"There, there! Ssh, sweethearts." Madame hushed her sobbing, hysterical daughters.
Funny that they were simply agitated and foul-mouthed about what happened until their mother arrived. What kind of actresses were these girls? They didn't act this way when the police questioned them about what happened! They were arrogant and told them they were attacked by an animal...
Which pissed him off how easily they could mouth off about them without a sure of consequence.
Regardless, they had ample time to explain what happened to the Madame since the police were more concerned with filling the incident and searching for someone they couldn't identify. They didn't recognize Ilia as the perpetrator of the attack, so she was in the clear. Now all that was left was his alibi...
"Madame, I apologize. I offered to escort them to the bathroom and..." Naruto began as Madame as she cared for her terrified children.
" He did! It's not his fault!" Ana shrieked, interrupting Naruto, causing his head to reel back and share glances with Adam and Ilia.
Were they covering for them?
It all became clear as Driza followed up her sister's sobs. "It was Cinder! She convinced him to stay behind!"
"No, that's not..." Naruto's eyes snapped wide at how suddenly this was being turned around. "I asked them, and they refused..."
And not on them? On her? Why would they turn this on...
"Oh, is that so... I believe it." Madame patted her daughters' backs before her expression soured. She completely ignored Naruto's explanation as her eyes focused on a dour and stunned Cinder, her eyes wavering.
They were trying to pin the blame on her for this? Why? What did she do to deserve this? Her gaze sharpened as anger boiled in her stomach, gnashing her teeth so tightly she could feel her teeth starting to cave under the pressure. She clenched her fists, her fingernails scraping her flesh to draw blood. She was done with this.
She knew what needed to be done.
"Hey, would ya listen to me?!" Naruto growled, his eyes dilating in annoyance at the situation.
"I apologize." Madame turned her attention to Naruto, exhaling and looking away as her face filled with indignant rage. "I know you did everything in your power and got distracted... And then those filthy animals swooped in at the perfect moment to ruin our day."
"It was!" Ana continued to milk the situation, causing Ilia's eyes to quiver, thinking they had recognized her.
"That stupid animal that snuck into our school came back, claiming it to be revenge!" Driza added to the theatrics of the situation.
"I am not a..." Ilia began to snap before she held her tongue; her eyes shone with livid intent as she quickly reversed her course. "You refused his escort! If he was there..."
"Come, we must make a report of this to the police." Madame once more was seemingly oblivious to their presence.
"They already made a report." Adam scornfully replied with narrowed vision, crossing his arms over his chest. This one was justifying his hatred for humans...
"Cinder, come. We will discuss your actions after the report." Madame sneered at her adopted daughter, purposely tuning their remarks out, causing each to fume. At the same time, Cinder stepped back, eyes quivering as she carefully observed Madame's posture, her hand carefully sliding to her purse.
Naruto was livid. His eyes flickered scarlet momentarily before he stepped in front of Cinder, making his stance as he drew Madame's attention to him. There was no ability to reason with this woman! And that pissed him off! Why couldn't some people just listen?!
So he was gonna make her listen one way or another!
"She's not going anywhere, ya hear!" Naruto barked, staring her dead in the eyes. "Would ya get off your high horse and listen for fucking second? We're trying to tell ya she had..."
Feeling a gentle hand rest on his shoulder, Naruto snapped his head back to see Cinder meekly withdrawn, rubbing and pinching the collar fastened on her neck. Her eyes shone as she flashed a grateful smile before walking past him toward the Madame. "Thank you..."
Stooping before Madame with dull eyes and a demure stance, Cinder hung her head. "I'm ready."
"Cinder..." Naruto muttered as he weakly reached out before her as the foursome began to walk away, leaving an empty pit where all his passion had been before.
He furrowed his brow, reimagining just what he saw, and found himself focusing on the collar on Cinder's neck. He had only thought it was decorative, a weird choice, but perhaps it was something she was into?
Or at least that was what he thought?
"Were those... Burn marks?" Naruto muttered as his face scrunched, watching their visage fade through the crowd with a deep scowl on his features.
Ilia hissed as her eyes intently focused on where they walked away from. "I thought the same thing... But that would mean... That's a shock collar. Why would they..."
"Obedience." Adam's eyes dilated as his jaw went rigid while Naruto growled in his throat, nodding in agreement. "I have an idea of who that woman is associated with after hearing some of Sienna's conversation with Kushina... And I now have a whole new reason to hate humans."
"I hate agreeing with you on this, but, yeah... That's a bad apple." Naruto spat, a spiteful fire burning within. "Gonna have to do something about that..."
"Didn't you take a picture with her at the dance with your scroll?" Ilia's comment caught Adam and Naruto off guard, and he nodded. "Think we can take a look at it? We might be able to learn more if we analyze it."
"We might figure out just where it is from."
[ X ]
This wasn't the direction of the police department.
Cinder's face didn't reflect her feelings of anxiety, confusion, and rage. Ana and Driza were dropped off at the Glass Unicorn to clean up, yet Madame insisted she come with her.
Where were they heading? What were they doing in this section of Atlas? She had never been here before, but there seemed to be many towering corporate buildings...
And why was Madame leading them into this one? Starhead Industrial Company? What was so important that she had to bring her to this place?
Cinder furrowed her brow, paying close attention to every detail of this place while Madame talked to the secretary. "I called for a meeting with Mr. Lee."
"Ah, Madame. Yes, he's expecting you." The secretary nodded before her eyes shifted toward Cinder curiously.
"She's with me. I want her as a witness to this transaction." Madame noticed the look, causing Cinder to visibly express concern as the secretary nodded.
"Understood. I will buzz him that you are coming."
"Thank you," Madame swept by the secretary's desk, throwing a shaded glance toward her to follow.
