Enslaved To A Flame

Chapter 3

Bloodied Phantoms

William followed team RWBY back to the dorms, keeping up with them as they sprinted to get their books and stow their weapons. He didn't fully understand the situation, but he assumed that since it was his first day it would be handled. He didn't know his schedule. He had to assume someone would notify him when something happened, which left him anxious, but he wasn't surprised.

"So where are you from Will?" Yang asked, giving him a more thorough once over. William had a feeling she wasn't just sizing him up for his build.

There was a bit of hesitation as William quickly formulated his backstory, then he launched into it. "I was born in lower Vale, the slums area, but after my parents died my uncle took me in and we moved to Vacuo." He replied.

"Vacuo?" The black haired girl asked. "Hm."

William reexamined her, noticing the quivering of the bow in her hair. Her eyes were a bright gold, uncommon, but not so uncommon for a faunus. Perhaps she was a faunus, but why the bow? She ran with practiced ease, but there was an unnatural sense of balance in her stride. There was something more to her.

"It's a fun place if you know where to look, Miss…." he trailed off on purpose, hoping to squeeze a name out.

"Blake." She replied after a moment. "You have an interesting blade. What's the name of it?"

William smiled, delaying the question. His sword was a touchy subject. He would have to answer anyway, else it would lead to a suspicion that he wasn't what he seemed. What could he do? He had certainly named it, as most everyone did with a unique weapon, but the name was personal, and an answer to a question he had asked himself every night he worked.

"Moonlight Sonata." He replied, forcing his smile to stay on his face. His hand slid down to the hilt and grasped it. He squeezed it, as if making sure that it was still there.

"Pretty name, I think silver fits that motiff." She responded, her golden eyes flickering towards it before going back up to his face.

"We are going to be late!" Weiss hissed as she glared at them. William couldn't tell if that was her default personality, or if she was just a prude about school.

"I'll drop William off and then I'll meet you at class." Ruby replied, dropping back and grabbing William's arm.

A moment later they were a few yards ahead of the group. In the next, they hit the dorm doors, bursting through them and down the hall. Ruby already had his room number, and she dragged him down the hall and up the stairs in short bursts. She deposited him a moment later, right in front of his room. 213.

"Thanks." William said, only to find she had disappeared. He hummed and watched the rose petals drift lazily to the floor, no doubt spewing from her cloak as she ran.

He swiped his scroll in front of the door and the little reader flashed a green light. He heard the door lock click open. He pushed it open, stepping into the room. His duffle bag was already placed in the room, no doubt Ozpin's work.

The room looked basic, with four beds pushed to the corners of the room. A window lined up with the doorway, a nightstand under it. Two desks were set up on the left and right of the room. Footlockers were set up at the foot of each bed, no doubt for additional uniform storage. A separate door when to the bathroom and William headed to it.

It was plain, with two sinks, a single shower which sported a glass door instead of a curtain. A weapon's cleaning stall was set up as well, a little toolbox set into the wall above it. Two toilets, both with stall doors. Roman had told him that teams could be unisex. Which left William wondering why they bothered making stall doors if the shower had a glass door.

"Lovely." He mused aloud, heading back to the bedroom, unzipping his bag.

He picked the bed closest to the window, opening the footlocker and setting his equipment into it. The extra clothes Roman gave him, the lockpick set, and the school supplies that came in the bag. He tossed the rest on the bed, stowing the empty bag under the bed.

He changed out of his combat uniform. A school uniform had been set on the bed and he could only assume that he was meant to change. It felt tight, but it was his size. He rolled his shoulders around in it, and decided that it was awkward at best. He traded the supplies shoes for his boots though, deciding he'd like to have at least one weapon on him. He would have to leave Moonlight Sonata here since he doubted they let students have weapons in class.

He stretched, glancing longingly at the shower. He could go for a hot shower or anything to knock off the edge of his nose. His thoughts were broken, and his hopes shattered as someone banged on the door rather harshly.

