No Strings Attached

An Uneasy Alliance

It feels weird rewatching volume 1 after so long to try and make notes for this story. I'll admit the earlier parts of RWBY were rough, but the overall charm of the show that drew me to it in the first place is alive and well, and I'm happy to be going through it all over again. Hope you enjoy!

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You: "And you are?"

Cinder: "Cinder Fall. I must say, you were much easier to track down than we anticipated"

Roman: "Well, seems like everywhere I go, people want a piece of me-...wait...you said 'we'?"

Out from behind Cinder, two others emerged from the shadows, a girl and a boy, both with matching outfits to couple their green and gray hair respectively.

Cinder: "These are my associates, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black"

You: "Associates? Don't you mean partners?"

Neo looked at you confused as you raised up your weapons, ready to attack.

You: "They're Huntsmen...the outfits are a dead giveaway. I don't know where your other team member is but-"

Cinder: "I assure you that it is just the three of us and that we aren't Huntsmen"

You: "Right...and I'm supposed to just take your word for that?"

Roman lowered down your hands, trying to diffuse the situation.

Roman: "You'll forgive my...untrusting friend here. We're a bit on edge due to our...current circumstances"

Mercury: "Guess downsizing must be hard. You know...after taking over the Mistral underworld in a few weeks"

Roman: "Huh...word travels fast"

Cinder: "Mercury made me aware of your situation, and I saw fit to seek you out. We have need of individuals with your talents. If you agree, we can provide you with resources, equipment, and manpower"

Roman: "Interesting..."

You: "Are you serious?"

Emerald: "Cinder isn't talking to you, she's talking to him"

You: "And not a single person is talking to YOU, so how about you zip it, kid?"

Mercury: "Heh, I like him already"

Emerald was quick to give Mercury a hard nudge, not appreciating his snarkiness. You ignored them, leaning closer to Roman to talk.

You: "Are you forgetting the last time we dealt with a woman like her?"

Cinder: "There aren't any women like me...especially not Miss Ivory. But, I suppose I can entertain your distrust with a show of good faith. Emerald?

Emerald passed over a file to Roman, your partner looking it over as she spoke.

Emerald: "We've recently come into ownership of a warehouse near the docks of town. It's registered under false credentials and would work as a base of operations for you all"