Queen to E1 / Den Verteidiger Entfernen III

This chapter has gone through so many re-plans and edits in just a few days as I've worked out more of the plot and how this whole thing works in my head (with a copious amount of notes included, seriously the notes for this chapter alone got pretty close to a thousand words because I have to keep track of so many little details; it's not even funny!) Had to replan when I realized some things wouldn't work out or make sense in the end. Just... this mutli-chapter is turning out to be so complex and I'm loving it!

And I hope you will too, so please enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment or something even if it's just about something small, because it might end up being really significant in the end. That and I would just love to hear more from you guys :)

Her heels click on the wood, a quick pitter-patter rather than a steady sound as he continued walking towards the door at a moderate pace. That word from before echoed on her lips again,

"Wait."

He could feel her fingers grasp onto his right arm and he came to a halt, pausing for a second before deciding to turn around and face her. Mercury wasn't sure what to expect after the stunt he had just pulled, but this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. If he could he would very much like to run from the room and suffer Cinder's wrath from any consequences that came from him doing so.

Weiss wasn't looking at him, not exactly; her face was turned away at an angle as her fingers digged into his arm for a second, hiding her exact emotion. But he could seek the pink tinge of her cheek and immediately wanted to bite his tongue off.

This was not what he intended, if he was reading this right that is... he didn't want to be seen as a suitor. All he wanted was to carry out Cinder's plans, to get close to her, but not that close. Cinder said nothing about him needing to attach himself to her romantically and even if she had he would have refused. It simply wasn't the way he operated, this whole thing wasn't how he usually did a job; but this was different. The assignment had come from Cinder herself, so he would do it, but he was not going to act like some love sick puppy to manipulate Weiss. Not because it went against his moral code - he had certainly taken advantage of the opposite sex before, what could he say? It was a great outlet for stress, and he picked the type that were out for the same thing, so it's not like it ever became an issue. But this was not something he needed tossed on top of everything else he already had to deal with.

All the rules he had to follow for one simple task and then juggling Weiss' feelings as well? Hell no. That was something he did not want to touch.

Weiss let go of his arm, raising both hands to clap them against her cheeks, fingers patting the skin for a second as the color slowly drained from her face. It took a few more moments before she lowered her hands and looked at him properly. "How come you're out and about? I mean... I know you said you couldn't sleep, but was that the only reason?"

Did she think he had come out here in the hope of seeing her? While that was neither wrong or right - and he really couldn't say otherwise - it was preposterous to assume she would be out at this hour, specifically in the music room. Though, it was a good thing he knew she came out here sometimes he couldn't say he would see her again in the exact locale without putting out false impressions.

The kind he didn't want. He only had to be so close... and it would be unnecessary to string her along. Perhaps he should have thought about how that particular action would look in her eyes more. Then again... it's not like she came right out and asked him if he was trying to court her or something equally ludicrous. This... could be a good thing. He just had to make his intentions clear; that was it.

"No. It wasn't the only reason. I wasn't very tired then and thought a walk would be nice. Your talent at playing was a bonus and I enjoyed learning something I didn't have the opportunity to growing up." A lie, he didn't really care about instruments, but he supposed he could use the information he had learned at some point. Just not for the purpose of playing music, maybe light conversation with a target or someone close to one, but that was it. He wasn't looking forward to the possibility of more sessions.

So he really should find a locale they could meet up at that didn't involve playing any particular instrument. "I came out here because..." he let it drag a bit, looking for any flicker of emotion in Weiss' eyes to determine which outcome she would prefer. "...I needed the air. After what happened yesterday that is. Me and my teammate captured Roman, the cause of the mess, and the whole time we walked him to the prison he was going on about how 'this was only a minor set back.'"

Weiss looked away at his words, like he expected she would considering she must have fought Roman herself or at the very least she was alone with him for a time, to fulfill whatever order Cinder had given him. He should really inquire what that was, so he could help with the plan more effectively. Right now he was guessing what would bother her the most, would make her lower her defenses consciously or unconsciously. It was the only way he was going to get close to her in such a short time.

Her fingers had curled into a fist, squeezing at air. So his meaning hadn't been lost on her.

After a few seconds passed her fingers slipped back open, and he was ready for the topic she had chosen to turn the conversation to. "Then why did you..."

"Weiss." Mercury stepped forward, turning to face her - so that she had to face him - as he raised a hand to grip her chin in his fingers, tilting her head up and away from tile. "You're not a murderer." Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting him to bring that up again when she was trying to question him about his earlier action. But he was sure she would understand that this was his answer to that very question. She just needed to be patient as he lined it all up. "Whatever it is you think you're responsible for, you're not-"

"But I am..." Her voice was close to a murmur, and her gaze was slipping down.

It was odd, to him anyway. An actual murderer didn't care about the people they killed, they didn't feel guilt for what happened. That's what being a murderer meant, though the true meaning seemed to be lost on Weiss like most of civilization. That a murderer was just someone that had killed another person; that was the textbook definition used in court.

Weiss wasn't a murderer though, but she carried the assumption that she was responsible for someone's death, clearly. No one had died that she personally knew in the battle yesterday did they? He couldn't recall anything like that in the news.

So why did she feel guilty? "Have you ever killed someone?"

"No." Weiss started to turn her head and he let his fingers fall from her chin so she could look away, to concentrate on whatever it was that was bothering her without him intervening for the time being. "But I didn't step in and stop it."

