Enslaved To A Flame
Chapter 5
Fine Lines
William woke up screaming. He tore off the covers, throwing them off the bed as he scrambled out of it and collapsed on the ground. He caught himself on all fours, retching into the hardwood floor. The dorm floor was carpet, so when had hardwood floors been installed?
He looked up, and his room had vanished. He was in a hallway now, ominous shadows lingering about the bare walls despite there being no light. A figure stalked towards him, a short hefty knife in his hand that glinter off non-existent light.
William bashed his head into the floor. The pain woke him the rest of the way up, and the hardwood floors bled back to a soft creme colored carpet. The room expanded, the shadows lifting. He looked up fearfully, and saw the figure looming over him. He met the figure's eyes, seeing the cruelty in them, and the apathy hidden by it. Then the vision vanished, and William saw past him. The window welcomed his gaze, and looming in the center of the frame was the full moon.
Ragged gasps wrenched at the air when he finally remembered how to work his lungs. His heart was hammering into his ribcage, threatening to burst out of his chest and spill out onto the floor. William almost hoped it would as he gazed at the moon.
The solidity of the moon calmed his frayed nerves, and he drew a bit of comfort from its consistency. The moon had kept him company on many long nights, and had watched all his crimes and sins. William drew his legs up to his chest, letting the moonlight illuminate him as he stared up into it, focusing on his breathing.
He was drenched in cold sweat, made colder by the night's air, and William shivered as he slowly got to his feet. He wouldn't be returning to sleep soon. He had no desire to attempt to do so, or even risk returning to that nightmare he just escaped from.
Instead he headed to the shower, tearing off his clothes and throwing them in a soggy pile by the bathroom door. He turned the water to hot, making sure it was steaming before he stepped in.
The water scalded his skin, a physical pain to match the emotional trauma that wracked his brain. The difference was that he could deal with physical pain. Roman had conditioned him to resist more than a few torture techniques, and physical pain was an old friend to William now. It was easy for him to detach himself from it and ignore most types of pain. His mind on the other hand, was fragile from it, and broken. So William developed other tricks to supplement it, to mask his reactions and emotions. His mind could play all the tricks on him that it wanted, but if he focused solely on the physical he could make it through. If he lost himself in the pain it would fade.
William closed his eyes, ignoring the feeling of hot breath on his shoulder. He ignored his father's voice whispering in his ear. He focused on the way his skin screamed as the hot water battered against it. The way it burned and turned his tanned flesh a pinker hue. The illusion of calm didn't last long.
William picked up the soap, and instead of a feeling, his brain threw him a memory. It caught him off guard, the way his mom's mouth was open as his father plunged the knife into her chest. How she couldn't even scream, but her eyes locked with his, pleading with him for a solitary moment.
The soap tumbled out of his hands. His knees buckled. He kept himself from falling, catching himself with his arms on the dial for the shower. He straightened up, swallowing thickly as he finished washing up. He shivered slightly, feeling anxiety creep into his mind. He needed a distraction.
Team CFVY.
It was better than thinking of the past though, so William entertained the thought. He stepped out of the shower and started drying off to get dressed.
William would have to deceive all of them. Yatsuhashi seemed the easiest to deceive. Coco would be the second, but Fox and Velvet were more difficult. William wouldn't be surprised if Fox could detect his breathing, and any aberrations in it's normal rhythm. He couldn't stutter or trip up. Any lies he told had to be clear and without hesitation. Velvet would be the next obstacle. From Williams experience, Rabbit Faunus had an exceptionally good grasp of people's true character and if William played too far off of what she saw, then he would have to deal with Coco's questions.
He allowed his mind to run through a series of thoughts and worries. It kept it from considering other things as he pulled on his combat uniform. He would have to adjust a few things on it. He wouldn't be running stealth missions at school, and while wearing all black certainly fit the persona he was going for, William wanted a slightly lighter color to make up his wardrobe.
Coco seemed like the likely choice to ask for fashion advice. She seemed to be the one that cared most about it, and could likely outfit William in a stylish uniform. So long as she didn't do a strip search and inquire into everything about his life he was fine. Even if she did, William figured he could mix truth and lies well enough to fool her.
He picked up his scroll, sending Coco a text that he would be in the training arena. He needed to work off his anxiety. There were only three good ways to do that. One of them was illegal, and another he couldn't do because he didn't have a cigarette.
William opted for the last method, grabbing Moonlight Sonata and dropping it into the holster on his belt. He stopped once more at the window, looking out into the lightning darkness. The moon still looked back at him, hovering over the edge of the horizon. It took him another moment of staring to realize that stars had accompanied it tonight. He snorted, shaking his head. Stars were inconsistent lights that would glow and fade. The moon was always there though, at least it would watch over him.
