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Adrian is still sore from his defeat yesterday at Cliff's hands. Again. The guy simply will not hold back whenever they spar each other, and for whatever reason they spar a lot. Goodwitch almost seems to be matching them up on purpose. It's barely been a full year at Beacon and he's exhausted all the time. He sits in class as Professor Adel reviews her lesson from last month, calling on any student who can answer a few critical-thinking questions regarding weapon malfunction in the middle of battle, encountering an enemy who is immune to your preferred element of Dust, and which type of assault is most effective on which type of opponent. Naturally, Cliff's hand goes up instantly. Adel actually smiles as she calls on him, and he gives perfect answers – Adrian checks later and realizes they were literally written in the textbook the way he said them – but Cliff is praised for his accuracy anyway. Adrian just sighs. Later that same day, as they all work separately on their weapons, Cliff is eagerly helping any student who asks for it. However, there is a moment when a tool in Adrian's hand mysteriously vanishes. Cliff took it using his Semblance. When Adel checks, he claims Adrian loaned it to him, which no one in the room can confirm or deny. She believes Cliff. They always believe Cliff.
…
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_/_/_/
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Beacon Academy looms large over the countryside, looking out over the old city. Adrian is hopeful that this day, barely a week into his first year, won't go terribly wrong as he heads for his dorm. As he walks, three young men are on a sidewalk looking at a photo of something, but Adrian ignores them. Or tries to. They notice him passing and call out, "Hey dude, what do you think of these?" Adrian sighs, "What?" They hold out the photo; it displays two Imu pups, one with a red collar and one with a blue. The young man holding the picture says, "Mom and Dad are looking to buy one, but they can't decide who's cuter. Which do you think is-" Adrian cuts him off, "They're both hideous." No one is smiling anymore. Adrian tries to walk away, but it's already too late. Two of the young men grab his arms to stop him. He tries to fight them off while the third one demands he take back his comment. He refuses. The young man bloodies his nose, then starts punching whatever he can reach in his rage. The other two start kicking, utterly incensed at Adrian's insults. He has no chance to even put up a shield as they beat him. A voice calls out from several feet away, and the beating immediately stops. Adrian looks up to find a man with green hair, Oobleck, and his partner Misty who looks angry. The young man who hit him first, a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, tells Oobleck that Adrian came up to them and said he hated them and everything about this school, and that he'd even killed an Imu once. All lies, of course. For a moment, Oobleck actually believes them – Adrian is in too much pain to defend himself – but after the young man leaves, Adrian gets a chance to tell his side of the story. Oobleck decides that Adrian's attitude might cause more problems if left alone, so he instructs Misty to remain with him at all times, as a way to deter anyone else from starting fights with him. His entire team would be preferable, but at least Misty is required. The young man was called Clifford Kelly. This was their first meeting, but it would be far from the last.
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"Where's Mom?"
"I don't know, Adrian. I didn't bother asking before she just packed a bag and stormed out the door. For all I know Terra could be in Atlas, or Vacuo, or-"
"…"
"Don't look at me like that, it wasn't my fault; good-for-nothing woman left all on her own."
"…Then why didn't she at least say goodbye? To her own son?!"
"I dunno. I could never tell what that woman was thinking. Maybe she secretly resented our life in Argus? Maybe she just got tired of being married, I don't know! And you know what, I'm glad she's gone. We're better off without her negative attitude."
"…!"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"… … …give her back."
"What?"
"I SAID-"
…
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_/_/_/
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…
… … … … …
I hate my past.
There was a time when I was proud of who I turned out to be, and I could look back on my life up until this point and feel satisfaction. Or joy. Or any sort of positive feeling at all. Now… all I feel is resentment. Contempt. All I see is the pain, and whatever came before it has faded into obscurity.
That person I found… the one who shares my hatred for what the world has become… has probably never had this kind of pain in their past. Every time I look at them, I see hope in their eyes. I see potential. I see a radiant spirit that likely never suffered hardship in their life. I see what I should have become, and I… I want to bask in it. I want to wrap myself in the light of their pure spirit and never let it go. But at the same time, I don't want to push my friend away. I don't want to reveal my own pain and see them turn away in disgust. Sure, they would say they'd never do such a thing, but those are words I've heard time and time again. Words that hold no meaning, even if my friend were the one who said them.
