasn’t out of the question. There was so little they knew about it after all.

“We’re not accounting for father’s contingencies?” Winter asked, and she felt General Ironwood stiffen. Jaune, on the other hand, gave her an understanding smile.

“We’ve underestimated Jacques, that is true. He’s proven with his brazen actions that he holds more power in Atlas’ system than we gave him credit for.” He spoke, a determined expression on his face, one that Winter thought suited him well. 

“We cannot predict any contingencies, but we can stack our deck against him.” He continued, leaning on the table. “For anything extreme, I’m here, and for anything personal, we will all have to be alert.”

“I’d recommend travelling as twos. Keep the Ace Ops team at hand. Co-ordinate where you are and who you are with. It might seem like paranoia, but paranoia is necessary when we do not know our enemy’s true capabilities.” Jaune finished, getting a round of nods for his efforts.

Enemy. The word made her feel hollow, empty. She knew what kind of man her father was. Yet, even as she despised him, even as she had seen the depths of his depravity, it was hard to reconcile the image of her father with that ugly word. 

Yet, her mind was made up. Jacques Schnee was a tyrant, and he could not go unchecked. It was the least she could do, considering the effort Jaune was putting into this for her.

For her. That, on the other hand, made her feel warm. 

Glynda finally spoke up, the tinge of doubt painting her pretty features. “There is one part of this plan that I have doubts about.”

Jaune motioned to her. “I assume it’s the part about convincing Willow Schnee to divorce her husband and assuming control of the Schnee dust company?”

Glynda gave an affirmatory nod. “We know that Winter here has already attempted to convince her to no avail. While the circumstances are different, I know Willow personally. She is terrified, not just of what Jacques would do to her if she rebelled, but even regarding what she’d do if she could get away with cutting that out of her life.”

Jaune sighed. “Yeah, that is the true holdup.” He then locked eyes with Winter. “Yet, I’m hopeful that an external voice of reason might help her rethink her stance. As such, I will be going with Winter to deal with this problem.”

That came as a surprise, leaving Winter stunned. She wanted to ask why, but Glynda beat her to it.

“We do not particularly need Willow for this plan to succeed. Winter is old enough, accomplished in her own right, and known as a successful public servant. Would that now be a better, less risky option?” She asked.

“That may be true, but Willow not only carries direct lineage from Nicholas Arc, but has also not been in the public eye for years.” He spoke, but there was a hint of deception that Winter could make out, just because of the amount of time she’s spent with Jaune. 

It was good enough to fool others, but not her.

“It would be easy to sell her as a worthy successor to Nicholas. Combine good media coverage, a few nice policy changes, and public support from the Arc Family, and we could come out of this smelling like roses.” He finished. It was not a Jaune-like plan at all, and she understood why he was trying to do this.

He was doing it for her, because of that talk they had earlier. The smile he flashed her was more than enough proof. 

Was it wrong that she wanted to kiss the idiot? He wanted to push for this, even though doing so had the possibility, as slight as it may be, of jeopardizing the plan? Her mother wasn’t likely to tell father, especially because Jaune could be a far worse danger than Jacques, but people did stupid things under pressure.

“Then I wish for your success, Jaune.” Glynda acquiesced with a smile, one that Jaune returned. 

“Then I hope you will also co-ordinate with Ozpin to get Emerald her pardon and her meeting?” He asked, a warm smile on his face. The blush on Glynda’s face, on the other hand, brought a frown to Winter’s face. Why? She couldn’t tell.

Was she possessive of Jaune? She didn’t think so. Yet her actions betrayed her. Still, now was neither the time nor place for amorous thoughts. She had that date with Jaune after all was said and done. She’d sort out her feelings there, whatever the outcome may be.

Though she couldn’t keep the smile off her face when the memory of Jaune asking for the date surfaced to the forefront of her mind. She was looking forward to putting all this behind her.

“Thankfully, due to her skills and semblance, the only reports we have of her ‘crimes’ are unconfirmed sightings at best. Other than the fact that we know she was part of Cinder’s crew.” She sighed. “We should still be able to get her a pardon, but we’ll require someone to keep her under probationary surveillance for an indeterminate amount of time.”

“The meeting, on the other hand, Ozpin will not be opposed to, but there’s a favor he requires from you.” She spoke.

“Go on.” Jaune prompted.

