As I am sure a few of you noticed, GOTM got a new cover!
Once again, the same artist, i.e. my sister, drew this! Giga props for her on that one, massive glow-up if I do say so myself! I don't have much to comment on aside from that. This chapter is a little bit late due to the fact that I was away from my house for a few days, mainly because I did a favour for a family friend.
So, with that in mind, let's just jump into my response(s) to you guys!
[Response to Reviews/Comments]
(Qoutev) Sunky Addict: If you thought that was funny, then boy oh boy have I got a treat for you. As for the Weiss Plotline, it's going to be lasting all the way till the second half of The RWBYverse (There are gonna be 3 parts, btw. The Beginning, The Middle, and The End). Also, thanks! My sister worked hard on it, and I'm sure she'd be appreciative of the comment.
(Qoutev) TACO SENSEI: The White Fang isn't just fucked, they might as well have not existed once Jolyne is done with them. If there is one thing that you don't do, it's kidnaping anyone she cares about, doubly so when considering Sayaka.
(Ao3) Ashima: Yeah, it won't be for a while till they throw fists. He is the final boss of this universe, which I'm fairly certain was pretty obvious from the get-go. After all, that's how I've set him up.
For the record, Jamol is not the leader of The White Fang, that's Adam Taurus, The Bull Faunus that killed the "traitor" for "attacking" Blake. Pretty sure I made it apparent that Jamol is competing for the title of Ultimate Racist with Freeza and Zamasu in that regard. And considering The White Fang is for Faunus rights… and supremity, if Jamol was the leader of that… yeah, no, that'd be completely wrong, lol.
As for how Jolyne can control The Grimm that she has (Tyrone) it's because Jolyne created that out of her own HP and Mana, therefore it has no connection to Salem. Also, the Grimmoire existed far before Salem did, so it in itself is something that can create and summon Grimm separate from The Grimm pools that Salem controls.
As for Kokichi, he was kind of forced into that situation by Cinder, which will be explored at a later point. But yeah, no, Chinatsu is gonna have some words for Kokichi, none of which will be kind.
(Ao3) Tymaddux: The thing with Jolyne is that she is, without the influence of others, a Morally Grey Character. Always has been, and always will be. There will never be a point where she is an absolute evil or a paragon of virtue. Those kinds of characters bore me to the point of crying.
As for my opinion of Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, as far as I'm concerned, they are both mid-as-fuck. Don't get me wrong, it's crazy stupid how an animated show on Youtube can get as far as it has, but, outside of the adult comedy angle and the Stolblitz stuff in Helluva Boss, the show is as mid as mid can get.
However, Hazbin Hotel has more of a chance to be better than Helluva Boss because we've only seen the Pilot, and that was pretty fucking cool. Still mid, though.
As for there to be a chance for The Grey Council to go there… well, that all depends on if I decide to add it to the roster of worlds they go to, which will then be voted for. Although, now that you've mentioned it, there is a little something in this chapter that you might like to see concerning that universe… But that's for you to find out and for me to smirk at when you see it.
(Ao3) AidenJacksonSmithDSBB: Huh, that is both interesting and impressive! I wrote this because A. I wanted to take my hand at writing a Gamer Fanfic and B. because there weren't many Gamer Fanfics on Ao3. At least, none that I have read that have been any good with the exception of one.
And I can see that you're referring to Akane Amamiya, I assume. Mirlir is another one of the reasons I wrote this because I was inspired by Akane and her story. I'm a big fan of DxD: Like a Devil and I think some of it shows, if only slightly in how I write.
The Original Dark Wolf Shiro. Dark Wolf Shiro. That name… it is accursed and doomed to be left to rot for time immortal. I hate Dark Wolf Shiro, and I especially hate the stories he makes. Jamol is actually a riff on Shiro, and I'm certain it shows in some of his actions. And yes, Adam (The Almighty's first creation/son) is partially based on The Record of Ragnarok, and that is only his design and design alone, just more… dehydrated Ganon-looking.
I'm glad you like the story so far, and I hope you continue to like it!
(Guest) Reader 451: Adeptus Ridiculous, huh? Alright, I'll look into that one, considering Podcasts are my thing, you know? Many thanks! Adam Taurus is going to have a fate worse than Death, believe it or not. After all, I am one to believe in that kind of thing. As for Ruby… well, believe me, it's only going to get worse from here. Poor Ruby, poor, poor innocent Ruby.
Kolt999: Funnily enough, this time it is something completely unrelated to Jamol. [Redacted] and [Redacted for User Safety] are two completely different individuals, the latter being Jamol. Also, while it seems inconsistent, The System cannot tell Jolyne to stop thinking about her friends and or former friends. The most it could've done is warn her, but that would also give away the fact that Jamol is in the area, and that would make Jolyne go after him just out of curiosity of seeing her former best friend again, which would just put her in more danger for, well… Jamol reasons.
As for the 20 other Gamers, most of them are too weak to have an actual impact on the world, as this world is considered a "starter world" meaning a lot of Gamers that do show up tend to die off rather quickly. Those that don't… well, you'll see where their attention usually goes at a later point in the story.
As for Kokichi and Ruby's dynamic later on… I won't spoil anything. Just know that it'll be… interesting ; ) And then we get to what Lilith is about to do…. Well, instead of wondering about that, how about we just…
JUMP INTO THE CHAPTER! (Have a great day, Kolt!)
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[Ozpin]
It wasn't rare for Ozpin to meet others inside medical rooms. In fact, it was far more common than he'd like to admit. Whether it be students, faculty, or alumni of Beacon, meeting others inside medical facilities was something that Ozpin was rather used to in his time of being Headmaster at Beacon Academy.
He would admit that the sterile smell was something he had grown used to. The beeping of monitors and the dripping of IV bags always rung in the back of the immortal's mind. This kind of technology would have been vital in the era of The Great Extinction 500 some-odd years ago. Over a few thousand lives could've been saved, he reckoned.
Ozpin grew bitter at that thought. How many people could he have saved if he had this technology? Or, better yet, how many versions of himself could he have saved if he had access to and knowledge of this kind of medical equipment?
"Too many…" Ozpin mulled, frowning. Living for as long as he had, he grew to have many regrets. Hospitals, like the one he was in now, would've been a miracle to those who lived in his time as Ozma—oh how his original self would howl and beg for something like this. If only he could go back in time. He would change so many things. How his life played out, how his relationship with Salem went, and how he wouldn't have listened to The God Of Light on that day.
