RWBY: Dark/Patchwork Trust

Jaune secured his wrist guard, ensuring the armor piece was fastened tight. Pyrrha pulled on her plated boot, then stood. The two loomed into each others’ eyes briefly, then set off for the departure bay. They walked silently, with nothing but their heavy boots clinking on the cold ground as they walked.

Jaune was the first to speak. “So I found out the Huntsmen that’ll be joining us.”

Pyrrha cocked her head and gave Jaune a look of despair. “Don’t tell me.”

Jaune nodded. “Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie.”

Pyrrha sighed loudly. “Ugh. I hate those two. Why do we always get mixed with them?”

Jaune nodded again. “I can at least say their both good fighters and are at least loyal to Lord Ozpin,” he said. “But Lie is such a downer and takes everything so damn seriously. It’s like he doesn’t even enjoy what he does.”

Pyrrha shrugged. “At least he’s not Nora. I swear, she’s not all there. I mean, we’ve fought some absolute wackos from the Resistance, but she’s mental.”

“You notice how she just gushes over Lie like they’re lovey-dovey?”

“How could you miss it? She’s obsessed with him, but he hates her guts. All I can say is that I secretly hope Lord Ozpin sees her doing that and throws her to his Grimm.”

Jaune grinned. “Any Huntsman of Huntress knows that love is forbidden in this profession. The least she could do is keep it a godsdamned secret.”

Pyrrha grinned back at him. “I told you, not all there. She’s cookoo.”

The conversation ended as the two entered the docking bay, where a massive Bullhead ship was waiting. Outside of it was a man, cloaked in green robes, with cloth covering his face. Next to him was a woman in a dyed pink combat shirt and white combat skirt.

“It’s about time you two showed up,” a gruff voice said under the cloth.

“Yeah, Ren and I have been waiting for like forever!” The pink one said.

“Tough sh*t,” said Jaune. “Now, are you going to continue bitching or are you going to get on the motherf*cking ship?”

Lie Ren’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Then he briskly stood up and walked into the Bullhead.

Nora skipped behind him. “Wait for me, Senpai!” she whistled.

Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in disgust.

“Cookoo,” Pyrrha said.

Adam shivered as Emerald wrapped another cloth blanket around him. He slowly reached up and felt the cotton bandage strapped to his head, which was soaked through with blood.

“I’ll go get you another bandage,” Emerald said. She eyed him closely, then hurried to another room.

“Thank you for this,” Adam shuddered aloud, addressing Cinder, Mercury, Roman, and Salem, who were in the room with him. “I wasn’t going to make it much further.”

Mercury pointed at him. “I thought you were dead.”

Adam shook his head. “No. When Blake Belladonna usurped the White Fang from me, I played the villain and pretended to be on her side. Truth is, I was working with the Resistance the whole time. When she found out, she…” He choked on his words, like they were bitter.

“Wait,” said Cinder. “You’re with the Rebellion?”

Adam nodded. “Yes. I joined up after the bombing of Vale. I should have joined sooner.”

“We’re Resistance too,” Cinder said.

Adam looked at her, though she could not see his eyes through his mask, which sat idly on his face, just covering his eyes and forehead.

“Really?” He sounded shocked and disappointed. “I thought the Resistance was doing better than this.” He glanced around. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Roman huffed.

Cinder sighed. “I’m afraid not. In fact, the woman in the corner over there is Salem.”

Adam looked over to her. “Salem? The leader of the Resistance? I thought she was dead.”

Cinder shook her head. “No, but the bombing of Vale hurt her. Badly. She’s not who she used to be mentally.”

Mercury interrupted. “Taurus, you said you were working undercover with the Resistance. Who did you have contact with? They’re aren’t much of us outside of what you’ve seen here.”

Adam lowered his head. “My contacts were named Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart.”

Cinder’s eyebrows raised. “They’re with us. They left a few months ago to seek out more members and try to establish some kind of settlement outside of Vale. What did you hear from them?”

Adam shook his head. “Unfortunately, not much. I think I did hear about those settlement plans, though. Something about Patch.”

Everyone looked surprised. “Patch?” Roman said, confused. “That little island west of here? What sense would it make to put settlements or headquarters there?”

“Yeah,” continued Mercury, “and Signal Academy is there too. That’s where they take all of the kids thy’ve kidnapped and start their training to become Hunters and Huntresses before they send them here to Beacon Fortress. That island’s crawling with Lord Ozpin’s goons.”

“Not to mention that’s where the Reaper used to live,” Emerald chimed in, walking into the room with a damp bandage. She bent down to Adam and began replacing his blood-soaked bandage.

“Look, I’m just telling you what I heard.” Adam said. He hissed in pain as Emerald pressed the bandage to his wound. “I just kind of took care of trade route stuff and made sure they could get back and forth through the White Fang-controlled area. My last contact was with Hazel before Blake found out. He got away unharmed, I wasn’t so lucky.”

Cinder’s brow furrowed. “Why would Blake care that you were working with the Rebellion?”

Adam sighed. “Mostly because you’re not all Faunus. That Tyrian dude is a Faunus, but she considers and Faunus not a part of the White Fang a traitor that deserves to die like humans. It doesn’t matter if they’re neutral, Resistance, Huntsman or Huntress.” He grunted in agony as Emerald tightened his bandage. “Blake and the White Fang have no love for Lord Ozpin or his regime, but they hate the Resistance too. Basically, if you are not White Fang, they want you dead.”

Roman huffed again. “And I suppose you were the one who taught them that? You led them.”

Adam shook his head. “I wanted a sanctuary for Faunus. I wanted a community where we could be ourselves, and peacefully bring about good relations with humans. But after Lord Ozpin’s regime pushed, they got desperate, and Blake usurped the White Fang from me. She turned them into a cult. She turned them into animals.” He groaned. “They aren’t Faunus anymore. They’re below people, just like the Huntsmen and Huntresses they hate. They’re monsters.”

He looked up at Cinder and the others. “Do you know why I called it the White Fang? Because, as animal-like creatures, we can have fangs. But our fangs were supposed to be clean, white, free of blood. When Blake took over, she stained those fangs. She turned them red.”

Cinder took the speech in, but said nothing.

Adam cleared his throat. “Thank you for your hospitality,” he said. “I promise, as soon as I am well enough, I will go.”

Cinder raised her eyebrows. “Go? You’re Resistance. You’re with us.”

Adam shook his masked head. “I can’t stay. Blake and the White Fang are no doubt looking for me. If they find me here, they’ll find you. Seeing as how none of you are Faunus or a part of the White Fang, you’ll all be killed too. Then that would be the end of the Resistance. No, I can’t put you in danger.”

Cinder shook her head. “No. We’re all in danger anyway. I’m not sending you out with the White Fang, Grimm, and Reaper out there.”

She turned and began walking back to her room. “Get him a cot,” she yelled to the others.

As she walked away, she faintly heard Adam say, “Did she say the Reaper was here?”

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