Title: Vengeful

Fandom: RWBY

Author: Risa

Disclaimers: Everything belongs to RT and Monty Oum.

Spoilers: V5 Ep2 is fair game. Cinder's thoughts as she leaves Salem's council room and goes to fetch Tyrian. Mentions violent thoughts towards Ruby and the things she plans to do when Team WTCH capture her.

Summary: Burning optical illusions of the girl wasn't enough. She needed to smell Ruby's cooked flesh under her palms. Watch accursed silver melt under her vengeful flames. She wouldn't be satisfied until the girl was a broken shell. Unable to speak, a prisoner of her own mind.

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Salem turned her snowy head to her disciple after ending the Seer session with Watts and Lionheart, sensing the girl's seething anger even though she had turned her marred face to view the breeding pools outside one of the conference room's grand windows.

"You're free to speak your mind."

"I don't understand." Cinder spun to face her mistress, fist clenched. Anger and impatience-two things the Grimm Queen noted had not been there before her defeat by Ozpin's favorite new weapon-colored the Fall Maiden's hoarse voice. "Working with bandits? Keeping Ruby alive?" Ah there it was. The root of her Maiden's troubles. "What's the point? We're strong enough to take what we want by force!"

Dear, dear girl, Salem mused. You have much to learn. Now that you have experienced firsthand how damaging the power of the silver eyes can be, your bloodlust is getting the better of you. That girl will get her just desserts. But you must be patient. I have not plotted and planned and sacrificed this much to have my eventual victory tainted by human error.

"Never underestimate the usefulness of others," the witch replied, wanting her disciple to absorb this simple, yet powerful lesson, one that had served her well over the centuries. Unlike Ozpin, she was not so foolish as to pour her magic into four young women, nor transfer her immortal soul to countless hosts, thus weakening her power further, nor subject her associates to risky supernatural experiments against their wills, nor trick mere children into fighting for a cause they knew nothing about. "Take a look at Leonardo. He was once one of Ozpin's most trusted. But now…" She trailed off with an amused chuckle. That had been a glorious day, turning Lionheart against her most hated foe and gaining a valuable conduit of inside information.

"You will get the power I promised you in due time. But remember, that it comes with a cost. If Ruby Rose has learned to harness her gift, then you must take care to protect yours." Cinder stood quietly enough, but she could sense her roiling anger and bitter hatred against the small girl. "There's only so much I can do to aid you."

Cinder responded with a deep bow then began to walk toward the double doors, heels clinking over the floor when she was stopped by Salem's voice once more.

"And Cinder before you go, inform Tyrian," she smiled before leaning forward on her throne, burn dust eyes flaring slightly with carefully controlled rage. "That I wish to have a word with him."

The Fall Maiden smirked and nodded, then continued on her way leaving the conference room behind. Heh. That stupid scorpion's in sooo much trouble. He failed to kill Qrow. And capture…her. Salem's gonna put the fear of the Gods into him when she's finished. And she didn't feel the least bit sorry for the unstable man.

The clink of obsidian glass stilettos echoing in the dim, candlelit corridors of Salem's secret mountain fortress was the only sound that marked Cinder's passage as she made her way to Tyrian's quarters. But the quiet was thick and ever since her defeat at the hands of that girl at the top of Beacon's CCT tower the Fall Maiden despised long periods of silence. It reminded her of her arduous recovery, the sense of helplessness, and the humiliation of depending on her disciple Emerald to be her voice when it was a struggle just to form simple words cut the woman to her core. She had been like a puling whelp before her colleagues, which did nothing to help her situation. Her entire life's goal was to be powerful. Strong. Feared. She knew what it was like to be powerless and she didn't want to return to that horrible state. That was the whole reason she joined Salem's cause.

But as she slowly traversed the halls of the vast complex, her red and gold velvet dress swishing around her ankles that was exactly what happened. She wasn't expecting anyone to show up after killing the Invincible Girl. The universe must've hated her that night because once again, that pesky Rose appearing out of nowhere and unleashing those accursed Silver Eyes spoiled her victory and froze the Dragon to the side of the tower, neutralizing a powerful asset.

