"No purer emotion than rage, no more righteous ambition than vengeance."
Lorgar Aurelian
"Yang!"
The blonde's glowing red eyes burst open in panic. She shot up off her back, gasped and filled her empty lungs with a long drawn out intake of the stale night air. Right hand grabbing for the wrist that was no longer restraining her.
When her thrashing and no longer quiet moans had woken up the rest of her team the other girls all climbed on, clustered around or starred up to her bunk balanced over Blake's. Each knew it was not the best idea to wake someone from a bad dream right away. But when Yang had started sounding like she was in pain they began gently calling her name and trying to shake her awake. Until her moans and movements really started to worry them, and Blake began to yell her name.
That finally woke the Huntress up.
Sweat drenched her blond locks and long limbs making her night wear cling to skin beneath the sheets. Yang shuddered in cold when a little breeze floated over her.
Ruby was kneeling up next big sister along the wall. Blake stood on her feet gripping the edged of the bed. Weiss was laying on her side on the bottom bunk looking at the other three girls.
The redheaded team leader placed a hand on her sister's legs, "Yang are you okay? What was that all about?"
Yang blinked calming her semblance, breathing heavily, "I… I…"
She couldn't remember.
The Warp storm raged over his head amidst the twisted city the daemon had conjured as Kad battled the army of monsters.
He dodged around the Grimm trying to pounce and drag him down. Under them, side to side. His hands tearing through exposed throats and vulnerable bellies. Striking with every part of his arms and legs, breaking bones, rupturing their unholy flesh. He spun through-out the horde, sending their dead carcasses to the ground. Throwing smaller Grimm out to trip large ones and bowl through entire packs.
The tips of his new claws broke under heavy use, left embedded in the bleeding slashes on the flanks of the daemons or spinning off into the void when they clashed against bone. The monster's jagged talons and ivory fangs broke against his black armor as he smashed their skulls and brains to bloody ruin.
But he knew, it was only a matter of time before one of them got lucky and found a weak point. Or he was lost beneath their endless numbers.
He speared his fingers into the side of a Beowolf, lifted the Grimm up and tore it in half over his head. A Taijitu snake wrapped itself up around his right arm. He flexed the iron hard gene molded muscles crushing the black serpent. That leg flashed out and crushed a Grimm cat charging his back. A flying lancer drone shot it's stinger down, Kad gripped onto the cord and swung the creature down splattering it in a shower of smoke. A Deathstalker snapped its claws forward, immobilizing Kad's left ankle.
The armored boot held but now he was trapped. That arm locked onto the throat of an Ursa-major. Cracking its spine with one twist as another raised its arms and flashed down at his eyes.
Then Co'Balt's school shoe hit him in the face.
"NAHHARGHH!"
Kad snarled and yelled loud enough to wake the entire building as he finally tore himself out of that nightmare vision. The giant's right hand landed on the hilt of his knife still at his waist in this flailing and Kad he came up swinging.
Wild eyes looked around the dark room. Both Alicia and Co'Balt were sitting up in their beds wisely out of arms reach.
His boots and feet were planted firmly on the ground while his legs bent far over the edge of his rarely used bed. Kad's bare chest rose and fell rapidly with his heavy breathing. The fight may not have been real but he certainly felt like he had just ran four marathons.
"Dude…" Co'Balt said, rather shocked by what he just saw. "No wonder you don't sleep, you get some freaky fuckin' dreams."
Kad didn't even acknowledge his teammate, instead quickly gathered his other weapons, Ignis and the steel chain bound to the Dust sword. Sheathing his knife and collecting his school undershirt before he opened their window and left onto the campus without a word.
The Faunus' jaw hung slack in confusion. He stood and moved to the window trying to catch a glimpse of his leader but saw only shadows amidst the trees and buildings. Co'Balt tugged on the edge of his black t-shirt when a gust of wind hit him, with one snort of disgust he turned to his bed to lay down again flat on his back on top of the sheets.
After only a few moments staring at the ceiling he heard the creak of springs coming from where he thought Alicia had gone back to. He squinted against the darkness, seeing his last teammate dressed for the night in red flannel pants and a grey running shirt get up and slowly walk over to him. She sat down on the edge of his mattress, then settled down next to him with her back up against his right arm.
Co'Balt nearly found his voice after several uncomfortable seconds, "Ummm…"
"Don't get used to it buck-o," Alicia replied before settling her head down onto his spare pillow. But after a moment raised herself up on one hand to pull Co'Balt's strong arm close, hugging him to her chest as she laid down.
Weiss averted her gaze, "I don't want to remember any of that either."
Yang blinked in confusion, "No, I was…Just…"
Ruby tilted her head a little, "Yang?"
The older Huntress took a deep breath and once again attempted to think back to her nightmare. Mostly the blond just drew a blank. She had gone to sleep and then…
"Raven."
