Darkening Skies
It took one of the hottest summer days on record for Adam to see Raven without her mask for the first time. There were no scars or mutilation, no faunus traits or even a face he recognized, and though he was only thirteen, Adam wasn't surprised in the least.
"Do you want to become strong?"
It had taken weeks for her to say anything more to him that wasn't barked orders. Weeks more for her name. For it to take even more weeks for her face to just be normal was expected by then. As weeks turned to months turned to years, however, Raven began to wear her mask less and less often. There were some exceptions, like for a week when he caught her laughing once, but the trend stayed the same. That was why Adam was surprised when she kept it on for the past couple weeks. Today, however, as he dropped down into a bow before Raven in the clearing they so often met in, those thoughts were far from Adam's mind.
His thoughts were more on why he had just adorned his mask with the same crimson designs Raven's own carried.
"Sensei, I apologize for being late: I arrived in Mistral only moments before." Sounding sorry was hard with a wicked grin.
Raven stared down at him for a moment, arms crossed. She snorted. "You seem happy, Taurus."
Adam's grin faded. Was she joking? "Of course I am. Do you not recall?"
His mentor was silent.
"The strike on the Schnee conference?" No response. "Holding the very heiress hostage?" No response. "I told you three days ago?" Still nothing. "It was the reason I wasn't here for two days?"
Not a word.
Flustered, Adam jumped to his feet, cheeks pink with indignation. "You forgot, didn't you?!"
Raven shrugged. "Must've skipped my mind. Power drunk boasts tend to do that."
Though he knew his mentor was likely playing it off like that on purpose, Adam couldn't help but feel smug at proving her wrong. "Well, it was no mere boast! The operation went without flaw! The tale of its success reached Sienna Khan before even I could, no less. In fact, Sensei, you are looking at the to-be leader and organizer of the entire Vale branch of the White Fang!" He tapped his fist on his chest. "What do you have to say about that?"
"That you're power-drunk and functionally exiled," Raven dryly replied. "Congratulations."
He winced: so he wasn't alone in fearing what that actually was. "Can't you at least try to sound proud?" he grumbled.
She clapped. Once. Adam supposed he'd had that coming.
He pulled the mask from his face, thumbing over the new designs carved in crimson. "It doesn't matter. I'm bound to be busy for months on end in Vale. I don't know the range of your portaling Semblance, but if it cannot reach Vale itself, then I'm afraid I will no longer be able to attend these lessons daily."
"You're not really thinking of taking that insult of an offer, are you?" Raven sounded a mix of incredulous and disappointed, and Adam wasn't sure whether or not to be proud of that.
Adam walked closer as he motioned to the woods—the world—around them. "This is my chance, can't you see? My chance to strike out on my own, my chance to build the White Fang I desire, my chance to finally tear apart the institutions keeping us back and—"
"Spare me the speeches, Adam," Raven drawled. He could feel her rolling her eyes. "You're lucky I even listened to your first drafts."
Dregs of indignation tried to cling to Adam, only to be kicked away. He squared his shoulders and scowled. "Control of an entire kingdom's White Fang forces is nothing to scoff at. If Sienna sees it as an exile, then she and everyone else are fools. In four years' time, it will be the most feared of the branches, I guarantee it." He stood taller than her, now. Just a couple inches, yes, but he cut a far more confident, imposing figure than he had when they'd first met. Close enough to see her eyes through her mask, however, he could tell Raven was less than impressed. Typical.
At first, Raven was silent, an arm hanging loosely at her side, fingers tapping a rhythm on the hilt. She closed her eyes, then walked past him.
"Don't bother worrying about your lessons. I'll give you another option: instead of following the people tossing you aside like a lost puppy, you could listen to me. When you get to Vale, follow in my footsteps. Join Beacon. Hone your skills. And in four years' time?" She looked over her shoulder. "Join me."
"Join you?" Adam repeated, his eyes wide.
"Instead of being tangled with the factions of the world, you would join my tribe. If you want to save faunus, it can be done. If you want power, you can take it. Your new name is your acceptance into world of true freedom. So, Adam, it's up to you: would you rather be Adam Minier, or Adam Taurus?" He couldn't see it, but he could hear the smile in her confident tone.
