The screen began to bubble and boil as the familiar silver door rose from it's depths, the thick purple chains corroding and breaking apart as the door opened up and bathed everything in dark purple.
From the tainted light, came a single red eye that glared at the screen before the door slammed shut and everything became static, a crumbling rose symbol appearing every so often as the title began to form.
The Ruinverse: Chapter Five, Blackened Motives.
Xxxxxxx
-Remnant, Menagerie, Kuo Kuana, White Fang HQ-
It was a very somber day for the faunus rights organization as they had a crushing defeat two months ago.
On that day, in the very heart of Atlas, the White Fang led by the founder of said organization Ghira Belladonna, ended in tragedy when a single faunus, unknown to anyone on both sides, threw a rock at a high ranking Specialist and caused a firefight that killed many on the human and faunus sides.
But the worst tragedy of all were the deaths of the Chieftainess and Princess of Kuo Kuana, Kali and Blake Belladonna, who were caught in the crossfire and brought down by aura piercing bullets.
This led to numerous faunus wanting the heads of the people who caused it. However, they couldn't do anything as Ghira had issued a month-long period of mourning for the faunus lost during the 'Atlas Massacre', and they, at this point in time, were busy discussing the tragedy and how best to deal with the humans, with mixed results.
"We have to make them pay! They draw blood, then we will paint the street with theirs!" yelled one of the White Fang Elite Guards in anger.
"We can't. If we do, it might bring disaster to our cause." another guard said with a sigh. "And possibly incur the wrath of Atlas."
"Screw Atlas!" yelled another faunus in rage, showing her cobra-like fangs. "They shot and killed High Leader Ghira's wife and daughter! They had nothing to do with the rally!"
"They were." sighed a faunus with goat ears. "He brought them to the rally because it was technically a holiday, the rally just so happened to be in Atlas at the time."
"Still! We need to repay them for murdering our pride and joy! Menagerie NEEDS retribution!"
"What it needs is to stay calm and think things through!"
"No! We need blood for blood!"
"Yeah!" yelled several of the more blood hungry White Fang members as the ones that were more rational started to butt heads with them.
But as this occured, Sienna Khan just stood near a pillar and watched them, her mind thinking of how she lost a good friend and a potential ally in Kali Belladonna and her daughter.
'This in-fighting will tear the White Fang apart...but it is necessary to weed out the weak.' she thought while feeling a little sad. 'Still, to lose two good faunus to the hatred of humanity...it is an unforeseen tragedy that needs to be remembered.'
"I say we kill the humans of Atlas! Show them the error of their ways!"
"And get Mantle destroyed as well!? That is insane and a stupid action for our brothers and sisters LIVING there!"
"They will help! They hate Atlas for the massacre!"
"But they will HATE us if we attack like animals! We need to think this carefully or we will be seen as terrorists!"
"Or maybe you're just secret human sympathizers!"
"I am not!"
"Then fight the humans!"
"Not until we have a plan to keep ourselves from getting jailed!"
Creak.
Both sides of the debate blinked as the doors to the throne room opened up, revealing a tall muscular man with long black hair that went to his shoulders, a short yet thick beard, bloodshot yellow eyes that seemed to have a faint circle of black around the eyes, wearing an open dark violet long sleeved vest with white fur trim that shows his thick hairy chest, beige pants, light gray shoulder pads, thick light brown leather straps attached to the sides and held together by a silver wolf's head pin that seemed to be stained with dried blood, long light brown fingerless gloves that extended to his upper arm area, and brown leather boots, walking in with a very dark look on his face.
This was Ghira Belladonna...and for some reason, his very presence seemed to be off, as if changed in some way.
Everyone stayed silent and watched as he walked through the crowd, everyone feeling a cold chill.
Sienna raised an eyebrow at this but chalked it up to grief as the High Leader moved towards the throne and sat down, gripping the armrests with his hands. 'Huh, this is new. I have never seen him this tense before...no. It's not tension or anger, it's something else.'
Ghira slowly moved his eyes across the room, making the faunus freeze in place by his almost predatory gaze, before staring down the Albian Twins and beckoned them closer.
'What does the High Leader want?' one faunus thought while the two fox faunus moved closer.
"Yes, High Leader Ghira?" asked Fennec and Corsac at the same time.
"I want a word with you two." he said coldly before looking in Sienna's direction. "Same goes to you, Khan."
