There is always a choice. No matter how hopeless a situation seems. No matter what question we are presented with that has either a limited amount or no answer at all. There is always a choice at the end of the day that we can choose. Right or wrong, good or bad. There is no telling what the consequence of the choices we make would have on our future nor even on those around us. All we DO know, however, is that we madethat choice. And there are no do overs. No restart button. Just regret or, if you're lucky, relief.

When we were little, my best friend and I didn't fully comprehend just how deep the hatred ran in humans for our kind. All we knew was that Faunus were being treated unfairly and harshly in any endeavor they chose up to the point that our parents got involved in trying to create a more united front against racism to try and fight for equality amongst our human counterparts. It was slow at first, with small doors opening left and right for Faunus's that were the steps in the right direction for us all.

If things just kept on, if our parents had a tighter rein on the ones who were too impatient then maybe, just maybe, I could say with confidence that they wouldn't regret the choices they have made leading up to that fateful point. But it happened, and while I know that they didn't regret ever starting up what they had built. I know for a fact that they regret not fighting harder to keep it the peaceful group that it was.

After they had dropped out of their organization when the violent means started to take hold of them, she stayed. She fought. She cursed her parents' cowardice and condemned them for not doing enough. For not seeing what they wrought all the way through. And so, she had snuck out one day and followed the group to their new way of life. And that was her choice. She didn't want to give up. She still thought that she could make a difference. That violence WAS the best way to ensure a better future for the Faunus. She believed in the propaganda, she believed in the words of the red haired bull that breathed in her ear. She went along with it all, because that was her choice… And I can say with utmost certainty that she regrets it to this day.

As for me? I stuck by her side. I stuck to making sure that she was ok, that she was never pushed too far in the direction that she would never be able to come from. That she was still HER and not a husk of who she once was. At the behest of my parents and hers, sure. But at the end of the day, me following her was my choice. And I do not regret it one single bit. Every cry on my shoulder, every rant, every exasperated sigh, every fear, and almost every secret or just whenever she needed me I was there for her. To be that emotional support that the red haired man couldn't be, since he was wrapped up in his own anger and bitterness.

I've made a lot of… Questionable choices in my life. Many of them, people would balk at and call me a product of my genetics, an animal with no sense of moral codes. Others would try to romanticize my actions if they had the full context of why I was doing what I there are the majority that if what I have done ever came to light, I would be met with a gleaming sword slick red with my blood through my back.

If I were to look back through to my past, all of the decisions that led me here. At all the blood, death, and betrayal that stains my hands, my thoughts, and my morality. If I did that and asked myself if I could do it all again and make those same choices again… I would say yes with no hesitation if it meant that she could live a life away from a war that paints us in nothing but villainy and infamy. A place where they turn us into soldiers who are fighting a bloody fight with no end in sight. Something that turns the innocent and the bright eyed, to the stained and dull eyed.

It's the only thing I can do for her. To buy her all the time in the world so she can live a relatively peaceful life and leave this place without looking back, before I either get found out or meet a match that I can't overcome. That's my only goal right now and I just hope that she never finds out.

Because I don't want her to see what I've become.

Chapter 1

Not for the first time, Samson felt like one of those cool kid detective characters in the books he used to read as a child, back in Menagerie. Spelunking through the underbelly of the kingdom known as Vale, the black haired and onyx eyed young man couldn't help the megawatt smile that spread wide across his face. They were getting closer to the end of this chase, all thanks to the lead he managed to get after bribing an info broker in the east side of the sprawling city.

We should be coming up on it. He thought to himself, adjusting his black jacket to rid himself of the tingling sensation coursing through his body. Partly due to nerves and excitement. If things went down as he had thought, then they would have to throw hands with the owner of the place. He wasn't much for combat, but he was better than most back at the camp and along with his semblance, it made little wonder why he was entrusted with this job… Well, not just him…

Glancing over to his left, he eyed his partner with a bit of a cursory look before focusing back to the alleyway they were walking through. Kunta was his name, and he was maybe a year or two older than him at most if he remembered correctly. He was the head of the hunting force down here in Vale in search of any traitor that managed to escape with varying degrees of success. There was only one person that kept eluding him which is why he was sent down to help him.

He walked with a steady gait, his face set in an unreadable expression that caused Samson to tilt his head to the side and frown lightly before letting out a small sigh. He threw his hands behind his head and evened out his pace to walk side by side with his temporary partner. "So Kunta," He spoke, gaining a look his way by golden brown eyes before they looked back to the front of them, but that flicker his way might as well be an open invitation. "You ready?" He asks, waiting for a response from the male beside him to answer back.

