Happy belated 4th of July to my American readers! Celebrated in the most American way I could think of - streamed Sniper Elite 5 and got a bunch of slow-motion groin shots against Nazi soldiers.
Maverick (my 2.5 y/o GSD) managed to scratch himself up a bit last week. We tried to shave the area and inspect it ourselves, but ended up opening it a bit more, so I spent my Saturday at an animal hospital. Got there at 5. Left him there around 8 after being told he'd probably be done around midnight (low priority and all). Came back at midnight to be told I could pick him up in the morning at 6 or 7. Back home again, slept a few hours, then back to the animal hospital at 6am to pick up a very upset doggo and take him home. He's doing a lot better now, but that first day he refused to come near me. Through it all, I learned a valuable lesson: never mess with a dog's injury on a weekend. Wait until Monday when the local vet is open instead of the animal hospital half an hour away.
Anyways, long chapter incoming. Also a rare POV shift at the end. I try to keep those to a minimum, but it's necessary here. Just figured I'd give a heads up since we've only had the first chapter from Father Bernard and a brief Nila section over 50 chapters ago. Everything else has been Adam POV.
"We should just kill him and get it over with."
"We can't. Not without a trial."
"A trial? Who needs one? Joey saw him do it. He doesn't even deny it! He's guilty!"
"We have to report it. Too many people saw it happen. If the SDC found out we executed a worker-"
"Screw the SDC! Not like they've cared about any of the others."
"Gentlemen!" Overseer Ferric had to yell to interrupt the bickering from Trechend and Dahaki. No surprise who argued to kill him. Trechend already had a hand on his gun, ready to take care of things himself. "Dahaki's right. Too many people saw us bring him here. The last thing we need is an investigation."
"Who's gonna know?" Trechend demanded. "Not like anyone'll miss him."
"These things must be handled properly."
Adam didn't like the sound of that. Then again, there were a lot of things Adam didn't like. Chief among them at the moment was being dragged to Ferric's office in chains to listen to three men debate the proper way to kill him.
Adam should've ran when he had the chance. The moment those sirens sounded, he should've headed straight for the wall. His odds weren't great, but better than standing around waiting for the guards to swarm him. He'd been tempted to fight, but Trechend only had to point a gun at Maurice to ensure his compliance. They'd led him away bound hand and foot, ordering all of the workers back to their bunkhouses at gunpoint. The moment they were gone, the beating began. They had to drag him the rest of the way.
He knew what awaited him now. His days were numbered, and that number wasn't a big one. They'd kill him. It was only a matter of how. Dahaki wasn't pushing for leniency. He just wanted to make sure they covered their own butts along the way. Evidently the SDC didn't approve of their lifetime contracts with their workers. With how many accidents happened at Orostachys, they should've already investigated the camp, but they clearly didn't care. Just like Ferric, their only real concern was whether it would come back to bite them later.
Which left Ferric and his two minions in a rather difficult position. Killing him here would be the easy answer, but there'd be no denying how he died. Even Maurice wouldn't be able to ignore the truth. None of the guards would ever tell, but what if word got out? A pilot overhearing gossip or even a surprise inspection - something Adam felt should've happened by now - might give them away. Self-preservation would see him escape this office alive.
Funny, considering how protecting his own got him here in the first place. The rules didn't apply for faunus the same as they did for humans.
The right thing to do, as Dahaki was currently pushing for, would be to report him. Tell the SDC that a worker had gone rogue and killed a guard before being detained. They'd probably send security forces to collect Adam and haul him off to some court where their army of lawyers would ensure he never had a chance. He'd either be thrown in a cell or executed, depending on how cruel the judge felt like being. More like how much the SDC paid him. Either way, Adam's life would either end in a cell or at the barrel of a gun. Or strapped to a chair. Maybe the end of a rope. Who knew? Adam didn't exactly keep up to date on the execution methods in Mistral.
Either way, they'd be commended for stopping a ruthless killer and Adam would be taken out of their hands. It should've been an easy win, except it still meant the SDC paying attention to Orostachys. What if they stuck around and found out exactly how Ferric ran his mining camp? On the off chance they investigated, it wouldn't take long for them to hear about all the accidents. Either Ferric ran the most dangerous camp in existence or he was up to something far worse. Both would see him removed from his position at the very least.
"We can't report this," Ferric announced after a little thinking. Adam snorted in morbid amusement, earning himself an extra kick to the ribs from Trechend. Adam made sure to let his bloody drool drip directly on Ferric's nice, clean carpet. It was the best revenge he could manage at the moment. "The last thing we need is a bunch of paperwork pushers poking around. No. We'll handle this on our own."
On their own. Adam knew what that meant. He had to wonder how they'd swing this one. It would have to be something quick. They couldn't afford to let him live. Maybe they'd execute him in the woods and claim he ran away. Or put him on an airship and dump his body in the ocean. They could even claim they'd sent him back to face charges to cover their tracks. No one in the camp would know what happened after that.
"But what about Gideon?" Dahaki asked, already more concerned with the dead than the living.
"What about him?" By the sounds of it, Trechend didn't much care for their fallen comrade. "I told you he wasn't any good. All that training, and the idiot gets done in by some worthless animal."
Adam couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up, even if he knew he'd regret his next words. "Lasted longer than Geryon."
"What did you say?"
Adam winced at how painful breathing felt at the moment. Still, if he was gonna die, he'd at least face his death defiantly. They'd get no groveling from him. "Geryon died just as easily. One hit. That's all it took." Trechend didn't look nearly as shocked as the other two. Maybe adding to his list of crimes wasn't the smartest play, but he wanted them to know. He wanted to make them aware of just how much trouble he could be. If he was going to die, he'd make sure to spit in their eye on the way down. "Barely even put up a fight. Just sat there and-"
Adam saw the fist coming long before it struck his face. He kept his eyes locked on Trechend as his aura flared to life. It still hurt, especially with how low his aura felt at the moment. He'd kept it down instinctively during the beating earlier, but they had to know by now. How else could he take on two trained guards by himself?
