Author's Notes: ...okay, so I learned a while back...that there's going to be a Season 3 of Code Geass? After so long? And if I'm looking at the picture right...I see the Oz twins, Renya and Dash, and even Akito...Sunrise, this better not be a joke, because you are making me HYPE.
On another note, sorry about the late chapter. Me and Code...or rather, Daemon, have been on fire with a new story of ours. You might recognize it as "Metastability." I've got another crossover called "Why I'm Here," so if anyone is interested, give it a look. If you're looking for a good space opera, it just might be the fic for you.
Also...this chapter might be a bit shorter...mainly because next chapter, well...be prepared for a lead up to what might be the big bang of our version of Volume 1! We're even getting a glimpse at the fearsome leader of the Black Fang! Who is he?! What does he have planned for this world?!
Now, without further ado...back to the revolution, my friends! VIVA LA REBELLION!
"If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it." -Nobunaga Oda
RWBY: Black Rebellion
Several classes later, and Rouge could honestly say he was bored and disappointed out of his mind. The classes by themselves were of little use, except for the occasional moment of information he would jot down and store away for another time. They were more or less more complex versions of the ones from Signal, thus making them redundant in his opinion.
The teachers were of some interest. Glynda Goodwitch, one of the youngest to ever graduate from Beacon, had immediately chosen to become a teacher at the school she left, and was in charge of combat instruction. Her strict demeanor and strength made her more than worthy of the position, as she could easily subdue an unruly student and end a match if it went too far. Peter Port was, at first glance, a bumbling fool who regaled tales that were untrue...at least if you asked a student. In reality, the tales he told WERE true. The man was known as the Bloody Baron, a nickname he earned after slaughtering an entire pack of Beowolves with naught but an axe, and by the end of it, he was completely stained in black muck. Bartholomew Oobleck was the history teacher, and had an EXTREME love for coffee if how fast he talked and move was any indication. However, don't let that fool you. He studied extensively on the human mind, learned how it worked and ticked, and acted accordingly with swift and sound judgement. It was how he won many battles against the insurgents during the events of the Rebellion on the Isle of Thane back when even his parents were still students at the likes of Signal.
Currently, Rouge sat in one of Port's class. The man was regaling the class with one of his grandiose tales, and for the life of him, he could hardly stay away. He stifled a yawn, not wanting the unnecessary trouble of catching the man's attention, and tried to discreetly ignore him by slipping in an earphone to listen to music while he fiddled with his Scroll.
While Professor Port's stories had some merit, he tends to drone on and on about the minor details before heading into the vital points of them. Which is the main reason why so many in the class could barely stay awake. As he opened his mail, Rouge noticed that he received a new message from Eden. He decided to file it away to read later where no one can look over his shoulder to try and read it out of pure boredom and invade his personal space in this classroom. 'Probably about the other day,' he thought with a shrug. He gave another browse on his scroll, and came across an interesting article.
"BLACK FANG STRIKES AGAIN"
The headline caught his attention as he thumbed down the screen to read the news story. Just the other day, the Black Fang had found the location of a White Fang base along the edge of Vale and raided it. There were several White Fang members found lying in pools of their own blood while others were spirited away; most likely captured by the Black Fang.
A smirk crossed his face. It seemed as if things were going well. He took a look at the reactions of the incident. There was quite a controversy amongst the readers within the extremist humans, radical Faunus, and Faunus sympathizers. Some had voiced their support to the Black Fang. They referred to them as a mix of the old and new White Fang; welcoming both humans and Faunus to their side, yet also taking measures against those who would suppress them. They were true fighters that combated those who oppress the weak, be them human or Faunus. They deny the current White Fang's acts of terrorism for equality and endeavor to stop them from drawing innocents into the crossfire of their actions.
Others, the human extremists, viewed them as senile. They saw the Faunus as sub-human, and thus the Black Fang's goal was 'misguided,' some urging them to outright end their relations to the Faunus and begin a crusade against them. The more extreme of the already racist bunch called them traitors to their kind, and condemned them.
