I do not own RWBY
Atlas pt. 3.
Curling around her pillow, she didn't hesitate to bite her lip. Everything felt as if it was crashing down around her and it was all her fault. Jaune wouldn't even look at her not that she could blame him; if she'd been stronger or faster than they would be safe. She just wasn't good enough to keep them safe. Today was the day she left for Menagerie, yet nothing felt right. This wasn't something she could fix either. Closing her eyes, she tried to center herself; to focus on anything other than how helpless she felt.
It was raining, the blood on his white gloves reflecting when the lightning flashed. Her wide eyes were unable to look away from the bodies on the floor or how the blood slowly got closer to the white gown she was wearing. All the guests had fled the moment the shooting had started but she'd stayed firmly in place maybe that was why she felt so strange as he dropped his dirty gloves onto the corpses. Gnawing on her lip, she restrained the terror she felt in favor of sinking further into the ocean of confusion that encircled her. How could he kill so easily?
Stepping through the growing puddle of blood he reached out to lay a hand on her face; his unreadable eyes meeting her own for just an instant. Looking away from him she noticed the dark blood soaking the hem of her dress. He was going to be upset.
"You shouldn't bite your lip like that, it's not healthy," he scolded. Freeing her lip, he tilted her chin so that she met his gaze.
"Sorry," she said without prompting from the man. He was everything to her. Shivering as he gently ran his thumb over her lip, she suddenly wished he would kiss her.
"We'll have to get you a new dress too, maybe something yellow," he said taking a step away from her.
"If you want."
"So eager to please," he teased although it wasn't a lie. Offering him a small smile she stilled as he held out a hand to her. A hand that had been covered in blood not even a minute ago, she didn't hesitate to take it. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"
"You've already done too much for me already," she said. The response was the same one she gave every time that he asked. Nothing would ever change; she would be beside him doing whatever he wanted. That was the only way that she could repay his kindness.
"It'll never be too much," he stated. The confusion she felt must've shown on her face since he chuckled before saying, "you'll understand when you finally find someone you love."
"But I love you."
He looked away even as his hand tightened around her own. The sad knowing expression on his face wasn't one she saw very often but she hated it. Grinning at her he led her from the carnage with a happy expression that made her wonder if she'd been seeing things.
"Is this how you felt Dante?"
The whispered words were meant to be a question, but she already knew the answer. He'd cared for her, but he'd never loved her, nor had he ever pretended to. Instead, he'd simply protected her until she spoke out against him then he'd left her to die. She would never understand that man, but she didn't hate him. It was true she was terrified of seeing him again, but she still cared for him, although that care wasn't love. She would never hurt anyone she loved. Was staying in Atlas causing Jaune pain? She didn't mind leaving then.
Shoving away the pillow, she stood only to stumble. Holding a hand against her head, she sighed; she'd been unable to sleep last night. Dropping her hand, she went through the motions of pulling on her combat outfit with precise movements. It was alright if he hated her; she still loved him. Gazing into the silver eyes in the mirror she saw no sign of the pain she was actually feeling. No one but Cardin would notice that anything was wrong with her. Smiling confidently, she exited the room without an ounce of hesitation. She was stronger than that little girl who followed behind him so easily.
She had to go find Blake now, nothing else mattered other than finding her teammate then establishing her power base. This world would be hers or she would destroy it and build something better.
(Adam)
Blocking the dagger with his blade, he shoved back the blonde-haired man who stumbled a little. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he chose to go soul searching, but this man decided to follow him anyway, which was honestly more annoying than anything else. Even when they were training the blonde didn't really care about anything enough to act seriously. Looking down at his sword he could still remember the blood that had clung to his blade; was he a fool for questioning his convictions like this? While his teacher had supported his actions there were others who would see them as treason against the faunus and the White Fang.
He was doing this for the White Fang, just like he'd always done everything for them despite how much it worried his teacher. There was part of him that wondered if she'd known he would one day question himself like this, then he remembered that she blatantly questioned him enough as it was. The woman didn't need a reason to question everything that he did. Even without one, she would never keep her opinions to herself. His teacher was human, she'd saved him from the mines on a whim and given him a family that was mostly human. Instead of thanking her, he'd been too worried about the faunus to stop himself from joining the White Fang.
His teacher had always called him reckless; well along with idiotic and foolish. That was usually only when she was angry or stressed after he did something that was all three of those things. She really was annoying sometimes, but he didn't blame her for calling him on his idiocy. He'd seen something that he'd thought was impossible while he was at Beacon; a human that seemed arrogant and racist protecting a faunus who refused to do the same. Blake was always cowardly when being met with her demons so having her stand there while he contemplated killing her savior was not that shocking.
"King, you having performance issues?"
Tearing his gaze away from the weapon in his hand he sent a mild glare at the man who grinned back at him without fear. He missed the days when his comrades feared his temper, but that was long gone. It was hard to fear someone after spending two hours a day helping them get over the betrayal of their favorite student/partner.