The crack of knuckles against his face only broadened his vindictive grin.
Trechend shook his hand, fist stinging from striking what had to feel like stone. He hadn't bothered bringing his own aura up for the blow, despite having plenty to spare. Adam made him pay for that mistake. "You son of a-"
"He tried to kill Axol." Adam's words silenced the room once more. "So I killed him instead." And set Axol free, he didn't add. Not that he needed to. He could see the fear in Ferric's eyes and knew he'd gotten his message across. Someone had escaped and could ruin everything for them. Adam doubted anyone would believe Axol, but he had to hold out hope. Not for himself - they wouldn't let him live long enough for that - but for everyone else in camp.
Ferric's terror turned to action. "Dahaki. Send the word out. One of our workers attacked a guard and escaped. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Local authorities only. No reason to get the home office involved."
"I-I'll let them know." Dahaki raced off, likely heading for the communication building to put the notice out. Adam had a feeling they wouldn't find Axol so easily.
"You've certainly been a busy little bee, haven't you?" Adam took Ferric's anger as a compliment, but the large man had already turned his attention to Trechend. "In that case, I think we should take our time on this one, don't you agree, Trechend?"
Trechend practically salivated at the offer. "You read my mind."
"Not here," Ferric ordered before Trechend could get to work. "Out back. It'll be hard enough to clean this place up as it is." Adam made sure to spit one last time on his rug, sneering just before a boot smashed into his face. "Keep him alive, and when you're done, take him to the pillory. I think it's time we remind our workers who's in charge here."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam ached all over, and not just from Trechend's beating. He hardly remembered half of it, letting his aura fall early on instead of dragging things out. He could've cheered when he felt the darkness creeping in. Next thing he knew, he'd been strapped in center stage at the pillory, arms and neck stinging as the cold metal reinforcement of the wooden stock kept him hunched over unnaturally. It didn't help that the metal was freezing in the cool, night air. They'd stuck him in there long before he woke up, leaving Adam to wonder how he hadn't suffocated with the thing pressing against his windpipe.
His answer didn't thrill him.
"Finally awake, eh?" Trechend smacked the back of his head forcefully, then dragged him up by one horn. "Good. I'm tired of keeping you alive. You can keep yourself from dying. At least until tomorrow."
Tomorrow. Adam had no idea what the date would be, but he had a feeling it would be etched on his gravestone. If he actually got a proper burial, that was. More likely they'd toss him in a ditch or dump him in the ocean, even as Gideon got buried with honor next to Geryon.
Only humans got treated humanely.
Not that he wanted to be buried anywhere near those two. He wouldn't be around to care, of course, but they didn't deserve to be anywhere near him ever again. Those scumbags weren't worth the dirt they were buried in.
"Dahaki!" Trechend called out, summoning his counterpart. "I'm gonna get some sleep. Keep an eye on the garbage. Make sure he's alive for tomorrow's festivities." Adam doubted there'd be much fun in whatever plans they had. Quieter, but still loud enough that Adam could hear, he added, "And don't you dare go soft on me. He stays here, and they stay away. Got it?"
Dahaki, to his credit, shoved Trechend away. "I can handle it."
"See that you do," Trechend growled, making it clear just how much faith he put in his cohort. "Sweet dreams, Taurus. Tomorrow's a big day." He strutted off, cruel laughter echoing in the night air.
"Ignore him," Dahaki said in a hushed voice. His cowardice did little to garner any respect. "Here. This should help." Dahaki produce a pair of pills as he unclipped a canteen from his belt and held it to Adam's lips. Adam drank greedily as he watched his latest captor. "Pain meds. Should take the edge off."
Normally, Adam wouldn't accept anything from one of the guards, especially when they'd made it clear they'd kill him soon, but the promise of relief outweighed the risk. Besides, he recognized the meds from the clinic when he'd visited Maurice.
Dahaki popped them in his mouth and helped tip his head back to down them with more water. It hurt a little to take them both at once, especially strapped in awkwardly like he was, but he managed. "He wasn't always like this. We weren't always like this."
"Then help us," Adam tried. "Tell someone what's going on. Let them know what's really happening here and make things right."
"I can't." More like he won't. Dahaki sighed as he pulled the water away. "If I try anything, Trechend would kill me."
Excuses. Nothing but worthless excuses. "He will kill me if you don't. And others. How many faunus have to die just so you can keep your job?"
Adam knew a weak link when he saw one. Ferric and Trechend were lost causes. One of them enjoyed the profit while the other enjoyed the power. But Dahaki didn't seem to share their disdain for the workers, even if he did nothing to help them. Still, if Adam could turn him and get his help, maybe they could escape. He'd rally the others and get everyone out. All he needed was for Dahaki to free him.
"I can't," Dahaki repeated, dashing what little hope Adam had left.
"Then you're just as guilty." Adam stared straight ahead, letting his words hang over Dahaki's head. Just because he wouldn't be the one pulling the trigger didn't make him innocent. He refused to help them all to protect his own skin. He was a coward.
"I know." Dahaki's admission didn't help. Having the moral high ground meant little when you'd be six feet under it soon. "Even if it doesn't mean much, I think you were really brave for standing up for your friends."
"You're right," Adam responded. "It doesn't mean much."
Dahaki took the dismissal for what it was, heading off to the corner of the platform. Close enough to watch the area, but far enough away to give him some privacy. The night dragged on endlessly as his lone guard kept his distance, leaving Adam nothing to do but stare into the dark and wait for whatever terrors were planned for tomorrow. Adam envied how Dahaki could just pretend everything was fine and ignore the suffering around him, all because he wasn't the target. It was easy to pretend nothing was wrong when you weren't the one being oppressed.