All in all, it was quite a colorful spectrum of perceptions of the vigilante group. But that is to be expected. However, he wasn't quite satisfied with the results. Not yet, anyway. He closed the article and was about to browse again when he heard a grating, familiar voice speak up loudly, "I do, sir!" He looked up, and found the Schnee Heiress, raising her hand with a look of restrained anger over her face.
"Very good then!" Professor Port nodded jovially as he gestured to the thrashing cage next to him.
Rouge quirked an eyebrow as he pulled out his earphone, and turned to a nearby student. "What's going on?"
"That Weiss girl volunteered to fight a Grimm." Came the quick response.
The odd-eyed boy blinked. He then looked back, and found the white-haired girl moving out of the class, most likely going to get geared up, but not before shooting his sister a cold glare, which had gone unnoticed by Ruby. A frown touched his face. What was with that look? Was she still sore about not being chosen as leader? Unbelievable...what a brat. Oh well, from the look of things he'd get a look at how the Schnee Family fought. While he was disgusted by Jacques Schnee's leadership, the man had certainly developed an incredible corporation. Although, what interested him more was those who came from it. To his understanding, there were three children in the Schnee Family: Whitley Schnee, the youngest and only son, Weiss Schnee, and the oldest child and Specialist of the Altesian Military, Winter Schnee.
He knew little about Whitley, but unlike his sisters, he had chosen to rather follow the business instead of becoming a Huntress. To his understanding, Winter Schnee was removed from her position as Heiress, and was instead passed down to her younger sister. This was done because she became apart of Atlas Academy and later on a Specialist in the Military. Her skills were impressive, so much so that she was named the Lieutenant to General Ironwood. He respected Winter for her course of action, about wanting to make her own path. She could've stayed and learned to manage the company, but she chose to be a Huntress instead. And it seems that Weiss is following her own path by coming here to Vale instead of the Atlas Academy as well.
Although...from the look of things...she still has a long way to go...
'Then again, pride is always something of disgust and yet of value,' Rouge recalled one of his teachings from Raven. 'And pride is what will make the poor brat break faster than anyone here. Yet is also because of pride that people are so determined.'
Either way, this would be a good opportunity. He heard that the Schnee Family had a hereditary Semblance, which was considered to be rare, in that each Semblance was unique, representing a person in its own form. For Ruby, it was rose petals, moving at fast speeds. For Yang, it was increased strength for each strike she received...or if she was really pissed when someone did something to her hair.
A few minutes later, Weiss Schnee returned, dressed in the white combat skirt from when they first met. Rouge then chose to direct his full attention to the fight and see this rare semblance in action. Everyone leaned in, interested in what was to come. Ruby, Blake and Yang cheered on for Weiss, while Rouge simply look on with interest. Port had severed the chain binding the cage, thus allowing whatever was inside to break. A large, pig-like creature broke through the metal, barred door in a squeal of rage. Its entire body was black with ivory armor encasing the majority of his head and back. It had two massive tusks that curved from its lower jaw, and four red eyes that glowed with rage. It was one of the medium sized Grimm species known for their tough hides and spinning attacks, a Boarbatusk.
"Go get 'Em Weiss!" Yang fist pumped.
"Fight well!" Blake held up a miniature flag that red RWBY.
"Yeah, represent...Teeeeeeeam RWBY!" Ruby cheered.
"Ruby! I am trying to focus!" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the team leader, eliciting a glare from Rouge.
Ruby shrinked back, reeling from the hurtful comment. "Sorry..." She squeaked an apology.
Huffing, Weiss resumed her attention to the Boarbatusk. The Grimm let out a snort, pounding its foot against the tile before it let out a whine, and then charged, thus beginning the battle. Just before the Grimm was about to ram into her, she spun around it while swinging her weapon. The blade of Myrtenaster clanged against the Boarbatusk's thick, plated hide, doing little damage. The Grimm ceased its charge as he turned and glared at the heiress.