"Go die," he said casually. Sheathing his sword, he moved to sit beside the wall of their training room. They were on a small island just south of Menagerie as in it only took them about two hours to reach the island by boat. This small base had been a training ground for faunus recruited from the island until two years ago when it was shut down due to grimm attacks. It was the perfect place to train without being found by others in the organization.
"Is it about our lost Princess," the blonde asked as he collapsed on the padded floor without even an ounce of grace. His blue eyes were narrowed at the thought of Blake who he really didn't like, the girl had almost ruined his King. A cruel sadistic grin spread across his face as he asked, "Want me to kill her for you?"
It wasn't a serious question, they both knew that Adam would never allow Blake to be killed. Sighing the redhead reached up to take off his mask as he thought about what they should do. Sienna would expect him to return soon, but she wasn't willing to push for war with the humans. A war that he knew was necessary given that nothing had changed since she became the High Leader. There was nothing they could do to change the world if they were unwilling to get their hands dirty. He was more than willing to kill to prove that the faunus were more than animals.
He could admit that siding with that firewoman and attacking Beacon was a bit reckless, but as a trial run, it showed how the humans would react. Over the past few weeks, faunus discrimination had increased to the point that even faunus Huntsman were being treated like animals. His plan had backfired so now he needed a new one. Taking Sienna's place as High Leader would only be the first step to his plan in starting a war with the humans; this time the faunus would win this war and the humans would pay for what they did to his people. Or that's what he wanted to think.
The human at Beacon made him question if all humans deserved to suffer for their actions. His own family was far different from normal humans, but he also knew that they were the exceptions to the rule. If everyone thought like them, then there would be no discrimination. Still, normal humans needed a wakeup call, there was also something he was curious about as well. The boy at Beacon had mentioned he'd been sent to help Blake; that boy had enough loyalty to put himself in danger.
"The boy at Beacon said he was sent by someone, do you think that person will go looking for Blake," he asked. Looking over at his partner/therapist/advisor he felt his eye twitch as the man tossed his mask into the air like it was a ball.
"Most likely, they cared enough to send someone to save her."
That meant they would be going to Menagerie to find her. The human would be arriving on a faunus only island to find his former partner. He wanted to know what kind of person they were to inspire such loyalty from someone so arrogant. They had to be someone extraordinary.
"Viper," he called causing the man to miss catching his mask. Watching it hit him in the face, Adam rolled his eyes. The man was truly an idiot sometimes. Shifting to sit up the blonde gave him a nod to show he was listening. Holding back a sigh, he ordered, "Find out who they are, test them, then report back to me."
"Observation or hands-on," he asked brightly. The idea of drawing blood was enough to make his grin into something sadistic and dark.
"You decide."
(Cardin)
"Do you have the schedule I gave you?"
It was the same question he'd asked less than five minutes ago. Standing on the landing zone watching as the delegation prepared to leave, he found himself wishing that he could go with them. The fact he was treating this like a man sending his only child off to school was highly amusing to everyone in a ten-foot radius especially Russel who'd been chuckling for the last few minutes. He didn't care though; Ruby had only been in Atlas for three days, that wasn't nearly enough time for her to recover. She wasn't even thinking of taking a break but rushing right back into the fray like the hyper demon she was. It terrified him that he wouldn't be there to ensure that she stayed sane and healthy.
"Yes," Ciel stated without hesitation. Touching the bag, she carried the girl watched him pace like a caged lion. He'd already given her several lists due to her position as Ruby's Aide.
"The list of allergies?"
"Likes and dislikes?"
"Common excuses?"
"Bad habits?"
"What to do in case she has nightmares?"
Her nodding to each question didn't make him feel better in the least. Ruby wasn't doing well, he'd sensed her despair from his room last night, but she wouldn't even open her door to him. Something had happened, but he couldn't do a damn thing to help her. Just like always, she was blocking him out when it mattered instead of letting him help her. Did she not realize that bearing the weight of the world would crush her? He didn't want to see her fall apart, nor did he want to watch everything she'd done come crashing down around her.
Gritting his teeth, he spun on his heel only to still when he noticed her walking toward the infirmary. Her eyes were focused ahead of her with a look of determination, but her emotions were chaotic; just like the first time, they'd met. Ignoring the shared glance between Ciel and Russel he stalked after her with his hands stuffed in his pockets. If Charming did anything to hurt her then he would punch the puppy in the face. This was just like...
Pushing away his thoughts as he leaned against the door to Pyrrha's room he watched the way she hesitated before gently taking her partner's hand. Her hand was trembling; her emotions were out of control, but she was smiling. The same fake smile that always showed when she wanted to trick the world. He hated that smile. Everything was just like when they first met.
"See you're the only one who notices, to them I'll always be fine."