That's how it always is, a harsh voice whispered in his ear. People are selfish. Cruel. I should know.
Adam shivered, but not from the cold air as much as the strange tingling running down his back. He could feel her hovering behind him, laughing at how far he'd fallen. Something brushed gently against his arm as he strained to pull away. Slowly, deliberately, she passed by, letting her fingers drift along his arm until she stopped in the center of the stage, basking in his horror.
Alyssa.
He knew she wasn't real. She couldn't be. Not here. No way would Alyssa de Thom lower herself to set foot in a mining camp, not to mention just how far she would've had to travel to get there. No. This couldn't be real. It was just like when Cammie used her Semblance on him. Adam clenched his eyes shut and told himself over and over that she was fake, willing her specter to disappear once more.
"Oh come now, Adam. Is that any way to treat your old friend?"
Friend? Ha! "You're not my friend," Adam growled, opening his eyes to see her kneeling in front of him.
"No. I guess not," she admitted, cupping his cheek in her hand. No matter how much he knew she wasn't real, he could still feel her. "We were so much more than friends."
"You're not real."
"Aren't I?" Alyssa pushed his face to the side and stepped back. "I'm a part of you Adam. Always will be. At least, until tomorrow. Then they'll finally end your miserable existence." Great. His subconscious was getting in on the torture. Just what he needed. "You could've stayed with me, Adam. I'd've protected you."
Is that what she called it? She'd ruined him. Broken him. She'd-
"You're not real," Adam repeated, shaking his head as he remembered who he was - or wasn't - talking to. "Leave me alone."
"Like how you left me alone?" Alyssa had a funny way of remembering things. When Adam tried to ignore her, she leaned to the side, keeping herself in view. "Or how you left Erik? And Nila?"
That one hit a little deeper. "I didn't want to leave them."
"But you still did." Alyssa grinned smugly. "You left them behind and ran off on your own little adventure. "Poor Erik. He was a mess when you left. With his best friend gone, who do you think he turned to?"
Adam shuddered as his imagination filled in the blanks. "Shut up."
"And Nila. After what you did to her?"
"Shut. Up."
Alyssa ignored his demand. "You just used her and threw her away. So cruel. How long do you think she lasted before she took her own life?" Adam's breath caught. "Do you want a hint?"
"Shut up! I didn't leave them!"
"You did," Alyssa accused, surging forward until she was practically in his face. "You abandoned them as soon as things got tough. And now you're abandoning everyone here to suffer."
Not that Adam could control that. He wasn't exactly going on a holiday. They were going to kill him. Jakob tried to warn him about crossing that line, but Adam hadn't just crossed it - he'd stormed across with all the subtlety of a Goliath. Orostachys had no choice but to make an example of him. The morning promised nothing but suffering.
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret what?" Coming to Orostachys in the first place? Getting caught? Not killing Gideon's little rat-faced stoolie? Yes to all of those.
"Not those," Alyssa said, reading his mind. Then again, she was already in there, wasn't she? "What you did. Standing up for Maurice. Killing Gideon. Do you regret fighting back?"
His answer came immediately. "No." If he could go back, he'd do it again, even knowing the outcome. Seeing Maurice attacked like that had been the tipping point, but it wasn't the only reason he'd finally snapped. The humans of Orostachys had been beating them down since day one. He'd suffered under their oppression and even lost friends because he refused to bow the knee fully. He'd seen firsthand just how little they cared for the lives of their faunus workers.
He didn't regret fighting back. He regretted not doing it sooner.
"So why'd you stop?" Alyssa questioned.
"Stop what?"
"Fighting," she answered. "What's the point in killing you? The Adam I saw this morning's already dead."
Adam shrugged his shoulders, shifting slightly in his imprisonment. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm kind of stuck at the moment. Not much I can do like this."
"Maybe, but have you even tried? Have you so much as tried to stand up, or are you just gonna sit there and wait for death?" Adam had tried. Not today, but the first time they'd put him in the pillory. In fact, he'd been the first one they'd ever used it on. He knew from experience he wouldn't be breaking free. He didn't have any leverage to really try. Even if he did manage it, what good would it do? He'd still be trapped in the middle of the camp. They'd just execute him on the spot.
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "You're right. Why bother fighting when you can just wait for death?" Her words were a slap to his face.
Just to prove a point, Adam shifted back and forth, straining against his confines with the same lack of success as before. With an angry huff, he finally stopped. "See? It's useless."
"You're useless." The childish comeback did little for his temper.
"What do you want me to do?"
Alyssa smiled, pleased he'd finally asked. Adam regretted it immediately. He'd had enough of obeying Alyssa for a lifetime. "Keep fighting."
"They're going to kill me tomorrow." Adam doubted they'd give him a chance to fight back. Trechend might enjoy the chance to face him in a fight, but he'd already killed two guards with aura. Risking a third wouldn't be a wise choice.
Alyssa refused to accept his excuse. "Then go down fighting. They want to break you. Show everyone how hopeless fighting back is. Don't give them the satisfaction. They want a lamb for the slaughter. Bare your fangs and show them what kind of wolf you really are."
"I'm a bull faunus," Adam pointed out, as if the horns on his head weren't obvious enough.
"You're a monster." Adam winced at the word. "They know it. I know it. Only one who hasn't figured that out is you."
"I'm not a monster." Even Adam didn't believe those words.
"You are." There was no condemnation in her voice. No spiteful laughter at what he'd become. Just a statement of fact. "You're a beast. A creature beyond their understanding. You struck down Geryon in one blow. Tore Gideon in two without breaking a sweat. You have strength. Power. And they know it. They're scared of you. That's why they want to kill you. Because if they don't, they know it's only a matter of time before you come for them."