I don't want to be rejected. Not by the one person in the world that might actually care about me.
I'd rather die.
… … … … …
…
…
…
…
"-GIVE ME BACK MY MOM!"
Adrian snapped awake in a dimly lit room, his shout still echoing, staring up at a ceiling he'd seen many times during his two years at Beacon. The infirmary. For a few blessed seconds, he couldn't remember what had brought him here. He lay there panting, sweating from the nightmare memories. The room was really cold for some reason.
"Geez, you scared the piss outta me dude," said a gruff, tired voice next to him. "You okay?"
Other than wearing his pajamas and needing a shave, Adrian would know the face of his Uncle anywhere. Nobody else was in the room. He tried to sit up and say, "Uncle Jaune? What are you-GGH! !"
And then it all came back to him at once. His neck and ribs began screaming at him to stop moving, and he clenched his jaw to keep from crying out loud. Uncle Jaune's hands were there a moment later to help him back down, one on each shoulder. He sat back once Adrian was settled in.
"That would be a no," said Jaune. "Just keep it together for awhile longer, bud. It looks like I'm gonna be here all night." Adrian could just see that his Uncle was holding both hands over his busted knee. He could also feel his Aura thrumming like a car engine. He'd never felt that before, though he did have some idea of what was happening.
"Your Semblance?"
Jaune nodded. "The closest medic who can use Aura to heal is all the way over in Vacuo. And since I'm your emergency contact, they called me to come in and get you fixed up."
While it wasn't an ability tailored for healing specifically, Uncle Jaune's power to amplify the Aura of any Huntsman ended up being extremely useful in almost every situation one could think of; it certainly helped when he'd taken a few bullets in the past. And now he was here, fixing up his nephew in the wee hours.
Adrian spoke quietly to avoid straining his ribs, "How long was I out?"
Jaune glanced at the clock, "It's almost midnight right now, so… about 3 and a half hours. They got me in here in the nick of time, too… your vitals had fallen really low. Dr Nightengale was afraid you might slip into a coma. Apparently they found you beaten almost to death right outside the dormitory. You lost a lot of blood from a busted nose and your knee was absolutely demolished; honestly, if they didn't call me in, you'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. I've been working on it for the last hour straight."
They found him? Adrian's gut churned at what those words implied, but he asked anyway, "…Who found me?"
"Uh… a guy called Cliff. Apparently he carried you in here himself. We talked for a bit, and he seemed like a pretty cool guy to me, though your team didn't seem to like him."
Conversation died off after that. Jaune focused on amplifying his nephew's own Aura to heal his injuries while Adrian himself tried not to throw up all over the bed.
Cliff brought him in. And Cliff was obviously part of the crowd that almost killed him – no one else in the school used a weighted boot like that. However, there wasn't a single chance in hell that anyone would believe Adrian over Cliff, especially when everyone else involved in the beating would throw their weight behind Mr Perfect if it came down to it. Not only would the guy get away with it, he'd be praised as a hero for stepping in and saving a life. That smug son of a bitch.
"Hey… if you wanna press charges or anything, just say the word."
"I would like nothing more, but… no."
"Adrian, you almost died."
"And in case you've missed what I've tried to tell you over the last two years, everyone at this school would get in line to take part in round 3. And besides, they covered my face with a sack. Could have been anybody."
"Round 3? Oh yeah, you mentioned the first year thing. But I mean, don't the teachers-"
"They turn a blind eye. Every. Goddamn. Time."
"That can't be allowed! Headmaster Pine-"
"-never says a damn word."
"What about Ruby? Can't she do anything to help?"
"…" Adrian took a deep breath as he let his mind return to the face of the school guidance councilor. To a face bearing silver eyes that seemed to glow with an inner fire. Just thinking about her helped calm him down a little. "She's the only reason I haven't been expelled yet."
"Oh thank the gods," Jaune let out a massive sigh. "I thought you were gonna tell me she's gone as crazy as everyone else."
