Through We Endure. (RWBY x OC)

Family Bonding.

'--///???: "Silence. . ."///--'

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The camera shifted its focus, leaving the hopeful scene on the rooftop and plunging into the heart of Team RWBY's dorm room. It was a stark contrast to the sun-kissed expanse just witnessed. Here, the air hung heavy with a mix of tension and the cloying scent of antiseptic. Hadryn sat slumped in his iconic cushion chair, an object that seemed ridiculously out of place amidst the clean, modern lines of the dorm room. His armor, once gleaming black obsidian, was a grotesque mockery of its former glory. The once smooth surface was now marred by cracks and fissures, blackened by fire and scorched by Grimm ichor that had hardened into a sickly gray crust.

Even from a distance, the damage was evident. The chest plate, where Bronzewing's sword had ripped through, had been haphazardly repaired with a patchwork of scavenged metal plates and hammered together to the outline of the cuirass. A fresh bandage, stark white with dirty brown against the blackened armor, encircled his abdomen, a testament to the raw wound he had sustained. Yet, even through the layers of armor and the exhaustion etched on his face, a flicker of defiance still burned in his posture despite the injury.

Across from him stood Weiss Schnee, her posture rigid, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her normally immaculate white attire was marred by a few smudges of grime, a stark reminder of the chaos they had just faced. Her face was set in a grim expression, a mixture of concern and lingering fear etched onto her features.

Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long sat perched on the edge of one of the bunk beds, their usual vibrancy somewhat dampened by the events of the night. Ruby's eyes, usually sparkling with boundless energy, held a flicker of unease. Yang, ever the optimist, maintained a semblance of her usual bravado, but even her smile seemed strained.

Finally, against the wall closest to the window, Blake Belladonna leaned casually, her arms folded. Unlike the others, her expression remained unreadable, a mask of cool detachment hiding whatever emotions lay beneath. Her golden eyes, however, flickered towards both Hadryn and her teammates, taking in the unspoken tension that hung heavy in the air.

The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating. The only sound was the rhythmic clinking of metal as Hadryn unconsciously tapped his gauntlet against the armrest of his chair. The air crackled with unspoken questions, accusations, and a deep-seated fear that no one dared voice. The rhythmic clinking of Hadryn's gauntlet ceased abruptly. The sound, a constant counterpoint to the tense silence that had gripped the room, vanished like a snuffed candle flame. In its place, a heavy quiet descended, thick with unspoken accusations and a palpable fear that seemed to press down on everyone present. Finally, Weiss broke the stifling silence. Her voice, laced with a sternness that brooked no argument, sliced through the tension like a blade.

Weiss: "We need to talk, Hadryn,"
she declared, her sapphire eyes narrowed in a way that demanded both honesty and accountability.

Weiss: "We Seriously. Need to talk, Hadryn,"

Weiss: "What happened back there wasn't normal."
Hadryn didn't react immediately. He remained slumped in his chair, his gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond Weiss's shoulder. However, the subtle clenching and unclenching of his fists betrayed a flicker of agitation beneath his stoic facade. Finally, he lifted his head, his crimson eyes meeting Weiss's gaze with a mixture of defiance and weariness and a fleeting ember representing a loathsome sigh.

Hadryn: "What do you want to know."
he rumbled, his voice raspy from disuse and laced with a hint of barely suppressed annoyance. But Weiss held his gaze unflinchingly.

Weiss: "Everything,"
she countered, her voice unwavering.

Weiss: "That wasn't rage, Hadryn. It was. . . something else. You weren't yourself back there."
Her words hung heavy in the air, echoing the unspoken fear that had been brewing since their encounter with the Harlyor. Ruby withheld knowledge of Hadryn's unfurling ire against Grimm, and since even the old days, she couldnt recount why he hated them so much. Yang, ever the voice of reason, jumped in before the conversation could escalate further. Hoping to not cause the crack that had formed into a chasm.