He'd already killed twice. What would stop him from killing again? If even their best trained guards couldn't stop him, then who could?
"But it's more than that. A single monster is a threat, but one that can be dealt with. What they really fear is others acting out. They're terrified of what you've started." What he'd started? Yet again, Alyssa could hear his unspoken questions. "They can feel their power slipping through their fingers. The others are watching. How long until more of them act out?"
Adam could imagine it easily enough. Jakob had always been a troublemaker, but he might start pushing harder after Adam died. Marion might join in, along with most of 3C. Even Maurice would be hard-pressed to ignore what they'd done to him. What happened when Bane lost it and beat a guard to death. Or when Jakob decided to poison Ferric's wine instead of stealing it next time? How long until the whole thing blew up in their faces? How would Orostachys respond?
Harshly. Adam wouldn't be the last execution if that started. "They can't! Ferric will kill them!"
"They're already dead. They're just starting to realize it." Living in Orostachys wasn't really living. It just prolonged the inevitable through a painful existence, all so the fat cats of the SDC could keep raking in profits as they worked themselves to death. "And what happens when the rest of them wake up and decide they've had enough? What happens when the mines go silent? They can't kill everyone."
They could, but that wasn't her point. A worker dying here or there might go unnoticed, but a whole camp? Ferric's biggest fear was an investigation from the SDC. The home office would have questions when production dropped to zero. Questions that might lead them to look a little closer at how Orostachys operated.
The workers had the power all along. They'd just never realized it. Instead, they'd shied away from any punishment and stayed in line, unaware of just how little control their human overlords actually had. As long as they never fought back as a group, they'd always be under Ferric's boot. But if a few of them pushed back together? If the whole camp rose up and refused to be slaves any longer?
Alyssa beamed smugly at the dawning realization. "So, Adam, what will it be? Are you a coward who lets everyone lose hope, or are you a champion of the truth behind their resistance? Will you be Ferric's warning or the workers' martyr?"
If he was going to die, he might as well make it mean something. "How? How do I show them?"
"Fight back. Struggle. Don't bow your head for execution and throw your life away. Stare them right in the face and make them take it from you. Show everyone your strength up until the very end. They'll draw from that and take care of the rest." Alyssa stepped aside, slowly fading into the darkness as she looked out over the camp and shared her parting message. "They're watching, Adam. Make sure to give them a show."
Adam followed her gaze to the far edges of the gathering area. There, beyond the fencing separating him from Faunus Alley, he saw it. His faunus eyes took in the faint pinpricks of light in the darkness. Dozens of them. His eyes slowly adjusted to reveal what they were.
Dark shapes lingered in the cold night, watching him from afar as he waited for the morning. Most of the guards had gone to bed, and none of them would be lurking on the faunus side of the fence. Still, his silent audience watched on, eerily waiting to see what would become of Adam.
Adam renewed his struggle, fighting against his binding long into the night.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam didn't know exactly when he'd nodded off, but he must have, because the wailing of the camp bell woke him with a start. He didn't feel overly rested, but that was the point. They wanted him weak. Worn down. Broken.
Don't give them the satisfaction.
The sun had risen beyond the walls of Orostachys, meaning he'd slept past breakfast. His stomach gnawed at him, reminding him he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, but he doubted he'd care about that too much longer as he noticed the arrangement of guards around the platform. Slowly, the whole of Camp Orostachys assembled, the workers grouped in a tight gathering reminiscent of Geryon's funeral.
Only this time, it would be Adam's funeral instead.
The mass of faunus watched Adam with a mixture of emotion. Some stared wide-eyed, imagining themselves in his position. It seemed Ferric's plan to make them afraid was working, but not on everyone. Some stared back with anger. Not at him, but at what they'd done to the workers' unofficial leader. He could see determination in their eyes and knew they'd be the next ones to feel the bite of the baton seemed his spark had already begun to spread.
Not one among them dared to say a word. In the ominous silence, Adam could hear the footsteps of someone climbing the steps onto the stage behind him. Several someones, in fact. Ferric, no doubt, flanked by Trechend, Dahaki, and probably a handful of other guards. They'd come out in force to remind the camp who held all the power. At least, who pretended to.
Adam tracked their approach in the eyes of his audience until the procession stopped somewhere behind him. Hushed words were exchanged, too quiet for Adam to hear over his pounding headache. Trechend hadn't exactly held back yesterday.
"Workers!" Ferric boomed, finally stepping forward past Adam to the edge of the stage. "This man, Adam Taurus, has committed a heinous crime. Yesterday, with no provocation," Adam snorted at the pathetic lie, "he attacked and killed one of our guards - the people charged with protecting you from the Grimm."
"He attacked Maur-"
"Thank you, Officer Trechend," Ferric said as a gag was tied securely in Adam's mouth. This certainly brings back memories, doesn't it? To stop him spewing lies, they'd claim. Really, they just didn't want him giving his side or stirring people up. Several workers grumbled loudly at the measure, but the line of baton-wielding guards between them and the platform went unchallenged. "Worry not. He will be taken back to the mainland and executed for his crimes."
If the gag had sent waves through the crowd, the newest development threatened to whip up a storm.
"You can't do that!"
"He's innocent!"
"Release him!"
"Silence!" Ferric boomed over the scattered yelling of the workers. "He has murdered one of our own in cold blood. The punishment for that is death." His flimsy excuse wouldn't do much to calm the growing fury among the workers. "He will be kept under lock and key until transport can be arranged." More like until they could claim he'd been taken away. Adam would be dead long before the next airship arrived. "But first, let me remind you all of the cost of defiance."
