An unused room in Atlas Manor was quickly outfitted as a central HQ in searching for Adam and Phoenix. Seemingly overnight, a small group of huntsmen and huntresses that all knew Ruby in one way or another had gathered to pay back old debts. Blake noted how much this scene reminded her of a day over ten years ago, when Ruby was being held by the same man. Ruby was looking over all the reports for the last few days, reports of ex-White Fang agents.
"Adam's been busy, even behind a cell." Ruby noted. She set down the papers and began fiddling with her locket. "He must have been planning his comeback for years."
"Only a few of these people are still unaccounted for." Someone pointed out. "The rest we're keeping tabs on. They're either outright refusing Adam or laying low, not revealing his position."
"Assuming all the unaccounted are with Adam, how many does that make?" Ruby asked.
"A small force. Ten, maybe fifteen." They answered.
"I see…" Ruby thought for a moment. "When we find where they are, Phoenix will be there too."
"We know. We'll be careful." The other nodded and walked away.
"Weiss!"
Weiss, Ruby, and Blake all turned to the door as Winter walked through and called her sister's attention.
"Winter. What did you find?" Weiss asked her.
"Atlas was quickly locked down like you asked." Winter told her. "But one train left after the lockdown. The conductor had a timetable that was interrupted by the lockdown, all it took was a small bribe."
"Are we sure it was Adam who paid the bribe?" Weiss questioned.
"He described a man in a dark hood with a deep, calm voice, carrying a 'sleeping child'." Winter answered.
"That sounds like Adam…" Blake nodded.
"And that means he really can be anywhere in the kingdom by now, maybe anywhere in Remnant. He certainly won't be in Atlas." Ruby deadpanned.
"Agreed." Winter nodded.
"How are we going to find them?" Blake asked.
"We search. Adam and his followers will have to stick their heads out eventually. We only need to catch one slip up." Ruby told them. "And then we'll have them. All we need is one person, and we'll make them talk." The mother finished darkly.
"Ruby…" Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're angry, but don't lose yourself."
Ruby took a deep breath and nodded. She began to walk out of the room. "Where are you going?" Blake asked.
"To rest. I need my sleep. I need to be strong for Phoenix." Ruby told her. The mother made her way to the room she shared with her son while at the manor. His bed lay empty of all but one little object. Ruby picked up Beo and brought the doll over to her own bed, holding it close as she fell asleep.
Phoenix woke up, taking in his surroundings. "Still in the caves…"
Once the train started slowing down, Adam knocked Phoenix out to move him. The next time the child woke, he was already in the caves. He had no idea what continent he was on, let alone the closest kingdom. He wasn't allowed outside, he couldn't even leave this chamber without permission. As far as he could tell, it was one of the larger chambers of the complex, repurposed into a large bedroom for the child.
On the other side of the room, Adam sat waiting. "Good morning, Isan."
"My name is Phoenix." The boy replied defiantly.
"That's the name she gave you." Adam told him. "That's not your name."
"My name is Phoenix." Phoenix repeated.
"She's not coming you know." Adam announced. "Even if she wanted to, she doesn't have the strength."
"You don't know my momma at all." Phoenix continued to rebel.
"Do you know why the faunus are discriminated against?" The bull man asked. "Have you ever given real thought? Because I have."
The bull child raised his eyebrow. He wouldn't admit out loud that he was intrigued by the philosophy of the subject, even if it was prosed by a madman.
"Take away aura, take away semblances, and what's the real difference between a single human and a single faunus?" Adam asked.
"Our animal traits." Phoenix answered.
"Which make us naturally stronger." Adam nodded. "Humans aren't stupid. They know this. And for thousands of years, they put us down, drug us in the dirt… because they're afraid of us."
"We're different, sure…" Phoenix countered. "But how could an entire race decide to hate us because we're stronger?"
"It's in their nature." Adam explained. "Humans hate treating anybody equally, even each other. The faunus were simply a common enemy."
"But many humans are taking strides for equality." Phoenix pointed out. "They can learn. We all can."
"I have learned." Adam stated darkly. "Learned that humans disrupted the natural order. The strong belong on top. When the White Fang was under Belladonna's control, it was weak. Equality is weak. I'm putting the faunus where we rightfully belong!"
"Belladonna?" Phoenix questioned.
"That fool Ghira." Adam answered.
Maybe Blake's dad? Phoenix shook the curious incident off. "Equality isn't weak. If we really are stronger than them, we have to be better than them."
"We are better than them." Adam finished the conversation. "You'll see. That woman won't be able to steal you from me again. Then you can be raised properly, Isan."
The door shut loudly, leaving the child alone. "My name is Phoenix." He scolded the empty space where his so-called father used to be. Adam thought his work was done for the day, but he completely missed the meaning behind what Phoenix had said. If the faunus really were stronger, they had to prove they were better than the humans. Rather than elevate themselves as the humans once did, they had to prove they were happy to share the same space. They had to prove that faunus were equal to humans, and that humans were equal to faunus.