"Haha, wasn't expecting that were you?" Professor Port asked in a jovial manner?
Weiss gritted her teeth. "Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby kept cheering for her partner. Weiss ignored her, and focused on the task at hand. The Boarbatusk charged again.
This time, Weiss tried a more direct approach. She thrusted forward, intending to skewer the Grimm between the eyes. To her surprise, however, the Boartusk turned its head at the last second, and catching the rapier in its tusks. She yelped, nearly thrown around while keeping a grip on her weapon. "A bold approach!" Port approved of the action, despite now literally playing tug-of-war with a Grimm for her own weapon. "I like it!"
"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby continued to cheer. "Show it who's boss!"
The snow-haired girl scowled, turning to make a remark, but she paid for looking away in the moment of battle. Her grip slackened for only a moment, and with a turn of its head, her weapon was thrown out of her hands, flying through the air before it clattered to the ground. Then it swung its tusks, smacking against her and throwing her to the ground. "Oho!" the teacher commented. "Now what will you do without your weapon?!"
'This is too painful,' Rouge thought, sighing as he plugged his earbuds in. 'She's far to arrogant. My sister tries to cheer her on, and what's her response? To yell at her. She obviously has had no training experience whatsoever...at least actual combat.'
That was the greatest flaw Rouge had seen. Had she actually fought Grimm, she would have handled the situation more aggressively, attacking at its weakpoints and immobilizing it. If she had been given any sort of training about Grimm, she would have known that the Boartusk was particularly weak at the stomach, where its belly was completely unprotected by the ivory bone armor that covered its body. She could have exposed it by using her Semblance for Dust's sake.
But no...no she didn't possess any of that. She's treating this fight as if it were a sanctioned match. Pathetic. Doing so against a Grimm will only get herself killed. At this rate...she doesn't deserve to be a Huntress.
'How in the world Ozpin accepted this brat is beyond me.'
Even if she won, this had lost his interest. Sighing, he returned his attention to his scroll. To his mild surprise, he had received another e-mail. This one, however, made him smirk.
The sender was PIECE.
Receiving a message from him was a good sign. But for now, he'd file it away for later like with Eden's message.
Cinder Fall was furious. Something Roman realized was becoming common the more the Black Fang started to amp up their operations. As such, the Black Fang was snuffing out quite a few of their numbers over the span of the last few months. Hideouts raided, supplies taken, and forces either killed or captured.
To be perfectly frank, Roman was vastly impressed.
Whatever the Black Fang had, be it resources or manpower, they trump the White Fang by a fair margin. That, and apparently, the guy running the show knew exactly what the hell they were doing. If there was one thing Roman hated about working for Cinder Fall, it was that she kept him in the dark. A need to know basis. And so far, she's told him jack shit. The leader of the Black Fang, on the other hand, kept their subordinates well informed and in the light of their plans. They actually had proper communication with one another, unlike the frustrating enigma Cinder's plans are.
Although, if there was one thing he really had to like about the Black Fang...it was their Blue Devil.
From what he's heard, it was some guy with some sort of flame manipulation semblance. The dude is a freaking monster! Grounds covered in scorch marks, lumps of charcoal all over the place, infernos blazing and ravaging the bases...guy was a real piece of work. Worst part about all of that?
Neo absolutely LOVED it.
His mute partner was absolutely gushing over the carnage the Blue Devil wrought whenever he attended a raid. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was his number one fan or something.
Well, that's a thought to put aside for another time. Right now he had to endure his current boss' bitchiness.
"I thought," Cinder glared at Adam, eyes burning as flames cackled around her hands. "You said you had this handled."
"We did...we simply underestimated the enemy..." Adam replied coolly. "We didn't plan for them having that many troops during the attack."
"Or for that Blue Devil boy to show up," Roman quipped, earning a scowl from his employer. "What? Just sayin'."
"Yes. Him as well..." Adam nodded in reluctance.
The woman crossed her arms, clearly not impressed. "Had we known he was to appear, we would have been ready."
