"I still think your being to nice to him, your acting like the boys mother!" Adam said, his hands up in a gesture of frustration.
"You treat him bad, everyone does. A few of us treat him right and if he runs off, it shall be easier to make him come back. Adam, you just stop questioning everything I do." Cinder crossed her arms, glaring at Adam.
"Cinder you have been to different since he arrived-" He was cut short by a fire ball which sent him into a wall. "W-what the-"
"Listen, Taurus, you seem to be forgetting your place. I chose the White Fang to help me. I don´t need you, any of you. There are plenty of people elsewhere. Now, just like Alessandro should, remember your place." She cupped his chin in her hand, letting it light up a little. She really did need to remind Adam she was in charge.
"Ok kid. Follow my lead. Mask on-" Roman was cut short by me.
"No way! I´m here but i´m not using the mask of a terrorist!" I yelled.
Roman sighed. "I thought Cinder explained to you that they aren´t terrorists." I sighed, knowing Roman had a point. I put the mask on, at least I had it custom made. What was normally the white part, a majority of the mask, was now black and the edges that used to be red were now blue.
"Gotta hand it to you, I like the style." He nodded to the others and walked out of the alleyway, I followed. The rest would divide in groups of three and hit ten stores in total. Me and Roman would take the other ten by ourself´s. I rushed to catch up to him. We were walking up to a lone dust store, it was nighttime. Very few people around so it was perfect. We simply walked in, I looked around. This place reminded me of "From Dust Till Dawn" with shelfs of magazines, weapon parts, dust in many forms. A young women was our cashier tonight.
"Hello ma´am." Roman said, leaning on the counter and giving the lady his signature smile. A gagged as I saw her turn pink and stare at him. "I was hoping you could help us."
"Of course, what can I do?" She smiled cutely at him.
"Give us all the dust, for free. And don´t tell anyone you gave it to us." He chuckled as she frowned, confused. I sighed, that being my cue, and took out one sword, lazily pointing the hilt in her direction. She must´ve known about weapons because she noticed this allowed me to shoot her.
"P-please don´t kill me!" She backed p a bit, but didn't do anything. "Just take the dust and leave!"
"Ah, I love it when they cooperate. Here, put the dusts in this." Roman handed her a case for the crystals then went to put various tubes in the self insertion dust tubes. We´d take these back to the alley way then go for the next shop. I frowned, getting closer to the women.
"You look like a human...yet your a faunus..." I murmured, she heard as I had guessed she would.
"How did you notice?" She whispered. Roman being a regular human didn't hear us.
"I don´t know..." I nodded to Roman as she took the tubes in a bag, indicating for me to leave. I grabbed the case and smashed the phone on the counter with my sword hilt. "Sorry miss." I said before we exited the shop. We continued doing this for most of the night, we´d hit a store, take the dust, go back to the alley, drop the dust, head to new store. Rinse and repeat. Then it all went to hell, we made it to the last store, went in, grabbed the dust, but when we turned we froze. Four figures were standing outside, waiting.
"Shit..." Roman muttered. "Hunters."
For the first time in a long time something besides Neo made my heart skip a beat. Wait, did I really just say that? Anyway, I narrowed my eyes, trying to identify the figures. Bunny ears, one really tall dude and a girl who seemed to be holding a brief case?
"Oh my god...oh this is so awesome!" I laughed. One of the shadows, Velvet I assumed, cocked her head hearing me. She seemed confused to my outburst.
"Why is this good, kid?" Roman asked.
"Oh its bad for us, we are about to get our asses kicked. But its so cool that they are here!" I couldn't help it, team CFVY were so bad ass I needed to fan boy over this, even if they were about to beat me to a pulp.
"Uh, great. So we need another way out..." He looked around.
"Nah, you go ahead. For once i´m going to enjoy getting beat up." I smiled as they walked inside, getting into my stance. Basically I crouched down, one sword held by each side.
"Hello boys, having fun?" asked Coco, the teams leader. As fashionable as ever.
"Yeah, what about you Coco?" I chuckled as I noticed her surprise. One thing I learned from Neo and Roman was how to fool with my enemies.
