SDC mine #GS343, Mistrial, 6 AM
Adam heard the crack of a whip and the groan of agony that followed. But the loud clunk of metal and the Iron that slammed into the rock wall he faced tried to drown it out. Yet his sensitive ears could still hear the vibrations and crack again and again. He turned his head to see an old man pushing a cart, or at least failing to push it. Yet his jackal ears and the lightly armoured guard that continued his assault gave away what was happening.
Punishing the old man for not being able to push the weight of the full cart if Dust collected from the rock walls. Again and again that crack and raw sting of leather making contact with flesh sickened the young boy. He looked about hoping to see someone do something. For another guard to remove the current one from his position. Or another Faunus to beat the man down for daring to harm an obviously weary and old Faunus from pushing a weight he knew he couldn't push.
But the old man's cries and his flesh becoming bloody was met with no resistance from anyone nearby. Preferring to not raise the ire of the guards. So he did what his righteous anger told him to do. The whispers in the back of his mind. He took his pickaxe as he walked to the two people. The old man is now unconscious due to the pain his back was scarred with.
And Adam drew a wide berth with the digging tool, with one swing he forced all the energy he had left into it. The sickening stench of iron piercing skin and muscle was now heavy in the air. The guard in question who had received this blow from his side looked down in surprise to the new rotten stench of his blood. His eyes widened in disbelief as he fell to his knees and his breathing grew ragged. He tried to reach for the radio on his. Only for Adam to rip it out of his hands.
He then pulled the pickaxe out of the man's chest and impaled the guard's face with it. Blood and gore issued forth from the heavy blow. Adam again pulled the mining tool out of the guard and began to repeatedly beat and imaple the oppressive guard. A wicked grin appeared on his face as if it had come from a horror movie. Those around him started to grow with fear.
More guards came when the one Adam killed failed to report in, the sight they saw made them billow with rage and ran at the young boy. He was too distracted with the pleasure of his first kill that he didn't hear them coming towards him. His tunnel vision clouding his Judgement and senses. It was too late for him to react as rough hands ripped the pickaxe from his grasp and started to restrain him.
He shouted curses at the humans who took away the horrible fun he was having and was brought to the ground. Only to feel the pain of a rifle's stock to his face. Causing him to black out. His righteous fury finally extinguished. The next thing he felt was cold water shocking him awake as he was before board members of the Mines staff. All whispering in quiet conspiracy, that is until the head of the Mine nods to a bulky man who points his finger outside behind him.
He was then dragged forcefully outside to a sea of people, Faunus and Humans alike. His shackles were then strapped to two poles. The bulky man then pulled out a branding iron that's used on crates. As the man got closer Adam could feel the heat from the molten metal. He was further held down and his head lifted up the branding iron over his face. Then just nothing but searing pain and the smell of cooking flesh. It was grotesque to his senses. So much so that he had blacked out from pain.
Adam woke up to a familiar yet empty room. Half his vision was black he tried to open his left eye only to feel pain. His hand went to its eye only to feel some cloth and more pain as it made contact with his skin. Though as he took a good look at the room he realized that his parents and twin sister wasn't here. It was odd they wouldn't be working at this hour
However his musings were broken as a foot kicked the door open. Armed guards came in, rifles trained on the boy who revolted to a corner of the room in fear. The head guard approached him, cuffs in hand, and pinned the resisting boy to the ground. Clamping his hands into the cuffs he was then forced to his feet and pushed out the room. Even then he continued to struggle.
Once he was led outside the morning sun greeted his one eye. Set about looking for his parents and sister, he frantically shouted their names. But it fell on deaf ears as people were hurried to a train car. He then saw his mother and father struggling in the grasp of a pair of guards. But they were overpowered. He saw his sister being hauled next to him then. Both noticed that they were getting closer to a train cart.
They were sold to another mine, or worse to human aristocrats somewhere in Mistrial. His mother shouted his and Eve's names. Begging the guards to let them go, but they did not listen. Nor did they care. He saw his father hauled off to be lined up. With other resistant Faunus and what he heard was what pained him the most. The sound of gunshots and his fathers body falling to the ground. Fresh blood painting the wall behind him.