"Not that I can tell."
"It's a big relief to know she's on our side. Gonna have to thank her someday."
"That has been on my mind every so often."
"Are you sure you don't wanna press charges? I saw your wounds, this could be an easy case for assault."
"I'm sure; there are no eyewitnesses to back up my side of the story, and I'm 100% certain all physical evidence of the attack is long gone. There would be no case."
"Well, it's good to see your brain still works. Heh, you got your hard head from my side of the… family."
"…"
"…Sorry. I just… I don't know why I keep forgetting."
"It's fine. Just… get done so you can go back home. I'm sure Aunt Pyrrha is worried."
"She slept right through the call. On the other hand, Pete woke up from a dead sleep right before I hit the door and asked me if you were alright."
"Ha! That crazy kid…"
"Get some rest, Adrian. I'll be heading home before morning, but I'll give you a call later."
…
…
To call the mood of the room 'tense' would be akin to saying the sky is blue. Anyone with eyes could figure that out.
Adrian sat on his bed, running through the things he wanted to say. Opal and Crimson, the twins, sat on their own beds watching him. Quietly waiting. Misty stood off in a corner with her arms crossed, unable to look at him; instead she had been busying herself with their Imu. The creature in question was currently deep behind a makeshift barrier, calmly munching on some kibble.
They had come to see him in the infirmary before he was discharged, but Adrian would not speak to any of them. Especially not Misty. He could still see her angry face when she chose that demon dog over her own partner. It was a look he would likely never forget.
"Back when the Imu first appeared, my family picked one up." Adrian spoke as calmly as he could without dragging out his words. This needed to come out. "They were among the first to own a 'domesticated' Grimm."
Opal spoke quietly in the pause, "Your family?"
"My… Mother had me when she was living in Argus, but she never told me who my Father was. She never talked about him even once. All I know is that she met and married Saphron Arc about a year after I was born, and they're all I had growing up. From then on she was Terra Cotta-Arc."
"Two moms," Crim said quietly. "Just like us."
"I guess," Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. He tended to forget that the mighty Yang Xiao Long had also married another woman, since they were never really together in the news. "Anyway, I never had any problems growing up until Saphron brought one of those things home. Both of my Moms were always lovey-dovey with each other, at times to a level that could get them in trouble in certain public places, but it was always a genuine love. At least… that's what I thought at the time."
Opal giggled, "We know how that feels."
Crim added, "Our family is banned from quite a few businesses for PDA violations."
Adrian grinned for a moment, then took a deep breath and continued. "Once the Imu came in, though… things began to change. I was there, I saw how it came between them. I heard the arguments, the shouting, and it always… always started with that little bastard. And I remember how it stared at Saphron. Always staring. Whenever they finished a particularly nasty fight, Saphron always picked up the thing and snuggled it right in front of Mom. Almost out of spite. Like she was showing her how much more she loved that thing than her own wife."
"Did it ever occur to you," said Misty out of nowhere, "…that maybe you're mistaken?"
"Like when I found you first during initiation last year?"
Misty flinched, then said nothing.
Adrian exhaled loudly through his nose, then rubbed his temples. "Sorry, uh… … … It got bad enough that I had to go somewhere, anywhere to get away from home. I started classes at Pharos Academy, since I already wanted to be a Huntsman, and for the first few months everything was going great. And then I came home… … … and Mom was gone. She just dropped off the face of Remnant."
Seconds ticked by as everyone waited. Crimson muttered, "…You're sure?"
"Dead sure. And Saphron made no secret of the fact that she was happier for it. She all but admitted that she's the one who broke it off."
Misty turned around and spoke with more conviction than before, "So you're saying she didn't actually admit to it?"
"Of course not. She's not that stupid."
"Was your Imu still alive?"
"No, it died while I was in class. Mom said Saphron was a mess right after."
"So you're making connections that aren't actually there."
Adrian stood to his feet, "…Are you calling me a liar?"
"I'm saying you've misunderstood something. You're putting the blame for your family falling apart on the Imu, when by your own words it wasn't even there!"
