A Leaf Turned
Chapter 12
Volume 2
Men and Monsters
Adam couldn't believe how Ruby's supposed "Best Day EVER!" had devolved into this mess. It was supposed to be a nice, quiet day spent hanging out as a team and just enjoying each others company...Well, enjoying might have been a stretch between himself and Weiss, but considering he hadn't killed her and he wasn't in custody they were making some progress on the long bumpy road that was their frenemiship.
So when there was a crash and Weiss cried out, forcing him to press his back harder against his cover as it shook from the impacts of enemy fire, he turned his head and saw the heiress come skidding across the floor beside him, her pale, well kept skin dotted in crimson lines and eyes glazed in shock.
He could have left her there. He should have, she was a goner, her wounds too severe to be anything but a liability to their efforts to hold their position and not give a single inch of ground to their impressively coordinated foes.
Weiss coughed, sputtering up more of that crimson that dotted her face and shoulder, her eyes regained some life as he placed her head on his lap, she blinked once, still dazed. "A-Adam...?" She whispered, and squinted...Before she smirked tiredly. "You look like an Ursa won a fist fight..."
With his black eye and torn sleeve, along with several splotches of red across his own attire, he didn't doubt it. "You're hardly in a position to talk." He responded just as gently, as if raising his voice would somehow send the heiress back into shock.
"Please, even in this sorry state I am still a far more enjoyable sight then you, Belladonna." She coughed, sputtering his face with red.
He glared down at her before his tongue snaked out and licked some of the crimson away closest to his lips. "Only you could make such good ketchup taste so bitter, Schnee." It was a half hearted sneer. "Now clean yourself up and clear your head, loathe as I am to admit it, we need you to hold the line."
"How is the line?" Seemingly done resting, she sat up and moved next to him, hefting up a container of mustard in her good hand, the hand not currently slippery with ketchup.
Behind their cover, across the cafeteria, Nora Valkyrie continued to provide long range soda bombardment while Ren and Jaune entrenched themselves behind their anti-food barrier made of overturned tables. Covered in the remains of the various foods they'd taken.
The battle had started out so well too, but then Yang took a ketchup pack to the eye and Ren and Pyrrha moved in for what could only be called an ass kicking, so Ruby was single handedly engaging Nikos in close Carrot VS Bread combat and it was a losing battle because for all her speed, Nikos was the more experienced warrior.
Adam himself had been forced into cover when he hit Ren across the room with a turkey to the face, Nora's revenge was still going with this bombardment. "They've been better." The bull Faunus finally said, not even glancing away when he heard Ruby shout out in surprise, the "crunch!" Of breaking and the red leader sliding past them was all he needed to hear to know they were losing ground.
Weiss groaned. "We had this! Where did we go wrong?"
"Probably when Yang got laid out by Ren and Nikos." Adam supplied, grabbing a piece of the long bread and heft it up, taking a few test swings to test its sturdiness. It would work. "I can still fight, if I can break their front defense," AKA beat Nikos back, "We can push forward and regain our momentum, even if we're one down."
"My eyes again?! Oh dus-"
Yang flew through the air and landed with an explosion of food and tables right by her KO'd sister. Adam's brow twitched.
"...Two down." He amended flatly.
"We can still pull this off, I'll charge Nikos and engage in close combat, once I break her down and force her back, you'll use your glyphs to launch a surprise strike with those watermelons at their lines, giving me time to rush in and into their defensive walls. It will be a slaughter from there." In those close quarters it would be just that.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Weiss questioned, though she didn't seem particularly worried.
Adam snorted and said with a smirk. "Watch me."
He hefted the bread and jumped from cover and batted a pair of sodas aside, causing them to explode to the sides and avoid coating him in their sticky deliciousness. The bull's feet touched down and he kicked forward, shouting. "Nikos!" And then he flourished his bread sword in challenge.
Pyrrha turned, and saw the bull rushing forward and she brought up her own bread sword and serving platter shield to ready herself for a fight she knew would be tough. Ruby and the others had of course informed her and JNPR about Adam's "past" and knowing that, Pyrrha was well aware he would be a tough opponent. "En garde!"
She thrust forward and Adam twisted mid-stride, bashing her thrust to the side and smirking, those crimson orbs glowing slightly in what could only be excitement. He cocked his head to the side and dodged a can that Nora idly flung, before he stepped forward further into Pyrrha's space, who steadied herself and turned on her heel to bring her shield around for a bash of her own.
Adam raised his elbow and took the bash with it, while he flicked his weapon in his grip and brought the "grip" forward with force right into Pyrrha's back, stumbling her forward, he stepped to follow, but when she whipped back around and thrust for his face, he grunted and brought up his sword to barely parry the strike, sending it just to the side enough that only crumbs brushed his cheek.
