Breaking Remnant: Bound by Shadows

Rating: T/M

Series: RWBY

Pairing(s):

Volume 4: Winter

Summary: Aganju came to Beacon wanting to be treated as equal. Pyrrha wanted to be viewed as a normal girl. Neither of them expected to be that fate would have them meet. Now, they navigate the academy grounds and beyond, with secrets and danger awaiting them at every corner. The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1 and AU in the Breaking Remnant series.

(Rewrite of RWBY: Shadows of Destiny)

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.

Chapter 20

Do you have my information?"

The trio of Little Miss Malachite and her two goons looked on, the former wearing her signature smirk.

"Of course I do, darling. Lil Miss always delivers," the woman lightly tapped her cigarette against the ashtray. Her entertained behavior didn't last though as she stared at the table. "Although, I can't promise that you'll be pleased."

That familiar dread resurfaced, causing Cinder to groan softly.

"Word is that they were seen boarding the Argus Limited a few weeks back. While that isn't exactly far from here, Argus is rarely a destination for most. Chances are they'll be going straight-"

"Atlas!" Cinder interrupted, eager to leave for her new goal.

As she turned to leave, the rotund woman's grin returned.

"You know, you turned out to be an interesting customer, Cinder."

Frozen.

Cinder Fall ceased her departure upon hearing her name. That dread soon evolved into full out fear; a serpent winding its way around her very core. This shouldn't have come as a surprise though, Malachite was a top-notch information dealer. It was only a matter of time before her identity was exposed. Cinder knew this. She expected this.

So, why was she afraid?

"It's not often that a single client brings me triple the business."

Triple?

An amber eye turned to see the answer to her question. That fear, initially a ripple, had turned into a tidal wave of terror. Little Miss and her associates watched as two figures stepped into the tavern. The first was a whitetail jacket with a pink interior, button and one wide broad tail, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white boots with very high heels and multiple buttons on each side. Under her jacket is a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wears a multitude of necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck.

"Neo?"

A trembling Cinder didn't get a chance to ponder the girl's sudden appearance though. Footsteps tore her eyes from the focused and silent young woman upon hearing footsteps. Looking at the front door, the maiden was introduced to a familiar face.

An auburn-haired Faunus entered with a solemn expression on his face. Gone was his Grimm's mask, replaced by a black cloth tied over her eyes. She took in his bull traits, as he had two reddish-black horns, one on each side of his head, also seemingly slanted back.

He wore a form-fitting, double-breasted three-tone black and gray leather tunic jacket with red interior lining and two-layers of flares that hung the entire bottom of his jacket around his thigh, befitting his more militaristic mindset after the Fall of Beacon. His rounded collar up to the shoulders of his jacket was black, with the two-tone gray colors at the rest of his jacket, which also included a zipper for his left breast pocket, and two more at the sleeves, which also possessed black cuffs.

His dress pants were a matching gray to the tunic and mounted a maroon belt at the right thigh. The back of his tunic retained his red wilting rose emblem with white nightshade stem and flower sigils. Completing this outfit were plain black gloves exposing his wrists, along with twin maroon crisscrossing belts that hung Wilt and Blush on his left, and a black and red-lined drape retaining the red thorn sigil on his right. Finally, red-soled black shoes completed his attire.

"Adam..." He said nothing, however, only a dark sneer addressing her. "What are you both doing here?"

Adam pulled out his blade, Wilt & Blush while Neo pointed her parasol, Hush, at the outnumbered woman, each appearing ready to strike on their prey. Preparing herself, Cinder watched as Neo flipped off of the banister, landing beside Adam. What came next was truly unexpected to the despairing woman. Instead of an attack, both Adam and Neo withheld their assault with smug grins.

"We're here for you, Cinder..."

"For what purpose? Revenge for your boss and group?"

Adam sheathed his sword, a soft chuckle passing his lips. Even Neo found that humorous, though not entirely inaccurate.

"We're not here to kill you, Cinder. We're here to talk." He stopped when the mute girl pointed at her mouth in irritation. "Right. We're here with a proposition."