"Curse him… Curse them both…" Ozpin thought, waving away those thoughts with a simple huff. He was not here to remember the past. This was about the future. And that was why he was here in this hospital. After all, while it was something he had never done before, today he was meeting a potential student in the hospital.
Now that? That was new to him. Never before had he met a potential student in the Hospital. That was usually saved for the actual Entrance Exam rather than before it. But, then again, he was always open to new things. Especially if he benefited from it.
Which brought him to just who this person was. According to Glynda, the Deputy Headmistress and Combat Instructor at Beacon, the potential student in question fended off Roman Torchwick and a few of his lackies by herself, and even caused them to flee. That was more than impressive, seeing as Roman Torchwick was a rather nefarious individual.
Roman was one of the Kingpins within the city of Vale. A criminal feared and revered, known for his elaborate heists and cunning techniques. It was said that if one were to encounter Roman, one would find him hard to hate. Off the field, he was charismatic in a vulgar sort of way. On the field, he was a dangerous, thinking-on-foot kind of person.
It was what made him so elusive. Even in his many years of living, he had never seen someone as talented as that man. Roman Torchwick was a one-in-a-million talent; the kind a General would love to have leading an army into battle. If only Roman used that talent of his for good, then maybe Vale would be in a better place than what it was now.
That being said, if someone like this potential student could go head-on with the likes of his henchmen, which were no laughing matter in their own right, then that spoke volumes as to the kind of person this potential student was.
The person who he was referring to was one by the name of Ruby Rose. She was the daughter of Summer Rose and was the last surviving member of the Silver-Eyed Warrior Clan that all but went borderline extinct after The Great War.
Well, that wasn't completely true. Maria Calavera was an example of a Silver-Eyed Warrior. The problem was that she had dropped off the face of Remnant a few years ago, and was considered MIA. So, in truth, his statement wasn't a wrong one.
More to the point; it had been 80-some odd years since The Great War, meaning that in just two generations the bloodline of The Silver Eyed Warriors had been all but wiped out, no thanks to the efforts of Salem and her cohorts. The Roses were the last known remnants of that bloodline, and they were the key to defeating Salem.
And Ruby was the only one left.
Because she was the only one left, and because she seemed to be rather good at combat—unnaturally so according to Glynda—it was better early than never to pick up such fantastical talent before something ended up happening to her. After all, Torchwick's henchmen weren't anything to scoff at. They were rather strong in their own right, strong enough to hold off the likes of some of the third-year hunters and huntresses in training.
So, for Ruby Rose to be capable enough, fast enough, and strong enough to deal with them without even fully using her weapon spoke volumes as to just how strong she was. And, if he'd harbour a guess as to where she learnt it from, he'd have to assume it was thanks to a certain Qrow that he knew.
For as much as Qrow was an inebriant and a slacker on the best of days when he put his back into it, he was a damn good teacher; not that Qrow would ever admit it, of course.
The main problem at hand, however, was the fact that Ruby Rose was not waking up after passing out in front of Glynda. And it wasn't as if a short amount of time had passed either. In fact, it had been at least 7 hours since she was sent to the hospital and since the doctors looked her over. He was lucky that he had already sorted through all of the transcripts yesterday, otherwise, he wouldn't be here right now.
Speaking of the doctors. They had noticed something… strange about Ruby. Something that had alarmed him. When she was taken out of her bloodied and torn-up outfit due to the explosion that followed after she had narrowly escaped thanks to her speed-related Semblance similar to her mother's, the doctors found something that by all means raised alarm bells.
A Tattoo.
For the record, Ruby Rose was 15 years old, and it was illegal for a child that age to get any tattoos in Vale or any of its surrounding territories such as Patch, and countless settlements surrounding Vale within Forever Fall, and much more, until the age of 18 with or without a parent's permission.
So, the doctors found it odd that Ruby Rose, who is 15 years old, had a tattoo on the lower part of her stomach, bordering on her waist, and just above where her genitalia would be, it was more than a little worrying. At least, that was what the doctors had said.
Ozpin, being the reasonable person he was, asked why they had stripped her down that far, because again she was 15 years old, and their reasoning was solid. The explosion had left reasonable size shrapnel in the teen's waist, legs, and pelvis, along with her having several small lacerations in that area, specifically around her tattoo, ones that regular aura healing wouldn't heal properly unless tended to by a medical expert. It was also noted that there were older scars around the tattoo as well, ones that were still in the process of healing.
Perhaps she had tried to remove it? Perhaps it had been nonconsensually put there? Either way, it was strange and also worrisome. If she was trying to remove it and failing at doing so, all she was doing then was self-harm, and that was something that he'd have to question her about. Something he'd ask about when she woke up if permitted, of course.
Then came what the tattoo looked like. He had asked, out of curiosity, for one of the doctors to sketch the tattoo. He asked this because he would then have to find the tattoo artist and have their business shut down for breaking Vale laws. After all, a crime was a crime, no matter how small. Granted, the only thing that the artist would face would be having their business license revoked and a 15,000 Lien fine, though that was beside the point.
Then came the tattoo itself. It was… an odd one, but one that he had seen before in his younger years when he still dated—a rather common one amongst those who were… of a more interesting type. One that Ozpin didn't strike Ruby Rose to be like. Then again, Ozpin didn't know her, and this would be his first-ever meeting with Ms. Rose, but he was hoping it was because she got it out of a dare than her turning out to be more in line with those of… unfavourable company—especially at her tentative age.
Speaking of the tattoo: It was a pink heart of sorts, at least, on the inside anyway. Around the heart were two curved inward lines that pointed toward the heart atop which were two horns. On both sides of the lines were two small hearts, as well as two bat-like wings. Underneath the tattoo were two more stylized curves, along with an arrow that pointed downward, and it was obvious where it was pointed toward.
If he had known any better, it looked like a womb, or at least, a cartoon depiction of one, and one that for some reason or another had some sort of connection with the demonic circle. While not completely innocent, it was meant to signify a succubus—a fictional creature that did not exist…
…is what Ozpin would say if he hadn't met a few in his many lives. Both before and after The Great Extinction. And while they were exceedingly rare, they weren't impossible to show up. It went without saying that Succubi and Incubi were a problem, especially so in Remnant because of the effects they had on the people. For those who didn't know, Succubi and Incubi fed off of, well… pleasure. And when they did that, they took away bits and pieces of one's life force.
And, in Remnant, that was doubled thanks to Aura. Aura was the manifestation of one's soul, and, it went without saying, a Semblance was the manipulation of one's Aura to give them supernatural abilities.