He cast off the additional thoughts about the moon and the stars. They could be saved from a lonely night on a rooftop. For now, he needed the rush of adrenaline and the heat of battle to comfort him.
The training arena was open, and he pushed open the door expecting silence. He was wrong, instead he heard the sharp reports of a high caliber rifle. He pursed his lips in distaste, but strolled to the overlooking platform of the arena, leaning against the waist high railing. The arena was set lower than the stands, a calculated design, giving the observes a better view of the fight, and keeping most projectiles aimed away from the audience.
A blur of red shot around the room, rose petals trailing after it. Another round went off, and William saw the hole appear, cracking the concrete in the far wall. The blurr shifted trajectory, coming straight for him. He took a precautionary step back, but found it unnecessary.
The shape came into focus as it slowed down, flipping mid air, slamming the scythe blade into the edge of the arena, and balancing on the shaft of the weapon. The force of the maneuver tilted the weapon forward until she was leaning comfortably over William, her hand holding her at the top. She peered down at him, the small waist high wall around the arena providing her a height advantage she didn't usually have.
Ruby smiled down at him, her silver eyes looking into his sea green ones for a moment before she spoke. "What brings you out here so early?" She asked pleasantly, seeming far too awake for the early hour.
"Can't sleep," William answered honestly, "and training has always helped ease my nerves. I have a mission with team CFVY later today."
She nodded, leaning further over him as she inspected him. She grinned, the expression far too bright for William's mood. It spoke of untarnished innocence and purity. She had yet to accept the cruelty of the world. That would be a difficult challenge for her to deal with.
"Do you want to spar with me? Weiss said it would be a good idea to try and fight people with different styles." Ruby replied, hopefulness nearly gushing out of her voice. "And you didn't really fight us fair and square earlier either!"
William's hand drifted down to Moonlight Sonata's hilt, caressing the pommel for a moment as he thought about his answer. He could refuse, or he could fight her. There was no one else in the building, he could kill her now if he tried.
"Sounds good to me." He replied, imitating her expression.
He jumped past her, rolling as he hit the ground to dissipate the force. He came up on his feet, jogging a few more feet before drawing his sword, spinning it experimentally.
"Come on then little rose." He called. "I don't have all day to play." He faced Ruby, who was still perched on her scythe. The wall of the arena afforded her an advantage, but she would have to pry her weapon out of the wall before she could move.
Ruby hummed, shifting her grip on the scythe as she arched her back, prying it free of the concrete as if it was barely holding it. She dropped to the ground, squaring up with him a few paced away as she twirled her weapon before planting it into the ground.
"I'm ready when you are." She replied with a giddy smile, her eyes on his weapon.
"You're not moving yet." William replied pointedly, tentatively easing Moonlight Sonata back. He didn't like it when people stared too long at it. He knew the blade was clean, but he had the nagging feeling he always missed flecks of blood on the silver blade.
Ruby cocked an eyebrow at him, almost as if to warn him. She took off at a blur, wrenching her weapon out of the ground and barreling towards him at a breakneck speed. She was going for a head on attack. It was fitting of her personality, but naive, and crude.
William pivoted, a wire wrapping around his back foot and anchored into the ground. He thrusted his lead foot forward, twisting his hips and putting his weight behind the blow. The scythe blade bit into his steel heel, but halted, sparking and sliding free as Ruby swept past, continuing her run.
William whipped his head around, his eyes tracking the blur of rose petals as Ruby rushed around the arena. He could throw his semblance out, but he didn't truly have anything to anchor it to. Ruby's speed was enough to tear his wires out of any half-assed anchor he made on the fly as well.
Which meant he would have to wait for her to attack, or go on the offensive with the bow. William smiled. He hated defensive methods.
He flipped his sword around as Ruby came around for another pass. He saw it coming, the scythe blade materialized outside the blur of red as she slowed down. Her foot touched the ground again just as William rolled backwards, the blade whizzing over his head as Moonlight Sonata transformed.
His grip tightened on the bow, his semblance stringing the weapon even as Ruby slowed down and engaged him in close combat. She whipped the scythe around, aiming for his neck. He caught the heavy blade with one of the limbs of the bow. The force numbed his hand, but it left her open for a fraction of a second.
He kicked her, pivoting on his back foot again and slamming his foot into her open side with a side kick. His steel heel knocked her back, and she appeared stunned. He didn't come out unscathed though, her scythe blade had clipped his shoulder, slicing into his shoulder. He canceled his semblance, letting his Aura stop the bleeding and start the mending process.
