I woke to the sharp pain in my ribs and a presence standing over me. My conscious mind came to me, allowing me to fully sense the figure leaning over me and the sensation of something being pressed into my chest.
"Morning Neo"
She returned the gesture with another small strike to my stomach before skipping away. Wonderful wake up call on my first morning back at work. I lifted myself from my makeshift bed, which was nothing more then a mattress on the floor, then started looking for my cane. But I couldn't detect the dust inside it.
"Son of a Bi-" A voice cut me off.
"Looking for something?"
I stepped out onto the walkway and looked down at Roman. Twirling my cane in his hand. "Bout damn time you woke up"
"Sorry, some of us were out doing actual work last night" I retorted.
"Yeah, a scenic stroll, sounds like 'real work' to me" The sarcasm in his voice was obvious
"I didn't see you come home with any dust" I loved verbal sparring with Roman. Almost as much as I loved actual sparring with Neo.
"Really? Did you do that? I thought it was just Neo being useful, as per the norm. Right Neo?" She nodded happily, looking up at me with what I could only assume was a self assured, cocky smile. I felt my way along the catwalk, moving towards the metal steps and planting my hands on each railing.
"You guys are hilarious" I stomped the metal to feel out exactly where the steps ended, then proceeded to hop onto one of the railings and slide all the way down to meet my two comrades. Roman tossed me the cane and I caught it. "Wonderful, glad to have my eyes back"
"If only it was your tongue you were missing" He slowly realised his slip and turned to Neo apologetically. "Sorry Neo" She stood there arms folded disapprovingly.
"Apologies seem to be becoming some of your most common vocabulary Roman, I'm impressed" I taunted.
"Enough fancy words, time to get down to what we're good at"
"Lacking a sense of style? You excluded obviously Neo" I pointed a playful finger gun in her direction and she placed a hand on her hip, doing that happy little swaying she does sometimes. Adorable. Roman continued.
"Enough jokes. Like it or not we got the white fang lending us a hand and I intend to put em to good use. There's a lot of dust in this kingdom, which means we got a whole lot of work to do"
Roman led us to the planning section of the warehouse. Which was now occupied by the dozen or so white fang members, who were already moving the relatively small amounts of our dust into piles. Roman sighed at the amount and lit up a cigar. "A lot more work" He muttered as he took a puff.
Time skip-
Me and Neo could blend in safer on the daylit streets of Vale. Everybody and their dog knew Romans face but who would suspect a blind man and an adorable little sweetheart of being up to anything nefarious. There was a huge sound of an engine overhead. Looking up I could sense the large concentration of auras floating through the sky, heading in the direction of the Huntsman academy. I scoffed. "Beacons newest lackies, ready to be moulded into the most annoying aspect of our 'honest' lives" Neo gave me a side glance and nodded in acknowledgement. "I honestly can't believe how some tiny child got in the way of mine and Romans job last night. I could handle her no problem but she wiped the floor with four grown fighters before hand" Neo placed a hand on her mouth, mimicking surprise. I chuckled "You're right. That might say more about the standards of hired help. Can't find good grunt workers anywhere these days" We carried on strutting through the bustling streets of Vale, at one point passing the very shop where the kid had interfered.
"Well. At least Cinder was there to handle that pro huntress" Neo looked at me. An accusatory hand on her hip. I continued with a nervous laugh "I didn't say I was happy that we're being forced under death threat to work for her. I'm pissed that we don't get to keep any of the crap we steal. But at least she's not useless or afraid to get her hands dirty" Neo nodded. Then took one of her fingers and dragged it across my throat. "Yeah. Lets stay on her good side or we'll be on the receiving end of the hand dirting........Is that even a word? Dirting?" Neo shook her head and then broke into a slow, gentle skip as we took a turn down an alleyway. "Scouting every single dust store in downtown Vale is not exactly the exciting way I was looking to spend my day. Pleasant company excluded obviously" I said with a playful side wink at Neo, who was happily bouncing as she skipped beside me, hands locked behind her back as she went. "Seriously though I-" Neo cut me off. lifting her hand, miming talking with her hand. Right in my face. "I get the point Neo. Just saying I could have had plans" She tilted her head. "Alright I didn't but you know what I mean" The response I got was a face palm.
Mystery POV-
I leaned over the table. Flexing my fingers in the black gloves. Straightening the white tunic, brushing dust from the shoulders. Running my fingertip along the sharpened blade resting next to me. Scanning my eyes across the map of Vacuo. So much desert expanse. Wondering where he was. Almost wishing I was there with him. Sienna had given him full control of the Vale branch. I was honoured to follow in his footsteps in Vacuo. But It didn't make me miss him any less. I heard the curtains part behind me and one of my troops entered, dropping to a knee. "Commander Taurus. New arrivals" I nodded. She turned and left. I sighed, a slight smile curling at my lip.
New arrivals. Ready for the fight. Ready for the cause. It made the smile grow. This is what we needed. Our reach was extending.......Yes, he would be proud of me. I took up my white mask, engraved with roses of red. It covered the lower half of my face, the second half to his. My second half. I pulled up my hood and slotted my blades into their sheaths. "I'll make you proud. I swear" I exited the tent. My guard knelt before me. The group of new Faunus, huddled together. Somewhere around two hundred. One of my guard stood and held a presenting hand in my direction. "Commander Taurus" I surveyed the new troops.