The problem with Succubi and Incubi was that they fed off of a person's life force, or, in other words, their soul by making them feel an immense amount of pleasure. Meaning that if someone had a chance encounter with a Succubus, not only would they lose a good chunk of their Aura, but their Semblance would weaken as a result.
Thankfully, they didn't come here very often. And when they did, they mostly stuck to places like brothels, strip clubs, bars, and other places where humans could get drunk and do stupid things. Another thing was that Succubi didn't reproduce all that often, and when they did, it had to be with a human. It didn't work the other way around. An Incubus couldn't get a human or Faunus female pregnant, as they were naturally infertile. Succubi and Incubi could only be made by a Succubus and a human couple.
Ozpin always found that odd, but he never questioned it. After all, life was made in many different ways.
There was just one small problem with this, though.
Ruby Rose's mother, Summer Rose, was not a Succubi, because it would have been obvious had that been the case. Of course, there were ways that a human woman could become a Succubus, and one of those ways was if a woman had a lot—and he meant a lot—of sex they could very well become one. But the problem with that was Ruby Rose was, yet again, a child. Needless to say that he was fairly certain that was something that Ruby would not do. Especially considering who her father had been.
Another way for a human woman to become a Succubus was if a Succubi Spirit possessed the woman's body. But if that happened, the body would undergo a mutation to fit what the Succubus looked like in its own body. So, therefore, that was also off the table, because after he got a picture of what Ruby looked like before he knew about the tattoo and after he knew about it, they looked the exact same. And, furthermore, this was all based on the assumption that the tattoo Ruby had was not just a regular Tattoo.
He was hoping for that to be the case because the last thing he needed was to find out that the last surviving member of a The Silver-Eyed Warrior Clan turned out to be a demonic harlot that sapped the souls of those they gained pleasure from. 9 times out of 10, Ozpin would be sure that it was just a tattoo and one that Ruby clearly regretted getting. However, his paranoia made him keep his guard up on the off chance that Ruby Rose was, in fact, a Succubus.
Ruby was wearing a light blue hospital gown as the rest of her clothes were being repaired by an in-building tailor. It was customary for the staff to do their best in fixing the outfits of those who got into accidents. That was, of course, if it was possible.
She looked peaceful, almost as if Ruby was having a nap. He had to admit, looking across the room where he sat, and how the light shone down on her, the girl looked to be like a princess dreaming away a better world. Corny, he knew, but it was the truth. There was a sleeping beauty aspect to the girl, one that reminded him of Summer.
"Oh, Summer. If you were still around, I know you would be proud of your daughter…" As Ozpin thought that, he sighed. "Who am I kidding… if you had survived, you would have wanted for me to be nowhere near your daughter. And I don't blame you. I can only hope you can forgive me in the afterlife…"
The room they were in had its windows open, allowing for natural sunlight to fill the room, which set the mood if someone were to ask him. The afternoon light peeking in through the glass, the curtains swaying in the wind, and the sleeping child resting in bed. It was like the starting scene in a family movie. Well, that was if the room they were in was any different.
This particular room they were in a was a special one. It was one of solitude and privacy, which would allow him to speak to Ruby without anyone eavesdropping. The walls and doors were thick enough to prevent anyone from listening in.
He had specifically requested said room for when he talked to Ruby. The doctors were a little confused as to why, but they didn't think anything of it. Not that they needed to, of course. This was a professional meeting, after all. If anyone did think anything of it, then they needed to get their head out of the gutter.
Ozpin glanced at the watch on his wrist and frowned. It was already noon, and he had things he had to do. Don't get him wrong, he had already finished looking over the transcripts, but he still had other things to do, such as set up the Entrance Exam.
"Come on, Ms. Rose. Please wake up, I can't sit here all day…" Ozpin thought, adjusting his expression from one of concern to one of neutrality. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't getting impatient. No, that was a lie, he was. But he also worried that perhaps the young lady had fallen into a coma.
If that happened… "Taiyang would be devastated…." The old man grimaced, glancing back up at the teen. Almost as if he had willed it to happen, Ruby began to stir, groaning as she slowly sat up, hand to her forehead with a slight frown on her face.
The child's eyes slowly opened, and when they did, Ozpin immediately noticed that something was off. Her eyes were flickering in colour, from silver to pink, back to silver, and then back to pink. The pink eyes won out in the end, which put Ozpin on edge. Why? Because that was a key sign that there was some sort of bodily possession happening. Or, perhaps, a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
When someone had Dissociative Identity Disorder, it was common for another personality to change some parts of the body, especially if schizophrenia was involved. Although, that was usually in the form of clothing and contacts, not the actual switching of the regular colour of one's eyes.
Although, if it was with the use of Aura, then maybe it was possible. And assuming Ruby Rose was more than heavily affected by her mothers passing, that kind of Trauma would allow for such a thing to take place.
Then, "Ruby's" eyes landed on Ozpin, and a small smile came across her face.
And then, she uttered a name that she should not have known.
"Ah, Ozma, Chosen Warrior of The God of Light. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The hairs on the back of Ozpin's neck stood up on end, and while his expression did not give it away, he felt an immense amount of pressure piled up on his shoulders. Ozma was indeed the name of his soul, and only those who were in the know knew about that name.
And Ruby Rose was decidedly not in the know.
"How do you know that name, Ms. Rose?" Ozpin asked, his tone blunt. "Ruby" simply smiled, reclining her bed. Her body language was that of someone with pride, confidence, and someone who knew they had control over the situation. And then came the eyes.
Some say that the eyes were a gateway to view someone's soul. And those eyes of "Ruby's" told Ozpin that this… entity living within Ruby's body had lived for Billions—nay, trillions of years. It dwarfed him in age by a million-fold.
To them, it would look as if a child was giving them sass. Ozpin found himself shuddering at that, unintentionally might he add. He knew that there were things out there that lived beyond the creation of Remnant. He knew that creatures like those existed. But to be talking to one was something he had never dreamed of happening, much less through the body of a Silver-Eyed Warrior.
But with that came information. Information that this entity would have. Information that he was going to need. But to get that information, Ozpin knew he was going to need to earn their trust. And that, with an entity as old as it, was not going to be easy.
"Oh, you wound me with that blunt tone of yours, Wizard. But you cannot fool me. Not even for a second. Those of the Underworld tell stories of your failings. It is… quite amusing, and also quite harrowing. You've met with many of my kind, and they were able to suck some of the soul out of you, which is how I know what I do," The Entity speaking through Ruby said, a sharp grin on her face. "I wish I could do the same, but alas, I think that would upset you, and it wouldn't do much good for me."
