In the dimly lit room of their hideout somewhere in the industrial district of Vale, Cinder Fall stood with a grave expression, her raven hair billowing behind her like a sinister cape. Her partners — Emerald, Mercury, and even the scowling Neo — gathered around her, their eyes reflecting the flickering light of a fire nearby. Cinder's hand gripped tightly around a Scroll, its screen displaying symbols and data.
"Something was wrong," Cinder revealed, her voice low and urgent. She held out the Scroll for her comrades to see. "I've noticed the unusual patterns. Someone was tracking us."
The others exchanged wary glances, tension thick in the air. Adam Taurus, his demeanor as cold as steel, stepped forward, arms crossed over his chest. "And how did you come to this conclusion, human?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
Cinder's gaze met Adam's, unwavering despite the doubt in his tone. "Intuition," she replied, her voice carrying an air of certainty. "But not just that." With a deft flick of her finger, she scrolled through the data on the device until she found what she was looking for.
"Emerald," Cinder addressed her accomplice, who stood nearby, her emerald eyes fixed on the Scroll. "Show them."
Emerald nodded and stepped forward, her fingers dancing over the display. In a matter of seconds, an image materialized above the Scroll—a white knight chess piece consuming a black queen.
"This," Cinder explained, pointing to the image, "appeared after Emerald covertly attempted to infect Ironwood's War Machine. It's a symbol, a message."
A hushed silence fell over the room as her teammates absorbed the revelation. Mercury frowned, his mind clearly working through the implications. Neo's expression remained inscrutable, but the tension in her posture spoke volumes.
Adam's gaze lingered on the image in thought. "And what do you propose we do about this?" he asked, his voice betraying none of the uncertainty he must have felt. "I assume you've already done something about this, human."
Cinder's lips curled into a predatory smile. "I would say we hunt the hunter," she declared, her eyes gleaming with determination. "But first, we do the plans."
Adam raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable as he processed Cinder's explanation. "And why did it matter to bring this up even?" he queried, his tone sharp with impatience.
Cinder's response was swift and calculated. "It matters because their awareness and opposition indicate that they've already secured crucial advantages," she explained, her voice steady. "Their departure with the Maiden suggests they are now beyond our immediate reach. Additionally, the current security situation in Vale, primarily composed of huntsmen, renders our previous strategies ineffective."
Adam's gaze shifted to Neo, who stood silently beside Cinder, her demeanor as frosty as her name suggested. "So, you had me hunt down that human," he remarked, gesturing towards Neo. "To use her?"
It was difficult to track down Neo. But the Faunus had talents with tracking down individuals and with many of the White Fang moving, it was easy to track them in Vale. Neo didn't come quietly, but Adam made the move and made her understand.
Cinder nodded. "Yes," she confirmed, her tone matter-of-fact. "Neo's semblance grants her the ability to access areas undetected. Utilizing her skills is key, and her cooperation assured. Once our objectives are met, both she and Roman will be free from their current commitments."
Adam's lips twitched in a semblance of a smile. "Isn't that nice, human?" he remarked, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
Neo's glower deepened as Adam's gaze met hers, but she remained silent, her compliance clear despite her displeasure.
Cinder's smile widened into a satisfied smirk at Adam's observation. "It is glad to have your assistance again," she confirmed, her voice tinged with triumph. "I've already secured new Scrolls that should be inaccessible to whatever counter-measures this white knight has in place."
Her satisfaction turned into gleeful amusement as she continued, "And it's quite amusing, really. Remember when Watts was so confident that his black queen virus would work? Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
Adam observed Cinder's demeanor, noting the genuine happiness in her expression. "You seem to be in a good mood," he remarked, his voice neutral.
Cinder chuckled softly. "I suppose I am," she admitted, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "There's nothing quite like a little victory, is there? That fool thought of himself so highly, but it seems his 'genius' only amounts to this. They had completely predicted him. Countered him as if reading his mind."
