Off in the distance, Adam heard screaming and explosions reverberating through the woods while he was on patrol. The chaos was enough to make him pause and grab a radio, speaking into it with a sense of urgency. "This is Major Taurus; southwest section of the perimeter is extremely volatile. I'm heading over there to see what's going on."
A voice crackled back In response, "Copy that, Taurus. Be careful out there; Grimm activity in your area has had a significant increase lately."
"Appreciate your warning, over and out." With that, Adam set off toward the source of the commotion.
As he ventured closer to the scene, he couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and concern. The crimson he had glimpsed in the bushes hinted at something that churned his stomach with anxiety and apprehension. He approached quietly, a shadow moving amidst the trees and foliage.
Amid the chaos, as he drew nearer, he spotted two strangers amidst the debris. Weaving through fallen trees, rotting Grimm, and what seemed to be the remnants of a small RV, he saw a man, battered and unconscious. His left arm was mangled and shattered, and his bodysuit was covered in massive dents, scratches, gashes, dirt, and blood.
Unable to hear their words from his distance, Adam watched as the two strangers worked with remarkable expertise and efficiency to care for Cole. They seemed adept at handling this dire situation, leaving Adam both surprised and impressed. He couldn't help but wonder about the circumstances that had led to this unexpected encounter.
For a moment, he hesitated, torn between revealing himself or continuing to observe from a distance. His concern for Cole weighed heavily on his mind, but the presence of these two strangers added complexity to the situation, leaving him uncertain of the best course of action.
As the two strangers, the girl and the older man, conversed, they discussed the necessity of amputating Cole's arm to save him from blood rot and severe fever. The girl hesitated and asked about the extent of the damage to his arm.
"From the elbow down, but—" the older man began, but her swift and decisive sword slice severed the arm at the top of his elbow. She immediately applied her magic to close the wound and wrapped the stump to control the bleeding, using what appeared to be strips of an old white shirt.
Just before the older man could inquire about why Cole was in the forest, a man of Cole's age emerged from the darkness, dressed in all black and wearing a White Fang mask. He had red hair and two black horns on his head, and he pointed his blade at the strangers, demanding "are you allies or enemy to the white fang!"
The girl placed a hand on the older man's chest and sheathed her sword to demonstrate their non-hostile intentions. "Neither. We're just out here hunting when we heard an explosion. We have a camp at the edge of the woods. We meant no harm," she explained, calming the man.
Showing no animosity Adam flourished and sheathed his sword before he outstretched arms to show he'd be the one to protect Cole.
Seeing the lack of aggression from him the white haired woman handed Cole over to the stranger they had and left with the older man, Geralt, in tow. As she walked away, she couldn't help but wonder about the white-haired man. He seemed too dangerous to be a mere civilian, and it was unusual for someone to be out in the wilderness under these circumstances.
Holding cole tenderly in his arms Adam saw that his face was red, and blood oozed from the severed limb, which appeared to be infected. He realized that Cole was suffering from what the woman had said he had, his life was hanging by a thread.
Taking care to hold Cole in his arms, Adam switched to an open radio channel, his voice filled with urgency. "This is Major Taurus. I need immediate medical assistance at my coordinates. We have a severe case here; the subject has lost an arm, and there's a severe blood infection. Hurry."
As the response from the other end acknowledged his call for help, he took a moment to assess Cole's condition. The young man was unconscious, his face pallid, and his breathing shallow. The loss of his arm was a grim sight, and the infection was advancing rapidly. Worse of all, he was shaking like a child in the cold at night, moaning with discomfort.
Adam couldn't help but wonder how he had ended up here in this desperate situation. He was the leader of the White Fang, a person who had often made ruthless decisions to further his cause. But this was different. This wasn't about ideology, this was about a fellow human being struggling for life.
With each passing second, Adam's concern deepened. He found himself thinking, "I have to do everything I can to keep you alive. I can't let you die out here alone." He tightened his grip on Cole, feeling the weight of responsibility for this stranger's life.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Adam held onto Cole. The rustling leaves and distant calls of Grimm were a haunting backdrop to their predicament, a constant reminder of the dangers that surrounded them. "I need help to arrive soon," he thought, his mind racing with worry.