Ozpin shifted uncomfortably. She was right, it would have been, and he would've been quick to deny them that chance even before the thought came to mind.
"So, you are a Succubus. Why have you chosen to take over Ms. Ruby Rose's body?"
The Entity scoffed, arms slithering down under the blankets. "Oh, please. It was hardly a choice. I was shoved into a coin and then left to rot on the ground. It was only by chance that I found my host. And for your information, Wizard, I am Lilith Morningstar, Queen of Succubi and spouse of Lucifer Morningstar, King of Hell. That makes me The Queen of Hell. I'm sure you know those two names, don't you, Half-Angel."
Ozpin cursed under his breath. Of all the people he had to meet, of all the people to possess the body of Ruby Rose, it had to be that one. It seemed as if, as of late, his luck had been running thin. Just when he thought that perhaps he could reign in whatever spirit had decided to take control of or enter a joint union with Ruby, it just had to be an Arch-Demon.
"Calm yourself, Ozpin. It is best to be on her good side rather than her bad. It's bad enough that I have two impossibly powerful enemies to deal with, there is no need for a third," Ozpin thought, clearing his throat as he put on a practiced smile.
"Of course… The God of Light was not one to spare details of my supposed enemies. Though my one true enemy is Salem, and I care not of you or your kind, nor do I wish to do you or your kind harm, ma'am." Ozpin paused, chewing the inside of his cheek. "That aside, it is a pleasure to meet you, Lilith Morningstar. I doubt introductions are in order, but, my name, or at least the name of this incarnation of mine, is Ozpin Bianco. But you may call me Ozma.
Lilith smirked, and on the face of one such as Ruby Rose, it looked abnormal. "Then you know your place. Good," Lilith continued. It was unnerving seeing the body of a young child act with such confidence and regality, but even so, he had to keep in mind that he was not dealing with that. He was dealing with an entity as old as time itself. No matter what, he had to keep his calm.
A predatory gleam filled Lilith's eyes, which made Ozpin deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to look away but try as he might, it was insanely difficult to do so. Succubi had this… aura around them, and it allowed them to draw in prey. It could either be an unconscious use of it, or a purposeful use of it, not that it mattered. He had steeled his nerves so as to not fall for it. But even with steeled nerves, Lilith's pull was too much.
"No, damn yourself, Ozpin! You cannot fall for it. If you fall for it, and someone walks in, that spells the end of me! Calm yourself!" The old man thought, tapping his foot over and over again to distract himself. He could not allow himself to falter. It wasn't even the fact that he was attracted to the body Lilith was in—Gods no, never in a million years would he find himself like that—but rather the aura that Lilith exuded.
And, the worst part about it was that no matter how young they appeared to be, be they looked like a fully grown adult or a toddler, anyone of the opposite sex of the body the Succubi were in would be attracted to them.
That was what made Succubi, and their male counterparts Incubi, so dangerous. It mattered not what body they were in, nor did it matter who it was they were looking at, they could attract anyone of the opposite sex and trick them into… experiencing pleasure. It sickened Ozpin to his very core, but he assumed that every living creature had to find some way to live, no matter how repulsive.
"Also," Lilith continued, the predatory gleam in her eyes narrowing to a focal point, lingering on Ozpin. "I was not aware until now that I was in the body of a Silver-Eyed Woman. They tend to be the best in terms of bodily development. I'm quite excited at the thought of how Ruby will grow." The way she spoke using Ruby's voice in that horrifically lecherous tone of voice made the hairs on the back of Ozpin's neck stand on end.
His jaw clenched, as he coughed into his closed fist. "Please, Mrs. Morningstar, you are making me uncomfortable. You are talking about a child. I would like to assume that you have some morals in that head of yours," Ozpin stated, his tone of voice bordering on annoyed and disgusted as Lilith laughed.
"Oh please, Wizard. Like you're one to talk. How old was that body when you took over it? Do you mean to tell me that you weren't fantasizing about the strength and Semblance that Body could awaken when you sunk your soul into it? Stop being a hypocrite," Lilith replied cooly as Ozpin grit his teeth, irritation flowing in his eyes.
The annoying part was that Lilith was correct. Ozma had taken the body of Ozpin when he was an infant. He tried to take over the bodies of people when he "reincarnated" before they could make memories and live their own lives. The only time that wasn't the case was the first time when he had taken over the body of a man named Orion. Then again, Orion offered himself up and was the closest of friends that Ozma had at the time.
Ozpin frowned, expression still stern and body language authoritative. "Touche, Mrs. Morningstar. Ozpin's body was and has been one of the stronger ones I've taken. However, the difference between you and me is that you plan on turning that body into a sex object. I plan on using this to further my goal of defeating Salem and protecting all mortal life. Do not pretend to have moral superiority in this discussion."
Lilith scowled, biting down on her lower lip as her shoulders tensed. Was she starting to get on the fence by him mentioning Salem? Perhaps the two knew each other, or had known each other. It honestly wouldn't surprise Ozpin if that were to be the case. Like-minded people tended to speak to others of the same opinion, after all.
"You really must think low of me if you think that is all of what I intend to do with Lil' Rose," Lilith spat, narrowing her pink eyes toward Ozpin, who didn't budge. "While I am a Succubus, you seem to not know exactly who I am. You should consider yourself lucky that I am here, you brat. I might be the best thing that falls upon thy's lap. Mine armies could help thee in thoust conquest against the wicked witch, should thou make it so."
"Falling into old-speak, are we?" Ozpin joked as Lilith blinked, before snickering to herself upon realizing that she had. "De-escalate the situation, good job… Now let's keep it that way…"
"Ah, yes. I momentarily fell into that, didn't I?" Lilith replied, leaning forward ever-so-slightly, her arms snaking out from underneath her blankets, wiping her left hand on the blanket as Ozpin recoiled in disgust. His expression twisted into one of revulsion as the Arch-Demon in Ruby's body scoffed. "Oh, bite me, I'm testing certain things out; these kinds of things are important, you know? By the way, this body is fantastic! Honestly, I was expecting less. Now I know why Summer Rose was often pined after by the Incubi in Hell."
"You were touching yourself… talking to me… in a child's body. You are disgusting, Mrs. Morningstar," Ozpin spat, narrowing his eyes toward the Demon in human skin, who in turn frowned.
"You are really caught up on that, Ozma. It's very hypocritical of you, might I add. Need I remind you of your second wife? When you were Osmar? I believe her name was Milo, age 16. You were 24. As I said, very hypocritical of you."