"Proposition?"

The two unlikely allies faced one another before turning back to Cinder.

"We heard you're planning on heading to Atlas."

"What about it?"

"We want in..."

Cinder contemplated what she was hearing for a moment, recalling what she'd been told several months prior by Salem. Combine that with past experiences and it was a win-win situation. Why bother forcing submission, when one, or in this case two, are willing to join forces willingly? She knew that she was in no condition to fight as she was still recovering from her defeat at the hands of Raven Branwen.

Still, there was something that concerned the fallen maiden.

"What's the catch?" she placed a hand on her hips, mustering up as much cockiness as she could. "If I'm not mistaken, Neo is probably looking for vengeance against Ruby for the death of Roman Torchwick but you? Forgive me if I'm not entirely convinced that you truly wish to establish a partnership, especially after our recent history. What proof can you give me that your word is truly valid?"

"Blake Belladonna..."

Though his tone was even, Cinder would be foolish to miss the venom hovering over the name. She knew it quite well.

"The faunus girl on Ruby's team? What does she have to do with your bid to come to Atlas?"

"That's Let's just say, we all have a common goal..."

The faux confidence soon gave way to the gleeful wickedness behind Cinder's emerging smirk. If his main mission was to kill the girl then she'd be happy to oblige. But, there was still the matter of Neo.

"And what of you? Are you seeking vengeance against 'Little Red?'" The girl's pink/brown eyes darkened at the mention of Ruby Rose, nodding in favor, yet hiding something much deeper. "Very well. I have my personal vendetta with another member of that wretched group as well. Perhaps we should discuss this in a more private location?"

Adam and Neo smirked in approval, each eager to enact their brand of justice for the one thing they'd lost due to Team RWBY. Three selfish desires. Three personal wishes of hate and spite brought together for the sake of a larger mission.

And all under the watchful eyes of one who watched from afar.

As he observed their departure, he felt a dark presence behind him. He worried little about his safety as a tiny grin crossed his lips. The spherical Grimm clicked nearer, stopping beside him.

"Tell her, everything is going according to plan..."

The creature stood still for a few moments to register the simple statement. Upon its completion, the seer took its leave, allowing the young man some privacy. His cold, metallic eyes never left the spot where Cinder and her alliance were previously, silently wishing that he could join her. Unfortunately, his orders were clear and he dare not disobey the queen.

In due time...

[Outskirts of Argus]

Operation Stolen Atlas Airship, or O.S.A.A. as Jaune put it, was a colossal mess.

At the moment, Team's RWBY, JNPR, Oscar, Maria Calavera, and Qrow were all fighting against a giant mecha suit under the control of Special Commander Cordovin. Though giving their best efforts, it seemed that the more experienced woman had the upper hand. The plan was actually simple; Weiss would trick Cordovin into 'escorting' the former heiress back to the kingdom, allowing Maria the access needed to pilot the airship for the others.

On the other end of the scheme, Blake was to be escorted by Yang to the central control tower in order to temporarily disable it, thus granting them the ability to hide from the Mistral forces monitors.

However, something clearly wasn't right...

What was supposed to be a quick 'in and out' job, had taken far too long. After some banter with the control base, including an admittedly hilarious back and forth between the elder women, Ruby, and the others wasted little time in seeing what was going on; preferably two souls with worry and determination in their hearts.

"Why is- the- still up?" the garbled voice of Weiss reverberated on Blake's scroll.

The feline didn't have time to respond as her heart succumbed to panic. Bodies were skewed all over the many levels of the tower, unmoving yet cleanly assassinated. She wanted to scream but held what little composure that remained when a shot ricocheted nearby.

This wasn't supposed to happen! She mentally cried.

"It's nice to finally have time to ourselves, don't you think?" that cold and taunting voice made her blood boil.

Adam Taurus sheathed his katana, gazing up at the former object of his 'affection'.

"Leave me alone!"

Gambol Shroud was turned into its gun form, allowing Blake to fire off a few warning shots. It did little good as Adam simply deflected the rounds, thus charging his blade.