"Close." She whispered.
"Too close." Adam grunted.
He stepped forward and brought his knee upwards in a flash of movement, ramming it into her gut with enough force that she doubled over and leaned into his shoulder. He pressed his palm to the valley between her breasts, he thrust said palm forward and sent the champion of Mistral flying back with a yelp of indignant surprise for his "grope".
The crash that followed as she impacted JNPR's defensive barriers and scattering a few tables was music to his ears. As were the surprised looks from Ren, Nora and Jaune as their star defense player was removed from the board.
With a grin, Adam crouched and his blood pumped for the fight ahead. He charged forward, hefting his sword and snarling, "Now you're-"
"ENOUGH!"
The world froze, as did the two teams, everything seemed to freeze, floating where things stopped as weight bared down on Adam's shoulders. He turned his head to see Glynda Goodwitch standing there, arms crossed over her chest and crop in hand so tightly her knuckles were white. The vein above her right brow also informed him that he, along with the others, were in the deepest of troubles.
Before anyone could speak to defend their case and offer grovelling for mercy, the Deputy Headmistress flung her crop across the in a wave so violent that the furniture, trays and food all flung itself back into proper positions across the whole of the cafeteria as if fear of her wrath was all the incentive they needed.
Teams RWBY and JNPR were simply flung into the wall and pinned there until the place was nice and tidy-ish again. Once they were released, Glynda stood before them and narrowed her eyes. "Before I start handing out detentions to all of you, I think-"
"You should let it go." Ozpin was suddenly beside her, causing the four to blink. Like he'd just appeared...Even Glynda seemed surprised.
"But..." She saw the look in his eyes, then sighed. "Very well." She turned back to the teams. "You're all off this time, return to your dorms and try not to destroy something else, please?"
There was more than a little threat in her words. With varying degrees of "yes!" from them, the teams vacated the cafeteria.
But not before Adam shared a look with Goodwitch and Ozpin, hers was grim, warning him to be mindful. Ozpin's was more lenient, but all the same he had no doubt that if he felt he had to then expulsion would be the least of Adam's worries.
The bull moved to catch up with the rest of his team and he found them waiting for him outside the double doors of the cafeteria. Apparently over the entire incident already, bar their messy clothing that would need washing and repair.
"Well! Team RWBY! Let us return to our dorm, freshen up and prepare to hit the arcade!" Ruby announced while throwing a fist into the air.
"Yeah!" Yang joined her.
"Yay." Weiss and Adam deadpanned. But nonetheless nodded their partings to JNPR, who Jaune said had "traning plans" ahead for them, so Adam was at least confident that Arc was at least taking his training seriously now.
But it was only when they were back in their dorm and undressed did Adam and RWY truly speak their minds. "What did you and Headmaster Ozpin talk about?" Yang asked from behind the curtain he kept on his bed, the sound of rustling fabric as the girls undressed themselves and got out fresh changes of clothes.
Adam tossed his own ruined uniform jacket aside while he thought back to the "interrogation" he had with Ozpin when they'd returned from the docks. "...Well," He began with a frown, leaning into the wall as all activity ceased at once, all three were now probably listening intently.
Flashback!
"Mr. Belladonna," Ozpin sat across from him, a mug of coffee in hand. He offered a brief smile, trying to "settle his nerves" Adam guessed. "No need to look so grim, this isn't an expulsion meeting. I merely wish to know what happened on those docks. As you can imagine, the resulting dust explosion pretty much burned the scene clean, of material and bodies alike. All we can confirm is that the White Fang were involved...and that you and two certain girls were responsible for stopping them."
"So, care to shed some light on the events?"
Adam couldn't begin to try and think of how to explain what he had done on the docks. He remembered it, and he was there again, cutting, spilling blood while the coppery scent of it filled the air with the screams of the terrified as he cut them down. He wasn't squeamish by any means and such sights had long since lost their weight to him, simply more bodies in a river of blood he was determined to wade through to see his goals accomplished.
But now? After so long being a student and hanging around with the likes of RWY? He could say that, reflecting on the murder, no, slaughter of his fellow Faunus...He felt something he never thought he would. Regret.
"I don't know what to tell you," Adam began when his mind returned to the present and he shoved the feeling away. "I saw a commotion, investigated, saw it was the White Fang, I called Ruby-"
"But not the proper authorities?" Ozpin arched a brow. His tone wasn't accusing, but Adam could see that the man wasn't buying what he was selling. "I'll be frank with you, Mr. Taurus."
