*Vale, Tukson's Book Trade*
Blake walked into her favorite bookstore, hoping to see the newest volume of her favorite book (which was TOTALLY not smut), Ninjas of Love. She liked Tukson's Book Trade not only because he had almost every book out there, but also because she personally knew Tukson. They were quite close back in their White Fang days. The days where she committed crimes she now regretted today. She couldn't help but wonder if her parents would ever forgive, or even want to see her again. What she has done...
She shook those memories from her mind, and walked to the counter. She had to drown the past.
Blake: Hi Tukson.
Tukson: Hey there Blake. It's been a while. How's Beacon?
Blake: I'm managing. My teammates are tolerable for the most part, and some of the other students aren't that bad.
Tukson: Good to know. Let me guess, you want to see if we have the latest Ninjas of Love?
Despite the simple nod, she couldn't fight off the small blush that made it to her face. Sometimes just thinking about the book was enough to get a reaction.
Tukson: Well, I'm sure I have it around here somewhere. Hey, Chaos! Help me out here!
Blake's eyes somewhat widened in surprise. Tukson hired some help? Her questions were quickly seized as the new employee in question entered the room. She had no recollection of ever seeing him around Vale. Hell, she almost thought he was a Schnee based on the white hair and sophisticated attitude. He seemed to be holding a thriller novel, based on the cover. She personally didn't like those, but to each their own.
Chaos: Did you need me?
Tukson: Sorry for calling you out like that, but I need your help finding the latest Ninjas of Love volume.
Chaos hummed in thought as he tried getting the name off the tip of his tongue. He had remembered Ninjas of Love being a romance novel of sorts, a pretty detailed and graphic one at that. The girl in front of him seemed to be around his age group, give or take a year or two. For someone to be reading that type of material at this age was something the tactician found amusing.
Chaos: Yes, I believe it was among the books we obtained last week. Luckily, we only have one last copy of the latest volume.
Blake: I'll take it!
The two guys in the room chuckled at her immediate and eager response, whereas Blake tried getting herself under control.
Chaos: Just a moment. *heads to the back*
As the In-Birth went into the back, Blake thought to have a quick chat with her old friend.
Blake: So does he know about...? You know.
Tukson: Yeah. You know I was never one to keep my Faunus heritage a massive secret. But not my past with...them. Chaos is a great help, organizing the store has turned into a breeze thanks to him. I almost feel bad for allowing him to work overtime, but as he's stated, he and his friend need the money. They're new here and have nowhere to go.
Blake nodded in response. If there was one thing she admired about Tukson was how he wasn't afraid to show off his Faunus heritage. Tukson was a man who would only ever run when he absolutely needed to, and even then he'd run away swinging. It wasn't like he was some honorable warrior, that was just who he was. A man who would face his problems like a boxer, bobbing and weaving. In a way, Blake was envious of Tukson.
Back in the White Fang, she was always teased for her "skill" in running away. Even Adam had made a snarky remark on it once. She ran away from home when her parents refused to continue aiding the White Fang, and now she ran away from the White Fang. She ran away from Adam, her partner and mentor...
Chaos: Here it is!
Blake's head shot up at speeds which would make a bullet look like a snail. She noticed how her breathing was a little heavier. And did it suddenly get hot all of a sudden? Just a moment ago the air conditioner was working fine...She focused back onto her surroundings. She saw Tukson with a worried expression on her face and a curious expression on Chaos's.
Chaos: Right...anyway, that'll be 35 Lien.
She quickly put the money on the counter and took the book.
Blake: Keep the change.
Refusing to let anything or anyone delay her, she speed walked out the door.
Chaos: Judging from her spacing out, sudden sweat despite functional air conditioning, and reaction time similar to that of one with paranoia, I'd say she went through some type of experience?
The shocked expression on Tukson's face wasn't even needed to show how right he was on the money.
Chaos: I'm a very observant individual, Tukson. If there's one thing I enjoy, it's strategy. And in order to make good tactics, you need to be good at reading people. Their emotions, their body language, the way they act around certain things or people. This is an essential quality in strategy, because then you can predict what your opponent might do before they even think of doing it.
