Underneath the dim lights of the cavern he felt himself tear against the dirt as he landed. A small twinge of pain burned against the flesh of his arm as it tore across the dirt, and the filthy steel door of the cavern creaked as the larger figure crept closer.

The small boy scowled as the man gripped at his neck, locking something to the collar which dug into his skin. He was released, and the man walked away only to stop and face him.

"Does it irk you, to know that freedom is nothing more than a few steps away?" The larger figure laughed, and the boy could only stare spitefully as the guard walked off, leaving the door open as if to further poke fun at the child.

As much as he hated it the boy could do nothing. Had he an awakened aura he may have been able to muster the strength to break free, but alas he did not have such a luxury. The young one could only growl as the chain rattled against the wall... all the while he cursed the ones responsible for his decerped fate.

"Schnee..." The vomit inducing name tore from his maw silently as nothing but a low growl. He despised them, all of them, but worst of all he despised the elder one who often chose which of them performed what tasks.

The boy had very early on learned the name of their captor: Jacques Schnee. The man had frequently come down to inspect them while they were at work; his eyes slipping a cold dagger across the throats of all in his view. The boy was not so easily spooked however, and when Jacques would lay his eyes on him, the boy made sure to send a hate filled glare back.

However it felt as though he took interest in that, as his lips would gain the feintest smirk, and the boy would be left with nothing but a wave of defeat flooding across his muck-covered skin.

As much as the child hated it he knew any thoughts of revenge were wasted; they were slaves, and as bad as it was there had been nothing they could do to change that. Each and every one of them had a set worth, and it just so happened that that worth lied in mining Dust. However mining was dangerous, and the caves had already collapsed several times, killing plenty each and every instant that the walls fell.

A small ding drew the child's attention, and his hand reached for the collar. The chain bound to the back was seemingly disconnected, and with a welling hatred the boy walked slowly to the doorway. The beeping had been the signal that it was time to get back to work.

As he made his way down the halls he could almost feel the darkness itself encroaching on his soul, and he felt a small laugh begin to rise. Before his capture mother had warned him not to go out alone at night, as the Whisper would take him away. It was a common myth told to many other Faunus children like him, that if they wandered off too far alone then they would be taken away. It was a childish fairy-tale, just as bombastic as the rest; A dark clothed man with ghostly long hair who's voice drew in all who heard it.

The boy knew better though, the Whisper wasn't a man; it was a system, a system that took their kin and used them as cattle. The boy was living under the clutches of it now, and being thrown around like nothing more than a tool he didn't know if he could take it any longer. Stories like that were what kept most of them sane throughout the wilting hours of heavy labor, but even the more fantastical tales began to lose their luster.

He should have listened to mother.

"Adam, come on." The boy looked up to the older child who now walked by his side. The older boy pulled at him, and slowly they made for the deeper ends of the mine together, all the while the steel veined corridors grew darker, and the muddy dirt squished underneath their bare soles.

"Okay."

.

.

Adam felt his eyes crack, and he rolled his head over to the side. Gritting his teeth he rose from the chair as he lay his hands on the hard desk before him. It was a dream... no... a memory, one of hopeless times. It was ironic really, considering how he now held the fear of an entire kingdom in the palm of his hands.

What a time for memories of that particular time. He remembered that day well, as it was the day he broke free. Yet as his vision recovered from the lengthy nap he pondered on their situation. The plan was progressing smoothly, and yet he still had no word from Fennec as to Weiss's transportation. Before he could drum up reasons as to why that was a knock which tapped against the door of his office.

"Sir, permission to enter?"

"Come in Saw." Adam spoke as the door creaked and the man paced in. He stood firm with a salute, and Adam sent a nod his way. "Is there something you need, or do you have news for me?"

"Both. The soldiers are ready and anxious to continue with the plan, and I myself am wondering when you will give the order to march on Mistral."

"Soon. I'm waiting for news from Fennec first." Adam clarified, and Saw's form looked to lax for a moment.

"..."

"Yes Saw?" Adam had known his friend since they were children, and despite the childlike appearance of him in the dream moments before Adam couldn't help but notice how different their positions were now. He remembered how he used to rely on Saw to keep on going, and now both Saw and the Fang as a whole relied on him; something he had grown used to over the years.

"Why did we not go back like planned? You said we were heading back, and yet you changed your mind. You would not have needed to rely on Fennec had we gone through with the original plan."

"Yes, but I saw another opportunity for the White Fang." Adam sat back in his chair as he crossed his hands before him. "I had been given information from a source of mine that a certain headmaster in Mistral had met his unfortunate demise, and seeing this as a perfect opportunity I decided we should take advantage of this. Fennec would be put in charge on Menagerie to test his leadership skills for further use, and we could make the most of the chaos just sitting up at the academy lying in wait."

"We know the plan, but several are wondering why. They want to know why we're taking over a school, especially after the attack we sent on the last one." Saw did his best to remain stoic, and yet Adam could taste the hint of curiosity glazed along the edge of his words.

"According to my source there is a rather powerful secret hidden underneath the school."

"A secret?" That drew in Saw's attention, and Adam did nothing to hold back his own smirk.