Adam didn't need to hear more, he didn't have to. His real name. Used so nonchalantly, Ozpin knew him and could identify him. He had to be eliminated. And when Adam grit his teeth and tensed his body to lunge, aura or no, people could be strangled to death all the same.
Ozpin was suddenly at back, hands on his shoulders and pressing down with strength that threatened to outright break the bull's shoulders. "Calm down, Mr. Taurus." Ozpin didn't sound like the warm, usual headmaster. But instead someone who knew they were dealing with a criminal, and were trying to offer a deal they'd rather not. "This doesn't have to become a scene."
"I'd say it already is." Adam growled, trying to rise, but the hands on his shoulders gripped, and he hissed again. "What do you want with me?"
"To listen." A pause, then a chuckle. "And to not make an attempt on my life as well."
"No promises." Adam muttered, the weight relented as suddenly as it appeared and Ozpin was on his chair, as if he'd always been there, sipping his coffee. '...What in the dust are you?"
This time, Ozpin smiled and spoke with his usual carefree cheer. "Just a man of many talents, Mr. Belladonna," He'd slipped back into using Adam's temporary persona. "Now, I know who you are, and what you were. And I know for a fact what happened on those docks." He raised a hand to silence Adam when he opened his mouth to speak. "I have my ways, but I do know. And I alone. And your secret is safe with me."
Adam could already tell there was a "but" coming, it was so obvious. "But not for free, obviously." He grunted.
"Correct, nothing is free, Mr. Belladonna, including my silence." Ozpin said easily, leaning back into his chair. "It's nothing nefarious, I assure you. I just simply wish to lay down a few rules, but before that...I have to know, why did you join my academy?" He raised a brow, awaiting the answer.
The answer couldn't have been simpler for Adam to answer in thought. He joined because Blake wanted him to use the academy as a place to foster a better view of Humankind, to try and get over the massive wall of hate and prejudice he'd erected during his time as the leader of the White Fang in Vale. It was a simple answer that would otherwise compromise Blake.
He settled for a part of the truth. "To learn to live among Humans, being what I was, you can imagine I didn't have the best view of them." Adam explained tone low. "I still don't, but the fact I have a Schnee on the team who is still alive should explain my efforts to try and mend that."
"Indeed," Ozpin nodded, seeming more amused than anything else. "I can tell you're holding something back, but I won't pry."
Adam frowned deeply. This man seemed too knowledgeable. "So what are these rules, then?"
"Quite simple, really. I want you to keep trying to mend your prejudice, so that should be easy enough to follow." Ozpin spoke, tone serious again as quick as Glynda's temper could flare. "Second, I want you to protect your teammates."
"They're my teammates, isn't that a given I'd protect them?" Adam didn't snort, but he wanted to.
"I know, but I mean to protect them. I'm not sure you've noticed but with the Vytal festival coming and Vale chosen to host the event, that many teams across Remnant's combat schools are arriving, and with them, other kingdom citizens eager to visit and take in the sights before and after the festival. When the tournament arrives-"
"It'll be a glorified pissing contest between the Kingdoms, I know all about that part of history and it's farce." Adam snorted this time, contempt clear in his voice. "Must be humbling, knowing that despite reaching peace, Humanity requires a violent tradition to continue to ease the tensions of the old wars and measure themselves against the other." The bull smirked, oh how good it felt to berate Humanity again openly.
"You're not wrong, sadly." Ozpin suddenly seemed a tired old man with the way he slumped in his chair with that explosive sigh. "But, yes. During the tournament, I have it on good authority that someone out there is planning to use it as a means to cause some form of panic. Perhaps to do my Academy harm, I am unsure...But the rule I want to impart on you is a simple one. Protect your teammates, at all costs."
Adam didn't like this, there was something else at play here and he had seen machinations from Humans enough to know he was right about this. "Why? What're they to you that makes them so special?"
"All my students are precious to me, Adam." Ozpin said seriously. "But those three girls? They might become critical pieces later in life to the continued existence of the Kingdoms, I just want them protected-"
The bull slammed his palms onto the table, narrowing his eyes viciously as his aura flared. The crimson on his body lighting up. "You're manipulating them. The fact they were on the same team, you set them up that way." He accused with a growl. "And now you're telling me all this, knowing what I am, because you want to use me as a guard dog, I'll give it to you, Human." Adam spat. "You're brave admitting all this, but I won't be a piece in your game, now will I let my teammates be pieces too."