"But, I've waited so long for you to be away from them..."

Run!

It was the only logical thing to do at this point. Blake knew that she was incapable of defeating the bull in one-on-one combat.

He was far too strong and knew her semblance's weakness all too well. Though she rid herself of his influence long ago, it didn't change the fact that Adam could read her like a book. Flipping down to the lower levels, the game of cat & mouse persisted with Blake Belladonna ironically playing the latter's role.

It was a nightmare; a bad dream that she wishes she could wake up from and yet, there was no escape. She wasn't asleep. The monster she used to adore and look up to was closing in. Little by little her stamina would run out, allowing him to get one second closer to capturing her or worse.

After another brief exchange, Blake managed to channel her fear of the young man. She'd managed to stall him just enough to catch her second wind after falling to the earth below. Thankfully, their aura took most of the blow. As the two staggered to their feet, Blake finally spoke to the struggling male.

"Let go of the past, Adam. Do it for yourself..." she exhaled softly, her words meshing with the crisp winter's air.

"Just forget it all? Is that what you did to me?; You just threw our memories away?!"

"Adam!"

"I let you go once before, Blake," Adam reached for Wilt & Blush. "I'm never making that mistake again."

Soon the quiet and tranquil forest region echoed with the clashing of sharpened blades. Grunts and groans of anger and concern flowed with each strike as Blake and Adam, former allies turned enemies, resumed their fight. Yet, somehow this was different. Before Beacon, Blake would've just run, cowering in hopes that Adam would lose her trace and leave her be. Now, she fighting him, taking advantage of the chaotic and erratic acts of the once composed High Leader of the White Fang.

oppositely, Adam was clinging to something his heart knew was long gone. He'd lost Blake long ago and yet, his mind wouldn't accept this truth. He couldn't accept this for a defeat such as this would truly solidify his pure demise. He'd lost so much since she left him back in the Forever Forest in Vale. First, it was her leaving. Then, it was his loss of command upon meeting Cinder Fall and her cronies. The loss of men at the Fall of Beacon. Sienna's trust, as well as her life. His position as High Leader. The support of his former followers.

All gone...

...and it was all her fault...

In all honesty, his soul knew what the greatest loss was; there was no denying such an obvious reality.

Adam lost his victim.

With rage welling up, the stubborn bull refused to add another loss to the list. He would take Blake back by force if necessary. No longer would he suffer another setback. Why won't she give in to me?! Why must she still resist?!

His mental ramblings revealed a favorable advantage for Blake as she avoided a potentially devasting attack that only managed to slice her jacket in half. She then proceeded to knock the sword back, stunning Adam long enough to connect with a few successful shots in the process. Once he recovered though, she began to read him; his every move as obvious as her own.

They reached a clearing near a waterfall where it seemed their final conflict would reach its conclusion.

"I wouldn't have to do this if you'd just behave!" he screamed, rushing into a grappling contest with the girl.

The elevated levels of fury in his tone only proved what Blake realized all too late. Adam was an abuser; a typical monster hiding underneath the wool of a man. She'd manage to envelop his sword in her sheathe but, he quickly got it back. Tossing the cover away, he noticed a small opening in Blake's guard. As she looked in despair at her secondary source of defense, he used all of his might to knock her to the ground with the hilt of his blade.

"But you're selfish!"

He charged again, exerting all of his stewing anger into every strike. Blake tried to fend off his attacks but, she was still too disoriented and was knocked back to the ground.

"You're a coward!"

"You're delusional..." she spat in defiance.

Slowly she sat up, giving Adam a clear view of the scar he gave her all of those months ago. It was a fitting symbol of his dominance as he peered at the injured spot with bemused wrath. Unable to contain it, he swiped the sword at her stomach, only to meet Gambol Shroud, snapping it in half.

Now, Blake had nothing to protect her, and worse, Adam knew this.

When it looked as if he'd go in for the kill, suddenly, he stopped. Confusion washed over Blake's face as he abruptly reached for the black cloth covering his eyes. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was her old ribbon, the last remnant of her old ways; hiding and running. Slowly he removed the fabric, showing her a shocking visual.