"So I decided, why not secure it and see just how powerful it is."

"And what about Sienna? Despite what Fennec reported I highly doubt he's caught her yet." Saw questioned as Adam nodded with a slight smirk.

"True, for as much as our methods may collide at times she is still the capable fighter. No, I know for certain he hasn't caught her, otherwise he'd be eager to ask what to do with her." Adam stood from his chair, his mind racing, only to stop as he came to an understanding. "Perhaps it is time to move forward. We can deal with Sienna afterwards; maybe she'll come to her senses by then."

"So we're moving out?" Saw asked with a hint of gruff excitement. Adam passed by with a powerful stride.

"Yes. It is time."

.

.

Pyrrha weaved between the masses of panicked citizens as she went to work.

The Grimm were unlike anything they'd seen, and that was saying something when it came to Grimm. They had no uniform appearance, other than looking vaguely humanoid. Most of their bodies appeared skeletal, with a few patches of what could be considered flesh or muscle if one really looked. Some of them had completely formed limbs or sections that appeared distinctly human, while other parts looked ghoulish. No single Grimm looked alike, with several of them missing appendages entirely.

It appeared as though the dead had awoken, and they were out for blood.

Despite the downright undead appearance they acted with speed and precision which nearly put even herself to shame. Like all Grimm they lashed out, yet unlike most Grimm these ones seemed to have at least some understanding of control over their movements. Many Grimm appeared animalistic, and their motions reflected that, but whenever a humanoid Grimm like that of the Apathy made an appearance it was as if they were just learning how to use their own bodies.

These Grimm were fighting like humans, just about on the same level as trained hunters.

Pyrrha's attention was stolen for a second as she heard Nora give a massive shout, followed by the crunching of bones; Grimm bones as she quickly saw, but bones nonetheless.

"Zombies Renny! We're fighting Zombies!" The ginger cried with just a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Focus on the Grimm Nora!" Ren shouted back as he shot between the crowds. His bullets were expertly timed and seemingly weaved between the people to dig right into the brittle splintering limbs of their targets with surgical precision.

"It's just like in the movies!" Nora called back as she caught the seemingly charred skull of one in her palm, only to slam it to the dirt and crush it beneath her shoe. "So cool!"

"We can gush over it later!" Yang called as her fist embedded itself through the ribs of one, only to rip back out and shatter them as her elbow crunched the jaw of another. "How's it looking Ruby!"

"They're focused on us!" The red-hooded reaper replied as her scythe whisked about, delivering a swift harvest of blackened flesh. "They seem to be ignoring everyone else for now!"

"It's our aura!" Pyrrha called as she sliced the legs out from several which tried to surround her, causing them to drop and crawl as they growled and groaned her way. She ignored the noise and went to work crushing and stabbing the recently handicapped beasts, feeling absolutely no remorse as they died.

"Yeah, but there's plenty of chaos and fear-" Yang weaved around the outward grasp of a headless one, grabbing both of it's arms from behind only to rip them off and beat back several others. "-Going on, shouldn't some of them be going after the people?"

"Maybe our aura is just that strong?" Nora suggested as she brought the hammer down on a small pile of downed Grimm, accompanied by a spray of black gore from the sudden crushing blow; they were nothing but paste splattered across the dirt afterwards.

"Maybe it's something else?" Jaune tried as he steadily sent strike after strike towards several, his blade aimed at the joints and severing them at a decent pace; managing to steadily hold his own. It seemed the Grimm, while skilled in a way, weren't fully there when it came to intensive split second decision making; something Pyrrha was quickly becoming thankful for.

Pyrrha could see Jaune had taken some of her lessons to heart as his form was getting better, but he still had a ways to go to be anywhere near her level. Yet his eyes widened as he looked her way, and she questioned what it was that had him worried as she focused on her surroundings. Grimm came at her, as they did before, and like before she drove them back and cut them down. However her worry remained strong as she called to the boy.

"Jaune, what is it?" She knew something was bothering him, but she couldn't have predicted his response.

"It's you... they're drawn to you!"

"What!?" She called back, only to feel a blow tear at her side. Her aura prevented any visible damage, but only now did Pyrrha really stop to focus on the Grimm around her. While many went after her friends, it was only as she really looked did she notice that the majority had set their sights on her.

This made her furious.

"They're going after you for some reason!" Jaune called as he fought through the Grimm; most of the crowd had managed to flee by now, and the only thing separating them were the growling monsters.

"Yes, but why!?" Pyrrha threw her strikes harder, and if one were to compare, more recklessly than before. She knew she was letting some of her skill and performance falter, but she didn't care. They wanted her, and while she didn't know why she was determined to give them exactly what they wanted...

A first class introduction to her blade.

What pissed her off most of all though was the sneaking suspicion that the whole attack may actually have been her fault. If the Grimm were drawn to her in particular then that meant any and all damage was almost entirely due to her mere presence. It wasn't fair, and she knew nobody could really blame her for something that was knowingly out of her control, but a small part of her took the blame regardless. But she herself saved a portion of her rage for something else. For the Grimm to be drawn to her they must have been nearby, meaning that someone was hoarding these monstrosities in the city.