Cinder then shifted her gaze to Adam. "Then are you continuing with your plans, Taurus?" she inquired, her voice tinged with a hint of urgency.
Adam's response was resolute as he affirmed their course of action. "Of course," he replied, his voice low and unwavering. "Vale whispers my name like a Grimm. They fear us. Fear me. And thanks to the fools who infiltrated Mt. Glenn early and raised our alarms right away... we could secure enough resources to use for our own plans before the huntsmen of Vale moved in."
Cinder's lips curved into a satisfied smile at his words, a silent acknowledgment of the strategic advantage they had gained. "Excellent," she murmured, her tone filled with approval. "Then let us proceed to our own plans."
Adam's eyes gleamed with fervor as he spoke, his voice carrying a hint of fervent zeal. "I have all my loyal brothers and sisters of the White Fang ready to sacrifice their lives for our cause," he declared, his conviction unwavering. "Maybe Atlas will understand that they should have paid my people more when they brought Amity Arena here. We will focus on this."
Emerald couldn't help but interject, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I thought you'd be gunning for Belladonna, Taurus," she remarked, a smirk playing on her lips. "She was down when I last saw her. Don't want her anymore?"
Adam's response was swift and deadly as he fixed her with a piercing stare. "She has betrayed Faunus-kind and allied with a Schnee of all scum," he stated, his voice laced with contempt. "She is lost and can't be saved. Her life does not matter to me."
Cinder watched the exchange with interest, noting the tension crackling in the air.
"Our cooperation is based on advancing both plans. Do not presume you know anything about me nor interfere with my businesses," Adam continued, his gaze sweeping over the group. "So mind your tongue, human."
Emerald shrugged indifferently in response, her nonchalance a stark contrast to Adam's intensity.
Mercury chimed in, his voice cool and calculated. "Then you better make a show of it before you let out the bang," he suggested, a sly grin crossing his face.
Adam's confidence remained unshaken as he nodded in agreement. "We will," he affirmed, his voice dripping with assurance. "Our enemies will tremble before us."
Cinder's brow furrowed slightly as she suddenly contemplated. "Though I find it odd that our enemies should have been tracking us down," she mused aloud, her voice thoughtful. "But they have not attacked. Perhaps afraid that Oz and the General would notice?" A hint of confusion crept into her tone as she continued, "Is it arrogance? Or simply indecisiveness?" She shook her head, dismissing the question with a wave of her hand. "No matter what it is, it doesn't matter."
Her eyes flashed with determination as she turned to face her conspirators. "What matters is that we remain vigilant and adapt to whatever may come," she declared, her voice firm with resolve. "Our victory is within reach, and we will not let anything stand in our way."
As they prepared to depart, Cinder turned to Adam with a determined gleam in her eyes. "Make Remnant tremble," she commanded, her voice a low, ominous whisper.
Adam's smirk widened into a devilish grin as he met her gaze. "Oh, we will," he replied, his voice laced with dark anticipation. "Vale will know the wrath of the White Fang."
With a confident stride, Adam led the way out first, the conspirators trudging their own paths as the hideout burned.
As Adam strode into the White Fang hideout, the room fell silent, the air thick with anticipation. The members, dressed in civilian attire, turned their attention towards him, their faces a mixture of reverence and zealotry. Their fervent gazes spoke volumes of their unwavering loyalty to their cause.
However, as Adam's piercing gaze behind the mask met theirs, the atmosphere shifted. The fanaticism in their eyes turned serious, recognizing the gravity of the situation. They understood that their leader's presence meant business, and they awaited his command with bated breath.
With a subtle gesture — a closed fist raised in the air — Adam silenced the murmurs that had begun to circulate among the crowd. The room fell into an eerie stillness as his imposing presence commanded respect and obedience from every member present.
In that moment, the zealots of the White Fang knew their leader was here for the plan, and they were prepared to follow him to the ends of Remnant.
Adam stood at the center of the White Fang hideout, his gaze sweeping over the assembled members with a mixture of intensity and solemnity. His voice, when he spoke, resonated with authority, carrying throughout the room.
