AN: Hello, my dear readers, and I cordially invite you to read my next one or few shot.
This time, or rather once again, I allowed myself something set in the RWBY universe. Although the previous one was made, it soon ceased to satisfy me. Let's be honest, the story about the younger brother of Roman Torchwick was written by me at least average.
HOWEVER…! In all my generosity and creativity, I decided to write something that could definitely replace this pitiful Fanfic monster and wash away my disgrace as a writer. Something that could provide you with much more reading pleasure.
So, over a month ago, a script for the plot of this Fic was born in my head. What if the two worst deeds of the antagonists were smart enough to learn from their failures? What if the two most brutal and ruthless of them decided to learn from their failures, self-reflect on their lives and leave the past behind to move into the future? This scenario is the catalyst for the events that lead to their journey and reunion in Vacuo, where they must face new adversities.
I will not say more, because I would be forced to reveal some important facts. It is also not without significance that this little more than an introduction will most likely remain only an introduction. After all, I don't mind if someone decides to take this idea for his own use, and maybe write a big story that will affect the entire RWBY fandom.
But for now, enough of my introduction, it's time to get to the point. I cordially invite you to comment and leave reviews that will constructively show all the pros and cons of my story, and I invite you to read.
Cinder Fall, Fall Maiden, and one of the immortal's inner circle, Salem, woke up with great difficulty, a sore head, and the unmistakable taste of defeat.
Initially, she was unable to give a reason for this state of affairs, because only the senses returning to their former efficiency, combined with a constant headache, slight nausea and still present stupor, effectively prevented her from remembering anything.
Only after a short while, Fall Maiden was able to realize that she was half on the shore, and the other half still floating on the surface of some body of water.
As soon as awareness of strength and feeling in her limbs returned, she began to try to climb further, as far from the water as possible, which after a few moments she finally succeeded. Although she was still weakened and her movements remained sparing.
At the same time, however, she had no intention of giving up and with even more ferocity moved forward. It was basically her trademark. Though Cinder may have failed a hundred times in her life and suffered a thousand times more than she had experienced anything genuinely pleasurable, she bravely moved forward despite it all. Suffering and pain kept her focused, while failures encouraged her to succeed. At least that's how she always tried to rationalize everything.
Now, however, what she was fully aware of, and had no trouble admitting it to herself, was utter fury. A fury whose fire seemed to penetrate every, even the smallest cell of her body. This emotion had its specific source and was, in principle, completely justified. Failures, several times, smaller or larger, but still failures, headed by the last and beyond any doubt the greatest of all. Cinder, contrary to what it might seem at first glance, was patient and more than capable of waiting for the right opportunity to act. Regardless, the first and serious failure, the one at the top of the Beacon Academy. The defeat that gave her all those nasty scars left her left eye and arm. If it wasn't for the treatment and Grimm's limb, which enabled her to replace the lost organs, any further fight would be drastically hindered. Even so, the disgust at the disfigurement of this once beautiful body was great even until now.
Still crawling on the ground like a severed and dying snake, Cinder at one point tried to raise her right arm to create a tiny spark, which was quite a feat considering her current condition. Much to her surprise, the result of this effort turned out to be a small flame. Ironically, this minor success only fueled the anger in her heart, for it was a clear reminder of her last and perhaps most shameful defeat, in a confrontation with Raven Branwen, who, to Cinder's considerable surprise, turned out to be the Spring Maiden, and not one of her lieutenants, as Cinder herself had originally thought. Although the confrontation was initially fairly even, Fall Maiden had to admit with a heavy heart that Raven had much more experience with Maiden power than she was, which ultimately led to the result she was.
A perfectly legitimate question arose: Why? Why, after all this what happened to her during entire life, the power she thought she fully deserved was still denied her? She always did everything to gain the desired power. She was well aware that in the pursuit of this she had lost much of what she used to be. Cinder had no doubt how much she had changed in the twenty-one years of her life. She started literally and figuratively at the bottom of society, a slave in all but name. Yet, despite all the suffering and pain she had known throughout her short life, she still hadn't been able to achieve the ultimate victory and power she felt should rightfully belong to only one person. That person was her. So why did life seem to deny what was rightfully hers? All she has received is but a paltry and worthless fraction of the power promised to her. She still had the impression, and life gave her many reasons to believe that she was still just a speck of dust, at the mercy of a ruthless and unforgiving world.
However, Cinder pushed all these thoughts away, mastered her inner fire despite considerable difficulties, and then tried to get up from the ground, which came with great difficulty. Rising to her feet, the young woman began to carefully scan the area around her. To her own surprise, it soon turned out that she was in a rather large cave. However, it was impossible to determine the exact location of this place, although she could assume it was still somewhere near Haven Academy. How close? It was a question to which it was in vain to search for any sensible answer.
Having no other choice, Cinder began to work towards locating the first possible exit from this cave, and after finding it, she immediately moved forward. Despite that thanks to her Aura and Maiden Power, any damage regenerated much faster than the average person or even an experienced Aura wielder, but it still didn't have the slightest effect on her exhaustion and fatigue.