"You should try a bit harder." William informed her as Ruby steadied herself. "If you don't come at me to kill, you won't be winning this spar."
Ruby seemed to consider it, adjusting her back foot and shifting her scythe position. William's Aura coiled around his body, and the bleeding stopped on his shoulder. A collection of blue threads stitched his shoulder wound closed, pulling it together. He rolled it, then shifted Moonlight Sonata to his left hand, flexing his right as he lined up with Ruby.
She shot forward, a blur of red that would reach him in milliseconds. He planted his sword, jumping as she came near. Her scythe met his blade, nearly tearing it out of the ground. She jerked forward, unprepared for the resistance. His hand encompassed her face, closing around it as he pushed her back. Her momentum drove her legs forward, and his hand drove her head back.
They toppled over as one, Ruby's head smacking into the ground. William planted his foot on her wrist, keeping the weapon hand down as he leaned over her. Her pulled an Aura Knife out with the other hand, the edge buzzing brightly as he put his Aura into it.
He pressed it against her neck, humming softly as she shook her head, stunned. "Game set and match." He muttered softly, keeping the blade at her throat.
She laughed, smiling at him. "Wow, I didn't think you could keep up with that."
William felt a sour taste creep up into his mouth. There was no witness for her death if he killed her now, but it wouldn't be right either. She trusted him. Even though they just met, she trusted him to put the knife away and help her up. He could see it, even as confusion started to trickle into her silver eyes.
She was too clean and untainted. William couldn't stand it. He pulled away, grabbing her by her bicep and pulling her to her feet.
"Your trajectory is too obvious." William replied sharply, turning away as he sheathed the weapon. "Even with your scythe, the alteration in your path is pretty clear. Work on it, and someone like me won't be able to even touch you."
"Oh." Ruby said, seeming surprised and a little embarrassed. "Okay. Thanks." She smiled, a big one full of the innocence and naivety that William sorely lacked. She was oblivious that William could have killed her a moment ago.
"Be more careful in combat." William added as he started walking to the stairs. "If you're not careful you'll get killed. I certainly almost did."
"Nope." Ruby replied with a smile that William could practically feel. She was on his heels, skipping behind him, her hands clasped behind her back. "You couldn't have. You're too kind."
The comment made William snort. He turned away, unable to meet her gaze as the doors opened. Coco walked in, all dressed up and ready to shoot. Her handbag rested on her hip, cocked to one side to accent her figure.
"There you are wolfie." Coco mused, glancing between him and Ruby. "Come along. No need to eat little red riding hood." She turned on her heels, walking back out the door.
"Later rose." William muttered as he walked out the door, leaving Ruby behind. She couldn't belong in this world. She was too soft, and once exposed to the rigors of life, she would fall apart. William could see it happening, the mental breakdown when she realized that the kind thing was not always right, and the cruel thing not always wrong. A wicked grin flickered across his lips. That would destroy her far more effectively than he or Roman ever could.
He followed Coco out the doors and across campus to a waiting Bullhead. The others were already there, waiting by the loading doors. Yatsuhashi wore a green outfit, a heavy scaled pauldron on his shoulder, with his sword strapped to his back. Fox wore a sleeveless vest, his weapons on his wrists. Velvet wore an odd brown outfit William wasn't sure how to classify. It looked like a leather jacket, but tight fitting, with little brass or bronze shoulder guards and accents.
William flicked his semblance out, extending his coat's hem into the flowing form of a duster. He was glad Roman had considered the adaption, and even more impressed when he found out the transition between its two orientations was so simple. It billowed out as he made it to the Bullhead, giving him a more ominous appearance. Coco seemed to hum her approval, her eyes raking over the garment.
William stepped onto the Bullhead, taking a seat on the bench as Coco and Fox joined him. On the opposite bench, Yatsuhashi and Velvet. William wasn't sure the classification of the mission, but he knew that they had packed accordingly. He didn't have anything to pack, and he didn't care to leech supplies of them either.
"What's the mission?" He asked Fox as the Bullhead's engines whined. They were taking off. William felt his center of gravity shift as the Bullhead rose.
The engines rotated and their acceleration gradually shifted to a horizontal plane. Fox waited for the roar of the engines to dull to a steady whine before he answered.
"A outriding village is having a Grim problem. We're being deployed in the woods around the village to help clear out the nearby vicinity. It shouldn't take more than a day or two. We should make it back for the dance."
