M-21: RED SUN

3.8K 39 36
                                    

"PLEASE tell me Adam fights that Wolf Faunus this episode," Ruby pleaded with Abe.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he told her, as he set up the projector.

"...You're a cruel host, you know that?" Ruby whined.

"Whatever you say," Abe chuckled. "Go take a seat, Ruby. You're going to love this episode, trust me." Huffing, Ruby did as she was told, plopping down back in her seat between Yang and Weiss. Abe dimmed the lights, then switched on the projector, immersing the audience back into the world of Adam Taurus.

The episode began with Adam making way through the pair of metal doors that the robotic duplicates of Ebony and Rust had been guarding last episode. Once on the other side, he took a step forward then stopped to study his surroundings. Dozens of large metal metal cylinders filled the room, stretching up from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Hundreds, if not thousands of small circular spaces could be seen on the pillars, each glowing with a faint blue light. The bull Faunus looked at these curiously for a moment, then continued into the room.

"Shhh, don't disrupt the students while class is in session," a gruff voice announced. Adam looked up, and his jaw tightened. Standing on a balcony on the opposite side of the room, looking out amongst the large cylinders, was Crimson Stain.

"So Crimson finally shows himself," Ironwood commented. "I guess he really was just testing Adam."

"Such arrogance," Winter shook her head. "Adam has proven himself to be very strong now. I believe the wolf Faunus might find himself in for a surprise."

Crimson smirked as he looked down on Adam, his tail wagging with excitement.

"I believe you're familiar with the lesson plan," the wolf Faunus commented. "You went through the exact same regimen during your early days in the White Fang. Effective program. Just look how you turned out." Crimson sighed, and spread his hands, shaking his head. "Of course, running it in the real world just got a bit too... complicated." Then he smiled nastily. "Doing it virtually though? No fuss, no muss. Straight to the brain," he sneered, tapping a finger to his head. "It's like a dream." The wolf Faunus paused for a moment. "Well, maybe 'dream' is the wrong word. They do kill some POWs... some civilians, heh, heh, heh..."

"He's a monster," Qrow grumbled. "A bloodthirsty beast who revels in the killing of innocents."

"He's like a Grimm," Tai agreed, glaring at the screen. "But the Grimm are just acting on instinct. This... creature, he doing this because he wants to.

"They enjoy it though," Crimson continued. "We give their pleasure centers a nice big jolt every time. Plus they get a powerful new body as a graduation present." He stopped, and smiled ruefully. "Another thing you have in common..."

"I CHOSE this life!" Adam snarled, pulling off his facial cloth to glare up at the wolf Faunus. "They're kids, you son of a bitch!"

"And kids are cruel," Crimson pointed out. "ALL people are, by nature- they just lose touch with it as they get older. Start thinking they know right and wrong." The wolf Faunus grit his teeth, mimicking an old lady's voice. "'That's immoral!'" he whined mockingly. "War crime this, Code of Conduct that..." Crimson snorted, then looked back down at the bull Faunus. "Kids you can mold, manipulate into performing all kinds of atrocities! And there's nothing like a good atrocity to keep a war going~"

"And that's why I'm shutting you down," Adam growled.

"You tell him, Adam!" Velvet nodded, a rare expression of anger upon her face.

"Yeah, kick that bastard's ass!" Coco growled.

"Language, Ms. Adel!" Ms. Goodwitch scolded.

"You just don't see the bigger picture, do ya?" Crimson sighed. He approached one of the cylinders closest to the balcony, and held out a hand. Instantly, one of the circles decorating the metal pillar slid out, revealing it to be a glass container. Inside the storage device was a small, pink brain, protected by a plastic casing. A pair of eyes connected to the brain looked up at the wolf Faunus curiously. The glass casing opened, allowing Crimson to lift the brain out of its container, showing to Adam. "Say you bring this whole place down, waltz outta the rubble with all these precious brains..." the wolf Faunus sneered. "Nothing changes." Suddenly, each of the metal cylinders began to push out all of their glass containers, each container storing its own brain. The bull Faunus let out a shaky breath as he looked at the thousands of brains the Atlas Titans had managed to amass.

RWBY Watches Grimm May Cry (Old)Where stories live. Discover now