Gradually, however, strength returned and Cinder was able to move faster and faster towards the supposed exit of the cave, until the first natural light in a very long time was noticed by her, which only fueled her determination and desire to get out of there as soon as possible. The movements got faster and faster until finally, with great difficulty, the Fall Maiden was able to crawl out of this dark hole where circumstances had forced her to awaken.
However, regardless of all determination, even an extremely powerful and strong will must always, sooner or later, succumb to the needs of the body, if they become too great to continue to ignore them. In this particular case, it ended in a pitiful fall to the ground, straight into the mud. This, objectively, pathetic show of helplessness caused her to lose her concentration and give way to a torrent of thoughts directly related to what Cinder had been thinking about only a few moments ago. Why does life again and again deny her what is rightfully hers, despite all the sacrifices and suffering?
Cinder had no doubts that all the powers of the world should rightfully belong to her, or at least they had until now. In fact, and despite her insistence on the concept of destiny dictating the path to power, after all these failures, she began to have huge doubts, which were literally compounded by the moment. For if the power of this world was supposed to be her destiny, then why has she so far met with only moderate success in this matter, at best, and failure at worst. In addition, her once beautiful body, which could be envied by many high-born "cows", has been disfigured and the former glow has basically been effectively destroyed.
It wasn't long before the Fall Maiden raised her left hand and brought it close to her eye only to encounter this nasty, but undoubtedly useful and multi-purpose, Shadow Hand. A limb that could give the illusion of being a hybrid of the Grimm and Human.
"You turned yourself into a monster just for power." Spring Maiden's words echoed in Cinder's mind, and they seemed to fit perfectly with what had happened to her over the past few years.
Fall Maiden is not in denial to herself, and she has never intended to pretend to be anything other than a monster in terms of physicality and the methods she uses. In fact, she was both proud of the person she had become and ultimately considered it necessary to survive in a world full of monsters. While this might be considered extreme, Cinder never hesitated to express her belief to Emerald or Mercury that all organic beings are fundamentally self-seeking monsters. The raven-haired woman had no hesitation in saying that what she had done all these years was completely normal and within the limits of human behavior. Ultimately, all humans were fundamentally evil and sought to satisfy their own desires at the expense of others. This was the reason for the emergence and formation of the first civilizations or the emergence of religious structures among the first and primitive human communities. That's what Cinder had learned from her own experience and history. All humans manipulated, murdered, and exploited each other, and those who seemed to be exceptions to the rule were actually liars hiding their true intentions until the climax, followed by the revealing of all the cards so far hidden.
"Such is the undeniable nature of all men." Cinder murmured, softly and weakly, as if confirming all her thoughts so far.
Moments later, however, her voice received fire and power. Typical of moments when she was close or lost control of herself and her inner wildness was shown.
"We all murder, cheat and steal! It's a universal fact for all Humans and Faunus!" Although she tried to thunder and answer the doubts appearing in her mind - as to the path she had chosen in life - her voice was effectively muffled by obvious fatigue. "We are all made to be submissive to our desires! At least compared to those who think they're heroes, I'm more than real and I've never hidden who I am!"
Her head was filled with images of people she knew, remembered, met, or at least associated with. Her allies came first. Emerald Sustrai, seemingly kind and attached to her, but Cinder had long since seen through her falsehood and the fact that the dark-skinned girl was using her to climb up. Mercury Black, whom Cinder personally liked most of all the people she met, because he never hid who he really was and always showed openly his joy at the pain inflicted on others and the violence itself. Roman Torchwick, presumably deceased and former collaborator, who, according to Fall Maiden herself, was not too thrilled with their one-sided "cooperation" and did everything to sabotage her plans to a greater or lesser extent, which both were well aware of, but it never happened for this reason to confront. A man who also did not hide his extravagance and, above all, the desire for freedom - which the profession of a bandit and thief gave to some extent - and experiencing the thrill of emotion.
Further visions of all these people ceased as soon as Cinder finally got her mind under control and regained her composure. After a few heavy breaths, she felt relieved at last, and began to crawl through the mud like a worm or a snake, trying to get out of this cursed place as soon as possible.
A few moments later, her strength began to return, and Cinder herself finally felt well enough to rise again, this time out of the mud. There was nothing to regret, her once elegant and beautiful dress was now torn, frayed and muddy, so she probably wouldn't need it anymore, at least not in the long term. What further and constantly worsened the state of her clothes was the heavy rain.
With an angry and graceless snarl—more animal than human—Cinder surged forward. There was no reason - or at least she couldn't see one - to stop even for a moment and allow herself a moment of respite. In fact, were it not for her great powers as a Fall Maiden, she would undoubtedly have been dead long ago, or at best unable to move at all, perhaps even to crawl desperately in the mud.
Regardless, Cinder took a few more steps forward before she heard a nervous sigh coming from fairly close distance. Fall Maiden turned to the source of the voice, her gaze intensifying as soon as her eyes landed on the woman staring at her. In particular, the newcomer's gaze was strictly focused on Cinder's left hand.