William sighed and headed to the door, pulling it open. A tall boy stood a the ready, three other boys behind him. Each wore traditional armor, and the leader even gave off an arrogant feel. William pursed his lips.

"Hey. That dorky headmaster sent me. We're getting you for class." The ginger told him.

"Great." William replied slowly as they walked off as one down the hall. He absentmindedly wondered if there was a few spare brain cells in their skulls, or if there was a brain between them all. "These types…" He muttered.

He chose to walk a few paces behind them, deciding to observe them. He hated people like this. They headed to the main building, and the man and his goons bullied who ever looked weak enough not to retaliate. They were arrogant, and more than willing to subjugate others so that their power grew, or it left them feeling stronger. They were like Roman, but dirtier, less refined.

Roman had tact, and he had a method in his ways. Roman was careful in his choices, making sure that all of his plans lined up and trailed together. He gained power stably, using all of his resources, and not just brute force. William could respect that, even if he hated what that meant he had to do.

People like this, were just brutes. They were no more fit to live than the crime lords that ruled the Underground. Even worse, William could kill them. Yet, he had to let them live, even if he knew the world would end up a little nicer if their lives were extinguished. Perhaps after his mission was complete, and his debt to Roman paid.

'And after that you'll just be a common criminal. You'll have murdered how many people to get that freedom you're so proud of? How much blood has coated your hands since Roman got you? How many twisted lives have you ended?' His mind challenged. William's stomach churned, unsettled with the thought. Would he even have a place in the world after what he's done? William shook off the train of thought.

He didn't know their weapons or abilities. Even if they looked weak, and even if he could demolish them, slit their throats and leave them choking on their own blood, he had to resist. He was a student. It was his first day. He had to control himself, just like with Roman. William felt his blood burn, but he slid his fists into his pockets. He had to resist.

His plan shattered as the ginger passed a Rabbit Faunus. His meaty hand reached out, grabbing both of her ears and wrenching them up hard. She cried out, her books hitting the floor. William's blood boiled in his veins. His hands slid out of his pockets, his strides lengthened, and his posture grew aggressive as he advanced.

"Stop it! Please," she pleaded while reaching up to grasp his hands.

William hated bullies to begin with. He hated just beating people up for the fun of it. There was no sense in that to him. Roman did it, but usually he had a point to make. Don't be late on payments. Quit making a mistake. This had neither a point, nor benefit. And to top it off, the ginger was bullying a Faunus.

William didn't have anything against Faunus. He didn't really have anything for Faunus either. He liked them, respected them, and worked with a team of them for a short time. He got close to one of them, but in the end couldn't protect her. William had watched her die right in front of him. Watched blood soak the white rabbit ears on her head.

William wasn't truthfully sure if it was the ears that set him off or not. He just knew he was boiling with rage and someone was going to come awful close to dying in the next few moments.

William's hand wrapped around the gingers wrist, only managing to grasp half of it. Their grip loosened and the girl slid to the ground, her hands cradling her ears. William cracked his knuckles. His eyes were dark, like the sea during a storm. His Aura churned, reflecting his emotions. His semblance activated, and his Aura readily uncoiled in thick loops of wire. They coiled around his frame, spiraling around him, ready to be sent out.

Her hand grabbed his calf and he paused, looking down at her.

"Please, just let it be. Cardin won't let you off if you-"

William shook her off, heading towards Cardin. "I'm the one who won't be letting him off easy." He hissed, glaring at Cardin.

"Got a problem with this or something?" Cardin asked as his expression soured. "Then buzz off. I'm just having myself some fun."

"You're hurting her," William snarled. "And from the looks of it, no one else is going to put you in your place. So I'm more than willing to."

Cardin's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be contemplating something. He gestured, and his friends came forward. William snorted, but he couldn't deny that a four on one was an annoyance he didn't want to deal with. Still, he'd gone and made a scene, he might as well play it out.

"You really want to do this punk?" Cardin asked.

