Chapter 1
Arcadia groans and stretches a few times as she stands over the broken body of one of Ozpin's Atlesian Huntresses. Mistress Salem had sent her to eliminate this Huntress after she had gotten too close to one of Salem's Agents in Atlas, unfortunately the intel on the Huntsman failed to disclose she had a speed semblance. Due to this Arcadia had a hard time landing a blow until one mistake by the huntsman had allowed Arcadia to land an open handed strike on her allowing Arcadia's semblance to trigger and stealing the Huntresses semblance.
After that the fight was one sided Arcadia used the Huntresses own semblance against her, dealing blow after blow until her aura broke and Arcadia shot her in her kneecaps leading to their current positions. The Huntress on the ground bleeding out as ARcadia stands over her drawing her pistol again to finish her off.
“T-traitor... when Ozpin learns about this...” The huntress starts to say.
Arcadia pulls the hammer on her revolver back with a click.
“Ozpin won’t learn about it because you won’t be around... no one will even find your body because they...” She gestures to ehr revolver to the multiple Grimm surrounding them, “They will rip your body to shreds and leave nothing behind”
The huntress's eyes fill with fear as she switches tactics.
“P-please Arcadia... we’re friends”
Arcadia closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, “We are... but my mission comes first.”
“W-what mission?”
Arcadia stays quiet for a minute before opening her eyes, “To bring down Ozpin and make him pay for all the damage he’s done to this world.”
And with those words arcadia jerks the trigger of her revolver.
BANG
The gunshot rings out loud and clear and the huntresses head has a new inconvenient hole in the middle of the forehead and once Arcadia sees the life leave the huntresses eyes. The instant the huntress is dead the Grimm all charge forward and start ripping the huntresses body to shreds.
Arcadia stares at the grimm eviscerating the huntress body for a minute before holstering ehr revolver and leaning down to pick up the huntresses weapon, which is just two curved swords that can be combined into a bow, and slings it onto her back before starting to walk away.
“Mistress, its done”
Arcadia stumbles as the now familiar wave of nausea hits her that indicates Salem has slid into her mind.
“Good you'll be staying in Atlas for a few days before you can return. I've had one of my contacts in Mistral arrange a room for you at the Glass Unicorn. In the city of Atlas reports there, the room is in your name.”
And with that Salem leaves Arcadia's head and in doing so leaves Arcadia with her thoughts.
Maybe Arcadia can stop and pick up a gift for Summer, would she appreciate that? Would Summer actually talk to her if she did? Eh, probably not Summer still hasn’t forgiven her for pledging herself to Salem in return for saving her life four years ago.
Arcadia sighs as she takes her hair out of the ponytail she had it in and shakes her head softly as her ears flick back and forth on her head.
She always hated the cold of Atlas, probably because she had been born and spent the first part of her life in Vacuo back during simpler times with her family.
Before Arcadia can't let her thoughts drag her down she hurries back to the bullhead Salem had provided for this mission. Once she's on board the pilot takes her to the city of atlas and after she disembarks she walks around looking for the Glass unicorn.
She walks the streets of Atlas for a while until finally she sees the Glass unicorn and she walks up but stops when she sees a sign on the door.
We do not serve Faunus.
That causes Arcadia to pause and sigh as she reaches out to Salem.
“Mistress this place won’t work” arcadia says feeling Salem come back into her mind.
“How come.. Oh... I see this shouldn't be a problem”
“What do you mean... last I checked i am a wolf faunus” arcadia states a little annoyed as her tail tucked between her legs and her ears pin back.
Suddenly a wave of nausea hits her causing her to stumble forward but as quickly as the nausea hits it vanishes.
“What the hell was that?” Arcadia asks.
“You will now appear human to everyone so you will now be welcome. And if that is all.” Salem then leaves Arcadia's mind.