Tukson: *sighs* You know, you remind me of someone. An old ally, you could say.
Chaos: Oh? Pray tell. Although if this is something too personal, I would hate to intrude.
Tukson: I will admit that it is kinda personal. I just wanted to point out that you reminded me of someone. He was pretty good at fighting and reading people. Only difference is that he was...somewhat extreme. That's...all I want to get into.
The tactician was a little upset that his boss wouldn't share more, but in the end respected his privacy.
Tukson: In any case, we should try something, one last hurrah. I'm thinking of moving to Vacuo in a couple of months.
Chaos: Well, we could try having a book sale on comic books, history books and novels. I've noticed those being most of our sales over the past few weeks. No, actually, those have been our only sales recently.
Tukson: Hmmmmm...That's not a bad idea. Good thinking, Chaos. I'm gonna get started on the banner and signs in a couple of days.
Chaos: And I shall do my best to assist. My friend Gordeau is pretty knowledgeable in style, so maybe he could help. Although, is it alright if I borrow the second floor for a couple of hours?
Tukson: Sure thing. Use it as long as you need to. I'm gonna head out and bring us some food. In the meantime, I'm gonna close the shop. I'm sure you'd appreciate the break.
Chaos: Yes, thank you.
The bookstore owner went to flip the sign from "Open" to "Closed", and then headed out. With the place to himself, he walked to the second floor and locked himself in. He pulled out the Chaos Code from his sweater pocket, as well as a notebook.
Chaos: Now, I am not sure of what I might face in this unique world. To be a little better prepared, I should try and see if I can find a way to maintain Azhi Dahaka out even with the Chaos Code closed. Also, I should practice my hand to hand skills. Even with my supposedly "impressive" skills in boxing and kickboxing, I'm still very vulnerable without Azhi Dahaka. Not to mention that I'm not that good of a fighter. I should start going on a regular training regimen in both my mind and body. Some meditation to see if that improves my concentration with the Chaos Code, and some parkour to keep my body in shape. A good tactician must be strong in both body and mind, should he ever get caught in the fray.
Writing down his new schedule, he sat down and began his meditation with some breathing exercises. In order to access the Chaos Code's full potential, he would need to "connect" with it, understand it's full capacity. But before he could do that, he wanted to strengthen his mind.
God knows what Voids like Azhi Dahaka can do to weak minded people.
*Remote Village, Unknown Location*
To say that Carmine Prime was bored out of his skull would have been as big of an understatement as telling a woman that her new pair of jeans did indeed make her look fat would result in major consequences. Of all places in this new dimension in which he could have been sent, it just had to be in a remote village in the middle of nowhere.
The inhabitants, the "Faunus" as they called themselves, were weak, untrained fools who felt nothing but fear and insecurity the moment he had arrived. And that negativity is what supposedly attracts the creatures of Grimm, or so he had been informed. Speaking of Grimm...
Carmine: What's wrong?! Can't take anymore?!
He was currently fighting a whole pack of Ursas who had made it into town. From what he had been told about the Grimm, their fear and his anger issues probably attracted them. They were fun at first, but now...well, it was getting boring. He let out a yawn as he impaled the remaining Ursa's limbs with sword-like constructs of his blood.
Carmine: You were fun for a while, but in the end, you're just a mindless beast who only cares about killing! You have no thirst for battle, you have no fear...You're just shit! And just like the shit of this world, you deserve to be put down.
Constructing a spear from his blood, he stabbed the beast in the neck with it, twisting it slowly but harshly with a sadistic smile on his face. With one last twist, the Ursa evaporated into dust.
Carmine: Hahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
After having his fun, his stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten in days, and it was starting to take it's toll on him. He looked around and saw that none of the people had left their homes to see why things had suddenly gotten quiet. Even after what he had just done, he knew that the villagers would likely never trust him. Hell, he wouldn't even trust himself!
Carmine: Shit...This fucking sucks...