Adrian stopped to unclench his fists before he tore through his palms. He tried to grit his teeth until his heart rate dropped back to normal, but it refused. "It. Drove. A. Wedge. In. Just like it's doing right now. What more do you want?!"
Adrian towered over Misty, even though the shorter girl looked every bit as fierce as her temper. She also looked ready to throw down at the drop of a hat. Thing is, no matter how hard she could fight, she could never beat Adrian in a one-on-one brawl and she damn well knew it.
But he also knew that if she said just one more goddamn word, it wouldn't matter. He'd break her like a dead stick.
*Knock knock knock*
In that one instant, nearly all of the tension in the room shattered. Adrian took a step back, scared at what he was seriously planning to do. Crim was up and next to him in a moment, rubbing his back in a comforting manner. Opal made sure Misty didn't try anything before answering the door, revealing a woman in red standing in the hallway.
"Adrian… could I speak with you a moment?"
It was Ruby Rose. Like an angel from heaven.
…
…
…
…
She.
Human called it a… she.
Not an it.
She like that.
Softness under her feet. Blan… ket…
Dry food in a bowl. Water in another. For her.
Rest. Safe. Arms of Human warm and strong.
Humans barking. Talking. Only some talk clear. She listened.
"Are you crazy? Didn't you see his eyes? Adrian was an inch away from throwing hands!"
"Opal, you are the last person to lecture me about being crazy."
"I- yeah, you're right but that's beside the point."
"Both of you settle down. We're all far too wound up right now, and I think Miss Rose only showed up because you two were yelling."
"I just… I… I just wish he'd consider our feelings on the matter! He's an insensitive dick!"
Small Human with red hair. Angry. Calming. She liked that one.
Tall Human with red eyes. Smell of animal. Strange smell. She didn't like that one.
Human with deeper voice. Also animal smell. That one okay.
Really tall Human from before… sounded angry, good smell. Could not see.
She wanted to see him. All of them. She wanted to know the faces and smells of the Humans who did not attack her, who did not chase her away. She wanted to… to… thank… them… somehow.
She felt… many things. Many more things than she'd felt before. Happy. Curious. Pensive.
Before? Had she felt emotions before? Had she known what emotions even were?
Had she ever considered such things?
"Crimson, I'm… I'm sorry for snapping like that."
"Apologize when Adrian's here, he's the one who needs to hear it."
"I don't know if I can…"
"Misty, you wanted him to consider our feelings, right? Well try considering his feelings… the guy blames the Imu for everything bad that's ever happened to him, and then his own partner just flat-out tells him he's been wrong the whole time? Anybody would get pissed off at that."
"I… I hate that you're right."
"Look, let's just take this a little at a time. This team has been falling apart pretty much from day 1, and tonight marks the first real bit of progress we've ever had in making that right. Miss Rose will calm him down, then we can have a nice ~calm~ discussion on what to do next. Agreed?"
"… … …fine."
"Wow, when did you become such a negotiator, bro?"
"If I don't stick up for him, who will?"
Words swimming in her head, most of them strange.
One name stuck… Adrian. The very tall Human who sounded angry.
She wanted to see him. To smell him. To know him.
Was he… the one she needed to find?
Or was it someone else?
…
…
…
…
Ruby led him to a nearby room, this one empty, and shut the door. She seemed more tense than usual. "I heard about what happened."
Adrian kept his hands in his pockets to keep himself calmer. "Before you ask, no… I didn't see who did it."
"So I hear. And while we will talk about that, first… have you seen the Imu your partner brought in here?"
"I saw it when we were downstairs. That was enough."
"When you go back in there, take a moment to look at it. This one is not like the others."
Adrian gestured at the door, "That's literally what everyone says about their own Imu! And it doesn't matter! Let Misty take the thing to a vet before I burn this building down around us all."
"That… might be tricky. While you were in the infirmary, I… advised her to hang onto it. This one is different enough that I'd rather keep it close by."
Adrian tried not to glare, instead looking around the empty room they currently stood in. "Why not keep it in here, then? That way I don't have to worry about sleeping in the same room that it does."
Ruby raised an eyebrow as she followed his gaze. "That's… not a bad idea. I'll make the arrangements tonight. But seriously, just take a look at it and you'll see what I mean."