Arcadia sighs as she opens the door and walks into the Glass unicorn and groans at the opulence. She always hated high end places like this, give her a hole in the wall motel over an expensive place like this.
She shakes her head slightly as she walks up to the front desk.
“Hello, welcome to the Glass Unicorn. Do you have a room reserved?” The blonde at the front desk asks.
“Yes it should be under gunslinger Silvea” Arcadia replies.
The woman glances at their reservation book before looking at the computer monitor, “Ahh yes miss Silvea, there is a room for you, room 407 on the fourth floor here’s your key, would you like any food sent up for you?”
Arcadia nods taking the key, “Some chicken soup please”
After receiving a nod from the woman, Arcadia makes her way to the room, unlocking it when he reaches it. Once she's inside the room she takes a deep breath and takes the huntresses bow off her back and leaning it against the wall before walking over to the desk and removing her revolver holster and gunslinger badge and placing them both on top of the desk.
She then stretches and turns to the bed and sees that Salem had whoever booked this room for her had dropped off her go bag with clothes and extra ammunition onto the bed of the room. She walks over and opens it up pulling out her sleeping clothes, a simple baggy tank top and some shorts.
Before she can change as she’s unbuttoning the bottom of her top there’s a knock on the door so she walks over to the door and opens it and she's met by a young teenager holding a tray with a bowl of soup and piece of bread. The girl has black hair and amber eyes, she's wearing a full white uniform and around her neck is a white necklace with a large yellow gem, that necklace looks familiar but Arcadia can’t place where she’d seen it.
“Chicken soup for you ma’am” She says.
Arcadia takes the tray from her, “Thank you very much...?” She ends with a questioning tone asking for her name which takes the girl a minute to realize.
“Oh ummm my name is Cinder”
Arcadia smiles softly at her, “Well Cinder are you allowed to accept tips?”
Cinder looks down at the ground, “unfortunately I am not, my mother would just take them...” Cinder seems to realize she's said too much, “Well enjoy your food” She says quickly leaving.
Arcadia backs up and closes the door behind her as she starts to rack her brain trying to remember where she’d seen that necklace. It wasn't until she had finished her soup that she remembered something and pulled out her scroll and pulls up Summers' contact but she hesitates before messaging.
Arcadia: Hey Summer I know you don’t like it when I message you but I need a favor.
Arcadia waits for a minute nervously waiting when Summer responds.
Summer: You wouldn’t do so if it wasn’t important. What is it?
Arcadia: I need the photos our insider took from SDC Vacuo mine 17 I need to verify something I just saw.
Summer: Didn’t that mine get shut down by the Gunslingers because of the SDC basically practicing Faunus slavery?
Arcadia: Yes. please send the photos asap
Summer: You’ll have it within the hour.
Arcadia: Thanks summer.... I love you.
That last message doesn't get a response. Arcadia knew it wouldn't so she closes her scroll and tosses it on the bed before grabbing a change of clothes from her duffel and shoving her sleep clothes back in because if her hunch is right she won’t be sleeping tonight and heads to take a quick shower.
After her shower she brushes her tail out and takes her nighty dose of HRT when her scroll buzzes and Arcadia grabs it and opens and sees Summer sent her the requested images when she glances at them her theory is confirmed. The necklace that Cinder was wearing is exactly the same as the one the SDC made the Faunus wear in the mines, while it looked like a nice necklace to any inspectors of the mine its real purpose was sinister, a shock collar.
Arcadia lets out a growl and quickly gets dressed and grabs her badge and gun, clipping them both to her belt before heading to the door, just before she opens the door she glances at the dead huntresses weapon and grabs it before leaving the room and heading down to the lobby.
But when she reaches the lobby she freezes as she hears several gunshots from an open door behind the front desk. Arcadia quickly dashes to and through the door entering a backroom in time to see a huntsman throw cinder into a wall breaking her aura while three bodies litter the ground.
“What the hell is going on here?” Arcadia asks.
