Years ago, when I was a child, there was this story I read, a village of ninjas, trained as children to protect their home from threats outside and within their home.
The mentor of the main protagonist group, who once told him, "In the ninja world those who break the rules and laws are regarded as scum, but those who would abandon even one of their friends are even worse than scum."
That later half of that quote was recently stuck in my mind.
Adam Taurus. A man who'd been so sweet to me, so gentle to those within our village. Charismatic. He'd been the one who had inspired me to take a stand against the rascism. He'd help me defy my parents, and we'd to protests together. I thought I loved him.
Yet, as time went, through the actions of atlas,and the rise of the White fang, that image I had of him, warred away, as the man I loved, became more aggressive. Life had molded him early on, and society was just worsening his darkest traits. First love, for some is like a dream, a fairy tale. But then reality eventually sets in, and the cruelty of life flays the mask, which the monster wore.
As for the White Fang itself, evolved alongside him. What started as activism gradually grew more violent as years progressed. People were upset, people were angry. Resentful. And the loudest people are rarely looking for creating peace. Protests became riots, escalating to where injuries and deaths would almost be a common place. Either by police forces, or our own.
Then one day, some politician compared us to the Grimm. Declaring that the White Fang were feral savages. And that was a final straw. With a fury, masks were created, emblems changed, to reminisce the monsters society declared we were.
The White Fang was born anew, bringing a bloody wave. Raids on several atlasian facilities, butchering of several of the high class families, among them, the Shnee, owners of the largest Dust company in all of Remnants. Adam had something special in mind, he'd captured the three members, only of the Shnee, yet one of which was the wife of the patriarch. Willow Shnee, on live television, was beheaded by Adams very own blade, Wilt. And dropped onto the lap of her youngest daughter, who was petrified in shock… the horror upon the girls face, would be burned into my memory forever.
The next few years were filled with hit and runs, some bombings. Rarely would we group, as Mistral, our home city had exiled the White Fang, declaring us too violent. And yet that would do little to quell. Attempted assassinations of my parents would ruin any lasting relationship I had with them. While I hoped they knew I had nothing to do with those attempts, I knew deep down it was more of the fact I had allowed myself, to get caught up in this. And even knowing that I stuck with Adam. Hoping that there would be an end to this path. Yet my faith had been lost, that cause that was declared years ago, couldn't of been further from creation. The White Fang, had never been more alone.
I knew deep down, that my loyalty to my long time friend, had come apart like a loose knot, pulled apart over the years, seeing him willingly commit atrocities. However it would be hypocritical of me not to acknowledge what I had done myself. I'd been responsible for many losses, so many innocents gone. Either causalities by accident, or as Adam had put it, necessary fatalities. I'd use to tell myself that too. That they wouldn't think twice about putting myself down like a rabid animal. That it was kill them or be killed myself… or possibly be taken in and turned to an example.. I'd seen Adam's scars after all. The horrific reality that they would brand people like property…
Yet, I knew deep down, that if we kept on this way, our fates would be far worse. And any attempts at changing the future of Faunus would be swept away by the truth of our violence. Ideals have no place in war.
But I can't help but think, what if we stopped the war? We would have to make sacrifices. Several of the high tier members would be hunted, and either arrested or be dealt with permanently. But it would make the difference. Like Adam had said, some sacrifices had to be made for others futures. I feel like scum for even thinking of such, however the more I think on it, the more certain I feel it may be the only path.
To think I would ever entertain a thought of betrayal…
Which brings me to today. My actions will make me become worse than any of the scum I had kept in company…
It started as it always does, a mission to sabotage a train carrying an arsenal of atlas drones, and weaponry. Couple cars were loaded with dust. And about a dozen others full of passengers, likely full of employees. Full of either humans or Kin traitors who'd rather sell their souls for corruption then side with us. As we were always informed.
We waited in ambush, when the time came, we'd slip down slopes or off of branches overhead.
We'd boarded the train roof with ease, it wasn't the first time… we'd done this so many times, it took no effort. The troops alongside were ready for blood. Psychopaths, the whole lot of them.
If it had been like before, I'd have thought they were just eager to get the mission down.
Yet now, I saw them for what they truly were. Like the Grimm masks we wore, they had lost any right to claim themselves more then savage beasts, baying on innocents.
Next we'd cut open the roof hatches and slide in, quickly dispatching any defenses within, live or not. While I tried to maintain discretion myself, the others did not hold back. Which was fine honestly. It meant that they were too high on violence to see the trap for what it was.
We'd proceed under Adam's orders to set detonators, along the dust capsules, set to explode with a transmitter I held myself.
He then gave the order to move on to the other carriages, and deal with anyone they'd come across. Normally I'd protest, we'd have a small fight, he would declare "Any Faunus willing to subjectate themselves to that scum, have no place in our world, Blake. They've made their choice, now they must receive the repercussions of betraying their kin." And the others would always back him up for it.
However today, I kept my word, I kept by Adam's side while he opened the sachel we kept the charges in, while the troops made their way towards the exit, ready to spread mayhem and terror.