William took a deep breath as he reached down. His hand slid over Moonlight Sonata, but he didn't draw it. He didn't need to kill them. He couldn't kill them, not without risking his cover. He could knock some sense into them though.

William waded into the fight and his wires responded to his will. He was open about his semblance use this time, he didn't care who saw it. He needed it for the fight either way. He attacked the smallest one first, the kid with the mohawk. His wires coiled around his legs and yanked him off his feet.

He capitalized on that by mercilessly dropping on top of him, slamming his elbow into the kid's chest. The boy's Aura flashed, but William still heard something crack. Probably his sternum. He wasn't getting up.

A leg swept around and William barely caught it before it hit him in the face. He wrapped his other arm around it, feeling a second kick hit him in the back as he secured the leg. William spared a glance to see it was the gray haired kid's leg he'd grabbed, then kicked the kid's other leg out from under him.

He hit the floor on one knee, pain evident on his face as his leg threatened to twist the wrong way. William let go of his leg, resisting the urge to break it as he got to his feet. He faced the last goon, his Aura finally settling down as his emotions calmed. He rarely let his Aura rage out of control, but sometimes his semblance just let it.

Cardin stepped forward at that moment, deciding that he should back up his goons before they were completely shamed. William didn't care. He was going to wipe the floor with all of them.

"So you can fight." The last goon stated.

William didn't reply, his advance spoke for him, and the two started an exchange of fists. The last goon was the most balanced out of Cardin's group, a solid defense and offense. He did his best not to overextend himself, and William gave him credit where it was due. Unfortunately, William didn't have time to play nice.

William knocked his next punch out of the way, slamming his head into the gap. His own forehead mashed against the goon's face, and even if his Aura took the blow, he had been dazed. William slapped both of his hands against his ears, and then grabbed him by the arm, throwing him to the side. William had never tested to see if Aura could heal blown eardrums, but he was fairly certain that, if it could, it wouldn't be a speedy process.

Cardin was the only one left. William realized that about the same time he felt his weight go out from under him and the wall suddenly surge to meet him. The plaster cracked, and Cardin's weight held him there, his shoulder in William's side.

William coughed, swallowing before he spoke. "You're definitely playing to the dull witted and all muscle stereotype here." He muttered. "You just tried to tackle me through a wall." William wasn't about to comment that the only reason they likely hadn't gone through the wall was because there was a stud in the way.

William grunted, feeling Cardin's punch hit his other side. He was pinned, but not very well. He still had his arms and hands free. Cardin would do better to back up and start punching. William's hands wrapped around Cardin's face, a look of contemplation on his face as he positioned his hands.

A moment later Cardin started screaming as William started pressing his thumbs against Cardin's eyes. His forefingers dug into Cardin's ears, keeping his hands in place as the brute thrashed and shook his head.

"Back up." William advised casually.

Cardin threw him off, staggering back and rubbing his eyes. William planted his back foot and smashed his heel into Cardin's chest. Cardin staggered back, and William reinforced the attack. He took one step forward for the distance, throwing his weight into his kick as he slammed it into Cardin's chestplate.

The impact reverberated in William's leg as he set it down. As for Cardin, the bully hit the opposite wall, standing there for a moment before dropping to the floor, gasping for breath. His chest plate dented in.

William watched him for a moment, before heading back over to the Faunus. He bent down, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Buck up."

She looked up at him with incredibly large brown eyes and he could see his own dark visage reflected within them. That and the shadow of a mace swinging behind him.

William jerked to the side and the mace shattered the tile floor by his foot. A subtle click reached his ears and he realized a fraction of a second later what it meant. His Aura slid off his body, springing off his fingers as he cast it out. His fingers wove it into shape, his will pushing the additional wires into place. He only had a few moments.

The explosion knocked him off his feet and destroyed the floor. Shards of tile sliced into his back as he tumbled back a few feet. He hit the ground on his back, and the shard dug in deeper. William gritted his teeth, feeling the pain invade his system. He cut it off, ignoring the wetness that started seeping out of his back as he sat back up.

