"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."
- Abraham Lincoln
"It was a placing of his destiny in another's hands, a shifting of the responsibilities of existence. This in itself was compensation, for it is always easier to lean upon another than to stand alone."
- White Fang (Jack London)
Legends.
Stories scattered through time.
Cries and lamentation echo through the ages, igniting their spark in the hearts and souls of those who yearn for its taste, born from a single desire to bring forth a gentler world.
Fear into hatred.
Hatred to violence.
Violence to grief.
From grief, justice.
From justice, survival.
Survival is a game of violence, a brutal struggle of bloody evolution. Those with strength and numbers trump over their enemies so that they might live without fear.
Those who are pushed down brood in their squalor, tempering a raging spark until their strength rises enough to reverse the natural order and they too, can live without fear.
In a game of survival, victory is an illusion. The only outcome is an endless cycle run on blood and suffering.
Perhaps… a different path must be taken.
A different perspective must come to light.
Perhaps in the end… brothers and sisters are closer than we assume, and the only way to reach them is with a compassionate hand. After all…
…those who stand united are the strongest of all.
Maybe when that day comes… a gentler world can see the light of dawn.
Four years ago, Tozoku Forests, Anima
Trees tall and mighty.
Golden sun peering through the canopy.
Flowers in blossom.
Auburn autumn, smell rich in his nose.
The call of the wildlife, echoing through the wood and filling his ears.
A woman, smiling and singing to him.
Fire.
Then… the red halls of the sanctum.
That was as far as Connor knew, his past before the Fang lost to his mind. Before he was shown a wider, crueler world. A world that would rather be rid of people like him.
A painful truth, one that the Fang would never cease to remind him of.
Ever since he had been introduced to this life, he would hear them cry for changes in the world, to bring about a world where nobody had to hide away or fear discrimination for appearing different. He'd join them as they pushed for these changes, crying out for something to happen.
The protests were frequent, a great many of them shut down and ignored by the masses. Despite this, their leader insisted it would make a difference, that so long their voices were heard, peace would come eventually.
Connor had desperately hoped so, not that his new brothers and sisters had such patience.
Many had joined in the rallies of their own choice, frustrated and dissatisfied with the state of things in the world.
Fewer had known nothing else, born into a fight their forefathers had chosen for them.
Connor had been young, impossibly so when he had first been brought to the White Fang. In a way, he still was. He barely remembered the family he once had, only that the cruelty of the world had taken them from him, lost to the searing pain of flame.
A cruelty the Fang vehemently opposed and sought desperately to erase from the world.
From then on, Connor knew one thing; if change prevented more pasts lost to fire, then he would never stop reaching for that dream, no matter what he would go through to find it.
Despite what many would assume, Connor did not favor violence.
It was a part of life that Connor understood well, an undeniable truth that he could not run from. Even if he could not see it, it continued elsewhere.
Even if he would rather see things through peacefully, that didn't mean others would agree.
Such was the case here today as he and his brothers and sisters took cover behind a blockade of supply trucks, the incessant rattle of gunfire hounding over them from the other side.
Connor sat against their cover, his breath short and his heart beating like a drum as he stared to either side.
Ilia clutched her hands close to her chest, fearful as Blake sat right next to her, the feline ears atop her head twitching with each bullet loudly slamming against the steel exterior of the truck.
Sienna and Adam were on the other side, both grimacing as the trucks shook with the continued assault. Between them, crouching just below the line of fire was their leader.
Ghira stood slowly but surely, a sweat forming on his brow.
He was a massive man, his body built with pure muscle, but for as long as Connor had known him, he was a staunch believer in peaceful resolution. Connor could only hope to have an ounce of this man's strength, no matter how hard he trained his body.
"Please, let us pass! We want no quarrel with you!" He pleaded, carrying his voice over the noise of gunfire.
*BANG!
"DAD!" Blake screamed.
"GHIRA!" Sienna shouted.
A bullet struck Ghira's shoulder, sending him to the ground in an instant as his Aura flickered weakly in shades of crackling blue. Blake rushed to his side immediately, dragging him behind the truck and tending to his wound.
"WE GOT PLENTY WITH YOU, DIRTY MUTTS!"
A loud, spiteful cry exploded from beyond the line of fire. Connor winced at the words as the fur on his tail stood on end, his ears folding as he cringed.
So many times he had seen this hatred repeat itself, rearing its ugly head at every turn no matter where he followed the Fang in Remnant. So many times they had asked for a chance to be heard, and so many times the reply was the same.
They cared not for their words, or their strife.
All they knew was that they hated what they could not understand.
Faunus had no place in their world.
"Damn… We can't talk our way out of this one." Sienna cursed, her fangs bared in frustration.
"What should we do? There's too many of them!" Blake cried, her father continuing to breathe heavily as his Aura slowly repaired.
"Should we fight back?" Ilia asked, raising her weapon.