The name Yang said seemed to echo in the quiet. None of her teammates had ever heard that name before, they looked to each other for any sign of understanding. Yang sighed in resignation, deciding to explain it now rather than wait for the morning.
"I don't know if Ruby told you all," Yang began, "But on the train from Mountain Glenn there was this girl. She saved my life after Torchwick's new henchman had me on the ropes."
Yang paused for a breath, "Later she told me things, about some problems that would be headed Vale's way. I didn't believe her, I tried to get her off my back. But finally she cornered me at the tournament."
"So she was that girl you fought?" Ruby said.
Her sister nodded, "Yeah, I just decide to help her since you know debts and all that. But… she said she knew about my mother."
Weiss perked up at that comment, sensing a distinction from Yang's choice of my, "What do you mean your mother," She pointed at Ruby, "I thought you two were?"
Yang shook her head, "Long story, but no. We're half-sisters"
She looked over to Ruby kneeling next to her, a little sad smile on Yang's normally cheerful face, "Apparently mommy dearest was a White Fang sympathizer of some sort."
All the other's eyes went wide, especially Blake.
"Yeah," she said confirming her words, "And that cost her, her life."
Blake spoke, "How did she die?"
"I don't know, and Raven said she couldn't tell me because she didn't know."
"And that's it?" Ruby said, bringing her hands up in question "Well we've got to find her, Raven's gotta know more."
"Probably," Yang agreed, "But I have no idea where she went. She took off after we ran into…"
Armored in black. He stood before the Nevermore, claws raised and poised for a fight.
Blankness spread across her face once again,
Blake's head tilted, "Kad and Co'Balt. Right?"
"Yeah." Yang nodded in dull agreement. But the Faunus could have said Spruce Willis and Yang probably would have agreed with her.
Weiss sighed, "Well I guess we'd better make the most of the free day look for your mystery girl."
Then she laid back down and rolled to face the wall, "So I suggest we all rest."
To Ruby, she did not sound sincere at all, not heartless. But something else was weighing on her mind, "Weiss, are you sure you're alright."
The heiress blinked, then sat up looking to her friends "No… I'm, not alright."
She swung her legs down onto the floor and gripped the edge of her bed, "If I go to sleep... I'm just going to see Jaxon die again."
She stared at the carpet for another moment, reliving that moment again. Remembering the last look of sheer terror on Jaxon's face. And just how her father reacted,
"Does anyone else want coffee?" The Heiress asked.
Blake looked back and forth between the two sisters and her last teammate, electing herself to be the barista, "I'll go find some, seems like none of us are going to get any sleep tonight."
Kad swung forward again,
Wrapping his chain around the wooden practice poll. The loose edges of his unbuttoned white dress shirt swung trying to keep up. The giant snapped his arm back, the steel loops bit deep into the wood and the log came flying at him. With another shout of effort he struck his left hand out, trying to manifest his aura and semblance again. But so far he was having little luck.
Maybe one in five times his flying target would be shattered by the brief pulse of light preceding his hand as the pile of splinters and wood chunks before him grew in girth and height. He had broken the padlock on the training room storage area, wheeled out and lined up as many of these stout smooth logs as he could find in there. An archaic throw back to a bygone age without all of the technology running rampant through the modern world.
This particular arena was empty. Soft lights bathed the empty benches on the floor in weak orange light. No one was in the higher levels either to watch him take out his anger on the inanimate objects.
His nightmare was slowly fading from memory, try as he might the last thing he could recall was just the barest details of the battle. Not the talking Nevermore calling him out, nor the fires in the sky and the twisted crystal city. He only remembered what happened now yesterday.
Deep in the tunnels, the Faunus charge,
His hands coated in their blood,
The dank, dirty sewer he pulled his friend out off.
Kad lashed out for another target, the post came forward fast.
The crystal breaking, power burning through his veins.
"HA!"
Blinking color shimmered around his palm, the thick target was utterly destroyed. Pencil thin sticks littered the arena. He looked down at his empty hand flexing his slightly sore fingers trying to stop the nearly imperceptible shaking. But he felt the immaterial muscles of his aura clearer now. Each pulse growing his confidence and control.
Distant clicks of metal from a door brought his awareness over to the ready room entrance, someone had just entered that locker bay. He heard the little taps of high heeled shoes on the tiles coming right for him. Shadows moved along the winding hall beneath the dark banners, Kad recognized the silhouette and the person it belonged to.
Cinder emerged into the dim light garbed in her Mistral disguise. Black hair slightly hugging her left shoulder as always, yet looking like it hadn't gotten much attention in a short while. His mentor gently brushed her hand along the red blade of his sword standing against the arena wall before she walked forward to circle around her protégée.
