In Plain Sight

Ruby and Velvet had woken up closer to morning after a proper sleep and had gone to Velvet’s apartment under her sister’s watch to freshen up and get ready for the workday. 

The small attached bathroom in Cinder’s office at the club was mostly there for appearances sake although the facilities did still work. 

Weiss was doing her best to hide how irritated she was being separated from the other two even as she knew it was the better option. 

They both knew the relationships they were in were too new for them not to get distracted when they were isolated so putting Weiss with Cinder, and Winter with her own girlfriends was the play to make sure things were accomplished, but still that didn’t mean Weiss enjoyed it. 

She did however frown as she took yet another book from the library back to the couch and noticed a few drops of dried blood on it. Had they been sitting on that all night? Gross. 

“When do you guys have time for training?” Cinder asked, seeming weary as she came back into the room. 

“When do you have the free time to even train us?” Weiss asked seriously. 

“I can make time. Days work best for now when I can get someone to watch your little doctor. Knowledge is what you lack, and we’ll need to find a gym or something we can get into to really cut loose and train you,” Cinder explained. 

“Can’t we just use the club during the day when it’s empty?” Weiss asked, hooking a thumb towards the now eerily silent area. 

“We could, but I have no desire to damage it and remember the downstairs is still a restaurant. A very fancy one,” Cinder teased with a finger waggle.

“I’m aware. Maybe someday I’ll get to eat a full meal there without something interrupting us.”

“Just let me know and I’ll make sure you get in,” Cinder waved off the bother as she took another armload of books to the chair she’d told the others was ‘hers’ and sat down to read more. 

After a few minutes she stopped her reading and looked at Weiss who hadn’t stopped staring at her. 

“Something on my face?” Cinder asked before she gained a smirk. “Or perhaps you finally see what your sister does, and you want in on the action?” 

Weiss snorted at that before sitting down away from the blood although she began to try and scrub it out of the surface of the couch out of habit heedless of Cinder's nose twitching at the smell. 

“So what’s up. You looked like you were thinking hard,” Cinder said, clearly offering to talk if Weiss had something to say even as her eyes darted quickly down before refocusing. 

“You’re not like I thought, or was taught rather,” Weiss confessed. 

Cinder sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I mean to be fair what you were taught is good as a baseline for hunting younger vampires or else neither of you would have made it this far, but they clearly had all vampires labeled as evil which I mean you know we all aren’t like that.”

“I know but it’s hard to go against an ingrained instinct so quickly. I can still feel them screaming at me every so often. Various ways to strike or kill a vampire last night as we came in, the best ways to attack you. It’s going haywire.” 

“Yeah I don’t imagine that’s easy. Maybe we should find another hunter family to see if they can explain it, or train you better, but I don’t really know any off hand except Nikos who isn’t due to return those books for another week or so.”

Weiss blinked and felt stupid she hadn’t made the connection before. “Red hair, tall, built like an amazon, green eyes?”

“That’s her. You know her?”

“She’s dating Ruby’s sister Yang,” Weiss supplied as Cinder blinked. 

“Her…sister? I didn’t know she had one,” Cinder said confused before she shrugged after a moment. “At any rate that would be fairly helpful then. She might even have a location you could use and you might learn better training under her for a time before I have to step in. There’s only so much she can teach you after all.”

“And Velvet?” 

“Her I’ll probably have to start with while you’re training. From what you said and I observed she’s got raw strength but no finesse or real control in her other form. I mean she has enough to not harm you or little red, but that’s about it, and out of all of us I’m best suited to contain her if she loses control while trying to get it under wraps.”

“You saw her fight Cardin and his lackeys? And me? And did nothing?” Weiss shrieked as Cinder shot her a deadpan look. 

“Neutrality kid. You’re lucky my boss didn’t just take out your whole group and theirs in one swoop and call it even. Like I said they’re one of the good ones or they would have.”

Weiss shuddered at the ease with which Cinder made the statement as though there was a forgone conclusion and nothing else factored into it. That her life was only allowed at the mercy of some shadowy vampire who deigned it to be so. 

“Winter mentioned you can’t say much about them, but in a relative term how…powerful are they?”

Cinder gave her a weary look. “Don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” Weiss protested. 

“You ever hear of that religious jazz about boiling seas, entire cities falling to an unstoppable plague, things just going dark and no survivors?” Cinder explained to a paling Weiss. 

“Yeah that. The rules of reality are more like suggestions if they wanted it to be. We’re all only alive such as it were because there’s no value in killing us all pointlessly.”

“That’s impossible,” Weiss breathed out as her eyes went wide, imagining it. 

“Unfortunately not. If you or your sister thought I was a big deal…well I am, but they’re about as close to gods as you can get that are still kicking it somewhere. Certainly one of the only ones not in torpor at least. So yeah we lucked out with that one being a good one.”

“Is that common? Being in torpor?” Weiss asked fascinated by the discussion even if she was disheartened as it revealed how little she truly knew.

“Eh, depends. Sometimes you get tired of undeath and want to just pass the time and wake up in more interesting times, or a different world. For older vampires you and I want them to stay that way,” Cinder explained as she flipped through a book at an astonishing speed. 