Personally, Fall Maiden looked at the woman with pure contempt, hatred. To put it bluntly, with a look that promised a quick and brutal death. However, for some unknown reason, some inner part of Cinder, which had been dead for many years, ordered her to stop, to which the raven-haired woman obeyed and did not launch any verbal attack, limiting herself to a glaring glare.
Meanwhile, the woman she met was looking at Shadow Hand with undisguised fear written both in her eyes and on her face. It was hardly surprising to see such a level of fear, considering that she almost certainly had no combat training whatsoever, let alone an unlocked Aura.
As for the woman herself, she was the image of a rather typical and in all respects average peasant woman, and only her beauty could undoubtedly be considered something more than average, and that's a plus. Apart from that, however, she was dressed in simple, unadorned and flowing robes, bound by a dark belt over her belly that went down to her back. He appeared to be in his thirties, and she may have been a mother already, but it was impossible to tell for sure. The woman's hair was pinned up in a simple bun, dark blonde, while her eyes were light lavender.
"What the…!" She screamed and the bag of food she was holding fell to the ground with a faint thud, then her hands went to her mouth while her eyes widened in fear. "What happened to you, my child?!"
Her question did not evoke positive associations in Cinder's mind, because her own memories with the only "mother" she knew were hardly positive in any way, to put it mildly. Fall Maiden herself did not react for some time, because she was not sure what to do in this situation. Until recently, she would not hesitate to kill a woman and take what she had with her, due to the high probability of being wanted. Now, however, as a result of previous thoughts and something strange that told her not to kill the poor soul in front of her, she wasn't so sure, so she retained her position while her strength gradually returned, and soon she would no longer have to walk in such a miserable way. .
It didn't take long, however, for the woman to control her emotions and her hands fell from her mouth to her hips.
"What happened?" She repeated her question, much more calmly than before. "Why does your hand seem to be literally made of the same that Grimm are?"
Cinder said nothing, had no desire or reason to do so to a woman she did not know, who beyond any doubt intended to take advantage of her condition to get something for herself. Fall Maiden has been taught many times over her lifetime that this is human nature. And yet, part of her clung to the possibility that this particular case might be different. For some reasons even more incomprehensible to herself, she was willing - or rather something inside her - to accept it. Something buried long ago, beneath mountains of bitter and disappointing experiences in her entire life.
"It's not your business." Cinder replied, then shrugged and prepared to continue walking, as far away from this place as possible.
"This is my business." The woman spoke, then approached the Fall Maiden and placed her hand on her absence, much to Cinder's utter bewilderment. "At the end of the day, there's not that much of a difference between us as humans, and you're definitely not a Grimm."
Cinder's eyes narrowed menacingly, and she almost gave in to her typical personality impulse to attack the poor soul in front of her. Despite everything, and to her own well-concealed surprise, Cinder didn't give in to the impulse. Then she decided to listen to her, against another impulse coming from Fall Maiden's heart to distrust people.
"Talk fast, I don't have time and I want to get out of this place as soon as possible." It was probably the best answer Cinder could give at the moment.
"Let me take you with me, you are clearly hurt and need help even if you don't realize it." The woman nodded her head before answering. Or rather, before she made her own offer of help. "No matter who you are, you will need help and recovery."
Cinder almost immediately began to sniff out the trick, because it was her most logical guess at the moment. For why would anyone want to help her with anything other than the Fall Maiden's debt to them? Or alternatively, to be able to enslave and exploit her.
Before any words were out of Cinder's mouth, she snorted both contemptuously and haughtily. Making it clear that any help would be rejected out of pride, which was not true. As you can easily guess, the reason for Cinder was, above all, distrust. A distrust not so much of this particular woman as of the entire human race, who, in Cinder's opinion, were not worthy of even the slightest trust from her. From the side that had no rational reason to trust people.
"I'll be fine as always." Fall Maiden replied, then started to try to continue the march, but the woman blocked her way, with a small but easy to see smile on her lips.
"I swear you're as stubborn as my eight-year-old daughter." She stated, looking straight into Cinder's eyes, then the woman's smile faded slightly. "Why exactly do you reject the helping hand that has been extended to you, dear child?"
If Fall Maiden had been annoyed before, now she was fighting to keep what little control she had over her own behavior, and not to burn this woman to ashes. How could she take advantage of her so brazenly and directly? It was a question that ran through Cinder's mind with great power. She came close to throwing herself at the woman, and apparently the mother of at least one child, who was standing in front of her and blocking her path. The question was even more outrageous in the raven-haired woman's mind than it might seem at first glance.
"You dare to ask me yet?" Cinder asked her with dead seriousness and venom in a tone of voice that almost made the woman shudder in fear. "I have no doubt, you are the same as all people, the first thing you think about is using everyone to your advantage. I can only sympathize with your daughter that she will grow up to be just like any of us, but it doesn't matter at this point! And aside from all that, I have no intention of getting trapped or taken advantage of! That's why I reject your false help!"