Not breaking stride, Kad spun the chain up once and then lunged for another post. More sticks piled up as he blasted his semblance again.
Cinder walked to his side, studying him as he repeated this motion. But this time he couldn't bring the energy to bear. He let the chain hang limp from his palm as more wood chunks bounced to a halt in front of them catching his breath. Cinder took his left hand in both of hers, looking at the thick lines and calluses like a palm reader.
She bent her neck back and looked up to his eyes, "What did I tell you was most important about generating aura?"
"Focus," He answered immediately.
The pyromancer nodded in approval, "Its good you finally found your semblance."
She traced a few of his minor scratches with her fingertips, "Simple yet effective."
Kad motioned to pull his hand free from her hold. She sensed his intent and stood back a step as he lashed out again.
Light flashed in front of his hand once more, Cinder smiled at the sound of more shards scattering.
"Projection," She said, giving name to Kad's new found ability, "Anyone can shield themselves with their aura. One of the first distinct abilities Hunters developed was to then strike with that same power."
"And augment that further with Dust." Kad added, remembering the long nights and lectures Cinder gave him on the arcane forces Hunters could call upon. Déjà vu creeping up on him a bit, as his real teacher walked in front of him again.
A ball of fire crackled to life in her raised right hand, "Now you've felt its pull, with practice. It will become as easy as forming a fist."
She flung the blaze forward, scattering the rest of the training posts turning several into shimmering pillars of flame. Cinder turned around to look at Kad once again.
"I can trust you, can't I?" She asked him.
"Of course." He replied leaning his giant head forward in respect.
"To tell the truth?"
"Every time."
But Cinder paused for a breath, before she asked something he didn't expect at all.
"That was your teammate, the Faunus student that was killed?"
His surprise only lasted for a micro second, of course she knew, "Yes."
"Your friend?"
Kad nodded silently, eyes downcast. Blinking back the chains wrapped around his vocal chords. The giant sat down on crossed legs, lost again in the fresh pain of his loss. Cinder knelt down and gently brought her left hand up to Kad's chin, directing his aimless gaze up into her own fiery eyes.
Her she was, the woman who had been the single constant presence in his brief confusing time on this world after he had escaped from a nightmare that had lasted for years. The one whose cause he had devoted himself to. She cared for him, he cared for her. He trusted her, he had to trust her.
"I've… I've never lost anyone before…" The giant whispered,
Cinder sighed and dipped her head respectfully, "How does that make you feel,"
Fire welled up in Kad's chest, and he clenched his fists, "This should have never happened… Jaxon didn't deserve that."
"Kad," Cinder put all the iron she could into her tone, feeling the turmoil ready to erupt from within. One so similar to her own, "Don't do this, don't lose yourself in senseless rage."
The Primarch went silent, heeding the pyromancer's words. Cinder held his gaze, waiting for the boy to center himself,
"But tell me," Cinder commanded,
Ice shot through Kad's blood. Knowing what she would speak of next. Port and the other Huntsmen overlooked his culling of the White Fang. Cinder would not.
"What are you going to do about it?" She asked him,
"Cinder…" The giant began, "Was this your plan?"
His master stood, "I appreciate your trust Kad... So believe me, I did not command this. That Faunus Adam slipped his lead, he came to me worried over the moral of his forces. I expected him to remind these colleagues of their ultimate goal and still any fears. But he took my words as something else."
She beckoned him to rise, and with Kad towering over her Cinder continued, "It was simply an accident your teammates got caught up in this. We couldn't risk another breach, not yet. Not without you in the final place."
Cinder paused, gathering her thoughts,
Weaving her snares.
"Do you know why Jaxon died?" Cinder asked him, "Why this happened? Do you truly understand now?"
He did. Kad always knew in his heart what needed to be cut away from the world. For them to grow and take their rightful place free of the Grimm and the corrupted incompetent Kingdoms. Their ultimate goal, their own crusade against the world. But now it was truly personal.
"It shouldn't be this way…" Kad told her, "No one wants to, live like this. And the Kingdoms, the Headmasters don't understand. We can't prosper. Every death is in vain just keeping things like this… They did nothing to save Jaxon."
Cinder nodded, pleased with his answer.
But more with herself.
"Good." She told him, "Come, walk with me. Tell me about Jaxon..."
/
/
/
/
/
/
A/N Kinda think this is finally satisfactory on some scale. Writing about Kad and Cinder's relationship. Going back through this whole thing I just had one line below it all for reference.
Cinder is right.
And anywho recently stumbled onto one youtuber who mercilessly ripped the plot of RWBY to shreds. And I feel like at least I did a bit better trying to tie things together.
Also had a thought the other day that led to the scene with Alicia and Co'Balt getting a little to Stephen King like for my tastes. Might be my new head cannon might not. Time will tell.