"I´m sorry, have we met?" She took another step, I stayed still and Roman shifted nervously.
"Roman, blow a hole in the back, get out. I got you covered. I´ll try to meet up with ya." He sounded a complaint, but then saw Yatsuhashi take out his sword and he left. Fox tried to run past me but I simply spun my right sword, firing a fire dust round and blowing up the floor in front of him. That should give Roman time to escape.
"So, now that you can´t get him. I think we´re fine." I backed up a bit, still smiling at them.
"Oh no kid, your not gonna be ok. You see, this was my favorite dust shop. Your going to pay for what you did to my friend there- she nodded at the cashier- and the damage here." She gave Fox a slight nod.
He dashed to me, his gauntlets swords ready. I flipped back, then raised my sword to block his. He broke off and immediately came back, slashing everywhere he could. I grunted and parried his blows. Legs, head, arms, it was hard but I was fast enough. He spun, leg low to trip me. He then jumped, falling down with one blade ready to stab, I rolled out of the way, barely, and jumped back up. He sheathed his swords, getting into a hand to hand combat stance.
"Hmm..." I looked back at the other three, they were just watching, Velvet looked nervous, Yatsu was calm, Coco frowned. Was I doing that good?
"Come on Fox, we should hurry. I still need to go do my homework." Coco said. He nodded.
"Lets make this interesting, shall we?" I put my swords away, on hand behind my back the other one pointed at him, palm out. He clenched his teeth and charged, a flurry of punches, I ducked one, blocked the other with my palm, raised my knee to block the third and crouched as he spun, one foot high to hit my head. I jumped back and then to the side, both hands up and began my own attack. He smirked, blocking my hits just as well. He grabbed my fist, twisting it and spinning me into a hold. I simply kicked back, in between his legs. He grunted but spun me again, his fist pulling back then smashing into my face, sending my flying into a wall. I got up, feeling dizzy and took a foot to my chin, which sent me up. I hit the roof then fell down, panting. Fox walked back to his team, arms crossed. I thought I was doing good but Fox looked perfectly fine and I was panting on the floor.
"Ok, ready to give up and come?" Coco asked. I laughed, standing up and getting back in my stance. Coco sighed and I felt my heart skip a beat as she let her mini gun unsheathe, but Velvet pulled on her arm.
"Coco wait! Hes already done, we don´t have to hurt him anymore!" She said, I frowned. I didn't like the fact that she considered me this weak, even if she was right.
"He isn't giving up, lets just do this and take him in." She spoke calmly, eyes trained on me the whole time though.
"Oh fuck this..." I muttered, spinning my swords so the hilts were aimed at them. Regular bullets on.
"W-wait! Lets just talk!" Velvet got between us, hand outstretched to stop us both. Yatsu flinched, ready to jump in. If I had wanted I could've shot Velvet. Fox raised a brow at me, surprised hadn't taken action.
"Ok, i´ll bite. What exactly are we talking about?" I said.
"Come with us, we can help. We know what the fang says and its lies. Come with us and we can show you the truth, you could be a good person!" She said, giving me a smile. I shook my head, smiling.
"Not a faunus. I´m human." I answered. Fox seemed confused.
"Fox, I thought you said he was a faunus?" Coco said.
"He is, I can tell. He must be lying." He seemed slightly angered by my comment.
"Wait," I scratched my head, confused. "i´m not a faunus. Sure i´m with the fang, but not because they want me. Or because i-" I shut up, realizing I almost let something spill. If I did that Adam would kill me for sure.
"Stop lying!" Fox said, almost a yell.
"Foxy, calm down." Coco said.
"Whats your name?" Velvet asked me, taking a step forward.
"Uh...White Fang." I answered.
"You can trust us, my name is-"
"Velvet, hes Fox, thats Yatsuhashi and I said before your leader is Coco. You four make are team CFVY, from Beacon." I said, nodding at each one as I said their name. Coco´s frown increased.
"How´d you know that?!" She asked, prepping her mini gun.
"Coco stop!" Velvet stood right in front of me, I had to admit this added more to my confusion.