She blinked at the sudden choice of words while the other faunus moved out of the throne room and closed the doors behind them. 'He never uses last names when addressing others, not even with Kali.'
"What do you wish to speak to us about, High Leader Ghira?" Corsac asked in confusion.
He glared at the two, as if seeing them as beneath him, and said in a cold tone. "Comrades, I have had an epiphany in the last month, about our place in Remnant."
The twins looked confused along with Sienna as Ghira continued.
"For millennia we have been the stepping stone of humanity, used and abused by those in power." he said coldly. "And once we have been broken down to our lowest, discarded like trash."
"Yes, that is true." said Fennec before being glared at by the High Leader.
"But as of late, I have seen another side of that coin." he said before standing up. "The hypocrisy of the faunus species."
This caused the three to blink in complete confusion.
"We have cheated, robbed, killed for survival but as of late, we have used our gifts to ruin our pride, our dignity." he narrowed his eyes. "From the fanatics to the cowardly, the foolish and the prideful, the faunus have done nothing to change their fates, never strived for anything other than self gain and power." he gripped his right hand tightly as his sharp nails pierced his skin and drew blood. "But that ends today. For I shall do the one thing that none of you cowards have attempted before."
Sienna gulped while feeling like the temperature of the room became as cold as a Soltias night.
"We shall destroy the four Kingdoms, leave nothing standing and allow none to repopulate them." he said with a dark foreboding tone that made the three White Fang members petrified and frozen in shock.
"What?!" yelled Sienna in shock. "You want us to destroy the Kingdoms!?"
"Yes."
"B-But our brothers and sisters-"
"I see." Fennec said calmly but masking a very horrified expression. "So the destruction of the Kingdoms and its human population. A wis-"
Ghira frowned. "It is not just the humans, Albian. The faunus of every Kingdom must die as well."
"B-But High Leader Ghira! We are striving to change things for our brothers and sisters!" Corsac yelled. "That is the goal of the White Fang!"
"Not anymore." Ghira frowned. "Both sides have brought this upon themselves, it is only natural that we, under my leadership, destroy the humans and faunus to bring about true peace."
Sienna narrowed her eyes at this. "Ghira, this is madness, you can't expect us to go along with this plan of mass genocide."
"It isn't genocide when animals are involved." he said, making the faunus gasp at his blatent racist words. "Now, Albains. Khan, assemble the faunus of Menagerie. Bring them here, now."
"But...High Leader-"
Ghira glared, making Corsac freeze in terror. "Bring. Them. Here. Now."
"...yes sir." He said while walking away, his brother was still in complete shock as he followed him.
"This is madness Ghira." Sienna frowned.
"To you, but it's part of a grander plan." He said before dismissing her. "Leave, gather the faunus. Now."
"...very well." She said before walking out of the room. 'Did their deaths really change you...or was this your true feelings?'
(Later)
-Former Belladonna Residence/Chieftain Residence-
Within the dusty and dilapidated estate, once the home of the Belladonnas, the many faunus, both land and aquatic, White Fang and citizen, entered the estate as many of the Menagerie Guard kept the peace, even if the White Fang also corralled them like cattle.
Overall, they were confused, scared and shocked that their chieftain and local hero for faunus rights would force them out of their homes and businesses to be relocated here.
"What do you think is going on?" asked a female angelfish faunus to a male donkey faunus, her fins looking slightly dried by the warm air outside.
"No idea." He shrugged, his ears twitching a little. "But maybe it's an invasion force?"
"I don't think so." a cow faunus, her horns gleaming in the sunlight. "If there was an invasion, then we would've heard about it in advance."
"Maybe he's going to tell us some good news." asked a female sheep faunus.
"About what?"
"...getting over his loss?"
"I don't think so."
As the various faunus kept on chatting to each other, no one noticed that some of the White Fang were bolting the exits and windows shut.
All the while sharing a discrete nod to each other.
That was when they noticed that one of the rooms, the former meeting hall to be exact, had a large wide screen tv on the central wall and...
Swizzz!
Was turning on to reveal Ghira himself, sitting on his throne with a very uncharacteristic frown.
"Welcome, people of Menagerie." he said coldly. "You must be wondering why I brought you here. But all will be revealed soon, but tell me, do you recall The Judgement of Faunus?"
The faunus blinked while recalling that particular creation myth and how...harsh it was compared to its counterpart, The Shallow Sea.
