Chapter 37 — Broken

"At your absolute Best,

You still won't be good enough for the wrong person.

At your Worst,

You'll still be worth it to the right person."

— Unknown

Restless.

That was how Adam had been feeling these past few days. No matter what he did or how many hours he trained — to the point that he collapsed on his bed — this feeling of restlessness just wouldn't fade. It was as if his very soul was aware of something that he was not.

Each day he grew more and more irritated. It had gotten so bad that most other White Fang members did their damnedest to stay out of his way. Some even went so far as to leave the room the moment he entered it. He cared little about them; the idiots were actually doing him a service. At least then he wouldn't have to listen to their annoying gossiping.

Sitting at a lone table in the far back of the small kitchen the higher-ups had, Adam listlessly stirred his cup of coffee. The liquid had been his favorite, and he had often downed several cups when out on missions or if he simply wanted to stay awake longer. But now, the brown substance seemed too bitter. He usually drank his coffee black, but had added sugar in order to alleviate the pungent taste, but even that did nothing. He found himself wishing for a cup of warm, soothing tea.

An abrupt image of a pale, delicate hand holding out a steaming cup to him made him twitch. Growling in irritation, he stood up and dumped the drink down the sink, before washing out his cup and placing it back in the cupboard overhead. He felt the way the muscles in his shoulders tightened, alerting him to the presence of another in the room.

Odd, everyone had been avoiding him like the plague.

Turning around, he was greeted with the mask-less face of Raven Branwen. The older woman's eyes looked as tired as always, circled by dark shadows that seemed to be permanent. Her face was set in a stern mask of indifference, hiding any kind of emotion aside from apathy. He held her gaze for a few moments, impatiently waiting for her to say something. But she remained quiet, eyes simply resting on his own red ones.

"What?!" Adam finally barked, fed up with the staring contest between them. If she had something to say, then she should just do so. He told her as much.

She regarded him a little longer before calmly stating, "You've changed, Adam."

His muscles tensed immediately at her words. Raven was clever, she was one of the oldest members of the White Fang, and was recognized as a superb fighter. She was keen to notice even the smallest of changes, no matter how minuscule they were. He always respected her for her sharp mind and even sharper blade.

But, right now, he really wished she wasn't as smart as she was.

"I don't know what you mean." It was a lame excuse at which he internally flinched — it made him seem even more suspicious — but his mind was simply too strained to come up with anything better. The narrowing of her eyes indicated that she, too, noticed the slip-up.

"You've changed."

"Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about," he bit back, hand unconsciously inching towards the hilt of Wilt & Blush. A fight with her was unfavorable, especially in these small quarters where she would have a clear advantage with her teleportation. Nevertheless, he would be ready should it come down to it.

"That won't be necessary," Raven interrupted, her eyes sliding from his down toward his weapon, before focusing back on his masked eyes. "I'm not here for a fight, and I won't be playing tattletale, either."

Those words made him halt. It was his turn to narrow his eyes in suspicion. As far as he knew, Raven was absolutely loyal to Spike and the organization. It would be her job to report him for his questionable loyalty. Yet she said that that was not her reason for being here. Adam did not spend a lot of time with Raven — or any of the other members of the White Fang for that fact — but he knew that she did not lie. If she would not attack, then he wouldn't either.

Letting his hand fall away from his sword, he inhaled deeply, loosening some of the tension in his muscles. "What do you want, Raven?" His voice was quieter, far less hostile than it had been only seconds ago. Now, it was simply tired.

"To give you a warning. I know about the girl; heard about her in the city on one of my missions. So did Desde. I know she was the one who took care of you. And I also know that you lied to Spike when you said that you don't know where she lives."

Red eyes narrowed threateningly at the woman. "If you know all that, why come here to warn me? Shouldn't you report me? I know you are a loyal member, Raven. What would make you betray Desde so blatantly?"

A small, almost unnoticeable smile appeared on her otherwise empty face, cracking the mask. "Believe me when I tell you that you aren't the only one who has people to protect."

A sign of mutual understanding was exchanged as Adam nodded at her reply. She understood him, better than anyone else probably could, and would not pose a threat to him. Raven would not be his enemy, at the moment.

"What is your warning?" he asked, referring to her earlier statement.

"She is here."

That one sentence was enough to make the alarms go off in his head. Several thoughts raced through his mind: was she okay? How had Spike found her? Why was she here? How much did Spike know? All of these, and several others clouded his mind as he recognized the severity of the situation.

"Spike keeps her locked up in the lower floor, a cell at the far back. I don't know what exactly he has planned, but I can only guess that he'll move soon."

"The attack on Beacon."

Raven nodded. They both knew what Spike intended and how the school was his main focus. The only question was: why would he need Serena? There was no way she would just be going along with whatever scheme Spike had planned, that much Adam knew. The girl would not use her powers to attack anyone, let alone innocent students and their teachers.