It was a simple question with a simple solution... right? Surely, he couldn't just turn his back on the one who'd taught him for the past four years; he'd never say it out loud, but at this point, Raven was practically a second mother to him. However, to turn his back on Almond, on Sienna, on Blake, on his people as a whole? He shouldn't. He couldn't. The second it had passed his mind, it was a decision he was not willing to entertain. And yet...
For a moment, all there was in the clearing was the sound of a quiet breeze and the constant drumming of Raven's fingers on the hilt of her sword.
"And if I choose the White Fang?"
Raven's hand twitched, then fell still. Without a word, she turned away. It sounded as though she took a breath to speak, but instead, a flick of her wrist sliced open one of her crimson portals, and Adam would have been lying to himself if he didn't feel his heart sink. She was almost within it when his mind caught up.
"Raven!" He called out, and was honestly surprised when she actually paused on the precipice. This time, however, he did not hesitate. He kept his head high. "Thank you. For everything."
When she looked back one last time, silent yet impossible to understand without seeing her face, Adam couldn't help but wonder if that was the true strength of wearing a mask. He didn't get to wonder for long, for in the next moment, she'd stepped through and was gone. Adam watched the portal fade, and watched the space it once sat in for a minute more. It hadn't been the first time he was left behind for following the 'wrong' path: the Belladonnas made sure of that.
It didn't make that sting any less.
Fate really did have a sense of humor, Adam thought. It hadn't crossed his mind until now, but it had been four years. Right on the dot, and technically with him in Beacon, no less. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but Raven looking like they had just spoken yesterday... honestly still didn't surprise him.
Adam scoffed, yanked one of the crooked couches over and sat down across from Raven. Fine. Two could play the 'we barely know each other' game.
"Why are you here, Raven?"
Raven made a little show of continuing to scanning over her Scroll before looking at him. "You know, after four years, I thought you would've been happier to see me."
"Perhaps if you weren't so insistent on being cryptic on that train, and perhaps if you weren't attacking Beacon's students, I would be," Adam growled. "But that's not the case now, is it? Why are you here?"
A couple seconds of quiet dragged out, then Raven clicked her Scroll shut. "Saving you fools, mostly," she said without a care.
"Saving?" Adam barely resisted jumping to his feet. "You put two of them in a hospital: what safety does that provide!"
Raven looked at him as if he were a fool. "Oh, don't be so upset: I wasn't aiming to kill them, only send a message. If they died, they weren't going to survive either way."
He avoided taking the bait that was her amorality. "What message?"
"The same one that you clearly decided to ignore." Raven leaned forward. "Escape from the futile efforts of the people above them before they die for a worthless cause. Nothing they do will stop Vale from falling."
Adam held his tongue. She held no determination, nor confidence, nor even resignation in her eyes. Even without her mask, Adam couldn't read her... no. That was because he was trying to find something at all, when it was absence of it all that spoke louder than anything else: as far as Raven was concerned, it was simple reality. He supposed from her side, it might be: only his team truly knew how fragile their foes' plans would be if they weren't holding Blake hostage.
He sat taller. Raven wasn't Ozpin. She was a third party that, likely, Cinder herself didn't even know about. After all, she interfered on Yang's behalf in the train. She wouldn't be beholden to Ozpin or potentially even linked back to himself. Just... unfortunate circumstances leading to Cinder Fall's demise.
"I can," he said. When Raven only raised an eyebrow, he continued. "I know precisely who is running the attack on Vale: Emerald, Mercury and Cinder Fall. They're on the same team as Blake, and while they've made it clear that they will... 'disappear' her if Ozpin suspiciously becomes aware of them, a strike from outside would be one they would never realize is mine until it is too late."
Raven only stared at him, impassive, as if he were reading off the local news. For a village on the other side of the world. While Raven continued to see fit to reply with nothing, Adam's mood rapidly worsened until a scowl marred his face.
"You don't even care, do you?"
Her lips twitched up for only a moment, and a surge of anger rippled through Adam. He rose sharply to his feet, gripping Wilt tight in his hand. "Then what's your point! Why come here? You could 'stop Vale from falling' in a day, but you rather play oracle and have others waste their time deciphering your words," Adam hissed.