Ghira shook his head with strain, fighting his pain. "N-no… too little of us. We're completely outnumbered…!"
Sienna hissed amidst clenched fangs and turned to her side. "Godsdamnit all… We have no choice. At least until we can get the trucks moving again. The sooner we get out of here…"
"Adam! You good to go? Get them off our backs!" Sienna addressed the teen beside her, dressed in a black suit decorated by red rose patterns that perfectly matched his burning red hair, decorated by a pair of black horns.
His eyes stared back, one covered by a grisly scar, a brand that represented his suffering and why he fought. "I… I'll try. There's still too many of them."
Letting out a breath, Connor spoke up as he reached for the weapon strapped to his belt. "Go. I will cover you. I have your back, brother."
"Connor…" He heard Sienna's voice ring past.
Adam turned to meet his eye, a smile appearing on his lips. "You and me, brother."
Connor returned his gesture. Twirling the weapon in his hand, he shifted his eyes and focused, staring through a gap in their cover.
The world distorted into muted colors and dulled sounds, the gunfire muffling in his ears as his senses honed in on his focused targets. He found it difficult to explain the Eagle Eyes, but Sienna's training did wonders in situations such as these.
Figures appeared in the trees, coated in a blood-red tinge that dripped with their anger. As Connor focused, he could make out more figures highlighted in his sight, before promptly turning back and leaning against the truck.
Gripping his head and rubbing his eyes, Connor blinked as his vision returned to normal, his senses stabilizing as he deactivated his sixth sense. He had been told it took training to master this sense, not to mention his faunus senses did not take too kindly to its overuse.
"How many?" Adam asked, gripping his sword tightly in his gloved hands.
Fighting back a raging migraine, Connor reported. "Ten firing at us in the front. I think about twenty more further back. None of them have Aura… at least from what I could see."
Adam clicked his tongue and popped his sword out of its sheath with his thumb. "Got it."
Connor nodded and sharply flicked the tomahawk in his hands, causing both ends to extend and telescope outwards, assuming the shape of a longbow.
"GO!"
Vaulting over the truck, Connor reached for the quiver strapped to his back, stringing his bow and taking aim as his arrowheads lit with the rainbow colors of Dust. Firing the first three shots directly in front of him, the attackers scattered as the arrows fell.
*KABOOM
Connor retracted his bow, the ends of the weapon retreating inside itself as the tomahawk once again took shape, its iron blade shimmering in the sunlight. As their attackers were left disoriented by the explosive arrows, this allowed Adam to dash behind them, swiftly dispatching them one by one.
By this point the majority of them in the back had entirely shifted their focus on the bull faunus currently cutting them down at blistering speed, knocking them out cold by the second. This left ten targets for Connor to deal with on his own.
No problem.
His brother always had extraordinary skills, Sienna made sure to hone them to perfection. Connor trusted him completely to handle himself, but that did not mean Connor himself was a slouch either.
Retrieving a dagger from his belt, he wielded both weapons in each hand, eyes locking onto his targets, each of them casting hateful glares at him as his tail swished low against the dirt path.
"Put him down!" One man yelled, pointing his gun at him as the others followed suit.
Connor summoned the strength of his Aura, as a great power filled his entire being. Bringing forth the image in his mind, Connor brought forth its form;
A great spectral bear, releasing a mighty roar from its jaws as it appeared. Connor set it loose and it chased after the first attacker, who opened fire at it in a blind panic.
"AAAHHH!"
*SMACK!
The man flew backwards as the bear delivered a powerful swing of its claws, knocking him into the air and his weapon far out of his reach. Upon hitting the ground, his head bumped against the dirt, knocking him out cold.
Two more, a man and a woman continued to shoot at the beast. However, their attacks simply angered the bear, causing it to roar and start galloping in their direction.
"S-shit!" Both promptly dropped their weapons and scrambled off into the forest.
"You little-!"
Connor moved on to the rest of the gunners, swerving to dodge gunfire and striking one gun through with his knife, pulling the attacker in and striking him upside the head with the blunt of his tomahawk. In an instant, the attacker went down completely limp.
Tossing the weapon, it struck another firearm in a shower of sparks, allowing Connor to run up to him and grab his face, driving it into the ground to knock him out.
Hearing more gunfire, Connor picked up the man's unconscious body and held it in front of him as a human shield, immediately causing the gunners to stop firing.
"You-! I'll kill you!" One of them shouted in outrage, as he heard the noise of guns clattering to the ground.
Tossing the man's body at the remaining attackers, two crumpled to the floor in a heap as the body hit them. The remaining three rushed at him all at once, yelling with blades drawn.
Meeting their challenge, Connor called to the bear.
Obeying, the beast ran behind him at full speed. Connor jumped onto its back, riding the spirit as the attackers continued to rush at him.
With a mental command, the bear leapt into the air, Connor springing off of its back, just as the bear re-entered his body, infusing his Aura with its strength. Connor's Aura glowed a bright red, his eyes flaring with power.