In the midst of this mental chaos, Adam's inner monologue persisted, "I can't afford to fail. This is a test of my humanity, not my leadership. I won't let this man die. Not on my watch."
The medical team's arrival couldn't come soon enough, and as they finally approached, Adam couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. He handed Cole over to them, providing a brief account of the situation. The medics worked swiftly, their expertise evident as they tended to Cole's injuries.
As they prepared to transport Cole to safety, Adam couldn't shake the feeling of having been drawn into an unexpected and complex situation. He watched as they carried Cole away, hoping that the young man would recover but his strength was going to be tested.
The medics left cole In Adam's tent and passed him a syringe "major, this is our best antibiotic cocktail and its our last, whoever this human is he better be worth it" the look and tone on her voice dripped venom and distain.
Adam harrumphed and nodded entering his tent and used said syringe to inject it in Cole's left shoulder where the vein was the clearest and hoped it was the right thing to do.
His thoughts turned to the practical matters that needed addressing. As Adam exited his tent and almost immediately spotting Ilia nearby, he called her over with a sense of authority. "Ilia," he said firmly, "listen, your grievances with humans must be set aside, just this one time; I need to ensure that Cole has food when he wakes up. He's going to need nourishment to regain his strength. Go and find some food, supplies, whatever you can find and do it quick."
Ilia nodded, her expression determined. "Of course, Adam. I'll do my best to do what I can for him." With a quick salute, she hurried off to fulfill the task he had assigned.
Adam watched her go, grateful for her efficiency and knowing that she would carry out the task with diligence. His focus remained on Cole, hoping that the young man would recover swiftly and that the worst was behind them. Had Ilia cook a vegetable soup with garlic and a side of bread for him, so Cole could get better.
Even though the white fang no longer attacked people like they used to, they still protected the Faunas population from the human population. This change was because when Cole met him in the mountains relaxing next to a fire at the age of sixteen, Adam and Cole talked the entire time and from their long hours together-if raging out were conversing- Adam looked deep within himself and saw that while he'd not meant to kill the man halfway through their cargo transfer.
That being said, he still took innocent blood, as those days of the past came to the present however, he slowly knew that while the white fang were terrorists he was still making strides to kill less and less but still fought with the brutality of a beast, thanks to the odd encounter of a certain white haired boy he saw that he didn't need Blake and yes, she may have abandoned him, it's not like he loved her in that context. He was her best friend, mentor and Platonic brother.
Blake made her choice and she'll pay that price in time, but right now, someone needed his aid and he'd be damned if he didn't help this idiot one last time. (and because he secretly saw Cole as a Platonic brother). 'a kid like him made me change my mind, but not my aim… I wonder if he'll be strong enough to kill her' he smirked mischievously and went back to taking his bowl of soup and ordered two extras sent to his tent five minutes later.
Once Ilia had collected the food as Adam had requested, she intended to place the bowls inside the tent near the entrance. However, as she approached, she hesitated when she saw Cole's form resting peacefully. Something about his vulnerability stopped her in her tracks.
For a brief moment, she wrestled with feelings of anger and spite, contemplating the idea of spitting in the soup before leaving. But then, her gaze fell upon Cole, who was lost in a restless slumber. His face contorted with agony, tears flowed like twin rivers, and he whimpered and grunted as if begging for something, though his words were indecipherable.
Conflicted thoughts raced through Ilia's mind. She was well aware that Adam's White Fang cell had undergone a significant transformation, shifting away from the violence of their past. But she couldn't help but question why a human like Cole was present and why someone would go to such lengths to save him when their war was waged against humanity.
She settled into a watchful vigil over Cole as he slept, feeling an inexplicable connection to this stranger who lay vulnerable before her. The night was still, and she couldn't shake the sense of uncertainty that filled the tent went unnoticed, but maybe it was for the best.