"Careful who you lecture, Taurus," Raven warned. She made no movement towards her heavier, Dust blade-laden sheath, yet the air still grew heavy around her, regardless. The two glared at one another, Adam sure his gaze was a livid, bloody-red, Raven barely even narrowing her eyes, yet with her stare carrying the same intensity.
"I have no intent in getting back into Ozpin's wars." Raven didn't blink in the face of his anger.
"And what 'war' would that be?" Adam didn't blink in the face of the threat behind her gaze.
After a brief staredown, Raven rolled her eyes and leaned back into the couch, getting herself comfortable. "I don't plan to tell you. Even doing that would be a step closer to pulling you into the conflict, and despite what you may think, I wouldn't do that to you."
Adam took a breath to speak, but Raven waved it off.
"All you need to know is that you can stop Roman Torchwick, you can stop the White Fang, and you could even stop this 'Cinder Fall', but you will never stop the person pulling the strings. You'll never stop Ozpin, and you'll never stop the one behind them," she explained.
"The Queen?"
For the second time in his life, he saw Raven shocked. She leaned forward, eyes cold and tone urgent. "Who—"
"I never forgot your slip-up."
She stared at him with wide eyes for a second longer, then settled back on the couch. Her hand found her sheath, and as her eyes searched the room for answers unknown, Raven tapped her fingers against the hilt of her weapon. When she realized Adam was still watching her, she grimaced.
"I was a student of Beacon, too. My brother and I were strong enough to catch Ozpin's eye, just like yours is. I knew something was suspicious the moment he let you through: you might've been able to hide your past from him when I wanted you to enroll, but it was impossible when you tried now... just like it was impossible for two mysterious Mistrali twins well-trained in combat with seemingly no mentor or money to blend in." Raven let out a deep sigh. "Bending the rules, covering for you, allowing you on missions you had no right to be on." She narrowed her eyes. "Approaching you for tasks personally."
Adam winced.
"Sounding familiar? This isn't some special treatment because of who you were, it's special treatment because of what Ozpin wants you and your team to be: his special little guardians. His foot soldiers in the war against the Queen of the Grimm: Salem." Raven stood, not taking her eyes off of him. "She can't be killed, she can't be stopped, and as long as she lives, she will seek only the destruction of humanity. And yet Ozpin goes on, sacrificing pawn after pawn for the world, and you're no different. If Vale would fall, it's because it was never strong enough to stand: saving it now won't do any difference."
She swept her mask up. "My idiot of a brother thinks this status quo is fine, and Yang's father gave up protecting her and Ruby the moment Ozpin looked at him. Well, I'm actually going to do something. Keep all of this in mind, Adam, because you're going to have to give your answer the next time we see each other. I'm not letting my daughter get dragged into this, nor Summer's, and not even you... but if you want to throw your life away, my patience has its limits."
Though Raven made her way towards the door, Adam remained frozen in place, eyes locked to the spot Raven once stood. There was always a part of his mind that wondered if Raven was right about this supposed Queen of the Grimm: the reasons why, the ramifications, what would or wouldn't change. This 'Salem'? That, Adam was fine with.
But an entire shadow war, raging over the heads of faunus and human alike for... who knew how long? How many people had died without knowing what they were even fighting for? How many others knew? Goodwitch? Ironwood? How many other Academies? Who came before Ozpin? His head became a storm of realizations and possibilities Adam tried his hardest not to be swept away by, yet each question only dragged him deeper within. It was a lesser thought that proved to be the key to clarity: Cinder must've been how the White Fang could avoid the Grimm during the Breach.
The White Fang were being turned into the puppet of the Grimm.
That would not stand.
Adam snapped out of his trance, looking to the house's entrance. Raven had put her mask back on, leaning against the creaking doorframe.
"I'd recommend letting me handle the 'Salem' talk with your team: the last person I knew who suspected something was wrong coincidentally found herself dead. Don't worry: you won't have to wait long." Rather than make one of her dramatic exits, she nodded for him to follow her outside. As Adam followed with steps he didn't remember taking, he began revising his plans. This clearly wasn't going to end with Cinder Fall, so it was time to think on how to strike higher. Raven believed it couldn't be done, but he had dedicated his life to bringing equality to faunus, something that hadn't been achieved for thousands of years. Who was he to call something impossible?