Adam wondered what sick torture he'd be subjected to. A beating? He'd had plenty of those before. They could only do so much with him bound like this, but he knew they wouldn't bother letting him out just to punish him more. Why risk him fighting back? Adam braced himself for the first blow as Ferric nodded to someone behind.
He should've known not to underestimate them.
Adam screamed into his gag, unleashing a horrendous, muffled sound as someone shoved the business end of a taser against his side. Current pulsed through his body, causing his muscles to tighten painfully until the blasted thing was removed. He barely had time to catch his breath before it started again, spasming the same side once more.
Some looked away in disgust. Others hurled accusations and abuse as they watched. Kieran - Adam recognized him in an instant - rushed forward, only to immediately be struck down and dragged behind the line of guards.
"Arrest him!" Ferric needlessly ordered. One of the guards had already handcuffed Kieran and dragged him off to the side. A few others halted their own plan to follow, seeing firsthand what the response would be as Adam continued to thrash and scream. "Enough." Adam sagged in the pillory as the evil device was withdrawn. He knew it wasn't over, but he'd take the relief where he could. Ferric turned back to the crowd. "You are here to work. We are here to keep you safe. We clothe you. Feed you. Protect you from the Grimm. You all signed up for this. If you cannot abide by the contract you signed, there will be consequences. Violence will not be tolerated."
Violence by the faunus. Human violence was perfectly fine, it seemed.
"As a result of yesterday's incident, there is still work to be done. All of you will be assigned new tasks this morning. Once those are complete, you may return to your bunks." Workers yelled and shuffled anxiously at the news, but no one dared single themselves out. Not after seeing what the response would be. No one wanted to be the next to cross that line and suffer Ferric's wrath.
Except Jakob.
"That's not fair!" He shouted, stepping forward from the crowd as Adam tried to shout a warning.
Jakob didn't come close to the line of guards, instead standing his ground in front of the rest of the workers as several shuffled away, eager to distance themselves from what might happen next. Notably, others took their place, silently supporting Jakob as they stood behind him. Adam recognized most of his backers. Hard not to, since half of them slept in the same room every night.
The guards waited for orders, practically frothing at the mouth for their next victim. Ferric almost looked amused as he addressed one of his least favorite workers. "Fair? Is it fair to Gideon's family that he won't be coming home?"
"He attacked us," Jakob threw back. "He was gonna kill Maurice. Adam saved him, just like he saved Axol. He's a hero."
"He's a criminal," Ferric answered confidently. "He has lied to you. All of you. He didn't save anyone. He's a murderer. Nothing more."
"We deserve better than this."
"You deserve nothing!" Ferric's heavy frame rose and fell as he yelled. "We have given you everything, and how do you repay us? With violence. Rebellion. Treason. You are workers. Assets. You belong to the SDC!" Ferric turned to Adam with a crazed look in his eye. "You're nothing but property, and I'll prove it. Fetch me the brand!"
"The brand?" Dahaki asked, even as someone hurried away. "You can't."
"Stand down, Dahaki, or have you forgotten whose side you're on?" For a second, Adam dared to hope they'd found an ally in Dahaki, but he stepped back without a fight. "I will do what I want. Orostachys is mine, which means everyone in it belongs to me."
Meanwhile, Adam's mind had focused on the name of his next punishment. Orostachys didn't have any cattle, but they still had a dust-powered branding tool for burning the SDC name into the side of the crates of dust they shipped out. The workers hadn't missed the announcement and were already shouting. Several looked ready to do something foolish, from picking up rocks to eyeing the nearest guard.
Ferric saw it as well. "Men, contain that rabble. If one of them so much as thinks about causing trouble, make him wish he was never born." The line of guards stepped forward closing the gap threateningly but stopping short. They might not strike the first blow, but they sure planned to strike the last. The show of force stole the fire out of some of the crowd, but not all of it.
After a few tense minutes, the missing guard returned with the requested implement, handing it to Ferric before rejoining the line below. Ferric gleefully waved his weapon in front of Adam's face as he pushed the button on the long handle, activating the fire dust within to heat the three metal letters until they glowed bright red. Adam could feel the heat radiating off of it until Ferric pulled it back.
"Remove his shirt," Ferric ordered. A knife sliced his shirt open, grazing his back along the way. "It's time you learned your place, Adam Taurus. You are property of the SDC, and just like the bull that your whore mother conceived you with, you will be marked as such." With a final flourish of the brand, Ferric loudly announced, "Let this be an example to any who dare oppose me!"
An example or a martyr. Your choice.
Adam resisted the urge to cry out as the brand pressed against his back, glowing brighter not from the burning, but from meeting the red sheen of aura that rushed to meet it. It still hurt. Aura only did so much. Electricity would still attack the muscles. Fire would still burn. Aura just lessened the effect and helped prevent permanent damage.
Ferric pulled the brand back with a snarl. He could still burn Adam, but it would take a lot longer. His skin had probably reddened, but there wouldn't be any scarring from such brief contact. Hold it there long enough, though, and he'd have a permanent mark. Ferric didn't know that, though. He, like most people without training, saw it as an impenetrable force field.
"Damn that aura of yours," he growled, stomping his way in front of Adam once more. "Fine. If that's how you want to play it. Trechend, hold his head."
In the second or two it took for Adam to understand what Ferric had planned, Trechend grabbed him by the horns and held his face up, practically riding him as Adam struggled to break free.
"You want to drag this out? Fine. I'll just have to break through that aura of yours first."
Adam just managed to shut his eyes as the burning metal was thrust in his face. The left side of his face burned, even as aura raced to protect him. The brand pressed right over his eye, practically searing the eyelids together as Ferric pressed it harder and harder. His aura continued to fight back, but there was no end to the torment. He could feel it slowly draining away in a futile effort to protect him, all while he tried to break free. Trechend held him as still as he could, locking him in place against the torturous punishment. Adam's screams grew louder and shriller until they reached a terrifying crescendo.