"People hurt me long before we met. All sorts of people in all sorts of ways. But, no one hurt me quite like you. You didn't leave scars, you just left me alone."

His right eye was as blue as the sky above, a beautiful pool of calm serenity. However, his left eye forced her to look away as a grotesque truth made the girl want to vomit. A blood-red sclera surrounded the greyed pupil but, it was the stamp around it all that made her tremble slightly.

SDC.

Schnee Dust Company.

The cruel brand that caused so many deaths and injuries to their kind had been firmly etched on his face. He'd been a part of that labor force; he didn't just hear of the horrors, he lived it. It was almost enough for Blake to understand why he was the way he was.

"So, tell me, Blake, How does it feel... to be alone?"

Unbeknownst to Adam Taurus, Blake picked up a peculiar sound off in the distance.

Motors.

Engines revving from far off but, growing closer by the second. Unlike her though, Adam's trait didn't include animal-like ears so, he was deprived of hearing the noise. All he cared about was completing his main objective before moving on to the next.

With a hate-fueled roar, he lifted Wilt & Blush, driving the point into the same spot. There was no sound other than the blade cutting into the rocky bridge and then, the image faded right before his eyes. A shocked Adam wondered what had happened; he'd stabbed Blake, right? He knew he hadn't but, in his desperation, he'd hoped that things turned out how he wanted.

He finally turned to where his 'beloved' really was only to see the fire flaring behind her golden orbs once more.

"You're wrong. I'm not alone!"

Her declaration was followed by the sounds of two motorcycles, Bumblebee and Ares, flying over the edge of the waterfall, revealing three figures riding. The sun above blinded him from seeing them clearly allowing the trio to jump off, letting the vehicles collide with the Faunus before falling off into the raging waters below. Blond, Auburn, Raven.

Three differently colored hair but all recognizable to Blake.

Adam looked up, noticing the three but, two stood out the most.

"You..."

He didn't get to make much of a speech about their appearance before absorbing a shot from a yellow gauntlet.

"Yang? Roxanne? Aganju?" Blake smiles eagerly before dropping to one knee, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

"It's okay..." the blond returned the gesture. "Catch your breath for a second then head back to the tower."

"But... Ugh!"

"No buts..." Roxanne stepped in. "We have a mission to complete and you're the only one who can do it."

"I'll go with her," Aganju offered, noting the now irate Adam. "You sure you both got this guy?"

Roxanne and Yang turned their attention to the male across from them.

Though he was still considered to be a tough opponent, both could tell that he wasn't 100%. Yang's left arm shivered while Roxanne subconsciously looked at her burned limb, recalling the traumatic experience he'd put them both through during the invasion of their school.

"We got this."

"They're right, Blake. We have unfinished business."

Without another word, Aganju steadily helped Blake to her feet before draping her arm over his shoulder. As they slowly limped away from the scene, Adam didn't waste any time in lunging at the two. Though he'd had the least amount of hatred for the vulpine, Adam remembered he, along with Sienna Khan was partially responsible for stopping his forces.

That was enough reason to attack. Aganju saw the attack coming but was unable to dodge or attack while assisting Blake. They were sitting ducks for whatever came next. Thankfully, both girls were able to block the attack from ever getting close to them when Roxanne shot a blast of fire in between the pair and their aggressor. Using her semblance, the flames grew to a wall that burned brightly in front of a now floored Adam Taurus.

This gave the fox and the cat enough time to escape into the forest.

"Your fight is with us, asshole!" the ram yelled.

Instead of some form of an angry comeback, Adam Taurus simply chuckled darkly as he picked himself up. Interestingly, neither Roxanne nor Yang engaged him just yet; a sign that they'd both learned from their previous encounter.

"Do you little girls think you can take me on? Don't make me laugh."

Neither woman replied, just a focused glare pointed at the man who they'd indirectly credit for their current connection. This was it; the monster that haunted their dreams now stood before them. The man responsible for Yang's missing limb and Roxanne's missing horns readied himself. In an instant, he used his speed to close the gap between them slashing and swiping wildly yet, with precision.