Screaming at the top of his lungs, Connor wound up a swing.
"RRAAAAAGHHHH!"
*BLAM!
His tomahawk hit the ground between them, the bear's strength infusing the strike with power several times greater than Connor could ever manage on his own. The bear's strength was incredible, discharging a massive shockwave that blew Connor's attackers away all at once, sending their unconscious bodies flying and sprawling across the dirt.
He moved to raise his-
*crack
Oh no.
"AGHH!"
A sharp, visceral pain shot up his entire arm as it hung limp. Dropping to his knees, Connor cursed himself inside.
He pushed the strength too far. Again.
While offering him immense strength, it seemed Connor hadn't trained enough with his Semblance to prevent accidents like this, snapping his own arm with the overloaded force of the bear's blessing.
"DIEEE!"
Connor's eyes widened, fear overtaking his entire being.
Turning, he saw one more man running straight at him with a blade out, wound up to swing down on him.
Connor gasped, limping back as the pain of his broken arm brought him back down to the ground, scrambling back on his legs in a desperate attempt to escape.
"N-no… No!"
It was no use.
He was too close. His blade swung down.
"BROTHER!"
"Ack-"
Red.
*SHKKK
Connor stopped, his heart hammering a million miles an hour as he could only stare at the sight above him with wide, unblinking eyes.
Streaks of cold red splattered over his face, leaking from the man's back and spilling on the floor, thick like tar. His breath was short, the color in his eyes fading with every passing second. His blade clattered unceremoniously on the floor, slipping from his dangling hands.
An agonizing and drawn out second later, his knees gave and his body fell to the ground in a heap, thick red seeping and pooling under his corpse. Connor didn't say anything, he couldn't make out a single word amidst his rapid and desperate breaths for air.
"I-I…"
Several feet away, Adam stood. A crimson glow seeping from his hair and sword faded the last of its vestiges away, and it appears he was just as at a loss for words as he was, staring in shock at what he had done.
"CONNOR!"
Connor winced as Sienna rushed up to him, embracing him delicately as she tried to avoid his damaged limb. He could feel her shuddering as she held him, as if she shared his petrified state of fear.
"You're alright! Thank the gods, you're alright!" She cried, her voice cracking and wavering as she continued to hold him close, as if he would fall apart the instant she let go.
Connor wrapped his remaining arm around her in turn, reciprocating at the striped woman's affection.
After all, it was her who had taken him in all those years ago. Brought him out of the fire and into this life. A life of conflict and strife, but he was not alone.
"Adam… what have you done…?"
Everyone turned to face Ghira, whose face paled at the sight of the dead body, sliced apart by Adam's Semblance. Ilia's and Blake's own expressions widened and frozen in shock.
Adam's eyes trailed from the body and up to Ghira, wavering under his scrutinizing glare as he let out a long groan with a shake of his head.
"That man didn't have to die! You could have easily done something to prevent-" The large man began to argue, pointing an accusing finger at Adam.
"Ghira-!" Sienna barked, pure indignation flaring in her voice.
"Please…"
Connor raised his good arm, silencing the two Fang leaders. Placing it atop Sienna's, this signalled the tiger faunus to release her hold on him as he slowly rose to his feet, walking up to Adam.
"You saved my life, brother. I will never forget." Connor managed a smile, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder as he stared back at him, bewildered.
A brief silence, until Adam nodded his head with a prouder smile.
"You and me, remember? Until the end, brother!" Adam exclaimed, placing his hand over Connor's shoulder as the cheers of the White Fang members entered their ears, Ilia among them.
Curiously…
"Until the end."
… Blake remained completely silent.
Three years later, White Fang Sanctum, Mistral
"I've been thinking… about leaving."
Connor was stunned to silence as he heard his friend's words leave her mouth. They stood under the crimson-tinged halls of the White Fang's Sanctum, surrounded by banners depicting a symbol that had gone through a significant change, now bearing a menacing claw mark.
It had only been a short time, but Connor had watched his world gradually, but radically shift.
For some, it had been a step too far.
Blake had felt that most keenly, and Connor could tell. After her parents had taken their leave from the White Fang, she had decided to stay.
It gladdened Connor to have his friend remain by his side. Growing up under Sienna's wing, he had grown close to her and her family. When Adam arrived, the three of them had become inseparable.
Adam was downright delighted to learn Blake had decided to stay, and they would continue to fight for the White Fang, every mission growing more intense and hectic as the days went by.
Connor could recall that first day like it was ingrained in his brain. His inexperience and lack of ability had led to Adam's first kill, and from then on, he swore he would return the favor to his brother.
Adam was uneasy, but he was eager to teach him and Blake, who expressed regret for not being able to help that day.
So they trained. Day after day, night after night. Mission after mission.
Eventually, they were in perfect sync. A deadly trio the likes of which the White Fang had never seen.
