"Ladies and gentlemen; boys and ghouls. WELCOME! TO… THE SHOW~!"
The announcement managed to make even the back alleys seem like an arena-worthy for gladiators.
Yet it wasn't gladiators that were fighting; it was a homeless guy, more skin and bones than actual muscle, his eyes bloodshot and streaming with whatever he had been doused with. Fighting against a rabid wolf, similarly doused and looking ready to tear anything apart.
As the two 'fighters' launched at each other, the roar of the crowd drowning out their hissing and spitting, she spotted the mastermind of it all.
Luco. The scar that ran from his lower lip to the top of his ear twisting his already wide grin into a demon's smile. His sunken gold eyes sparkled with amusement as the homeless man resorted to biting the feral wolf. He adjusted the Hawaiian pattern shirt he wore, settling back on a makeshift throne made of a thrown-out couch cushion, a serpent coiling around him as he gazed on the makeshift arena his followers had created.
She wasn't that much of a fan of the shadows, but they served a purpose well enough; concealing her dark scales as she snuck up behind him.
But just before she could reach out to grab him…
"Not my best show, I'll admit," he said, his eyes not leaving the fight before him. "But… at least it got your attention, Wing."
She smirked. "If you wanted to see me so bad, you could just call."
He grinned back at her. "Where's the fun in that?"
She chuckled, her electric green eyes sparkling with either genius or madness. She coiled out of the darkness – a pitch black dragoness dotted with spots like stars in a night sky – and hung herself upside down before him.
"If it's fun you want," she replied, "I can think of a couple ways to entertain you."
Almost on cue, the serpent rose from Luco's lap, hissing at the dragon. Wing just chuckled.
"Hey, Blazy," she greeted the reptile. "Care to tell me what you're up to?"
Luco tsked, rubbing the side of his head. "Oh, madness is such a curse, Wing," he said. "It makes it so hard to remember things." He hummed, before snapping his fingers. "I know what'll jog my memory!"
Instantly, Blaze shot at Wing, fire burning the air around her. Wing jumped, the wings for which she had been named extending like portals into the deepest reaches of space. With a flap, she propelled herself into the air, only for Blaze to follow her up, the serpent form burning away into a bright yellow dragon form.
"Now this is more like it!" Luco declared happily, as Wing rolled with her fall, barely avoiding a stomp from Blaze.
Despite both dragons growling, Wing kept her grin. She pulled out a radio and hit 'play.' "Let's do this," she declared.
And as her music began to play, she stepped forward to engage her fellow dragon. However, just before their fight could begin, Luco looked up.
"You know what?" he said. "Let's make this more interesting."
Wing didn't dare look up; not with Blaze ready to breathe flames in her face. Granted, Wing could probably take it; she was a dragon just as Blaze was. She could catch the fireball in her mouth and spit it right back, and then see what Luco had in store for her.
But just as she crashed her head against Blaze's… a flash of light blinded her.
###
Adam Taurus was a man of justice. For far too long, he and his kind, the Faunus, had been beaten, murdered and treated like basic animals. Though they may have looked animalistic – from the horns that adorned Adam's head to the cat-ears that sat atop his mentor Sienna Kahn's head – it didn't mean they were any less human.
Surely, they were more human than the creatures who fired on their trucks, trying to murder them just for the crime of passing through.
Well, Adam would not allow such an injustice to go unpunished; he surged through the humans that tried to hurt his people, cutting them down with his rose-colored blade.
Do not kill, the words of Ghira Belladonna reminded him. Killing will only let them think they can treat us this way. It will let them see us as monsters.
Adam tried to restrain himself. He tried to leave the humans bruised but alive. But then he saw one human, aiming to put a bullet in Ghira's head.
Surely, the High Leader would understand. Adam had to protect him.
He gripped his sword tighter, charging up energy to defend his leader… when a burst of light filled the sky.
Something black tumbled out of the air with a shriek, flattening the human gunman.
Adam and the others paused in shock as the newcomer struggled to her feet. It seemed to be a Faunus; a lizard one for sure. And a young one – probably only thirteen or fourteen at the eldest. Which made it all the worse that she was naked. Her black and white scales were exposed to the world, along with a tail that slithered out from her bare behind as she straddled the gunman. Strange tattoos of night-colored wings adorned her back. And reptilian electric green eyes blinked down at the human in shock.
