RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC93: Bait (Heroes)-6

Oscar and Royal hadn't found Cinder yet when Royal got a call from Raven.

"What?" he said after a few minutes. "Did she say why?"

Oscar heard Raven speak a little louder. "She's an idiot, but if she's going to be such a pill about it, I might as well humor her till she comes to her senses. Just won't send her out on anything."

"So that's it?" Royal said.

"You figure it out," Raven said. "I don't have the energy for this. Whatever went down there, I'm sure you and Pine can handle it."

"How did you know he was here?" Royal asked.

"Theo already told me you all were coming," Raven said. "It's getting late, and I have work to finish. Bye."

She hung up.

"What's going on?" Oscar asked.

"I'm going to strangle her," Royal said.

"Who?" Oscar asked.

"Cinder," Royal said.

"What'd she do now?" Vara walked past them on her way out of the kitchen. "Shouldn't you boys be on your way back to Argus?"

"Theo wants us to stay the night," Oscar said. "Not fly that much. We are pretty tired."

"Hmm." Vara popped open a bag of some snack. "Cinder's on the parapets, if you want to know."

"Oh, I guess we should have thought of that," Oscar said. "Isn't she concerned about leaving?"

"No," Vara said. "I wouldn't go up there if I were you, Pine. She can be such a b---h when she's angry."

"Angry about what?" Oscar asked. "I wish someone would tell me something."

"She could have at least warned me," Royal said, crossly. "I mean, I get it, but still. Normally, she at least would tell you she was pissed off."

"Women, right?" Vara said, between mouthfuls.

"But you're a woman..." Oscar was confused.

Royal headed for the stairs.

"I... Why are you guys so dramatic all the time?" Oscar asked.

"I don't know, but, since you're here, make me some tea, will you?" Vara said. "I'm not any good at it, and Theo is still busy with Watts."

Oscar sighed but had no real reason to say no.

* * *

Cinder was pacing and staring at the horizon by turns, wondering what to do next, when Royal startled her.

"Hey," he said, already sounding mad, "what the h--- is with you?"

Cinder didn't see why he was mad until she realized Raven had to have called him.

Already!? She didn't even give them a chance to get back to Argus first. What a jerk! Now that flight back was going to be awkward...or more awkward.

"I don't know what you mean," she lied.

"I just got a call from Raven." Royal told her what she already knew. "She said you requested that we not be partners anymore. More like demanded it, actually. I can't believe you did that without telling me first."

"Do I have to tell you?" Cinder bristled.

"It would be nice to get a heads up," Royal said saltily. "If this is about what I said earlier today, there was no need to do it like this. Could have just said then what you thought."