After a lengthy amount of silence that began to be a bit uncomfortable to the onyx eyed youth, he coughed into his closed fist to try and regain his composure before pushing some more. "For this fight ya know?" At that, he got a sidelong glance that lasted a bit longer than usual, a sort of questioning light to them, if Samson had to guess. "Well, I mean, do you honestly expect for the dude to come back willingly?" He tried to gauge his reaction to it, hoping to get an actual spoken response, but got a small shake in return for his troubles.

Taking it in stride after being more than used to his partner's quietness, he continued on. "Yeah and like, he's also supposed to be this big target that was one of the better fighters of the White Fang and honestly, I'm a bit nervous ya know." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I want to make sure that Adam knows that he can rely on m- I mean- us." He hurriedly backtracked, waving his hands back and forth to ward off the words as if they could be swatted out of existence as Kunta gave him a raised eyebrow. "I meant he knows that he can rely on us to get the job done. Also the bonus point is that we might get additional information about the other target too!"

Still, however, there was no answer being directed back at him to which the black haired youth crossed his arms over his chest with a click to his tongue. "It could be the biggest breakthrough you'd have in the past 2 months with this case!" His arms then spread wide, his smile back in a way to lighten up the death march like atmosphere that this walk seemed to be having… Only to get ignored once again and the smile faded.

"Come on dude, don't leave me hanging here." He laments, shoulders sagging and an arm covering his eyes with a fake sniffle. "I'm trying my hardest, the least you could do is throw a dog the bone." To emphasize this, his floppy ears that rested atop of his head twitched and perked themselves up.

He heard an exasperated sigh from over next to him which caused Samson to smile triumphantly from where he was. FINALLY! He pumped his fist in the wake of his accomplishment. He was a hard person to crack from the talks around the encampment. Well in their faces! He managed to do just that, even though he did have to annoy him a little… And even if it was a sigh because of his constant questioning... It was still a win in his book and he was going to stick with it darn it.

"As if you'd listen to me if I did throw you a bone." The older teen bit back, causing Samson to roll his eyes a little and groan at what he was sure was about to come next. On second thought, maybe he shouldn't have prodded him. "This is stupid," He continued on, either ginoring the younger male rolling his eyes or just didn't notice at all. "I've tried this avenue before and it failed to bring any results. I don't know why you keep insisting on this."

He stopped walking then, placing his hands on his hips as he eyed Samson with dark brown eyes. "How do you even know that the info broker was even telling you the truth." He asks, staring up into his eyes. "He probably knew you were green to this and decided to slip you that piece just to get that wad of lien you had in your pocket."

"You're too cautious, man." Samson defended himself, not taking the slight to his competency all too well. "Sometimes you gotta take a little risk or nothing gets done ya know."

"Are you saying I get nothing done, Sammy." There was a hint of a growl to the darker skinned male which had put the black haired youth on the backfoot.

"Woah, woah, woah hold on there dude I didn't mean it like that." He waved away the not so concealed aggression quickly, his voice pitching up an octave. Say what you will about him, but he isn't an idiot. He knew a landmine when he saw one. "Look dude, all I'm saying is that this is the best lead we got and it beats just wandering around Vale like a couple of headless chickens."

He thought there was going to be more of a fight from him, the dread building up in his stomach at the mere thought. Despite how rough the exterior of Kunta was, he was still a good guy underneath it. He witnessed it multiple different times through their past couple of weeks here in Vale taking down targets. From giving out lien to child beggars on the street to even taking him out a few times for something to eat where he paid for it all and they struck up some nice conversations about nothing.

He didn't like him per se, but he was a good enough person for him to try and establish somewhat of a good rapport with and trust. Though it was like he had thought before, his rough exterior was the thing that one needed to be smoothed off by someone who can roll with the punches. Which is what he was really really good at.

However, much to his surprise, the older teen seemed to deflate. His shoulders sagged momentarily before straightening out and looked at him square in the face for a moment before nodding his head. He let out a sigh before turning around. "Alright Sam," The slightly older male said with something akin to a grunt of frustration that made Samson's chest puff a little bit in agitation. "I'm trusting you on this." Turning his head to look around the area he seemed to nod a bit. "I can lead us the rest of the way there, just follow me." He signaled before walking off towards the destination.