By the end, Cinder was basically screaming at the top of her lungs in pure and primal rage. The woman, meanwhile, only seemed to grow calmer with every Fall Maiden word, and something best described as sympathy flashed in her eyes, much to Cinder's fury, but she didn't say anything else, not at this point.
"I feel sorry for you baby." The saddened woman replied, looking Cinder straight in the eyes with all the sincerity that only a human being can muster. "Such cynicism, such obvious bitterness and distrust, at such a young age. When you should be in your prime and enjoying life."
"You do not know anything about me." Cinder drained, though all her anger was slowly working out due to obvious fatigue and low energy. "You don't know what I've had to go through and you don't have the slightest idea of what true human nature is like if you're really going to help me, which I honestly highly doubt."
Seeing that the woman only looked at her with more and more pity, Cinder once again almost rushed to kill her. In fact, it would have happened a few moments ago, if not for the earlier thoughts, doubts, growing fatigue and thus the fact that Fall Maiden was held only by her own Aura and the power of Maiden.
"I don't know what your past is, dear child, I may never know." The woman replied calmly, which calmed Cinder a bit and cooled her bloodlust. "Nevertheless, I know and have no doubt that you are completely wrong."
With those words, her lavender eyes took on a determined expression that took Cinder completely by surprise. While Fall Maiden had encountered at least a few people who said something similar to her, this completely anonymous woman had - at least in Cinder's eyes - far more conviction than anyone she had ever met. For some incomprehensible reason, Fall Maiden was ready to listen to her words. Perhaps it was a matter of tiredness and thus a lack of willingness to resist, or perhaps more of an openness to hearing someone's point of view over recent doubts. Cinder will never know.
"Perhaps you have experienced something that has made your approach to life the way it is. However, this does not change the simple fact that not all people use themselves to achieve something. I know that my husband and I have no intention of taking advantage of our daughter when she is an adult. I know that my beloved and I have no intention of taking advantage of our friends and relatives, even if it would provide us with all the riches of this world."
Fall Maiden completely did not understand what the woman was saying to her, because from her point of view it seemed to be a complete aberration from how Cinder herself perceived reality. To the Fall Maiden's even greater shock and confusion, the woman seemed once again to be completely sincere in her words. But that couldn't be true. People could not live together without the intention of using and manipulating each other for some advantage. right?
"I don't get it, so why have friends and family if they don't apply to your plans?"
Cinder's question seemed to confuse the woman, who struggled for a moment to choose the right words to make sense of the words. She clearly didn't think anyone could ask such a question about something so basic and seemingly obvious to all socialized people. Nevertheless, the lavender-eyed woman finally came up with a sensible answer that, as it soon turned out, would change the fate of the young no-power girl once and for all.
"Because that's what human beings really are." She replied calmly and with a friendly smile on her lips. "As I said before, I have no idea what your life was like before we met and I have no idea what shaped you into who you are. All I know is that your fate has been undeniably hard if you see people in general as nothing more than power-hungry and manipulative beasts. Regardless, however, I can tell you with absolute conviction that your belief is completely wrong. We humans are more than just selfish and self-serving beasts who take advantage of each other regardless of who we are to ourselves. We're generally better than that, and perhaps not more than that, but we're not what you think our species is. We love, feel and desire to empathize with others, as this is one of the characteristics that defines us as higher rational beings. You don't have to take it as logical, but know that it's true and that's who we are."
Cinder didn't know what to say for a moment. She had never even tried to think that way before, and she was locked in an environment where literally everyone would try to use or manipulate her. Life and experience have shown Fall Maiden many times that this is what humanity in general would be like, just like Faunus. And yet this woman, with complete sincerity and without the slightest hint of irony, said what she thought?
"Now, let me help you." Before Cinder could reply, her caller spoke again. "I have no ill intentions towards you, no matter how much you distrust me."
"So what are you going to do with me?" Fall Maiden asked, but the moment of respite she received allowed her to rest a bit, replenish her strength.
"I'll take you to my house." The woman smiled warmly at her. "There I will tend to your wounds and you can rest for a few days."
Cinder had a moment of strong hesitation in the aftermath of hearing those words. On the one hand, the first part of her wanted to reject any help because of the belief that she would always manage alone and on her own. Meanwhile, on the other hand, some feeling incomprehensible to Fall Maiden made her accept this help, despite the potential consequences that could result from it.
In fact, Cinder felt strange, as if she was about to make a decision that could change her life forever. Trust a stranger and open up to a new experience, or she may follow the same path that has brought her only a tiny fraction of the promised power. But there was also a third option, a middle one that Cinder realized a few moments after the woman's words, and one that suited her best.
"I do not think so." It was all that came out of the Fall Maiden's mouth before she struck the woman's neck, but not fatally.
Cinder, the previous interlocutor, fell to the ground with a groan, thus losing consciousness. While Fall Maiden didn't waste even a second and proceeded to take off her clothes as quickly as possible, because there was not even the slightest doubt that after this fiasco, Cinder's effigy would be hung in all four kingdoms.
The whole thing didn't last long, because Fall Maiden was perfectly adapted to life on the go and thus ready to quickly change her clothes, which was basically the least important of her large repertoire of skills that she could offer.