William nodded, letting his hand ghost over Moonlight Sonata's hilt. He rubbed the pommel, letting the familiar shape and feel of it ease his thoughts. He could handle missions. Missions were simple and easy.
Coco hummed, kicking her legs for a moment before she reached down, pulling a small designer case from under her seat. William gave her a confused look as she set it in the middle of the floor. It opened up into a small brewing system, four cups neatly tucked into a velvet lined case. She produced a fifth mug from the bag, setting it next to the others.
"Coffee or tea?" She asked, directing the question at him as she started prepping the device.
"Coffee." William replied after a moment. "Is this some… team ritual?" He asked.
"Coco's preference. We share a cuppa before a mission, and then another after." Velvet chimed in softly from the other side of the hold.
William hummed, taking careful note of Velvet's accent and choice of words. Coco was into leadership and team building it seemed. Which could mean she would seek to better William, or attempt to dig into his history and thoughts in order to incorporate him better into CFVY.
"We're split on who prefers what before a fight. Me and Yatsu prefer tea before and after." Velvet continued. "It appears you Coco and Fox prefer coffee. Though, Coco likes it after as well. She's not a big tea drinking."
"Got that right sweetcheeks." Coco replied as she straightened back up, the little device humming softly, brewing what smelled like coffee. "I like my coffee with enough caffeine to kill." She grinned as the little brewer started to drip out dark brown liquid.
William could smell it from where he was sitting. The scent was pure, and undiluted in his nose. The caffeine made the hairs on his arms perk up, and a shiver to trail up his spine. He wasn't a big coffee drinker, nor did he like tea. He drank water, and his only indulging habit was smoking when he was stressed. Coffee was always expensive, and it took time to brew. He could smoke anywhere, and while packs were expensive, he could always steal a carton and make due for a month or two.
The coffee was ready shortly, and Coco handed him his own mug before fiddling with the device again. After she finished, it started brewing a lighter liquid that William assumed was tea. Fox and Coco sipped their cups tentatively, before humming in union. William stared down into his mug for a moment before wondering what the purpose of it was.
Coco could have just as easily done this ritual in CFVY's dorm room, instead of a Bullhead. It could be that they did it directly before a mission, but Coco also had an extra mug. She had likely planned it to include him. She was making efforts to include him, and draw him into a form of companionship.
William took a sip, deciding it was better to go along with it than avoid it. The caffeine shot his eye lid up all the way, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He nearly dropped the mug, catching it in his off hand and slipping some of it on his wrist. He hissed at the piping hot liquid, even as his Aura took away the flash of pain.
"Too much for you?" Coco teased from across the Bull head. William could nearly hear the smirk in her voice.
"Coco brews a very strong cup." Fox mentioned, as if William hadn't figured it out by now.
"I gathered." William shot back, coughing into the back of his hand. He steadied himself, gathering his wits before taking another sip. He was ready for the taste this time, and enjoyed the sharpness of the caffeine and the soft mellow aftertaste. He wasn't sure what brew Coco used, but it wasn't one he was familiar with.
The intercom clicked on, and William's off hand shifted to a ready position. He could pull Moonlight Sonata out of its holster from it, and his hand didn't look too out of place.
"Hunters?" The pilot called through the intercom. "I can't land at the drop zone, we have Nevermore's in the air space, and a host of Grimm waiting your arrival. The drop will be hot."
William hummed, reaching over and mashing the button on the side of the Bullhead door. The door rose, letting them peer out the side to observe the scene they would be let loose upon.
A Nevermore, the size of a car, ghosted by the Bullhead's open bay, and William dropped his hand to Moonlight Sonata. He would have had it out in another moment, but Coco dropped a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"I'll handle the dropzone." She called to the pilot. "Fox hold my coffee." She said, handing the mug over to her partner.
William regarded her for a moment before sliding Moonlight Sonata out all the way. "You can't get the ground forces with that minigun of yours like I can." He informed her. "Just don't shoot me."
"William, I think you should give it a minute, this dropzone is pretty hot, and you haven't been on a mission yet." Coco replied, popping her handbag free of it's holder. She widened her stance, forcing William to take a step behind her or fall out of the Bullhead.
William smirked, flipping Moonlight Sonata around into a reverse grip. "Don't underestimate me Coco." He warned. "I was holding back with you." He launched himself forward, diving over her and out the Bullhead.
"William!" Coco's voice tore out of her voice, but she wasn't fast enough to catch him. Fox dove, but he missed, nearly colliding with Coco and sending them both tumbling out of the bay.