"And because of your own failure, I've lost several men," the Bull Faunus growled. "Don't forget, Fall, I agreed to work for you...but the Fang is NOT your own personal fodder."
"I am aware of that..." Cinder stated off-handedly. "I just expect you and your men to do your job properly."
Roman could see that Adam was pissed. Oh, so pissed! He half expected the animal to draw his sword just to cut her down...but he knew he couldn't. Roman knew it himself too. If there was one thing he learned while working for this femme fatale...it was this.
Do not fuck with Cinder Fall. Period.
As the woman walked away, Adam let out a low growl of frustration and stomped away. Roman shook his head and lit a cigar, slinking back into his makeshift seat atop a crate of Dust. "What a week this has been..." He murmured to himself while taking a drag from his cigar. Well, at least it kept his life exciting. While he wouldn't openly admit it, lest he face the wrath of Confer, he enjoyed seeing her lose her composure.
Still...he wondered what the boss of the Black Fang was like. Whoever he was, he was able to garner support from both humans and Faunus alike, meaning he was very charismatic.
Just who was this person to lead such a group?
"...Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss stated bluntly at her crimson hooded team leader. Rouge had left the classroom, following the trickle of students before he found Weiss walking away, face set into disgust and disapproval, while his sister stood there, face crestfallen.
The dichromatic-eyed teen's hands balled into fists as his jaw was clenched tight. That Ice Queen went too far. He wanted to chase after the woman, and give her a piece of his mind, but she had disappeared with the flow of the crowd. It wouldn't matter, though. When he found Weiss, he wasn't about to let her get away with that. For the time being, though, he needed to check on his sister. With that in mind, he walked over to her.
"You okay, Ruby?"
His sister didn't respond at first. But when she slowly turned around, her expression was one of distraught. "...not really," she answered pitifully before kicking at the ground. "I don't understand...all I did was cheer her on. Why was she yelling at me? Why'd she say that? I thought we got past that after Initiation..." She gave a sad sigh. "What if she's right? What if...Ozpin did make a mistake?"
Her twin shook his head. "Don't listen to her," he told Ruby. "She's just an arrogant git who got everything daddy dearest ever gave her. She was probably mad she wasn't made Leader instead."
"But-"
Rouge cut her off. "No buts, Ruby. Besides, I believe Ozpin knows what he's doing when he made you leader."
Ruby still didn't seem convinced. "B-but...what if she's right?"
"That remains to be seen, Ruby." The girl turned, and found Ozpin standing there, mug and cane in hand. "Although, I have to admit, that particular conversation with your teammate didn't seem to go over well. That being said," he smiled slightly. "You forget. This is only the first day. Rather hasty to be making judgement calls, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah but..."
"Ruby...I made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to be leader to be one of them." Ruby's eyes widened, clearly having not expecting to hear such an answer. Rouge, however, smiled gratefully. "Now may I ask...do you feel as if it were a mistake?" He questioned light-heartedly.
Ruby sighed. "Well...its just, I'm inexperienced, you know?" she said tiredly. Clearly Weiss' words had taken a lot out of her, feeling mentally exhausted just by that one comment alone. "I graduated two years ahead of everyone, a-and I can be a kid at times...what if I'm not cut out for this? Like she said...I don't take things seriously."
"As do most who first start out," Ozpin told her. "Being a leader isn't something you can just grow into overnight. That is why I placed everyone in a team of four; so that they will have others to support them, and help them grow into the role." A chuckle fell from his lips. "Someone close to me, years ago, once told me this: Two in harmony can surpass one in perfection." He leaned forward, giving the girl a playful tap on the nose. "Now, tell me. If two in harmony can surpass one in perfection...what can four in harmony achieve?"
"Something...even better than the Two Harmony?" Ruby tilted her head.
Rouge rolled his eyes. "He means with your team, you can do something even greater than what two people in sync and perfect understanding of one another could hope to achieve, idiot."
"Oh..." Ruby spoke in realization before processing what Rouge said in the end. "Hey!"