"Well? Any other pressing questions?" Raven asked without looking at him, wading through the tall grass with Adam just behind her.
And despite the world-altering revelation, one thing stuck out to him.
"Why did you leave Yang?"
Raven didn't even break her stride. "She can ask me that herself, instead of sending you off to ask for her."
"She never asked me. I realized she was your daughter soon enough to avoid mentioning you entirely."
Of all the things he expected from Raven, her chuckling was not one of them. Even so, it was dry. Without mirth. "You're going to regret that." She leaped up into the trees, and in two jumps, was gone from his sight. Adam watched for signs of her for a minute, then sighed and checked his watch. He still had an hour left until his self-assigned deadline. Adam spent most of it wandering the roads of Patch to clear his head.
Even when he arrived back at Beacon, his mind wasn't truly off of whatever was said. Hours felt like they passed in minutes, and their time in the Vytal Festival was much like a blur when he tried to think back on it. All the while, he kept an eye on Yang, to the point where he suffered no small amount of ribbing from Ruby and Weiss over it. Winning a prize for Weiss to shut her up somehow only intensified this. Still, he never saw any sign that something was wrong: Yang seemed jovial enough, and while the strike from Raven was clearly bothering her, Adam knew her well enough to know that it was only because he could read her like a book. Nothing else seemed amiss.
Soon, morning had turned to evening, and the next rounds of the Tournament were approaching soon. Ruby had slipped off with Team JNPR, Yang was called away by Qrow, and he and Weiss were left to chat strategy and grab some lunch.
And so Adam let Raven's last, cryptic warning slip from his mind.
He would regret that, too.
"So... I'm gonna go ahead and guess this is pretty serious, huh?" Yang tried to joke. With everyone else out, she'd followed Qrow back up to the team's dorm. He used a bookshelf sitting under their window as a chair. She watched him from her bed and, while Yang wouldn't say it out loud, Qrow didn't look too great right now: clothes were ruffled, bags under his eyes, less frowning and more sneering. She wondered if that had to do with...
She forced the thoughts from her head and kept her smile going. "If the headmaster told you anything about us stopping crime, I'll have you know that you can't prove anything."
Qrow sighed. "You definitely know what happened, then."
Yang winced. Alright, maybe she was a little obvious, after all.
"Well... 'guess all there is to say is: congratulations, you now know firsthand just what kind of person Raven is. Cold, hardheaded, violent and needlessly cryptic about everything she does." Qrow drawled. He leaned on his knees, then pushed himself to his feet.
"But she can't be!" Yang sprung up. "She helped me, before! On the train that caused the Breach, I fought one of the people behind it and... got into a rough situation. Mom saved my life, I know it: there's no other way I would've survived, and I heard her—at least, I think I did."
He chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, you did, alright. We may butt heads every now and then, but she tries to keep in touch—whenever it suits her, that is. She had a couple tips for my assignment back then, but she also wanted me to give you a message." Qrow stepped closer to her.
Yang felt cold. All this time and her uncle was still talking to her? Raven knew about her? Her family, potentially? Qrow spoke with her, and this was the first time she'd ever heard about it? The bitter cold was rapidly replaced by heat. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
With a sharp bark of laughter, Qrow dragged himself to the window, not meeting her eye. "Because I knew shit like this would happen. Raven's not someone you take lightly: she might hide her emotion, but there are no ends she'd stop at to make sure they stay hidden. Case in point, you wanna know what her message was? 'I saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again.' Cold, right?"
Her shoulders slumped, heart plummeting in her chest. She tried to catch it, tried to snatch the silver lining. "But she wouldn't have done that unless she cared, right?"
Qrow didn't say anything.
Yang stepped forward, feeling the lining fray like web between her fingers. "Uncle Qrow?"
"Look." His humor was gone. Qrow glanced over his shoulder. "I'm telling you this because you deserve to know what you're getting into. Raven does and thinks a lot of things that I don't agree with. I'd thought about telling you before, but now that Raven's pulled something like this, I'm not so sure, anymore."