"My brothers and sisters," he began, his tone commanding attention. "For too long, the faunus-kind has suffered under the yoke of discrimination and oppression. We have been treated as less than, as second-class citizens in our own world."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, the faces of the faunus members reflecting the pain and anger that Adam's words stirred within them.
"I once believed in voices rather than bombs," Adam continued, his voice growing more impassioned. "Placards rather than swords. But I have seen the futility of our peaceful protests. We were ignored, dismissed, and trampled upon by those who saw us as nothing more than animals."
His eyes blazed with righteous fury as he spoke, his words igniting a fire within the hearts of his followers. "But no longer," he declared, his voice ringing with determination. "We will not beg for scraps of equality. We will take what is rightfully ours by any means necessary."
A thunderous roar of approval erupted from the crowd as they raised their fists in solidarity. Igniting the flame of revolution within them, the burning desire to fight back against the injustices they had endured for far too long. And as their leader, Adam would lead them into battle, forging a new path for faunus-kind — one where they would no longer be oppressed, but instead stand proud and free.
Adam silenced them again. He removed his mask, revealing the scarred SDC brand etched and burnt into his flesh. The sight of it elicited a collective gasp from the assembled members, their eyes widening in shock and solidarity. Some flared up in fury.
"They brand us like cattle," Adam growled, his voice thick with disdain. "But we are not cattle. We are faunus. And we will not be treated as less than that."
His words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their truth settling upon the gathered crowd. Adam's gaze hardened as he continued, his voice rising with conviction. "If we don't stop them now, if we don't show them what animals can do, then we will be like Grimm — mindless beasts to be hunted and destroyed."
A fierce determination filled the room as Adam raised his mask once more, the symbol of the White Fang's rebellion. In response, the other members donned their own masks, their actions a silent affirmation of their unwavering convictions.
"And if they deemed our people as monsters," he thundered, his rage palpable, "then we shall become the Grimm that will put a fear in their hearts! We will not be ignored! We will not be trampled anymore!"
His words echoed off the walls, stirring the hearts of his followers with even more of a fervent zeal. The room pulsated with the energy of their shared defiance, each member ready to rise up and make their stand against the injustices they had endured for far too long. And fueled them well. Pressing the right buttons. The right words that ignited the tramped dignities within them.
"Vale—no, Remnant—will hear our people sing the song of angry faunus," Adam proclaimed, his voice ringing with conviction.
With a resounding roar of agreement, the members of the White Fang raised their fists in solidarity, their masks gleaming in the dim light of the hideout. They were united in purpose, bound together by a shared desire for justice and equality.
Nothing could stand in their way — not the discrimination, not the oppression, not even the might of the kingdoms themselves. For they were the faunus, and they would not rest until their voices were heard, until their rights were recognized, and until they stood under the sky free.
"Carry on this task," Adam declared, his voice cutting through the charged atmosphere like a blade. "For you will all be lionized. The blood we shed today will be the blood that clears the path and washes the road free."
The assembled members comprehended the weight of their mission and the sacrifices it demanded as his words resonated deeply with each one. They were prepared to lay down their lives for the cause, knowing that their actions today would shape the future of faunus-kind.
"If they don't want to hear our voices," Adam continued, his tone growing more fervent with each word, "then they shall hear the explosions! If they don't want to see our raised placards, then they shall see the swing of our swords instead!"
Adam raised his fist into the air, the symbol of their rebellion, and the members of the White Fang echoed his gesture, their masks gleaming with defiance. "We shall prepare now!"
The atmosphere was heavy with solemn determination as the members of the white fang prepared for their mission. One by one, they solemnly donned their dust-explosive jackets, their eyes burning with zealotry and resolve.
Adam, concealed behind his White Fang mask, watched as his comrades prepared for battle. His gaze fell upon one member, a man whose story he knew all too well. He had lost his family to the cruelty of the Schnee Dust Company, their lives torn apart by discrimination and greed.
