Chapter 13: To learn Empathy.

All rights go to their owners.

Cover art by Ars Goetia games on Twitter, check him out, his comms are still open.

Talking: "There's a man going around taking names."

Thinking: 'And he decides who to free and who to blame.'

"In a world of filled with misery and uncertainty, it is a great comfort to know that in the end, there is a light in the darkness."-Joshua Graham.

"Come on." A man muttered to himself. Prone on the dirt floor, a camera with an extended lens, in his hands. The camera was primed, aimed at the mine entrance built right into a snowy hill. A tall single pylon stood at the top amidst snowy boulders and frozen rocks. At quick glance, one could mistake it for a tall thin tree with no leaves or branches. No flashing lights or anything to give it off, making it seem almost non-functional, add in the with the worn heavy door closed shut with seemingly no-one around, it gave the mine an abandoned look.

Flax knew better, spotted some enter already but never leave. He had waited almost two weeks, and he'll continue waiting for an opportunity. Flax spits to the side, a bitter taste in his mouth.

He readjusts his spot, his body starting to ache from the uncomfortable position. He had been sitting amongst frozen bushes, wet dirt and chilling air for the past few hours. The only thing that kept him going was the Pulitzer prize he craved. Wait for them to bring slaves in or out, snag a few photos of how evil Iron Crown are and then boom, another amazing bit of journalism done by Flax West.

Simple, or it would have been.

If not for the gun suddenly planted against the back of his head, The steel pressing against the back of his head felt even more freezing then the air. A hint of decay invades his nostrils, Flax grimaces, but quickly puts it under control, it was nothing he hadn't smelt before. His face locked in a calm confidence.

He lifts his arms slowly in surrender.

"Who are you?" A cold voice demands, more chilling than the winter air.

"Flax West, famous journalist, so, y'know… kill me and the whole world knows about it, pal."

The gun is no longer pressed so hard against the back of Flax's head. "Journalist? Do you know him?" The cold voice asked someone.

"I care little for the going-ons of the Kingdoms, do you think I would care about some human with an overinflated ego?"

Flax scoffs. "Hey, my ego is well deserved, I've covered everything; from serial killers all the way to sex scandals of politicians."

"I would be more surprised if Kingdom politicians were not embroiled in sexual misconduct." The new voice said with a dry tone.

Flax opens his mouth and then closes it. Nodding his head. "Got me there."

The cold voice lets out a sigh. The gun removed from the back of Flax's head. The man is grabbed by his collar and lifted with extreme ease. The journalist turns to find two dangerous figures. Adam in his mask, scabbard at the ready and Alex, pistol in hand. He spots the obvious; Adam's horns poking out from his hair. His skin a bit red from the cold. "...You two ain't Iron Crown."

Adam scoffs. "Clearly."

"Why are you here?" Alex asked, the ice from before had slightly receded. He still wasn't pleasant to listen to, but the hostility from before was weakened.

"Here to get my next big hit, found out Iron Crown have been enslaving humans."

Adam lips turn into a snarl. "Lies."

Flax shakes his head to the snarl, no fear from the man despite the armed faunus displeased look. "Nah, I've got it on good sources."

Adam turns to Alex who stares back, words unsaid between the two. Adam growls as his eyes latch back onto Flax. "So, you only care that humans are being enslaved by Iron Crown, now, is that it?"

Flax shrugs his shoulders. "Believe what you want, but I know this will be a silver bullet against Iron Crown. If I can just get some proof of it."

"Explain?" The Wastelander said, head tilted, Adam nods alongside Alex, his arms crossed.

"Iron Crown's whole shtick is human supremacy right? Well, what happens when those people that are all humans first and all that pro-hate bullshit find out Iron Crown treats humans and faunus equally... as slaves. That Iron Crown doesn't really give a shit about human supremacy they just want cash?"

Alex lets out a hum. "Iron Crown loses rapport. Their image as human purists becomes tainted."

Flax snaps a finger at Alex. A disarming smile on his face. "Exactly, plus FRA will burn with this stuff, man. March outs, parades and/or mass protests for that fact Iron Crown is still not considered a criminal organisation." Flax's smile weakens for a bit. "It'll be… a bit messy, but y'know, power to the people and all that."

"Well, you can sit out here, human. I'm not babysitting you during a firefight." Adam spits out, shaking his head.

"-Hey! I ain't some punk. I've covered military conflicts, y'know? Actual firefights and shit."

"Are you capable of killing multiple Iron Crown gangsters?"

Flax swallows at the question from Alex. "W-Well, uhhh. Maybe one or two?"

Alex shrugs and walks past him. Adam by his side. "You're staying here."

Flax grabs Alex by the arm on reflex. "Hey-!" The freezing air seems to become even more chilling. The Wastelander turns with a dark look at the sudden grab. The journalist removes his hand and lifts both arms again in surrender. "Sorry, didn't realise you were… not so touch friendly. My bad." Alex lets out a deep sigh, his breath steaming in the air. "Still, man. I ain't no professional killer but I can handle myself, plus I got something that might interest you two." Flax said waving his camera.

"I have no interest in photography."

"Neither do I, with my eye being as it is."

Flax shakes his head with a groan. "No, geniuses. I got a few photos of an interesting fella entering the mine a while back, a bunch of guys with him, armed like an Mistralian restaurant."

Adam bursts to Flax, as if he just teleported to the man, making the journalist take a step back. "Let me see!" A snarl on the faunus' face.

"Uh, yeah… okay." The journalist acquiesces. Going through his camera memory, he reveals it to Adam. Who snatches it out of Flax's hands. "Hey! Easy man, that camera cost like 25,000."

"For a camera?" Alex asked, walking up. His eyes on the device, unable to comprehend how it was worth so much.