I want her to suffer. Cinder clenched her gloved hand into a tight fist, her remaining eye beginning to glow with fire. Suffer like I did. I want her to feel what it's like to lose an eye. Get burned over half your body. Lose functions in an arm. Struggle to speak. Because burning optical illusions of the girl wasn't enough. She needed to smell Ruby's cooked flesh under her palms. Watch accursed silver melt under her vengeful flames. She-along with her disciples-wouldn't be satisfied until the girl was a broken shell. Unable to speak, a prisoner of her own mind. Her mouth curved into a sadistic grin. Hah! Let those fools fall over themselves to protect her. She'll be dead weight. A handicap. It'll breed negativity and that'll attract Grimm. Let's see how long they'll last in the wild dragging a damaged weapon around. Qrow will catch heat for letting something so horrible happen to his precious little niece. And then those fools' eyes will be opened. One by one, they will turn their backs. Just like Raven Branwen did all those years ago. And now that we know the Spring Maiden has taken refuge with her tribe, she'll have no choice but to cooperate. They're the only ones she gives a damn about anyway.

If that was the reason the Queen wanted the girl alive, then she would do her very best to be patient. She knew Tyrian shared her sentiments and would want to get his licks in. After Watts built him a robotic tail to replace his old one, the faunus would be even more unstable and deranged and that made him dangerous.

She had a feeling that was the purpose of Salem telling her to fetch him. To give him a second chance yes, but to inform him that not only did he fail to capture Ruby, Qrow Branwen was still alive after being stung. That double failure would no doubt plague the unhinged man's mind and motivate him to learn from his mistakes. After all, one did not upset the Queen. A saying the maladjusted scorpion was all too quick to remind them whenever he had the chance.

Before she knew it, Cinder had reached Tyrian's quarters. She rapped on the wooden door.

"Who's there?"

She pushed inside, revealing a set of three lit candles, a single bed, a nightstand, a desk and chair, a wooden dresser and nothing else. Tyrian lay sprawled on his bed a round metal plate attached to the stump where his stinger once was-ready to receive his new tail from Watts. He scrambled to sit up upon seeing who was in his room.

"What d'you want?" He demanded, voice thick with irritation.

Cinder couldn't blame the snarl in his voice, but she wasn't about to let him take his anger out on her. Flames danced in her single eye reminding the scorpion of his place.

"Shut up, you fool. Salem sent me to inform you that she requests your presence in the conference room for a word."

Tyrian immediately jumped up, a blissful light in his eyes. "The Goddess has summoned me?! Oh I have been blessed! I thought I'd never gaze on Her Grace's divine countenance again!"

Cinder rolled her eye. "Just get going. You don't want to keep her waiting."

The scorpion rushed out of the room in a flash, ruffling her dress and hair with the sudden draft his passing created.

A cruel smirk curled the Maiden's lips.

Oh, she's plenty mad, fool.

But that was no longer her problem. She left the room, glass heels clinking as she went to fetch Mercury and Emerald to brief them on their new mission.

It was time to pay a visit to the Branwen Tribe. They had a Maiden to escort and a Relic to obtain.

Haven would fall, and she'd be damned if anything-bandits, huntsmen, and a pair of cursed silver eyes-got in their way.

She had a vow to keep.

Silver and skin will melt under my flames while Tyrian's poison courses through her veins.

-end

A/N: Hey, hey guys! How's everybody doing? Sorry for the mini-hiatus on…everything but here's what happened. My laptop computer screen cracked in November, and they just fixed it last week. It's ready to go, but I haven't picked it up yet cause my schedule's hectic and family's due in this week. Plus Christmas is right around the corner and I might not have a chance to post a lot of stuff with the fam in town. So that's the lowdown on why I've been silent the past couple of weeks.

Anyway, hope y'all like this lil oneshot. As always, your support is greatly appreciated!