“There… is a person in Beacon who has suffered damage to the soul. Considering what you did for Summer, Ozpin requested you come to Beacon and see if you can heal this person.” Glynda spoke, and Emerald winced.

“I…assume that person is the Fall Maiden?” She spoke. 

Glynda sighed. “It almost slipped my mind that you were part of the group that put her in the state she is in now.” She spoke, moving her attention to Jaune. “The way Ozpin sees it, it’s a fair trade.”

Jaune nodded. “I’ve never examined the soul of a maiden, I’m not even sure what a maiden is, so I cannot make any promises except to try my best.”

The General leaned forward, “I would also like you to meet the Winter maiden. She.. has been a constant source of strength for Atlas. Maybe examining her soul will give you a better idea of what you can or cannot do.”

Jaune gave him a shaky smile. “Yeah, that should help.”

LB

Jacques POV

The kid was powerful. More than predicted. 

Jacques, in his long life, had the distinct displeasure of meeting many men like the Empyrean. Hotshot huntsmen who thought they were invincible, who thought they were above a mere businessman. Disrespectful shits, the lot of them. The Empyrean was more tolerable. He’d been amenable to conversation, even to business.

Yet the end of their conversation was disastrous, and served as a disrespectful reminder that no matter how much prestige or money he gained, he’d never have the respect of a Huntsman.

It wasn’t something he needed, after all, he would come around in time. They all did, once they realized that no one paid better than Jacques did. 

If they didn’t, then there were other ways to bring upstart huntsmen in line. After all, everyone cared for someone else, and usually that ‘someone else’ was a lot easier to control than the rampaging bull of a huntsman.

He’d had his PIs on the Empyrean the moment he’d first appeared in Atlas. In his hands, he held photos of the Empyrean, of his allies. Jaune Arc, he truly was the same person that Weiss refused to compare him to. 

He also came with a small army, a small army of some of the most terrifying veteran huntsmen on the service registry. Even after all these generations, even after slinking away from society, the Arc family still had claws.

Most surprisingly, the person Jaune Arc was closest to was his own daughter, Winter. Over a dozen photos of them together painted an interesting picture. He had never seen his own daughter smile in such a carefree manner. Her body language around him was different, far more natural than the gait of the Ace Operative she had evolved into.

Still, this was fortunate. If Jaune truly wished to court his daughter, then all paths led through him. Even after he bought the mines from Jaune, having familial access to an era-defining huntsman like him had too many benefits to ignore.

The fact that this was the same Jaune Arc that his younger daughter had bragged about getting expelled was slightly problematic, but cutting Weiss loose was not a problem. After all, he’d already cut off her finances for her belligerence. Three more years in Beacon, out of sight, out of mind would allow him to integrate Jaune well enough into the family that any objections that Weiss would have would ring rather hollow.

He was getting ahead of himself, as tempting as the possibility of gaining such a powerful son-in-law was.

Of course, all of this was contingent on Jaune’s willingness to sell the land. If that itself came to a standstill, then desperate measures would be necessary, the type of measures that were reserved specifically for huntsmen who would not bow, for huntsmen who he could not control.

Jaune Arc was not invincible. Lau had him on the ropes at the close of their fight. He was still a man, and a man could be ambushed, a man could be eliminated. It would not be an easy undertaking, but that was precisely why it was the last course of action.

Control them with money, control them with coercion. If they cannot be controlled, that’s when you use the nuclear option.

He sincerely hoped it would not come to that. Having him in the family would be a massive boost to their prestige. That, plus it would allow him to make inroads to repairing his relationship with his daughter.

He was still her father, even though they did not agree on much these days.

“Sir. I got a call from one ‘Jaune Arc’, he said you asked to be contacted.” His secretary spoke up from her desk. Ah, the pretty little thing had brought him just the kind of news he wanted to hear. He’d have to reward her for that later.

“Tell him that I’m available. If he specifies a time, make sure my calendar is open at least an hour before and after.” he instructed, a rare smile on his face. “Make sure to get a proper confirmation, and spare no expenses in preparing for him. For all future references, treat him like you would treat me.”

“Noted, sir.” She spoke, going back to her phone call. Jacques sank back into his padded seat, pouring himself a whiskey from the decanter on his table.

He would have them both, the mines and Jaune Arc, and if he didn’t he had the money and power to make sure no one else did. That was how he conducted business, and it had never led to failure. It was the Gele way, and so it was the Schnee way as well.

Total control, nothing else would ever suffice.

LB

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