“Why so? Aside from the obvious, I mean?” Weiss asked as she paused her reading once more. 

“You know how a drug addict can build tolerance to something over time? Where they need more to get the same kick they used to?” Cinder asked not pausing from her skimming. 

“Of course,” Weiss said and when Cinder merely looked placidly at her Weiss’s eyes widened and Cinder nodded. 

“Yep, that's the reason we want them that way. For a lot of vampires after they get old enough the blood from normal humans doesn’t do anything for them anymore which means your blood, and mine would taste much better because it’s actually nourishing to them. Imagine if they drank an entire city but felt nothing from it.” 

“That’s horrible…”

“Mhmm. Remember the ‘lost dozen’ in Vacuo a few hundred years ago where a dozen small settlements close by each other all vanished in a week before anyone could get there to help? And how they never figured out what happened?”

“You’re not serious,” Weiss begged the vampire across from her who merely nodded as she picked up another book to look through. 

“Now imagine that but for each generation lower the stronger blood they need to get that same kick?” 

“Is there even anything they could drink to satisfy them at a certain generation?” Weiss said horrified. 

Cinder shrugged. “After a certain point probably not except maybe the blood of another vampire like them. Several groups believe that’s what will kick start the end of the world at some point which is why you might have heard about the increase in donations that have been made to explore the possibility of space colonization, and exploration.”

“They’re trying to flee the planet to protect themselves from the possibility they might wake up and drink them?”

“Some of them. Some like the Sabbat are waiting for it to happen and amassing an army so they can go try to kill them. Despite that they’re still the bad guys in the situation if you can believe it, but yes that’s why there’s been so much funding for various programs and space startups recently.”

Hearing something shift Cinder looked up and saw Weiss had positioned herself subtly away from her. Well subtle for anyone that wasn’t paying attention. She rolled her eyes. 

“You can relax. I'm not that old and it doesn’t happen to everyone. I can eat regular food too. Besides, your sister would be pissed if I did anything to you.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Weiss protested. 

“Mhm I believe you…coward,” Cinder teased. 

“I’LL END YOU!” Weiss screamed as she leapt over the makeshift table toward the amused looking Elder vampire. 

“You’re nervous,” Hazel said calmly from his position next to Emerald as they ventured through an old crypt. The third of the night.

One of potentially hundreds of leads they needed to look into which was great for Hazel who could continue working during the day due to his age and less great for Emerald for whom the sun was still deadly and made her want to sleep through the day. 

Still, Hazel had done his best to watch over her as she barely managed to read through and research a few things in the hotel room during the day when she wasn’t sleeping. 

The fact that she’d done so in the bathroom just on the off chance the curtains fell down was a source of amusement for Hazel but he hadn’t bothered her too much about it. 

“Cinder isn’t prone to over exaggeration so if she said it’s dangerous and she actually sent you with me and won’t let Coco or Mercury along then…”

“Don’t worry young one I won’t let your life end before mine,” Hazel said as they entered what appeared to be the main area of the crypt. 

Emerald shot him a look that was a mix of gratitude and concern. 

“You’re not like…trying to die are you?” 

Hazel laughed at that. “No I’m not. I was just trying to reassure you although I suppose I can see how you’d come to that conclusion.” 

“How strange. I don’t normally get visitors in my home,” A cheery voice called out to them causing both vampires to tense. 

“I don’t suppose this is all a misunderstanding and you simply came into the wrong place? I’d hate for bloodshed to happen, but just so you know…I am combat ready!” The voice called out from up ahead on a raised grave in the middle of the crypt where the figure was sitting. 

A snap from their fingers bathed the room in a faint blue glow revealing her features more fully. Orange hair with green eyes were fairly normal but the flesh on her face was sewn and stapled together with various slightly different colored pieces to make a whole. 

Despite that she was undeniably attractive as most vampires tended to be, but very, very few vampires had scars like that unless…

“Shit a Tzimisce,” Emerald said, looking nervous as she refrained from retreating instantly. This was a far greater problem than she could hope to deal with. 

“We have no quarrel with you and yours,” Hazel said, stepping in front of Emerald. “We are merely here to seek information for our master.”

The woman regarded them for a few moments tilting her head to the side as if judging their response. After a few moments a smile broke out on her face. 

“How wonderful. I am Penny. Who are you, new friends?” Penny said introducing herself.

“Hazel, and this is Emerald,” Hazel said, introducing the young woman behind him. “May I ask what you’re doing here?”

“You may!” Penny giggled before she continued. 

“I’ve been looking for a vampire named Beckett. Apparently he’s something of a lore researcher with a host of knowledge of other things. You see I woke up one day with no idea who or where I was except for the name I saw on a tombstone nearby, which I liked!” Penny said cheerily as she waved at a nearby grave that was empty. 

Emerald traded a wary look with Hazel but he appeared relaxed so she let it be for now. 

“And you want to find out what exactly?” Emerald asked and then retreated when Penny focused on her. 