Phoenix was left alone until the very next day. One of the others entered his room to bring him breakfast and waited while he ate. Phoenix stared down the man while working through his eggs. "Why are you still here?"
"My orders are to bring you to the training hall once you're finished eating." The faunus man told him. Phoenix couldn't see any physical animal trait.
"Why?" The child asked.
"All I know are my orders." The man replied. Phoenix watched closely, and saw a flicker of a snake's tongue.
"Right…" Phoenix shook his head. What use was superior animal traits when you subjugated yourself to a monster like Adam?
He finished his meal quickly, and with no other choice, followed Viper (which wasn't his name, but Phoenix had to call him something in his head) to the 'training hall'. In reality, it was just another cavern in the cave complex, only larger than the others and outfitted with training dummies and sparring weapons. Adam stood in the center of the room. He held his own weapon in one hand, and with the other, he examined Phoenix's wooden katana.
"Good morning, Isan." Adam greeted.
"My name is Phoenix." Phoenix denied yet again.
"You'll be ready to take your true name soon enough." Adam responded. "Has your mother taught you anything about fighting yet?"
"A little…" Phoenix answered. "Basics."
"I grew up outside the kingdoms. By the time I was your age, I could hold my own against adults." Adam told the child. "Your mother has sheltered you. You're weak."
"You really got a complex with things being 'weak'…" Phoenix noted under his breath.
"Interesting choice." Adam noted, holding the wooden sword to Phoenix. "We have more in common than you know."
Phoenix took the toy, and stared at the weapon in Adam's other hand. The solid black sheath obviously held a blade of similar make to the style Phoenix's toy sword attempted to replicate. "What is this? Why would you teach a prisoner how to fight?"
"Prisoner?" Adam seemed surprised. "You're no prisoner. I rescued you. Rescued you from a life of weakness, to bring you where you rightfully belong! That woman stole you from me, hid you from me, and raised you with false promises and outright lies."
Phoenix hid his smile. "If I'm not a prisoner, then can I leave?"
"I can't allow that." Adam responded.
"Then how I am not a prisoner?" Phoenix asked him.
"You're still under her spell." Adam brushed off. "This is… a rehabilitation." The bull-man was running out of answers and couldn't risk more questions. "It seems you are not quite ready as I thought. I'll give you a bit more time to consider things."
Viper led Phoenix back out of the chamber, and guided him through the halls. As they walked, Phoenix kept an eye out for anything.
"Hey, have you found anywhere in this place with scroll service?"
"Wouldn't be very hidden otherwise. Buuut… there is one place…"
The conversation caught Phoenix's ears. He craned his neck to see the two people talking. A man with bear ears and a girl with scaly arms who was holding the scroll. "I see, thank you! Need to talk to the folks, so it doesn't look like I vanished off the face of Remnant."
"Good idea." The bear man nodded.
The scaled woman (Lizzy, Phoenix decided, as in Lizard) began trailing behind them. The child watched Lizzy closely until she took a turn they didn't. Just as he was about to lose sight, he saw Lizzy begin dialing on her scroll. She must have found service.
Memories began to stir as Phoenix thought of an event from a few years back…
Six-year-old Phoenix was sulking at his desk at school. He didn't make friends easily and the few he had weren't there today. A group of kids his friend Cecile warned him not to trust approached, hushed whispers barely picked up by his faunus ears. They were talking about his horns. Of course. The leader of the little group made it to Phoenix's desk.
"Hey there! Phoenix, is it?" The kid asked.
"Umm… Yes?" Phoenix responded cautiously. He trusted Cecile, but he didn't want to be rude. Especially if she happened to be wrong, which wouldn't be a first. "And you are?"
"Call me BJ." The kid answered.
Phoenix looked up at his light blue hair, recalling a name from the class roster. "As in Bluejay?"
"I don't-!… like that name." BJ crossed his arms. "It doesn't sound manly."
"Sorry." Phoenix rubbed the back of his head nervously. "So… What do you want to talk about?"
"We wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us?" BJ offered. "After school?"
"R-really?" Phoenix was surprised. "Me?"
"Yeah! You seem like a cool guy! Meet us at this address." BJ handed him a note.
"I should go home real quick first, let my mom know." Phoenix nodded.
"You don't need to do that!" BJ shook his head. "This is a 'no parents allowed' kinda place! "Sides, if you go right after school, you aint gunna make it in time! We got plans!"
"Oh… umm… I really shouldn't…" Phoenix resisted.
"Man, we thought you were cool…" BJ shook his head. "Oh well…"
"No! I'll be there!" Phoenix promised. "Right after school!"