William flipped, coffee in one hand, Moonlight Sonata in the other. The air whipped at his hair and clothes, but he had sensed where he would be landing. The Nevermore didn't even see him coming as he plummeted twenty feet down and landed on its back. He landed on one foot, bending his knee and transferring the force of his fall to his other heel, which he smashed down behind the beast's neck.
The heavy feathers distributed the force, but the oversized bird dropped down a few feet anyway from the impact. It shook itself, but kept flapping. William pursed his lips in annoyance at the reaction, a human definitely would have died.
William drained the cup of coffee, his other hand working his semblance. Threads encircled the birds wings, teasing the joints of its wings, looping carefully around it's limbs. William sensed more than saw that his construct was complete. He pulled the wires tight as he tilted the cup up, getting the dregs.
The Nevermore's wings abruptly shut, the wires pushing the joint in and pulling the wingtips back to the main body. It squawked, thrashing as William closed off the wires, turning them into loops around its own body. It was no longer straining against William, but its own physical frame.
They plummeted to the ground. William dropped the empty mug, casting a wire through the handle and looping it to his belt so he could return it to Coco. The landing zone was rushing up to meet him, and he needed a landing strategy.
He twirled Moonlight Sonata, expanding it out to its bow configuration. He pulled the string back and formed an arrow on the string, sighting two of the thinner trees on the edge of the clearing.
He fired twice, his arrows linked together by a thin strand of his Aura. They hit the trees, the thread spanning across it, linked back to William's hand on the same little thread. He jumped off the Nevermore, letting momentum carry him forward. He adjusted his form, his heels touching the wire, snapping the tension out of the wire. He extended it slowly, letting the wire slowly stretch to absorb his speed.
The Nevermore crashing into the ground, tumbling and landing awkwardly, its neck twisted at an odd angle. William knew anatomy well enough to know that it's vertebra and spine were shattered from the impact. If Nevermore's followed bone structures of birds, their bones would be hollow, and easily broken.
William flipped the blade around, condensing it back down to his sword. He snapped the wire tight, shooting backwards and down at the ground. He met the first Grimm with a slash that contained every bit of force in his charge. He hit the ground, skidding and spinning as he sliced through the werewolf looking ones.
They went down like easy fodder, dropping to the ground with a deadly slash across the neck, or grievous wounds that cleaved into their flesh. As William slowed, coming to a halt, he changed tactics. These beasts acted with a pack mentality, but that wasn't good enough to bring William down. He had fought far more deadly beasts.
The silver blade caved through limbs, leaving incapacitated Beowulf's on the ground, writhing and whimpering while their bodies disintegrated slowly. William didn't give them pause, instead he charged for the larger threat. A bear looking Grimm , flanked by two Beowulf's.
Coco's minigun lit up the area around him, churning through the smaller Beowulf's easily. The Bullhead dropped lower to the ground as William met the bear. He slid under the two Beowolves as they jumped at him. The bear swiped down, intending on crushing him into the dirt.
William sprang up, twisting around it's meaty paw, reversing his grip on his sword as the cleaved into its arm, using his rising force and his forearm behind the blade to reinforce it. William managed to cleave through the monster's arm up to the middle of its forearm before he slowed. He ripped it out, swiping the blade across it's face. Its mask took the blow, scrapping a solid line over its eyes.
The bear staggered back, swatting at its eyes with its working arm, the other hung limply, flecks of darkness fading off of it. William threw his sword, dropping to a shallow crouch even as the blade left his hands. The point sheared through the bear's eye, burying halfway up the blade. It swayed as William drew the two Aura Daggers, already buzzing with a blue blade.
He twisted around, but found he didn't have to deal with the two Beowulves from before. Fox's back greeted him instead, the blind brawler seeming to watch their corpses melt away. William spung both of his daggers around his palms, a nervous twitch, before he dropped them into his pockets again.
"You should have gone for the Beowulves first." Fox said, turning away and heading towards the landing Bullhead. "An Ursa is slower, and more likely to allow underlings, such as a Beowulf, to handle an attacker before it bothers attacking, unless you charge it." He explained as it sent down.
William hummed, realizing his mistake and filing the information away for later. He would have to analyse the anatomy of Grimm if he was going to fight them. He remembered some of it from the fights Roman put him in, but those cases were special. Those Grimm weren't normal.
Yatsuhashi and Velvet were unloading, pulling duffel bags off the Bullhead's cargo hold. Yatsuhashi carried three, stacking them on his shoulder with his sword in his offhand. Velvet carried a designer suitcase in one hand, matching Coco's color scheme. William holstered Moonlight Sonata, letting the bare blade knock against his leg as he headed over.
