Yang, wearing a workout fit, steps into Beacon's gym.

  "Man, I haven't been able to get a good workout in, in a few weeks." Yang stretches his arms.

  Bke follows behind Yang, wearing a workout fit as well.

  "It's been a busy few weeks." Bke stares at she looks around.

  Yang smiles as she looks around. "Now where is he?"

  Bke gnces at her teammate. "Who?"

  "Ah, there he is!" Yang points off to the side and Bke follows her finger, to find Byzan leaning on a table.

  Byzan's wearing a bck and white top with Bke and white yoga pants. He's wearing a hat on his head, with holes for his rge ears.

  Bke growls in disdain. "Really, Yang?"

  "What, I invited him." Yang shrugs her shoulders.

  Bke huffs in frustrations before she walks away.

  "You can't stay mad at him forever!" Yang calls out.

  "Yes, I can!" Bke replies as she walks over to a treadmill.

  Yang walks towards Byzan as she rolls her eyes at Bke's attitude. Byzan hears footsteps approaching and he looks back to see Yang, causing him to smile. He quickly takes a sip of his fsk, before putting it in his top.

  "Yang!" Byzan turns around and walks towards her. "Ready for a good work out."

  Yang smirks. "Only if I get to watch you~"

  Byzan chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Try to keep your eyes off my ass."

  Byzan walks past Yang and she stares at his ass.

  "Kinda hard when you're wearing something that really shows it off." Yang states.

  Byzan shakes his head as he moves over to a rack. "Ladies first."

  Yang walks over and winks at Byzan. "Do try to keep your eyes on me~"

  Through the next couple hours Byzan and Yang flirt as they both work out. Byzan becoming really surprised as he watches Yang dead-lift 400 pounds without her sembnce.

  Then Yang watching in surprise as Byzan put 350 pounds on the Hip Abduction machine, and actually being able to do it.

  Byzan smirks as he does his leg workout. "I really could crush your head between my thighs."

  Yang shivers in delight. "Oh, please do."

  "So dirty." Byzan smirks.

  A little while ter Byzan and Yang are hydrating as they pat down their sweating heads with a towel.

  "That was a pretty good workout, Byzz." Yang pats the cat faunus on the shoulder.

  "I think we should do this more often." Byzan downs the rest of his drink.

  Yang smirks mischievously. "Oh, do you just want to see me do more squats or something?~"

  Byzan rolls his eyes and smile. "Maybe, but it is nice to have a workout partner."

  "Can't you invite Ambré?" Yang sits down on a nearby chair. "I know she works out a lot, she's got that muscle mommy physique."

  "I would, but she's so... aggressive when working out." Byzan fixes a strap on his top. "She was in the military before joining Beacon, so she's a bit of a hard ass."

  "Then why not use your clone?"

  Byzan shrugs his shoulders. "My clone isn't as strong as I am, and the conversations are kinda dull."

  Yang leans back on her chair. "If it means seeing you in that outfit more, I'll definitely work out with you more."

  Byzan chuckles as he looks around and spots Bke getting ready to leave. He then grows a smirk, he zooms over to Bke and wraps an arm around her.

  "Hey!" Bke shouts.

  Byzan stands besides Yang, with both their backs turned towards her, and smashes his butt into hers.

  "Hey, Yang, which of our Belbooty's is better?" Byzan motions to his and Bke's ass. "Mine or Bke's?"

  "Byzan!" Bke shouts in anger as she tries to push him off.

  Yang hums in thought as she leans forward and puts a hand on her chin. Bke's ass is rger and more soft looking, but Byzan's is more firm shaped.

  Yang then notices Byzan pointing towards Balke's ass, as he winks at her. "I think I'll have to go with Bke."

  "Hmm, I see." Byzan smiles, only to be punched in the side of the face by Bke.

  "Asshole!" Bke stomps off as Byzan rubs his chin.

  "Wow, she's so aggressive." Yang points out.

  "Bke, it was just a joke!" Byzan calls out, only to be given the bird by Bke as she gres at him. "Bke!"

  Byzan runs off after Bke, leaving the cat faunus loving girl behind.

  A few minutes ter Byzan finally catches up to Bke in a empty part of Beacon.

  "Bke. Bke!" Byzan grabs her shoulder and turns her around. "What's your problem?"

  Bke pushes Byzan off her and angrily gres at him. "What's my problem? It's you!"

  "What? Why?!"