Digging his nails into his jacket as she smiled at her puppy, he felt useless. The way her eyes lost their light as she pulled Jaune into a hug felt wrong especially when she whispered something in his ear that caused the boy's eyes to widen. Why wasn't the blonde hugging her back? He'd missed out on something big last night especially considering that she was leaving Atlas without visiting Penny. He knew that she'd been looking forward to seeing the android. Catching her gaze when she stepped out of the room he noticed that she didn't hesitate to close the door behind her as if she was silently telling the blonde goodbye.
Ruby never said goodbye, she always vowed to come back. Why would she be acting like this unless Jaune said something to upset her. He'd known the knight was an idiot but to lash out at someone who was already emotionally unstable was the height of foolishness. Reaching out to grab her arm he tugged causing her to crash into his arms. The soft sound she made was the same as all those years ago as if she'd never been given a hug before. Holding her tightly, he hated how she trembled in his arms. This was all their fault.
"I'll be everything you need, so please don't abandon me!"
"I will never abandon you. I will always be on your side."
It was the same thing he'd told her years ago and he'd never broken that promise nor would he. She was the only person who stayed beside him after he killed his father; the only one who saw him as more than a villain. Those words were not a lie, they would never be a lie. The words were all her walls needed to come crashing down; clinging to him tightly she pressed her face against his chest trying to suppress the sobs that were wreaking havoc on her body. Tightening his grip on her, he hated this. She'd been broken from the day they met, and he spent so much time picking up the pieces only for her to break like this again. All because these people were too blind to notice.
This anger wasn't something he could focus on right now; Ruby didn't need him to be a raging ball of violence. Taking a breath, he shifted to pick her up; it was far too easy. Letting her hide her face against his shoulder, he quickly moved them to her room while making sure that no one saw them. She hated to cry in front of people; she always waited until she was alone. He wouldn't allow anyone to see this side of her, because she needed to hide it and stay strong for them. None of them deserved to see her tears anyway if they never even saw how much she was hurting.
Everything they needed. What a joke. She was always acting like this to support them. Always smiling like it didn't hurt her to fade into the background. Jaune and Pyrrha were together due to Ruby pushing for their relationship with a smile. Blake had Sun because Ruby wanted her to have support outside of her team. When would someone become something that she needed? Her team couldn't become that, but she'd still given everything she had to them. Her father had spent so much time away from her that he didn't even know her tells and Tai was too worried about hurting her again to see that she was in pain. He hated all of them. He hated Yang the most for never seeing her fake smiles; the blonde was supposed to be her sister, but she abandoned her when things got too much.
He'd tried to become what she needed, but that hadn't worked either it only resulted in her conforming to what he needed instead. In the end, he hadn't been enough to make her happy nor had he been able to make her see that she wasn't worthless. At this point, he was getting ready to simply toss her at Cinder's group in hopes they might keep her safe. The only time she was truly happy or excited was when they were around; it was the only time her guard dropped at all. She showed interest in them, felt embarrassed when she said the wrong thing, she was happy. Their bloodlust and insanity matched her own in a way that made her feel safe on some internal, instinctual, level.
Every time she said she wanted the world, it wasn't a lie, but he knew that she was mistaking that for something physical. What she truly wanted was to be loved unconditionally by someone who knew everything about her but didn't reject her. He could never be that person since he wasn't someone, she could resign herself to spending her life with. Neither of them would be happy in such an arrangement, so he'd settled for becoming her brother and confidant.
Kicking open her door he could admit that it brought a sort of vindictive comfort to him; the room had already been wiped clean by the maid Ironwood had assigned to her. That man sure worked fast when he wanted someone out of his kingdom. Not that he could blame him considering how much trouble Ruby could cause. Pulling the bench of the vanity out into the open with his foot he gently helped her sit down onto it. Kneeling in front of her it was easy to see the redness of her eyes even as she tried to hide it; her hands dug into the fabric of her jacket as she tried to make herself stop crying. Hunched over like this she looked like a child; how was he supposed to make her feel better when he didn't even know what happened in the first place.
"Tell me how to make you happy?"
The words slipped out on their own, he didn't mean to speak, but they still caused her to flinch. It was the wrong thing to say. Watching her eyes sharpen for only an instant his heart sank down to his boots as she relaxed completely. The wide fake smile on her face was enough to make him sick as she wiped her eyes with a grace she shouldn't have. He'd said the wrong thing. Taking a breath to calm herself, she leaned forward to press her forehead against his own. The darkness in her eyes didn't fade even a little as she gently brushed her thumb over his cheek.
"It's okay, you don't need to worry about me."
Liar.
Hi, the final Atlas chapter. It's time to take a deep dive into Ruby's mind Yay. oh, and there's an Adam part in this chapter. What did you guy's think of this chapter?
-stay safe and have a good day
-Shyla