"Welcome. Brother and sister Faunus. You have made a heavy choice today. You have chosen to bear the burden of your people. To make sacrifices for the good of the Faunus, for the FREEDOM. Of the Faunus. If you prove yourself to fight for this cause with every fibre of your being, to risk your life. Then you will become heroes of our people. If you fight for the freedom of your brothers and sisters. Then you have earned yours. And I will fight for it. Sienna Khan will fight for it. ADAM TAURUS.....will fight for it. We will fight be your side. We will fight for all Faunus kind"
I took a deep breath. The crowd looked stunned. Awe struck. Terrified even. I had his gift, his way with people. I could make them listen. "Long live the white fang" Cheers began to ring out as my own troops stood and started shepherding the new arrivals deeper into the camp. I took a moment to look out across the horizon. The general direction of Vale. "I hope I'll see you soon brother"
New POV
The insolence of humans never ceased to surpass my expectations. Their arrogance knew no bounds. And here I was, forced to work alongside them when they should have been grovelling at my feet, begging for mercy. Our camp was set up just on the outskirts of Vale. Enough for the small groups we had there. I paced back and forth in my tent. The day that girl had come. Cinder. Practically enslaving me and my kin here in Vale and worse yet we were forced to work with common street filth. I would make them pay, when I got the chance, they would all feel my fury.....My justice. I will make humanity pay for what they have done. The only upside of this unwilling alliance was that I could see Beacon academy crumble as all of Vale was thrown into chaos. That's what I was promised.
Peering down at the map of Remnant, my eyes fell on Vacuo. She was there, carrying out the will of the fang. She had grown strong and capable, become a worthy leader, she was willing to carry out the tasks. Ready to make choices for the betterment of the Faunus. It would be good if she was standing by my side when the academies fell. First Beacon, then Mistral, Shade and finally the pompous wastes of life in Atlas. The vengeance of the Faunus would be without hesitation and without mercy. They deserved neither.
New POV
"You bunch of animals, that doesn't go there" As he twisted the gear stick inside the small crane cockpit, the container he was hauling unclasped and it crashed to the floor. "For the love of all that's HOLY" I ran up the metal steps, when I reached our newly fitted machine I yanked him out and shoved him aside. Rubbing my brow with my hand I addressed all the white fang on the floor below. "Look, you're not happy, I'm not happy. But if you mongrels make this any more difficult I'm gonna have to complain to the higher ups. Trust me, she won't be happy with you. One of the members raised his snarky voice
"Just like a human to be a treacherous whiner" This guy had asked for it now, time to make an example. I moved my hand into the cockpit to start moving the sticks.
"Oh how you wound me with your cruel words. I didn't say that was what I wanted, Its just that sometimes" I swung the claw down and snatched this guy up, raising him off the floor. "Actions have t be taken for a better working environment. Do we understand each other? Your red haired brooding leader wouldn't want any unnecessary accidents would he"
I was interrupted by a chilling voice up on the walkway "Having fun Roman?"
Cinder POV-
I looked down at Roman, the smug grin quickly fading from his face as he released the gasping welp from the claw, sending him crashing back to the stone floor. The trenchcoated ginger stumbled and nervously laughed over his words, unable to get out a coherent sentence. "Enough" I interrupted. "Tell me, are we underway?"
"Bright and early, just like you asked, I'm nothing if not punctual"
"Indeed. That's why you've been chosen Roman. You're dependable, as I hope your two little friends are"
New POV-
I looked out the vast window. Out across the endless landscape of jagged rocks, murky ground mixed with ash and bone, blood red sky and hundreds of bubbling pools, filled with black liquid, birthing my glorious creatures. My mind went to the world beyond. The world which was now ready, all was to be set in motion. After so long of waiting, endless waiting. Patient centuries of planning and preparation. For the first time in possibly decades, I truly thought back to the old world, what it had now become. I heard the doors slowly creak open and the sound of a man clearing his throat
"Cinder has made contact my lady. She has gained the aid of the white fang as requested and has infiltrated Vales underground. Dust collection has already begun for the first phase of your plan"
I took a deep breath. Finally. All was ready. Time to begin. "Thank you Watts" He shut the door and I heard his footsteps move down the hall.
"Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.
Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.
However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".
Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.
So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength."
New POV
I gazed out the window at the city beyond and the new student flooding through my gates. Somewhere I knew she was doing the same. Watching and waiting, for the right moment to strike. It had been so long now, I feared time may be upon us. The time to fight. I didn't know when or what, I felt like I knew nothing, except the crushing feeling that something ominous was ahead. Would I ever be able to stop it. Was victory even a concept I should be entertaining anymore.
And then I thought that, perhaps victory is in the simpler things that She had long forgotten; things that require a smaller, more honest soul.
Meeting Miss Rose, gave me the smallest glimmer of hope. One I had not felt in so long.
The elevator opened behind me and I heard Glynda's voice. "It will soon be time for the opening speech sir" I nodded in acknowledgement and sipped my delicious hot coco.
And so it begins.