"Yeah, man. High quality brand and custom parts. You can cheap out on a lot of stuff, but not your tools of trade."

"Wise advice."

"Yeeep!" Flax said, popping the p. Slightly dusting off his shoulder. "I'm pretty well-known for my wisd-"

"-It's him!" Adam hisses out. "Mulberry." He spits the name with steaming hatred. His eyes although it wasn't seen could be felt boring into the picture, as if hoping for the man in the centre to spontaneously combust.

"Shit, thought that fat bastard looked familiar…" Flax muttered out, rubbing his chin.

Alex lets out a hum, turning to the mine entrance. "His presence here will complicate things."

"How?" Adam demands.

Alex turns back to Adam, the faunus glaring at him. "The guards will be on high-alert. This added with the fact that we do not know how many slaves are inside nor the layout of the mine will be problematic. If we enter and alert them, they could potentially use the slaves as meat shields or execute them before we can intervene."

Adam growls out a swear. "Sounds like something Mulberry would do, disgusting human fucking pig." His words brimming with venom.

"Do you know of any other entrances?" Alex asked the journalist.

Flax shakes his head. "Nah, tried looking for some but didn't find anything but… burn pits." He finished with a glum look. A bout of rage courses through Adam. Alex's eyes turn frigid. "There's that radio tower but it… it's not connected to anything, just impaled in the dirt."

"The connection must lead underground…" Alex said, eyeing up the tower for himself. Hidden amongst alpine trees, it could easily be mistaken for one of the dozens of evergreens via aircraft with, especially with the lights being turned off, just a dull black pole stabbed into the floor.

Adam lets out an impatient growl. "Do you have any ideas?" He asks Alex.

Alex raises his head, looking into the sky. Silent. Flax however interrupts it. "Look, unless you two can go invisible, you're not getting in quiet. One entrance, one exit… it's just not happening." Alex stiffens, his head lowers to Flax, staring at the man intensely. The man scratches his cheek. "Look, flattered, really. But I don't swing that way."

Alex shakes his head, pulling out two stealth boys, one for himself and one for Adam. "These will make us invisible for around an hour… maybe," Alex waves the stealth boy in front of Adam. It's exposed wires and faded casing didn't inspire. "That hour depends on the condition of the battery, these are not exactly factory new."

Adam nods before a small smirk morphs on his face. "Even ten minutes would be enough to slaughter every Iron Crown bastard in there." He grabs one of the device, looking it over, a clip on the bottom of the device. "How does it work?"

Alex presents the button to Adam. "Press this and attach it somewhere on your body, your belt preferably, it will encase you in a stealth field, but be warned. It is not perfect, a trained person could see the shimmer of the field." He turns to Flax who lifts his arm. "And that is why you will not get one, for unless you kill quickly you will eventually get spotted. Are you willing to kill numerous Iron Crown in a short time span?"

Flax lowers his arm. "Morally, I'm fine with it, but uh… yeah letting you guys sweep up the trained soulless gangsters first is the smart move."

"Adam, to ensure we are on the same page, we are taking this Mulberry alive, correct?"

"Alive?" Adam spits out, his thoughts on that idea clear. "You want me to spare that tubby degenerate of flesh?"

"I want to crush Iron Crown, to perform such an action, intel is required. I can think of no-one better to interrogate than him."

Flax nods. "Tall and quiet has got a point there, Mulberry is like one of the big six in Iron Crown leadership." He finishes staring at Adam.

"I know what he fucking is." Adam hisses the words out, his breath steaming in the air as he glares at Flax. He turns to Alex, the Wastelander's gaze locked onto him. "You really believe you can make that fat bastard crack? Make him spill intel to you?"

"He is not the first I have broken, he will not be the last." Alex said, his cold blue eyes unmoving.

Adam looks off to the side, contemplating before he nods. "Fine, not like the disgusting pig isn't going to suffer anyway, might as well squeeze him for everything he's worth."

"Let us proceed then."

Adam nods in response, a dark grin on his face in lieu of his usual bitter scowl. Flax waves his hand around. "Guess I'll just wait here. Tell me when you're done, boys. These photos I think will be ones to remember." The two move from the spot, toward the entrance to the mine, while Flax remains. The dark-haired man watches on, a sure smile on his face. Alex activates his stealth boy, Adam following suit.

The wastelander slowly pulls open the door, peering into it. Five guards stare at the door in confusion. One starts to shiver,

"Damn, must be crazy windy out there, man." One of the guards say.

"Get it closed and lock it in place with your baton, fucking freezing out there."

"Alright." The guard gets closer and closer to the door. Adam waiting impatiently at the door, but waits nonetheless for Alex to strike. The man gets right at the door, finally spotting the shimmer of the two. "Wait, wha-?"

And so Alex strikes, his silenced 10mm pistol in hand, he fires out four precise shots, killing the four other guards while grabbing the guard and pulling him outside.

He switches off his stealth boy, Adam follows suit, like a bad nightmare they emerge. "How many slaves?" Alex asked, gun pressed under the guard's chin.

"I-I dunno! Hundreds at the very least!" The guard responds. "Please man, I've got a fami-." His pleas are silenced by knee to the gut from Alex, the man lets out a wail as he keels over. He's straightened by Alex and the gun is placed under his chin.

"Nick Mulberry, where is he?" Adam asked this time, Alex eyeing him from the side but doesn't speak.

"In his quarters." The Iron Crown grunt gasps out in pain. "H-He's got a room just for himself. I-In the guard section!"

"How many guards?" Alex asked this time.

"A lot! Like ninety, man!"

Alex eyes up Adam, the faunus shakes his head. No further questions. "Please, guys. I told you what you wanted to know, I-I've got kids, man."