Cardin laughed. His expression was one of glee, like a child who just won a game or a piece of candy. It slowly died away as his gaze drifted to the side, where the Faunus girl was. A glowing blue shield, woven out of thin blue threads guarded her. She was unharmed despite the floor in front of her being demolished.

William's laughter was now the one that perforated the silence. Cardin's gaze shifted and focused on him. He was bleeding, but his expression wasn't one of pain or loss. He looked like a victor. William slowly got to his feet and cracked his neck.

"You're bringing a mace to a fistfight?" William asked, a smirk crossing his lips. "What? Can't handle it when someone kicks your ass? Can't keep up with me? I'm just one punk."

Cardin grit his teeth, his grip on his weapon tightening until his knuckles turned white. He charged forward and raised the mace above his head. William couldn't help but snort. How barbaric.

He ducked under the blow, letting it swing over his head as he made it inside of Cardin's guard. He slammed his knee into Cardin's gut and the boy doubled over. William's next kick drove his shin into Cardin's exposed face. He staggered back on unsteady legs, his grip now lose on his mace.

William sprang forward, throwing himself at Cardin. They hit the ground together, but William had the upperhand in an instant. William quickly manipulated him into an arm lock, clutching the larger boys wrist to his chest. He lifted the leg that was on top. He had steel heels for more than one reason.

William's heel cracked Cardin's Aura. The next shattered it. It disappeared in a flash, and William raised his leg one more time to finish him off. The bunny girl squealed and suddenly William found himself wrenched to his feet. He twisted around and saw that the person who pulled him off Cardin was a brown haired woman with a beret.

"Hello there." She greeted, setting him on his feet.

William gave her a quick once over. She was thin, like a model. She wore fashionable clothes and seemed to know exactly what she could do and who she was. She simply gave off that aura of self confidence. In one hand she held a set of textbooks, the other rested on a purse clipped to her hip. William frowned, realizing that meant she pulled him off Cardin and off his feet with one hand.

"Hello." William replied slowly. "You are?"

"Coco Adel." She greeted while sauntering by him and placing a heel on Cardin's chest. "Velvet's teammate. I appreciate you helping her out." She peered down at Cardin who suddenly looked pale. "Cardin." She said, her tone suddenly cold and dark.

"Coco." A second voice said. William looked over his shoulder, finding the owner of the voice a tanned boy in an orange vest. "I'll handle him."

Coco huffed, wrinkling he lip in annoyance as she stepped off. She bent down, grabbing Cardin by his collar and lifting him up with one hand, shoving him over to the boy. The boy didn't make a move to catch him. Instead he impressed William with brutality.

For a moment William completely missed the bloodlust and anger that contorted the boy's face. It sparked to life just as he moved. He took a step forward and William could see the muscles in his arm flex, Aura boosting their power. He put his weight and shoulder behind the punch, smashing his knuckles into Cardin's nose.

The larger boy flipped and hit the floor. William's face contorted into a wolfish grin, more than a little pleased with the result. The boy in the orange simply cracked his knuckles and bent down, picking up Cardin's leg. He nodded to William, and then started dragging Cardin's unconscious body down the hall.

"So." He turned, and found Coco staring at him, a thoughtful look on her face. "Who are you?"

She was strong. That was easy to see. Could she be a junior student? A sophomore perhaps? William would have to look into it. Roman wanted information, and she seemed dangerous.

"I'm William." He replied. "I just transferred in today."

"You're bleeding!" The bunny girl, William assumed was the Velvet Coco had referenced, rushed to his side.

Velvet grabbed his wrist and William saw a look of pure amusement cross Coco's lips as she started pulling him down the hall. He protested lightly, but already knew where she was taking him. Any combat school would have an infirmary.

"I'm fine." He tried to assure her, even as she pushed open the doors.

"Your back is soaked with blood!" She replied heatedly. William hummed, noticing the accent in her tone now. She was foreign. Interesting. "You need to get looked at or it will get infected!"

