Sorry it's been so long, life has kept me busy and the RWBY fandom has kinda slipped to the wayside. Hope you can still enjoy it now that it is finally getting finished.
Yang took Blake's hand and headed towards town, excited to tell Blake all about her and Ruby's secret lives.
Ruby smiled at their retreating backs as she stood at the fountain with Roman and Adam.
"So, you two got a hot date tonight or what?" Adam laughed, quickly dodging both of them and running off through Beacon's courtyard. "See you two love birds at game night!" He shouted.
Roman was tempted to shoot at him, just for fun.
"Hey Red?" Roman started to ask what she wanted to do next as he turned to look at her and was startled to find her staring up at him with a smile on her face. All thoughts about what he was about to say left his mind. She was so close, if he just leaned down slightly he could have kissed her, he desperately wanted to.
"Yes?"
Roman shook his head as he turned away. Adam may tease them incessantly but they hadn't actually talked about what they were just yet. He'd rather keep her as just a friend than lose her completely by moving too quickly.
"Uh, are you sleeping at the club tonight or do you need a place to stay?"
Roman missed her disappointed frown as he turned away from her. Ruby knew that wasn't what he had planned to say but she let it slide.
"I'll be fine. I should probably check on Adam anyway." Ruby looked a little nervous.
"Why's that?" Roman tried not to sound jealous, he had no reason to be, Ruby had said so herself.
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to treat Adam any differently."
"Red-"
"You have to promise." Ruby was dead serious. Roman realized this was a test of sorts, Adam would forgive her for whatever secret she might tell, but Ruby would never forgive him if he hurt Adam.
"I promise."
Ruby smiled, "Thanks. Remember when I told you how Adam and I met?"
"Crying and covered in ice cream, yes." Roman laughed as they both started walking in the direction of the club.
"Yep! And remember when I said he was an orphan, rescued from Menagerie?" Roman nodded his head, "Well, the ship that rescued him was attacked by slavers." Roman grimaced, already guessing where her story was going. "The Faunus on board were shipped to Atlas to work in the mines. Adam spent three years as a child slave-"
"Gods, you said he was ten when you met."
"Yes, he was six when he was captured, he was nine when Jacques Schnee branded him, Weiss was seven."
"Wait- Weiss! The one everyone was just yelling at?! Don't tell me she-"
"No! No, I never would have stayed her partner if I thought for a second that she was as bad as her father."
"Then what happened?"
"They became friends…"
Unbeknownst to them Weiss was sobbing on her dorm room floor remembering when it had all gone to hell.
She was six years old when she peeked out her bedroom window and saw a little boy, not much older than her, sneaking around the gardens.
Feeling unusually brave and wanting to prove herself she raced down to confront him, easily slipping past her minders.
She carefully tried to sneak up behind him but stopped when she noticed how dirty and skinny he was. He was munching on the lettuce growing in her mother's garden, not that her mother ever spent any time in the garden.
She felt sad and wondered why his parents weren't taking better care of him. Maybe they had been eaten by Grimm? Grimm were the only monsters in the world that she knew about.
She was just about to ask when he whipped his head around to stare at her having sensed her approach.
The boy looked terrified and quickly ran off in the other direction.
"Hey! Hey wait!" Weiss cried as she ran after him doing her best to keep up.
The boy was fast as he ran around the outer edges of the gardens, jumping over a small divider and racing through the snow to the side of the hill before disappearing into the icy rock face underneath the castle.
Weiss wondered how he wasn't freezing until she stopped just outside of the cave entrance she had seen him enter.
It wasn't exactly warm, but it was warmer than standing in the snow. Weiss cautiously walked inside, having never seen this part of her home or anything like it before.
There were loud noises everywhere, the sounds of people crying and groaning as hammers crashed into metals and dust. Other people were shouting.
"Move faster you worthless Faunus!"
"Useless freaks!"
"Put your back into it you filthy animals!"
It was then that Weiss realized the people around her had animal features. She had never seen a Faunus up close before, it was a little terrifying but interesting as well.
But she couldn't understand why they were working in such terrible conditions. Her father couldn't have known about this, could he? He was often mean to her but he always said he loved her too. He wouldn't do this to other people even if they looked different, right?
His temper had only gotten worse recently when Winter left home to attend a private school and refused to return. Weiss had looked up to her big sister and wondered why her leaving had upset their father so much.
Weiss did her best to protect her baby brother, but Whitley was small and didn't understand words yet so he was never in trouble to begin with.
Weiss suddenly heard angry whispers beside her and turned to find the boy she had been chasing being scolded by a lady with blue scales on her face and arms.
"What were you thinking!? You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"I was hungry!" The boy whined as he rubbed his stomach. Weiss realized he was probably still hungry.
The woman gave him a pitying look.
"We're all hungry kiddo. You just gotta get used to it."
Weiss carefully walked up behind him.
"I could get you something to eat." She offered.
The two jumped, turning to stare at her in horror.