Sienna watched their progress with great interest and praised the many victories they had brought the Fang. After she had succeeded Ghira as High Leader, she could only look to the future with optimism.
Connor was happy for her, for Adam, for all his brothers and sisters. Blake especially.
Which was why this sentence had him completely floored.
"Blake… what do you mean?"
He asked, unsure of what else to say.
Blake didn't seem to be handling his attitude well, as she hugged her arms closer to her chest, eyes darting to the side anxiously.
"Don't you feel… things have changed?" She asked.
Connor pondered her question. He definitely agreed, things were different, their methods had altered, their scale was magnified, but in the end Connor still felt that the objective was still the same.
"The goal we chase remains the same, right? To bring about a world where we can live free of fear? To make our voices heard?" Connor argued, Blake shaking her head.
"But our priorities have changed. We're not protesting anymore, we're raiding company facilities. We're not reaching for peace, we're fighting everywhere. Adam keeps insisting they're accidents, but it just keeps piling up!" Blake exclaimed, Connor pausing as he listened to her words.
"Are we heard if we do not raise our voices? If they strike first, is it not our right to defend ourselves? For so long we have meandered and waited for change but the world simply denies us because of what we represent. I tire of it, but I will fight for a brighter outcome. That will never change." Connor replied, Blake taking her own turn to pause and think herself over, her ears above her head twitching as she did.
"You're still dodging the problem. You know Adam. You see what he's doing and how much it escalates. To top it off, Sienna won't stop egging him on. I'm just… really worried about him. You get it, right?" Blake replied, a grave expression on her face.
Connor stopped. Blake's words rang true.
Ever since that incident, Adam had little to say about that first kill. Even less for those that followed. Once he had donned that ominous white mask, it only continued in a set pattern.
Many others saw his passion, Sienna especially. So much so that the Grimm mask had become part of the uniform. He and Blake opted to move away from that addition, but that hadn't stopped Ilia from designing her own custom mask, much to Blake's discomfort.
It began as a small question he posed to him, if he wished to hide the scar from his face. Adam was touchy and standoffish, but eventually shifted his tone once he had thought of the mask.
"When they see me, I don't want them to see the suffering they caused. Only the monster it created." He said then.
Morbid words, but they caught wind.
Even so, Adam was his brother. His closest partner alongside Blake. He had trusted him with his life many times over, and Adam had honored each one, as Connor did him.
"Of course… but I still trust him. I trust Sienna as well. Despite how they change, how they have grown… I recall their honor. I see their courage and their nobility. I cannot deny what they have done for me, for all my life." Connor declared, as Blake stared squarely at him.
It was true.
Connor understood that life had shaped them differently, altered their courses and pushed for things to escalate along this path. However, Connor held on to their goodness, everything they had done for him.
Sienna, underneath her fiery push for retaliation, her newly ambitious strikes at many anti-faunus companies, was still the kind woman who had taken Connor in when he had no one. Raised him when his mother had perished. Gave him a family in Blake and Adam.
Adam had saved his life time and again, watched his back countless times in battle, trained him and Blake for months on end. Even as the fire grew in him much like Sienna, even as he wore the face of a vicious monster, Connor remembered the man underneath. Connor could not deny he was fighting for the greater good, for that of the faunus.
"They are my family, Blake. That I cannot deny. Even if our paths diverge, that will remain the truth. Just as you will always be my friend." Connor smiled, Blake returning the gesture.
"Thank you, Connor…but please… answer this question at least."
Connor nodded.
"Say… the violence continues. Continues to ramp up. Bodies piling up. Human and faunus alike. Peace is no longer an option. Our victory will only come when all of Remnant cowers in fear of the White Fang."
Connor said nothing.
"If Adam decides this is the only way… I can't stand for it. I won't forgive myself. Never."
She turned to stare directly into his eyes, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"If I decide to run… would you come with me?"
Present Day, Forever Fall, Vale
Red.
As far as the eye could see, Connor saw red.
Connor never got used to cities and towns, and his experiences being with the Fang didn't help matters at all. Crowds made him dizzy, such a dense collection of people made him feel uneasy, making him wish to retreat to a place of quiet.
The forest was familiar.
The only sounds for miles were the calls of animals and the rustle of leaves dancing in the breeze, the only smell that filled his nose was the rich scent of tree sap and the earth beneath him.
The only sight as far as the eye can see was the beautiful and otherworldly sight of blood-red leaves gently floating through the air, shed from the sea of trees that stretched out to the vast horizon beyond.
As he sharpened his dagger's edge against a stone, leaning against a tree, mind calm and absorbing the forest's atmosphere, Connor felt at home. In tune with the world and at peace with himself.
From what he could observe, it seemed his closest brother and sister could say the same.
Adam stood nearby, swinging his sword in controlled movements as his body repeated kata after kata in the blink of an eye, his blade appearing as flashes of glowing red, shredding falling leaves before him into thin slices.
