Chapter 25
Ruby groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position. It was bright and her ears were ringing. All around her she could see people running. That was weird. Why was there so many people in the tunnel? And when did it get so bright?
Ruby blinked. Then the panic hit.
She scrambled to her feet, even as the stone beneath her swayed to and fro. She grabbed her scythe and turned. There was the large, grey train bursting from the ground like some massive worm before it crashed to the floor. Weiss and Yang were also finding their feet just as the first Grimm started to come through.
We stopped most of the bombs from going off. We likely have a lot less Grimm to deal with than we would have. Ruby dashed forward, cutting a Beowolf in two as it jumped from the train. She could hear her friends already entering combat behind her.
They had to protect the people. Just hold off long enough for reinforcements to arrive! The sirens were already ringing, it was just a matter of time.
But what about Adam?
It's dark… Adam thought as he pulled himself back to consciousness. He had only been out for a moment he thought, but as far as he could tell Blake was gone.
He pulsed his Aura. Nothing. He pulled his blindfold up and looked around but still, nothing. She was gone. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Now wasn't the time to worry however as he could hear the Grimm outside, rushing past.
The train hit Vale. They must be heading towards the opening. Weiss hadn't managed to stop the train. He hoped they were all okay. Yang was behind me. Weiss ahead and Ruby and the Doctor somewhere on top. Which way do I go? Towards Vale and hope they get there or go back to look for them?
Adam grabbed his weapon and patted himself down. A little dusty but no major wounds and the one on his arm had already closed thanks to his Aura. The train car had tipped over in the crash, leaving the ceiling as a wall and the opening he had made above him. He considered for a moment before running up what once was the floor and jumping off, grabbing the torn metal of the hole and pulling himself up. He had to spend some Aura to protect his hands from the sharp metal but it was negligible.
Now on top of the train, he surveyed the world around him. A sea of Grimm ran past. Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, Boarbatusks and Deathstalkers of both the small and large variety. It was overwhelming. He could hear the sounds of battle but it was only coming from one direction. Towards the large, bright light.
Adam snuck along the train top towards the light. He had never been as good as Blake, but the Grimm couldn't hear him over their own noise and the battle ahead.
It didn't take long for him to emerge in Vale. His team were fighting hard to keep the Grimm from getting to the fleeing civilians. It was working for now, but they would be quickly overwhelmed once more Grimm got through the opening and into the plaza.
He jumped off the train and landed next to Weiss. She jumped a little but gave him a relieved smile. "Adam! I'm glad you're ok!" Her call had Ruby and Yang looking over with relieved looks. No Oobleck however.
"An army of Grimm are about to breakthrough! Weiss, you need to use your ice Dust, block off the roads out of the plaza! Ruby, evacuate the civilians! Yang, you and I will hold off the Grimm until they're done!" He yelled at them before he turned and cut down a charging Ursa. He expected them to refuse or argue but instead, he heard the tell-tale sound of Ruby and Weiss using their Semblances.
"Okay big guy, how are we holding all these Grimm?" Yang yelled as she punched a hole through a Beowolf.
"Simple. We become the most appetizing food on the table. Think of everything that makes you sad or angry!" Their backs hit each other. Adam suited words with action.
He thought of his failures. From every person who died under his command to every failed mission to every time he failed to control himself and killed someone.
He thought of how much it hurt for Blake to want him dead. How much it hurt turning his back on the White Fang. He thought of how he had betrayed Blake and how he had failed to convince her. He could hear the Grimm charging, coming right for him.
He pulled in all the energy he had gathered from the fighting. He would strike with all of it. The red on him glowed as black and red lightning-like energy sparked around him. As he drew his crimson blade another thought entered his mind. More of a memory.
He pulled Blake into his tight embrace. He would never let her go, not now that she had accepted his love. Whatever happened they would stay together forever. They sealed their relationship with a kiss, awkward and sloppy and inexperienced but no less fantastic for it. No less passionate and no less loving. Blake was his love, and he was hers. He would never let her go.
The memory hit but it didn't make him angry or sad. For some reason he felt… hope? Wilt clicked free and he brought it up, the energy crackling around him consolidated within the Dust blade. As an army of Grimm charged him he brought his sword down and unleashed the energy within.
A wave of black and red flame was released, pouring over the oncoming Grimm. The beasts fell, melting under the intense heat. As the flames dispersed he could see the stone beneath the Grimm was warped and glowing red hot.
What the?..
Adam blinked in confusion. He'd never seen that one before. He turned and slashed at another Beowolf that came from the side. He'd gotten rid of a large number, but there was still many more to come. He needed to focus and keep his cool.
The ground beneath him cracked as Yang punched the stone. Gold and fire radiated off of her as she roared and slammed her fists through Grimm after Grimm, tearing them apart as they came for her. He looked and could see tears running down her face.
He jumped back into the fray, cutting down Grimm after Grimm. He could hear the sound of Ice bursting forth as Weiss formed great walls. A Boarbatusk came spinning for Adam, but a spear lanced into its side.
A blue-haired boy landed next to it, drew it out and gave it and spun. Neptune had joined the battle, and he was soon joined by his partner. Sun charged in and pummeled an Ursa to death with his staff before giving Adam a wide grin. "Yo Adam! Been a while!"
"We saw each other at the dance." He shrugged.
"Well yeah but we didn't talk! We totally should sometime." The monkey Faunus yelled back before jumping into another fight.
Gunfire sounded and Adam turned to watch team JNPR jump from a Bullhead and engage the Grimm. They all fought well, but Adam paid extra attention to Jaune, ready to jump in if needed.