His heart pounded In his chest, a relentless rhythm of fear as he found himself in a nightmarish struggle to escape an unknown enemy. Desperately clawing at the ground, he felt the sharp fingers of a decaying hand latching onto his calf, pulling him relentlessly toward an unmarked grave. The decomposing figure eerily resembled Rayla, or at least what was left of her, falling apart as she dragged him closer to the gaping hole.
"You could've saved us!" she cried out, her face streaked with blood, a desperate plea in her eyes. "Why didn't you stop it?"
Rayla's bony fingers dug into his thighs, and he felt himself being hauled down into the pit, plummeting six feet onto her decaying body. But as he opened his eyes, he found her body missing, only the wounds of her existence remaining. Just as he tried to stand up and make sense of his surroundings, liquefying flesh fell from skeletal fingers seizing. Before he could break free, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, igniting a long-forgotten fear that clutched at his heart, squeezing it mercilessly.
An unknown, grotesque creature eme"ged, its voice dripping with anguish. "You should have saved me. Why didn't you save me?" it hissed before choking him. "You ran from us like a coward!"
With a trembling voice, he responded, "I was just a kid, not a fighter, nor a strong dust user. Not even Mom could have beaten them NO ONE COULD'VE STOPPED IT."
"YOU WERE THE STORM THAT KILLED US!" the creature roared, its arm drawn back to strike him. A bolt of lightning struck both of them, leaving gaping holes in their ash decaying bodies.
As he teetered on the precipice of death, he managed to utter, "I'm…sorry. I never wanted this," his words choked by his own blood.
A sudden jolt brought him back to reality. Cole shot up from the bed in the tent, gasping for breath, his eyes wild with panic. His frantic gaze darted around the confined space, searching for some semblance of safety. Ilia flinched at his sudden movement, her attention fully captured as he cried out for someone named Rayla.
Cole's eyes darted around the room, his instincts on high alert as he scanned for potential threats. Then he spotted her, and for a moment, he could have sworn it was Rayla. But reality quickly set in, and he realized it was just a girl with freckles adorning her brown face. She wore a tight bodysuit that left her shoulders and mid-thighs exposed. On her belt, he noticed a metal whip and a few small pouches that were likely meant for dust crystals.
Unimpressed with his wandering gaze, she scowled at him and snapped, "Eyes to yourself, you filthy human. I don't swing that way." Cole let out a sigh and met her gaze, pushing himself to stand up, though his movements were shaky. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I thought you were someone I knew."
"Who did you think I was?" she demanded angrily, her sneer a clear indication of her annoyance. As Cole reached for the bowl of soup that had his name on it, he attempted to use both hands, but the realization hit him hard. Half of his arm was missing, wrapped in gauze and secured with a brown silk-like material.
They sipped the soup in relative silence, the only sounds being the clinking of utensils against bowls. Ilia looked at him with mild curiosity, somewhat surprised that he didn't return her gaze. "It doesn't matter what I say," he muttered as he set down the empty bowl and reached for the second one.
Watching him slowly grab the second bowl, Ilia remained silent, pushing a plate of bread closer to his lap, offering sustenance instead of words.
After a minute or so, Cole decided to lift his gaze and meet Ilia's eyes. Her words, laced with anger, stung his ears as she said, "That's what I was going to ask, but it's not something I can give an answer to." She placed a spoon in front of him and continued, "All I can say is that Adam told me you've been out for a few hours. I'm guessing, by the red face, cold sweats, and slow pace at which you ate the soup, that you had it rough out there in the wilderness, your sick from…something Oh, and your arm is missing too." The last part was delivered with a hint of humor and mockery, but Cole chose to ignore her jibe.
"I'd ask for a hand, but…well, you know why…" he said, gesturing to his left, before gently taking the spoon and dipping it into the bowl. He paused, looking up at her suspiciously, and asked, "You didn't… spit in this one or anything, did you?"
Rubbing her face in annoyance, Ilia grumbled, "I was going to, but Adam was adamant that I don't taint your meal. So enjoy it while you can, human." She said the last word as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Cole bit his tongue and let it slide.