His aura shattered.
The brand pushed harder.
A gunshot rang out.
Adam couldn't see what happened, but whatever it was stole Ferric's attention. The brand pulled back a hair, but Adam hardly noticed. His entire face screamed in agony as he continued to wail, even after Trechend suddenly released him, letting his head fall until the bite of the pillory caught his throat.
Through the pain, Adam was vaguely aware of a new sound. Chaos. People screamed, a mixture of fear, anger, and pain. Feet stomped across the stage in every direction. Another shot rang out, echoed by several more. The whole world seemed to shake and sway beneath him as he tried to summon his empty aura for what little relief it could provide.
The roar all around him continued as he tried to open his eyes. He felt the lids of his right eye part, but only a blurry mess greeted him. Worse, his left eye wouldn't open. He couldn't tell what was happening, but he could guess. Only one side had guns.
He tried to stand, even if he knew he couldn't. The platform vibrated more violently. The yelling grew louder. It felt like the whole world was coming apart around him. In a way, it was. If his friends had tried to fight, they'd be slaughtered. Only a handful were willing, and they'd been surrounded for a reason. 3C wouldn't survive. Jakob had made himself a target already, and the rest had already shown their support. They'd be the first to fall, cut down in a hail of bullets all because of him. They'd die because he'd been too weak to save them. He'd been the one to kill Gideon, yet they'd die before him in a cruel twist of fate.
A trio of shots rang out right beside him, deafening Adam. No. He could still hear the voices. It was just…quieter. More contained. The world stood still for a moment, waiting for something.
That something came in the form of two words.
"Stand down!"
Ferric's frantic voice had lost its defiant edge. He sounded…scared. Terrified. What right did he have to feel-
"Release him."
Adam knew that voice. It wasn't Ferric or one of his guards, yet it came from right next to him. Someone else was on stage with them. Someone with authority. Someone he'd heard a million times before, but never with such authority.
Jakob.
"Release him, or I'll put a bullet through your head," Jakob demanded.
"D-do as he says," Ferric quickly ordered. When no one moved, he shouted, "Release the prisoner!"
Something shifted behind Adam. The pillory opened, letting Adam spill out of it. Strong hands caught him before he could hit the platform. A deep voice assured him, "I've got you, Adam."
"Bane?"
Adam's eyes - or eye, as his left eye still refused to open - slowly came into focus a little more as the dark shape above him morphed into the familiar face of his bunkmate. Bane looked down with a dizzying mixture of anger, concern, and fear. He sighed at Adam's single word, taking comfort in the simple proof of life as he stood Adam up. Adam's legs could barely hold him, but that was fine. Bane wouldn't let him fall.
Adam tried to take in the scene, but it was still a little fuzzy. Trechend backed away with his hands raised, glaring not at Adam but at Jakob, who stood with a pistol against Ferric's head. The large man was on his knees, tears pouring down his face as he froze in fear, waiting for the shot that would end his miserable existence.
"J-Jakob? But…but how?"
"Order your men to drop their weapons." Jakob pressed the barrel of his pistol forward, tilting Ferric's head. The whale of a man continued to blubber, unable to form words.
Trechend saved him the trouble. "Drop your weapons," he ordered. The guards watched in confusion. "I said drop 'em!" The authority in his voice spurred them into action. All around, men threw down whatever they were holding. Even a few faunus ditched their stolen weapons, lost in the chaos and confusion still.
Ferric finally managed to string a sentence together. Well, once you got past all the snorting and whining. "Y-you're - snrk - just gonna kill us."
"Like you deserve any better." Jakob stepped back, keeping the gun trained on Ferric but willing to give a little ground now that the guards were less of a threat. Adam could see several on the ground. Some of them writhed in pain or clutched injuries. Others didn't move at all. Far more faunus were down, though, driving home just how costly their victory had been. "Is he okay?"
"I…I'm not sure," Bane answered, looking him over again.
"I'll live." Adam took a deep breath and broke free of Bane's grip, barely keeping his feet under him as he stumbled forward. "What…what happened?"
"Orostachys is ours." Jakob's proclamation drew a victorious cheer from the crowd of faunus. "We couldn't stand by and watch you suffer."
They'd really done it? Adam knew they had. He could see it with his own eyes. Still, he couldn't quite believe it. They'd risen up and overrun the guards, then captured Ferric and forced everyone to stand down. It was like a dream come true. So much so, that Adam had to wonder if he'd passed out and imagined everything. He pinched himself, just to be sure, but the feeling barely registered past the searing pain in his face.
"What now?" Adam asked. All of his plans ended with them escaping. Taking the camp by force wasn't exactly something he expected. Now, with all the guards under their control, what could they do?
Ferric knew. Or at least, he thought he did. "Just kill us and get it over with."
Several guards flinched. Others lowered their heads in despair, waiting for the killing blow. A few looked ready to take their chances and charge, but Jakob's words calmed them. "I'm not going to kill you."
"You aren't?" Ferric wasn't the only one to ask. A mixture of guards and workers were equally confused.
"It isn't up to me," Jakob said, holding the gun out to Adam. "What do you say, Adam? Want to get revenge for what he did?"
Adam took the weapon in hand, staring at the small, metal instrument of death. He held it up, pointing it at Ferric's face. This was his chance. He could end it all right now. A simple squeeze of the trigger, and the horrible monster before him would cease to exist. Finally, he'd be able to get revenge on someone who'd wronged him.
Do it, Adam. Kill him. Alyssa's voice rang in his head as his finger trembled against the trigger, aching to finish Ferric off. He hurt you. Tortured you. Your friends died because of him. Make him suffer. Make him pay for what he did.