A slow and steady breath escaped past his lips at the avoidance of yet another confrontation that the duo had faced for the past three days when they laid the groundwork of this plain… Or rather he laid the groundwork for this plan. All Kunta did was complain and poke holes in whatever he suggested.

But, it's not like he could blame the dude, he can understand wanting to be meticulous about this case, but knowing his track record… he should have been somewhat more open minded to this. Even if it was coming from someone who was "green" as he had put it before begrudgingly going along with this. Ouch much.

From his point of view, all that really mattered was getting the job done by any means necessary. No matter where the info came from or if it was a false lead or a good one. All avenues needed to be explored and considering the fact that they could potentially be getting not one- but two- high profile traitors under their belt was all the more better for them.

Especially when it would be time to report back to Adam Taurus, their section leader for Vale. A man who was both an amazing leader and an aggressive one. A man with a grand ideal to make things better for all Faunus alike and one who takes what he wants when he wants. A man that could definitely take hi-

Bad thoughts, bad! His face was a crimson color by the time he cut himself off from that train of thought. Clapping his cheeks together, he tried to calm himself down by taking a look around the area they were in and a bit of confusion played upon his face.

"Huh?" He uttered, his eyebrows scrunching at the unfamiliar territory they were walking through. A dead end from what he could tell which is definitely not where they were supposed to be at right now. "Hey, Kunta where are we?" He asks, noticing that in his stupor he had walked ahead of his partner, which he laments quietly in his head. Turning around, Samson's curious dark gray eyes sought out the cinnamon color of Kunta's. "This wasn't the pl- grk."

His eyebrows scrunched together and an unpleasant grimace marred his face as confusion played across his eyes. His hands were wrapped around something out of his periphery as his eyes focused on his dark skinned partner's stony face. His eyes were slabs of bark, hardened and wooden. There was no emotion there. Nothing.

Slowly, numbly, he looked down at what he was holding. His mouth opened in a small 'o' upon the realization that there was a blade sticking straight into his stomach. Even though he knew who it was, disbelief still coursed through him. No, no way. No way he could… Trailing from the arm of the offender and back to the stoney face of Kunta, it clicked. It all clicked.

The arguments. The aversion. The misdirection. The questioning. All of it, Kunta did.

The rumors. The mistrust. The warnings. All of it. The White Fang did.

And he was too late to see it. All because he wanted to judge him for how he treated him.

Betrayal, anger, sadness, regret. It all played through his mind. Thoughts of violence, of revenge, of hatred. They all flew through his mind. He had so much to say to him right now. None of them are kind.

The blade twisted and a wet gasp left his mouth while he cringed due to the pain. Blood splattered from his mouth onto the sleeves of the older teen. Tears pricked at the side of his eyes as he tried to look at him through bleary eyesight that seemed to grow darker with each passing second.

He worked his jaw, but the words wouldn't come out. Only raspy noises escaped past bloodstained lips. However, the general idea was still portrayed.

Why did he do this? Why did he betray him? But only cold unfeeling eyes stared back at him.

His legs gave out first, tearing his insides up even more as his knees hit the floor with a solid thud. His eyes, however, his baleful blue colored eyes stared up into unfeeling metallic bronze. It was as if they saw nothing whilst the young man coughed wetly. Blood seeped through his lips as he tried to talk. To say anything… But the strength to do so was failing him.

I… I don't want to die. He whimpered as tears coalesced around his eyes/ I'm not ready… Please, by the gods, please I dont… I dont… His vision grew darker still as a morose feeling invaded his numbing body.

Looking at the man who had betrayed him, he tried to convey just how he was feeling before it became too much for him to keep his eyes open any longer.

With one last shuddering breath, Samson knew no more.

It's getting easier.

The idle thought came to him without much of an outward reaction as the sounds of the city night life roared within the metallic and still air of the alley he had led the boy into. The noise of honking cars and talkative people permeated the air, not one aware of just what was going on down in one of the many alleyways that are a part of Vale's infrastructure. Maybe it was due to some knowing the dangers that lurk in the underbelly of this kingdom that no one ever really travels within these pathways. Or they were too busy with the little things going on in their own world to bother or maybe just some kind of routine they were used to... In the long run, it didn't really matter, for his job was already done.

A soft squelching noise whistled grisly into his ear as cinnamon colored eyes, slightly hidden behind a small curtain of black dreads, stared dully into the lifeless blue orbs of a black haired teen no older than him whilst pulling his knife out of him. They were wide open with fear, betrayal, and sadness directly aimed at him in a complex display of mixed emotions. He couldn't tell which one the boy had felt the most in his final moments even as he cocked his head to the side in a wooden manner, his pupils growing a little bit in contemplation.