"I'd really rather not-"
"Do it as a favor for me?"
"… … …Dammit. Alright, I'll do it for you."
"Good boy. Now then… let's talk about last night."
"I thought we just did…?"
"Then you already know that the teachers are trying to blame you for the attack?"
"WHAT?!"
"That was my reaction," Ruby crossed her arms, brow furrowed. "I seriously can't understand why they're doing this. That Goodwitch… I barely recognize her as the teacher I grew up with. I barely recognize any of them!"
Seeing Miss Rose so animated was somehow both endearing and… a bit frightening. "They weren't like this before?"
"Not at all! The Glynda Goodwitch I grew up with would've had this whole thing sorted out after the first incident. She would never have let it go this far. And Port, dear gods he's never targeted a single student for anything!"
"Headmaster Pine?"
"He's barely older than you." Ruby started pacing as she ranted. "I first met up with him when I was your age, and he was just a kid back then. A naive, idealistic kid who had a good heart, but still a kid."
"I… I heard a rumor that he's the illegitimate son of the old headmaster, Ozpin."
"Oscar and Ozpin do share a connection, but that's not something I'm free to discuss. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you himself."
"So you've known him for a long time?"
"Yes… I 'knew' him. That man is not the Oscar from back then. At times… I feel like everyone at this school is an impostor. Aside from the two of us."
For some reason, Adrian felt a chill at those words. "Is that… related to what you said back then? About how… 'they're looking for any excuse to remove me from this place'…?"
Ruby stopped pacing and looked him dead in the eyes. Studying him. After a moment, she gave a small nod and took another glance around the room, this time checking all the corners and the large window. Once satisfied, she drew close and leaned in, speaking quietly, "Just between you and me… I don't trust any of them."
Adrian started whispering right along with her, "Why not?"
"They're TOO different from the people I know. It all stinks of a conspiracy."
Those words did little to untangle the knot that was his insides. "What do you mean?"
"Several years ago, there was an incident over in Vacuo involving a brother and sister trying to take over part of the capitol. One of them used a mind-control Semblance, very dangerous and very powerful. I'm starting to think there's another one like that here, in Vale, trying to undermine the school and take over everything."
Mind control? If people were indeed acting totally out of character to the one sane person in the entire kingdom, then that would certainly make some amount of sense. Still… "Why would they be after me?"
"To set an example. Right now you're the most hated student at this school, and if they can get you out of the way, everyone left would fall in line. I can't let that happen. I won't."
A wave of goosebumps crawled over Adrian's arms at that declaration.
"Something's going on behind the scenes here, and I don't like it. I think they're getting ready to make one more push to get rid of you, and soon, but I'll be ready for 'em. Don't you worry, Adrian… I'll keep you safe."
With those last few words, Ruby reached up and gently brushed her fingers over Adrian's cheek, causing his face to become hot. She gave him a kind smile, then leaned back and cleared her throat, putting on a serious face once again.
"Now then… we should probably get you back in there before your team has a panic attack-"
Adrian's Scroll beeped, breaking the mood. A message… from Uncle Jaune?
… … …
Hey, bud. 2 things:
1- Ashens sent me this video today. Watch it.
2- Don't contact me again for awhile. I'm in
hot water with the Commissioner over this.
… … …
What?
"What's that about?" Ruby looked over the top of his device as Adrian found and downloaded the attached video file. The timestamp indicated it had been recorded today, barely two hours ago.
The feed was fuzzy at first, but soon the focus kicked in and they could make out the front of a cafe. The sign on the door read 'Cafe Prime.' Oh, the place where that dead guy worked. There were a dozen or so customers sitting at the bistro tables just outside the cafe itself, some with drinks in hand. Overall the scene was fairly cozy looking.
"Hey, I've been there before," said Ruby. "Nice enough dining area, but the coffee's terrible."
Adrian barely heard her. He was having a hard time keeping his grip on the device.
Because serving those customers was a dead man.