Her twin offered her a smirk, while Ozpin shook his head in amusement. "Well, I should be getting back," he said. "Last thing I need is Glynda on my case about skipping paperwork."
"E-eh?!" Ruby gasped. "You skip out on paperwork?! That's the sort of thing my Uncle Qrow would do!"
"Ruby...even I am well aware of the bane of one's existence that is paper work." The Headmaster of Beacon spoke with a wry grin.
Rouge gave the man a look, but then he shrugged his shoulders. He wouldn't know anything about paperwork, other than what Qrow informed him of when he came home after work. It seemed Qrow had learned such woes from his teacher, apparently. But now he couldn't help but feel worried if he ever took up a path that required such a thing.
'Not that it would ever happen,' he thought with a sly smile. 'After all...I've still got a long way to go before that can happen.'
Eden Flaemis. To the Black Fang, he was the defacto leader, the one who led them whenever their commander was not present, which was more often than not these days. None blamed him, given what he informed them about his plans. As the second in command, Eden led the forces while following the plans PIECE and the leader left for them to follow. He was quite proud of his name, on another note. From what little he understood, 'eden' was the word for paradise. The first home for humanity until two humans, the first creations of the Gods of Light and Darkness, had changed things and found themselves cast out. Flaemis, however, the name of the family he was born to, referred to the fiery power of the inferno, ever blazing forward. He found it quite fitting, actually, as his leader once described him as the flame that would blaze forth for them a new path.
To their enemies, however, he was called by a more colorful nickname.
"The Blue Devil."
It was a moniker he obtained from his ability on the battlefield due to his mercilessness on the battlefield. Whatever stood in his path, be it an enemy or an obstacle, he'd either cut it down or burn them with his semblance. The White Fang, and any poor unfortunate bastard who stood in the way, knew that when they stood before him, they were pretty much fucked.
That included the poor, poor saps they captured.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, will somebody shut that damned hyena bitch up?!" one of the human members cried. "She's driving me nuts!"
"Hey, you drew the short stick!" the racoon faunus from before shouted, sitting atop the railing with two other human members. "We don't wanna hear it! Also, we told ya you should have brought ear plugs!"
The guard scowled. "You could have told me that before I found out she was a fucking Hyena!" He gestured to the bound White Fang female with hyena ears. She was currently laughing in an obnoxious manner.
While some members of the BF had covered their ears with earplugs, the guard was not as lucky...or were the other members of the White Fang. Because their arms were bound, and because they were close to her, they were forced to listen to it at full force, cringing and shaking their heads to try and drown out the sounds. Some had even tried to bash themselves in the head against the wall in order to make themselves unconscious, so as to not hear her scream anymore. However, the worst part was that the Hyena Faunus was laughing because she was terrified. A poor habit of hers, laughing when scared. She wasn't sure why she did this, but as it stood, it was a reflex. A defense mechanism of sorts.
Eden thought it made for a damned good torture method. He seemed to figure out the cause behind her laughter, however, as he noticed the facial expressions she was giving when given a slight reprieve of her constant laughs and howls. "Hold on a sec, newbie." The guard looked at him in confusion as he approached, but then realized his intentions, and quickly stepped back. As he approached, the prisoners became tensed, the more weak-willed ones looking downright terrified.
He stopped right in front of the hyena Faunus with a blank expression on his face. The female's laughs grew more high pitched and erratic. He slowly bent over so that his face was a few inches away from hers. His eyes bored deep into hers. Pools of blue stared back at clear green ones. For the longest moment, there was a cold tense silence, with only the obnoxious laughter as the sole sound. Then he smiled. "You know...if you laugh, you're gonna bust a gut," he told her. "Also, if you keep laughing, you might end up losing your voice. A real shame, too...considering it's a lovely one."
"What?" The two prisoners on either side of the laughing woman, who ceased in her cackles, questioned.
Nearby, a Dog Faunus groaned. "Oh god...here we go again."