Eve cried, calling for her father to get up. So did his mother, but their cries couldn't be heard by his silent corpse. When Eve and himself were about to be loaded onto the train cart. The rage of his mother began to fester. She bit the neck of a guard and spat out a piece of his esophagus. The sheer animalistic expression in her eyes at her children being hauled away coupled with the loss of her husband had caused her to snap.
She then quickly grabbed the bleeding out guads pistol and shot another guard trying to stun her. The energy bolt blowing apart his armor knocked him down as she rushed to the fence that separated her from her children. Eve and Adam's eyes lit up with hope of escape. Only to hear the crack of a rifle from a nearby tower. The round penetrated her back, paralyzing her from the waist down.
Adam and Eve broke free from the guards grasp as they ran to the fence. Their mother struggled to climb it with the pistol in tow. Another audible crack came from the same tower. Another hole went through their mother hitting her lung. She was losing blood and air at this point. The children got to the fence to try and help their mother over. But the final crack of the guard towers rifle hit her in the arm. Making her slip and fall on the other side.
Adam and Eve pulled their mother close to them as their little arms could move freely through the fencing. But everything around them came to a grinding halt. As the two held their mother she looked up at them. Tears in her eyes.
"I'm….so sorry...my loves...plea..please...be...strong…"
She kissed their heads...blood mapping their hair from her arm and chest. And there she stayed till the life in her eyes began to dull and eventually fade. Her eyes closed and her final breath made clear as the children wailed for their parents. Their sorrow was heard by all. The guards, noticing how tense the air was getting from the Faunus nearby, quickly took Adam and Eve back away as sobbing wrecks and tossed them into the train cart and locked it up tight.
Their sobs were heard by all as the train sounded its departure. Drowning the air with its mechanical shouts and whines of gears and steam. Wheels slid till traction could be heard being applied. And off the train went to another mine. And with it the most troublesome kids away from the highest productivity mine under the Mine Manager's control.
Village of Morgue, Mistral, 7:30 AM
Shrio woke from a nightmare, it was just like when he had come to this world. Like when he came to any world in need of optimism and heros that was countered by the narcissism of realists.
"Hello big brother." He heard a feminine voice in his head.
"Ilya? Finally, I've been trying to connect to you for a while."
"The same goes for me, I'll be honest the Grail has been acting finicky since you left the world of Maliermark."
He chuckles a little.
"Well any info from the Grail about this place?"
"Sadly the Grail isn't giving much info other than it's like the world you helped the Demi humans in alongside the shield Hero."
"So basically be a hero, save the day to defeat the Demon Lord?"
"Pretty much. Experiencing any dreams?"
"Yeah, two so far."
"Well three times isn't a coincidence, Grails have given them to you sense it gave you your wish and sent you to different worlds."
Shiro sighs as he sits up from his bed.
"Let me know if the grail reveals anything new. Thanks again Ilya."
"No problem Nee-san."
A knock on his door caused his eyes to wonder it.
"Come in."
The Bartender came in.
"Sorry to disturb you Huntsman but there are some people looking for some help that may dwell in your realm of experience."
Shiro nods from his bed.
"I'll be there in a moment."
The bartender nods and closes the door behind himself.
"Well time to make some money and see what's up with this world."
Down stairs he overheard a group of people talking. He then walked into a small band of armed civilians and a few armored individuals.
A head turned its gaze to Shiro to which he smiled and waved. The person nodded back as he turned to the others.
"He's here." The helmeted man started with a hearty intro.
A woman with dark skin and tiger stripe tattoos over her arms and face turned to face him. She raised an eyebrow, as if inspecting him to his very core.
"Fine he will do." She stated.
The helmeted man sighed.
"Sienna."
She sighs before turning to everyone. Though it was then and there that Shiro noticed all if not most of the people present were demi humans. Or at least as far as he knew. Though he kept that thought to himself.
"Thank you for coming, I'm Sienna Khan, a Lt in the 'Predators' warrior unit of the White Fang. And this is my right hand man, Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Shaxx Mendez." Sienna started with a hand to the helmeted man.
Though it was tough for Shrio to get a read on him due to the helmet being enclosed. But it didn't bother him much.