Mercury frowned. This wasn't very helpful at all. She wasn't like this before at the dance... That's right. She had been hung up on a guy at the time, something far less morbid. This change was recent, extremely if her responses were anything to go by, and she changed the topic pretty quickly when he mentioned Roman by name.

Roman did something, he said something to make Weiss focus on an aspect of her that wasn't there. That was obvious, and as he thought about it it became clear to him just why she was so worked up. Her family's company was the only thing she was connected to that tied in with murder. Not explicitly, the law couldn't prove it that is. And most of the time it probably wasn't planned out but rather the safety measures were taken off and those in charge let them die. Namely, her father.

That's what the rumors implied. Roman had taken them and twisted their meaning, though.

Weiss couldn't possibly be held responsible for those 'accidents.' She was too young to be a part of any of it when it started and... to think she should have stepped in when she probably didn't even know what was going on? It was messed up. Yet she was older now, so in a way it made sense... but that didn't make it right. This was wrong.

This... was what Cinder wanted. Part of it at least, her plan must require it to work. So he couldn't correct it, not in the role Cinder had intended for him. But he needed to get close to her... he would have to keep pushing her into the illusion that she was responsible in some way then.

If this was going to work he needed to not worry about how she would interpret his actions; as much as he hated it.

Mercury took a step forward, reaching out to grab her shoulders and turn her back to face him once more, but he didn't stop there and Weiss' eyes widened when he pulled her close, pressing her body against his, wrapping his arms loosely around her so that she could break free if she really wanted to. But he was betting on her not doing such a thing. He couldn't fulfill his role if she pushed him away.

Weiss hadn't moved an inch so far, it was almost like she was frozen in his grasp and he wondered for a moment if she would shatter to pieces if he tightened his hold.

"What was it that stopped you? Fear? That's normal. It's a base emotion, even the Grimm understand it enough to detect it." He paused, running his tongue over his lips. This wasn't his area of expertise. Cinder had to be overestimating him to deal with the situation she had pushed on him. "If it's in the past you shouldn't worry about it. You can't change what happened. What you should do is look to the future instead, understand?"

"I'm trying to," her voice was just above a whisper. "But it doesn't make a difference."

So that's where her thoughts had turned to. He wished he knew the reason she felt like nothing had changed from then and now, but he didn't know anything about her. Just rumors about the company, nothing personal: nothing about her family, the environment she grew up in. Just from looking at her and knowing she was the heiress of such a prestigious company one would assume she had a perfect life, got everything she wanted. He needed to look past such assumptions if he was going to accomplish his task...

Fuck.

Mercury raised one of his hands from her back, reaching up to curl his fingers in her hair instead, to guide her head forward so that a few loose strands of hair tickled the bottom of his chin. This was annoying, seconds after he thought that he could hear Weiss release a muffled choking sound, and then he felt the tears start to soak through his shirt.

Quick and quiet, that's how it played out.

Weiss clung to him - practically a stranger - crying out of her own frustration for being weak, for not doing anything then, much less now. There were probably other reasons as well, but he didn't want to dwell on them; he didn't want to think about the fact that there was a crying girl in his arms and he had no clue how to make it stop even if that's what he was told to. Thankfully, it wasn't. This was exactly the sort of role he was suppose to fulfill.

And after this he had to make it a regular thing. Well, not the crying, he could do without anymore of that in the future. But if he could be the one that Weiss turned to first? That would be ideal.

Now how to do that... there had to be something he could use. Her song, maybe? She had been singing about her family, hadn't she? A travesty? Why would she use a word like that to describe it? No, wrong question. What needs did she fill by 'simply existing?'

He could only get the answers from one place: the source.

His gaze drew down to the crying girl and he ran his fingers lightly through her hair after a moment, watching as she pressed closer to him at the action, making less of an effort to muffle her sobs.

This wasn't the time though, there was no way she would trust him with such information so quickly. One of the problems he had with this plan from the start, but... he would have to try. Perhaps he could get Emerald to push her towards a location he could use to meet up again. He couldn't count on her being in the music room every night. That would be plain stupid.

Well, for now he should just deal with what was infront of him. Weiss.

~ / ~

He stood in an empty hallway, his mind's eye flickering back to the time on the clock when he had managed to disentangle himself from Weiss; when she had finally stopped crying, looked embarrassed about doing such a thing in front of him then fled the room soon after. She was confused by her own actions, that was clear to him. She didn't know why she had broken down in front of him like that and it was best for her to stew over that for now; to figure it out herself. He certainly couldn't help her find the answers.

And he didn't plan to chase her around the school either. That just seemed creepy.

After another second of staring at her door Mercury raised a hand to rasp his knuckles softly against the wood. Cinder opened it seconds later, looking more curious than annoyed at him for being up so early.

"Did something happen?" Did someone see you with her? Was the real question.

"No." Mercury stepped into the room, closing the door behind him before answering her first question: "Yes." And he proceeded to tell her what had transpired while the rest of the school was sleeping.

Cinder listened quietly, her features quickly twisting into something feral. A predator that had just sunk its claws into its prey. "Good. Everything it set up for tomorrow. I need you to keep an eye on her companions for the day, make sure they don't suspect anything. It would be troublesome if they tried anything so tell me immediately if they start acting differently."

He wanted to ask why they would act differently during or after tomorrow, but he kept quiet, just nodding his head in understanding.

"I trust you'll know what to do if they try to get in the way and you can't spare the time to tell me what's going on, though." She paused. "This is important. Just remember that you can't be seen with Weiss, and for the duration of tomorrow until the fall you should minimize any contact with her teammates as well. I'm not going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers, so don't fail me Mercury. Our time is too precious."