"No! You can't just tell me all of this and just leave it there!" The flame within her flickered and sputtered, fighting against the cold truth.
"She's not a good person, Yang."
"I don't care."
"It's not worth it, Yang: you need to trust me on this." Qrow turned back to face her.
"All I want to know is why she left in the first place!" Yang shouted.
"You won't get the answer you want to hear," he tried to warn her again.
"Any answer is better than getting left in the dark, Uncle. You clearly know! Everyone but me probably does, so why don't you just tell me what it is!"
"She's abandoned you more than once!" Qrow finally raised his voice, and suddenly, she felt neither heat nor cold. Only a dull shock. Countless questions rattled around in her head.
Qrow ran a hand through his hair and began to pace. "Do you think she didn't know that you were searching for her? She was the one who told me you'd vanished off with Ruby to Brothers-knows-where when you were a kid. She told me. Not Taiyang. Until now, it was the closest thing she'd done to actually protecting you, and the moment you and Ruby were asleep, she came back in like she'd been a part of the whole rescue and had the balls to tear into your dad for it. I'll admit it: I might've been a part of that, too."
Despite everything telling her it wasn't going to end well, Yang felt herself smile. She felt herself believe, for just a moment, that she was right.
"And when Tai asked her what her bright idea would be, you know who she went for? Who she said couldn't be trusted around him? It was your damn sister!"
She didn't hear what else he'd said. Yang knew he was angry. Yang knew he was ranting about something now. But she didn't hear it. With numb legs, she stumbled back and dropped onto her bed. It was one thing to be abandoned. It was one thing to know her mother was out there somewhere, even knowing how much she'd been searching for her. Yet, right under her nose, while she was sobbing over her failures to find her mom, Raven was trying to take Ruby? Was she that unimportant? That worthless?
The numbing cold had taken full hold now. Yang began recognizing what Qrow was saying, again. Still pacing, it looked like he hadn't noticed how hurt she was, yet. She swiped at her eye just as Qrow turned back to face her. He'd taken out a flask at some point.
"Ruby... has something, yes. Something I'm gonna probably have to explain to you in a couple weeks, but that was still inexcusable. And—" He finally took a good look at her, crushed soul, teary eyes and all, and his gaze softened. "Aw, Firecracker..."
Qrow sat down next to her, a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Sorry. Look, I... I got a little carried away there. What I'm trying to say, kid, is that no matter how what she thinks on the inside, the Raven she wants everyone to know isn't someone to take lightly. I love that idiot, but it's taken decades for me to know what she means. Decades you don't have." He squeezed her shoulder. "I also had to temper your expectations a bit: I know her little prodigy—well, her first one, anyway—probably has had a few stories about her, but after a few years I'm pretty he was dealing with a different Raven."
Yang turned her head to face him. Slowly. As if even she would fall apart if she moved too quickly. "What?"
He only raised an eyebrow. "Friendly neighborhood terrorist?" He paused. "Oh, yeah, don't worry: I know you know, but I'm not going to tell anyone that bit."
Raven cared more about half of her team more than her. Her mom trained one and was ready to raise the other, but not her. There was no keeping her heart from breaking, even as she fought back tears. "W-wait, how well did he know her?"
Qrow sipped from his flask. "Enough for Raven to cut more than a couple talks with little ol' me short. I'm surprised he didn't... tell you..." He looked over to her again, and from his widened eyes and how his mouth stayed open, he realized his mistake.
"Oh."
It was fine. It was just great. Her heart was broken, but within, she could feel her fire return, hot as a star.
She'd get answers.
"Are you doing alright?" Weiss' voice shook Adam from his thoughts.
Instinct had him glance around: they were in the fairgrounds that most of Beacon had been turned into, sitting at one of many tables. No one was paying attention to them. Good. His gaze fell back onto Weiss, sitting across from him.
"I'm fine." He forced a small smile. Weiss' brow rose, and he resisted wincing: bad move.
"Now I know something's wrong. You don't smile."
Adam had the grace to look offended, but Weiss didn't budge, instead crossing her arms.
"Come on: you know we can help you with anything."