In the meantime, Cinder realized something else, and that was the impossibility of returning to Salem and her table, not after the debacle that befell the Fall Maiden and her people. Although Mercury and Emerald were able to avoid the wrath of the Queen of Grimm by the fact that it was Fall Maiden herself who led to the failure of the entire operation. But what to do now, with no way back?
Cinder paused briefly in the process of changing clothes and ditching the ruined dress as soon as the question popped into her mind. Should she have sought forgiveness by following team RWBY, their friends, and delivering to the Queen? Although she had a great desire to get the girl who disfigured her during the operation in Beacon, the fear of confrontation again and this time of death was definitely greater than even the potential desire for retaliation. Nevertheless, abandoning what had been her goal for over a year was not so easy.
Shaking her head, Cinder decided to stop dwelling on the past for the moment and focus on the here and now. For it was the most important and necessary for purely biological survival, without which there could be no question of anything else. That said, the Fall Maiden wasted no more time and set off from here almost as quickly as possible, towards the nearest settlement.
Before that happened, however, Cinder took one more look at the unconscious woman, after which we decided to repay her clothes by pulling more than enough Liens from under her skirt as a form of compensation. Only then did Fall Maiden throw a hood over her head and move forward on a rainy day, not knowing what the future might bring. Still, she knew deep down that it would change her whole life.
XXX
If there was a simpler and simpler way to describe the emotional state of a certain black-and-red, bull-horned Faunus, it could be most simply and adequately described as a blood rage. Ever since he returned to the most important White Fang base, he met with great disappointment, because the members gathered here, the de facto vast majority of the organization's members, decided to betray him and deprive him of the position of High Leader. A position that was rightfully his.
Given his fury after the failed surgery at Haven Academy, it was only a matter of time before he literally went into a blood rage as he realized his loss of power. Though many tried to stand in his way, all of them had to fall sooner or later to the blow of his blade, and the power of Adam's Semblance. So it didn't take long for the entire base to be completely deserted as the garrison was literally slaughtered.
In fact, the only thing that still hasn't been destroyed was the throne of High Leader. Adam struggled to contain all his rage just as he was about to hit and shatter it, instead he fell to his knees and all the adrenaline left with a hopeless roar, thus losing the last of his strength that had fueled him for the last ten minutes.
"I have nothing left." He mumbled plaintively, like the defeated man he undoubtedly was at the moment.
There could be no more pathetic sight than a once proud man fighting to the death for justice for his kind, who can best be described as a fallen hero or fallen knight at this point. Once a loyal and honorable warrior, now only Bloody Beast, who literally chokes in her own anger and hatred.
He got up from the ground, then sat on the throne, while a dead silence fell in the chamber, which then seemed to spread to the deserted fortress, carrying some strange peace and solace from the recent wrath of one Faunus. A third party could even be tempted to say that the silence that fell is like a form for all those who were massacred in this bloody frenzy, often literally.
Returning one to the question of Bloody Beast, he sat down on the throne, then put his hand to his throbbing forehead. The headache, meanwhile, was caused primarily by many emotions, intertwined with painful thoughts and their conclusions, which were often long overdue.
"If only I didn't get carried away with anger at this accursed betrayal." He hissed, but it was far from an angry hiss, but rather another manifestation of his all-encompassing helplessness.
In fact, though he understood it deeply in the process of cutting to pieces more of the former Loyalists, in fact people who he finally understood had every right and reason to oppose him and question his methods. In the end, because of one and ill-advised decision, he almost led to their deaths. Perhaps it would have been different if not for…
"If it wasn't for that lousy traitor who was almost like a little sister to me before!" Adam screamed as furiously as he did with the ever-growing bitterness in his mind. Both because of his own decisions, feelings towards Blake Belladonna, and because of his disappointment with his life so far. A life that has so far brought him nothing but pain and disappointment.
With another furious beast-like roar, Adam slammed into the right arm of the throne, punching a large dent. Heavy panting and the echo of his roar were for a long time the only audible sound in the chamber. Eventually, however, came the weeping followed by the whine of someone realizing how pointless his life had been until now.
As night approached, Adam gathered himself to remember his entire life so far. Beginning, middle and present. It was something to remember, as he started as basically a slave 'working' in the SDC mines, along with his parents and hundreds of other Faunus. Later and after his parents died in one of the numerous mining disasters, he was blamed for causing one where he took his toll and was dumped, basically left to die, in the middle of a winter wasteland. Only then did Sienna Khan find him, who was also responsible for his training and upbringing. It was she who gave him purpose and skills to bring the fire of freedom to all Faunus wherever it was needed. To carry the fire of a great revolution and liberation wherever harm and injustice have been done to any of their kind. At the same time, back then, in those distant times, everything seemed simple and clear. Adam's duty would then be to serve, defend, and protect.
"Protect." Bloody Beast grunted with a groan under his breath as memories of the best past days poured through his head.