Adam scoffs. "How lucky for you, there will be someone to mourn you." Alex fires the 10mm, the bullet clean through. Instant death for the man. "How do you know you can trust this worm's words?"

Alex holding the body by its collar, tosses it to the side. No respect for the carcass. "I don't, not without other guards to collaborate this information, but it can give me an estimate. While the numbers are most likely not exact, I can wager there is at least over sixty guards, any less and this slave mine -if it is as big and as important as all the others have implied it is- would be extremely undermanned." Alex turns to Adam. "And with how I have been hitting their depots, outposts and even their dock. I doubt, they would allow their biggest mine to be undermanned."

Adam blinks. "You've planned for this."

"I have killed organisations of slavers like this before, I have a general understanding of how they operate. How they think. How they plan. Although, Iron Crown is a little more… well-organised than those groups, but not well enough." He opens the door once more, peeking inside once more. "However, I didn't expect someone of Mulberry's importance here, but that works to our benefit. His intel and subsequent death will make the bells toll for Iron Crown." He finds nothing but the bodies from before. "Shall we?" Alex asks, staring at Adam. The door wide open for the faunus. Adam scoffs and flicks on the stealth boy, entering the mine.

Alex turns into the direction of Flax, the journalist waves his hand to which Alex reactivates his stealth boy and enters the mine himself. The two continue along, passing by a doorway into a lit hallway. Noticeably no guards, until they reach a fork in the path. They both turn off their stealthboys, not wanting to waste it the charge while deciding on who goes where.

One route goes left while the other only goes straight, at a slight incline downwards. Adam looks to the left eager, before turning to the one straight ahead. "Straight ahead will lead to the slaves." He turns back to the left. "While this would lead to the guards quarters."

Alex tilts his head ever so slightly. "How do you know?"

Adam sneers. "Usual Iron Crown set-up. They position their quarters closer to any exits in case of the mine caving in."

"I see." Alex responded, he eyes up both ways. "How should we proceed?"

"We split up, I take the guard's quarters, you go straight. Deal with that direction."

Alex stares at Adam, noticing his hunger for blood. "We want to interrogate Mulberry."

Adam rolls his eyes behind his mask. The slight shift in his stance noticeably by Alex. "You already said that. Do you think me an idiot who forgot the last ten or so minutes?"

"I can see your bloodthirst from here. It seems to be clouding your mind. The better plan of action would be that I take the guards, you free the slaves. You are far less likely to terrify them unlike me."

Adam scoffs, shaking his head. "I don't care, I'm going to the guards quarters. No matter what. So, you can decide, us two going to the guard's quarters or just me." The two stand there, glaring at each other.

"Hey, who the fuck are yo-" The voice is silenced by Alex lifting his 10mm and firing. The body hits the ground. Alex turns back to Adam, the two completely uncaring of the corpse.

Alex shakes his head. "Fine, but do not kill Mulberry. Temper your hate with the knowledge that by sparing him momentarily, we will in turn learn intel that could cripple Iron Crown."

"Sure." Was Adam's curt response, the faunus flicks his stealthboy back on and rushes off into the direction of the barracks.

Alex grumbles. "This is why I prefer working alone." He said to himself. He flicks on his stealthboy and heads straight, down into the belly of the mines.

The sounds of wheezing coughs and dull clanks fill the air in a dark tunnel. Pickaxes and hammers glistening in the dark by dim flashlights barely illuminating anything attached to the chests of humans and humans alone. Rows of slaves of faunus and human all chained together by the neck and ankles. Their purpose in this dark pit was simple.

To crack rocks and break stone for Dust. To lift sledgehammers and pickaxes overhead for hours upon hours, 7 days a week, every week.

Their rewards would be bellies full of gruel and other waste just to ensure they would not die of starvation.

For them to then go to non-existent beds, to wake up: Muscles aching and joints twisted, and they restart the whole process over again.

The monotony, the powerlessness breaks the mind, forces it into survival mode in which it adjust for the cruelty, adapts to the endless work, in a desperate bid to stop it from going insane within the stone prison.

So, they proceed to mine, proceed to hammer, proceed to suffer. In their minds, there is no escape, despite this, despite the belief there is no hope, they continue in fear of death, of even worse treatment. A natural instinct within all, to deny death at all costs.

You do what you must to survive, it's only natural. Block off your mind; it will make you insane. Close off your heart; losing someone will break you. Lower your head; you are not on equal terms.

That couldn't be any more prevalent then now with Nick Mulberry in the mine.

"She'll do, one of the weakest workers too, so, no real loss." One of the guards says, arms crossed.

"All right." The other guard grabs a woman. Tears fall down silently her dirty cheeks but she doesn't scream, she doesn't shout, in hopes that her obedience, her silence would reward in denying whatever fate the guards had planned for her.

They remove the chains attached to her that connected her to the line. One guard watches her, baton in hand but not even eyeing her, they knew she wouldn't do anything. The other guard readjusts the chains to compensate for the lack of a removed slave in the chain link.

With it done, the one that had just adjusted the chain, unholsters his pistol and grabs the woman by the metal collar around her neck and violently tugs, the unyielding metal digs into her neck before the sudden motion causes her to fall to the floor. She was separated from the line, away from the other slaves. "Get up." At her lowered levelled all she could see was their feet and brandished weapons. She meekly obeys, standing right up, her arms and legs still shackled. The guard turns to his companion who's casually standing on the spot, taping his thigh in boredom. "Let's get moving."

The bored guard nods. He doesn't notice Alex emerging right beside him, like a horror film where the main character turns to find the monster directly behind them, except there was no scream, or demonic yell or anything else to make your heart jump. Just a bowie knife hurtling downward, right into the top of the skull, the knife pierces the soft area of the skull with ease, skewering the brain. The bored guard dead.