"Perry seems to be the one mainly responsible for guarding her. I suggest that, if you go, you go when he's on duty. I have a feeling he'll be more lenient than others," Raven advised him. It was unexpected, that she would help him by devolving so much information, but he guessed that she was pursuing her own goal. It just so happened that the two of them seemed to be on the same path.

He gave her a solid nod, executing a brief salute to show her his gratitude. She seemed surprised — Adam Taurus did not salute or bow to anyone other than Spike Desde — but returned the nod, as well as a terser version of the salute. Then she left the kitchen, Adam closely behind her, inspecting the hallways to make sure no one had been around to eavesdrop on their chat. Once satisfied, he turned to the left.

It was time to go visit the cells and see just what the hell Desde was up to.

The hallways on the lowest level of the base were as dark as always, the fluorescent lights barely lighting the dusty ground enough. Down here, it was far quieter than up above. The cells were all empty, making the level seem like a graveyard. The damp air only made the hair at the back of his neck stand up even more. His stomach churned as he approached the back of the hallway, heart speeding up with every step he took.

The Faunus, Perry, was at the door, back to it and pose lax but attentive. His head turned to the side as Adam approached, and it took the male a minute to identify the newcomer. Once he did, however, he straightened his pose and brusquely saluted the higher-ranked member, stepping half a foot away from the metal door.

"At ease," Adam told the Faunus when he remained standing stiff. His comrade visibly relaxed at the command, shoulders loosening and hands falling back to his side. "I've come to inspect the condition of the prisoner."

Not thinking to question his superior, Perry stepped further away from the door, allowing Adam to approach the metal construction. Pointing at the door, he ordered the lower-ranked Faunus to open it. Perry fumbled a bit with the bunch of keys before eventually finding the right one. He swiftly turned it, the lock snapping out of place with an audible click.

Holding the door open, Perry let Adam pass through before following suit, closing the door behind the two. It took them both a few moments to adjust to the darkness that reigned the cell. But, once his eyes had adjusted, Adam could not believe that he was looking at the girl that had saved his life only weeks ago.

What sat before him was nothing but a shell of a person, empty and battered. Her body — which looked thinner and bonier than he remembered it to be — was littered with bruises and cuts. A particularly harsh one encompassed the right side of her face, her eye swollen shut almost completely. Her lip was split, and there was a small patch of blood still staining the formerly pink skin. Her clothes were torn in several places, smeared with dirt and droplets of blood. Her usually shiny, black hair hung listlessly about her face, matted brown with dirt.

There was no reaction to indicate that she had heard the two of them entering. She remained completely still, body hunched in on itself as she sat on the small cot, back leant against the stone wall. Her arms were circling her drawn up legs, and a small but constant tremble shook her body.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Adam tried his best to remain calm. He had to appear detached. Raven had said that Perry was someone they could trust more than the others, but Adam was suspicious. As far as he was concerned, everyone but Raven — and even that was still in the balance — was an enemy to Serena and himself.

"How long has she been here?"

"Sir?" The male Faunus seemed taken aback by the question. Surely, someone as high-ranked as Adam knew about the capture of the girl known as the Grimm Tamer. A harsh look, however, told him to answer the question or expect severe repercussions. "Seventeen days, sir."

"Has she been like that the whole time?"

Perry hesitated a moment. "No, sir. She was rather… lively the first few days. She has been like that for about a week, give or take. It started when she was assaulted last week."

Adam's eyes snapped from the girl to the masked Faunus, red eyes disguised but rage clearly visible by the way his body tensed and he hissed out, "She was what?!"

Perry took a step back in fright, not having expected the violent reaction from the usually composed man. "A-A few days ago, two other members came down while I was in the-the bathroom. They assaulted her and tried to…" He stocked here, not sure if he should divulge just what exactly those two bastards had planned to do.

"To do what, agent?"

"They tried to… to rape her, sir."

"And you let them." The accusation was followed by the unsheathing of Wilt, the blade gleaming dangerously in the low light.

"No! I would never let them do something like that!" Perry protested harshly, surprising the red-haired Faunus. "She might be a prisoner, but that doesn't mean they can just do whatever they want. I stopped them once I noticed what was going on. Nothing has happened since."

Adam let the words sink in. He had protected Serena from whoever had tried to harm her. Sheathing his blade, he straightened his pose before looking the man opposite him over. He didn't know Perry personally, but the fact that he had protected the girl made Adam think. Looking back at her, he noticed that the commotion had awoken her out of whatever trance she had been in. Now, she was looking straight at them, yet no distinguishable emotion was visible on her face.

Nodding his head, he told the Faunus to leave. "And lock the door behind you. I don't want any disturbances."

Perry did as told, the heavy door shutting with a loud creak and plunging the room in darkness once more. Carefully advancing, Adam took out the key to her cell. He had snatched it without the other man even noticing. Approaching the metal cage, he unlocked the door, carefully letting it swing open.