The word spoken by him a moment ago was also a bitter reminder of the glory days of yesteryear, when he wasn't just a killing machine, or rather an enforcer, whose sole purpose and task seemed to be to bring death to selected people, as it was now. For in those distant times, he could describe himself with complete honesty and uninhibited pride as a true knight, ready to fight for justice, literally regardless of the cost and no matter how powerful the opponent with whom it would be necessary to cross the blade. During these times, Adam fought many of the toughest and most memorable fights. He fought the lieutenants and leaders of dozens of Faunus discriminatory organizations. He fought many victorious and lost skirmishes with SDC sent mercenaries or members of special units of Atlas. Finally, he participated in the defense of Faunus' peaceful demonstrations, whose main purpose was to demand more rights and better treatment. This last type of mission was the most important, because one of the incidents during it opened his eyes to what humanity really is. This was about three years ago, when he was nineteen years old and already experienced in combat, and also gained great respect among the members of White Fang. However, that day changed everything irreversibly when, during the peaceful march, a massive attack took place. People from one of the extremist organizations advocating the complete extermination of Faunus launched an attack. There were bombs, snipers in the windows of nearby buildings and infantrymen in the streets who, armed with rifles, started firing. It was hell, and by now Adam was convinced he had seen it all and experienced all the worst that humanity had to offer. That day, however, he found out that he really didn't know anything yet. That day he found out how arrogant he was, because he saw real and wild bloodshed at the same time, which from a rational point of view did not make even the slightest sense. However, this did not prevent people who hated his kind from committing a real massacre. The corpse was the best thing that could be seen that day. Thousands of Faunus were massacred, riddled with gunfire, dismembered, burned or torn apart, and the main street of that city seemed to resemble a real can of blood, while the buildings nearby seemed to be taken straight out of the worst nightmares that only the human mind can engender.
Although that memorable day was hard and Adam fought many physically exhausting fights, the sight of all these horrors after the end of the struggle made something in the honorable warrior literally snap, especially the sight of the massacred family of five wolf Faunus, two parents and three children, butchered like animals for slaughter. This sight made Adam break down completely, and in his heart ignited the most sincere and clear desire for revenge that only an empathic being can imagine. It should not be surprising, then, that when, after retreating to safety, Adam did not hesitate to kill all the captives he had taken. He remembered that he had tortured especially cruelly those who didn't even have the decency to accept death with dignity and literally whimper for mercy.
Bloody Beast also remembered the joy of the riots that broke out in many cities on Remnat in the following days, as soon as news of the massacre spread to the farthest corners of the world. Adam remembered perfectly how, with a smile on his lips and fire of joy in his eyes, he read records about how in places where Faunus made up the majority of the population, Humans were lynched mercilessly and often brutally murdered, regardless of age or gender. Despite everything, despite what must have led to it, Adam felt literally at the peak of his strength, and adrenaline literally and figuratively pulsed through his veins for the next few days. Never before or since has he felt more alive.
It was only from that point on that Bloody Beast began to gradually lose its rationality and became more and more brutal in its methods. From then on, when it came to eliminating an important member of the SDC in his own residence, Adam did not hesitate to eliminate any staff or family present on the spot as well. Age or sex didn't matter, because everyone was mercilessly slaughtered and Adam felt really good about it. Every time, in fact, he was almost euphoric about brutally butchering a human being. Until now, as he slumped helplessly on his throne, knowing that one disappointment had driven him mad. Ultimately, all of this led to a point where his entire life's work was forfeited in one ill-considered, impulsive decision.
"I can't even blame anyone else for this, even if it's a traitor to whom I was personally prepared to entrust my own life." He grunted, and for the first time in hours, his strength left him completely, leaving only stagnation and a sense of utter defeat. "Until recently, I had so many opportunities that the world, literally and figuratively, seemed to be at my fingertips. But there's nothing left."
He leaned his head against his hand, then squinted his eyes under the mask, the main purpose of which was to hide a nasty scar, which at the same time was a reason for shame, because it reminded him of the times of his helplessness. When he was abandoned and lost literally everything that gave his life any meaning at that moment. Faced with this, only one question should be asked, and Adam did just that. What to do when faced with the loss of everything you knew and what gave life any meaning?
With a sigh, Adam began to consider the question. The first and most attractive option was the eternal pursuit of a traitor. The ability to literally tear a traitor apart, everything she cared about, was very appealing, and Adam almost instinctively felt that he should pursue revenge for betraying his trust. Then, however, a still present and more pragmatic side of him spoke up, which seemed to rather prove that such a thing no longer makes sense. Not when he had lost access to all the resources the White Fang had to offer. Thinking about it, he came to a logical and predictable conclusion.
"Why would I keep trying?" He asked himself, in a tired and defeated tone of voice.
There was only one conclusion, but the proud and stubborn nature of the bullish Faunus made it difficult to swallow this bitter fact. Nevertheless, the facts and the consequences of his decisions forced him to accept the circumstances in which he found himself. He lost everything he knew, what he loved, what he fought for and to which he devoted more than half of his life so far. He still blamed Blake for it, and wanted nothing more than to destroy everything she loved. Regardless, any need for revenge seemed to him at that moment, after thinking about it, completely devoid of any, even the slightest sense. Why pursue revenge that has so far only brought him the loss of everything he knew?