This is a pretty common occurrence in the Black Fang. Their second in command, the Blue Devil...is a flirt. He pretty much tries to hit on any woman he meets.
"Seriously?" the wolf faunus from before questioned. "He hits on chicks? Even the prisoners?"
"That's just how the vice-commander is," the racoon replied. "Though as to what kind of women he prefers is anyone's guess."
"So why didn't he hit on me?"
"Don't know." The Racoon shrugged. "We asked him the same question, and he answered that he had standards...whatever the hell that meant."
Meanwhile, the Hyena faunus, while having ceased her laughter fit, now suffered a new dilemma. Her face turned cherry pink, and her heat began to beat faster. She could have sworn she felt it skip a beat when he gently placed his fingers at her chin. "Now...I would love to hear your voice for what it is rather than your laughs of anxiety." Eden smiled.
The Hyena Faunus' breath hitched. "A-ah...hah...u-um..." Now she was nervous...for a completely different reason.
"We want you to feel comfortable here, after all," he said in a suave tone. "So don't feel so scared. In case you haven't noticed, it ain't all humans here."
"Shut it, you devil!" one of the WF prisoners spat, snarling and struggling. "Why should we trust anything you say?!"
He was answered with a katana pointed at his neck, the tip just a centimeter away from carving out his throat. Eden held the blade with a steady hand while keeping his eyes on the female. "Because, my friend, you have two options. Either A, stay here forever as we hope you answer our questions...or B...get cut down like the rest of your unit."
The prisoners growled, not fearing the end result in the least. Eden actually respected that in a way...though he wished these guys would learn when to stop. After all, even if they did somehow manage to escape from their confines, they still had to deal with every person in this warehouse, and each was armed, sword, gun, and otherwise, along with a few individuals with Semblances.
"...I'd appreciate it," a voice called out. "If you kept your blade to yourself, Flaemis."
Suddenly, the prisoners became alarmed, eyes wide as saucers, and whirled around. Entering the warehouse was a familiar face to Eden, and he smirked. "Yo," he greeted. "Didn't expect to see you here. Mind coming back later, though? I'm trying to get to know one of your gals here better while keeping her friend quiet."
"Hence why I told you to stand down. I'm sure he would tell you the same thing," the visitor responded. They then turned to the prisoners, and gave a curt nod. "Seems like you're all doing well...I hope Flaemis hasn't treated you too roughly."
One of the prisoners, a cat Faunus, stared at them in disbelief and shock, as if unable to comprehend who was standing before her. "Y-you," she choked. "B-but why?! Why are you with them?!"
"Why do you think?" Eden chuckled as he sheathed his sword, stepping away from the Hyena Faunus girl. "Because PIECE here...has been one of us for a LOOONG time. Think it was before that Belladonna chick left, though."
PIECE shook his head. "It was after. Get that right," he snapped. "Also...what has he told you about threatening your prisoners?"
"Hey, he was yelling at me. What was I supposed to-"
"YOU TRAITOR!" The prisoner from before, a lizard Faunus with dark red scales along his cheeks, snarled, trying fruitlessly to launch himself at PIECE, only for his bindings to keep him in place. "HOW COULD YOU?! SIENNA KHAN TRUSTED YOU!"
The informant scoffed. "For a time, I believed in Sienna," he said, folding his arms. "Then I met him...and then I remembered that it isn't humans who are responsible for making the world the way it is. Also, I am no traitor. I've simply chosen another path to follow...as have many of our brothers and sisters who believe in my decision with the White Fang."
That last bit alarmed each of the White Fang prisoners. Even more of their comrades in arms have betrayed them as well?
"T-that's a lie..." the cat faunus whispered. "P-please...that's a lie...right, sir?"
"I'm afraid not." PIECE shook his head.
The lizard Fanus snarled, saliva flinging from his mouth. "How dare you?! Y-you would side with these fools?! These traitors?! They took the sides of humans! The ones who oppose and bind us in shackles!"