With his rose-red hair burning hot with his Aura, Adam appeared a part of the forest, one and the same with its natural state, unlike anything Connor had ever seen.
Barely a distance away in an open clearing, a flat rock sat in the center, all alone under the golden sun. Sitting atop it was Blake, the very image of serenity.
She stared up at the faded moon of the day past the trees, the leaf-laden breeze picking up her long raven hair and causing it to dance behind her. Connor continued to stare at her, wondering what was on her mind.
"...would you come with me?"
Her words echoed in Connor's brain once again, just as they had for the past year. Blake scarcely resurfaced her voices of doubt, but Connor could tell with a passing glance that they had not left her mind in the slightest, a sight that worried him deeply.
Her passion had slowly dwindled, all while Adam's only surged tenfold. As for Connor himself…
"Beautiful…"
Connor flicked his head to the side as he heard the words escape his brother's lips, startled.
The masked faunus leaned against his tree, taking a seat beside him as he rested his weapon against the crook of his arm, his face focused in the direction of their female friend.
"Brother?"
"Connor… I think I'm in love with Blake." Adam breathed out, as Connor could only blink in confusion at the words he was hearing.
"And… when did this start?" Connor pried, curious.
He had known the three of them had fostered a close bond for as long as they had known each other, that bond only strengthening with time. Perhaps it had finally reached a breaking point? He certainly hadn't been noticing Adam showing signs of this kind of affection before.
If his pause was any indication, maybe he was simply shy about the matter?
"Dunno… maybe from the very beginning. I just… saw it more every passing day. How she fought, how she covered my back at every turn… how she's so… hopeful." Adam sighed, a smile inching onto his face.
Connor's eyes turned deadpan as he groaned. "The way you describe these qualities, would they not apply to me as well? Perhaps you simply think her ears are cute."
Adam sharply turned to Connor, before slapping a hand on his shoulder and letting out a loud guffaw, great heaves of breath swelling his chest before he regained his voice.
"You- You actually told a joke? That's new. You might be right, though." Adam replied, Connor grinning at his brother's joy.
"We've gone so far together, as a team, as a family. Connor, I don't know what I'd do without you… without Blake." Adam admitted, Connor listening in silence.
"I feel that so long as I have you beside me… I can do anything. Lose to nobody. I don't have to be… afraid anymore. That's special. You guys are special."
Connor remained silent after hearing Adam's words, his heart deeply touched by his words as the smile on his face grew.
"If Adam decides this is the only way… I can't stand for it. I won't forgive myself. Never."
Another memory from that night in the Sanctum, resurfacing in his mind and planting a seed of doubt in his conscience. He remembered Blake's doubts. His thoughts then turned to her.
What would she think? Would she return his feelings? Would this quell her desire to leave?
What would Connor do?
"Adam-"
A new noise.
The distinct rattling of metal tracks, slicing through the calm of the forest.
A mere human would be none the wiser, but far less got past a faunus's senses.
"The train." Connor suddenly reported, standing to his feet as he slotted his dagger in his belt, strapping his quiver to his back. Retrieving his tomahawk, Connor nodded to Adam, who did the same and gripped his sword in hand, calling out to their remaining friend.
"Blake, it's time."
She turned, parting her bangs with a finger as her golden eyes narrowed into slits. "Okay."
With that, she returned to the ground, retrieving her sword from beside the rock and rejoined the two brothers.
In a flash, they were off into the distance, streaking through the trees as crimson leaves scattered in their path. Connor ran with his mind scattered in every direction, confused and conflicted from everything that had happened until now.
Blake's doubt and fear. Worry that they might be marching to ruin and mindless bloodshed.
Adam's ambition and pride. Fueled by the bond he shared with them both.
Where did he stand?
Who would he choose to follow?
Whose bond did he wish to preserve more?
Connor dispelled these thoughts as the deafening noise of the train's horn echoed through the valley. The trio came to a complete stop by a cliff's edge, overlooking the rift below, cutting a line through the forest for miles.
Passing along the tracks laid at the bottom, Connor could see the vessel rocketing through the veil of red at breakneck speed, bearing the distinct mark of a snowflake-shaped crest.
"SDC train…" Adam snarled, before nodding to the two of them.
Mirroring the gesture, this was their cue. Leaping from the cliff's edge, the trio of faunus caught the slope with their boots, sliding down the cliff face as dust trailed behind them.
Hands on their weapons, they slid further down with eyes never leaving the train as it sped past.
Adam and Blake unsheathed their blades, driving them into the train as they landed on the roof of a car with a hard thunk, weapons driven through the metal surface to slow their falls. Connor did the same, slamming his tomahawk into the car roof with as much force as he could, burying it into the metal.
Retrieving his weapon, the trio continued to run along the train, hopping cars. Stopping at a hatch, Connor swung his weapon down, destroying the lock and opening the entrance, allowing his comrades to jump inside before following.