"Oh Gods… You're one of the Schnee's aren't you?" She quickly looked around to make sure none of the guards were watching them. "You gotta get outta here kid! You'll get us all killed!"
The woman started trying to shove her back out of the cave from which she came.
"But I can help you!" Weiss argued.
"Help us all by leaving and never coming back! You'll only cause problems!" The woman gave her a final shove before running back and grabbing the boy by the arm before dragging him off further into the commotion of the mine.
Weiss wasn't sure what to do but knew that if she waited much longer her minders would tell her father and then she would really be in trouble.
Running back just as quickly as she came, Weiss jumped back over the ledge barrier just in time.
Her father was casually walking with a man who seemed just as powerful as her father.
"Now James, why would I waste money on something as silly as that? We already have the communication towers. No need to be spending money where it's not needed."
Weiss hid behind a tree as she watched her father and the other man walk away, never even noticing her.
Once she knew they were gone she stared at the garden and wondered why they were growing so much food that her family never ate. As far as she knew all of her food came from Chef and everything Chef cooked came from boxes in the kitchen.
"Weiss Schnee!" Weiss winced just as her nanny grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face her. "Where have you been, young lady?"
"I was just playing in the garden!" Weiss lied as she was dragged back to her room. A plan already forming I'm her head with the innocence only a six year old could possess.
Later that night Weiss snuck out of her room and into the garden once again. She quickly ripped a head of lettuce out of the ground. It was almost half her size but she deftly carried it down the hill.
Unsure of who she would find, Weiss quietly made her way through the cave. She was shocked to find the mine just as busy and loud as she'd left it. She had thought that everyone would be asleep at this point.
Turning to her left she was relieved to see the boy from earlier, he was openly staring at her like she was crazy.
Not knowing any better Weiss walked right up to him and dropped the head of lettuce at his feet.
"Here you go!" She cheered with a beaming smile on her face.
Weiss took the chance to study him up close as he continued to stare at her dumbly. She noticed that he had pretty blue eyes almost like hers. His hair was really dirty but it was jet black with streaks of red mixed in randomly.
It was then that she noticed the two tiny little horns on his head.
"Do they hurt?" She asked.
"What?" The boy asked, not understanding her.
"Your horns. Do they hurt?"
"No! They're my horns! Why would they hurt?"
"I don't know! I just thought it would hurt with them bursting out of your head like that!" Weiss said, getting defensive.
"I was born with them." He said, like it was obvious.
"Cool." Weiss looked around, "I have to go now but let me know if you want more lettuce!" Weiss said happily as she turned to leave.
"Wait! Who are you?" The boy asked, genuinely curious about the weird girl who had brought lettuce in the middle of the night.
"I'm Weiss! What's your name?"
"Um… Adam."
Weiss smiled, she was about to say more when a guard nearby started shouting, startling them both.
Weiss ran for the exit as Adam ran further into the mine clutching the head of lettuce like it was the most valuable thing in the world.
Neither one realizing that a weird sort of bond had just formed between them.
It became somewhat of a routine for Weiss to sneak out, grabbing whatever random vegetable was growing in her mother's garden and delivering it to Adam in the caves beneath her home.
On very rare occasions Adam could be found waiting for her outside, braving the cold just to thank her and tell her to leave all in the same breath.
More often than not though Weiss would find herself creeping through the expansive tunnels looking for the boy that had peaked her curiosity.
They had become secret friends, at least that's how Weiss saw it. She would tell Adam everything while he silently nodded along. He would even comment here or there, asking her questions, but he would never share about his own life.
In fact the only things Weiss actually knew about Adam was that he was a bull Faunus, only a little older than her, his parents were killed by Grimm and that he worked in the mine because he had to.
Apparently all the Faunus there 'had to', Weiss was too young and naive to understand why.
Adam wasn't really sure how much time he had passed in the mines but it was suddenly Weiss's seventh birthday and she had come down to show him her first sword.
It was a tiny little thing, very thin, Adam wasn't even sure if it qualified as a sword.
"Are you sure it's a sword? It looks like a giant sewing needle." Adam said as he continued to dig as he always did.
Weiss huffed, "Of course it's a sword! My father says I can start lessons tomorrow."
"Why? You're a princess, aren't you supposed to just sit at home and give people orders?"
"I told you, I'm not a princess! I'm an heiress."
"What's the difference?"
"A princess is- Ahh! That's not the point!"
"Then what is the point?" Adam asked with nothing but curiosity in his tone. Weiss suddenly seemed shy as she blushed and looked at her toes.
"I just- I, I wanted to ask… If I practice enough and get really good, I can come teach you too. If you want."
Adam smiled at her blushing face, "That sounds fun."
And fun it was.
Adam never told Weiss, he never told her anything really, but he did enjoy his time with her. It almost reminded him of home, of having someone who cared.
Their training was fun too, what little of it they could achieve at least. Weiss would sneak down, teach him what she had learned that day and then scramble back to her room as quickly as she could. Adam didn't have the heart to admit that everything she had been 'teaching' him was mostly just review for him.