  Baxterbro

  Bke's hands curl into fists. "Really? You're asking why? You left! You left me for five years! No call, no text, not even a fucking letter!"

  Byzan looks way in guilt. "I said I'd come back."

  "After five years!" Bke points a finger onto Byzan's chest. "It took you five years to come back! Five fucking years!" Tears prick at the corner of her eyes. "You know how much shit I had to go through in those five years! A lot, and without you it was really hard!"

  "I'm sorry, Bke." Byzan responds in a quiet tone as his ears droop.

  "You don't get to be sorry, you left everyone behind, you left me behind. For what, nothing?! What did you accomplish by leaving for so long?" A few tears fall down Bke's cheeks. "I thought you died, but then you just show up out of the blue, and try to act like nothing happened? NO! You don't get to do that!"

  Byzan grits his teeth. "You don't think I had a hard time as well?"

  "How the fuck would exploring the world be hard? You must've had a great time, flirting eating all kinds of food, not giving a care about the world." Bke gnces away as she grits her teeth to stop a sob. "Did you ever even think about me."

  "All the damn time Bke!" Byzan yells at his older sister. "I thought about you ever night Bke, it was very hard to leave you behind, but I had to live for myself. I couldn't just cling to you all the time."

  "But-"

  "But what?!" Byzan screams at Bke. "But what? I could have stayed and watch the very thing our father created be destroyed? What as our peaceful movements turn into violent murders?! I left because I wasn't liking what the White Fang was turning into, but you CHOSE to stay behind! CHOSE to stay with the White Fang. YOU CHOSE Adam over ME!"

  Angry tears fall down Byzan's face. "You chose Adam over me. I asked you to come with, but you said no. And do you really think exploring the world as a FAUNUS is easy? Menagerie is the only pce where it is safe for a Faunus, Bke, did you forget that. The rge isnd with the very little inhabitable nd is what we get to call home."

  Bke tries to turn away, but Byzan keeps moving in front of her as he continues.

  "I may have been all over the world and seen many great things, and met many great people. But with all that comes horrible things, I've done abysmal things, I've seen things that can keep a person up at night. Do you know how many times I've nearly died! Do you know what it's like to be poisoned by someone you loved and trusted, for them to kill your best friend because of jealousy."

  Byzan runs a hand through his hair as he wipes some tears away. "I haven't had it fucking easy at all, Bke! It's been a really hard fucking five years! And all that still follows me around, I've made deals I can't get away from, there are powerful forces looking at me, Bke and there's absolutely nothing I can do! I'm practically trapped into a corner, and this is the st safe pce I have!"

  Byzan pulls at his hair as he takes a couple breaths, as he starts to calm down. "I felt so good see you once again, I felt... so safe. You're supposed to be my shield, like your promise. I'm trying to make up for missing five years, but your making this impossible. So fuck me right, I don't deserve happiness for leaving and trying to be my own person?"

  The two siblings remain quiet as they stare into each others eyes. And when Bke refuses to say anything, Byzan gets really angry.

  "Fuck you, Bke." Byzan stomps off in anger.

  Bke reaches a hand out, only to pull it back and hold it to her chest. She grits her teeth and looks down.

  Hour pass by and the sun son sets over Beacon, and sitting on the roof of the dorms is Byzan. His knees are up to his chest as his arms are wrapped around his legs. He rests his chin on his knees as he stares out to the setting sun.

  His ears twitch as he hears a pair of footsteps approach and someone's sits down beside him. Everything's quiet for a few seconds, until the person speaks up.

  "Bad day, huh?" Ash looks out to the horizon, Byzan doesn't respond as his blood shot eyes keep looking out to the horizon. Ash sighs. "Look, I know we don't like each other, but I can sympathize with you. I heard your fight with Mrs. Beldonna, I was doing some paper work nearby, since it's always quiet there. Me and Calico don't have the best retionship anymore."

  Byzan spares his teacher a gnce, before Ash continues after a few moments of silence.

  Ash rubs a hand over the massive scar over the left side of his face. "It was a couple years ago, I still remember that day like it was yesterday." Ash looks up in the sky as he starts getting lost in thought. "Me and Cal were on a Bullhead, coming back after capturing a White Fang lieutenant. He was wanted for the disappearance of a couple Government officials in Ats."

  "You're gonna go away for a long time, Krasnyy." Ash's voice echoes. "That's if the General lets you live."

  "We'll see about that, Cyprus." A male voice echoes with a Russian accent.