She grinned. "Hey-ya," she greeted, apparently having no shame about her situation.
The gun man screamed, trying to aim his revolver at her. But before Adam could step forward, the girl back-handed the gun out of the human's hand. She silenced his scream with a head butt.
"Hey, none of that!" she warned, wagging a claw-tipped finger in the unconscious gun man's face. "Shame on you." She glanced around at the others, catching Adam's eyes under his mask.
He turned away briefly, before shedding his jacket, offering it to her. "Here, ma'am," she said. "You, uh…"
She glanced down at herself, and did a double take. "Oh, what the heck?!" she grumbled, before sighing. Taking Adam's jacket with a nod of thanks, she covered herself up before turning to a very stunned looking Ghira and Sienna.
"So," the girl said. "Where'd I end up this time?"
##
The girl – 'Wing' she called herself – lounged in a chair before Sienna and Ghira, thankfully clothed this time, though even a simple sleeveless t-shirt and jeans seemed to bother her, like she wanted to expose herself to the world. While Adam could appreciate someone who wore their Faunus heritage with pride, it did make him worry for her when the humans inevitably found her.
"So, yeah, no idea why I'm a thirteen-year-old kid now, but I assure you, I'm a lot older," Wing explained, before grinning at Adam. "And sexier."
Adam grimaced and looked away. "Can you not?"
Wing sighed, while Sienna leaned forward.
"This… is a lot to take in," she said. "So… if you're correct, you're saying that you're from an alternate universe?"
"Technically, I like to think I'm from the multiverse," Wing replied. "Guarding people; doing good deeds, you know… hero stuff."
Adam narrowed his eyes. "Then we need you now more than ever," he said, stepping forward. "Humans have abused our kind. Murdered us. Treated us as less than animals."
Ghira grimaced, but Sienna sighed. "He's right," she said. "Times have been… difficult for us."
Wing winced at his words, before pondering Sienna's. "Well… maybe that's why I'm here," she offered. "To help you guys."
Adam relaxed. At least now the girl was seeing some sense. Yet, Ghira still looked uncertain.
"There are many ways to help the Faunus," he said. "Be careful you don't…"
"Don't listen to him," Adam insisted, stepping closer to Wing. "We need every able fighter we can get."
Wing smirked and rose up. "Well, again, I know I don't look it," she said. "But give me a chance, and I'll show you what I'm capable of."
Adam grinned. Maybe this girl would turn out to be okay after all.
##
Two years later…
He wasn't wrong.
From the looks of things, her semblance allowed her to take on a more draconic heritage. She talked about a 'Jake Long' and how she was similar to him, but all Adam and Sienna cared about was that she could use it to fight.
At a Schnee Dust Facility, a draconic version of Wing fired several fire-dust loaded rounds from a twin pair of pistols, burning down a group of Atlesian Knights. As she ran out of ammo, she tossed the pistols, and they spun like boomerangs, slicing the heads off the surviving knights and returning to her just as she held up two fresh magazines. The pistols slid right onto the magazines, and reloaded themselves as she snatched them back up with a grin.
"High Leader Kahn, that's ten in a row!" Wing declared.
"You need to step it up," The High Leader replied. "I'm already on twenty three!"
Wing laughed. "Then step it up, I shall!" she declared, flexing her back and ripping her shirt.
Adam rolled his eyes. "Again with this?" he grumbled.
But Wing wasn't just showing off her muscles; the tattoos of night colored wings grew out from her back, becoming very real wings that allowed her to take flight at the speed of sound.
Moving in sync, the bull and dragon Faunus cut through an entire row of Atlesian knights, sending metal and sparks flying everywhere.
However, as the two led the White Fang sortie towards a final door, six human guards stepped out.
Exchanging a glance, Wing's grin faltered at the blood lust in Adam's grin. While she still raced forward alongside him, she went for quick and powerful strikes that left three guards dazed and out of the fight. Adam, however, slashed one of his guards with a sword. Wing winced at the blood staining the human's white uniform, before noticing Adam crush the fifth human's head against the wall. Ducking under the final guard, Adam beat the human to the ground with the butt of his sheath, before raising his sword up to deliver the coup de grace, his smile eerily similar to…
Wing tensed. "ADAM, STOP!"
