Wilting Shroud

[Alpha Zerg]

Wilting Shroud
An Adam Taurus-centric RWBY Fanfiction

---

On a sunny morning, two partners attacked a train. In one world, they would have separated, the one holding a grudge against the other; in this world, that changed.

 

[Alpha Zerg]

Prologue

It started with a wood on a morning with a blood-red sky, and leaves to match.

"It's time." I told her, solemnly.

"Okay." She replied.

We jumped down a cliff, sliding on the descent. It ended with a train, landing as softly as a pair of cats. Aparat from my blade grinding through the roof. The trapdoor was opened with a flash, and the darkness below was slightly foreboding.

I stated that we would be doing this the hard way, and she replied that I was being dramatic - she was probably right.

An unfeeling and scripted voice called for our identification. It received a hilt to it's 'face', and was rent in twain.

My sword clove its way through their bodies, my companion's kusagirama guns flashing and flying, equally as effective as my blade. A blade that I had crafted at the age of thirteen, and trained in its use ever since.

Said blade returned to its partner before rocketing out again, ripping and tearing through metal with the same ease as it would flesh. One of the automatonic constructs fired hundreds of rounds at us and I deflected them with my sword before allowing my partner to dismantle it.

Violently.

The useless remains of their mechanical bodies lay strewn across the floor behind us while I kicked the door out with the final one.

"Let's do this!" I exclaimed to her as more of the unfortunate robots approached us.

---

I ran forwards, slicing two robots into the air for my partner to destroy, before blasting one of them into the incoming group. My partner fired her weapon into the enemy, preparing to take them all down, so I leapt past, slicing a straggler on the way out, before dealing with the next group. A few flashes of my chokuto, the air pressure cutting into the enemies out of my physical range, and that group was reduced to so much scrap metal as well. My companion and I worked together flawlessly to take down machines created to defend against monsters born from darkness, years of bonding in the field creating a knowledge of each other that possibly rivalled the famed teamwork of hunter squads.

I stepped through the door to the next car of the train, my partner following a step behind me. I looked at her for a second, measuring her wellbeing, before sprinting running forwards, knowing that she would follow me.

"Perfect. Move up to the next car..." I told her after I opened the cargo door, scanning the container, then closing it again.

"I'll set the charges." I continued, and turned back to her as she asked me, "What about the crew members?"

Looking back on this scene, I realised how deep I had fallen in those times, and I was just glad for the choice that I made later, but I replied, "What about them?"

Luckily, before I could make good on my statement, a Spider Droid dropped down from the ceiling, attracting our attention. My partner spoke my name admonishingly, and I moved forwards to counter this new threat. It fired a round of energy blasts, and I dodged them with my partner before she ran forwards to attack it, getting beaten out of the air for her efforts. She yelped as she fell, and was left defenceless on the floor while the Droid attempted to crush her, so I flashed forwards and sliced at it repeatedly before being kicked away and fired at with an energy blast.

After dodging the follow-up blasts, I noticed the Droid advancing on my partner, and attempting to crush her. I flashed back towards her, picked her up into my arms and flashed to the entrance, depositing her to her feet gently. "We need to get out of here!" She told me, and I grabbed onto my sword in order to prepare my Semblance as I noticed it merging its arms and charging a blast significantly more powerful than the previous ones.

It fired before I could prepare however, and we were thrown out of the back of the compartment, landing on the outside of the train again.

"Buy me some time!" I told her after we had gotten up.

"Are you sure?" She questioned, looking worried, but I disregarded that and commanded her to, "Do it!"

She sprinted forwards and I grabbed onto my sword, focusing on that area deep inside of me that I had had to discover at an early age. My clothing and hair lit up with red and my skin paled slightly in contrast, as my partner rocketed towards the gargantuan robot.

It was probably magnificent, how she distracted it for just long enough for me to prepare, she probably used her Semblance and weapons to dance around and through it, capturing its attention perfectly. Unfortunately I didn't see it. I was focused completely on drawing up my power, and when I noticed her flipping back towards my side, I was ready.

"Move!" I commanded her again, and she flipped out of the way, just in time for the Spider Droid to finish charging its main cannon again.

It fired.

I blocked.

I caught the energy of its attack on the blade of my semi-sheathed sword, the light of my soul rising up to draw it into me, and I sheathed my blade.

The world went black. It was as if all light had suddenly left the area, and I radiated with power, the only light in the sudden darkness. I laughed mockingly, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of taking my enemy's power and making it my own, and the world came back. My hair was shining red, my eyes glowed and the white of my skin and clothes were more pronounced.