Thankful for their training with Tai Yang Xiao-Long, the two ducked and dodged, expertly avoiding the furious attacks. When avoidance wasn't an option, they'd block the swords perfectly. Yang still had the superior strength between the two so she did her best to deflect more of the blows while Roxanne would carefully counter with lightning-fast strikes of her own.

Yang blocked a vertical spinning slash, opening Adam up for a four-hit combo.

Jab.

Straight left.

Uppercut.

Spin Kick.

Each attack staggered the bull.

He charged up his semblance just a bit to knock them both back. They didn't falter though, rolling backward and leaping to either side, causing his thrust to hit nothing but air. This would continue, only serving to infuriate the bull Faunus more and more by the second. No matter what he did, his strikes would little to no damage.

"Why won't you go down?" he growled.

Yet another question crossed his mind; One that made him more frantic than before. There was supposed to be some form of back-up. Cinder or Neo should've been around to aid. This was a part of the plan, and yet, they were nowhere to be found.

Where are they?!

[Argus CCT Tower]

Aganju quickly pressed through the cold and eerily silent forest with Blake now on his back.

He filled Blake in with all of the details of what was going on with Ruby and the others, making the feline's ears drop in shame. She had to admit that while it was a little embarrassing to have someone carry her, it also felt right as well. She'd never admit it, but she had a little thing for Aganju during their time at Beacon and even with her relationship with Sun, she couldn't deny that there was something about him that intrigued her.

But, he was with Pyrrha, mostly shutting down any other thoughts outside of friendship with the guy.

Oum knows that she didn't want to risk messing that up.

There's still HER feelings about... No! Bad Blake... Don't go there! Pyrrha would kill us both!

"...alright?"

"What?" she blushed, thankful that he couldn't see it.

"Are you alright, Blake? You didn't pass out on me, did ya?" he chuckled in between breaths.

"Oh! Uh... No. I was just thinking is all."

"Well, we're almost there. The sooner we disable this thing, the sooner we get back to the others."

Indeed, the central communication tower was once more in view. The duo finally stopped, permitting Aganju the chance to lower Blake gently.

"Once I finish here we can-"

Blake never got to finish her instructions as a massive wave of fire forced the two onto the ground. Stinging a bit, both Atsura and Blake looked on in horror as the wielder of such power made their presence known. Short black hair that hid an X-shaped scar and missing eye. A wrapped left limb. A dingy cloak covering her slim form.

There was no mistaking it; How could anyone forget the dark golden orb of this beautiful monstrosity?

"Ella...?!" Aganju growled, eyes flaring red.

The two remained in shock, looking on as the arrogant grin of Cinder Fall approached them from the wooded area.

Neither faunus knew what to make of the situation though; the common thought being that she had died back at Haven. Yet, yer right eye gleamed with a corrupt thirst for vengeance, only quenchable by the taste of blood and death.

She didn't say a word either, the sinister frown on her lips spelling out her true intent. It'd been nearly a year since their last encounter, yet the two eyes revealed enough hatred for the other.

"Blake, get to the tower."

His voice was low and still, yet, there was no shortage of malice there as well.

"You can't be serious!"

"There's no time to argue!" he growled back. "We need that tower disabled or our efforts will have been for nothing!"

Concern morphed into worry as the feline turned toward her canine partner in shock.

"I can't leave you behind!"

He shot her a glare so dark and demonic, it made Blake shiver in fear. The amount of rage pouring from just a simple look was enough to force compliance. With a skeptical glance, Blake rushed over to the tower to complete her mission, leaving Aganju to face the woman who was largely responsible for the destruction of the school and the death of his friends and allies.

After the girl was gone, Aganju could finally focus on his opponent; It was rather unusual that he found himself grinning nervously at the approaching woman, a bead of sweat trailing down his face. In truth, he never forgot that night; Beacon's Fall sometimes a fresh memory in his mind's eye.

Round 2...