"You didn't pack anything, but we prepared a kit for you anyway. Ozpin assumed you didn't have anything for a field mission, so he allowed Coco to set up a kit for you. We went with the bare necessities. That's what's in the blue duffle bag." Fox explained, gesturing to the final duffel bag in the cargo hold.
William nodded as he pulled it out, slinging it over his shoulder. It wasn't particularly heavy, and if they went with the bare necessities then it was likely it contained a bedroll, maybe a tent, and rations. If there was anything else, then William wouldn't likely need it.
He followed after them, wordlessly falling in behind Fox. He observed their gaits again, interested to see how they would have changed in a now combat oriented space.
Fox's were more cautious, but he had lost the air of uncertainty. Each step was confident, and he avoided small obstacles like tree roots of rocks in the ground without a thought. His head was on a swivel as well, cocking his ears either way and seeming to survey the area as they walked through it.
Velvet kept close to Yatsuhashi, taking short tentative steps. She looked like a greenhorn, uncertain in a fight, or at least in her strength. Her strides matched Fox's, even though she had longer legs. Her arms were kept close to her chest, and her ears were pressed flat to her head. She was nervous. Rabbit Faunus' were like that sometimes.
Coco's was unchanged, still a confident swagger. A result from her figure rather than arrogance. She still wore heels, which didn't make much sense to William. Her handbag hung on one hip, her hand resting lightly on it, with the other carrying a bag.
"We'll need a suitable campsite for the duration of our stay." Coco mentioned as they headed into the forest. "So I feel like for today we should be establishing a base and a solid perimeter."
The act made sense, to establish a fall back point, or in the minimum, a place to rest during the fight. William could agree with the move, even if he wouldn't have made it. The mission would likely be an extensive one, and one that he would plow into full speed until it was done.
They would set up by a rocky overhang, which would provide a cover from any rain. Their tents would theoretically be covered from any harsh weather, or sheltered from wind. A small river was located a half mile away, an easy jog to and from it. Coco set about distributing work immediately.
Yatsuhashi was given the task of digging out a fire pit, as well as bringing back rocks for a boundary around it. Velvet and Coco started setting up the tents. Fox took William out with him, never mentioning his task. William could only assume that is would be firewood. It made sense, even if William wouldn't have bothered with it.
He took the time to watch Fox, and try to discern his method of sight. William could tell that Fox wasn't just relying on hearing. Battle was a mess of sounds and noise, the scraping of metal, the clash of steel, the ripping of flesh and the grating of bone. Anyone with the skill to cipher through that mess of audio would have to have extensive training. Fox looked the type for extensive training, but there would still be gaps in his fighting, instances where his brain had to process sound.
William wasn't about to believe Fox was blind. He also wasn't about to ask Fox flat out about it when the hunter had his hands free. So he waited until they were coming back with a mixture of logs and branches, Fox's arms full, and William's bundle wrapped tightly in his semblance, leaving one of his hands free.
"How blind are you?"
Fox tilted his head, acting as if he was listening to their surroundings. "Well, I went blind when I was five. But the doctors informed me that I am completely blind. I cannot see any shapes, colors or anything else in the slightest. I am clinically blind." He replied.
William frowned, giving Fox a sharp look. "I didn't ask about your eyes."
Fox gave him a smirk, his lips pulling back slightly, a mixture of amusement and an impressed look. "Eyes are how you see, are they not?"
"You're avoiding the question and we both know it. You don't need them and neither do I." William shot back, checking Fox's stance as he replied. Fox was still passive, his shoulders lack, his expression still friendly.
Fox shrugged as he moved around a tree, stepping over and around the tree roots easily. "That is a secret I will keep for quite a bit longer if you don't mind. I don't quite trust you enough to let you know how I manage what I do."
William mulled his words over for the next couple paces. Then he shrugged, deciding that he had pried out all he could from Fox. He already had a good idea how Fox saw, and even without a verbal confession, he could admire the skill it required. So he let the brawler lead him the rest of the way back to camp.
He found Coco waiting for them, casually examining her nails. The tents were pitched, and their gear stowed away, likely inside of it. A fire pit was dug and ready for use, all that was left was wood, which William and Fox had brought.
Coco greeted them readily, walking up to them, but passing Fox. Her hand slapped his ass, giving it a generous squeeze. Fox seemed unphased by it, but that didn't stop a sly grin from appearing on Coco's face. William almost missed the small smirk that flashed across Fox's face. Coco repeated the action with William, but it didn't have the same enthusiasm. With Fox, it had been slightly intimate, but with him it was just teasing.
She flexed her fingers as she walked back to the campfire with William. Finally, she looked up at him, giving him a confused expression. "Your ass is far firmer than I'd originally thought."