"What the fu!?-" The guard tries to scream out, Alex's surges to the other guard in a heartbeat. His eyes burned bright as he blitzed toward the guard, the knife in his off-hand ready for slash. Alex's cold steel-like grip wraps around the guard's throat and lifting him off his feet. The man squawks at the sudden grab, rattling him. He tries to lift his pistol to fire but Alex was faster, the knife slides across the man's chest, his guts spill out like spaghetti, the sudden expunge of his entrails makes the guard drop his pistol as he tried to scream before Alex follows up the slash with a stab to the guard's floating ribs. The blade spikes through the man's body, impaling flesh with ease. The knife buried deep, right next to the guard's heart.

In a matter of seconds, both the guards were dead or very soon to be dead in the case of the one Alex was holding. All of slaves stare in shock, the woman takes a step back in fear of Alex's bloodsoaked appearance, the chains around her ankle make a soft chinking noise as she does. Alex snaps to the noise, making the woman squeak in terror.

His stench stuck to the woman's nose. Decay infiltrate her nostrils. The scent of death. Eyes that were illogical. Cold and empty but burning with a white-hot fire. Sharp and precise like a scalpel. Black armour slathered in blood. She shivers, total dread sets in.

He turns back to the corpse he's still holding up. He begins going through the man's pockets, uncaring for the dangling of innards that softly tapped against his hand. When he finds what he's looking for, he drops the body. He begins moving toward the woman. With his towering height, he was on her in less then a second. The woman closes her eyes, holding in a breath.

She suspected this was the end of her. She sniffles as she believes her death approaches at the hand of a hideous monster. She expected to hear the swish of the knife cutting through air, the sound of her bones snapping or just some other violent form of execution.

But instead, all she heard was the sound of clacking of a key turning. One of the shackles on her leg suddenly free, the metal gently removed and placed on the floor, to not fall on bruised feet. The woman opens her eyes to find Alex kneeling before her, moving onto the next shackle. She blinks in confusion. Her eyes wide. The other harsh metal prison on her other ankle is gone, Her legs were free. Alex looks up and the woman looks down, their eyes meet.

She couldn't understand, why someone would lower themselves just to help a slave like her, a pitiful wretch.

He stands up and the woman's eyes follow until she's looking up at Alex towering over her.

He plants the key into the metal collar and turns it, the restraint removed just as softly as the other restraints. She lets out a shiver as the cold metal is removed, the rash from the constant tugging of the collar fully exposed to the air.

Alex softly grabs her hand. He plants the bloody key in them, his hand staining hers. Alex's words barely a whisper to not frighten the woman. "Free all of the slaves but tell them to wait here for their safety. I will return and give you the go-ahead when it is safe. Understood?"

The woman looks down at the key in her hand, she looks up again, her eyes wet, still she doesn't speak.

"Understood?" No aggression or force in his voice, just the same tone as from before.

She finally nods. He moves on, pulling another stealth boy out from his inventory. Reaching the end of the section he was in, slaves still staring at him, as he passes a stone archway held up by wooden supports, he vanishes like a ghost. The woman would have considered it a dream if not the bodies on the floor.

If not for the bloody keys in her hand.

If not for her freed limbs.

"Onyx…!"

The woman looks up, to find all the slaves staring at her.

"S-Sorry." She responded demurely. She slowly limps over. Her mind still used to the shackles around her legs.

She gets on her knees, the stone digging into her knees uncomfortably. She goes about opening the shackles open and eventually another slave was freed. The man lets out a deep sigh.

She moves onto the next one, and the next.

He swung down. Wilt chops off a guard's arm with a baton, Adam quickly follows up with a slice so fast it was almost a flash, right through the guard's throat. He looks around, the communication room was filled with cameras. He could see Alex's bloody handiwork for himself. A slaver hanging from the ceiling via pickaxe through the bottom of the jaw piercing the skull. The tip of the pick dug into the stone roof. He spots a large radio and other communication equipment. He shakes his head as he steps out of the room.

He continues along, cutting and slicing a few guards that stand along the path. Until he reaches a certain door. He could hear music and laughter.

The barracks. The room where all the guards rest and relax.

He lets out a seething exhale, his breath stemming in the air of the mine. He grabs the stealth boy, and switches it off. His bloodied form revealed.

He steps into the room. Dozens of them, all playing cards, eating or sleeping. As if they didn't have people enslaved, toiling away in hell. It was enough to fill Adam with a fury matched only by volcano.

They all finally notice Adam, standing in the doorway. His sword drips with blood. His mask almost as red as his hair. He snarls at the guards, his hate of them on full display.

Various guards pull out firearms and fire at Adam, the faunus rushes forward, meeting the bullets head-on. His blade cuts through the air, slicing every single bullet. He reaches one, with a quick flick, the guard was beheaded. The one standing right next to the guard, raises the electric baton and slams it down toward Adam.

It was slow and sloppy, like the rest of them. Adam relieves the guard of his arm. He hops up, grabbing the larger guard, he spins them right into a barrage of gunfire. Using the guard as a springboard before they impact the floor from the sudden holes. Adam barges into another group of guards, in less then a second his sword was already swinging through the air. The blade swishes as it easily chops and cuts. He kicks out the legs of one guard, slashing his sword upward, through the chest of the guard. The entire mid-section almost sliced in half completely, only mere strands of back flesh kept it connected.

He deflects a strike with his sword, ramming his sheathe into the gut of the attacker, the man keels over. Adam uses him as a springboard as well, hopping up and when he comes down he bisects a woman from shoulder to hip, he follows up by stabbing backwards, the sword goes straight through the keeled over guard, through his torso then his face.