"As you all may know there are a few local mines that belong to the SDC that use slave labor of our people. Their guards are armed and dangerous. Unfortunately Mr.Schnee cant be present for a proper look over the facilities of the local area. So we have to step In and free the Faunus imprisoned in these mines."
She then pulls out a cell phone like device and pressed a button. A halo screen came up to show photos of dead Faunus bodys, a train cart of them. And damage to the facility.
"My scouts found out that the slaves tried to revolt but it was put down and some of them were sold off to another mine due to the troubles they've caused. But sadly not without making examples of them."
She then puts forth the photos of dead Faunus with holes in their backs. Then she changes the photos to a train.
"If we continue, I must know, is everyone willing to go? With the nine of us plus my two scouts that makes us eleven in total against approximately 10 guards on the train plus the crew members, and at least three platoons of guards at the mines."
The small group of nine people looked at eachother. Two of them with fear, the others with determination. The two that feared for their lives walked away past Shiro as he stood with the seven present. With a sigh she then looked at the remaining people.
"Alright, here's the plan."
The Halifax Electus, Train car 5, 8:30
Adam could only let his head rest against the hard wood of the car. It smelled of waste and decay which hurt his nose as there was no waste disposal. Just a card boarded area that was haphazardly taped together. His sister slept while using his lap as a pillow. They were so damn close to freedom. So FUCKING close, but the mones drones caught them faster then expected. And they lost their parents in the process. He couldn't help but cry. But as he did, he vowed that he'd kill every last human in that god forsaken place. All he needed was patience. After all, it was a generous friend.
Train tracks, 150 miles from SDC mine #PT2401, 9:30
Sienna looked in her binoculars to see a train coming as scheduled. With a grin she used a few hand signals to tell Shaxx that it was time. He nodded as he moved up from his position near the train tracks. Then when the train came into view, he sprinted towards it. He jumped and grabbed a railing on the side of the engine car. It impressed Shiro that a normal person could do that.
However with phase one out of the way it was now up to him with phase two. He took out his bow and aimed at the view port of the engine cart. Taking a breath he let loose a stun arrow which hit dead center into the engineer's chest. Dissipating and knocking the man out just as Shaxx came into the car and immediately started engaging the brakes. He then tied up the engineer onto the chair next to the door.
The Guards inside got confused as they shouldn't be arriving at their stop until 10:30. One of them radios to the engine car trying to figure out why they were slowing down. Only to receive no reply. With the train stopping, Sienna looked across from her and used a mirror to use Morse code to activate the signal jammer. With haste the radio coms to the train were disrupted.
The Guards started to wonder what the hell was going on, they tried to radio each other from the other cars but couldn't get an answer, only static. Fear started to grow in their minds. Their weapons came up aiming at the walls, windows, doorways, ect. Tension filled the air as the guards prayed to whatever gods they believed in that they wouldn't die today to some free range animals.
Some of them started to feel the sweat from their heads fall. Then they watched the door open slowly.
"Identify yourself!" the sergeant in command shouted.
Then a grenade entered through the crack of the doorway.
"TAKE COVER!!!!"
A loud bang and subsequent hearing loss followed. They couldn't see anything and ringing ran through their ears. If they raised their rifles now they wouldn't know whats infront of themselves and might accidentally hit a friendly. Yet the urge to just spray and pray was rising due to their hearing returning soon. But the sound of faces being punched elevated their fears.
Shaxx disarmed foe after foe with his bare hands. Not having once reached for his pistol or rifle. He was nearly done when finally one got a grip on his sense but his movement was still sluggish. He tried to use the but of his rifle against Shaxx but it was caught in his palm while a fist struck the man's face, knocking him into the car wall.
"Car 1 is clear, tying up the suspect's." Shaxx said into his radio.
"Copy that, we're clearing the next car." Sienna replied.
Shiro got into the second car with his bow out, a guard came out and got an arrow to the face knocking the man unconscious. Two more came out with knives trying to stab him. He put away his bow and used several punches to one's chest before spreading the man's legs. Causing him to do the splits, he then kicked him in the face dislodging his gas mask and kevlar helmet hitting the guard behind him in the knee. He then elbowed the guard in the face and tossed his body through the same door they both came out of. His head impacted a drawer knocking the man unconscious.
"Car 2 is clear!" Shiro stated.