Fighting his hunger, he made his way to what appeared to be an abandoned house. It looked like it hadn't been touched in years. He noticed how...damaged it looked, even for an abandoned house. Some of the windows were broken, and the front door looked like it had been barged open...
Walking inside, he found himself a nice corner and sat there. He hated this. He hated how there was nothing to fight besides mindless monsters, basically weaker Voids. He hated how he would likely struggle to even feed himself. And he certainly hated how despite wanting to leave, he couldn't. He lacked the energy, the resources, and the proper survival skills to do so. It pissed him off.
Carmine: (A fitting scenario for a scum bag like myself. If only starving to death wasn't such a slow ass way of dying.)
He lost his train of thought when he heard something approaching him. He quickly turned and saw what he least expected, a little girl. Judging from the ears and tail, she was a squirrel Faunus. She was slightly trembling, likely from nervousness and fear. But what really caught his attention was what in her hands: a basket of food. It was relatively simple, a basket of fruits and bread.
Carmine: The hell do you want, squirt?!
She flinched and backed away, obviously taken aback by his volume. She quickly put down the basket of food and ran away. The lobster colored In-Birth scoffed at the response. It was exactly that type of weakness and fear that attracted those monsters, or at least that's what he heard. It was hard paying attention while hungry and killing black bear monsters.
He glanced at the basket she left behind, his stomach growling louder than before. Letting out a few curse words, he reached for the basket and dug into the first thing he grabbed, an apple. Now, Carmine was always more of a meat guy. A steak, burger, he liked eating meat in general. But he wasn't going to start demanding food just because he saved their lives. He wasn't petty, not by a long shot. He didn't want their pity, but damn, was he hungry as hell. Even if it was nothing but fruit and bread, he'd take it at this point.
He ate like a savage, which he didn't mind as he hadn't eaten in days. Plus, no one was around, not that he'd care even if there was. He didn't care if the most sophisticated person was right in front of him, he'd flip them off and keep eating.
When he finally finished, he just put away the basket outside. As he did so, however, he saw the words "Property of Makoto" stitched on the side. Must have been the girl's name. Well, not like that mattered or anything. He just walked back inside.
*Later that night*
Carmine was lying on the floor, as expected. Whatever furniture was left in this house was either dirty, ruined beyond repair, or both. He'd rather sleep on the floor if that was the case. He let his thoughts wander as he remembered certain moments of his life. Becoming an In-Birth, fighting in the Night, stuff like that. Not stuff like how his life was like before that, he hated his normal life. These powers, this life of fighting...it was fun. It justified his aggressive tendencies. He loved fighting. He didn't care what anyone thought, fighting was the best thing ever.
He heard another sound and immediately jumped to his feet, preparing himself for a fight. When he saw nothing in front of him, he turned around and saw a brief glimpse of a small body running away. Likely either a kid or a midget, although he considered the former option was more likely. Carmine noticed the kid left something behind, so he walked over to the doorstep to get a better look. It was a pillow and a blanket, the blanket in particular had the name "Alex" stitched on it. It also had cute puppy paws on it as design. What was it with kids suddenly showing up today?
He scoffed at the kind gesture which made him want to puke, but took the items anyway. It was getting cold, a little too much for comfort, so he wouldn't turn it down. Before he stepped in, he saw the doormat before him. Since he was hungry before, he really didn't bother seeing it. It seemed to have the last name of whatever family used to previously live in this house.
Carmine: "Taurus". Weird ass name.
With that, he tucked himself in on the floor. He'd probably leave one day, but not anytime soon. He needed to learn about this weird world first. But first, he needed sleep. It was about time he got a decent rest.
*Forest, Unknown Location*
Screams.
Screams of horror.
Screams of pain.
All of this and more was but a beautiful melody to Byakuya's ears. He and Strix had previously arrived at this world because he suggested it would be a fun experience. They had wounded up in a strange forest with red leaves, and then they were jumped by some people wearing masks and had some physical features similar to that of an animal. They called themselves "White Fang" or something. Not like he cared.
