(Cinder Fall-POV)
Her plan's had slowed to a halt, in Vale as there was an unknown agent of Ozpin's residing within the city. She had begrudgingly reported to her mistress, who hadn't bothered to punish her for her failure, no, indeed she had survived her wrath or displeasure and instead was given another task. Her agent's Emerald, Mercury, Adam and Roman continued to gather the Dust she would need for the plans she had already concocted but her mistress had another target for Cinder.
She, along with three of 'her' agents would locate a tribe of brigands within the continent of Anima. Salem had sent along with her, Her lunatic worshiper Tyrian Callows, the dreary fellow Hazel Rainart and that arrogant scientist Arthur Watts. Arthur was to locate where the brigands were, tracking their latest raids across the frontier, while the other two were muscle against the rest of the cannon-fodder. Right now, though, she was staying with these three, under Arthur Watts orders as he was to lead the assault.
"Right now, I have located the last known location where these… bandits have raided, we will scour their location and attack during the night, Cinder, you are to kill the Maiden which we believe to be this young girl… here, this is her known looks. The raids of these bandits have shown clear indications that A maiden was involved, elementally scorched earth are such examples of their raids left in their wake. Our patron knows the signs and thus has ordered us to take out this one and add her power to our own." he handed two papers with images and text to Cinder, both are an image from one of those wanted poster's but printed from a computer. The girl's name was unknown, and the other was a woman with A mask who is rumored to be the leader of the band of criminals and a former huntress, she will be a tough fight... She gauged both of the images and committed them to memory, either or of these women would have to be killed by her hands.
Arthur was pacing still, looking at each of the teams faces before further explaining the plan.
"Our attack must be swift, leave the females alive for Cinder to deal with, lest the maiden powers slip from our fingers. Cinder, you have another of our master's hmm… eh, another chance to 'take the maiden powers for your own. I hope you know what failure will leave you. Now take this crature off my hands and use it, and don't fail." he meant the gift Arthur had brought with him, given to him by Salem for her, another one of those 'parasitic Grimm' to be used against the target. They had to wait, for now at least for the autumn maiden to come out of the safety net she was in, but sooner or later she would leave. The plan to uproot her, is still in the preparation phase and so, for now there was another, more viable target. Destroying the weakening Haven Academy and taking the relic from there.
"So, our mistress is letting me to gorge in her enemies, I can't wait." the lunatic had said, his eyes darting around the table, Cinder peered at him in disgust, this creature was on her side, but she doesn't mean she had to interact with him.
"And then, after the attack, after we cut-short those in this camp, are we to then attack the Academy, before they realize were even here?" Hazel queried, glancing towards the Atlesian scientist.
"That attack is still months away. We will have a window of opportunity when the Academies student's leave the grounds for the Vytal Festival. We will have to attack the headmaster and as we've been killing their huntsmen, the attack will be swift and easy. Then if the maiden powers are the right abilities to the vault, will be when we take the item coveted by our master. Once we have the headmaster, who is one of our master's informants who's been doing a… service in her name-"
"-We get that, we've been killing the ones that coward sends to us, are we to gut these 'student's as well, from the corrupt system, that is the huntsmen? but what of this maiden, how do we know she's the right one for this particular vault?" Hazel asked calmly.
"Will have to get our hands on the maiden powers first. But this attack on the academy will happen only after Cinder takes out the fall maiden... again. So, it will have to wait, until after things have concluded in Vale, right Cinder. Everything is being meticulously planned by our patron." he stopped briefly, looking at his comrades, even her before speaking again.
"Get some rest, in an hour when the sun dips, we attack the bandit camp." Arthur would be not fighting directly but using some captured Atlesian 'Spider Droids', four of them in total and captured Atlesian-Knight 130's almost two whole platoons of them, reprogrammed and to be used as cannon-fodder. Arthur himself would be using a captured and updated Atlesian-Paladin 290 but was further upgraded by its esteemed designer, himself.