"Car 3 / 4 Clear" the radio stated.
"Regroup to the fifth car."
Everyone got off to get to the fifth train car, Sienna and her people looked cautiously at the last door. Sienna's ears twitched when she heard the cocking of a bolt. Sienna recognized that sound anywhere, an Atlasian "Stinger" machine gun. She raised a hand stopping all of them. She then moved two fingers down to the ground quickly. She then looked to everyone giving more hand signals telling them about the machine gun emplacement. They all nodded as Shiro tapped her shoulder and whispered.
"I can knock him out just toss a flash bang in there."
She started to weigh her options, while tossing in Flash bangs would serve as distractions the shooter would fire to where their heads are. If the MG was still distracted by a person in front of it, they'd only lose one man if the bluff of an arrow to the face didn't work. Better that then let everyone die.
She nods giving him the go ahead as Shaxx and herself took out their last Flash bangs her two scouts placed their hands on the handles of the car and slowly unlocked it. Once the click of the nob was heard they immediately dropped to the forest floor as the MG opened fire. Utterly ripping the door to shreds Shaxx and Sienna pulled the doors and popped the pins of their grenades and tossed them in. The loud ping and explosion blinded the MG operator letting Shiro take the shot. His arrow landed right between the eyes. Knocking the man out, the group looked inside weapons drawn to see some older Faunus, some women who look like they've been abused in some manner, and two kids with red and black hair. One of them had a SDC scar on his eyes. He was on top of the girl underneath him like that of a human shield.
They climbed in and started unshackling the Faunus slaves while one of the scouts hog tied the MG operator as Shiro looked inside. His eyes widened in shock at their state. Shaxx handled the women as if they were fine china. Sienna was trying to get the shackles off another Faunus who looked like a young man in his twenties. But then his eyes fell upon the two children in the corner. Like two urchins huddled for warmth against a raging sea. He got in himself and walked to the two children.
The boy didn't move from his position. The girl held herself as if she were a cocoon. Her legs were brought to her chest by her arms. He tried to get their attention by shaking the boy's shoulder a little only to get a growl in reply. The boy looked up, baring his horns like that of a wild animal ready to smash through something. Shiro held his hand up trying to show he wasn't a threat to their safety. Sienna scoffs lowly as she pries the last shackle off a woman who was barely clothed and gives her a blanket.
"Hey, it's alright, we're not gonna hurt you." He said lowly.
The boy looked about the car to see the MG operator tied up and unconscious, the others helping the Faunus out of the train car to get them in the light to better help with any injuries. He then reluctantly moved from his position as Shiro looked over the girl. They both looked starved and the boys patch looked dirty. He then pulled out two pieces of bread and a canteen of water.
"Here it's not much but I don't want you to throw up either." He said softly.
The kids took it and scarfed down the bread and quickly drank all the water out of the canteen.
"We definitely need to watch these two." He thought.
He then turned to Sienna.
"I'd recommend giving them light food and watching them drink water they haven't had any in a while."
She nodded as she walked over to the kids.
"Come on, let's get you kids out of here." She smiled at them.
The girl's eyes brightened at the prospect of being freed but the boy with the eye patch just stared angrily at Shiro.
"Why are humans among you!? I can smell their stench!" The boy said.
Sienna's eyes narrowed.
"The humans among us share the same goal, boy. Without them we wouldn't have been able to pull off this operation to begin with. Now come on."
The girl happily leaped into Shiro's arms as she cried. It took him off guard but gently hugged the girl back. They both carried the children off the car, once the Faunus were off Shaxx went to the engine car and woke up the engineer tying him to his seat and the proper controls, the engineers mouth as gagged. And sent him on his way to the next slave mine. The rest of the group walked back to the village and packed up their things to hear back to their base camp.
Somewhere in Mistral, 11AM
Roman Torchwick sighs as he looks at the family photo of his parents and brother back when they lived in Brunswick farms. He placed down the picture to look at another. One that held his wife and his adopted daughter Neo. Both of which went missing when a hit and run was placed on their small cottage near Jakin. He's sent his men to search for them ever sense and It's been a year. Only his wife's body was found. Pulling out a bottle of Gin, he poured some into a small shot glass and started drinking.
"Don't worry Neo, I'll find you."