"You're right," Ozpin admitted without shame. "I have manipulated things thus far, I ensured they would be set up on the same team despite the random conditions. And I knew who you were from the get-go, though honestly it took me until now to decide to what do to with you." The headmaster explained. "I admire your protective instincts, no doubt born from someone of your...colorful background, but you must understand. Whether they like it or not, or you, or even i, the game is already in motion. Forces, mine, and an enemy I've yet to see are moving."
"There will be a clash, and I believe it will happen during the Vytal Festival," Ozpin frowned deeply, eyes grim. "If it does, I need to know that your team will be safe."
"Fine, I assume then so long as I act as your guard dog, you'll never tell them exactly what I was? What I've done?"
"Yes." Ozpin nodded. "That will remain your story to tell, just ensure their safety if such a thing should threaten them. Beyond that, simply continue on as you will. And...Do not inform them of this discussion."
"Secrets...Humans are full of them." Adam said with disgust.
"Sometimes it's because we care, Adam." Ozpin countered, then gestured to the door. "Have a nice evening."
"You too, Headmaster." Adam grunted, standing and quickly leaving before his growing questions and frustrations overwhelmed his control and he lashed out violently.
End of flashback!
"Ozpin knew I was in the White Fang before, and he wanted to know how I found the dock operation, by chance...Mind you," He couldn't see their faces, but he liked to think they believed him there. "He said he would keep it secret, since my reasons for coming here were...Trying to make myself a better person." He was lying to them now, and he didn't like the bitter taste it left in his mouth. "Simply put, I stay on the straight like I always have and I remain your teammate." He tried to sound nonchalant with that ending.
"Phew!" Ruby broke the silence with a relieve sigh. "Well that's great! You can still be our teammate, and we remain the awesome team RWBY!"
"Yeah," Adam said lowly to himself, frowning deeper as he considered just how much more complicated his life had become. "Awesome." That was a word for it.
"It smells like someone died in here..." Emerald Sustrai complained as she held onto her nose to stop the stench as they entered the bookstore marked "Tukson's booktrade", "Ugh...Doesn't the guy at least clean this place?" Honestly, first they were brought here and had to stay with that low life criminal scum Roman Torchwick, and now here they were cleaning up his mess!
Mercury, however, was oddly silent and his expression, once carefree and easy, was now hard and his eyes scanned the dimly bookstore. It was a look she was familiar with, the look of his past coming to him and his training as a killer of man, not of Grmm, taking over. "Someone did." He announced, stepping towards the counter, where he hopped over and moved into the backroom.
Emerald heard him grunt in disgust, before calling. "Yo, Em! Come check this out."
She really didn't want to see another dead body so soon after getting to Vale, but...She was also very curious. "Is...it bad?" She asked, uncertain.
"Nah, no ripped to pieces things here, just a large hole."
Because that was so much better than like a snapped neck or something! "Fine." She went out back and stepped into the doorway. "What is it?"
"Someone beat us to the kill," Mercury nodded to the floor.
Emerald turned her gaze onto the body of Tukson, who was sprawled out across the hardwood, crimson leaving from the large wound in his chest where his heart would be, said organ having no doubt been pierced. The blood was drying, and the body was likely hours set if how dry the blood was anything to go off of. "Poor guy."
Mercury kneeled down, mindful of the blood. "Claws are only half ejected, he didn't try fighting until it was too late," He recited calmly, "Probably tried to run out of the back, attacker got to him, he turned... Wham." The Assassin finger gunned at the hole. "Dead, left to lay there, but what's really interesting is that." He pointed to the wall beside his partner.
Emerald turned, and there on the wall in dried and drying blood was the mark of the White Fang in pretty eerie detail...And in the same blood writing below could be made out "Traitors never survive".
"...Welp, what appetite I had," Emerald deadpanned. "Is now gone. Lets get out of here, Mercury."
"Yeah," The silver haired boy stood, stretching his arms above his head. "Lets. The smell is bugging me." Together, they made their way out of the shop, after making sure no one was looking anyways, then...The continued along the street towards the meeting place designated by Cinder.
But it was Emerald who asked the obvious. "Who do you think took him out?"
"Not Roman," A snort left Mercury. "Probably some White Fang cleaner or something."
"...Why do I feel like this is going to be important later?"
"Iunno, Em. But I like how this day turning to be ver interesting." Mercury grinned.
Emerald rolled her eyes. Great...Just when she thought the plan couldn't get more complicated.
End of chapter 12
And the start of Volume 2!
Welp, there it is, after so long a wait I finally posted this up! After hastily finishing it too! Hope you enjoyed it! And yup, I am changing certain events, while keeping others the same. Since Adam coming along has dipped a few dominoes that I intend to make full use of! That said, until next chapter! If you'd kindly leave a like, fav and/or review! Have a nice day/night!