  Ash looks down at his hands. "We were supposed to meet up with Bullhead escorts halfway back to Ats, but... they never came."

  "Where are they?" Calico's voice echoes.

  "I've got no idea ma'am." Another voice echoes. "I ain't got nothing on radar and Ats isn't picking up either."

  "I think we should nd and wait for something, there's a snow storm approaching." Ash's voice echoes. "If something happens, we won't be able to see any attacks on us."

  "No, we keep going." Calico orders. "It must be a minor malfunction."

  Ash curls his hands into fists. "Everything went so wrong just moments ter."

  Beeping and arms ring out in Ash's head, before a loud explosion goes off.

  "Mayday! Mayday! This is Alpha One-Nine, we are going down! I repeat we are going down!"

  "Gospod' ne pozvolit tebe zabrat' menya segodnya." Krasnyy's voice echoes.

  "The fuck are you saying!" Ash yells.

  "Don't worry about it, Cyprus!" Calico shouts. "Just hold on!"

  A loud bang echoes.

  Ash sighs and looks at Byzan. "I harbor no hate for Faunus, but I... I hate the White Fang. They... Most of those Faunus' cause so much trouble and death... so much pain!"

  Ash gets lost in the fshback again.

  ----

  Spark and arms echo out, slightly muffled, as Ash opens his eyes. Ash's world is blurry as some sparks shoot out from a nearby panel. Ash looks around and notices Krasnyy run out a rge hole in the side of the Bullhead as heavy snow blows in.

  Calico grunts and gnces at Ash as she stands up, blood dripping from the side of her head. She then picks her hammer off the ground and chases after Krasnyy.

  Ash tries to stand up but pain firs up in his right shoulder. He gnces over and sees a rge pieces of metal sticking out of his right shoulder, blood pouring out.

  Ash grabs the metal prices and with a few deep breaths, rips it out. He lets out a yelp of pain and tosses the bloody metal to the side. He sits up and looks around as his world clears up.

  Only for the Bullhead to suddenly creak and groan and lurch backwards. Ash's breath starts to grow rapid as he starts to stand up.

  He pushes himself off the ground and looks around as the Bullhead shifts again, nearly causing him to fall over. He looks to the cockpit, only to see the bloody body of the pilot.

  "Shit..." Ash mutters, only to nearly fall over as the bullhead lurches back and starts to slide backwards.

  Ash stumbles towards the rge hole in the side of the Bullhead and falls out of it. He grunts as he nds on his right shoulder, blood spurting out of it. He looks back to see the Bullhead slide off the side of a cliff, after a few quiet seconds a loud bang echoes around.

  Ash lets out a few heavy breaths as he looks around, but sees only the heavy snow rapidly falling from the sky. He grunts as he stands up, and holds onto his bleeding right shoulder. His aura covers him for a few seconds, slowly healing the wound.

  "Calico!" Ash shouts as he looks around, not getting a responds. "CAL!"

  Cal takes a few deep breaths then notice a couple pairs of feet steps leading off in front of him. Ash lets out a cough as he follows after the footsteps in the heavy snow storm.

  "Cal?!" Ash follows after the footsteps and soon sees a tall figure moving towards him. He narrows his eyes. "Cal?"

  Suddenly Krasnyy appears through the snow storm, holding Cal's massive gravity hammer.

  "Krasnyy..." Ash takes a step back.

  "Cyprus..." Krasnyy stands over Ash. The Faunus is several inches taller then the 6'4'' Ash.

  "Where's Cal?"

  "Off the side of a Cliff. Dead or Alive, I do not know."

  Ash growls in anger. "Bastard."

  "From where I'm standing, you're the bastard." Krasnyy readies the gravity hammer. "You take me from my home and try to imprison me or kill me."

  Krasnyy unches himself at Ash and swings the rge hammer at him. Ash leans back as the hammer barely misses his face, and he jumps back. He grabs takes a rge knife out of its sheath on his left shoulder.

  "One of us will die, Cyprus." Krasnyy calls out as he walks towards him.

  Ash flips the knife around in his hand, using a reverse grip. "I have to agree."

  Rough winds blow snow around them, blood falls onto the snow below Ash from his wound on his shoulder. The two then unch at each other.

  Krasnyy swings the hammer at Ash, and he grabs the handle, stopping it from hitting him and goes to ssh Krasnyy's stomach. But the rge faunus kicks him back.