Keeping stride with her, Cinder had never felt such anxiety before as they stepped onto the elevator. What kind of transaction needed a witness? And why did she want her to be the one to witness it?
These thoughts caused Cinder to sink further and further into herself. As the elevator to what felt like the top, she gently rubbed the collar strapped to her neck in worry, nervously glancing at Madame occasionally. With that cold stare she had, she wasn't sure just what was about to happen... But she didn't like any of this.
As the doors opened and they exited the elevator into a large penthouse office, a warm yet eccentric man dressed in a split white and black business suit met Madame with open arms, revealing his prosthetic mechanical left arm. "It has been so long! It is always a pleasure to have such a beautiful woman grace me with her presence."
For one of the rare times in front of her, Madame seemed to glow at his compliment and blush. "You are too kind, Fort. However, I have business to discuss with you. If we could..."
"Ah, yes." Fort ran his natural hand through his slicked-back hair, his gaze swathing over Cinder for a split second, frowning at her. "I assume this is something you want her to hear? ...And I dare say I never expected one of my products to be used on a human... But obedience is difficult to come by, I suppose. Your trial with the device and your ward has given us amazing feedback."
Cinder's eyes sharped and burned with blistering fury. This man was the one who created this shock collar she couldn't snap off, no matter how much strength she mustered. They were using it as a trial? What for? And why? Why was something like this necessary?!
"Yes, it is." Madame's cold and spiteful gaze lingered on Cinder before she smiled at Fort Lee. "I want her to hear precisely what we're about to discuss so she knows just how powerless she really is, and after tonight... She won't have any friends. "
Everything went cold upon those words, leaving Cinder to shiver. Looking up and seeing the sinister smirk on her features and back toward an amused Fort, the pit in her stomach became an endless void as his features turned stern before a maniacal cackle followed. "I understand, Madame. It will be done. I will pay for any damages to your establishment. Oh, those fools don't even realize they have walked into a trap! You've been a pain in my side for far too long, Kushina!"
"It's time to hit you where it hurts."
[ X ]
"Aaacchoo!" Kushina scowled after wiping up after her sneeze. "Ugh, someone's talking shit behind my back... Gonna regret that. "
"That's a dead man if I've seen one." Sienna mused, her lips curling in amusement as they sat in the stands of the roaring crowd in a secluded booth.
Being with the head of the White Fang had its perks. A viewing of one of the premier festivals separated from the snobs of Atlas was a bonus, while some of them were forced to mingle with the crowd— irony at its highest.
"I fear for anyone that incurs your wrath." Ghira's face contorted into a pained grimace. "I've seen what remains after... Your episodes. How anyone survives is beyond my understanding..."
"Husks, honey. They are called empty husks of men who thought they could bad mouth the Red-Hot Devil." Kali's ears curled with delight as she beamed at Kushina, giggling as she and Sienna grinned widely as Kushina glowered and muttered under her breath.
"They're gonna wish they were husks when I'm done with them..."
"Mom... Dad..." A fidgety Blake beside her mother glanced up at her mother and father. "Could I... possibly... Go and join Adam?"
"Oh?" Sienna's lips curled further, hearing Blake finally speak up, noticing her flush as she spoke up. "Is someone wanting to hear his analysis of these fights, perhaps? Or is it something more?"
"No need to embarrass her any further." Kali smiled, running her hand through Blake's shoulder-length hair. "Go ahead, but allow someone to accompany you until you find him. As safe as this event is, we can't take any chances."
"Not with the Brotherhood lurking at any and every corner." Kushina's face squinted as she darkly muttered.
"Kushina." Ghira's voice resonated as he shot her a withering glare. "The less she knows, the better. That is our fight."
"It's all of our fight... The faster you realize it, the better." Kushina met his gaze unflinchingly, her ears twitching as a sound caught her attention. Exhaling pitifully, glancing at the door to the booth, she shook her head. "And you needn't worry about going to find him... He's right outside."
"You know who I am, dattebayo!" A voice roared from just outside the booth door before it suddenly slammed open. "Idiots! Get out of my way! Going to talk to Mom!"
Kushina palmed her face and scornfully cried out to Naruto as he walked in with Adam and Ilia at his side, both accustomed to the spectacle known as Naruto, parting through the guards like they weren't even there. "Why couldn't you inherit more than you look from your father, dattebane!"
"That's on you! Learned everything from you, so of course I'm gonna end up more like you than Pops!" Naruto grunted in response, placing his hands on his hip indignantly before shaking his head. "Mah, that doesn't matter! We got an issue!"
Pulling out his scroll and tossing it to Ilia, she quickly pulled out the photo, focusing it on Cinder's neckwear. "We found evidence of an unlicensed Starhead Technology being used on..."
"You're late to the party..." Kushina slowly rose from her seat, rubbing her temple. "I already know what it is and collected the evidence I need... And now you kids bumbled into my investigation."
"With the best of intent, dear." Sienna attempted to soothe an annoyed Kushina.
"The best of intent can often lead to dire consequences without understanding the situation," Kushina growled, her tail swishing as she stared down the trio. "So if you are gonna get involved in this, you best be prepared to accept the outcomes as things will not be pretty."
"Kushina..." Ghira's voice lowered. "Whatever it is you are about to do..."
"This is no longer a White Fang matter, Ghira." Kushina snapped back at the White Fang leader. "This is a matter for Huntsmen. A line has been crossed, and it needs to be resolved.
"These idiots found their way into it and now have the displeasure of being involved." Kushina flippantly waved at the three, who narrowed their eyes at their mother/master as she glared back at them. "So I'm gonna have to teach them just what the Huntsmen life is about if they are so certain they want to act like one."
"And you better follow my plan down to the letter, or I'm gonna break ya, dattebane."