Ozpin's frown deepened, fidgeting in his seat. "That was for political power, and it was a marriage that would allow for peace between the fledging Kingdom of Vale at the time, and The Kingdom of Vacuo. Neither of us wanted it, but we weren't given the choice. Also, might I add, there is also the fact that it—"
"It wasn't seen as moralistically deplorable? Yes, but my point still stands. Also, purely political? A marriage for peace? Please, I'm not blind, child. If I distinctly remember correctly, there was the part where you and Milo had—"
"Enough!" Ozpin boomed, glaring at Lilith with renewed anger. "You know traditions back then were more archaic than I would've liked them to be, and, yet again, I wasn't given the choice! What I did nearly 450 years ago does not compare to the person I am now. I am aware of my mistakes, especially that one, but that does not mean I need to be reminded of them, especially by the likes of you, you harlot."
Lilith snickered a confident look in her eyes and a snarky smirk on her face. "Has Salem ever told you that you look cute when you're angry?" As Lilith cooed, Ozpin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He slumped in his chair, calming his boiling blood. Lilith liked to get into a person's mind, and that was exactly what she was doing now. Ozpin cleared his throat, before giving the ancient Demon a levelled glare.
"I do not have much time left here, as I am a busy man. So, I wish for you to pass a message on to Ruby. Let her know that I have accepted her into Beacon as an early student and that the first semester will start in three days from now. When you get there, I expect you to be on your best behaviour," Ozpin stated as Lilith smiled.
"Oh, I'll be on my best behaviour, Ozma. The question is, will you?"
Ozpin left the room in a huff. He did not have any more patience for Lilith's antics. When he exited the room, he was met with Taiyang staring at him incredulously, with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He was glad that the room was soundproof, otherwise, he was fairly certain that Taiyang would be giving him more than a confused and suspicious look right about now.
"Good day to you, Mr. Xiao-Long. If you value your sanity, perhaps you should visit your daughter on another day," Ozpin stated as Taiyang raised an eyebrow.
"I was going to ask why you were speaking with her in the first place," Taiyang said, crossing his arms. "But now I want to know why she gave you a headache. Not many people have the privilege to do that."
Ozpin bit his tongue. Telling Taiyang that his daughter was being possessed by an arch-Demon would only lead to him asking questions. That was something that cannot happen. Because if he started asking questions, then certain bits of information that he didn't need to know would surely slip and find their way to him.
So, he went with the excuse he was assuming that Lilith was going to use.
"Well, whether you knew it or not, your daughter seems to have a particularly nasty case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. I, unfortunately, met Ruby's counterpart. And she has quite the mouth on her, along with attitude." As Ozpin said that, Taiyang's expression became aggravated, a brief flash of frustration and anger dancing about in the man's sapphire eyes.
"My daughter does not have D.I.D. She never has, and she never will," Taiyang stated as Ozpin hummed. Of course, obviously, Ruby did not have D.I.D. But at the same time, this might as well have been that. Besides, it was better telling Taiyang that his daughter had D.I.D. than telling him that The Queen of Succubi had decided to take up space in his daughter's head, and was currently controlling her body.
Then again, would Taiyang even believe that? Short answer, no. Long answer, no and any credibility that he had in Taiyang's eyes would go down the drain. Ozpin sighed. The universe hated him, as it seemed. But, he wasn't going to let it bully him. Not when he had things that needed to be done.
"Tell that to Lilith Morningstar, Ruby Rose's alter-ego," Ozpin replied as he grabbed his cane which he left outside of the hospital room per the staff's request. One of the staff members, a young lady in a standard nurse's outfit, slipped by Ozpin and entered the room Lilith was in with a clipboard. He silently greeted her and she greeted him back before he turned back to the conversation at hand. "Also, you will be pleased to know that I have accepted Ruby into Beacon at an accelerated pace. She is quite the fighter, you know? Qrow has taught her well."
"Lilith Morningstar…" Taiyang muttered, his expression troubled and his eyes narrowed. He quickly shook his head, focusing his attention back on Ozpin. "Then this must be new because I don't ever remember Patch's local doctor mentioning anything like that from her last check-up about a month ago." Taiyang paused, frowning with a hint of concern in his eyes.
"And, Ozpin…in regards to Ruby going to Beacon. I'm fine with that. She's insanely ahead of everyone in her combative and strategic classes, but… I beg of you, don't get her or Yang involved in what you had Summer do. Please. I don't know much, but I know that's why Summer died… Those two are all I have left, even with Raven being back in my life, Ruby and Yang mean more to me than what Raven ever has… please."
Ozpin sighed, knowing full well what it was like to be in Taiyang's position. He knew what it was like to lose those closest to him. He could understand that fear. And so, with a solemn expression, Ozpin nodded. "If I can help it, Taiyang. I cannot promise you that she won't get involved on her own behalf, or if she gets dragged into it by someone else. But, on my end of things, I will do my best to make sure she remains oblivious."
Taiyang smiled, hollow as it may be, before turning around. "Thank you, Oz. I'll… be back to check on my daughter. My pager is going off and I—"
"Um… sirs," the staff member from before spoke up, peeking out of the room. "Has Ruby Rose slipped past you in the last few minutes? Because she is nowhere to be found in the room. In fact… I'm fairly certain that she just escaped."
Taiyang charged into the room, along with Ozpin, and what they found greatly irritated Ozpin. The window behind the bed was open, the curtains were drawn back and flowing with a gentle breeze, and the bed had been messed with. On the bed was a cartoonishly drawn smile with a wink, and all Ozpin could think of doing was a groan.
[Adam Taurus]
He overlooked the fields with a neutral expression. Behind his cold steel visor, his sole functioning eye narrowed. Sweat poured down his face as the blaring Anima heat cooked him. Without shade, he would probably soon need to shed his jacket. His neatly styled crimson red hair sat atop his head, shaping around his matte black horns. Occasionally, his jaw shifted at the groaning of the slaves below him.
He stood atop an elevated rock formation, glowering down at the human slaves who tended to the crops. If they wished to eat, it would be them who were responsible for making sure their food would be grown. He would not have his men waste their time growing food for those who were beneath him and his people.
Pain and agony came from the fields below him; strong enough to attract the worst The Grimm of Anima had to offer. But, thanks to some technology he purchased from a wandering trader for as little as 2,000 Lien, he needn't worry about that. Therefore, he could enjoy their moans and groans of pain.