Cautiously, he tested the temperature by dipping his pinky into the bowl, then decided to drink it all. Letting out a sigh, he spoke with a glare of his own, "My name does exist, miss. It's not 'scum' or 'human,' and certainly not any other slur for my species that you have tucked away inside that… unique head of yours." He wiped his mouth as respectfully as possible and extended his hand, saying, "I'm Cole. What's yours?" She lightly smacked his hand aside and retorted, "Name's Ilia, not 'miss.'"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ilia," he responded. However, his observation about her changing skin color had caused her to turn red and yellow. She grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and asked angrily, "You got a problem with my skin? Huh, human? Got any jokes for a chameleon faunas?"
"Far from it, Ilia," as he maintained eye contact he continued, "I actually didn't know that you were Faunus." He stood up and made sure to give her space. "I think it's beautiful how your skin changes color. The red that surrounds the yellow on you reminds me of the sunsets in Mistral during… the spring festival." His voice trailed off when he mentioned the festival, and he sat back down, fighting back the emotions that those memories of him and Rayla had brought to the surface.
Ilia snapped her fingers in front of his face, jolting him back to reality. "Hey… Remnant to Cole… are you there?" she asked, her tone more concerned. Cole quickly refocused on her.
"Oh, sorry, uhm, what'd you say?" he asked, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, which were filled with the pain he was trying to suppress. "I wish I didn't have emotions," he thought to himself, resenting how even the happiest moments now made him feel sick.
"I asked you why you said that to me," Ilia repeated, settling down with her bowl of food. "Kind of odd for a human to compliment the enemy on their looks."
"Who says I see you as my enemy?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow. He watched her ponder his question, taking her time to form a proper response while eating her meal. After a few moments, she replied, "Because humans have slaughtered my kind since the dawn of time, and most humans these days are still repulsed by us."
"Well, considering Faunus have enhanced senses, can travel longer distances, hit harder, and are smarter in most scenarios, while humans aren't as impressive," Cole looked at her and stopped when he saw pride in her eyes as he essentially admitted his species' inferiority to hers. Ilia smirked at him, and the atmosphere between them seemed to change.
"That being said, I don't completely support the philosophy of what the White Fang are trying to do," Cole mentioned, just as he was about to be chastised by Ilia.
Adam entered the tent with a big box, accompanied by three guards and a couple of individuals who appeared to be doctors.
"Good, you're awake; your surgery starts in a few hours. Follow me while these people prepare this tent," Adam stated, looking back mid-stride and then addressing Ilia, "Take his armor to the blacksmith and have him repair the damage."
Ilia nodded and saluted by pounding her fist over her heart. "Yes, sir," she acknowledged, grabbing the box containing Cole's armor. As she walked away, she tripped over the tent's wool and fell onto Cole.
Ilia pushed him away and muttered about him being beneath her for touching any part of her. She left Adam alone with Cole and two White Fang members, both of whom sneered at him. One of them was about to say something to Cole, but Adam spoke first.
"So, how many times am I going to have to bail you out of trouble, little lightning?" Adam asked, and Cole kept a straight face as he replied, "To be fair, I wasn't expecting the great Adam Taurus to come running to my aid -taking my arm isn't something I would even consider in terms of helping me."
"I was talking about rescuing you from Cinder and her idiots," Adam clarified, motioning for Cole to follow him. "But if I'm being honest, I found you that way against a tree," he lied, not wanting to mention the ashen-haired duo he ran into.
Cole smirked and looked at Adam, saying, "I'll give you a hand when I can repay your kindness, but I assume it wasn't worth keeping, was it?" The guards behind them burst into laughter for a few seconds, but they quickly fell silent when they saw Adam give them a stern glare. "Go help with the perimeter before I cut your tongues out" Adam threatened with an unwavering edge to his angry mood.
Cole stared at Adam, and he noticed that Adam was upset with the guards he had just sent away. "I was only trying to lighten the mood, but obviously, it was a bad idea," he admitted with a hint of uneasiness. He quickly observed that Adam looked at him the same way his mother and sister did when he was in this kind of condition (minus the missing arm). The smile on Adam's face when he shifted from an unyielding fury was odd, but with everything that happened to him in the two weeks was enough to justify ignoring it all together.