William could only assume this was Coco's playful side. He wasn't quite sure how to react to it. There was a sarcastic line he had thought up, but then again, it might not be appropriate as a reply. But he was playing the uncouth youth from Vacuo who had a pension for disobedience. So he said it any way.
"Sorry about that. People get rough with you when you work the corner."
He delivered the line so flat and dry that it took a small smirk for Coco to realize that he was kidding. She eased her sunglasses down to look him in the eyes, a smile slowly expanding across her face before she started chuckling. It graduated to a laugh after a moment, and left William wondering if he'd said something wrong.
"Never have I ever gotten a line like that." Coco finally managed as she calmed down. She sighed, letting the smile linger on her lips as William set his pile of wood down by the fire pit. "I'm surprised William. I wasn't expecting the sort of reply from you."
"I have my moments." William replied coyly, casting out his semblance to snatch Fox's wood from his hands. He headed off towards one side of the cave. Constructing a small wooden wall to extend out the cave would help shelter the tents from the wind, as well as offer a sense of security.
Coco joined him, likely having the same idea. Together they worked until dark, stopping shortly after due to lack of resources. The small buffer they had made would block a portion of the wind, but its effectiveness at the task would be judged latter that night.
"We shouldn't start until the morning, likely at first light. But with the situation, I think a night guard would be appropriate." Coco remarked as they gathered around the campfire. "Who wants first watch?"
William jumped at the chance, raising his hand to take the spot before any of the others could. "I'd like to. I won't mind at all."
The others didn't seem to protest, so instead they headed about their business to get ready for bed. They brushed their teeth and adjusted their tents and belongings before retiring to bed. All except for Coco, who sat down at the fire to brew one last cup of coffee before she retired to bed. William sat across from the fire, his hands folded carefully on top of each other, angled so the fire light shadowed the scars on his hands.
Her cup was just starting to fill when she looked up at him, her brown eyes burning into his more intensely than the flames themselves. "You wanted to ask me a question? I can tell."
William hummed, appreciating that she could read the atmosphere. It let him bring it up without having to introduce it. "Why me? And why for this mission? And why now? I'm new. I haven't done anything of interest."
"On the contrary dear William." Coco remarked, reaching into her purse and withdrawing a small container of creamer. "You helped Velvet. And anyone who stands up for Faunus, especially how you did, is good in my books. Plus, you held up to team RWBY well, and you didn't have a clue about their abilities. You handle yourself well, and it's easy to see you're strong. But mostly, the reason is Velvet."
"Velvet?" William asked, cocking an eyebrow. "All I did was take care of Cardin and a few others. It wasn't that impressive. Those punks weren't anything special."
Coco shook her head as her coffee finished. She added the creamer, casually stirring it to blend it roughly. She took a sip before it had evenly dissolved, humming softly. "Not what I meant little wolf." The nickname gave William pause, but then again, his middle name did translate to wolf. She could know the meaning. "I meant when Velvet looked at you, she saw something you're not showing. You're not this punk from Vacuo who wanted discipline. You're not a kid in need of help. No. You're something much more, and I'm curious to know what. You don't get as strong as you do without some type of special training, and I have a feeling that your uncle isn't exactly who you say he is."
William felt his skin prickle and the hairs on the back of his neck. Coco's eyes bore into his. Then he smiled. It was all just a game, and the only thing on the line was his life. "I have no clue what you think you're seeing in me. But you're looking far too deeply into this. Vacuo has some difficult streets, and it's not likely for you to survive if you can't fight. As for my uncle. My uncle is a businessman and I am his errand boy. If he has something that needs to be done, then I do it for him. Cut and dry, short and simple. If I failed then I have a punishment, and training that needs to be reinforced. If I succeed, then I have more training to build on that success. There's nothing special about it. It's just how the real world works." William shot back coldly, mechanically.
"Life is more than that." Coco rebuked. "You just have to find someone willing to show you that. And if that's how your uncle thinks, then I don't think I like your uncle."
"He's not wrong." William replied, watching Coco finished her cup of coffee and set it down. She had drained most of it in one gulp, likely to steady her nerves. Even if she had experience as a huntress, out alone in the woods with hundreds of Grimm surrounding her was likely to fray her nerves. "You wouldn't like my uncle though." A wiry smile graced William's lips as he stared into the fire, watching it consume the wood. If only she knew. He wondered how quickly her opinion of him would change. If only she knew what he had done to get here. The thought made his smile turn to a smirk. He enjoyed the game of life and death.