"Uh...we´re enemies. Why are you doing this?" I asked. Before I escaped or attacked I at least wanted to know this.
"Because I can see your not bad. Your just with some bad people. Please, we can help." I felt a lump form in y throat. Since I got here no one seemed to have cared for me like this. But I knew I couldn't believe it.
"Yeah, sure. Then you´d just forget about me. Leave me to the mercy of whatever it is that judges me." I spun, foot up high. Velvet lifted her arm, blocking my foot and spun, giving me a kick to the leg I wasn't expecting. I fell to a knee and Fox dashed forward, his fist smashing into my face again. They both jumped away, Velvet looking sad, and then I saw why. I jumped up and ran, bullets racing behind me, and jumped out of the window.
"Fox, Velvet, go get him! Me and Yatsu will corner him off!" Coco said, they both nodded and took off.
"What do you mean you left him?!" Adam growled to Roman.
"There were four hunters! Four! Against us! He let me escape with the dust and said we´d me up somehow. I´m sure he´ll be fine." Roman answered.
"What if he just said that to escape us?! Ask the hunters for help!" Adam grabbed Romans collar, lifting him up.
"He can´t, and doesn't want to. Or else he would've escaped already, tried at least. He will come back, we´re sure." Roman put his cane under Adams chin, glaring at him. "Let me go, now." He said. Adam complied, leaving angrily.
Shit shit shit...a right. Now a left. Where am I going? Doesn't matter, just gotta lose them! I thought to myself, picking up the pace. I could hear Fox and Velvet behind me. No idea where Coco and Yatsuhashi were at. I stopped, looking around and dashing into a building, half constructed. I began running up the stairs, climbing the scaffolding from time to time because it was faster. I made it to the third floor then groaned.
"Please, just stop! Come with us! I won´t leave, i´ll make sure everything is fine!" Velvet pleaded to me.
"Nothing is fine, nothing! And it won´t be...not here!" I yelled. A ball of anger and resentment I hadn't even realized I had began to come out. Maybe coming here and joining the fang wasnt the worst experience ever, not yet at least, but I didn't like it. Obviously, I complied and liked some stuff like fighting but not joining them!
"Tell us your story, let us find some way to help you." She took a step closer and I snapped, charging with a yell. She flipped backwards and Fox charged to meet me, our swords clashing. He kicked me back and slashed, I ducked under his sword, parrying the other and counter attacking. I kicked him back, or tried to, but he grabbed my foot and pulled me, making me fall. His foot came down in a hammer kick and I raised my arms to block it. I pushed him off and rolled backwards, back on my feet. Velvet charged me and I hesitated, she was so nice and I had adored her when I saw the show. But she didn't see this or didn't care now, a flurry of punches hitting my chest and then she jumped, her foot connect with my chest and pushing me back. I growled and next time she came a crouched, dashed forward and spun, kicking her in the side and sending her into a support column. She gasped in pain and fell to her knees. I spun, blocking Fox´s blade and keeping him and a sword lock. He jumped and both his feet smashed into my chest, I went flying and was forced to let go of my weapons. He threw them to a side. Facing me. I heard someone and turned, Coco´s brief case hit him right under the chin, sending me upwards and breaking my mask off.
"Wheres Yatsu?" Fox asked, going next to the fashionista.
"Hes taking care of Veronica. When the police arrive he´ll go back to the bullhead." She smiled at me. "Is the little kid hurt?"
I got up shakily, frowning I felt my face. I had a big cut on my right cheek, my mask was in pieces. I went wide eyed as I noticed they could see my face and instinctively covered it. After a minute a realized that wouldnt matter and I just glared at Coco.
"You forgot Velvet." Fox said to me and I spun, Velvet kicking my stomach again and sending me to the side. I yelled as pain flared in my side. I looked down and saw a metal spike going through my waist.
"Uh...jesus christ." I tried to move and flinched, feeling more pain.
"I´m...i´m sorry..." She said, going to my side, I grabbed her neck, making her yelp and head butted her, aura reappearing and focusing on my head for a second. She fell down, dazed. I focused aura in my fist and punched down on the spike, breaking the tip which was exiting my body then pulled myself out. I stumbled, but dashed and grabbed my swords. Fox had gone to Velvets side and Coco aimed her gun at me.