The moment they had tried to harm his beloved "sister" was the moment he lost what little consideration he had for letting them live. They were weak flies that even a weak In-Birth could dispose of. Still, he noticed how his attacks weren't piercing their skin or bones. Did the inhabitants of this world have some type of EXS-like barrier around their bodies? Well, it really didn't matter. He knew his attacks hurt them, terrified them. He could feel their barriers weaken with every blow, and he loved how close he was. Their looks of fear, of regret, of horror...Byakuya adored every second of it.
White Fang Goon: P-please, I'm sorry! W-we'll let you through! Just p-please don't kill me!
Byakuya: You should have thought about your lives before you attacked my beloved sister. Your fate was sealed the moment you stood in our way.
Strix: Byakuya, look out!
Before he got any closer, a flash of red made him jump back. It was an energy attack.
White Fang Goon 2: A-Adam!
Byakuya got a good look at the new arrival. He looked strong, at least compared to the small fries he was about to devour. He seemed calm, composed, but most of all, determined.
Adam: Go back to base and get your wounds treated. I'll deal with them by myself.
White Fang Goon 3: Y-yes, sir!
All the goons turned and ran, not as fast as most people would be running for their lives. Then again, Byakuya beat them up pretty brutally.
Adam: What business do you have with us?
Byakuya: Business? None at all. I was just escorting my dear sister throughout these woods and then those disgusting brutes attacked us. I was merely defending her, and myself.
He noticed how Adam's grip on his sword tightened on the words "disgusting brutes". He also noticed the horns on his head.
Byakuya: Dog people, cat people, deer people, and now bull people. I'm learning so much already about this fascinating new world!
Adam: (New world? What is he talking about? And does he really expect me to believe he's never heard of Faunus before?)
It was at that moment when Adam took a moment to sniff the air around him. There was a very strong smell in the air, and it came from Byakuya. He didn't smell any human or Faunus in him. Instead, he caught a scent that Adam was very familiar with.
Blood.
The smell was so strong that Adam couldn't smell anything else from him. It made him slightly nauseous, if only for a moment. Yes, he had killed several people before, but he had never smelled such a strong amount of blood before.
Adam: Who...what are you?
Byakuya: Me? I fail to see how my identity should matter, especially when you're about to become my first meal in this world.
Strix: Be careful, Byakuya. He's different from the others.
Byakuya: As you say, sis. I will handle this with upmost caution.
Adam fired a shot from Blush, but it wasn't aimed at Byakuya, it was aimed at Strix. The female In-Birth didn't even flinch as Byakuya blocked the shot with one of his claws.
[One Minute Melee OST: Rage Cage]
The smile on Byakuya's face had completely vanished, replaced with an expression that screamed passive aggression.
Byakuya: That wasn't very nice, Mr. Bull.
Adam: Neither was attacking my men, and look what you did.
All of Byakuya's claws spread from his back as Adam kept his grip on Wilt. Strix stepped back, not wanting to become a burden. She wasn't a fighter, and she wasn't about to pretend to be one.
Adam made the first move, doing a few basic Iado slashes to test his opponent's defense. Byakuya was hardly fazed, either dodging or blocking with his claws. Adam couldn't tell what those things were made of, but decided to ignore his curiosity. He tightened his grip on Wilt and went faster. Byakuya did a good job at staying on the defensive for a while, but eventually got hit a few times. He took a few steps back from the blows.
Byakuya: Not half bad.
The In-Birth put some effort of his own, he jumped onto a tree and used the momentum to jump again, going for a kick. As Adam blocked the attack, Byakuya's claws immediately struck him in the chest. As soon as Adam tried to get some distance, a web suddenly wrapped itself around his body.
Adam: What the-?!
Byakuya: Well well well, I guess even a bull can get caught in a spider's web.
Byakuya spent no time going on the offensive, doing a quick hop with a double kick to the chest before striking several times with his claws. Elbow, claw, knee, claw, kick, claw. He combined his basic blows with deadly claw strikes. Seeing the web was about to break, he did one last strike with all claws at once, pushing him back. Adam grunted in pain as he hit a tree.
Adam: (He's dangerous!)