The Spider Droid hurtled upwards and forwards to crush me, but as its front claw neared my head, I ripped Wilt out of Blush, the trigger not even necessary as the energy of my enemy invigorated me. Wilt flashed, and the world darkened once more, reds and blacks covering the world as I unleashed a titanic amount of power against this robot that dared hurt her.

It faded away in a stream of rose petals, as all things touched by my semblance do, and I sheathed my sword while the natural colours of the world returned.

I turned around and ran towards the end of the platform, the gap separating that one and the next seemed like an abyss with Blake standing on the other side. Her face was sad as she slashed the platforms apart.

"Goodbye." She stated simply, and in another life I may have let her leave, I may have simply watched as she faded away...

"Wait!"

But in this one, where I had come to rely on her, my gentler half. I took a step backwards before jumping across the gap, my Aura flooding through my legs and my body a blur as I realised exactly how despicable I must have become for her to want to leave. The decision had been made...

"I'm coming with you."

But this one was for the better.

 

[Alpha Zerg]

Chapter One

The months in between our arrival at Beacon and my decision to stay with Blake were tough. I had to juggle getting into Beacon Academy with Blake, taking tests of both physical and mental ability in order to simply be allowed to take the entrance exam; as well as attempting to reform the White Fang. I was not the leader of the White Fang, but I had a considerable amount of people who would listen to me, if only out of fear. On top of that, I had to study in order to make sure that I could pass those aforementioned tests of mental ability, seeing as I had never attended any of the Hunter Schools like Signal. I knew enough about engineering to have built my own weapon, Wilt and Blush, at a young age, but I didn't exactly know much about the history of Remnant, for example.

My education had mostly come from the days before my mother died at the hands of humans, my father killed before I was born. To this day I still did not know why they killed her, I just remembered seeing them staring grimly down at her body, torches in hand. I had stared, unable to comprehend what was occurring, not letting out a sound. Something that may have saved my own life.

But I digress.

On top of the days spent studying and the nights spent talking to the members of the Fang who would still listen to me, I spent time with Blake. It seemed that she was surprised at my reaction to her leaving, which was understandable, but I had come to depend on her to blunt my more violent tendencies. We had alot to talk about, and we spoke of everything and nothing. We spoke about how our days went, to what she wanted to do as a Huntress, and why I had followed her. We grew even closer in that time, but after a while it was all finally complete.

I had mostly convinced everybody but the most violent and die-hard terrorists of the White Fang to stop their attacks. I wasn't sure about how we would reach our goals, but Blake had convinced me that further violence would achieve nothing but harm to ourselves. Something that we had debated on was starting a new settlement outside the Kingdoms, but that was more of a dream than a goal.

We had completed the final test and filled out the appropriate details, then sent them off together.

A week later, we received a message from Beacon.

---

*Dee doo dee dip*

I picked my scroll up lazily from where I was lying in the apartment that Blake and I were sharing, and looked at the message.

"Dear Mr. Taurus

You have hereby been accepted to the Beacon Academy for Hunters Entrance Examination. You as well as the rest of your year group will be transported to the Academy campus via airship, after which the Examination will take place.

The Airship will leave from the Vale Airfields at 1300 on the 2nd of January next year.

We look forwards to your attendance.

Regards
Headmaster Ozpin
Beacon Academy for Hunters"

I went still for a second as I absorbed what I had just read, before grinning.

"Blake!" I yelled, "Check your scroll!"

She walked into the room looking a bit confused, but took her scroll out nonetheless, and her face split into a smile as she read the message. She looked at me for a second, as the stress of the past few months faded away. From now it would be simple enough, and I gave her a quick hug as I walked past her.

The Exam was in two weeks, and I was truly happy for the first time in years.

---
Two weeks could pass in a flash.

Especially two weeks before taking a test that would determine the rest of your life. Looking back, I wondered where all the time went, but truthfully, it wasn't spent much differently to all the other days of the past few months. I had trained, I had studied, so now I relaxed with Blake and the White Fang. A few months of training had built up my aura reserves slightly and the speed at which I could use my semblance. It wasn't much, but it was noticeable. Other than that, there was not much to do now that we had been accepted. Blake no longer had to run around for days on end arranging tests and other things, and I had solidified my changes in the White Fang enough that now I was just talking to them, instead of lecturing them.

I walked towards the airship with Blake, my partner, at my side and looked forwards to this next chapter of my life

 

[Alpha Zerg]

Chapter One Continued

Blake and I sat down in a corner of the airship, Blake taking out a book to read and myself looking around, making notes of the people around us. I would have taken a book out as well, but at least one of us had to be alert, and that was usually me.