Inside the car, Connor could immediately sense that they were not alone. From the ready stances of his comrades, they knew it too.
"Twenty-eight on each wall." Connor reported as he briefly scanned the room with his Eagle Eyes, spotting the machines slowly whir to life and glow a bright red in his vision, stirred by their presence in the train car.
"Hmph. Hardly a challenge." Adam scoffed.
Blake audibly rolled her eyes. "Drama queen."
The Atlesian Knights were Atlas's newest line of foot soldiers, built to handle operations too dangerous for human soldiers. However, Adam's words held truth. Due to their mass-produced nature, Connor had little trouble with them, much less Blake and Adam.
Especially Adam.
Thus when the first android stepped forward and revealed its gun arms, Adam simply stared at it with a wicked grin.
"INTRUDER. IDENTIFY YOURSEL-."
*BANG!
Barely a second after the robot spoke, Adam's blade was knocked against its head, shot like a bullet from his scabbard. Within a flash, Adam moved behind it, his blade already back in its sheath.
The robot fell to pieces a second later, as all the others in the train car moved in, arms transformed into blades and gatling guns alike, all of them targeting the faunus intruders.
Connor summoned his Semblance's power, bringing forth a spectral beast as his Aura glowed bright blue. While aware that several robots were running straight at him, he trusted Blake to cover his back.
Blake watched the robots charge and leaped backwards, her Semblance confusing them as she slashed at them from behind, weapon in hand as she advanced, slicing away at several androids behind them. Slashing her Gambol Shroud forward, several robots on top of Connor were cut to pieces, allowing Connor to make his move.
An ethereal wolf raised its head high, howling a cry that echoed off of the metal walls. Moving forward, Connor commanded the wolf mentally as he chopped and hacked at every robot that drew close, his Currumpaw hacking away chunks of metal with every swing.
His wolf summon ruthlessly pounced on every robot it set its sights on, chewing away at their necks and leaping off of their dead bodies to attack another, moving from one kill to the next at blinding speed.
Adam continued his assault, his crimson Wilt slicing through metal like butter with every lightning-quick slash he threw out, robots falling in droves before his overwhelming prowess.
The three faunus stood as one, fighting as one unit. As Connor moved to finish off one bot, Adam would decapitate another machine sneaking up behind him. As Adam fended off two, Blake leaped off of his back and came down with both blades out, cutting another two in twain.
They moved not just to eliminate their targets but to shield one another. With their bond stronger than ever, no enemy could hope to defeat them as they stood together.
Another robot opened fire with its machine gun arms, only for Adam to deflect the shots, his hair glowing as his Aura simmered.
*click
In a burst of power, Adam drew his sword and slashed forward as a shockwave of power slammed into the robot, sending it crashing through the car door, revealing the open sky beyond as well as a legion of more robots marching over the cargo in a beeline for them.
"Let's go!" Adam called out, Connor and Blake emerging from the empty train car and charging forward with the bull faunus.
Together, they pressed on. Connor dispelled the wolf and his Aura changed colors to a bright red. Absorbing the bear's power within him, Connor drew his weapon up and leaped, letting out a battle cry.
Much had happened since that day in the forest, and he had trained hard ever since. Today, the results showed splendidly.
"RRRAAGHHH!"
*BLAM!
Smashing his weapon into the first car, a great shockwave burst from the point of impact, causing the train to quake violently, sending many robots flying into the air and tumbling off the side.
While the blow was violently strong, Connor knew the fragility of the platform they stood on. So was the test of his training, to contain his strength and adjust its output when necessary.
He let out a sigh of relief as the train remained on the tracks, his arm unscathed as he rolled his shoulder, pressing on to deal with the rest of the robots.
Blake and Adam pushed ahead, the former contracting her blade and tossing it, yanking on the black ribbon to fire the pistol attached, spinning in the air and firing in a circle around her, slicing apart and peppering holes into anything in range.
Adam remained lightning quick, his blade and rifle dispatching every foe in his path. Slicing at a group of robots, Adam slotted his sword in his scabbard as they all fell in unison.
Connor leaped ahead, flicking his Currumpaw in his hand as the longbow took shape. Drawing several arrows, he took aim, felling target after target as he ran. Two robots fell from shots to the head, another knocked off the train.
One tried to sneak up behind him, only for Connor to grip his arrow and stab it into his head. With a quick flick of his wrist, his bow shrunk into its axe form.
With a roar, it was buried into the robot's head, splitting it in two.
After all their obstacles were dealt with, Connor followed his comrades into another train car, this one filled from wall to wall with supply crates, all marked with the sigil of the Schnee Dust Company. Opening the first crate, Connor caught sight of the radiant glow of freshly processed Dust, on its way to the port.
Adam stared over his shoulder and gave a grin, teeth bared in a wicked expression.
"Perfect! You two take the cars ahead. I'll set the charges."
Connor paused.