“My human life, if I had one, my sire, all sorts of fun things! I only know my clan and what I am now thanks to a small journal I found in my pocket from where I woke up. All I can surmise is that my sire brought me to life somehow and then left me in the grave and had to flee the area. I wish to see if he knows of this “Pietro” and anything else I can find out!”

“I should probably warn you then,” Hazel said, drawing Penny’s attention and a frown. “Beckett knows much but will share little unless you trade him something of interest. His only real passion is unearthing vampire lore, ancient occult books, and unique vampire phenomena.”

Penny frowned cutely as she tapped a finger to her lips in thought. “I see. That is an issue I suppose. The vampire I killed didn’t mention that when he was screaming,” Penny said plainly as Emerald’s eyes were wide at the blatant admission. 

“Not to worry! He attacked me, and I merely defended myself. Lethally!” Penny said cheerily before she continued. 

“Would you like to look for him together then? Three is better than two right?” Penny asked although Emerald wasn’t sure if it was an order or not. Technically, suggestions you couldn’t refuse were orders after all. 

“On your word that you mean a truce with no intention of deception,” Hazel allowed, projecting a confident tone of voice even though Emerald was sure that in a fight against one of their clan she’d be a liability at best. 

Hazel would be able to hold his own but Emerald didn’t have near the experience to fight even a novice from that dreaded clan.

“Marvelous. A truce it is. Come along new friends, I can show you where I’ve looked and what I’ve found so far!” Penny declared as she brought a small rucksack forward and began digging through it. 

Emerald made sure to keep Hazel between her and Penny. Truce or not something was unsettling about her and Emerald didn’t like it. 

God her report was gonna be so strange tonight. She took out her flip phone and prayed…damn, of course it had full bars of service somehow. 

“Hey I’m back and…I wasn’t expecting this,” Ruby said as she took in the sight of Cinder holding a furious looking Weiss in the air by the back of her outfit with with one hand as Weiss actually hissed at the vampire and swung a punch that managed to solidly connect with Cinder’s left breast. 

Cinder raised an eyebrow at that. “This isn’t a bar fight. Have some class,” Cinder said before the younger Schnee rammed her face into Cinder’s which only caused Weiss to whine and grab her head as she impacted the Elder’s face leaving her mostly unaffected. 

Cinder rubbed the tip of her nose a bit but gently let the younger girl go who quickly retreated to Ruby’s side. 

“So uh what was that about?” Ruby asked. 

“Bonding,” Cinder replied with a smirk before she turned more fully to face Ruby. “At any rate, what is your plan for today?” 

Ruby just gestured at the pile of books. “I figure that, that’s kinda what I’m good at. I can’t really help Velvet learn how to do her thing, and I don’t really think I’m qualified to help Weiss learn how to hunt vampires, and other stuff so I mean,” Ruby shrugged.

"Oh! I did want to know if Weiss could come with me today so we can drop off lunch for Velvet! We kinda need to talk about workplace relations but I know she’s a bit clingy around the full moon so she’d probably appreciate seeing us today!”

When Weiss nodded happily to accept the request Cinder finally responded. 

“Yeah whatever we can go. I’ll follow to make sure you’re alright. Get to reading then,” Cinder said as she dismissed the doctor and Weiss by extension and returned to her private room. 

She cast her eyes over to the portrait and felt her eyes widen. There on her desk was an object wrapped in sackcloth that hadn’t been there the last time she was in the room. 

Almost reverently she pulled on the drawstring, looked inside and gasped. A shattered sword. Her sire’s sword. The symbolism wasn’t lost on her, but she appreciated it all the same. 

So something had happened to him. She hadn’t wanted to think Rhodes would just abandon her like that after freeing her from her family but it seemed he’d likely perished then if his beloved sword was broken in twain. 

But no, that couldn’t be right. Her master had claimed she felt he still lived so something had happened to him and he didn’t have his sword or a way to come back to check in on her. 

She gently ran her hand along the silver blade that was tinted black and smiled fondly as she remembered her early days spent dodging said sword as he trained her. 

She’d been a spoiled little thing much more like her clan usually acted. Constantly rebelling and needing to be put into her place time and time again until she eventually consented to him teaching her and acknowledged he was stronger than she. 

She’d done all she could to push him away not wanting another parental figure to disappoint her even as she absorbed all the training he could offer. 

And now he’d been missing for who knows how long and the last time they’d spoken they’d had a fight…

Cinder hoped if…no when she found him again he would be proud of her and what she accomplished. How she’d taken in those who needed respite as he had, and become a powerful vampire in her own right. 

Or would he be upset that she’d tied herself to a new master? 

She didn’t think he would be, but it had been so long she couldn’t be sure. 

She actually rather liked her new master all things considered. Granted she’d needed to be sure of her strength if she was going to claim to protect Cinder herself but that one time had been more than enough to show her where she stood in things. She could only guess at her new master’s generation but she knew it was lower than her own by several levels most likely.  

Perhaps she should have this blade fixed, and keep it with her until she could give it to him again. That would be fitting. 

She…didn’t know any blacksmiths though. Ugh what a pain in the ass he still managed to be even when he wasn’t here. 

She turned to the portrait and bowed lowly as she placed the sword back into its container and left to find a way to restore it.