  Krasnyy then sms the hammer into the ground, which activates its kinetic pulse, throwing Ash back. Ash nds on his back and grunts in pain from his shoulder.

  "Fuck!" Ash grits his teeth in pain, but notices Krasnyy bringing the hammer down onto him again.

  Ash rolls to the side and gets thrown away by the kinetic pulse from the hammer again. Ash's knife goes flying out of his hand and nds somewhere in the snow. Ash grunts as he sms against a rock, he coughs and stands up, gring towards the approaching Krasnyy.

  The two then lunge at each other again and Ash grabs the hammer, as Krasnyy tries to hit him with it again. Krasnyy then knees Ash in the groin, causing Ash to falter and loosen his grip on the hammer.

  Krasnyy then pushes Ash back with the handle of the hammer, and Ash looks up, only for his world to go blinding white in pain.

  Ash goes flying as blood sptters in the air, he nds near the edge of a Cliff as blood covers the left side of his face. His crimson aura covers him, trying to heal his wounds.

  ---

  Ash rubs a hand over his scar.

  "I don't remember much after that, only being picked up and thrown off the side of that cliff. Then the next thing I know I wake up in the hospital back in Ats."

  Byzan is staring at his teacher.

  Ash lets out a sigh. "The doctors told me that it was an absolute miracle that I was alive, my skull was fracture in several pces and even prices of my skull are still in my brain... constant headaches pgue me every day." He rubs his only good eye. "And when the General visited me I went off on him, asking him where the reinforcements were, and why we were left alone. You know what he said?"

  "It was to dangerous to send units to help you, with how bad the snow storm was getting, it could have jeopardized more people." General Ironwood's voice echoes.

  Ash grits his teeth in anger at the memory. "He left me and Cal to die in the storm practically. The only reason I live was because Cal killed Krasnyy, then climbed down that mountain and carried me many miles until we were found by a search until several days ter."

  "...Wow..." Byzan mutters.

  "Yeah... I spent the next year in physical therapy learning how to just... work. My body and mind were so messed up nothing wanted to work in my body. But I'm a survivor, I forced myself to be human again. Then after that, I came to Vale, moved in with my wife and started to work here. Now I can see my darling and my child everyday, I haven't been happier."

  "You have a kid?" Byzan questions.

  Ash chuckles. "Yeah, a five year old daughter, Cardinal. She's very beautiful and very smart."

  Byzan chuckles lightly. "I didn't think someone like you could have a child."

  Ash smirks and looks at Byzan. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing Professor~" Byzan smiles.

  Ash smiles, but then slightly frowns. "But you know, Calico thinks I abandon Ats. Abandoned my duty to the General, but I just... I don't trust Ironwood anymore. I could stand working for him, and I'm much happier here. It's a much simpler life."

  Ash then stands up with a grunt and pats Byzan on the shoulder.

  "Well, Mr. Beldonna, I must get back to grading papers. But just remember, Bke will forgive you one day, I see you both have a strong bond. You just have to believe."

  Ash walks off leaving Byzan alone. Byzan keeps staring out to the nearly fully set sun, before he sighs.

  "I need a drink." Byzan whispers to himself and stands up.

  A couple hours ter Byzan is sitting at a bar with his arms crossed on the counter, and his chin resting on them. He has a Appletini next to him as he just bnkly stares at the wall.

  "Byzan." Maize's voice calls out.

  Byzan growls a confused look as his cat ears swivel towards the voice. He then gnces over and sees Maize walking towards him.

  "Pinky?" Byzan questions. "What are you doing here."

  "I've come for you."

  Byzan smirks. "Oh, how daring~"

  Maize rolls her eyes and stands right in front of him. "No, I've heard you had a bad day, and I've come to comfort you." She grabs his hand and starts to drag him out of the bar.

  "Wait, wait! Let me finish my drink!" Byzan cws towards his Appletini.

  "Nope, we're gonna go get our pajamas on and watch nice movies all night long. And snack on popcorn until the morning sun rises. You will then rest your head on my p as we watch the movie! I will not accept no as an answer."

  "I.. uh... fine." Byzan mutters, before smiling as he and Maize exit the bar. "I guess that really does sound nice."

  Maize smiles. "Of course it is, I learned that's how a female friend can cheer up a sad male friend."

  Byzan ughs. "I think you spent to much time on the internet."

  The two walk down the street, hand in hand. But in a dark alleyway a pair of pink eyes watches them. They then stare at Maize with burning hate and disdain.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  06-03-2024

  3370 words