"Charges? The engine is still far ahead. I will sever the car when we arrive and stop the train with all of its cargo. Is that not the plan?" Connor asked, perplexed.
Adam tilted his head with a toothy sneer appearing on his visage. "No, this isn't a supply run. We have no need for additional ammo or power. All that matters is that the Schnee dogs are denied their precious Dust. Let's see how they like it when it's nothing but ashes."
Blake's eyes widened as she stepped closer.
"There are human crew on the train-! What about them?" Blake asked, as Adam turned her way, his expression unchanging and neutral.
"What about them?"
That was Adam's reply, quick and simple, delivered without a single hint of hesitation.
Before Connor or Blake could reply, the distinct noise of metal clanging echoed off of the walls, prompting all three faunus to immediately shift into guarded stances, hands on their weapons as they prepared for combat.
Connor activated his Eagle Eyes, the world shifting in color as his senses were honed. Turning to the ceiling, he alerted his comrades.
"Above us!"
Everyone watched as a massive machine appeared from the shadows, landing as the ground shook underneath their boots. Four legs hoisted a sturdy metal chassis above the ground, as four massive cannons revealed themselves, a Spider drone taking aim at the intruders as lights all over its body flashed a bright red.
Moving immediately, the three faunus attacked the giant robot. Adam led the charge, swinging his blade to deflect its barrage of fire, allowing Connor to move in closer.
Connor struck at its legs, but cringed as his tomahawk bounced off of the machine's sturdy armor. Blake jumped in, leaping off of his back to slash at its face, only for the robot to catch sight of her and react, lunging forward with its entire body, knocking her out of the air.
Crumpling to the floor, Blake gasped as the robot raised its legs to trample her.
"Blake!"
Connor moved immediately, catching its leg with his hands, straining against the outrageous weight of the machine, struggling to keep himself rooted to the ground as the Spider drone pushed against him, trying to crush him into paste.
As Blake moved out of the way, Adam leaped in again, slashing at its face, only for the robot to once again slam into him, the move knocking both him and Connor back, skidding against the floor of the train car.
"The armor is too tough. I cannot cut through." Connor growled, Blake and Adam getting their bearings as well, but not before noticing the drone merging its cannons into a single massive weapon, surging with power.
"GET DOWN!" Adam cried out, taking the brunt of the blast with his sword out, the force sending them all out the door and rolling across the surface of the next car.
Groaning, Connor saw stars as he gripped his skull, trying to regain his senses. Blake and Adam did the same, all of them turning once again to the ruined car, from which the Spider drone crawled out, advancing towards them.
"What's the plan?" Blake asked, as Adam turned his head down to his sword, glowing from absorbing the blast. He knew what to do.
"Connor! Hit me! Blake, buy us time!" Adam yelled out, holding his sword out to Connor who nodded, immediately catching onto his new strategy as his Aura glowed red once more.
Blake turned to them, shocked. "Are you sure?!"
"DO IT!"
With that, Blake took off as Connor's Aura glowed with the strength of the bear.
Heaving his tomahawk up, he brought it down.
*CLANG!
As he struck the blade with his Semblance's power, sure not to snap it, he watched as its edge intensified its glow, slowly surging in power.
Once more.
*CLANG!
Again.
*CLANG!
Again!
*CLANG!
*CLANG!
*CLANG!
"Agh!"
Blake's shout rang out in their ears as Adam swiftly sheathed his sword, now leaking with his Semblance's accumulated strength. The feline faunus flipped back to their position, Connor turning to face the Spider drone now charging in a straight line for their direction.
"GO!"
As Connor and Blake retreated, Adam held the hilt of his blade with a death grip as power surged within his Aura, his sword overflowing with a lethal energy that seeped into his entire being.
He watched and waited, any moment-
The Spider drone jumped, lunging straight at him.
NOW!
"THIS… IS… POWER!"
SCHNGGGG
Adam slashed.
In a blink of an eye, all the world turned red as his blade cut through the air, the very air seeming to bleed as a devastating wave of energy struck the Spider drone head-on.
The robot, despite its massive size, flew backwards, sent flying from the power of Adam's slash, its raw energy bleeding into its cut and spreading all throughout its frame.
In mere seconds, before it could even hit the ground, the robot began to fade.
Soon, nothing was left. Not a hint of scrap or a speck of dust remained as the great machine was completely erased from this world.
Sheathing his blade, Adam gave a satisfied smirk before running to rejoin his comrades.
Nothing could prepare him for what he saw next.
Adam froze to see Connor, standing completely motionless as he saw Blake staring back from the next car over, a hand to her blade, raised high as she stood over the connecting line between the two cars.
"Blake…?" Adam stared, confused and unbelieving.
Blake stared back, eyes narrowing as she gripped her blade tighter.
"I'm sorry. This isn't what I signed up for." She said, simple and frank as she wound up her sword to strike.
"BLAKE, NO-!" Adam screamed, reaching out for her.