Adam sidesteps another spray of gunfire. Handguns and rifles pointed to him. It didn't matter, Adam's speed was god-like. In a flash, he emerges at another group. His sword sticks right into the head of one guard. Held in place by flesh, before Adam roundhouse kicks his sword, the weapon shoots out like a harpoon, skewering the guard behind it. He weaves out of the way of a punch. His leg lifts and slams down on the side of man's knee. The crack echoes out, as the guard lets out a screech. With a spin, he bashes the heel of his foot into the back of the skull of the guard. His foot caves in the skull, like a melon. Adam rolls to the guard with his sword stuck in her.

With quick hands, he pulls the blade out, the sword tears through flesh as Adam pulls it out, a squelch as its pulled free.

He spins and reflects a fired bullet at him right back to its sender, the round goes through the throat of the guard. A gurgle as they drop to the floor.

The guards being to panic, their numbers starting to fall in horrifying speed. A few try to run out the door, Adam lets out a growl at their cowardice. He fires Blush at the runner, never to even make it to the doorframe.

The rest fight. None of them any match for Adam, his sword beheads and bisects all of them until just two remained.

They dropped to their knees, begging for their lives. Adam sneered, He didn't even allow to let out a proper attempt to beg for their lives, butchering that attempt in its crib.

He stood, tall. Surrounded by broken and butchered corpses. He wicks his blade, splattering the excess blood onto the floor. He leaves the room, stepping out of the break-room. Heavy footsteps rushing his position.

Four guards stop at the sight of Adam. Their equipment far superior to the grunts he had painted the walls with just a few moments ago. Sparkles of colours emerge as the four pull up their Auras.

They lift their heavy machine-guns in unison and aim at Adam.

*CRAKCRAKCRAKCRAKCRAK!*

Their guns sounded like cannons. A heavy thumping that could be felt in bones, the walls of the cave reverberate the noises to an almost deafening sound. A sound of force and destruction.

Despite it, Adam stands in the centre. His hand and subsequently his sword blur as he proceeds to deflect each and every single heavy calibre bullet aimed at him. For a solid minute he stands still, slicing every single bullet.

*CRAKCRAKCRAKCRAKCRAKCRAKCRAKCRAK!CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!CLICK!*

Adam gives a wide grin as the machine gun click repeatedly. The four begin to stumble, their hands scramble for their spare magazines. Fear in their arms, terror in their hearts. The perfect opportunity to strike but Adam doesn't move, instead he just smiles at them. Like a cat playing with its meal, he allows them to reload. The ability to try again.

The fresh magazines are slammed into the machine guns. The firearms clicking as it does and with that, they fire at Adam once more. He deflects the bullets again, but instead of standing still he begins a slow prowl toward the group. Like an apex predator cornering it's prey.

"Shit! Just fucking die already, you stupid fucking FERAL!"

They begin to step backwards away from Adam, the movement makes the spread of the machinegun more sporadic. Occasionally going over his shoulder.

Adam lowers down into a sprinter's position, still deflecting every single bullet that comes even close to him. Everything on Adam darkens except for the red, the blood, his hair and weapon take on an ethereal glow.

In a blink, Adam stands past the guards. He sheathes his sword and the four drop, all of them chopped in half at the chest, right through the heart. He hums as he continues on. Checking various rooms, killing any Iron Crown officers or so on. Their pleas ignored.

He steps into a storage depot. Hundreds of boxes. Adam shakes his head, his interest not in what the room held. He steps out, continuing along the path, until he finally reaches the final door. He still hadn't found Nick Mulberry. He had to be behind this door, unless luck was cruel and decided to place him on Alex's side of the mine.

Adam blinks and pushes the door open and steps in.

A gasp of horror escapes the faunus, as hate boils in his chest at the sight of the room. A rudimentary metal pole next to the bed. Blood-covered shackles and a chain connected to it. A set of torture equipment not far from it. His hand open and close at the sight of it. Something slams into Adam from the side. He lets out a growl as a knife repeatedly stabs him in the floating ribs, his Aura protecting him. Adam twists, grabbing the arm of the attacker and throwing him over shoulder in a Judo toss.

With Adam still holding the man's arm. He gets to see them properly.

Nick Mulberry.

Adam lets out a hiss as he raises his foot and repeatedly slams it into Mulberry's face. He slams with all of his weight and might into the stomp. He only does it three more times before Mulberry's Aura shatters. Adam does it one more time, breaking Mulberry's nose.

Adam grabs Mulberry by the collar, lifting him up. He slams the fat man into the pole. Adam grabs the shackles, shutting them close around Mulberry's wrists. Keeping Mulberry up, he throttles the rotund man with a hook.

Adam stares him down. He growls as he looks at Mulberry. He had the disgusting sadist dead to rights. His hand itches as it hovers over his sword, the fury within beckons him to turn the fat pig into segments of cut flesh.

Alex's words however echo in his mind. He closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh before he gives a cruel grin to Mulberry. "I look forward to watching you scream." He turns, about to leave the room to find Alex.

When Mulberry lets out a laugh. "My screams won't be as juicy as theirs."

Adam stops in place. He turns his head. "What?"

The repulsive degenerate gives a vile smile. "No idea who you are, but I can tell.-" Mulberry gives a sly smile to Adam. "-I took someone from you. Can't remember them, can't remember any of them. I only remember the squeals, how they wail likes the animals they truly are."

Adam spins around with a snarl. "Shut up."

Mulberry throws his head back and lets out a piercing laugh. "Was it your mommy or your daddy?" His tone was toxically amused. The man trying to goad Adam into killing him. Whether to spare himself from interrogation or betrayal to Iron Crown.

"I said, shut it." The tidal wave of liquid rage threatened to burst through the crumbling wall that was Adam's restraint.