It was on one of those seemingly unimportant training days that everything fell apart in an instant.
Weiss smiled as she showed Adam her newest forms, the parry was her favorite part.
"You should widen your stance." Adam commented absently. He had barely even glanced at her before turning back to his work. He had a hard enough time fitting in with his own people here by being friends with a Schnee. He didn't need to make it worse by making it look like he wasn't working, even though he was just a kid.
They were too distracted to immediately notice the gasps of fear from the other nearby faunus but they both turned when they heard the angry roar of rage from behind them.
Weiss was already shaking as she watched her father get closer and closer, her eyes widening in fear with every step he took.
"Consorting with the freaks I see!" Jacques Schnee sneered at his daughter cowering in the filth of the mine with a faunus.
Even as her knees shook, Weiss tried to stand her ground in front of her friend and protect him. Her small little sword was quivering in her hand.
She was too scared to notice that Adam was standing proud, ready to pull Weiss out of the way and protect her as well.
Jacques glowered over Weiss's head as he stared Adam down. "Trying to steal my daughter for your cause, hmm? Think if you get some human sympathy you might actually succeed?! Or are you planning to force her into liking you freaks!? Turn her into one of your breeders!"
Adam had no idea what the man was talking about but he knew it was bad. He didn't dare speak, it would just mean more punishments for him and the other faunus.
Before he could even think about shouting for help or running away Jacques Schnee shoved his daughter out of the way and punched Adam in the chest, sending the poor boy flying back.
"Daddy no! He's my friend!" Weiss cried as she wobbly tried to jump back to her feet and raised her tiny little sword, hoping she was brave enough to defend them both.
Jacques whirled around snarling at his daughter. "Friend!? You can't be friends with freaks and monsters!" Jacques was about to say more when he saw the tiny sword shaking in his daughter's hands. He stood a little straighter. "So he's already turned you against me hasn't he? No matter. I'll handle him for both of us."
Weiss wasn't fast enough to stop him as Jacques gripped her arm and ripped the sword from her hands.
"Aaahhh! Daddy my arm!"
"Weiss!" Adam shouted as he scrambled back up to protect her and moved to tackle Jacques away.
Unfortunately Jacques was quicker. He spun, Weiss' sword spun with him, arcing it wide aiming to hit the bull faunus across the chest.
Weiss screamed and fell limp in Jacques arms as her own sword slashed across her eye. Blood sprayed up around them and Jacques dropped his daughter in shock as she desperately clutched at her face.
"Weiss!" Adam cried again as he clutched at his arm pitifully. Jacques had missed his chest but had still landed a hit.
"Look what you've done!" Jacques shouted indignantly as he stared down at his daughter, anger stewing within him as he turned to glare at Adam.
"Me?! You are the one who hit her!" Adam was trying to look around the madman, he knew Weiss was hurt but he wasn't sure what the damage had been. His own arm was throbbing and his chest was aching, making his breaths feel shaky.
"How dare you!" Jacques shouted. He tossed the sword aside and began raining punches down on Adam once again.
Adam screamed, he begged for someone, anyone to help. Weiss continued to cry in agony, her vision blurry through the tears and blood dripping down her face.
No one was brave enough to stand up and help them….
Ruby sighed and Roman could only stare at her in horror, he could already guess what was coming next.
"When Jacques Schnee finally stopped hitting him and walked away, Adam was barely conscious. His vision was already fuzzy but he could just barely make out Weiss looking at him, crying out his name. For a brief second he thought the monster had finally left but before he could try and move the monster reappeared with a glowing hot brand in his hands."
Roman really didn't want to hear the rest but he wouldn't dishonor the man, or Ruby, by telling her to stop. This story deserved to be heard. People should know the truth about the atrocities committed in Atlas.
Ruby took a deep breath, holding back the tears she felt building in her eyes. She knew Adam hated it when she cried, especially for him.
"Adam says he doesn't remember the pain but I think subconsciously he does. After a really bad day he still wakes up screaming, clutching at his eye as if it's still burning. He told me once that in his nightmares he still sees the glowing hot metal getting closer and closer." She shook her head, "He passed out from the pain and woke up a week later in the belly of a ship. The ship had stopped on the island of Vytal and was on its way to Vale. The crew hadn't been sure if he'd survive or not. I found him a few months later."
"And the rest is history, huh?" Roman rubbed his gloved hands over his face. The urge to cry and scream weren't too hard to will away, but the desire to burn the SDC to the ground and crash Atlas into the sea… Well he knew Ruby felt the same way.
They walked together in silence as they made their way towards the club and down the alley to the back door.
"Do me a favor Red," Ruby looked up at Roman curiously, her hand hovering over the door knob. "Don't go tearing down Atlas' door without me. I-"
"Wouldn't dream of it." Ruby grinned, "But let's figure out how we are going to get out of this Cinder mess first.