He tried firing some more shots with Blush, only for Byakuya's claws to effortlessly deflect them again. Seeing he had to stick to medium range, he got serious. As Byakuya went for more hits, Adam blocked as many blows from the claws as possible.
Byakuya: Going on the defensive now?! That's no fun!
Adam blocked a few more blows, charging up. The red in his hair, clothes and mask glowed.
Byakuya: A light show? For me?! This ought to be fun!
Adam ran circles around Byakuya, leaving afterimages behind. The young In-Birth tried attacking, but he'd always miss and hit another afterimage. It was starting to frustrate him.
Byakuya: Now you're just being a party pooper! Weren't you going to make me pay, Mr. Bull?!
Calling his bluff, Adam struck at his back. Then his thigh, then his chest. Byakuya got struck in several areas, but didn't lose his cool. He spread his claws in all directions, making the bull Faunus jump back from the push.
Before he could plan his next move, Byakuya suddenly started running away.
Adam: Get back here!
Adam gave chase to his opponent, who jumped from tree to tree laughing like a crazy person.
Byakuya: Hahahahahahaha! Come catch me, Mr. Bull!
Adam noticed purple lights being left behind his target as he moved around. Were those his web traps?
Adam: (That won't work on me twice!)
He sliced whatever trap Byakuya laid as he continued to give chase. Despite doing so, he couldn't help but feel like something was odd. He would just need to be extra vigilant to whatever traps his enemy laid.
Adam: Quit running, coward!
Charging his semblance, Adam fired a sword beam that struck Byakuya straight in the back. The Kanzakai student let out a cry of pain as the blast sent him through a tree. Before he got up, he saw Adam standing over him with Wilt at his neck.
Adam: Enough of your games. This ends now.
He raised his sword to kill him there and then, only to notice a smirk on Byakuya's face.
Byakuya: Thank you for playing with me, but now it looks like the fun has to end!
Adam looked at the ground he was standing on. It was purple and shaped like a spider web.
Adam: (Shit!)
Large threads of web wrapped around him faster than he could react, completely encasing him in a cocoon. He could hear Byakuya's voice even from within.
Byakuya: You thought I'd make my traps that obvious?! I just put those dummies so you wouldn't see my real one! Although I will admit that last attack hurt, a lot actually. You were fun, Mr. Bull, you really were! But sadly, you outlived your ability to entertain me!
He poured his EXS into his claws, turning them into large blades of energy. Byakuya laughed like the crazy person he was as every blade pierced the cocoon. Once every blade had pierced the web prison, the cocoon exploded in a burst of EXS.
[OST ends]
Adam fell to the ground. He was lucky that his Aura had protected him from the attack. Sadly, that was all he had left. He had very little Aura left, enough to barely get protected by an attack. If that wasn't bad enough, he could hardly stand. He had no idea what any of those attacks were, but he knew one thing: That couldn't have been a regular semblance.
Byakuya walked over to his defeated foe, picking him up with two claws.
Adam: You think...you scare me? More Faunus will rally, and you humans will...pay...!
Byakuya: *tilts his head in confusion* I don't know what Faunus are, nor do I care. Anyone who tries hurting my beloved sister will face death at my hand. I don't discriminate. I don't care about their race, their skin color, their gender or religion. All of my victims are judged equally.
Adam let the information sink in. Was this guy...really that dedicated to his sister? It was borderline creepy. Screw that, it WAS creepy!
But that wasn't important. What was important was that he failed. He failed the White Fang, his people, his cause. He failed to make humanity pay for what they had done to Faunus. He failed to avenge the Faunus who were so cruelly mistreated...the ones he couldn't save.
Adam: (Mother...)
Strix: Stop, Byakuya!
Byakuya stopped the second he heard her voice, his claws mere centimeters from piercing his neck. Adam was surprised he wasn't dead yet.
Byakuya: Yes, sis?
Strix: He's beaten. You should stop while you're ahead.
Byakuya: *pouts like a child* But siiiiis, he attacked you!
The commander of the White Fang said nor did anything as he just watched the exchange before him. The tone changed so quickly with this "Byakuya" character, it made him even more disturbing.