As Adam stared at the mess of a man before him, his eyes took in the background where numerous bodies lay, spilling their blood across the harsh dirt of Orostachys. The ground lapped up the blood and seemed to beg for more. Orostachys was a place of suffering and death. It was only fitting that the leader of the camp suffer the same fate. The captain should go down with the ship. What was one more body on the pile of corpses in this hellhole?
"No." Adam lowered the gun, fighting the urge to pull it back up and deliver the killing blow. "Enough blood's been shed today. We're free."
"Thank you. Thank you!" Ferric shuffled forward on his knees and reached for Adam, only for his hands to be swatted aside.
"Don't thank me," Adam growled. "Just remember that, in all of this, we were the better men. You're the animals here. Not us."
Ferric ducked his head at the words, but Adam doubted he'd care all that much. Still, as good as it would've felt to stain the platform with his blood, he couldn't help but think his dad would approve of his decision. That alone kept him from pulling the trigger.
"So what happens next?" Jakob asked. Adam quietly wished he'd take charge, but everyone looked to Adam for instructions. Adam could barely keep himself upright, let alone order around an entire camp.
"We can't stay here," Adam answered. Eventually, the SDC would come looking. Better they not be here when the security forces came knocking. "We make for the nearest village and sail for freedom."
The workers - no, the freed faunus - began to talk amongst themselves, most pleased with his words. The guards definitely approved of being left behind and alive. Speaking of the guards. "What about them?"
"We'll leave them here," Adam insisted, some of the guards nodding respectfully his way. It was almost sickening. "Take all their weapons. We'll need them for the march to the coast. We'll disable the communications tower, too. Don't want them calling in reinforcements."
Dahaki finally stepped forward, freezing as a few guns swiveled his way. He raised his hands in surrender, but Adam let him talk. "What about the Grimm? If you leave us without any weapons, they'll just kill us all. You're as good as ordering our execution."
True, but so what? They'd been more than happy to kill him, Axol, or anyone else who inconvenienced them. Why should he care? "You still have the wall guns. Or just barricade yourselves in the mines. Somebody will come find you eventually." Once they noticed the sudden silence and lack of dust shipments. The next airship delivery was at least a week away, but they'd have plenty of food and shelter. He'd already given them more than they deserved.
"Couldn't you leave us a few guns? Just enough to fend off the Grimm?" Or to chase you down with. It would be a suicide mission, but someone like Trechend might be just vindictive enough to try. And why was he negotiating with the losers? They'd won. They set the rules.
"We'll leave a few handguns," Adam allowed.
"Adam!" Jakob didn't look thrilled.
Neither did Dahaki, honestly. "That will hardly help against the Grimm."
"They're not for the Grimm." Adam didn't fill in the blanks, but by the look on Dahaki's face, he didn't need to. It was a coward's way out - one he felt confident someone like Ferric would take the moment he felt in any real danger. They could probably hold the walls until help arrived. If not, the blast door for the mines would survive just about anything the Grimm of the island could throw at them.
Jakob finally took over with Adam's orders. "All humans to the mines! No, not you." Ferric almost fell over when Jakob ordered him back. "You're our insurance. Anyone acts up, and we off the fatso."
Jakob hurried away, rounding up a handful of armed faunus and herding the guards toward the mines. The moment they were gone, Adam nearly fell over. Once more, Bane was there to catch him. "We should have the doctor look at you."
And let him get some petty revenge by messing Adam up even more? No thank you. "I'll be fine," Adam lied. "We'll take some medical supplies with us. You." Ferric snapped to attention. At least, as much as someone on their knees could. "Take us to the armory."
Most of the day rushed by in a flurry of activity. They mostly emptied the armory, the guards there standing down once they saw Ferric. The small stockpile of explosives brought the entire communications building down, along with the tower atop it. After that, they collected anything they could think of. Food. Medical supplies. Some basic tools. Little by little they prepared themselves for the journey ahead. Adam even let Sully sit him down and carefully treat his injured face. Burn cream. Painkillers. A large bandage that covered half his face. It helped a little, but Adam caught sight of himself in a mirror beforehand and knew he'd never look the same.
They were almost ready to go when Jakob reminded him of the lockers in the main building - the ones where they'd given up all their personal items upon arrival. Adam marched his new prisoner there, eager to reclaim Thorn.
He slammed the empty locker door shut.
"Where is it?!" He screamed. Other lockers were opened, but they all stood empty other than some extra supplies and uniforms for the camp. "Where's my sword?"
"Gone," Ferric admitted. He knew his words wouldn't be received well, but he couldn't exactly hide the empty lockers. "We sold it. All of it." Which meant everything he owned was gone. Yet again, he'd be forced to start over in what had quickly become a pattern in his life. "I-it was Trechend's idea!"
Adam didn't know whether he believed that or not. The man was cruel enough for it, but it still would've had to go through Ferric for approval. It made sense, in a sick way. As far as Orostachys was concerned, no one ever left. They worked until they died, usually from one of the accidents Orostachys was famous for. Or should've been famous for. No one beyond the walls knew the horrors of the camp. That would change once they were free.
But if none of your workers ever left, then why bother hanging on to their stuff? Adam shouldn't have been surprised. They didn't even pay their workers. Why not make a little extra lien on every new worker? It was like a signing bonus, except Ferric collected it instead of the worker.
Adam felt his hand it for a weapon he would never wield again. He did, however, still have a gun. He'd already started to lift it before he remembered.
"You said you'd let us live!" Ferric complained, as if he had any right. Adam shook with contempt for the absolute filth before him. Remnant would be better off without people like him. He was no better than the Grimm. Worse, even, since at least the Grimm didn't have a choice. Ferric purposefully tormented the faunus and seemed to take pleasure in their suffering.