Adrian would know that face anywhere. But this was recorded today, and this was… impossible. The camera even zoomed in on both his face and the front of his uniform, making his name tag plainly visible: 'James.' It was definitely the same man, except this one was alive and well, instead of… you know… propped up against a wall with zero chest movement, bruising around his neck and a shocked, motionless face.
Did that mean he was mistaken? The dead guy… wasn't dead after all?
What the actual fuck…?!
…
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…
Crickets gave their nightly chorus from the trees of Emerald Park. The hour was late, and the shattered moon looked down upon the sleeping world.
At least, most of it was asleep. Sam Gria's night was just getting started.
At somewhere around 60 years old (he'd forgotten the exact number), Sam was one of the few people on the planet who could proudly display gray hairs without showing you a Huntsman License; Haven wouldn't even let him in the damn door. He was dressed in whatever rags he could find, for Sam had something most other beggars did not; bad luck. Bad luck that he was born with the power to repel the Creatures of Grimm, but it was an ability so strong that he repelled both Grimm AND his fellow humans, at all times, making him a permanent outsider. Bad luck that he lived in a world where even that mediocre power was quickly becoming obsolete, rendering him basically useless. Bad luck that he had no natural talent for anything other than imbibing.
But on the plus side, he did have one shot of good luck – Sam Buca, his life-long friend and fellow bum, and his little Grimm doggo. He called it Noir. Or was it Nor? Near? Who gave a shit? All the two Sams needed to know was that people took pity on the homeless, but they fuggin' loved those doggos. The two friends had made more Lien begging this last year than the past two decades combined. Fuggin' gold mine, that Imu thing.
Buca was worried about Nur… Nar… Norbit, whatever, said he wasn't looking so good. Might not last much longer. So old Sam went and bought them both something to celebrate: three bottles of rum. Not the most expensive brand, but good enough for a funeral. And hey, nobody said he couldn't start the party early.
As Sam Gria took his twentieth first drink of the night, he rounded a corner… then another… then turned around, cuz it was a dead end… took another 2 right turns and one left… then belched with delight as he finally found their Corner. It wasn't a bad Corner, even had an overhang during those damned rainy nights. It was basically home.
But then he froze. Even with his brain swimming in hooch, one signal got through: Danger.
Hunched over the body of Sam Buca was a black… thing. Almost as big as Buca himself, and that was sayin' something. It was too dark, and old Sam was too drunk, to make out any kind of details of who or what it was, but he didn't like it.
The thing looked up at him, and all he could see were two pinholes of red light where its eyes should've been. He heard a snarling sound, but it didn't move any closer. Almost looked like it was guarding something.
Had he been sober, which hadn't happened since he turned 25, Sam Gria would have run away screaming.
Instead he made a sad roaring noise and stamped his feet like a toddler.
Oddly enough, this did the trick; the black shape recoiled like it had just been shot, then turned and ran away. Or maybe it just turned into a puff of smoke? There was no way to be sure, as it was too dark in the alleyway. All Sam knew was that it was gone and he was safe.
But then he drew closer and found Sam Buca. What was left of him, anyway. The coppery smell almost made him puke up his spleen.
Now it should be noted that old Sam Gria was no fool. He may have been drunk, but he knew full well that if the cops found …that… in the place he slept, he'd take the blame. He'd rot in jail for the rest of his life. And while the idea of sleeping in an enclosed room sounded nice on paper, it would prevent him from living how he wanted. Free. And when you're homeless, that's pretty much all you've got.
Moving as quickly as his rum-addled brain would allow, Sam carefully moved the remains of his life-long buddy (there wasn't much left) onto a spare sheet of cardboard (there was a lot of that lying around) and dragged it over to a manhole cover. He quickly pulled it off, then dropped the bundle of bloody meat into the hole before closing it up again. He spared a moment of silence for his friend, then got to work cleaning the black stains all over the scene using the rum he'd spent his hard-earned Lien on. It took one entire bottle and over a dozen rags. Hopefully enough of the smell had washed off that no one would discover any spot he'd missed. The rags went into the sewer as well.
Still, better safe than arrested. He gathered the few things left between them, then settled into a fitful sleep. In the morning he'd get out of this damn city before you could say 'murder investigation.'
…
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…
=^..^=