Turning his attention to another member, Adam recalled the harrowing tale of this faunus who had dared to stand up against the injustice of the world, only to be met with violence and brutality. Beaten down and cast aside, he had been left to fend for himself, his spirit broken but his resolve unshaken.
As Adam surveyed the room, he saw faces of all kinds now wearing their masks — simple tailors, blacksmiths, paper pushers—who had been pushed to the brink by the relentless oppression they faced every day. Some were fighters, hardened by years of struggle and strife. Others were not, their only weapon, the power of their convictions and the strength of their voices.
But despite their differences, a common cause — a desire for justice united them, for equality, for a world where faunus could live free from fear and discrimination. And if that meant resorting to drastic measures, to threatening Remnant with another war, then so be it.
That together, they would march forward into the fray, ready to do whatever it took to make their voices heard and to ensure that the sacrifices of those who had come before them would not be in vain.
So it had come to this.
As Adam felt the weight of the SDC brand on his face, his thoughts drifted to the ideals he once believed in — the righteous cause that Ghira Belladonna preached but even abandoned in inaction. It was his own branding; the dehumanization inflicted upon him by humans that had shattered those beliefs. He understood then that the language they understood was the language of violence.
The humans controlled everything — the media, the tabloids, the newspapers — all run by humans who perpetuated the oppression of the faunus. He saw how the pathetic and oppressed were satisfied with gnawing on scraps, afraid to leave the nest, while those who dared to rise up were branded as criminals, as terrorists.
But Adam knew that his people, the ones gathered in this hideout, were different. They shared dreams once, around a campfire under the shattered moon, dreams of living freely under the open skies. Yet here they were, offering their lives to a cause that seemed hopeless, a cause that no one would hear unless they shed their blood. Paving a painful path to the free skies they'd never see.
With a heavy heart, Adam realized that he too was gone now — lost in the darkness that consumed him. This path they were on would cost lives, perhaps even faunus lives. But it had to be done. If no one took a stand, if no one fought back, then the faunus would only know how to bow their heads in submission, forever slaves to the whims of their oppressors.
Adam steeled himself for the battle. He knew the cost, but he also knew the stakes. For the faunus, for their freedom, they would fight to the bitter end. And if shedding their blood was what it took to make their voices heard, then so be it.
As the members of the White Fang finished donning their explosive-rigged jackets, the room fell into a tense silence. Adam, devoid of his usual fervor and zealotry, stepped forward with a solemn expression on his face. With a deep sense of gratitude, he offered a sincere bow to his comrades, his voice carrying the weight of their shared sacrifice.
"Thank you for your sacrifice," he spoke, his words heavy with sincerity. "I will not forget this. Even if others don't. Even if no one would understand." he looked them in the eyes. "I will."
His heartfelt gesture resonated deeply with the faunus gathered around him, earning nods of appreciation and murmurs of agreement. In that moment, the gravity of their mission weighed heavily upon them all, but so too did the bond of solidarity that bound them together.
The faunus, fueled by Adam's genuine appreciation, felt a renewed sense of determination and purpose surging within them. A newfound fervor burning in their hearts, they stood ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, united in their fight.
With a heavy heart and a steely resolve, Adam's voice echoed through the chamber, his words laden with the weight of their impending sacrifice.
"It's time to die," he remarked, his tone solemn yet resolute.
His words hung in the air, a grim reminder of the perilous path they had chosen to walk. But despite the grim finality of his statement, there was no fear in Adam's voice, only a calm acceptance of the fate that awaited them.
For Adam and his comrades, this was not a moment of despair, but rather a moment of defiance — a declaration of their unwavering commitment to their cause, even in the face of certain death.
With a nod of determination, Adam led the way, his comrades following closely behind, ready to lay down their lives for the greater good. And as they stepped out into the streets, they did so with heads held high, knowing that they were fighting not just for themselves, but for the future of all faunus-kind.
That was what they truly believed in their hearts and souls.