"You are wrong." PIECE shook his head. "The people I am aligned with are nothing like those bastards. Here in the Black Fang, we are brothers in arms, everyone of us on equal standing."
Eden chuckled. "Never thought I'd hear that coming out of your mouth," he remarked before turning to the prisoners. "But he is right. In fact, the White Fang is right. It is humans who treat Faunus like shit. I know that better than anyone. But...you know something else?" The prisoners stared at him, and he smirked. "...it ain't just humans, dipshits."
"The hell are you talking about?! Of course it's humans!"
"Bzzzt! Wrong!" The Blue Devil buzzed.
"W-what?! Then who?!" the cat faunus cried. "If it isn't humans, then who is it?!"
"It's both humans and Faunus, you dipshit." Eden stated bluntly. "Your leader, Sierra Khan? He's only using you guys to commit mass genocide of humanity and satisfy his psychotic desire for carnage and bloodshed."
"And as for humans, it isn't just the Schnee Dust Corporation and the majority," PIECE added. "There are also others who would abuse their power. People who would condemn even their own kind to achieve their goals. In other words-"
A new voice interjected. One that everyone in the Black Fang knew by heart. A voice that commanded both respect and fear from all alike.
"-the world is corrupt, and no one, be them human or Faunus, is as just as one may claim."
Every member of the Black Fang and the prisoners turned their heads toward the figure standing in the middle of the entrance of the HQ, his form shadowed by the light behind him. The Blue Devil grinned as he clapped. "Couldn't have said it better myself! Ladies and Gents, our fearless leader has returned to us!"
Instantly, all members of the Black Fang snapped into a salute. "Welcome back, sir!" The Black Fang troops greeted.
"At ease..." The commander said as he walked into the room, allowing his form to be better seen. The prisoners shivered, reeling back a bit. When his form was shadowed, he was fearsome enough...but now before them, laid bare, he was twice as terrifying. "...so," the leader of the Black Fang said, turning to face the three White Fang prisoners. "You believe that the likes of Sienna Khan is just?"
"Y-Yes! Yes he is!" The Lizard Faunus barked angrily.
"Hmph...not unexpected," the commander scoffed. "Let me ask you this, then...if Sienna Khan is just, and he achieves his goal, with humans now in the shoes of Faunus, now the subject of prejudice and ridicule...what then? What comes afterward?"
The cat faunus blinked, confused. "W-what...do you mean?"
"You short-sighted fools...what you are doing is merely maintaining a cycle of hatred. The humans that you waged a revolution against will then be in your shoes, and in time, they will rise up for a revolution of their own. And the cycle continues."
Eden smirked. "And it keeps on repeating, over and over, until before you know it...there's nothing but mountains of corpses, humans and Faunus alike. Dunno about you, but I don't really call that a future."
"That would not be a future." PIECE added. "It would be mass genocide on both ends. All life on Remnant would be killed off due to conflict out of spite. Any survivors would then inevitably be wiped out by the Grimm."
"B-but..." the Hyena faunus said, speaking up for the first time. "I-if that's the case...what do you suggest then?"
The commander humphed. "Simple...stand against it. Stand against this foolish oppression and spite and rise above it! Root out the corruption in this world and erase it!"
The prisoners gawked at his words. While those around them showed full agreement, some even whooping in enthusiasm, they could only stare at him as if he were a madman. "Are you kidding me?!" the lizard Faunus shouted. "You think you can do that?! You're all insane! Brothers, sisters, why do you listen to this madman?! Work with these filthy humans?! Can't you see you're all being deceived?!"
"Ooh, sorry man," Eden chuckled, a dark look in his eye as he crouched down, staring at him at eye level. "But, ah, see, thing is...each and every one of us has sworn ourselves to our leader. Also, we aren't working together...its more like, we are using one another for personal gain. All of us want something by joining this band of misfits, so we exploit our abilities and talents to get ahead of the competition. The boss uses me for my abilities, and I use him to get what I want. Just like how the boss is using PIECE over here," he nudged his head to the informant. "Because they both want something out of their deal. In other words, my friend..."