"Don´t even try." She sounded dead serious, her glasses off so I could see her glare.
"I´m sorry...i just can´t get caught now...not yet. I´m not sure when." I said, turning to Velvet. She stood up, a little blood on her forehead.
"You have no where to go. Surrender or this time I really will shoot you." Coco said.
"Oh...i have one place to go. I hope I can see you all later. Really, i´ll make this up to you." I smiled at Coco, like I used to, the old me.
"Wait! Don´t! You have no aura, your hut, you won´t survive the fall." Velvet said, leaving Fox to take a few steps to me. She didn't try to get close though, she wasn't dumb.
"I didn't have aura when I came her either, I didn't have the correct...body. I suffered more pain then this fall. I´ll make it. Plus I did this before...under worse circumstances..." I said, taking a step back.
"Wait! Don´t!" Coco yelled as Velvet ran to me. I spread my arms and closed my eyes. A smile spread across my face as I let myself fall.
"Please, tell us again." Ironwood said, facing team CFVY.
Coco sighed. "Velvet and Fox chased him up the building. I went afterwards, being slower. Yatsuhashi stayed behind to wait with Veronica. When I arrived he was pretty beat up, I simply swung my case, broke his mask and lowered his aura. Velvet kicked him, accidentally pushing him into metal spike. He somehow was able to focus his aura into certain parts of his body, he did that to his forehead and head butted Velvet then used his aura in his fist to break the spike and pull himself out. He went to the side and let himself fall off..."
"And do you think he survived?" Professor Ozpin asked, taking a sip from his mug.
"We don´t know, we couldn't see."
"I didn't ask how exactly, I asked for your theory." He said, sounding calm as ever.
"I think he forced himself to focus aura all over the back side of his body, the part that would hit the ground, this would hurt and leave him even weaker. But he could survive. If not he might have a semblance which let him survive." Velvet answered. Being the "mage" of the group she knew more of aura than the others. Coco pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair.
"Its not your fault Vel..." She said.
"What do you feel guilty of, Ms. Scarlatina?" Ozpin asked.
"At first I thought he was just a confused faunus, that I could show him to be good. Then I saw, we all saw, it was much worse than that. But when I spoke, I knew I was getting through to him. He is good, I just wish I could've helped him..." She rubbed her eyes, smiling appreciatively to Coco.
"You may get the chance soon, Velvet." Ozpin answered with a smile.
Ironwood turned to Ozpin, looking unsure. "Its fine general. Brief them."
"Very well. I trust your decision. This boy, code named Fall, has been with the fang for only a few short months. One of our operatives spotted him while spying on the White Fang. He just appeared. He was described as odd, strange. Both physically and mentally. Yet he acted and behaved just like anyone else. We believe this is connected to something they have been working on which requires all the dust they have been gathering."
"And what is that? What are they doing?" Fox said, seeming much more interested now.
"We have speculations but...we cannot say. Nor want to say, its preferable to keep this to our selfs for now." Ironwood typed something on his scroll. "I must leave. Please keep me up to date on Fall, Ozpin." They nodded to each other before he left.
"Why tell us about Fall?" Yatsuhashi said, which surprised the rest. For him to speak he had to be much more curious of this than the rest.
"We will soon attempt to retrieve Fall from the fang. You were sent on this mission not only to stop the fang, but to capture Roman and Fall. We suspected you wouldnt capture him but we know we could gain valuable intel of him. Your descriptions have been very useful." He smiled at the four in his friendly manner.
"Has he been identified et? Someone somewhere has to have his ID or something." Fox said.
"Yes, he has. A student of Beacon and part of team RWBY. He disappeared a few months ago. The four girls have been going mad trying to find him." He sighed, obviously upset by this. He preferred for all his students to be happy and healthy, not only did he lose one but the other four were suffering now.
"Wait, we´ve met team RWBY, they´re four girls. Your saying they used to be a team of five?" Coco asked.