I looked around at the others in the airship. There was a large human standing with a group of friends, attempting to look threatening, while on the other side of the room to Blake and I was a red-headed girl doing the same as I was. Our eyes met for a second and she nodded at me, her lips twitching up into a bit of a smile. I nodded back and continued my assessments, just as a girl with white hair, a white skirt and a haughty posture walked in.

Weiss Schnee.

I growled under my breath and clenched my fist for a second at what she represented, but Blake's hand touching my arm stopped me.

"Calm down," She whispered, "She is not her father, and we do not know what she is like yet."

I sighed, and carried on looking around, while the Schnee girl gravitated towards the red-head. Speaking of red-heads, there was a girl that lookedentirely too energetic for any standards bothering a boy who seemed completely used to it by now. 'Huh. At least it isn't me.' I thought to myself in pity.

A hologram screen lit up, displaying the face of that human who had been trying to convince the White Fang to join him before I shut down that course of action. As of now, only those who refused to listen to what I told them were working with him, and that was more to spite me than to actually join his cause. The Faunus rights protest that occurred a few days ago was interrupted by members of that same group of the White Fang, tarnishing our reputation even further. "Perhaps it would be best to change our name?" I mused aloud to Blake, my red eyes drifting back towards her as she hummed in noncommittal agreement.

The news screen was replaced by the image of a stern-looking woman with blond hair, glasses, a riding crop and a tattered purple cape.

Glynda Goodwitch.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon," She said, while mutterings of things like, "Who's that?" spread across the room. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of attending this prestigious Academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it."

While I would not agree with everything she said, she had carried on, so I continued listening, Blake had put down her book a while ago to listen as well.

"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

The screen faded away, and everyone started getting up, looking at the view now that we were approaching Beacon. Vale was quite a large city, so we were incredibly high up to be able to see everything, even being able to see the Signal Academy in Patch from so far away.

The girl with blonde hair looked way too bubbly for my liking, and her sister? It looked like they were sisters, looked like she was too young to be on the airship.

Aaaand a blond boy just vomited on their shoes.

I sighed again. While he looked the same age as Blake and I, he seemed pathetic for someone who was going to be attending a school for Hunters... Mabye he was stronger than he looked? I wondered...

The ship shook slightly with its descent, and I tapped Blake on the side as I got up. Blake and I didn't have much on us, just enough to fit into a small bag, but I wanted to be out first. Blake, on the other hand, had a different opinion, and her hand grabbed mine and pulled me back into my seat.

"Lets get out last."

"Ugh, fine..." I replied, and made myself comfortable again as the ship landed.

 

[Alpha Zerg]

Chapter Two - Arrival

The transport landed smoothly as all dust powered machines of this era did with any half-decent pilot. Blake finally deigned to raise her head from her book and paid attention to our surroundings, quickly catalouging our peers as I had earlier. I put my arm across her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze and a small smile, "This is a new beginning for us, eh?"

She smiled back and nodded gently, "Yeah, it is."

The final students walked out and we got up and followed them, my arm still around her shoulders. As we descended down the landing ramp, we were greeted with an exploding Schnee, something that I must admit I enjoyed greatly... Until she started ripping in to the girl who apparentlydetonated the red dust by accident.

"- combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fightmonsters, so... watch where you're going!"

For a moment I wanted to break herargument before her eyes, just to be petty, but Blake's soft nudge made me sigh and nod slightly, allowing her to handle it.

The little red girl that I had noticed earlier was finally getting annoyed by the Schnee overriding her apology, and retorted, "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"

And such a perfect opportunity for Blake was not passed up, "It's heiress, actually."

She slipped out from under my arm and walked forward, "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

The Schnee smiled a touch arrogantly, exclaiming, "Finally, some recognition!"

Just in time for Blake to pop her bubble with an industrially certified needle, "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." I chuckled at that, drawing attention to myself ever so slightly, both the Schnee and the red girl looking at me for a moment before returning their gaze to Blake. The Schnee sputtered with indignance for a few moments, looking a like she wanted to lash out at Blake and I before obviously thinking better of it and stalking off.

Blake and I began walking away, Blake following me as I walked passed the girl and she patted her on her head lightly as we left. She perked up a bit as she watched our retreating backs, and I heard someone approaching her while we left.

"That was perfect, Blake." I bumped her with my shoulder and gestured behind us vaguely with a chuckle, "She was speechless!"

She smiled up at me innocently and questioned coyly, "Why whatever do you mean? I was simply introducing her to the rest of us."

"Heh, sure." I dragged the word out slightly as we walked down the tree lined path quietly.