"To those with fleeting memories, the God of Animals gave our ancestors the ability to be both animal and human, to survive in this world." he said before glaring at them. "Well, the god was right about one thing. Humans and faunus are the worst species in the world, falsehoods and war is all we know. And as such, I issue my final decree as Chieftain."
One of the faunus, a young hare faunus, twitched his ears as he heard something being lit in the background.
"All the animals of this place shall be destroyed. Those that survive shall be used as cannon fodder for the destruction of the Kingdoms." he said while showing his teeth, before snarling out. "Enjoy suffering, you beasts, because this is the final day of your pathetic life."
WOOSH!
And just like that, the tv turned off as a blazing inferno started to form inside the manor itself.
"Hey, fire! FIRE!"
"FIRE!"
And just like that, panic and fear gripped the faunus as they tried to run towards the exits, not realizing that the White Fang had blocked the ways and were armed to the teeth.
"...this isn't right." one dragonfly faunus muttered while hiding her head with her White Fang mask. "This isn't right."
"Well it's what we were told to do, so straighten up."
"We're killing our people! The ones we're supposed to be fighting FOR!"
"We have our orders." said the iguana faunus, his lizard-like eyes looking at his companion from behind his mask. "We can't ignore them."
"But this is a slaughter!"
"AH!" screamed a bear faunus, his clothes on fire as his ears were heavily burned at the tips, as he jumped out of a barricaded window to 'freedom'. "AHHH!"
Only for two White Fang members to grab him and throw him into a nearby pond, extinguishing the fire.
"Take him." said one of the faunus, an eel faunus, who was right next to the horrified dragonfly faunus while forming a forced grin. "He will be sent to Atlas."
"Wait, why?" she asked in confusion as the bear faunus was dragged away.
"High Leader Ghira ordered us to strap the survivors to bombs." he said coldly but also forced. "All set to explode near the borders of every Kingdom, letting...the Grimm runamock."
"WHAT?! That's insane!" She cried out while more and more faunus were able to escape the figure, only to be caught by the White Fang and dragged away to their fates.
"I know." he said while looking ready to cry behind his mask of coldness. "But...this is the only way."
She turned to the now blazing inferno that was destroying the Belladonna residence, along with every single faunus trapped within. 'This is madness...he destroyed Menagerie...he destroyed the faunus.'
(Many weeks later)
Ghira frowned as he sat on his throne, tapping the edge of his throne impatiently as Sienna and the Albain Twins stood on either side of him. "..."
"High Leader?" Fennec said while trying to break the very bad tension in the room. "Are you ok?"
"No, the news of Atlas' fall hasn't arrived yet." he frowned while not seeing Sienna's disgusted expression. "It should've been here an hour ago."
"It takes time." said Corsac with a gulp. "The CCT Towers have been destroyed so it will take longer than expected."
CRUSH!
"Animals." growled Ghira while breaking the right armrest with his right hand. "Worthless animals, all of them."
That made Sienna scowl and nearly growled at him, but kept it together.
"High Leader." said Corsac as Fennec momentarily frowned at the racist term. "Shall I replace the armrest?"
"Do whatever you want." he said coldly. "But make sure the next attack is swifter than this one."
Corsac nodded while no one noticed an assassin, clad in black and red, was moving towards the throne, a reddened odachi in the assassin's hands and ready to strike. "I will remember that, High Leader Belladonna."
And like that, Ghira narrowed his eyes as the assassin moved in to attack him.
WOOSH!
Only to be repelled by a black aura that covered the faunus like a second armor.
"If I wasn't able to hear your footsteps, or unlocked my semblance in the months prior, then you might have killed me." he said while the assassin's bull-like horns revealed themselves. "Taurus."
"So, you can still use names and not call me an animal, such an honor." spoke the man with sarcasm.
Ghira frowned before looking at the twins, who were pulling out their weapons. "I see, a coup. Just like the jackals you are."
"You've gone too far, you've slaughtered too many of our own people!" Fennec frowned.
"We are only doing this for the future of the White Fang." Corsac narrowed his eyes as Ghira frowned.
"I see, animals." he growled while extending his claws, the black aura seemingly moving from his body to his very fingers. "I'm surrounded by animals!"
"And you will die like one!" Adam yelled while he charged at the High Leader, only to see him grab the blade and pull him towards the giant of a man.
POW!
And got decked in the face as the twins used their weapons in tangent to create mini tornados of fire.
WOOSH!
WOOSH!
Sienna watched on as the battle became more and more hectic, Ghira using his strength and strange aura to block the attacks and the other opponents trying to land a hit and failing due to his experience.