Making sure that Perry was not spying on them, he stepped inside. Serena reacted the moment his foot crossed the threshold. Flinching away from him, she scooted back until she was pressed into the corner, trembling body attempting to shrink into the darkness. Heart aching at the picture, Adam chose his next movements with care. Anything abrupt would only spook her further.

The last thing he wanted was for her to be scared of him. Maybe, if they had met in the midst of battle, he would have relished the look of terror on her face. He would have fought her without hesitation, striking her the moment she would have given him the opportunity to. Knowing her, she would not have lasted longer than a couple minutes. It was not in her nature to hurt, to aim to kill. She would have disarmed him, but not killed. Her own kindness would be her death sentence.

The mere thought of attempting to bring her harm made him sick. Once upon a time, yes, he would have fought and killed her. He had fought her the moment he'd regained consciousness in her home. But even back then, she had not been afraid of him. She had never feared him the way the humans and even his own comrades did. Never once.

The weight of his own emotions made him drop down on the edge of her cot, far enough away to grant her space to move in. Hanging his head, he dared not look at her. This was his fault. He should have stayed with her, or at least not returned to the White Fang. Had he done so, she would still be in the forest, living her life in peace among the Grimm.

Yet, she was here, a guinea pig to Spike and whatever sick plans he had. Her body had been abused and beaten. For the Maidens' sake, she had narrowly escaped being raped! It was all his fault! If only…

A cold hand atop his cheek made him freeze. Body completely still, he let his eyes slide to the side, barely able to see her in his peripheral vision. She had left her corner, and although she was still a fair distance apart from him, he could see the look of concern and care on her face. Slowly, she inched closer, eyes nervously darting down to the weapon at his side from time to time, until she was sitting directly next to him.

He gently turned his head to face her, masked eyes landing atop her empty ones. There were no words spoken as the two of them simply looked at each other, taking the other in. The mist seemed to clear as her azure orbs regained that spark of life he had come to love. Eyes trailing along his body, she was still before, slowly, a small, wobbly smile painted her lips.

"Adam."

The name left her tongue in a low whisper, yet it was as though her voice alone held all the power in the world. Carefully, she lifted her other hand, resting it atop his other cheek, cradling his face in-between her cold hands.

"You look tired."

The unexpected phrase made him crack a smile, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest as he closed his eyes. He just couldn't win against her.

"I'm sorry, Serena."

She tilted her head in surprise, eyebrows crinkling slightly. Letting her hands trail down from his cheeks, down to his neck and along his shoulders, she carefully leaned her upper body closer to his. It was only when her arms encircled his shoulders and she pulled his head to her that he realized she was hugging him.

The absurdity made his mind go blank. She was the one taken prisoner by some crazy guy who did only the Maidens know what with her. And, yet, here she was, hugging him. Breathing in, he noticed that, under all the sweat and dirt and blood, she still had that particular scent to her. Lifting his own arms, he encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him.

It was weird, but, in a way, he understood what she was doing. There was too much going on for her to process and, in order to alleviate her own suffering, she did what she did best: take care of another. But, this time, he would make sure that he would be the one taking care of her.

It was only moments later, when her head had come to rest against his shoulder, hair tickling his cheek, that he felt the small tremble fade to be replaced by a more violent one. There were no sounds to indicate it, but he knew that she was crying. And she had every right to be.

Tightening his hold on her, he pulled her so that she was sitting half-way in his lap, body pressed against his chest. He leaned his back against the cold brick wall, her body following suit. One hand stayed on her back while the other gently combed through her hair, his chin resting atop her head to let her know that he was there for her. He would always be there for her.

He didn't know how long they remained in that position, and he did not care. Right then and there, he felt at peace. This was home. Right there, with her in his arms. He didn't know when or how it happened, but, somehow, he had fallen in love with this beautiful, broken girl.

At the realization, a small smile spread across his lips.

A sharp knock at the metal door shattered the moment, Serena jumping away from him at the sudden noise, only to give him an apologetic smile a moment later. He returned the smile, letting her know that it was okay. He understood.

"Sir, you are needed upstairs," Perry's voice sounded dully from the other side.

"I'll be out in a moment," Adam replied, voice devoid of the maelstrom of emotions that was raging in his heart. Turning back to the girl, he quietly spoke, "Everything will be alright. I'll get you out of here. I promise."

"I know you will, Adam." The words were spoken with conviction, a blatant statement of just how much she trusted him. It made his heart swell with love even more.

Stepping outside her cage, he closed the barred door, sending her one last look before knocking on the metal door. Perry promptly opened it, Adam slipping the key back unto the ring of keys without the Faunus noticing. Biding the other man goodbye, Adam walked down the damp hallway once more.

But, this time, with an entirely different set of emotions in his heart. And a plan in mind.

EDITED 22/04/2019

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.