It brought him a certain kind of joy, watching as those who used to sit in their ivory towers made of luxury and equality wasted away, dying slowly while labouring for their basic necessities, all the while they withered away in cages, sleeping in their own piss and shit. For so long, his people were in that position. And now, those who had allowed it to happen were facing that reality. The reality the Faunus had lived in for so, so long.
Down below, amongst the filth, were his loyal followers—the soldiers of The White Fang. All of them were dressed in silver and white uniforms that replicated the standard military outfit, with similar masks to the Grimm. It was meant to instill fear in all who gazed upon them; for everyone feared the Grimm, and if The White Fang were to be feared, why not mask themselves in the very thing that they sought to wipe out?
The uniform in question was a two-piece uniform, coloured in a shade of black, overtop which was a white vest with two long coat tails, a Grimm Mask, black lace-up combat boots, and black gloves. On the hip of those who wore the uniform was a standard holster for a standard Dust Round Pistol.
It wasn't exactly all that unique, but it was unique to the White Fang, and it had become widely known across all of Remnant. It struck fear into the hearts of those who saw it. That was the purpose of The White Fang. To strike fear into those who were enemies of The Faunus, Blood Traitors, and those who would seek to have Faunus rights besmirched.
On his elevated naturally formed platform, Adam watched as one of the slaves—an elderly man with dark brown hair and equally dark skin dressed in rags—fell to the disgustingly dirty, animal manure-enriched ground. A few of the workers around him looked in that direction. Adam didn't need to look at their faces to know that they were well aware of that man's fate.
Two of his fellow White Fang circled the man and shouted at the slave to get up. When the man did not budge, the sound of a gunshot rang out throughout the farmland. Adam couldn't help but raise his head a little with satisfaction. The two guards hoisted the corpse off the ground, and moved it away from the field, so as for the food to not be contaminated by the blood of the filth.
"Karma." He thought, his hand clasping into a fist. "This is Karma for what your people have done."
In truth, Adam was well aware of the atrocity he was causing. He knew that what he was doing was awful. He knew that these humans, for as ignorant as they were, were innocent. He knew, and yet, he did not care.
All of his life, from childhood to young adulthood, Adam had been a slave. A slave for who? For The Schnee Dust Company. Born from a slave mother, raised as a slave, treated as a lesser being, and eventually left to die in the middle of a Dust Mine covered in mud, blood, and bruises, he stewed in hatred, but nevertheless excepting the fact that he was going to die. Thankfully, he had been able to live, as had it not been for his idol, Sienna Khan, second in command of The White Fang, Adam Taurus may very well have died that day.
He remembered how he had been treated. Made to eat slop and wear rags, and forced to sleep piss and shit within a small, cramped, dirty cage. From the day he was spat out into the world, all Adam Taurus knew was pain. He knew the world to be unjust, unfair, and filled with hatred.
While he was forced to slave away in caves infested with Grimm, these humans were allowed to live day to day in relative peace, behind the comfort of the walls of the Kingdoms, Hunters, and their fancy Dust Weaponry.
So when he was saved by Sienna Khan, he made a vow. A vow to make it so that no one of his kind would have to feel the way he did. And he would do it in a way that would allow for no violence to be done. After all, if he was going to make it his mission for The Faunus to have equal rights, why make those who knew nothing about their suffering at the hands of the filthy Schnee's suffer too? All that would do would cause tension and make the divide worse.
And, it seemed that Sienna believed that too. Although granted, she was a lot more skeptical about the idea. After all, Sienna had led battalions against those of Atlas when the war between Menagerie and Atlas was waged. She was more jaded than the founder, Ghira Belladonna. And while it was true that he too was jaded, he believed in the best of people, even after being spat on, branded, and made a mockery of; he wanted to believe that not all humans were vile, evil monsters.
Then… it happened.
Adam had repressed that event from his psyche. It brought him great pain to think about it. But on that day—the day that Menagerie suffered a heavy toll for trusting humans, all belief of Adam thinking that humans weren't monsters had been completely washed away. And it was all thanks to one man. One singular, solitary man.
He would never forget those piercing, golden-yellow eyes. The way he swung his sword as fire poured off the blade, the way how he charged into combat, shattering the very ground with a single movement, throwing entire mountains with practiced ease, and devastating entire parts of Kuo Kanna with a mere stomp.
The way how he had brutally murdered Sienna Khan with his fist alone. He remembered the pain on her face as she shielded him from the man. He remembered her last wish, and that wish was to make "humanity pay for their lies" before she ultimately collapsed in a lifeless heap.
And then, his laugh. His vile, disgusting, glee-filled laugh. That monster took glee from ripping apart children with his bare fucking hands! He had remembered how vile the words that he had spoken had been. How he had been "waiting to cull the cattle" and that he was "so happy to be let loose."
Adam's teeth clenched, his fist tightening more while his shoulders tensed. He would not think of that day. No. For if he did, all it would do was make him go into a berserker rage. It was one of the many things he was known for.
"Commander!" A voice cut through his thoughts, as Adam glanced over his shoulder. It was one of the messengers. It was how the camps talked to one another, most of which were Faunus with better traits for speed.
The White Fang camps were split up into four bases—one for Weapons, one for Food, one for Armour, and one for Training. He had last visited the one for Weapons, which was where his Fiance was situated, to check up on his favourite slave. Now, he was at the Food base to make sure production was going smoothly. Much to his glee, it was going just as well as he had hoped. While the small patch of radishes was going to be tainted by the blood of that filthy man, it wasn't going to be the end of the world.
A brief sigh escaped Adam's lips as he looked over his shoulder, not content with moving his whole body and wasting his limited time at this base doing so. "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy overlooking the fields?"
"I apologize, Commander," the messenger faltered, straightening out like a piece of lumber. Ah, so he was one of the newer recruits. He could tell, seeing as how this one looked nervous. God, he remembered the day he had become the leader of The White Fang. He too was just as nervous as this one here, so he had some empathy for the boy.
In fact, now that he looked at the messenger more, he seemed to be young. Perhaps about 16, maybe even 17 years old. A runaway, perhaps? Or, maybe the son of someone with ties with The White Fang? It was certainly possible. Either way, he could save speculation for another time. He was busy, after all, and his time was precious.
"Well, come on, spit it out. What is it?" Adam demanded as the messenger cleared his throat.
"I-I uh, well… we've got word from the Armour Base that four new slaves have arrived! All of them are semblance users, so we put the restraints on them. We wanted to know if we should split them amongst the bases because we fear that they might be a team of Hunters, and could work together to do a breakout. All we needed was your approval, commander!"