Tear tracts were beginning to dry on his pale ashen colored cheeks which caused him to arch an eyebrow. Did that mean he was sad the most in the end? He thought, looking at the hand that covered the young man's mouth to prevent the screams of pain from getting out. It would make the most sense. A lot of people are sad when they die…

He rolled the idea down in his head for a few moments before shaking his head, eyes still staring blankly at his face. But people tend to cry when they're sad or happy or frustrated or… Well, literally anything. Slowly, he began to get off of him, his hand removed from the deceased teen's mouth only to notice that, with the full picture he could finally place what it was he felt in those last moments. Oh… Well that explains it. He nods absently, before standing up to his full height.

He stood at a height of 5'10, with medium length black dreads that mostly covered his eyes and mocha colored skin. He wore a large collared short sleeved black shirt that seemed a size too big for him with the buttons undone to reveal a similarly large yellow hoodie, the sleeves of which are pushed up. For the bottoms, he wore a pair of black capri pants with white suspenders hanging from the belt loops of them. On his feet were a simple pair of iron tipped hi top sneakers that were white all over. His hands sported a pair of iron back gloves and around his neck was a chained necklace of a coiling wingless dragon from his father's side of the family.

A shaky breath rattled his chest, the grip he had on the weapon in his right hand tightened to the point that pain began to register somewhere in his head. But he kept his eyes on the dead man before him, hyper fixated on the blood that surrounded his body. A small gulp followed thickly, the taste acidic on his buds as the breathing began to get a little quicker. Without thinking, his body was already on the move towards the end of the alleyway where he began to navigate to a more secluded area as long as he kept to the path he had mapped out beforehand, leaving the dead teenager far behind him.

I have 10 minutes before someone finds him. He thought to himself, pace quickening at a slow rate. 10 minutes to put away the weapon for some homeless schmuck to be found with it, create an alibi with that- his heartbeat was getting faster- bar guy, then call Adam tomorrow morning after the news breaks out about some poor faunus- the taste of his own saliva could be compared to chipped wood- teen being the target of racism, after that I have to change my clothes and wash them just in- he was starting to get a little lightheaded- just in case there was any blo- He stumbled to the side- od from Samso- not being able to hold it in anymore, he threw up his breakfast and lunch onto the wall to his right, his hand coming out to hold onto the bricked building to steady himself.

Tears pricked at the edges of his scrunched eyes while the knife in his hand was squeezed tighter and tighter against his palm which caused a bit of discomfort to rush up his arm, but he couldn't do anything about it currently. The black haired youth's shoulders heaved as he choked back a sob that threatened to leak from his disgusting mouth just before his legs gave out from underneath him and he landed on his knees just before the nasty smelling spew.

Damn it Samson. He sniffled a little bit, teeth gritting together harshly as he fought back the tears Why didn't you leave it alone.. You just wouldn't give up even after I said the trail had gone cold. WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN! He lamented, shoulders shaking slightly as he took gasping breaths to air out the bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew the reason why he did so. It was obvious to anyone in the White Fang that the young male has- had- a crush on their section leader, much to his consternation. He wanted to prove to Adam that he could be valuable as a member of their organization and as something more. But that red headed bastard didn't care, without even noticing it, without anyone in that GODFORSAKEN camp noticing; he had manipulated him. Had led him on with tiny little tidbits here and there to keep him insanely loyal to him and to ensure that he would do anything that man had asked to it's full.

He hated him. He hated what he did not just to Sam, twisting his mind to hang off of any word that he uttered, but also to… Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts, Kunta spent time trying to recuperate his own mental state with his forehead pressed against the wall that slightly cooled his sweaty forehead. Calming his breath down to a steady inhale and exhale, he found himself somewhat ready to leave with an unsteady gait to his movement. One destination in mind.

You fucking owe me. This is the second time this has happened, you absolute ass. He grit his teeth, a low growl emanating from his throat as he stalked further into the night, the death of someone he could have seen himself being a friend in a different timeline pushed as far back as it could go within the youth's mind.

Hello everyone. The most inconsistent writer in history is here with another brainchild of mine. This one has been on the back burner for me for quite a while so I decided to get back into it and start writing while listening to some RWBY soundtracks (Shine is the best track btw). I don't know how far this will go or how well this will do, but I hope that I can entertain you all. Thanks for reading and leave a review if you have any criticisms or feelings about what I've done. Thank you all!