"Cole, I'm pretty sure your arm was beyond saving because it may have been infected and was definitely killing you," Adam explained. He added with a tone of concern, "So making jokes about it around White Fang Faunus, the ones that hate your kind, only gives them ammunition to belittle you."
"We both know that lions don't care about the opinions of sheep, Adam," Cole responded. But the exchange led to a subtle decrease in their mutual respect, and Cole's emotions began to rise.
"Just pretend this didn't happen, and I won't fuss over it," Adam said, somewhat begrudgingly, attempting to make amends.
"By the way, Cole," he paused in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Even though you were out for a few hours, I noticed a short woman following us. Any idea who she was?"
Cole whipped around, looking Adam in the face, horrified. Ruby had found him? How? When did she start looking? Was it her doing when that Bullhead crashed two weeks ago?
"H-how did she—"
Before Cole could finish his question, both he and Adam heard packs of Grimm roaring and closing in on Cole's position. A sense of dread surged through him, and he shouted as he exited the tent, "Everyone, stop everything you're doing! We've got Grimm incoming! Get your weapons, and fast!"
Adam grabbed Cole and ushered him into a tent, taking off his mask to reveal one soft blue eye and an SDC brand. He locked eyes with Cole, who was deep in thought, and they began speaking to each other. Cole could see Adam's lips moving, but he couldn't hear any of the words.
Just as Cole tried to shift his focus away from the looming fear, a beautiful woman emerged from the shadows, cloaked and under the dim light inside the tent. She wore a silver dress with wilted roses running along the left thigh, exposing her pale, creamy white skin, and a small silver locket hung from her neck by a delicate gold chain. Her hair was as black as silk and gleamed in the dim light of the tent.
"Your not real" he thought as his fear kicked into high gear, heart beat like a hammer against a gong his breathing was shallow and frantic. "ray is dead you don't exist anywhere anymore."
She had a gentle smile that sent shivers down Cole's spine. Her slender fingers gently gripped his chin as she continued to smile. "If you're so sure I'm not real, then how come you can feel this?" she asked as she released his chin, then hugged him tightly for a few seconds before whispering in his ear, "Rejoin our family in Lanka, you know the place, right?" She moved toward the exit but paused and delivered a chilling threat: "Oh, and make sure to come alone, or we'll kill them all… including your little snowflake, wouldn't want to dirty your hands with even more blood would you?" With her words echoing in his mind, she vanished, leaving Cole alone, lost for words, and more terrified than ever that she was somehow allied with Cinder.
Looking around for something to cover himself witj, He picked up and put on Adam's jacket and left the tent, searching for him. As he ventured out into the unknown, Cole couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. "I was so terrified… I've never felt fear like that since…" His voice trailed off as the memory of that intense fear resurfaced.But his contemplation was abruptly interrupted by a bright red bolt of lightning hurtling toward him. Instinctively, Cole raised his arm and unleashed his own bolt of electricity, resulting in a dazzling explosion of red, blue, and orange-gold sparks. His eyes followed the source, finding another cloaked figure who had suddenly materialized before him.
The stench of ozone and burnt flesh permeated the air around the area and proud as a rich noble a man stood in the clearing no one knew and almost didn't want to…keyword was almost.
"You can't scare me anymore, whoever you are!" Cole's earlier fear was now being replaced by a burning anger. "Come on out so I can kill you!" His declaration echoed through the gathered crowd, and they watched in awe as Cole defiantly pulsed with lightning, demonstrating his readiness to fight despite having just one arm, shaking from malnourishment and lacking a grip on reality.
To him he felt taller and more confident, but everyone else saw a dying flame burning out and he was at the edge of chaotic and composed.
I apologize for publishing late again but I'm trying to think my story through and write a great story for those still reading.
Any criticism is appreciated as long as you have something that could improve the story
Comment anything you think could be worked on at:
H6pp1n355_in_misery.
Criticism is appreciated