He needn't have worried. Jaune was strong now, he just needed the confidence in his skills. He cut down an Ursa with less effort than he expected. Adam watched Jaune fight. Each kill spurred him on more. The boy had grown well.
Another crater formed as team CFVY joined the battle. They tore through the army of Grimm that burst from the hole. Adam stared in awe. He may have been a good fighter, but he doubted he could decimate the Grimm in such a fashion. He did notice Doctor Oobleck and Zwei escaping from the train and joining Professor Port in obliterating the Grimm.
Adam laughed. The battle had turned so quickly. He had time to pull out his scroll and check his Aura. It was low, almost in the red. The same could be said for Yang but both Weiss and Ruby were firmly in the yellow. They had barely gotten any sleep and been fighting an entire day and they still had this much left? It was laughable.
Yang gave him a weird look as she calmed down. Ruby and Weiss soon rejoined them. The four were tired, but they didn't need to keep fighting. The other students were here and Atlas had begun to drop their new Atlesian Knights onto the field, supported by their gunships.
They were going to win, easily. There was no alternative now. Adam heard the others sigh in relief. But as the battle slowly came to a close he realised something. Adam rushed off, pushing past other students towards his new target.
"Professor!" He shouted as he reached Glynda Goodwitch. The woman turned and raised her eyebrow. "Professor we need to enter the tunnel!"
"And why is that Mr Taurus?"
"There are people in there! Some are already injured! If we don't do something they'll die!" The woman's eyes widened.
"Who's down there? Did the White Fang have hostages?"
Adam clenched his fists. "It is the White Fang!" Goodwitch's eyes narrowed. "Damn it they may be terrorists but they're still people!" Blake could still be down there!
"Mr Taurus we don't have the resources to -"
"We have dozens of students and the Atlesian military! How can we not have the resources!" He growled. He had to make sure. He had to!
"Mr Taurus. I will not send my students down there. Nor do I have command over Atlas. Take your case to the general." Glynda Goodwitch said with a soft tone. She hated him, he knew, but she seemed to appreciate his desire to save lives. Not that it was amounting to much.
She left. She walked off to use her powers to seal the opening. She doomed any survivors to death. Logically he knew nobody could have survived but…
Why was he trying? The White Fang had chosen their path. They would have known this was going to happen. Did he really care about them? His first thought was to Blake, not the grunts he had never met. The people that wouldn't have any chance of survival at all.
Was he really using them as an excuse to find Blake?
Adam felt sick. He turned and walked away. His scar itched as he heard the deputy headmistress repair the hole.
His team gave him sympathetic looks but he walked past them. He was tired. He wanted to go to bed now.
A short but silent Bullhead ride later and team RSTY were back at Beacon. Landing on the airship docks and lazily wandering back towards their dorm room. Weiss was the first to stop, however, showing Adam how little attention he was paying.
About two dozen Atlesian Knights and soldiers formed a semicircle in front of them, guns raised and aimed in their direction. His direction.
General James Ironwood stepped out from the line, hands behind his back. He gave Adam a stern glare. "Adam Taurus. You'll be coming with me."
Yang stepped forward immediately. "Like hell he will!"
"Yeah!" Ruby said with her own glare.
Weiss spoke up. "General. If you want us to report on the mission I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow-"
"It happens now." Ironwood interrupted. "Ozpin convinced me that I didn't need to interrogate you. But today's events suggest otherwise."
"What!?" Yang and Ruby yelled in unison. "Adam just helped save the city!" Yang continued.
"Adam Taurus is a known terrorist and murderer. Whether he saved the city or not he must answer for the crimes he has committed." Ironwood countered.
Adam gulped. He hadn't expected this, though perhaps he should have. The General was not known for pardoning those who threatened his kingdom. He glanced at his team but to his surprise, neither Ruby nor Weiss looked shocked at the reveal of him being a killer. He sighed and stepped forward.
"General. I wondered when you would come for me." He stopped in front of the older man and looked right into his eyes. "But guess what? I won't be going into one of your little cells. Ozpin promised me that I wouldn't be arrested if I tried to be better, if I tried to be a Huntsmen. I won't allow someone like you to walk all over that."
"But have you really followed that rule, Taurus?" Ironwood stared back and Adam realised he had been paying attention. He found out about my fight with Cardin. What's his game? Does he really just want to lock me up?
"Well Ozpin hasn't called me up to tell me what I did wrong, so if you have some evidence bring it to him. Until you do, I'm going to continue to live my life as a student." Adam pushed past the general and walked towards the main building. Ironwood didn't stop him, but did call out one final time.
"I don't trust you Taurus, I'll make sure you don't have a chance to betray us, mark my words."
Adam ignored him. His team followed him as he walked away. They were silent all the way back to the dorm room. They practically collapsed onto their beds, exhausted from their mission.
After several minutes of silence Ruby shuffled awkwardly and looked down to Adam from her bunk. "Hey Adam, this might be a bad time but can I ask you a question?"
Adam quirked up an eyebrow. "Sure. What is it?"
"Why do you hide your scar?"
A/N: The Breach battle occurs! Adam unlocks a new part of his Semblence and they claim victory! And then Ironwood comes in and is his usual self. Being less than subtle. On Adam's Semblence I've come to a conclusion for how I'll be working it. Basically it just draws in incoming energy and can use it to enhance things. His sword to cut or wave attack. His body to create clones. The Dust in his sword. Maybe more. We'll see! Oh and then Ruby comes in being all "Yo what's yo secrets boi?" Good times.
I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!