He smirked, and his eyes flared like an inferno. An azure flame dancing within those cold irises.
"...the Black Fang is not an organization, but one giant band of scum. People who've wasted away in filth, and given the chance to get out of it. We aren't like you idiots, who preach what its like to be treated like animals. Reality check, dumbass! Each and every last member of the Black Fang is worse than you! We are the embodiment of trash, thrown away like garbage and left to rot!"
"Enough, Eden," the leader commanded. "No need to antagonize them further...I believe they've gotten the message."
"Aww..." The bluenette whined as his demeanor shifted from intense to disappointed. "But I was just getting to the good part..."
The leader shook his head, and then turned to the prisoners, walking up to them. "What Eden spoke of is true," he told them, stopping just a few feet away from them. "That each of us had hit rock bottom. Beaten, broken, and left for dead, in both the figurative and literal sense. While we are a group, we are still individuals. We each have our own goals, all of which coincide with my own...bringing an end to this disgusting order."
"A-and...why tell us this?" the Hyena Faunus asked, staring at him with wonder. "W-what's the reason?"
"Simple...an offer." The meaning instantly came to them, and their eyes widened. "If you so wish, you can use us as well to bring an end to the order Remnant clings to like a relic. However, I can't make the decision for you. The only one who has the right to decide their own destiny...is their own self. So I ask you this. Will you continue to be chained to this disgusting world? To be mere slaves of society? Or will you obtain emancipation and overthrow the corrupt that oppress you to this day?!"
The prisoners fell silent.
His words struck a chord within each one of them. Would they rather choose to obey a corrupted system, or take their fate by the reigns and break the chains that bound them? The lizard Faunus looked as if he wanted to argue, but his female companions were dead silent, eyes showing that they were seriously pondering on his words. Would they really have their chance? To shatter this distorted world?
The silence continued to fall upon the warehouse, and the leader of the Black Fang, patiently awaiting his answer.
Then the silence ceased.
[A White Fang outpost was attacked. We've captured a few, but whether or not they'll defect is unknown. On another note, Cinder Fall's planning on another heist. Roman's in charge again. Don't know when, but soon. Probably another Schnee Dust crate.]
{-PIECE}
[New word about the White Fang. Roman's paid off some guards, which means a new Dust shipment. Also, thanks to our glorious and badass leader, we now have two new recruits. One was still a bit...you know, dickish. We put him in a cell, but I dunno. He might crack. If he does, might be fun to see~ Anyway, hope to see you again, Rouge! Still miss ya, old buddy~]
{-EDEN FLAEMIS}
Rouge's eyes scanned over the words of each respective message that was sent to him, a grin of satisfaction present on his face. The senders of each message brought great news. "Looks like things have been progressing nicely," Raven remarked, flipping through one of his notebooks. The binding was dark in color, and the writing was encrypted, though Raven had managed to decipher it with ease. It was, after all, one of her own designs. "Though I wonder if this is really what you have in mind."
"It is." The black-haired youth answered after looking up from his scroll. "The plans have been set in motion. It's only a matter of time before the sparks grow into raging flames."
He set the thing off and slipped it into his pocket, and then opened the laptop. "There's always an order to these things...and even if Remnant believes the system is necessary, I'm inclined to think otherwise. A system is no better than glass; easy to stain, and easy to break."
"And as it is now, it is stained with pitch-black corruption and fractured. There is no hope of salvation for it. The only thing left for its fate is its collapse. And after that, anarchy."
Raven snapped the book shut. "And what comes after that?"
"The same history does with every act of anarchy," he answered. On the screen of his laptop were pictures of various cargo, all branded with the Schnee Dust company...as well as photographs of Black Fang attacks. "With each act of disobedience comes conflict. And from conflict comes tyranny. And from tyranny..."
He grinned, looking back at her. For a moment, like before, an avian sigil, glittering red, formed in his eye.
"...comes rebellion."
Premonition...END
"The best way to remove your lies is to make them come true." -?