Still, a promise was a promise. If nothing else, Adam was a man of his word. He put the gun away and practically dragged Ferric back to the platform where his life had nearly ended earlier that day. All of the humans had been rounded up and left in the mines. The remaining faunus were packed up and ready to move out under Jakob's guidance. All they had to do was deal with Ferric and leave. With night coming, even if Trechend tried to chase them, they'd have the advantage in the dark.
Judging by the distant howling, the camp would have their hands full soon enough.
Ferric continued to beg and plead for his life, trying to convince them to spare him and shifting as much of the blame on others as he could. SDC policies. Trechend. Geryon. Apparently, even the dead were to blame. Everyone but the man in charge. Adam hated him more and more.
"We're leaving," Adam announced. "We make for the coast. From there, we'll sail away from this wretched place and never come back."
A new cheer went up. It would be a decent trek, but they'd reach the village sometime early tomorrow if the map he found in Ferric's office could be trusted. With their numbers and weapons, they'd take as many boats as they needed and leave the island behind. They might even take a few sailors with them, forcing them to help with the promise of being set free afterwards, not to mention the return of their vessels. He'd figured all of that out when the time came.
"As for you." Ferric whimpered as he realized this would be the make or break point. "Oh, shut up already." Ferric's whining grew quieter but didn't stop entirely. "I said you'd live, even if you don't deserve it."
Ferric's emotions did a one eighty so fast it almost gave him whiplash. "Thank you! Thank you! You're a good man, Adam Taurus. A good man."
Adam pulled his hand free of Ferric's meaty palms. "My father was a good man." Adam? Adam was a monster. A very angry monster. Still, he'd given his word, and he intended to keep it.
Adam felt his eyes drawn to the pillory. Leaving him there would be funny, but he might as well be serving up a deluxe meal to the Grimm if he did that. Ferric would be going to the mines and left to live out the rest of his miserable life. Adam ignored the pillory, instead focusing on something laying nearby. Something that had his lips quirking up in a cruel smile.
Mercy. Compassion. Lessons from his father so long ago. He'd done his best to apply them here, but another lesson came to mind. One he intended to implement word for word.
Ferric paled as he picked up his prize and nodded to Bane, who hadn't left his side all day.
"Eye for an eye."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Lieutenant Simone stepped out alongside a bullhead's worth of SDC security guards, taking in the remains of Camp Orostachys. After three days of silence from the camp, an exploratory flyover revealed a camp in chaos. Grimm pawed and clamored at the entrance to the mines, held back by the thick, metal door meant to contain a dust explosion. The scattered Grimm of the island had no chance of breaking through. Lieutenant Simone was grateful nothing more sizable existed on the island. A Goliath or two might break through, but nothing that large had ever been spotted there.
She'd endured the long flight from Atlas to oversee the rescue operation, wondering the whole time how a camp that had never reported a single concern could be brought down so quickly. Looking over the file, it was a little suspicious how clean their record was. On top of that, they'd increased their security not that long ago, so they should've been fine.
The ruined camp proved otherwise.
Clearing out the camp didn't take long. Their bullheads took out most of the targets without even landing. Boots on the ground cleared out the remaining threat without a single loss. The mangled communication tower explained the lack of contact, though it looked like the whole building had fallen. She had a feeling there was more at work than just a simple Grimm attack.
"Ma'am!" One of her men snapped to attention and saluted. Most of them, including herself, had been lured to the SDC from the Atlas military. Certain behaviors were too ingrained to bother untraining.
"Report," she ordered, trusting him to have a short rundown of everything she needed to know.
They'd found the camp's personnel - what was left of them - holed up in the mines as expected. Minimal armament, though the armory appeared empty. Only human employees on site. All of the faunus workers were missing. It wasn't hard to piece together the clues and recognize an uprising when she saw one. Jacques Schnee would have a fit. She was just glad she wasn't the one who would have to tell him.
"There's more, ma'am," her subordinate added hesitantly. That wasn't like him. "We found the leader of the camp. Ferric. He…well, you should see for yourself."
He led the lieutenant to the infirmary. Injuries were to be expected after a Grimm attack and days in the mines. The place looked ransacked when she entered, even as a few of her sol- her men tried to clean the area up a bit. Looked like the escaped workers had been thorough.
Lieutenant Simone found Ferric sitting on one of the beds, being examined by one of the medics they'd brought with them. He was a large man. Tall. Round. The sort of man who had never seen a hard day's work in his life. But it wasn't his oversized gut that she focused on.
There, across his face, three letters were burned in. SDC. They'd branded him. It was horrible. Barbaric. What sort of monster could do something like that to another human being? Was it a message of some sort? A warning? A declaration of war? She intended to find out.
"Ferric," she said as she stepped closer. He flinched, earning a stern look of disapproval from the medic examining his face. "I'm Lieutenant Simone from the SDC. My men have already briefed me on what happened here. Looks like you had an uprising of some sort." Ferric nodded, wincing as the medic applied a cream to his burn. She doubted it'd do much, seeing as it wasn't a recent injury. "Tell me. What caused this?"
The man snarled and pushed the medic away, his good eye locked on her as he growled out two words.
"Adam Taurus."
I feel like Ferric may have a slightly biased take on what happened here.
The entire plan for this chapter was Adam gets arrested, ruins brand on back with aura, and gets face branded before causing a rebellion. Then came the scene in the office. The Alyssa hallucination. A longer torture scene. Preparing to leave. The aftermath. It just kept growing until we nearly doubled the size. Danger of not making a detailed plan in advance, I suppose.
Won't keep you too long here. This is the end of the mining camp arc, obviously. We'll have a brief summary of their voyage next chapter and find out where he heads next to start the next major arc. Pretty sure most of you can figure out what's coming up, though.
Next chapter: Adam and the other faunus sail to freedom!