"I doubt it: it's about Winter." A quick and easy diversion.
"You know, you have a tendency to direct a topic somewhere someone doesn't like when you're hiding something."
He kept the surprise from his face. She knew him too well. He revised his strategy and struck: "We haven't seen Penny beyond the first round. I would've thought she would have stopped by at least once."
Weiss began to grin, a knowing gleam in her eye. "While I, too, am wondering what has had Penny so busy, I also know you're just trying to deflect and get me to talk."
Adam grimaced. "Fine: it's about your father."
"Doubling down would've been more effective if you hadn't already switched tactics." Weiss checked her nails.
Adam cursed under his breath. He tried to bide time by sipping at his coffee, but nothing else she apparently wouldn't see right through came to mind. He was defeated... but that didn't mean he had to surrender everything. He set his cup down and sighed.
"If you want to know, then you'll need to keep a secret." He waited for Weiss to nod. "I don't know how much you know about the attack, but the attacker was Raven Branwen."
Weiss leaned forward. Adam recalled her research into the Vytal Tournament's prior contestants.
"And they're fine?" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. She furrowed her brow, looked around at the few people passing, and quickly relocated herself and her coffee to sit beside Adam. "Are you sure? Pyrrha may be good, but Raven was at her level by her first Vytal Tournament: who knows what the gap could be now?"
"I know because I spoke to her."
"Then she's—"
"No, she's not White Fang. I just knew her, that's all. The problem is..." The Grimm have an immortal leader, the world is pulled between her and a grand conspiracy run by the headmaster of a school, they've been apparently used as pawns in this war, Raven might try to steal everyone but her away, the list just went on.
But besides the ticking time bomb of him knowing Raven in the first place, there was another issue. "The problem is that she's Yang's mom."
Weiss stared up at him with wide eyes and slack jaw.
Adam nodded. "You see the problem."
She shuddered. "I guess that makes two of our group with an... interesting family life." Getting only a low hum of agreement in return, the two sat beside one another for a time, finishing their coffee and watching the crowd go by, Amity Coliseum hovering above all the while.
"Speaking of which..." Weiss spoke, yet didn't look at him. "I... heard about what happened with my father. What he did."
Was she really bringing this up, now of all times? He expected anger to bubble up, or his wrath from what felt like so long ago towards her to try and make its resurgence, and yet, nothing. Neither resigned nor angered.
Unaware of his conflict, Weiss went on, suddenly finding her coffee cup very interesting. "I know this sounds strange, or that there was nothing I could've done, but I just wanted to say—"
He laid a hand on her shoulder, and Weiss flinched. "It's fine, Weiss."
When she turned to him in shock, even Adam had to admit he was a little surprised at his own words. At first, anyway. But in that moment of quiet, he brought himself to admit that even with the Schnee snowflake proudly standing on the back of her jacket, there wasn't a single part of him that saw her as he did Winter, as he did Jacques, as part of the Schnee Dust Company he so despised. She was just... Weiss.
"You shouldn't have to worry about the actions of your father. I'd be a fool to hold ill will towards you now." Despite himself, Adam smiled. This was a part of his past he didn't feel so bad about burying.
Weiss stared at him for a moment longer then, with her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink, turned away. "You're just smiling now to prove me wrong, aren't you?"
Adam chuckled and shook his head, well-prepared to take the opportunity to tease her for all it was worth.
"So, this is where you decided to run off to."
And then he heard his voice. The devil. That bastard. Like a shadow cast over their moment, Jacques stood behind them, and like it was desperate to prove he hadn't grown soft, his hatred roared to life. Seeing Weiss box her shoulders and lose her smile only left it growing stronger.
"I had believed the meeting was over once my business with Winter was completed," Weiss mumbled monotonously. "I apologize."
"As well you should, considering how you apparently saw it fit to not send word of your completed business, nor your free schedule. But I'm not here for your failings."
Adam took a sharp breath through his teeth, already prepared to rise: he might not be able to slay that wretched beast, but he was well-acquainted with small victories against the Schnees. Then, Jacques turned to face him.
"I'm here for you."
A/N: Alternate Chapter Title: "Everybody Loves Raven"