Too late.
"Goodbye, Adam."
With a single slice of her sword, the cars were separated.
Adam stared for a moment, then at the stunned faunus right beside him, staring back at Blake with an expression that was the definition of inner turmoil.
"CONNOR! DO SOMETHING! WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Adam screamed desperately as he shook Connor's shoulders with great vigor, confused out of his mind both at Blake's betrayal as well as Connor's inactive state.
Suddenly, his expression morphed into one of rage as he turned away from Connor and trained his sights on Blake, gripping his sword and making a running start.
"BLAKE-!"
Connor had no idea what to do.
Blake had foretold him of this exact scenario about a year ago by now, and for that amount of time, that question would never leave his mind.
She asked him then what he would do, who he would side with. What was it that he stood for.
He thought back to everything he had been through up until this point.
He remembered the Fang when he was first adopted by Sienna, a mere child along with Blake as they stood at the rallies, long before they were of the mind to form their own concrete worldviews, well-fed in that department by the organization that surrounded every aspect of their lives.
He remembered that day in the forest when Adam had taken a life to save his. How torn he was then, how this would change radically over the years.
He remembered the day Blake's parents had left and Blake harshly separated from them, choosing instead to fight alongside him and Adam, sparking the rapid development of the bond they shared.
He remembered Adam's heartfelt admission to him above in the forest clearing.
He remembered Adam's cold response when Blake had brought up the crew.
Connor remembered his response that day.
"If I decide to run… would you come with me?"
…
Connor sighed.
"I came here to seek… a gentler world. If Adam denies that, then I will see it through beside you."
Connor saw Adam move and reacted in a blink of an eye.
His hand slapped onto his shoulder.
"CONNOR?! WHA-"
*SLAM!
Connor harshly pushed Adam down to the ground and ran with all his might, moving further away from him and onto an uncertain future.
Summoning his Semblance once again, his Aura now glowed a bright yellow as a new beast took form in his soul.
That of a majestic eagle.
The eagle's blessing filled his legs as his speed increased, his sprint now taking him to the car's edge, growing ever so in distance.
With a leap, Connor summoned the eagle's agility as he jumped yet again, allowing him to leap off of the thin air and roll safely by Blake's side on the other car.
"Connor!" Blake helped him to his feet as both faunus turned back to stare at the severed cars, a lone figure standing there, too far to pursue them as his face could only stare.
"Brother… why…?"
Connor could barely make out his words in the wind before he faded into the mists of Forever Fall, leaving the two of them alone with each other.
There was only cold silence for a few moments as Connor could only lean against a supply crate, his mind swirling with turbulent and chaotic thoughts.
He had made a monumental decision, one that tore at his heart as he remembered his brother's confusion and desperation as he took the leap.
Connor had turned his back on him, betrayed his trust, and abandoned his life with the White Fang, the only life he had ever truly known.
What awaited him now?
Did he truly make the right choice?
Would Adam ever forgive him?
Connor had no idea what to make of any of it.
"C-Connor? Are you alright?"
Connor turned to his companion, who was now sitting beside him, golden eyes rich with concern and confusion much like his as she addressed him, a stammer in her voice.
"I… I am not sure." Connor muttered, his brain completely rattled as he stared emptily into the distance, his eyes passing over the crimson-headed trees as they flew by.
It was the truth. Despite everything, Connor still held a close bond with his brother, with the White Fang. It had been all he had known, and now the future was completely left in mystery.
Where would they go?
What would they do next?
What could they do?
Suddenly, Connor felt warmth. Blake wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly.
Connor's memories immediately flashed back to Sienna. He remembered that day in the forest when he had nearly died. Sienna had nearly lost him, and held him, forever grateful to Adam for saving his life.
A sense of gratitude and pride that would hoist them both unto unimaginable heights until it toppled over.
Here, Connor could feel it was similar, but something different entirely.
"I-I… Thank you… for coming with me. It really means a lot… I don't know how I'm ever gonna repay you-" Blake stammered, as Connor came to an understanding.
Of course it was different. Now, Blake was embracing him and thanking him for standing by her. Would this cast them higher much like with Adam and Sienna? Or would they take a different path away from the White Fang?
Connor did not know, but he did know one thing.
"Keep on watching my back… and I will return the favor. Always." Connor replied frankly, as Blake's ears drooped, eyes cast to the ground.
"I-I'm sorry. I know you and Adam were like brothers… I can't imagine what it must feel like-"
"Enough." Connor stopped Blake abruptly.
He did not want to discuss Adam now, not after their very recent betrayal of him. Right now, Connor's mind drifted to other matters.
"What about your plan? Where will we go now?" Connor asked, staring up at the shattered moon above, shimmering past the daylight.
Blake leaned against him, following his gaze as the train pressed forward into the mists, swallowed by a cloud of falling red leaves raining down like snow.
"With luck… toward a gentler world."
AECE