The huntsman turns around and Arcadia recognizes him as a Atlesian huntsman with the name of Rhodes and he's holding his maces.
“This girl just murdered her step sisters and mother.”
“I was defending myself!” Cinder yells.
‘Be quiet girl I don’t want to do this but you must pay, are you gonna help gunslinger?” Rhodes asks Arcadia.
Arcadia glances around the room and takes in the scene, right next to the dead adult's hand is the remote for Cinders shock collar she then looks at Cinder and sees anger and betrayal in her eyes.
“She has an aura. I take it that was your doing?” ARcadia asks.
Rhodes gies a sharp nod, “Yes I saw potential in her so I came back often hoping to train her to become a huntress but then she did this.” He gestures to the bodies.
“You mean defend herself?”
“She would have defended herself without strangling them” Rhodes states.
“So because she didn't defend herself the way you believe she should’ve she deserves to be arrested?”
“Yes, now are you with me if not get the fuck out” Rhodes says glaring at ARcadia.
ARcadian sighs and walks up to him and puts her good hand on his shoulder, stealing his semblance and as she does she can feel his Aura is almost broken.
Arcadia sighs, “Do what you must” She says, removing her hand from his shoulder.
Rhodes nods and turns back to cinder pulling out Aura restricting cuffs as Cinder grabs the hilt of her sword.
“And I will do What I must,” ARcadia says.
“What?”
BANG
Rhode looks at Arcadia in horror as his legs give out as a bullet shatters his Aura and destroys his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. He manages to turn his head enough to see Arcadia holding her revolver at the perfect level to shoot him in the spine.
Cinder looks over at Arcadia nervously bt ARcadia keeps her eyes on Rhodes.
“W-why?” Rhodes sputters out.
“You said you saw she has the makings of a great huntress and I concur, just because she didn't react the way you want doesn't mean her future should be thrown away.” ARcadia says with a sneer.
Rhodes reaches for his dropped maces but he's unable to reach them since they rolled just out of reach.
“So are you gonna kill me now?” He asks.
Arcadia looks at Cinder, “No you betrayed her... she decides your fate” She offers her revolvers to cinder, who drops her swords and steps closer, she looks at Rhodes then at the revolver before carefully taking it and aiming it at Rhodes.
Arcadia steps back and watches as Cinders hands start to shake.
“Cinder... please i’m sorry, dot do this”
Arcadia lets out a growl but doesn't speak.
“I trusted you... and the one time I truly needed your support you betrayed me... that... can’t be forgiven” cinder says
Rhodes opens his mouth to speak but does not manage to before Cinder pulls the trigger.
BANG
Rhodes' head snaps back as she manages to shoot him in the head.
Drip drip drip
Arcadia walks up to Cinder and sees tears falling down her face, dripping onto the ground as Rage and sorrow take over Cinder.
“RAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
BANG
BANG
BANG
BANG
CLICK
CLICK
CLICK
CLICK
Cinder empties the rest of the cylinder into Rhodes body before Arcadia gently takes the pistol from her hands and CInder falls to her knees and starts to cry.
“Mistress, there's been an incident, i'm gonna need a portal back and ask summer nicely to prepare a room for a guest” Arcadia says out loud and she feels the tug on her mind which is Salem's acknowledgement.
Arcadia kneels behind cinder and puts her hands on the necklace, working on removing it without shocking her anymore. After a few minutes of Cinder crying the shock collar drops to the ground, deactivated and Arcadia stands up as a portal opens.
“Come on Cinder, let's go, you can't stay here” Arcadia says offering a hand to help cinder up.
“Why should I go with you?” Cinder asks, glaring up at ARcadia with bloodshot amber eyes.
“To be honest, you shouldn’t, you just met me and the last person you trusted turned on you, what I'm offering though is a choice. Come with me or stay and go on your own.”
Cinder looks at the ground before standing up on her making the first decision for herself in a long time.
“Lets go”