"Beasts, all of you!" Ghira roared while his nails began to glow a tainted black as he grabbed Fennec by the neck and started to squeeze him.
"Ah...ah!" he gasped before feeling his body quickly swivel up and his mind began to break down, seeing images of pain and loss unimaginable for the manipulative faunus.
CRACK!
Crosac's eyes widened as his brother was thrown across the room, his neck broken and his body a dried husk, which caused his mind to enter a brotherly rage as he shot fireballs at the panther faunus.
He frowned before seeing Adam charge at him and grabbed him by the right arm.
RRRRIIIIPPPP!
And ripped it out of its socket.
"AHHHHHHH!" Adam screamed in pain as he dropped his blade and held the stump of his arm, which bled and stained the floor with crimson.
Ghira quickly ran towards Corsac, who was trying to hit him with fireballs but couldn't even penetrate his aura, and grabbed him by the neck.
CRUNCH!
And broke it as the faunus slumped his head and dropped his weapon to the ground, much to the horror of Adam, who was trying to reach for his blade.
'I can't die here...the faunus...they need to be freed!' he thought before seeing Ghira walk towards him, slowly and yet deliberately.
"You really thought you filthy animals could even beat me, much less kill me? I founded this organization, I taught all of you how to fight." he snarled before picking the blade away and kicked Adam in the face, making him fall to the ground. "I am better than all of you pathetic hypocrites put together."
"Ah...you were...better than this..."
"I was weak." he frowned. "I was weak to let faunus like you runamock in the White Fang, ruining our chances to bring peace. And now, I have to step up and bring all these beasts into the slaughterhouse."
Adam frowned before Ghira grabbed his mask and crushed it in his left hand, revealing the 'SDC' brand on his right eye.
"Pathetic, a slave to the mines. You know nothing of unity and peace, just violence for violence sake." he narrowed his eyes before spitting in his face. "To think, my daughter valued you as a faunus."
"Blake...she...wouldn't want this…" the bull faunus coughed out before getting kicked in the face, breaking his teeth in the process.
"Do not speak her name in my presence, beast!" he growled before raising his right foot up and-
CRUNCH!
SPLAT!
Sienna closed her eyes as the boy's face was caved in, his bone and eyes crushed by the High Leader's boot as she felt hope die within her bosom. 'It...failed. The faunus...they are without a hero.'
Ghira wiped the blood and gray matter on the carpet and turned to the tiger faunus. "Khan. Prepare for the next attack, send all fanus with bovine traits to Mistral."
"Y-Yes...High Leader." she said meekly as the panther faunus walked out of the room, but stopped near the doors.
"I expect you to follow my orders, lest you become a carcass for the buzzards to naw on." he said with a cold edge to her, making Sienna's ears droop downwards.
"...yes. As you command."
And like that….the White Fang was no more...and in its place...something darker.
'Long live the Grimm Fang.' Ghira thought before slamming the doors shut behind him, causing the screen to blacken in the process.
Xxxxxxx
Name/Designation Title: High Leader Ghira (Grimm Fang Ghira Belladonna- GFGBRWBY)
Age: 29~30?
Affiliation: Mega Evil.
Dimension: - 7000000- 20 GFGBRWBY
Abilities: High hand to hand combat, increased strength and durability, high leadership skills, night vision, retractable claws, unwavering conviction.
Semblance(s): Loss (Causes the user to expel a thick black aura around their body, usually the hands, that drains anyone that touches the aura of their strength until they are withered like husks. Can cause psychological damage if used properly.)
Bio: In this timeline, Ghira Belladonna brought his wife and daughter to Atlas for a holiday, on the same day he had to make an appearance at a White Fang rally, which turned bloody due to the actions of an unknown party that ended in a gunfight that killed Kali and Blake Belladonna. Because of this, his views of peace between the two species soured and he began to view both sides as malefactors for a perfect world. Thus, he abandoned his peaceful side and became a monster worthy of the Creatures of Grimm. As such, he turned the White Fang into a destructive genocidal force that utilizes fear and terror to purge the Kingdoms from the planet and even used lethal force on his own people, seeing them only as animals. Grief turned into pure hate, he now uses humans and faunus in his plans to blow up the borders of the Kingdoms, using bombs laced with every known Dust crystal, to allow the Grimm to invade and slaughter everyone. To his own people, he is a monster, to him, it is another day in leading the Grimm Fang towards 'true peace'.