Over an hour and half later, they were ready. The attack would commence soon, using the Atlesian robot's they will attack from the side and hit the commanders at the same time, leaving no time for anyone to escape. Cinder knew they couldn't afford to fuck this up, it was her head on the line after-all. The opening sounds of weapons been fired, followed by the first cries of the first casualties of the brigands had filled her ears, Hazel and Tyrian had begun to move, she followed closely. Jumping over some makeshift defenses into the raided and brutalized town these bandits were camping in, they begun to kill the inhabitants, the bandits who in surprise, were in the middle of celebrating their successful conquest and raid of the town, using the former owners supplies in merriment. Slicing the throat of an unsuspecting fool, she moved to attack another. The surprise from the Atlesian droids and the spider bots had ended as the slight drunk brigands had begun taking up arms and acted in a somewhat coordinated motion, a hurried defense and begun fighting for their lives. The tent which Cinder assumed was where the leaders were, had hastily opened a woman with the same image as the piece of paper had appeared, and the other. It was time. Hazel had attacked almost immediately, which the woman masked had managed to put up A guard and blocked the hit before retaliating in turn, swinging her blade and trying to slice through Hazel's aura. Tyrian had begun to go on a killing spree, slaughtering the nearby grunts of the tribe in an attempt to weaken the defenders.
"Vernal! use them." The masked woman had yelled, the girl had begun to attack, using lightning, a power the maidens were known for. But Vernal hadn't looked like she had 'used' the powers, she had half of them, Cinder had used the Fall maiden's powers that she had them long enough to know the signs. This… Vernal didn't have such signs, no glowing eyes or other indications in using such power, sure she played the part but well, it was amateur theatre on her part. Her thoughts were interrupted when she was almost struck by the maiden's powers, the spring maiden wasn't the younger girl, so… the one in the mask was hiding them then… Then this girl was of no use. Cinder, dodging that strike from above, had appeared into Vernal's personal space, and punched the girl with her cybernetic hand, which had penetrated the girl, aura and all was shattered, and she was knocked into A make-shift wooden wall. Her cybernetic limb was created by Arthur watt's himself, it was an advanced and personally engineered by him himself when he came to her in Vale. It was a powerful asset she would use against that Faunas who had taken her original arm. The girl, Vernal was knocked out cold, Cinder rearranged her weapons from blades into its bow form and struck, the glass arrow hitting the-
-The blow was blocked by the masked woman, who had struck out and took the hit with her sword, at the expense at been hit from behind by Hazel who was perusing the woman.
"She's the one, Hazel." Cinder ground out, attacking the masked woman with her semblance 'Scorching Caress'. her attack had managed the hit the woman, but she had dodged the initial blow, and instead was hit by her flames as she had tried to get out of the way. Her aura had absorbed the attack, but she was attacked again by Hazel. Tyrian had finished with the closet of the fodder before engaging the bandits who were in retreat by the Atlesian robots.
Cinder had a chance now, she attacked again, using her glass bow and struck against the back of the woman's shoulder, which had tried to pierce her aura, it managed to hit and do some damage. The mystery woman become more aggressive and displayed vast amount of experience, striking and trying to decapitate Hazel and herself, Cinder dodged and used her new limb as to try to upper cut her, but the woman lashed out and head-butted Cinder. Dazed, she had to jump backwards at the woman's slashing motion, which she had tried to slice through her at an angle.
"Nice try cunt. You're not getting the best of me!" The woman, deciding to forgo her act, had begun summoning the spring maiden's powers, and begun using them in earnest against the three of them, launching a torrent of icicles mixed with wind which enhanced the attack, straight at them in a volley. This attack had missed her, but Hazel was less fortunate, his aura blocking the bulk of it but being pelted all the same. The woman's sword begun to glisten, it's sheen was becoming cold to the air around it and as she attacked, renewed by the siphoning of her full abilities, the three of them had begun to be pushed back, the ice added to her sword was more damaging to their aura and more dangerous as A result.
Slashing, the woman's sword coated in ice had knocked Hazel backwards, Tyrian had used the woman's attack to bring his tail into the fray, slicing past her aura, shattering it in a critical attack which it then penetrated into her side. Tyrian had begun to laugh, Cinder knew he was poisonous in his tail with him being a scorpion Faunas and all, it would be a quick fight now.