So when the final bell rang, Phoenix pulled the address out of his pocket. He looked toward his home, where his mother would likely be waiting. But this might be my one chance to be friends with the 'Cool Kids'! Another look at the address and Phoenix made his decision, turning and walking into the city at large.
The more Phoenix walked, the less sure he was of where he was going. The buildings started to look nicer, but at the same time the energy got darker. He didn't like it. When he finally arrived at the address, BJ was nowhere to be found. But the people that were there started throwing him dirty looks.
"What do we have here?" One of them asked.
"Somebody must be a little lost…" Another answered.
"What are you doing here, little beast?" A third man spoke to Phoenix.
"L-looking for my f-friends…" Phoenix answered, frightened.
"You won't find friends here." The first man told him.
"You see, animals aren't allowed around here." The third man continued.
"Those who do find their way here, have to be punished." The first man scolded.
It was clear these people wanted to do Phoenix harm for being a faunus. The child briefly entertained the idea that he got the wrong address, but it was far more likely that Bluejay had intentionally led him here. I should have known better…
Phoenix had to come up with a plan. His mother had no idea where he was, and was probably getting worried for his absence. He needed to talk to her, but he didn't know how to get home from here. He also had to do something about the man slowly advancing on him. He needed to think fast, and decided to go with his instincts.
So he headbutted the man in the gut.
His horns were harder than ordinary bone, so he didn't have to worry about them as he charged headfirst. The man doubled over and Phoenix saw a glint of a scroll sticking out of his pocket. He grabbed the device and took off, hastily typing in the number his mother made him memorize despite not having his own scroll yet.
He was running through an alley when his mother's voice picked up the call. "Hello?"
"Momma!" Phoenix cried. "I'm sorry, I was tricked, and I need help!"
"Stay on the line, baby." His mother's voice was determined. "I can find you if you stay on the line. I'll be there soon!"
"Hurry!" Phoenix cried. One of the men chasing him grabbed his cloak, tearing it off his shoulders and stopping his run. Phoenix dropped the scroll, and the screen cracked, but the call was still active. He curled up behind a nearby dumpster.
"You little brat!" The man he headbutted shouted, the red cloth in his hands.
"We're going to enjoy this." One of his friends scowled, raising his fist. Phoenix wanted to run again, but he didn't know what he could do. He doubted the same trick would work twice.
"Wait, I should get first hit! The fucker goat-butted me!"
"Who's in charge of our little group again?"
"I thought we agreed to be partners! No one should be 'in charge'!"
The three men started to argue, much to Phoenix's relief. Movement drew his eyes to the rooftops. There he saw his mother, looking intently at her scroll before casting her eyes into the alley. She saw Phoenix and the three men, and shut her scroll immediately.
Using her semblance, she dashed from the rooftop to stall on the wall of the opposite building, then back across the alley to a fire escape. Jumping off of that, she used her semblance to dive bomb the alley floor, landing right between her son and his attackers in a haze of rose petals. The men jumped back as Ruby stood from her superhero-pose-landing.
She glared at them with all the fury she could muster. "I believe that hood you're holding belongs to my son."
One of the men wasn't appropriately frightened enough yet, and dared to mock her, "Looks like we got an animal lover, boys. How's that beastiali-"
Faster than the blink of an eye, Ruby grabbed his arm and held tight, twisting slowly. Not enough to break his arm, but more than enough for him to know she could if she wanted to. "The only reason you're not all in pain for threating my boy and hurting all the others you've likely hurt," Ruby whispered, "I because he's watching. So give us the hood, take your scroll, and cherish the mercy I'm giving you."
The young mother let go and the man nodded fervently. All three of them ran from the alley, forgetting the scroll but definitely not forgetting to let go of the hood.
"You wouldn't really hurt them, would you, momma?" Phoenix asked.
"Probably not." Ruby admitted with the men gone. "We have to be better than those kinds of people." The redhead smiled mischievously. "Doesn't mean I can't scare them."
Phoenix giggled. His face fell quickly. "I'm so sorry, momma… this boy at school said…"
Ruby kneeled down and took his shoulder in her hand. "We'll talk about all that at home, okay?" She smiled again and pulled him into a deep hug. "I'm just so glad you're safe…"
"I love you momma." Phoenix hugged back.
"I love you too, baby…"
Viper pushed Phoenix into the room. The child turned back and dashed up to him, hugging him around the middle. "Don't let the bad man take me again!" He cried.
"There's no bad men here." Viper assured, peeling Phoenix off him. "Our fight is justice, one that those in charge would deny. They call us monsters, but it's just a ruse. We here know better. Soon, you will too."
The child listened with his hands behind his back, nodding slightly. Viper smiled and left. Once he was gone, Phoenix cautiously drew his hands back out, looking over the scroll he fished out of Viper's pocket. No service in this room… I need to get to that spot where Lizzy made her call…
