So What? (RWBY)

What Defines a Person?

"Well, what happened?" I hear the cheery voice of Yang from outside, I open it to see the entirety of team RWBY standing out, looks like they're in a good mood today.

"Jeez, take a seat first. I'm not exactly the best at picking how I want to dump my life story on a bunch of people." Whilst trying to add some humor in the face, I notice that the two I expected to be the least interested in my story, Blake and Weiss, seem to have more interest than the other two. What could have them so intrigued? Eh, that's not super important right now, what is important is that I have some explaining to do.

"Well, to start, does anyone here know what happened to the Afterglow family? The story was particularly well hidden but I know that some small stories and newspaper stories existed on the tragedy." Suddenly, Blake's head perked up. 

"That was the family that owned major clothing lines in Vale right? The stores mysteriously went out of business after a 'wild faunus rage' that at the time made no sense." So someone here has background knowledge. 

"I don't hold that particularly against them, even if I disdain the actions taken, how my family generally looked at faunus was less than pleasing, to say the least. Having innocent faunus lives slave away for work, just making clothes is just downright inhumane." Blake's smile widens at this, even if it's subtle it seems at least that my general understanding has pleased her a fair bit. 

"I remember though, one night my family was hosting a party with everybody in my family there, it was the first time we'd reunited in nearly a decade, well save for me who wasn't even around for that long at that point."

"Dinner is always delightful here Mr. Afterglow, especially when we haven't seen each other for so long, I daresay I need to show up more often." My grandma said, geez would this party just end already? It's a bunch of fancy schmancy rich people talking about... Politics? Jacques Schnee or whatever, treating faunus horribly. It's almost like a mirror image of my family.

"Of course, with our chefs working the kitchen constantly, we should have a second course making its arrival expeditiously." My father, Argent Afterglow, said in that pompous voice of his. He's not particularly proud of how I treat the faunus, as in I show them basic respect.

The lights flicker, and as soon as the power is turned off, it turns back on several seconds later with several faunus armed and dangerous, aiming weapons straight at everyone in my family, excluding me.

"Father?! What's going on?!" I yell out, knowing that my father seemed to always have an answer for things, right or wrong. 

"The ones that work for us seem to care in starting up a little rebellio-." The black faunus with the ears of a squirrel lunges towards my father, plunging his sword deep in his throat. 

"Argent!" My mother, Grise Afterglow rushes to his side. 

My father motions me towards him as the other people in the house were long since running. "Gray... My young one, it seems I'm going to leave you... Far too soon, isn't that a shame?" 

I grab his hand delicately, taking it in my own. Praying this was all a dream and I'd wake up in my bed, nice and snug, holding my black cat plushie named Toby.

"Run to my study, please. There's a gun in the top left drawer and a scroll there. I planned on giving you your first one today at this party, but it seems I won't be the one handing it to you. It has the family credentials you can use to leave this place safe and sound."  

"Father... You're still giving me the scroll, right? Just not directly." I see my father's eyes start watering, as he uses the last of his strength to embrace me. I shouldn't have taken him for granted, he may have had his faults like everyone, but he cared for me, he loved me, he treated me like I was his child! Like I mattered to him... That's what I should be grateful for at the end of the day. 

"Y-yes, it seems I still am, I love you... I love you, Gray. I'll miss you forever, as I pray to the skies you'll miss me. Just please... Please do not join me too soon, escape please." With that, I hold him a bit tighter, before his eyes close fall and his hands grow cold. I run. I start running up to my father's study, dodging a couple of faunus who didn't seem to have their intent on killing me anyway. They held no hate, no pain, no despair towards me, no... Their hate is towards my father, and his family who rejected them, the family who beat them, found them replaceable, disposable, just worthless. Faunus are people, their animalistic traits don't define them as people!

I dashed into the study, praying that the devices would be exactly where he told me they were. I opened the drawer and saw the scroll, the gun, and my father's wallet. It was a bit careless on what he did but I guess I need it. I opened the wallet and counted the cash inside, there seemed to be about 300,000 lien. It wouldn't last forever but it's food for now. 

I ran to my room as fast as I possibly could, since it was closer to the ground and farther from the entrance. Once I arrive, I open the window and jump out. I see a large group of men marching towards my house, armed and dangerous, carrying a flag white flag with a red wolf on it.