Vanilla ice cream (Neo x Reader)

S2: Chapter 10: Pawns

In a warehouse on the outskirts of Vale, members of the White Fang were moving large and heavy boxes of dust. The scrape and repetitive thudding of the carts' faulty wheels irritated Emerald and Mercury's ears as they strolled in like they owned the place.

Roman was stood before a map of Vale on the wall, turning to the teens with exaggerated swagger to hide his exhaustion.

Roman: "Oh look, she sent the kids... again."

There was a hint of malice he couldn't quite keep out of his voice, not that he tried to, as he walked behind them. He wrapped them both in a mocking hug, an action of control, not affection.

Roman: "This is turning out just like the divorce."

His work had become increasingly stressful after the abject failure at the docks. To think he would be saved by huntsmen in training of all things, it was preposterous!

They pushed themselves out.

Emerald: "Spare us the thought of you procreating."

He sighed.

Roman: "That was a joke. And this-"

He held up a small slip of paper, the same one they'd used to get to Tukson's book trade earlier that day.

Roman: "Just might tell me where you two've been all day."

Emerald looked at her own pockets in shock, when had he taken it?

Roman: "I'm a professional, sweetheart, pay attention, maybe you'll learn something. Why do you have this address?"

His tone turned harsh and cold, nothing like his usual suave and cocky voice.

Emerald: "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He had closed the distance between them.

Roman: "Yeah, I would. Now where have you been all day?"

Mercury moved in front of Emerald, squaring his shoulders defensively.

Mercury: "Cleaning up your problems. One of them at least."

The ginger answered in a strained tone.

Roman: "I had that under control."

Mercury: "Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale says otherwise."

Roman snapped, far too irritable and far too tired to deal with the two of them.

Roman: "Listen you little brat, if it were up to me I would take you and your little street rat friend here, and I would-"

Cinder: "Do what, Roman?"

Cinder Fall was a fair-skinned, beautiful woman, with ash black hair covering her left eye, leaving only one bright amber eye to pierce into Roman's stare. She wore a dark red, off-the-shoulder dress with gold trimmings, a large blue feather on her right hip at the top of a slit up its side. She wasn't overly tall at five-seven but held an impression of great size through the magnitude of the power Roman knew she possessed.

She stepped onto a platform on the floor above, looking down at the man as it started to lower itself.

He gave an empty chuckle.

Roman: "I would... not kill them?

The list of people he really didn't want as enemies in this world was short, the list of people on that list who weren't already his enemies was even shorter. And Cinder was one person he did not want to add to his very much not short enemies list.