She was determined to find them and get some answers, and she was certain that a certain little group they'd been hearing about was entirely responsible.

"We need to focus on stopping them!" Ruby called, which snapped Pyrrha from her rage. "We can ask questions later!"

Pyrrha knew her friend was right, and begrudgingly she accepted that as they went to work dispatching the hoard. With all the civilians gone and everyone focused it didn't take long to do away with the remaining few.

"Is that all of them?" Yang asked as they kept their guard strong, ready for more should they arrive. A solid tense minute passed before any of them relaxed.

"I think we got 'em" Nora answered as she let out a breath. Pyrrha allowed her own tension to leave, and looked over just in time to see Jaune drop to the ground in exhaustion.

"Good... I'm tired." He sounded worn, and Pyrrha stifled a giggle as she made a mental note to set some time aside to work on the boy's stamina.

"Well done." The words were accompanied by a familiar - and in Pyrrha's personal opinion 'irritating' - clapping. "Seems you really are hunters, and not just children playing dress-up."

"Yes... well, someone had to defend the people, and I didn't see any of you rush to the streets." Pyrrha spat, all the while Lil'Miss wore a sideways smirk.

"True, but my men are better suited for gathering information. They can fight, but against a hoard of Grimm they're smart enough to know they wouldn't last long." The woman strode around Pyrrha, her hand caressing the pale cheeks with a soothing touch. "Not like you though. You and your little friends are more than capable enough to deal with battles such as these."

Pyrrha pulled away, her eyes locked on the blond with a hint of curious ire. "What do you want?"

Lil'Miss was not intimidated by the growl, and by Pyrrha's eye she looked almost amused in a way. The woman turned and walked towards her café as her voice gently rode the wind.

"Come inside, I think I may have something for you."

.

.

As he fought desperately to pry his eyes open he noticed just how heavy his body felt. His arms were like lead, and each tiny movement he managed only made the weight ever more prominent.

"Please, remain still. You are not well." The voice was soft, and yet he ignored the request.

The lids of his eyes remained too locked up for him to see, and so he opted to try and move again. This time however he heaved his body over, and the weight while being as heavy as before did little to prevent his motion. For an instant he was weightless...

And then came the pain.

There was chatter, and he heard the voice from before call out.

"Get over here and help me get him up!"

"Right. Someone get the-"

"GHIRA!"

He recognised Kali's cry instantly, and with it an avalanche of strength fell over him. Ghira forced his eyes open, and though his gaze was fuzzy he could immediately identify the colorful blobs growing before him.

"GHIRA, Ghira can you hear me!" He felt her arms around him as the other two managed to get him back on whatever it was he'd been sleeping on. He looked to her, head still ringing as the blur moved about. However despite his less than capable state he managed to reach out to her, and feeling her hands clam over his desperately he found a way to cough out a response from his painfully dry throat.

"I'm... here." Not the best response in his opinion, but it seemed good enough for Kali as he could almost physically feel the relief settle in underneath her steel grip.

"Good, good... I'm so glad." The worry in her voice was evident even to his dulled ears. He saw her shift slightly as her voice rung aloud once more. "What happened?"

"He rolled himself off-"

"And you just watched it happen!?" His wife sounded furious, and Ghira couldn't fight back the small chuckle that tore painfully from his throat.

"W-we didn't expect him to be able to move so quickly." The voice flinched, and Ghira almost felt bad as Kali's resulting growl seemed to scare what he assumed was one of their servants.

"You're supposed to be ready for anything, especially when it comes to-"

"DAD!" Another familiar voice, and one that brought about it's own shock. He didn't have time to properly register what he'd heard before another set of arms locked him in place, and with it a sense of desperate hope. "You're woke up, you... you woke up..."

He knew who it was, and the warmth he felt only added to the knowledge even further, yet he found it hard to believe. Ghira wondered if it was a dream, a dream where his daughter had come home. They had parted so sourly, and since that day he'd wondered if his daughter would ever want to see them again at all. To many it may have sounded silly, but Ghira was truly worried she may not have wanted anything to do with him anymore, and as a father this was his greatest fear; a fear that guided his every waking moment. Yet the soft feeling of warm tears dripping onto his cheek, and the small laboured breathing against him proved this was no mere dream.

His baby girl was home.

Author's note

...

And we leave it on a bit of a wholesome note.

Still not a fan of writing fight scenes, but I hope to at least have made it entertaining. For me personally I find them hard to really read when they're super descriptive, and let's be real most people just imagine the fights how they want anyway. However I know there are some readers who love heavily descriptive and stylized fights, so I tried to add some motions that were both flashy and easy to follow; you can decide if it came out well or not.

We also got a fairly large scene involving Adam... even though very little actually happened. Surprise surprise, a major character from earlier is showing some importance; a shocker I know. Love or hate him I don't really like just throwing a character away just because I don't agree with them - I like to get my money's worth out of them.

Anyhow, that's all for this one. Feel free to share your thoughts, as they tend to be useful in making improvements to different aspects, such as the pacing - which is still an issue I'm working on.

See you later.