"You animals deserve it! You exist to serve, to b-" Adam silences the mad speech with a haymaker. Mulberry lets out a wheeze. "Is that it? I hit the bitches much worse than that." He looks up at Adam with a bloody grin. Amusement clear in his eyes.

Adam grits his teeth as he begin to beat Mulberry.

A left hook, then a right. Another giggle escapes Mulberry to which Adam throws a vicious uppercut. The blow dazes Mulberry as his head hangs low. Adam grabs his forehead and lifts Mulberry's head up for ease of access to the face. Repeatedly punching the side of the insane sadist's face. The flesh crumples and proceeds to become dented from the blows, like meat being flattened by a meat tenderizer. One punch hits directly on Mulberry's jaw. The bone breaks, shattering under the raw force and vitriol of Adam.

Adam lets out a violent roar as he rears back and throws one final punch. His rage mixed with his Aura results in Mulberry's lower jaw flies off. The side of Mulberry's face completed caved in. The flesh swollen, the right eye socket smashed until it was non-existent any more.

The chained man was slumped, held up by the chains. Dead as a doorknob. Adam repeatedly breathes in and out violently. Staring at the body.

He still felt the call of anger, the rage that sizzled like acid within. He lifts his hands and continues beating the cooling carcass of Nick Mulberry.

He kept going and going until the face was completely mushed. A swollen misshapen bulge of flesh and blood, that not even carrion birds would feast upon in disgust of the grisly visage.

With gasps, Adam stumbles backwards, his hands aching as he falls, landing on his ass. He stares up at the body. The mangled corpse seemingly grinning at him. The blood gushing off of the oozing mess that was Nick Mulberry's face not enough to quench the flames within.

The door swings open, Adam turns to it and finds Alex walking in. Adam stares at the Lone Wanderer, his lips in a frown. Adam turns back around, to Nick Mulberry. "I had to do it." Adam muttered out, his voice lacking the usual conviction and passion. "He took her.-"

Alex's fists clench at the body, before his eyes take in the room. He takes in the pole and shackles, the various torture equipment, the shackles. It was all condemnation of the dead man, proof of man's endless depravity. His eyes wide for a few moments before he unclenches his fists. Understanding everything in this single moment of blood. He slowly steps toward Adam, until he was just mere feet away. "-The closest thing I had to a mother and this fat fucking monster, took her! Subjected her to a hell she never deserved!" Adam waves his hand around the room. His head hangs low.

Silence between the two.

Until Alex broke it. "I saw my father die." Adam blinks, he turns with a confused look at the sudden info. Alex stares back at Adam. "He melted before my very eyes. He tried to be tough for me by not screaming, but I know in the end he wanted to, he just couldn't. His vocal cords had melted from the heat." Alex looks up at Mulberry's corpse. "I remember being so angry. I slaughtered dozens of Enclave troops in the most cruel ways. Li and her group being terrified of me at the end of that tunnel, but I didn't care. I just wanted blood at that point."

The only way these two could truly connect, in blood and tragedy, but the connection was made nonetheless. Adam was enraptured, fully listening. "And I remember finally getting to the one responsible for my father's death. I made him scream. The bastard's final moments are ingrained in my head." Alex himself had been in this moment, where he lived for revenge, to kill Autumn. He got it.

He was looked upon with disgust by everyone with how monstrous he was to Enclave, to Autumn, but he didn't care, They wouldn't understand. But he does, he understands why Adam had done what he did.

Adam finds himself transfixed by Alex. A sense of dreadful familiarity begins to form as he stares at this burnt shell, he could see the ashes of rage, remnants of a human. He stares with a pleading gaze. "W-What now? What do I do?" He asked, his voice weak and uncertain.

Alex blinks, silent for a few moments. "I don't know. Like me, you expected some sort of epiphany or answer or an emotion of contentedness or just… fucking anything, but I'm sorry, I...I still don't know what I doing myself. I still wander with really just one purpose: Kill the ones that deserve to die and move onto the next one. No grand plan for myself or anything like that."

In his mind, Alex was unable to turn from his path, unable to change. He was too far along, but Adam wasn't, and in that, he hoped he could spare someone.

"But… maybe a first good step, is helping the people here. Getting them to safety."

Those words crack Adam's inaction. He nods at first weakly before it gains vigour. "You're right. There are people here who need help." Adam's lips twist, as he shows his teeth. "Focus should be on them, not scum." He muttered to himself.

"Rage when not controlled can be like a drug." Alex says, interrupting Adam's self-directed rant. The faunus looks up. "It can consume you, leave you an empty husk of a person, devoid of anything." Alex pulls out a white cloth, offering it to Adam.

Adam stares at it, letting out a scoff. "Do you just carry everything in your pockets?"

"I have a hoarding habit."

"Clearly." Adam mutters out, amused. He takes the offered white rag, wiping his bloody hands and face. His skin was still stained red, but he wasn't as bad as he was before.

"We should return to the slaves, gather them up and figure out a plan to safely guide them away from here." Alex said.

Adam nods. "Right behind you."

The two leave, Adam pauses for just a moment as he stares at Mulberry's corpse. He stares at the floor, before kissing his teeth as he leaves the room. The two head down the hallway. Adam stops however, his eyes widen. In his bloodlust, he went right past it.

Dozens of metal doors at knee height, stubbornly bolted to the cave walls. Faded stone on the floor, as if something had been repeatedly dragged out.

The Box.

Adam lets out a heave as he rushes right to them. He grabs a latch and pulls it. The door swing open to a thankfully empty space. It was unbearably cramped. Even if one had curled into a ball, their feet would still touch the sides of the crawl space.

"What is this?"

"Punishment cells. For slaves."

Alex doesn't respond but his stance made it clear he was not pleased. He proceeds to move to the otherside and opens the cells.