"You can stop fighting you know, your life is almost over. Give up and your death will be-" Cinder's attempt at mocking the woman was cut-off.
"-Fuck off bitch, you're the one who- ugh… you're the…" The woman gripped her side in an attempt to stop the bleeding but stopped as she was attacked by Tyrian. She hesitated and tried to pierce the empty space in front of her which begun to glow red..., the poison must have addled her mind. Before she could do… whatever she was doing, Hazel had consumed more dust mid-battle and attacked aggressively, a combination of fire and lightning dust enhancing his melee attack's. The desperate unknown attempt was stopped but she began attacking more frighteningly fast then before, probably on adrenaline, adding various elements to her strikes the woman could muster with the spring maiden's powers, Hazel was having a hard time of it now. Cinder, at the back had used this as an opportunity, she grabbed onto the woman from behind, using her arm with the Grimm inside the glove and smiled with glee.
"What! … hurruhghh…" The woman whose voice was muffled by her mask had grunted in surprise. The Grimm, which was inside her arm, a part of the glove had shown itself and begun siphoning the power from within the woman, Hazel, using the pause in the fight had struck again, knocking the woman's mask off and disarming her. Cinder had felt that familiar feeling, that of the Grimm ripping the woman's powers from within her, the maiden's powers was siphoning and this time there was no one around-
"She was almost attacked from behind, from the now conscious Vernal, who attempted to slice her back with her blade. Tyrian, however had instantly struck against her and the girl was pushed back, blocking against the maddening blows and flails of the maddened Faunas's tail.
"No!…, you bastards!" the girl was being stubborn, attempting to bypass Tyrian and to come to her leader's aid. It was for nought as the last of the energy was siphoning out from the woman in front of Cinder.
"Yes! this time. I won't be interrupted!" Cinder had felt the powers swirling through her, coursing through her body. The woman had fallen to the ground, dead. It was A success.
The girl, seeing the fight to be over, had retreated, but it was no matter anymore, 90% of the brigand's band was dead or dying and there was no evidence from them except for the destroyed remnants of the Atlesian droids. Atlas would be praised for destroying this clan of raiders but will come to the conclusion fast that they didn't order such an attack, thus there will be an investigation and although they would be confused, by the time the truth was out, they would have succeeded in taking the relic from Haven Academy, months from now and after her mission in Vale was concluded.
Cinder had clenched her remaining hand as she felt herself, the new energy coursing within. Her moment of victory was interrupted when an Atlesian Paladin 290 had stalked over to them, leaving a trail of blood and ash, the voice of Arthur Watts had spoken up, echoing out from the Paladins speaker's.
"So, let's get out of this bloodbath before the Grimm arrive. They will then cover our escape according to our master, we will be heading to Haven now, Cinder to Vale. Begin heading towards the Bullheads, we will load up the Atlesian-Knights and the spider bots and raid the Atlas armories for more front-line troops to be used in the assault on the academy. Until then we will be hiding at our staging ground within Mistral." Cinder didn't mind the arrogance dripping from the man, at having his plan playing out as it done, successfully at that. No, she would play her part, her new power would be enough, enough for her own plans in Vale, the vengeance she demanded and to acquire more of the maiden powers.
"And, what of our little escapee, she could warn them." Hazel droned out, turning to look at the Atlesian Paladin and kicking the woman's dead corpse in the process as she was in his way.
"The Grimm are coming, she won't get away. The frontier is a big and dangerous place, her life was forfeit the moment she made to run, injured, tired and A criminal, no one will believe her, just the ravings of A murderer. No, no time will be wasted in chasing the brat, now hurry up and help me get my remaining toys on board." Cinder, and the other two followed after the Paladin's steps, Cinder almost stood onto… huh, this weapon looked to be worth holding onto. Picking up the blade, wielded by the now dead maiden, she also took off the sheave from the dead corpse and reequipped it to herself. Cinder didn't really notice as she hadn't known the woman but… the way she held the blade and then sheaved it was in a manner similar to that of its previous owner…