Adam wanted to groan. There were times were he hoped that those under him—The High Leaders as he called them—would understand that they could do as they pleased. He swore that they treated him as some kind of messiah. Adam would admit he had an ego, but he wasn't an egomaniac. He didn't need to be treated like a saviour.
"Yes, you have my permission to split them up. And, do me a favour, tell Ilia that she doesn't need to run absolutely everything by me before doing it, alright?" Adam stated as the messenger nodded, before dashing away, the boy's expression filled with wracked nerves and worry.
Adam sighed, glancing back to the fields. On days like these, he would normally be resting in his quarters back at the main base, which was situated about 38 miles away from the four bases, reading literature and planning the next migration. The only reason they were here in Anima for as long as they had been was that he was searching for that pesky blood traitor.
Ronin was said to be on Anima, lurking about in the depths of the settlements. Normally, Adam wouldn't care all too much about a blood traitor. He'd either let them die alone and in fear that he was going to get them one day, or have an assassin chase after them and kill them before they became an issue.
But Ronin was special. He was a former High Leader. He knew the ins and the outs of The White Fang, how they travelled, and how they fought. If someone was looking for where they would be, their migration patterns, or even information on the other High Leaders, Ronin would be a massive info hazard for their organization.
He was going to personally slice him in two. Once he found where he was hiding, he'd snuff him out before he had the chance to run away again. 2 years. 2 years of him running, of Adam giving chase, and Adam ending up the sore loser. In truth, it had humbled him. Made him grow, learn, and understand that he had to be patient.
He knew he was close. He could smell it. Ronin was in Anima, and there was no way in hell he was going to let him slip away again. He knew Ronin wouldn't go down without a fight, but that hardly mattered to Adam. Wilt and Blush would be more than enough to make Ronin cower and beg.
Turning around, Adam left the fields and headed down a heavily wooded path. As he walked, he admired the foliage of Anima. The trees were always unique to him. How the bark twisted and turned like a coiled snake. How the leaves were perfectly oval, and how they were a faded green. The wildlife was peaceful—mostly filled with deer and rabbits and other small creatures.
The Bull Faunus had to admit that it quelled his anger to watch the deer frolic about in the meadows and the patches of open grass. Faunus were distant cousins to the wildlife. He found it strange that his kind evolved to look human. Perhaps that was just the perfect form of mammal?
Oh well, not that he cared. Humans evolved from an ancestor to common primates like chimps. So, in truth, humans and Faunus had more things alike than they did apart. And just like chimps, they were vile, evil little monsters. They might bleed the same blood, and they might speak the same languages, but they were evil nonetheless.
He could hear crickets chirp around him, along with the sounds of woodpeckers pecking away at the bark of the trees he found so interesting. He saw a raccoon jet out of a bush and across the pathway, and around about 5 miles away, he heard a wolf howl.
Adam loved nature. It was why he liked Menagerie as much as he did. Unfortunately, all White Fang, past and present, were prohibited from stepping foot on Menagerie. After Adam's cout' de ta, Ghira made it clear that they were no longer welcome on Menagerie. While he found it insulting, he had no real ties to Menagerie. He wasn't born there, so it wasn't his motherland.
His motherland, unfortunately, was those blasted Dust Mines.
He might have been able to deal a crippling blow to the SDC, but they were still functioning as if nothing happened. Had that bastard in charge not cared for the passing of his wife, son and enslavement of his second child in Weiss Schnee?
Perhaps the Schnee's were just vile people that cared only for themselves? No, to rope them all into that would be blind hatred—something he learned to stop doing long ago. Weiss, for as horrid as the family had been to him, was useful if not anything else, and from his brief interactions with Willow, before he had his blade drive through her chest, she seemed to be caring.
Jacques, on the other hand, was evil incarnate.
His actions proved louder than his words that he cared not for the disappearance and supposed "death" of Weiss Schnee. It made him laugh.
It got him thinking. Perhaps Weiss would direct her hatred toward Jacques? If he gave her the chance to become his hitwoman, maybe he could direct that hatred of him to a common enemy. After all, he gathered that Weiss hated Jacques and cursed his very existence, much like himself.
Perhaps Weiss and himself had more in common than what he had initially thought.
"New idea: When Weiss returns, offer her freedom from slavery to become my hitwoman. Depending on her response depends on what I do with her. If she accepts, I keep my word. If she doesn't, I'll end her with Wilt. After all, her condition is worsening by the day."
As Adam thought that, his scroll vibrated in his jacket. He stopped walking, grabbing the device from where he had stored it. Scrolls were always interesting. A singular piece of metal that, at the press of a button, jettisoned out and spread out to the size of a palm and revealed a holographic screen. Quite the marvel of technology.
He had only ever lent out his scroll number to one person. That person being his Fiance, Blake. It was so they could keep in contact.
He found it funny. Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira Belladonna, was exiled from her motherland because she wanted to fight for equal rights. He felt bad for Blake, truly. He remembered the first day that Blake came to him, crying on his shoulder and begging him to join The White Fang. Otherwise, she would no longer have a home.
At first, he felt outraged. Not at Blake, but at Ghira. Blake, at the time, was 13 years old, and himself 15—he was rather young when he had become Elder, another term for Commander or Leader, of The White Fang. How could a father be so pathetic that he would exile their daughter for merely thinking of joining The White Fang? Had he been that much of a fool?
Of course, he allowed her to join. She quickly grew in the ranks, and quickly became one of his High Leaders. Adam saw potential in her becoming a successor in the future, so he trained her how to fight. Adam wasn't that great of a fighter himself, but it allowed him to get to know Blake.
Their Teacher-Student dynamic quickly fell apart when both realized that they were equally matched. So, they switched to being sparring partners. Blake's Duplication Semblance was a near-perfect counter to his Moonslice Semblance, and vice versa.
Soon, that sparring partnership turned into trusted allies, which then turned into an awkward couple, and then to a soon-to-be wedded couple. Once Blake turned 18, he would marry her. Blake was 17 now, and he was 20. His birthday was a month after hers, and hers had just come and gone, as did his last week, which officially made him 20.
He vowed to give Blake the family that she was missing. If Ghira, someone who was so paranoid of that man, was willing to toss aside his daughter for the safety of his country, then he, Adam Taurus, would make him regret that choice.
"Oh how far you have fallen, Ghira. Tearing apart your own family, all because you're afraid of that man. How pathetic…" Adam thought spitefully as he unfolded his scroll. It was a call from Blake, something that he had expected. Answering it, he spoke. "Hello, Blake. What's up?"