Adam moves along to the next one, also thankfully empty.

Then the next. Empty. Adam couldn't help the smile, hoping no poor soul was trapped within these claustrophobic tombs.

Although it was hard to tell if they were not punishing slaves or rather, offering them like lambs to Mulberry's dark appetite.

Adam opens one more, Alex to his left. Nothing on his end either. Adam stares into the dark space, noticing a small frame. Tiny. Adam reaches out before he pauses, he takes a deep breath as he taps the person's foot. It scrambles away, or at least tries to.

"I-I'm sorry! Please let me out!" A young voice cries out. They couldn't be older than 12. Adam turns to Alex who watches on. Alex waves Adam on. They were both social rejects, but better Adam than him.

"It's alright." Adam says softly. "We're here to free you, I, the work is finished. No more shifts for us." The child stiffens.

"R-Really?"

"Really."

"C-Can I c-come out?" The child asked so weakly, afraid of Adam snapping.

"Of course. Do you need help out?"

"...Yes please."

Adam slowly snakes his arms in, going under the child's body to gently remove them. Adam stands them up when he pulls them out. A malnourished human girl stands before them. Hair shaved to the point it was non-existence. Her eyes were dull tangerine. A brand scar on her right eye. The flesh was warped, disgustingly malformed like a melted plastic toy. It was still raw in comparison to Adam's. The faunus lets out a silent gasp at her, which sets her off. She scrambles backwards, trying to get back into the Box. Adam and Alex grab her. "W-Wait!"

"I'MSORRYSORRYPLEASEDONTHURTME!" The girl screams out, her voice shrill. Her frail body is easily pulled out by the two. She closes her teary eyes, palms covering it, like a child would cover themselves in a blanket to make the monsters go away.

Adam pulls off his mask with one hand, dropping it to the floor. "Look at me." Adam lets go of her, and plants his hand on Alex's wrist, the Lone Wanderer does as told and lets the girl go as well. "Hey, it's okay. Look at me."

She slowly removes her palms, her eyes opened narrowly. She spots Adam's blue eyes. Her focus entirely on his brand scar. She lifts a hand slowly and pokes at the flesh. Her hand hovers over her own. Adam nods. "Just… like you. Not here to hurt you, but to free you."

"Really?"

"Really."

The girl nods, Adam gives a soft smile as he stands. He grabs his mask about to put it on before he pauses, staring at the bloodsoaked mask. Adam blinks as he lowers the mask back down again.

Adam stares at the girl. "Can you walk?" The girl opens her mouth then closes it. Adam gets down on one knee. "I'll carry you. Come on." She meekly walks over, allowing Adam to hoist her up.

The three on the move, Adam informing her to close her eyes when walking to his handiwork. They reach the other slaves. Dozens of them, some of their eyes slightly widen at the return of Alex, and the two new figures. One being a faunus warrior keenly noted. Some mutter the words White Fang.

The faunus plants the girl down. Alex speaking as he does. "Do you have an idea on getting these people to safety?"

Adam lets out a huff. As he shakes his head. "Perhaps the communication tower they had?"

"Who would you contact?"

"White Fang, we would be willing to take these people in and help them. I do not know if the tower will have the strength to reach them however."

"This communication tower must be able to reach long-distances. I can't imagine Iron Crown would allow their key mine to be off-contact, especially if they sent one of their VIPs here."

"-We all good?" A voice calls out, the two turn to find Flax standing not too far.

"Thought we told you to wait." Adam spits out.

"Got bored." Flax shrugs back nonchalantly, with a smirk on his face. As if he didn't just stumble into a mine of potentially numerous killers. Flax eyes up the slaves, his smile turns into a frown as he turns back to the other two, and the little girl staring at Flax. Her gaunt figure causes the frown to drop even more. "I can handle that communication, I know my way around that type of stuff. Y'know, off the grid journalist stuff."

Adam rolls his eyes while Alex shrugs. "Take him with you, I will treat anyone here that requires it."

Adam lets out a sigh. "Fine. Let's move." He turns to the young girl. "You stay here with him. I will be back shortly, okay?"

The girl nods, as Adam and Flax walk off together.

The girl watches before the two leave her sight. She gulps as she turns to Alex, finding the Waster staring at her with his empty blue eyes. He lowers down for the two to be on equal face level. "Do you have any injuries?" His voice as soft as the fresh snow floating down outside the mine.

She shakes her head.

"Okay."

He stands back up, turning to the crowd. A hundred people all stuffed into the room, even more in the mine tunnels staring at Alex from their position. "Anyone who requires first aid, please step up. Those that do not, allow them or assist them to front. Those who are not injured, rest. The work is finished, you will never have to lift another pickaxe or hammer. You have all earned peace."

There's muttering amongst the mob of people, eventually people start to shamble forward, some being carried by others.

None would die, Alex wouldn't allow it.

"Breaker, breaker. This is Adam Taurus, are there any White Fang on the air?" Adam asks, his mouth right next to the microphone.

Silence.

Flax flicks onto the next frequency. "Breaker, breaker. This is Adam Taurus, any White Fang on the air?"

Silen.-

"This is Velra. We read you, Adam. Please hold."

Adam grins wildly, one of the largest towns under White Fang's banner. "Understood." A few minutes pass.

"How are you so sure it's White Fang? No way, it can't be Iron Crown pretending?" Flax asked, staring at the faunus.

The faunus stiffens at the thought, his grin falls as his lips warp into a frown. He's about to open his mouth to speak before a familiar voice on the radio comes through. Joy clear despite the radio distorting the voice a bit. "Adam, are you there?"

Adam's grin returns. "Yes, Elder Raye. I am here."

