Chapter 3: The Chains Are Off
"When the camel's back is broken, you don't point to a single straw."

Technically, Robin had been judged as 'at risk' during his mandatory therapy sessions and wasn't allowed off-campus anymore. And was explicitly banned from visiting any bars or the like. Which really threw a spanner in any ideas to deal with the White Fang before the festival, and a whole lot of people died. And his usual nightly plans.

This is why, technically, he and the rest of his team had mysteriously caught an illness, and all had to take a sick day from classes. And as far as the staff at Beacon were aware, they were back in their dorms sleeping whatever illness off.

In reality, however, the three were huddled outside of a building window, watching as some White Fang grunts went about their day, doing… whatever it is people who decide to be domestic terrorists do in their free time. It'd be a lot easier to villanize them if they were kicking puppies or something and not just sitting around shooting the shit like any group of friends.

But it wasn't like they had to join the Fang; there were dozens of other activist movements independent of the White Fang in Vale alone, but they chose to join the group that was plotting to blow up a city.

"Just got off a call with Team RWBY; they said they are about to go in on their target. Ruby told me to tell you not to break your sword again. You see anything there, Robin?" Cardin's voice to his side tore him from his thoughts. Oh, right, they were going to raid this place.

"Uhh… they just seem to be sitting around, chilling. I think one of them started watching House Wives of Vale on their scroll." Robin reported.

"I always liked that show…" Sky muttered. "I used to watch it with-" The boy cut himself off; as stupid as Robin may sometimes be, it didn't take a genius to guess who. Dove.

It was fine. They were fine. They were still a perfectly functional team, and they were going to prove it. Still, he reached a hand out and placed it on Sky's shoulder, steadying the other boy.

"What's the game plan?" Robin asked after a brief, awkward silence.

"Bathroom seems to be the only place they don't have a dozen people in, say we in through there, get the drop on 'em, in and out in an hour tops," Cardin spoke, his tone becoming ever so slightly more authoritative.

"So what, we're gonna break open their window or something?" Robin asked, just in time to hear the sound of a window shattering. Suppose that answered that.

He walked toward the source of the noise, finding Cardin standing inside the building through a shattered window. He opened his mouth to say something, only for Cardin to quickly and violently sush him, pointing a finger toward the door.

Robin rolled his eyes and began crawling through the window himself, Sky trailing behind him. His aura gently flowed into his hands as his palms gripped the windowsill, broken glass still littering it.

Just as his feet touched the tiled ground of the bathroom, the door creaked open, and a lone faunus man with antlers stood in the doorway, staring in shock at the three obvious Huntsmen climbing in through the bathroom window.

The man opened his mouth as if to shout, and the three boys shook their heads violently and attempted to sush the man. The man paused momentarily, then slowly nodded and reopened his mouth. "HUNTSMEN IN THE-" His shout was cut off by Cardin launching a punch into his chest, sending the man flying into the wall behind him.

"One hour in and out." Robin mocked in a nasally voice, mimicking Cardins just as an alarm began to ring out throughout the warehouse.

"Oh, shut the fuck up. Let's just deal with this." Cardin barked out as he began running down the hallway onto the main floor of the warehouse.

Robin followed, and the team found themselves face to face with at least a dozen White Fang goons, with more likely on their way—light work.

Four of the men rushed at him, attempting to dogpile him into the ground. However, as aura flooded into his muscles and adrenaline flooded his system, he was able to remain on his feet. Pushing most of them back. One of the men remained attached to him like a limpet. Hugging his waist and futilely trying to push him over into the ground. Robin brought his fists over his head and slammed them into the back of the first man, who had grappled him around the waist. He was sure he heard something give way with a sickening crunch as the man collapsed into the ground, and he turned toward the other three who had backed away.

"Oh, just get the fuck out of here dudes." Robin sighed out after seeing them freeze up. One by one, they turn and run.

"Oi! Take your damn friend with you. Get him to a hospital or something." Robin barked out, causing two of the men to come back and take the unconscious goon with them as they fled the warehouse.

Robin turned to check on his team, who had cleanly put down the rest of the goons in the warehouse. Well, not so cleanly in Cardin's case. His foes lay in a tangled pile of broken limbs and lifelong brain injuries.

"We're gonna have to talk about that, at some point," Robin said. The only response from Cardin was a grunt that he was sure translated to 'try me.' Before any other words could be said, the doors to the warehouse burst open, and yet more White Fang soldiers entered the warehouse, led by a familiar masked figure. Tusk, by the well, tusks.

"The little huntsmen come to play once more." The towering faunus spoke in a booming voice while pulling his large hammer off of his back.

Robin spoke first. "I was hoping I'd never have to see you again, Tusk."

The large faunus startled slightly and shook his head at the nickname as if disappointed but not surprised. "Typical humans, even you vaunted huntsmen, all you can see are my tusks. You think I'm an animal. Fine, maybe I am. Maybe some part of me died in that dust mine you humans put me in. Maybe I'm just a shadow of every sin you humans have committed. Every crime. The blood won't wash away. I will fight for the Khan!" His voice picked up with every word, and his final roar shook the ground beneath their feet.

Robin drew Polaris from its scabbard. The blade reflected the light to make it almost shine. "I think I got big guy if you two can keep the goons off of me."

"If you get your ass kicked trying to be the hero, I reserve the right to laugh at you." Sky snarked. Nevertheless, he turned to face the grunts who had filtered into the room, as did Cardin.

Robin dashed forward, aura flooding his system as he did so. He felt that familiar twist in his gut as he prepared his semblance. Only for it to continue to twist and twist and… nothing. Oh, now of all fucking times for the well to run dry. Maybe he went a bit overboard with the sword forging. Regardless, he was already in motion.