Thinking about it, it was impossible to avoid the topic of the future and what will happen next and what path it will take. It has become more than clear that although he has lost everything he fought for, he is still necessary, if only for himself. These thoughts led him to the conclusion that he couldn't stay here any longer, because sooner or later more troops of the White Fang would come, and then someone might come to defeat him. While Adam was able to easily kill any Lieutenant, Captain, or Major of the White Fang he knew in combat, there was no guarantee that he could defeat a group that had formed for one specific purpose, dealing with the former High Leader.
"But where should I..." He stopped as he realized what he was about to say. "Withdraw."
The word run crossed his mind, but his pride and stubbornness prevented him from saying it out loud. Regardless of the fact, the so-called 'retreat' or 'withdraw' was in fact an escape. It was more than irritating to him, but he had to come to terms with his decisions and the fact that he was where he was at the moment.
Besides, one thing still had to be done, and that was to find a place to which he could go in exile, although in this case it should rather be termed exile. He walked briskly to what until recently had been his personal office, where, looking at a map on the wall, he tried to point out the best place where he could emigrate. There were really few options. Atlas was out of the question, and no reason needed to be given. Mistral too, due to a recent failed campaign and announcements with his likeness. Vale, meanwhile, was in total chaos, and while the city's uniformed services were able to organize and bring order, the kingdom as a whole was still in chaos. To put it mildly, it didn't make this place the best place to live.
With this in mind, Adam turned his gaze to the last and best option available to him at the moment. Vacuo, a desert kingdom that until recently was largely anarchy, despite the existence of a human council. Whereas the only real source of power and order was Shade Academy, or so it was until recently.
"Vacuo." Unsure about the current situation of the place, Adam immediately rushed to the desk where, in drawers, were buried reports from various parts of Remnant, from agents from all four kingdoms. "If my memory serves me right, in the more than a year since Beacon fell, an ambitious Human and his group of henchmen tried to do something about the anarchy that reigned there."
Pretty soon, Bloody Beast found the relevant document, which contained an extensive report on Vacuo. As reported by a network of local agents, the former councilor and one of the most influential people in the desert kingdom gathered around him an extremely wide group of supporters, such as: ordinary people, Hunters, some members of the White Fang, financiers, businessmen, factory owners and even some warlords . All with one goal, to unite the anarchic kingdom as quickly as possible under one banner that will ensure peace, justice and order for the inhabitants, regardless of their species.
"Caesar Blitz." Adam pronounced the name of this Human with a mixture of respect and admiration, though he would never admit it himself.
From what was later in the report, it appeared that Cesare, a few weeks after the fall of Beacon, gathered his loyalists into a fairly powerful, well-organized and equipped army, and then began the conquest of the entire kingdom. His followers were dubbed the Blitzers. Initially, this man took several cities, which were then turned into a stronghold by him, after which he would then move on to Vacuo itself, which was to be taken by him, most surprisingly, with the help of some part of the Shade Academy. With much of the realm under his control, he declared his intention to be crowned King, the first in many years, which was received neutrally by the population of the realm. "Currently, only the most remote towns and settlements are to resist, but it is chaotic and unorganized, or at least the appearance of it." Adam read the report further, and with each word, a smile of relief spread across his lips. "This is it!"
The decision was made, the only thing left to do was figure out how he should actually get there.
XXX
Cinder knew she was being followed at the moment. This skill was developed by her thanks to many years of experience, during which she had to avoid pursuit after a completed mission, and it was not always in the mode that Fall Maiden would like.
Walking through the streets of some nearby and not very large town, under the cover of a stolen cloak and hood, the raven-haired woman confirmed her suspicions that her image, like the image of Adam, Emerald or Mercury, was present in all media and they were, truthfully, presented as dangerous terrorists responsible for the fall of Beacon and the attack on Heaven.
At some point, Cinder abruptly turned into the side streets of the town, dirty and dripping with mud. Then she began to walk deeper, encountering several homeless people who might as well be dead, given their emaciated bodies, pale skins, and virtually no movement. Fall Maiden did not pay much attention to them, because after escaping from Glass Unicorn she learned that the less attention you pay to these people, the better.
Third party issues aside, Cinder finally reached an empty alley, then turned back and braced herself for her stalker's arrival. While she had expected a lot, the person who came around the corner and confronted her was not what Fall Maiden expected in the slightest.
"emerald." Cinder whispered as a dark-skinned, green-haired girl appeared before her eyes, skimpy as usual. But then, Cinder noticed one small detail, the motley umbrella in the girl's right hand. "Who you are?"
The Fall Maiden's eyes narrowed menacingly as she prepared for battle. Meanwhile, the person impersonating her friend did the same, and moments later, the illusion completely collapsed, revealing a girl of Cinder's age, with different hair and eyes. Dark brown on the left, pink on the right, plus a smart white outfit with black pants and a bowler hat that Fall Maiden found oddly familiar.