Adam turned to her, a flash of anger in his eyes, before Wing motioned onward.
"We got bigger fish to fry," she said. "No offense to any fish Faunus, obviously." She chuckled, but her laughter was strained, even as she led the Bull Faunus deeper into the facility.
##
"I'm sorry."
Adam stood in front of Wing and another Faunus; Blake Belladonna. Younger sister of the wife of the former High Leader. For once, Wing was fully covered up, her scales hidden by a long sleeve t-shirt and sweats. She noticed Blake Belladonna matching her crossed arms and narrowed eyes, and tried for a different pose of disapproval.
"I told you," Adam insisted. "It was an accident."
"Was it?" Blake asked. "This isn't even the first time humans have died on missions you've led."
"She's got a point, Adam," Wing noted. "How many more 'accidents' are we going to have?"
"I don't know," Adam admitted. "We're out there fighting, and when we fight, people get hurt. What, do you want me to just abandon our cause?" He briefly glared at Blake. "Like her sister?"
"HEY!" Wing barked, before Blake backed up.
"Neither of us are saying that," Blake insisted. "I… I don't know."
Adam let out a low sigh. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I just… get scared when it feels like you don't believe in me anymore." He looked to Wing. "You said you were a hero. And being a hero means making difficult choices."
Wing nodded. "Believe me, I know exactly what you mean."
Blake glanced at Wing before nodding. "Me too."
Adam smiled softly. "Thank you. It's good to know I've still got the two of you."
Wing managed her usual grin. Though it faded as soon as Adam was out of sight. As Adam descended back into the White Fang facility, Wing sighed and looked out over the horizon.
Blake watched her with worry. "He's right, you know?" she said. "Being a hero… it means making tough decisions."
Wing nodded. "Some are tougher than others," she replied, bringing out a piece of paper. A paper she had carried ever since she had dropped into the middle of that firefight:
Dear Wing,
I know you're confused, you're scared, you have every right to be. You're a 13-year-old child, you're younger and not as strong. And to top it off, you're in a strange new world. But this world is in danger; darkness will wash over the world, and we recently found out that your villains are here as well. You need to prepare; train to become a huntsman/huntress, and get ready to fight enemies both old and new. The future of this planet, and perhaps all of reality, now rests on your shoulder. But know that you aren't alone: there are three others like you. Seek them out, and go to Beacon Academy!
From The Silver Eye.
Blake walked up next to Wing, staring at the note in confusion. "W-What are you planning?"
Wing put the note away. "I've stayed with you guys - protected you - because I was scared that this letter was right; that Luco was here, and that he was going to try something with you guys." She furrowed her brow. "But Luco's always been one for endless war. And I'm worried that I've been playing right along with his game the whole time." She turned to Blake. "You, me, even Adam. We're all pawns on a massive chess board; and every move we make is just entertaining Luco."
Blake's ears flattened. "Then what's the alternative? It's like Adam said, we can't just abandon the cause."
Wing chuckled. "Oh, Blake; I'm never going to abandon my cause. I will fight for equality, and I will fight for what is right." She took in a breath, as her dragon form took over, and her wings unfurled from the tattoos on her back, shredding her clothes in the process.
Blake sighed as the cloth scattered to the wind, and in seconds, Wing stood before Blake in full dragon form.
"I'm going to figure out what Luco's planning," Wing promised. "And then I'm gonna get equality for the Faunus." She turned away with a small smile. "Hopefully, I'll see you, Adam, Sienna, Illia and all the others again. In a better world."
Blake looked down. "If you leave… the next time we meet… it may be as enemies."
Wing shook her head with a smile. "I don't believe that. After all, I'm not joining the humans who tried to hurt you, and I'm definitely not joining Luco." She took to the sky. "I'm going to save this world!"
And with those words, she jetted off into the sky, checking the note again.
"Now… Beacon… these 'others.' All of you just hang on. Wings of Night is coming for you. And we're gonna save this world."