---

Some time later we found ourselves at the auditorium and took a spot at the back, both of us content to simply observe the presentation. The hall was buzzing wth conversations and what seemed to be reunions, but the noise subsided and then faded completely as Glynda Goodwitch fiddled with the microphone and then Ozpin stepped on to the stage and cleared his throat.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction."

There was a bit of noise as people began whispering amongst themselves, but it faded again as he carried on. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

"Hmmm..." I hummed as he walked away and Professor Goodwitch stepped up to the microphone again.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

"That was wonderfully brief," I commented quietly to Blake. She nodded and hummed her agreement.

"Hmm hm..."

"Let's go walk around a bit."

We ended up walking around for a bit and checking Beacon out, grabbing a quick meal in the cafeteria and depositing our weapons in the armoury. I will admit that I wasn't exactly happy at that, but I understood the reasons for it.

As the sky began to darken and night began to fall, we set ourselves down in a corner of the ballroom. There were already a few sleeping bags on the floor, and some people were walking around in their underwear, so Blake and I quickly got undressed and showered in a nearby bathroom and put sleeping clothes on. I didn't really bother, just putting my normal pants on again.

At our sleeping bags Blake immediately took out her book and I barely lasted a few minutes before I took my own one out. Granted, what I was reading at that moment was a bit more technical than Blake's book, being a textbook on The External Applications of Aura, but sue me. I enjoyed reading just as much as Blake did, "It's not my fault that I couldn't do it as much in the past few years..."

"Yes, it was, Adam." Blake's soft voice interrupted my grumbling.

"Huh?" For a moment I was lost, wondering what she was talking about, before I realised that she had heard me, "But... oh. Yes, I suppose you are right..." I sighed and started reading again.

The past few years had left little time for relaxation - the time that wasn't spent directing the White Fang and handling operations was mostly spent training. Every now and then I would read up on a subject that I needed to research, but most of it was out of necessity. There were precious few moments where I could sit down and read a book, either for the simple pleasure of reading a novel, or for the more gratifying pleasure of learning new things.

It was worth it, though. I knew without a doubt that I could take any of my peers in this room one on one, and even more than that in many cases, without any trouble at all. The Nikos girl may be a touch tricky to handle, but I was confident that I could defeat her as well.

Eventually we were brought out of our reading by two pairs of feet approaching us and the sound of a struggle, and we looked up to see the faces of the red girl from before and her blond sister. The red girl was struggling against her sister's grip, but to no avail.

"Hello! I believe you two may know each other?" She was talking to Blake and pushed her sister forward.

"You're..." Blake seemed to search for words for a moment, "That girl that exploded, right?"

My interest in the conversation waning I hummed in agreement and returned my gaze to the book. It was actually quite fascinating, aura could be projected outside of your body to have a variety of effects outside of your semblance, other than the passive effects. It could even-

"Hey, who're you, handsome?"

I felt naked without the mask that I had worn in public for the past few years. I didn't have an unattractive face, quite to the contrary in fact, I simply didn't like exposing my face to strangers. I wanted to ignore her, but Blake took amusement from my suffering, the glint in her eyes as she smiled at me spoke measures as she nudged me.

'If I'm going to suffer through this then so are you!'

I sighed and looked up to see the blond and red girl, ("My name's Ruby!"), looking at me expectantly.

"I am Adam."

"Hi, Adam!"

God, this girl was cheery.

"Yep, hey. I'm Yang, by the way, Yang Xiao Long. I'm Ruby's older sister. So, what's up, handsome?"

"I am attempting to read a book." My voice was completely flat as I stared at her blankly.

"And... what's it about?" The words shot out of Yang's mouth impatiently, but I waited a few moments to let her stew before answering.

"It is a textbook on the applications of aura outside of the body."

The blank answer made her pause for a second, "Oh, like dust?"

"Close, but not really. It's more using your aura in its pure form to have a variety of effects." I stopped there, and Yang seemed to accept that answer.

"So... Where are you guys from? Yang and I are from Patch. We grew up there and went to Signal."

I compelled Blake to answer this question herself, and she eventually said, "We're from outside the Kingdoms, but we spent some time in Mistral and the last few months in Vale."

That was the background that we had agreed on - as close to the truth as possible, but without any details. If pressed we would say that we trained by ourselves and had some help from some of the Hunters in our surroundings when we needed it. That's why we took such intensive tests during the year, because we didn't have transcripts from previous schools.

Ruby ended up asking us which school we had attended, so Blake regurgitated our lie... which wasn't really a lie at all. We simple didn't mention the White Fang.

The conversation began to wane from there on, and Ruby and Yang returned to their sleeping area after a few goodbyes.

Blake snuffed her quaint little dust lantern and darkness enveloped us.

"Goodnight, Blake."

"Goodnight, Adam."