"neo?" Cinder was completely surprised by her presence, but that surprise turned to suspicion a moment later, and Fall Maiden's eye narrowed. "Why are you following me?"
The only answer to the question was an ominous smile, which was an announcement of the attack that followed moments later. The mute girl took a step forward as the blade slid out of her umbrella, then attempted an elegant and swift thrust.
For her part, Cinder responded with a quick dodge and counterattack with her fists. Although she hadn't been a good hand-to-hand combater for months, her hand-to-hand combat skills were still at a high level. The Fall Maiden may have suffered many failures, but she never allowed her formidable skills to ever be severely dulled or rusted. This was having the desired effect now, as Neo was forced to retreat.
Neopolitan, however, backed away only to take the blow a moment later, her body shattering like glass.
Only then did Cinder realize she was dealing with an illusion and tried to jump aside from her current position. This proved to be completely unnecessary as the blade of Neo's umbrella stabbed her hard in the side, causing Fall Maiden's Aura to flash. Despite this, Cinder did not let go and counterattacked, hitting the illusionist's stomach several times with all her might, while the final blow managed to finally push her away so hard that Neo staggered and hit a nearby lamp post. Even so, the heterochromic girl got up very quickly and charged at Fall Maiden, this time with an expression of rage and determination.
In response to this, Cinder constantly backed up and dodged her punches, and only after several minutes did she decide to counter. She grabbed Neo's wrist where she was holding the umbrella, then hit her on the head. To be honest, Fall Maiden was somewhat tempted to use her powers and the element of fire to fight, but the prospect of attracting too much attention and potential recognition effectively discouraged her from doing so. After all, there were middle-of-the-road solutions to this problem that Cinder didn't hesitate to use.
Neo, meanwhile, got up pretty quickly after being knocked down, then decided to do a clean push one more time. However, she was interrupted by a rather large, but unable to spread, wall of fire, which immediately alerted her and prompted her to stop the attack.
Fall Maiden had no doubt this would happen. After all, the last time the two met, she could only wield the not-so-impressive parts of Maiden's power. Seeing such a show of raw power just had to make her stop her attack, and Cinder was going to make the most of it.
"What do you want from me, Neo?" She asked firmly, not relenting and still maintaining a firm stance. "Also, nice to see you, I thought you were dead."
The sarcastic statement earned her a roll of the illusionist's eyes, after which Neo took the Scroll out of her pocket and began writing on it extremely fast. After a moment, a deformed voice came out of the electronic device.
"I want you dead." But before Cinder could say anything, Neopolitan continued. "You are responsible for Roman's death, and while you weren't there, you were responsible for his place in Beacon's fall."
Cinder wanted to laugh at such an idiotic, from her point of view at least, statement. Although she was in fact responsible for creating this plan, she never intended to lead to the death of any of her servants.
"Are you crazy?" Fall Maiden asked her, then crossed her arms with a grimace on her lips. "I never planned to send either of you to your grave, regardless of what you actually think about it. Regardless, if there's anyone you should blame for his death, it's probably him, given his extravagant behavior."
The illusionist clearly looked as if she had a few more words to say on the subject, and not necessarily nice ones. But before she could say anything, Cinder cut her off firmly.
"After all, you are also responsible for his death, if we are to follow that line of reasoning. After all, you were basically by his side, and you undoubtedly saw his death. You can't blame anyone but yourself, at least looking at everything objectively."
Neo froze for a moment after hearing her words. The reason for her condition, however, was not the words themselves, but how logical they were and how direct they were. In addition, it was difficult to find traces of deliberate manipulation in them. Persuasion, undoubtedly and beyond doubt. However, there was a difference between trying to manipulate someone and trying to talk someone out of something. Neopolitan, she reacted like any person who tried to see the blame anywhere but themselves, at least from Cinder's perspective. However, the answer from the multicolored girl surprised her completely.
"I wasn't there when he died." After a short time of typing, a reply came. "At the time we clashed with Ruby, on the airship, I was knocked off and landed in the middle of a goddamn forest. It cost me several days fighting the Grimm for my life, and in the process of trying to reach any civilization, I found Roman's bowler hat."
Cinder calmed down a bit at that, but there was still the question of a question that just had to be asked.
"If you were knocked off the roof of the ship, who were you actually fighting?" Fall Maiden asked her what earned her a nasty look from Neo. "What again? While I may have planned what the operation plan would be, I am not in the least responsible for how you handled my plan."
Neo clearly thought for a short moment what to answer, it was more than obvious. It was also easy to see that Fall Maiden was acting very differently than when Neopolitan met her for the first and last time. She definitely wasn't as arrogant and haughty as before, and instead, she seemed a bit more focused than usual.
It was only after a short while that Neo decided to write a reply that chilled Cinder.
"Who Roman and I fought was Ruby Rose."
AN: And this will be probably all, in the qusetion of that Fic. If someones of you are interested in taking over the main plot of the story, travel, redemption and romance, between Adam and Cinder, that you can take over what I started here. I just wish, so it's not impudent copy and paste.
I wish you all the best and a happy new year. Let's make 2023 definitely better, for all of us.