"Adam? Oh, thank the brothers you answered!" There was a hint of desperation in her tone of voice, something that made Adam go immediately on edge. Her breathing was heavy, too—laboured, as if she had been exerting a lot of physical force. She had been running. Why? Why had she been running?
"Blake, what's going on!? Are you alright?!" Genuine worry flooded his tone as he spoke. There were very few things in this world that would set him into a state of alarm—their location compromised, or if Blake was in real, honest danger. That was just something that Adam couldn't handle.
The mere idea of the closest thing he had to family since the day of his birth, moments away from being snatched away by some Grimm or Human or Blood Traitor sent him into a rage unlike any other.
"A-Adam, I…! It's Weiss…! She's… She's escaped! I can't find her anywhere! I left her with Raven, and when I returned… The Branwen Tribe had been completely eviscerated! The Slaves I was going to bring back with me were taken, and… and I think Weiss was one of them! Something big is coming, Adam. We need to leave, now!"
Adam cursed under his breath. The Branwen Tribe, one of The White Fang's closest allies, had been eviscerated. The only reason he believed that was because it came from Blake. He trusted Blake's word more than even his own at times. So for Blake to come out and say that…
On top of that, Weiss was gone. Someone—presumably the person responsible for eviscerating The Brawnen Tribe. That annoyed him, yes, but the safety of his people was more important than one slave. And while Ronin was still a massive threat, he cared more for his plans and people than a single, albeit worrisome, Blood Traitor.
"Understood. Once you get back to The Weapon's Base, tell everyone to pack up shop. We'll just have to come back around for Ronin another time. We can't possibly risk everything now. Not when we're close enough to be able to contend with Atlas's military might. Be safe, Blake. Love you."
"Love you, too, Adam. I'll be safe. I promise."
With that, the call ended. He folded away his scroll and stored it back in his jacket pocket. He had to act quickly. There was no telling just how much time he had before everything went to shit. The last thing he needed was for the same person who destroyed The Branwen Tribe to come here.
That was, of course, assuming that they knew of this location. However, Adam was not going to take any chances. A few years ago, perhaps, but now? No. Not at all. He wasn't going to risk that. He couldn't risk that.
When he got back to the main section of the Foods Base, Adam stormed his way through the camp, haste in his step as those who got in his way steered clear. There was a look of panic in his eyes underneath his visor, one that he could not show to anyone, lest morale be lowered. He entered the High Leader tent stationed in the middle. Sitting at a mahogany desk, pen in hand, was the person he was looking for. The moment Adam entered the room, the person stood up.
The person in question was a dark-skinned man, wearing a crimson-coloured hooded cloak that allowed for ginger-coloured Fennec fox ears to poke out. The cloak was held together by two buttons and a piece of tied string and had a white trim that made the red pop out more. The Red Cloak was common for High Leaders to wear. It was how they were differentiated between the regular White Fang, the Elder, and themselves.
Underneath the hood was a black button-down tunic, with two extended pieces originating from where the buttons ended that reached down to the person's knees. This, along with his detached sleeves bound from the middle of his biceps to his wrist, held there by two black fingerless gloves, was how he styled his uniform comparatively to those around him. Finally, to complete his look, he wore pleated white pants and black open-toed sandals with fabric that extended into his pants.
"Elder Adam, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Fennec Albain, High Leader of The Food Base spoke as Adam grunted.
"We need to leave, now. Something massive is heading our way, and according to Blake, we don't have much time. Gather only what we need, and then, we leave. I don't care if we have to burn the crops this time around, all that means is that we'll steal from any other Bandit Faction we happen across."
Fennec frowned with slight annoyance in his eyes but nonetheless nodded. "Your will is my command, Elder Adam."
"Good, and for the record, you will be getting extra rations tonight for a job well done." As Adam said that, Fennec's ears twitched as a small, barely noticeable smile made itself known on Fennec's face.
"Thank you, Elder Adam. Shall I scroll call the others and relay the information?" Fennec asked as Adam nodded, turning to leave. Before he could, though, Fennec spoke up again. "Oh, and Elder Adam?"
"Yes?" Adam said, looking over his shoulder. There was a tinge of annoyance in his voice. He needed to hurry up. He had no idea just how long they had before the shit hit the fan. The last thing he needed was useless comments. "Spit it out, Fennec. We don't have time." As Adam said that, Fennec cleared his throat, putting his hands by his waist.
"My apologies, Elder Adam. I was going to bring this to your attention when you got here, but I had been dazed by the news… That aside, one of the spies we sent to the surrounding settlements, Jebidiah Maroon, has reported back to us. I'm sure you'll be more than happy to know that we have located Ronin. He is in The Settlement of Styx, just 85 kilometres away .. And… he also states that The Dragon has emerged."
Adam felt his whole body freeze.
The Dragon… the one spoken of only in legend.
The Dragon was real.
Adam smiled, his body relaxing after hearing the information. It wasn't just a folk story told to The Faunus to make them believe that one day, equality would come. Nay, The Dragon was real, and it was here. This changed absolutely everything. "Thank you, High Leader Fennec. Expected double rations of the already increased rations that I'll be giving the other High Leaders."
Fennec nodded, bowing his head. "Very well, Elder Adam. I bid you a good afternoon."
Adam exited the tent with a flurry of emotions. Ronin was found, and he was in Styx. The Dragon was real and was also in Styx. How convenient was that? And while a part of him feared that The Dragon had gained a negative opinion of The White Fang from Ronin, he was confident that perhaps he could sway whatever negative opinions The Dragon had of them, if any at all.
And with The Dragon on their side… Atlas would fall. And then, after Atlas, came him. And once he was gone, things would be more secure, and The Faunus would rule over Atlas and Vacuo. He would show Ghira that his methods worked and that he wasn't insane! And then, he would make Ghira pay for betraying The White Fang, and more importantly, betraying his Fiance.
Because if there was one thing that Adam valued above all else; it was a bond. And the bond between a daughter and a father should've been ironclad. For Ghira to neglect that over his fear… would be his greatest curse and Adam's greatest blessing.
"It will only be a matter of time, Ghira Belladonna. I will prove you wrong. And when I do that, Sienna will be avenged. The times of change have arrived, old man, and I will take control of it with my bare hands!"
-To Be Continued-
For those wondering why I gave Ozpin a last name, it was only for introductions. That, and It felt stupid that Ozpin's name was just Ozpin. It never sat right with me, so I gave him a full name. As for the colour rule of Remnant, Bianco is the Italian word for white, so it fits.