That's when the door was opened, and in stepped a young woman, who was most certainly a Huntress, from what she carried. Along with a belt carrying several military pouches, she had a katana sheathed in a compact scabbard, that like Adam's would likely dual as some kind of gun, behind her waist. The Woman was tall, wearing a sleek black trench coat, with tactical plating shirt of some sort underneath, as well as a necklace with a couple of dog tags. What was visible of her forearms and hands seemed to be covered with black plating, seemingly prosthetics. Her face was almost featureless, hard to focus on, as if my eyes couldn't handle looking at it. Yet it was her hair that was the most striking feature. Whiter than snow, long enough to reach her waist.
In their surprise, the insurrectionists whom I had once called kin, faltered but for a moment, yet quickly recovered to launch themselves at the woman, blades drawn, while others raised their guns to open fire.
Yet it was all for not, as the woman moved with deadly precision, her right hand catching the first attacker's wrist, tossing him aside while her other hand grasped her scabbard, pulling some releasing mechanism that seemed to pop her blade out, as the second and third attackers launched themselves at her, she grasped her blade and drew it out, straight into a swing, slashing the first upwards, immediately breaking his aura, and in a split second bring the blade down, cutting through him, collar to hip.
She then twirled and launched a kick at the third attacker, using the momentum to bounce back towards the first who had recovered from being tossed, her blade sliding into his side with sickening ease, and proceeded to pull out of him, straight into another blur of swings, leaving a mess of what had been the third man.
The gunners, before they could even attempt to fire quickly followed behind in the slaughter, any shot fired not even touching the Huntress.
While I had gripped my own weapon, I had yet to draw it, stepping back to give Adam his space while he readied Wilt and Blush, his personal katana and gun/scabbard. The Huntress in turn, stepped over her carnage, like a terminator on the prowl, raising her weapon to set its point towards Adam.
Then came out in a hushed yet smooth deadly tone "Adam Taurus, as to article 54, due to your commitment to terrorism, and insurgency, your death by my hand has been ordered by the Council. Yield and you may be permitted have a quicker fate."
Adam's pride, of course, would never allow a yielding. While he has had retreats when our troops were outmatched, he always had to have the last word. He gave an angry snarl, and spat, his knees bending slightly before launching himself at a deadly speed, His hand drawing Wilt out from Blush in a blur. Only for his target to step aside dodging his slash that had been coming downwards at her, and caught his second horizontal cut with her scabbard, following with a powerful shove pushing him back, while stating in that same cold tone.
"So be it".
and then she moved.
Adam, while being an expert with his blade, had cut down many huntsmen who had fallen in his path to his dream, and yet, he seemed to be barely keeping up with the flurry of attacks. For every strike he'd catch or deflect, several more would strike him, each smashing through his aura, leaving shallow cuts and bloody welts, progressively increasing in severity.
The two fighters weaved around each other, blades swinging and clashing, at speeds that the eye couldn't follow.
Adam would now and then use wilt & blush to launch his moonslicer blasts, in attempt to make space or at least get a second of breath yet they would never seem to even hit the woman, she would always twist or turn at that last moment, not even being glanced by them, immediately popping within his guard and dealing punishments.
I had been standing out of the way, backing further away, this whole time knowing that if I stepped in, it would take less than a second to be cut apart like the others had been. I wasn't here to fight her either, and while I knew I was responsible for bringing this down upon the others, seeing Adam getting taking apart, cut by cut, misstep by misstep. he was outmatched as well, and from the desperation growing in his eyes, he knew he wouldn't last much longer.
"DAMNIT BLAKE STOP STANDING THERE, GO SET THE BOMBS", he shouted as he caught another attack on his blade, in an attempt to lock them, yet that was his final mistake.
"She won't be helping you" came a harsh reply from the woman, and in a split second broke the sword lock and slammed his blade out of his hands, and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying to a wall. His blade came skidding on the ground to lie at my feet.
It was over, now for the moment that would truly decide, I told myself, as I knelt to pick up Wilt. While part of me doesn't want to go through with this, I knew deep down, It was far too late to go back now. I'd made my choice.
As I approached, the woman turned her head to me, giving a judging glance, immediately deeming me a non threat…
Blake" Adam croaked at me, trying to make eye contact. And then realization dawned upon his face. "No, no, no Blake. why, why."
Taking a breath in, I looked into his eyes, as I moved to towards him, knuckles white on his blade
"Because Adam, your dreams have become a burden to your kin." I stated, firmly, a cold feeling taking my heart inside once again. "You've done more harm to the faunus than our "true enemies" have. I'm done. This needs to end, Adam. All of it does."
Adam looked despondent, like his entire world had just crashed down before him.
"Of all people to betray me, I never thought it would be you" he gave a hysterical laugh, a broken overwrought laughter that sent chills up my spine.
"Get it over with then"
I hesitated, but for a second only for him to scream at me.
"JUST DO IT"
I swung.