Strix: Judging from the uniforms of the people who attacked us, I'm assuming this "White Fang" is some sort of organization, and this "Adam" seems to be a high ranking officer of sorts if the skill gap wasn't obvious enough already. Killing him will only bring more to us, giving us more trouble than it's worth. We just arrived, Byakuya, and I don't want having targets on our backs.
There was some silence for a few seconds. Due to the events that had just transpired, the suspension would have been enough to kill a man. Eventually, Byakuya put Adam down gently.
Byakuya: Fine. If you think it's best, sis.
Adam blinked in surprise under his mask. The human, this strange being's sister...was sparing him? If this was any other human with hatred for Faunus, he would have been killed on the spot. Yes, she claimed it was to avoid being hunted. But was there another reason? Could there be another reason?
Strix: There doesn't seem to be any of those strange Void creatures nearby. He should be able to get enough rest here to drag himself to wherever their base is. *bows towards Adam* My apologies for this...misunderstanding between us. Rest assured we meant no ill intention coming here. Come, Byakuya. I don't want to stay and find out if any more members will attack us.
Byakuya: Whatever you say. *looks at Adam* Be good now, Mr. Bull! Try to not cause any problems for us in the future, okay? If there's one thing I despise more than people trying to hurt my sister, it's people who abuse her mercy.
The wide smile on Byakuya's face was anything but genuine. The two began to walk away.
Adam: Wait! Who are you two?
His curiosity got the better of him, that he could not deny. Two people who had no idea about the White Fang, or even the Faunus? It was...absurd. He wanted to at least know their names. He didn't know why, he just did.
Strix turned around, followed by Byakuya. The young woman spoke as peacefully as possible. She really wished to avoid further conflict.
Strix: My name is Strix, and this is my guardian, Byakuya.
Without another word, Adam watched the two walk away until not even his night vision could see them anymore. He had no idea what he just experienced. On one hand, he was almost killed by a...being with unknown abilities, and then gets spared because of his sister.
Adam always believed that all humans were evil, that they all deserved to pay. Yet the very reason he was alive right now was because of a human. The very irony of the situation would have been hilarious if he had the energy to laugh.
Adam: Humans are such...complicated creatures. *grunts in pain as he tries to move* (Blake...is this why you left? Because you saw something...I couldn't?)
Needless, the White Fang member had a slightly different perspective of his goals. But regardless of this change of perspective, he would not stop.
'You want to fight like a bull, brat?! Then you'll get treated like one, you filthy animal!'
He could not stop.
'Adam...Please, run...! Just go and never look back!'
He had already gone too far to stop now.
'Mommy!!!'
He could not let the mercy of one human change him now. He had lost the ability to feel that level of optimism years ago.
Forcing the memories to the back of his mind, he rose to his feet. He slowly walked back to base. He needed some rest, to recover from his injuries. After that, he would train, train harder than he has in a while. He doubted this would be his last encounter with someone wielding such strange abilities, so he should improve for whenever the next encounter would arrive. He had to become stronger, to become a symbol for the Faunus to rally behind.
To burn the Schnee Dust Company and it's legacy to the ground.
*I'm pretty sure this is my longest chapter to date. I wanted to introduce some more UNIB characters while also trying to do something with Adam, as he wasn't used in Volume 1 at all. I won't spoil anything for anyone who hasn't caught up with RWBY, but in my opinion, the writers just butchered Adam's character. He had so much potential, and it was ruined because of a certain topic that plagues the RWBY fandom. If "Asking for Advice" didn't make it obvious enough, I'm going to try my best to rewrite Adam to better fit what he was set up to be before Volume 3. I want to give him Adam the respect and development he should have gotten. Like with everything else I try doing with this story, I hope to hear your feedback and opinions. Also, would you people want a couple more side/support chapters before we reach the climactic finale of Volume 1? I wouldn't want to keep you dear readers waiting, but if you'd willing, I'd prefer to have a bit more time to develop relationships. If you enjoy this chapter, please Vote on it, leave your thoughts in the comments, etc. Thank you so much for reading, I'll see you all next chapter! Until then, stay awesome!*