"It's good to hear from you. Sienna's been pretty pissed recently, one could say catty even, heh." Adam felt his eye twitch for a moment at the somewhat racist pun. "How are you holding up, Adam? Any trouble?"

"No, Elder. I'm contacting you from a major Iron Crown mine. Big Rock. All Iron Crown within are dead, along with Nick Mulberry. We ha-"

"-Adam, repeat that again, did you say Nick Mulberry?"

"Yes, Elder. I did."

There's a moment of silence before boisterous laughter is heard. "And she was worried! Ha! You're one of a generation, Adam. Killing that filth alone." Pride clear in Raye's voice.

"I wasn't alone."

"Oh?"

"I received assistance from a mercenary, named the Grimmlander." Adam spots Flax waving at the side. The faunus rolls his eyes. "We found a mascot too, a journalist by the name of Flax West." The dark-haired man gives a displeased look to Adam.

"Grimmlander? You're in cahoots with him?"

"Yes, Elder. We have a common goal in the elimination of Iron Crown." There's a hum from Raye. Adam continues speaking. "Elder, I request transport bullhead at my location. There are dozens of slaves here, along with Dust cargo. Perhaps enough to supplement our lost shipment."

"I'll need exact coordinates."

Adam blanks. Flax leans in however, grabbing the radio out of the faunus' hand. He presses down on the button and flicking the radio on. "Latitude: 51.875521. Longitude: -107.425712."

"I'm guessing this is the Grimmlander?"

Flax huffs. "No, Flax West."

"I've heard of you. I read your piece on corruption within Atlas tech companies. SDC and the like."

Flax gives a wide smile and stare at Adam who glares back. "Glad to hear someone enjoyed my work. Now, how are you planning to approach the location? Bullheads?"

"Yes, by cargo bullheads. It will take time unfortunately, all our current Bullheads are tied up, we'll need at least a four days before we can head your way."

"Got it, contact us when you begin your flight, we'll start a standard Vaccuo smoke signal."

"I'll pass it along. Adam?"

The faunus leans in. "Yes, Elder?"

"Stay safe or else Sienna will have my ass." Raye finished with a chuckle. "Over and out."

"So, half a week at minimum. Guess we should we go ahead and get ready, check food supplies and the like." Flax said, staring at Adam.

The two proceed to go through the cargo area, or rather Adam did. Flax went around snagging photos of certain things. The punishment boxes, Nick Mulberry's torture apparatus and the various tools and so on. The conditions of the slaves and their quarters.

Days had passed. The victims of the mine had looked better then before, thanks to Alex's medical skills and being moved to the guards barracks, after Alex had pulled out all the corpses and tossed them on the road to the mine. He thought about burning the bodies, but he decided that their corpses could serve as a message to Iron Crown.

Flax was surprisingly quite proficient when it came to cooking, the slaves were allowed food that wasn't tasteless cruel and hard bread. Comfortable beds and decent food unsurprisingly lifted spirits, there was still a glumness at those lost, but there was a spark now on the verge of igniting into a fire.

White Fang eventually came, guided by the smoke signal Flax had created for them. There were too many slaves to fit both them and the Dust crates, so they took it in turns. First the Dust was taken, The excuse was that they were preparing medics and the like for the slaves, in Alex's and Flax's mind they valued the materials more than the victims, even Adam gave a disapproving grimace.

They waited nonetheless, the former slaves becoming restless as the desire to leave the mine grew.

"You can join us. Someone like you would be welcomed by all. You would be amongst allies." Adam said, staring at Alex.

The Wastelander blinks as he watches the slaves slowly make their way into the bullheads, even Flax hopping in. The journalist in his own words 'get the scoop from the victims themselves.' Alex shakes his head. "No, at least not yet. Iron Crown are weak, I plan to finish them off first."

Adam hums as he crosses his arms. "I'm sure you will." The faunus gives an amused huff. "It would be quite the entry to White Fang. Breaking Iron Crown would make you a legend amidst the White Fang." Adam's smile weakens a bit. "Perhaps even the whole world if Flax's words can be taken seriously."

Alex gives a snort. A slight upturn of his lips. "I am glad I don't have to deal with him asking for an interview any more."

A laugh escapes Adam. His blue eyes gazes over to the bullhead, the final dozen or so settling into the transport. He spots the small girl from before, an anxious look on her face. It was time to go. Adam lets out a sigh. "When we first met, I believed our partnership would have ended in blood. Now, I wouldn't exactly call you a friend, but you are someone I value." Adam gives a smile. "It was an honour to fight by your side." Adam lifts his hand. Alex stares at the offered limb before clasping it with his own hand. The two shake hands. "I hope you find an answer or epiphany, or whatever and I hope it's good."

Alex weakly nods his head. "Thank you, may the Lord watch over you and grant you peace." Adam blinks at the odd adage of the Lord, not understanding who Alex was referring to, but the intent and emotion was enough to understand that it was meant in good faith. Adam walks over to the bullhead and enters, the back of the flightcraft closes. The landed bullheads roar to life as they begin to rise and turn in place.

Like Moses when he parted the sea, the bullheads cut through the air, toward the promised land for the freed slaves. Alex stood in place, watching the blinking lights of the aircraft slowly begin to dwindle in the distance. He still continued staring into the sky of the bullheads' direction even when he couldn't see them any more.

All that remain was the night sky which greeted him with jubilation. The stars winking at him in their shining magnificence. The moon's clean light rolls off the fresh snow. The little flakes glittering like diamonds in the air.

He blinks, drinking in the beauty before he turns on the spot and walks off. Heading in the direction closet town. Iron Crown could not take this sitting by, they would respond eventually, with violence and power.

Alex would be ready. Ready to crush that attempt, to shatter the group even further.

End of Chapter 13.

Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review, comment yada yada. See you all in the next one.