RWBY Watches Grimm May Cry (Old)

M-17: THE STAINS OF TIME

The audience was quiet as Abe set up the next episode of the show. The events of last episode still weighed heavily upon them, and no one could find their voice. All they could do was sit in silence, watching as the lights dimmed and the screen immersed them into the fictional reality of Adam Taurus.

The episode began with a pair of policemen talking to each other as they made their way down a sidewalk. Apparently, one of the officers had just told a joke, because the two men were laughing as they patrolled. As soon as they rounded a corner, disappearing from sight, Adam emerged from the alleyway he had been hiding behind. The bull Faunus's steps were slow and labored, and his shoulders were hunched as he made his way across the street.

"He's lost all of his motivation," Ozpin realized. "He's barely in control of his body. It appears Azure's psychological warfare is still tormenting him."

Adam managed to lift his head to look up at the building in front of him: the Atlas Titans headquarters. As he stepped into the private military company's front courtyard, a trio of soldiers stormed out of the building's glass doors.

"Target located! Take him down!" one of the soldiers snarled. But his thoughts said something else. Damn it, he's already here?!

Oh gods, we're all going to die! a second soldier's inner voice gasped. The bull Faunus clutched his head in both hands, and then dropped onto his knees, panting and shaking with exhaustion.

Wait, he's giving up? the third soldier's thoughts murmured in confusion. "We'd better wait for further instructions before we engage." The three soldiers approached Adam, but did not attack. Instead, they waited patiently as the glass doors opened again, and out stepped the man responsible for the bull Faunus's agony.

"Azure Fade!" Ruby growled in anger.

"Oh no," Weiss whispered in terror. "Adam couldn't even land a hit on that bear Faunus the first time! How is he supposed to fight him in his current state?!"

"I know, Adam, I know," the bear Faunus nodded, as he casually strolled his weakened opponent. "Not so black and white now, is it?" Azure smiled softly. "Is your cause just, or is that 'just' what you tell yourself?"

"Screw you," the bull Faunus spat, glaring at the bear Faunus defiantly.

"Well, at least he still has his defiant personality?" Yang offered.

"This really isn't the time for jokes, Yang," Blake grumbled.

As Adam continued to kneel on the ground, his enemies standing around him, storm clouds gathered above, and began to rain heavily upon them. Even through the torrential downpour, though, the bull Faunus was able to hear a voice call out to him.

"How pleased you are to chop away, Brazen Bull," the voice sneered. Gritting his teeth, Adam looked up towards the Atlas Titans headquarters, and groaned. Kneeling atop the roof of the lower section of the building was a man with pale skin and long, flowing auburn hair. His entire body, save for his head, consisted of metal armor, indicating that he was a cyborg. Unlike Ebony or Crimson, however, his cybernetic body had visible separations at his elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and neck. He also visible partitions on his central mass, making a giant X across his chest. His armor was bright red in color, but from his elbows and knees, his legs and arms were deep blue instead. Just like the other cyborgs, the man was a Faunus, based on his three-toed feet, leaving the impression his animal heritage was amphibian in nature. "My name is Ferris Rust, of the Shades of Death," the man introduced himself.

"Yeah, I guessed as much," the bull Faunus grunted.

"Rust?" Sun mused. "That's a pretty strange name for... what kind of Faunus is he supposed to be, exactly?"