"Yes, we´ve kept this secret. And I expect you four to do the same. You cannot tell team RWBY or anyone else of this incident."
"What?! But you just said they have been worried sick! If we tell them they can relax, we can get him back!" Fox almost yelled. Yatsuhashi put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a stern look.
"If they knew they would immediately launch in a useless search for him, they would charge in with no caution and I cannot risk my students. Once we recover Fall and make sure he is ok, we will inform the four girls and, if he chooses so, he may return with them." Ozpin said. "Remember, no one may know of this. Understand?" He took a sip of his coffee.
"Yes sir, we understand. We´ll do our best to bring him back." The four gave a nod before exiting the room.
"Let us hope he lives to rejoin this school..." Ozpin muttered to himself once they were out.
"AH!" Ruby yelled, falling backwards and on her butt. She was late for lunch and had been running through the halls. "Uh? Oh sorry!" She stood up, taking Coco´s hand and pulling her up. She the frowned seeing her face then those of her team. "Whats wrong guys? You look sad." She said.
"Uh, its nothing. Just a mission we´re heading out to today. We kinda don´t want to leave for the next few days. Get some rest. But you got to do what you got to do, right?" She gave Ruby her good old confident smirk.
"Yeah! Well good luck on your mission, where are you guys going?"
"Uh...well..." Coco stammered.
"We need to go spy on the White Fang. They might be operating within Vale and thats something no one wants." Fox said.
"Good luck! I´ll see you guys when you come back, I need to go to the cafeteria!" She got into her runners position, darting off and leaving a trail of petal behind her. It had been a week since they incident and they had just been told to go o the docks this night and hide there. Fall was appearing in more and more robberies and they needed to put a stop to this, get him back and hopefully capture Roman. They were headed for the bullhead now.
"Remember team, stay away from him, but don't let him leave. Lets talk for real this time and bring him home. Team RWBY and JNPR are still looking for him and i´d rather have them stop worrying." Coco said before getting in the bullhead, her teammates following her. The all felt a bit grim about meeting Fall again, they didn't want to fail or get him in a stickier situation. But they'd do their best as always.
"Hello? Can anyone-cough- can anyone hear me?" I asked, using the little device on my ear to contact someone, anyone. "Guys, pick up...its Alessandro. I need some help..." I fell to my knees, wheezing. My plan had worked, aura holding up to let me survive the fall. But as far as I knew all my muscles were bruised, some teared, my aura was gone for awhile and I had something else because I kept coughing up blood.
"Hello? Fall? Is that you?" I heard someone answer. Fall, who was that? The voice was female. Kinda Regal.
"Dammit this is tuned wrong, this whole time?" I said to myself.
"Whoever this is identify yourself, Fall, is that you?" She asked again.
"I´m not Fall, who the hells Fall? Don´t answer. Bye." I said, about to take off the ear piece.
"Wait! Don´t disconnect!" She said, loud enough to make me flinch.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"This is Winter Schnee, part of Atlas special forces. Who am I talking to?" Winter, eh? Wasn't she...uh...Weiss´s sister?
"I´m just some kid connected to the wrong frequency." I answered, I groaned and let myself fall to the ground, just laying there.
"What is your name?" She asked, weird, she sounded a bit concerned. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"Uh...i´m no one. I´m no where, i´m hurt but i´ll live. Why do you care?" I sounded tired and annoyed.
"If you are who I think you are, we have been searching for you. Please tell us where you are so we can help you, Fall." Someone was talking on her side, apparently with her.
"Stop calling me that and let me sleep." I muttered, closing my eyes.
"No! Don´t do that!" She suddenly yelled, causing me to jump up despite everything.
"Alessandro? Alessandro stop talking!" I turned to see Emerald and Mercury running towards me.
"What? Who´s there? Fall don´t trust them! Do not trust them!" Winter said before Emerald took the device and smashed it.
"What the hell Emerald..." I muttered, she put my arm around her neck, Mercury doing the same with my right arm. "How´d you guys find me?"
"Don´t worry about that, lets just hurry up and get you to a doctor." Emerald said. I yawned and my head fell down, my eyes closing as I entered a deep sleep.