Tusk swung wide with his hammer, aiming to smear Robin against the wall. His muscles screamed as he forced himself into a slide, narrowly avoiding the head of the hammer by mere inches. Blood roared in his ears as he brought himself up and slashed at the back of Tusks's legs, causing the giant faunus to stumble forward slightly.

However, as he brought his sword up again to slash at the faunus's back, Tusk retaliated with an unexpected speed, dropping his hammer for the moment to launch a fist forward that landed square in Robin's chest, sending him flying backward onto the concrete floor.

Robin forced himself back to his feet, heaving in breaths as Tusk reclaimed his hammer and began to close the distance. Dimly, he saw Cardin and Sky tearing through the goons, but far, far too slow. They had aura. Fucking hell, an entire White Fang strike team with aura. He turned his attention back to the slowly approaching giant as he felt a familiar tug in his mind and followed it. Narrowly sidestepping another hammer blow from Tusk. It was a rhythm. Dodge, dodge, counter. It almost reminded him of sparring with Cardin, but Cardin was far faster.

But just like with Cardin, occasionally, Tusk would get a hit in, and he could do far more damage than Robin could. He had to break the rhythm. Robin reached down and pulled a vial of red dust from its place in the bag on his belt. Throwing random shit worked fine when he didn't know how to fight, so why not give it a shot again.

Tusk approached again, swinging almost wildly, as Robin slipped under another massive hammer blow. He opened his palm just before he hit, sending the dust vial home as it cracked against the man's stomach.

Silence reigned for a moment until fire expanded outward from the broken glass. Slow at first and then all at once. The fire consumed his vision as he felt the shockwave and explosion send him flying backward. His back hit a steel beam hard enough that his aura shattered, and darkness claimed him.

[center]-2-[/center]

Cardin felt the wave of heat pass over him as his mace struck home on a juiced-up White Fang soldier, the blow finally breaking the man's aura and sending him sprawling to the ground. He turned to see Robin unconscious against a steel support beam while the big Faunus slowly stood back to his feet. The fire had already begun to spread to the rest of the warehouse.

"Sky! Cover Robin. I'll deal with…" What was it Robin called him? Tusk? He spared a glance at the man's massive tusks. Well, if the shoe fit. "I'll deal with Tusk."

Cardin stalked towards Tusk, who had almost recovered. Only for Cardin to swing his mace home into the faunus's face. Sending him back toward the ground.

"Stay down," Cardin ordered.

Tusk spat around to the ground, ignoring Cardin's commands as he lunged forward from the ground, which knocked Cardin over and sent his mace clattering to the ground a few feet away. Tusk straddled the huntsman, and began raining blows down upon him.

Red was the color of blood; it was the color of the sweat in Cardin's eyes. Maybe that was his own blood. He wasn't sure. All he could do was roar as he swung his head forward, colliding with Tusk's with a loud crack, sending the Faunus reeling backward and allowing Cardin time to stand.

"I said, stay down," Cardin spoke as both stood a few feet apart, recovering from the exchange.

Tusk finally spoke; his booming voice turned raspy from the fight and the explosion but still powerful. "Scars never fade. Blood never washes, and Humans kill Faunus. These are the laws of our world. You'll have to kill me; I won't surrender. I won't go back to those cages!"

Tusk shot forward with a powerful punch, and Cardin's muscles screamed as he brought his hands up just in time to catch it in its tracks. His heels dug into the ground slightly at the sheer force of the blow he caught.

Then he began to squeeze. His muscles burned, and aura flooded into his hands as he crushed Tusk's fist. His little remaining aura broke first, and then the hand itself began to compact, fingers bending, breaking, and popping. Maybe they could heal back, eventually, but he wouldn't ever hold a weapon again. Finally, he let go, revealing the mangled mass of flesh and bone it had become.

Tusk roared as he yanked his broken hand back. But still, the faunus attempted to strike again with his other hand. Cardin was able to sidestep it smoothly. Why wouldn't he just give up?! "You're done. Just give in; don't make this harder than it should be."

"I would rather die than go back to the mines. We Faunus were supposed to be conquerors, not your house pets." Tusk wheezed out as the aura exhaustion took its toll; it was a wonder he was still standing. He didn't get it; he hadn't done shit; why the fuck was the man acting like he had personally dragged him into the dust mines.

"I didn't lock you in a cage. Stay the fuck down." Cardin shouted.

Tusks's face twisted. "Wrong… wrong! All you humans do is that. Chains, cages, slavers… you call your cages your mines, your factories, your damn cities! All they are is a monument to the blood your kind has spilled to erect them!" Cardin couldn't help but remember his grandfather on his worst days. Ranting about how everything was the fault of the Faunus.

The Faunus rose again, a last bit of fight entering him despite everything. "Stike me down, human. I cannot die. I am the bloody chains of your mistakes." With that, Tusk stumbled forward again. Swinging his unbroken fist wildly.

A deafening crack sounded throughout the burning warehouse as Tusk's charge suddenly stopped. And then a second crack that made the faunus hold his gut as blood began to pour out from the two new bullet holes in his chest.

Cardin glanced behind him to see Robin barely standing, holding his revolver pointed right at Tusk.

He…

Robin…

His mind scrambled, but his head turned back toward Tusk as the faunus fell over backward, coughing up blood. Tusk wheezed. "We… were never… supposed to be slaves… never…"

The light slowly faded from his eyes, and Cardin couldn't help but remember his grandfather again. The anger that seemed to persist even in death. How similar the man looked to the picture on the armoire in the room he didn't like to go into.

And then the man breathed his last.

AN: Took me a minute to get this one out, struggled with it a bit, hopefully y'all enjoy regardless. Make sure to point out any weird mistakes, errors, or just weird stuff, as usual. And as always, I hope y'all have a wonderful day.