He reached out suddenly, careless of the flames as he pushed a piece of wood deeper into the flames, so that the entire length was within the blaze. The flames licked at his skin, singeing the hairs off his hands and wrist, but his Aura protected his flesh.
"Let me see your hands." Coco said suddenly. The request caught William off guard, and it put him in a difficult position. If she inspected them, she would feel all of his scars, and likely pinpoint the largest. If she could put two and two together, then he would have to reveal part of his past. On the other hand, if he refused, it would create a rift of distrust, and an unnecessary issue.
William pursed his lips, deciding it would be best to simply accept the request. He got up, moving around the fire to take the seat next to her. He gave her his right hand, dropping it into hers with he kept his left on his knee.
"Doing some palm reading?" He teased. "I don't believe in that sort of fate if you're trying to predict my lifespan or my fate. Destiny is crap."
Coco snorted softly at his statement, but turned her attention to his hand, running her fingers over them as she felt out the callouses and scars. Her touch was gentle, careful. She likely learned that from Fox. If Fox had put up a convincing act, then he would have asked to feel their faces, and his touch would have been gentle but thorough.
"You have quite a lot of scars on your hands." Coco mentioned as her fingers dipped towards his palm.
"Training, and the cost of using my semblance. If the tension is too high, the wires will cut into my hands, before I learned to manage it better will pulleys and additional loops, I used to cut my fingers to the bone quite regularly." William explained. The other part of that was that Roman and his interesting methods of torture. He never went for anything that would leave obvious scars or wounds. No, he liked to be discrete.
Coco's fingers danced over the knife wound, tracing the edges of the scar before dipping into it. On the other side of his hand, the fingers there dipped down. William could feel it as her fingers dipped into the center of the pair.
Her head jerked up sharply, meeting his eyes. She found a sea of regret instead of anger at her intrusion. She swallowed stiffly, then let go of his hand.
"That one isn't from training." She remarked softly. "Was it your uncle?"
William shook his head, knowing that he would have to be truthful about this particular matter. "My father, when I was younger, before I moved to my uncle." He drew his hand back, wordlessly giving her his other hand. She located the scar on that hand as well. "I had been screaming. He had been drinking. My mother had been…" He trailed off slowly, watching the memory flash in his eyes. "There was a knife, and he took the opportunity to take me out of the equation." His voice suddenly icy and flat, like a knife blade. It cut out the emotion in his voice, leaving only a callous fact.
Coco bit her lip, realizing that she had stepped into a minefield she wasn't quite ready to deal with. "Your father sounds like a worthless bastard that needs to di-"
"He's dead." William interrupted her. "He's dead and buried. He killed my mom." He shifted his gaze from the fire to look at Coco. "And there is nothing I can do about it." For a moment Coco saw what Velvet had seen. For just a moment in the flickering firelight she felt like she was standing in front of the executioner.
William's expression had turned into a dark visage, a grim smile. His eyes had darkened, matching the color of the sea during a storm. There was no light in them at the moment, and even the glimmer of the firelight seem to have been swallowed in them. His hands curled into fists, his jaw set as he clenched them. "He's dead. But that bastard deserves something far worse than Hell." William snarled.
Coco could see what Velvet meant when she said he looked like a wolf, caged and ready to lash out, with only anger and rage left. She stood slowly, collecting her cup as she headed to her tent. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering if she had made the right choice in choosing to take in William.
"Get some sleep." William's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked back at him. The rage had drained out of his eyes, and the anger out of his body. All that was left was apathy and sorrow. A hurt that ran so deep that it seemed as endless as the rage he had shown just a moment ago. "I'll wake you up for your watch."
Coco nodded, sliding into her tent. It occurred to her that William wouldn't wake her, and that she should likely set an alarm on her scroll for it. But from the day's events, she could only assume William was ready to get to sleep as well. She slid into her sleeping bag, finding that it was already occupied by her favorite visitor.
She hummed softly, pulling off her brown sweater to leave the white undershirt as she slid into her not-boyfriend's embrace. The blind fighter's arms slid around her, leaving a hand on her hip and another under her neck, his bicep acting as a cushion for her neck.
"Goodnight Fox." She whispered, easing off to sleep, William's situation rapidly draining from her mind as she marveled at how warm Fox's chest was compared to the sleeping bag and the outside air.
Good (morning, afternoon or evening), I apologize for the tardiness of this update. It's been difficult to write with my schedule and other activities I've been doing. (My roommate got me into playing Warframe, and now I've been doing that with him most afternoons.)
-_- Sorry guys. Hope you enjoy the reworked Chapter, and seeing William develop as a character. (again for you repeat viewers).