Infected wounds were nasty business. William knew that from experience. Aura could heal most wounds, but some things were beyond even its power. It was one thing to heal a wound, it was another entirely to fight off an infection, stop the bleeding, and heal it at once.

He'd slid down shingles one night on a mission and shredded his shirt and left side. He'd ignored it and pushed through the pain. A few days later it was a yellow pus filled mess. Infections were horrible and William doubted that the tile flooring was much cleaner than the shingles.

Velvet hurried him up to the desk. The receptionist looked attentive, but William noticed a falseness in her motions and tone. She was tired of her job, or bored with her shift. Still, she sent them back, and William was directed to a table. A nurse joined them shortly. William laid down on the table and let her assess the damage.

"Remove your shirt for me please?" The nurse asked. "I need to be sure how bad the actual damage is before I decide if you need stitches or just a few bandages."

"Bandages." William answered for her. He could feel the cuts on his back and none of them felt particularly long or stretched. They were just nicks and cuts from the ceramic tiles slicing through his school jacket. Nothing pressing. "I'll tell you that right now."

"We will wait to determine tha-" the nurse suddenly fell silent as William unbuttoned his school shirt, revealing his chest.

He tossed it and the jacket aside. The shirt was ruined, the soft white fabric stained red in various sized blotches on the back. He'd have to get a new one then. Perhaps Roman would pay for it? Or maybe the school would.

William turned his attention back to the nurse, who eyes were going over every inch of his skin as if he were some treasure map. He pursed his lips and followed her gaze.

She was staring at the scars. Even William had to admit he was nearly coated in them. His chest was a patchwork piece of scar tissue and muscle, sunken depressions in his skin where his flesh had been torn away and refused to heal properly. A jagged scar stretch from his right shoulder to the opposite hip. A handful of smaller scar branched off it, spreading the main scar larger at the intersections. There was a few small holes by his collar bone, depressions the size of a thumb with the skin a soft pink. Some on his side wrapped around to his back, which he knew was in no better state.

His back was more battered, but there wasn't any large scars on it that he could recall. Mostly it was small flecks, a collection of pocketed skin that had been torn out. There were small strips as well, running vertically down his back. Flogging left those kinds of scars. William wasn't sure if there was anything else in the world that left scars quite like it.

"Bleeding." He pointed out annoyed. "Shrapnel. Fix it." He told impatiently to the nurse.

She seemed to snap out of whatever trace she'd been in since she hurriedly picked up a pair of tweezers and a cotton swab. She walked around the table and William leaned forward. The skin stretched, the scars more pronounced, and the wounds opening. Blood leaked freely from them, but he paid it no mind.

He could feel her pick each slice of tile out of each cut, and dab at it with the cotton ball. He hissed the first time he felt it, cold alcohol surprising him. Then he was silent, taking the mild irritation in stride. His sea green eyes focused on the bunny girl in front of him, who seemed to still be in shock.

Her brown eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open, as if she'd forgotten it had fallen open. William cocked his head at her and she seemed to realize what she was doing. She blushed, but there was fear in her eyes and she refused to meet his gaze.

"That should be all of it." The nurse said. William heard her set the tweezers down followed by the feeling of cotton pads pressed against his back. "Let me bandage it and you're free to go." She said.

William lifted his arms above his head so she could wrap the bandages around. Once she was finished William got off the table, leaving the ruined shift and picking up the coat. He pulled it over his chest, buttoning it up.

"If you come back tomorrow I can get you something for the scarring." The nurse added as he headed to the door.

William glanced back at her and shook his head. "No. I'm carrying these scars to my grave." He turned, giving no further explanation for the scars, nor any doubt that he would not be coming back to get them treated.

"William!" He stopped at the door, and found it was Velvet how had called his name.

She looked at him uncertainly, living up to her Faunus heritage. She seemed ready to run or hide from his gaze. She shrank under it, and William felt his heart tug. She was just like her.

For a moment Velvet's ears turned white, and her eyes became a different shade of brown. Her body was dressed in black, instead of the school uniform. Blood seeped out of holes in her chest, and she stood on broken and tattered legs. William's eyes widened in horror as he realized he could see the bone, the flesh and muscle ripped apart with machinegun fire.

"William?"

William blinked, and the image was lost. Velvet was Velvet. Her ears weren't white, and her clothes weren't black or bloodied. She also wasn't dead, and she definitely wasn't shot.

"William are you alright?" She asked. William paused at the question, watching as her earlier fear melted into genuine concern. She was worried about a person she just met. How naive.

"I'm fine." He replied, reaching out. She shrank from his touch, but William caught her chin and lifted it up to meet his gaze. "You know." He muttered, peering down into her eyes. She seemed frozen at his touch, staring up into his eyes. "I was always fond of Faunus. They tend to see people for who they are, not who they seem to be." William mused. He took back his hand and turned away, heading back for the door.

"William?" Velvet asked in a small voice.

He looked back at her one final, stopping at the door. "You have a good leader Velvet. Keep them safe. Keep them close. Or you'll lose them." He advised, easing out of the door. It closed with a slam, leaving her with one last image of his eyes as he looked back.

Coco found her like that a few minutes later. Velvet was staring at the door, a look of fear and shock on her expression. The fashionista sauntered up to her, pursing her lips as she walked around her, then followed her gaze to the door.

"Velvet? Honey?" Coco asked gently, snapping her fingers in front of the bunny's face. "Hey what's up?"

Velvet turned to her, then looked back at the door. "William… He just left." She muttered softly. "He seemed nice. Said you were a good leader. That Faunus are good. We seemed to see more than the surface."

Coco frowned, seeming confused. "And you're concerned or terrified because of that?" She asked. "That doesn't sound bad. So why do you seem emotionally traumatized?"

"Because I looked at him." Velvet whispered, shivering slightly. "I mean, really looked at him. Past the masks he's put up. Beyond the expressions and I really looked hard into his eyes. And what I saw… Coco. He's not… There is a sorrow and a pain in his eyes that I can't even say veterans have seen. And the scars, Oum…" She breathed. "He's been tortured. I can't even imagine…." She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to still the tremors in his lithe frame.

"Velvet." Coco said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. "It's okay. We'll help him."

Velvet shook her head. "I… I don't think he'll accept that. He's… he's like an animal now. Backed into a corner and he's willing and wanting to lash out at anything that threatens him or comes close. If you want to start tearing down his masks and try to show him that, he's only going to lash out and attack you. And Coco," she looked at her leader with a sudden spark of confidence, "he's going to kill you. He's not afraid of death. I can see that clearly, even in dark and murky eyes like he has."

"He's killed before?" Coco asked a new edge in her voice. "Is he dangerous? Should I go tell Ozpin?"

"No… I think he just… He needs something. He's not violent by nature. I think that's just the only solution he sees right now." Velvet explained, leaning into her leader's arms. She needed a bit of stability now. She was shaken, to say the least.

"Then we'll see if we can save that big bad wolf of yours. Hm?" Coco proposed. "If you think he needs it, and he's worth saving, then I trust you. I'll do all I can for him. I promise." She assured her.

Velvet nodded and together they walked out of the infirmary. They would help the scarred and wounded beast that had stumbled into their lives. Whether he liked it or not, Coco would wring his pain out of him one way or another. Velvet just hoped Coco survived the experience.

Alright, Chapter Three Remade Complete. I hope you enjoyed. I tweaked a few things, and I hope you enjoyed it. I do have a glorious Beta now, and I'm not sure if I've called that to attention. My new faithful companion is Grossly Incandescent, and he'll be helping me improve the chapters. Mostly patching plot holes, making the script more cohesive, and fixing my ever so horrible grammar.

Leave a review, and tell me what you think of the changes. Or PM me what you think. The option is yours. I hope you enjoy the new chapters!