Chapter Text
disclaimer I do not own rwby not am I making any money by writing this story, this is just for entertainment and my own thoughts and ideas being written down. RWBY is own by roosterteeth.
Italics is for thoughts being portrayed
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Waking up Yang was disorientated and unsure of where she was. She felt slow and sluggish, and a sense of phantom weightlessness. Trying to sit up to get a better sense of where she was yang felt pain as there was no resistance from her right arm as she tried to push herself up falling onto her side. My arm??? Her mind felt blank for a moment as she felt a throbbing in her head and a pained whimper pulled itself from her throat as her mind caught up and memories came back of her attempt to save Blake, the strange man severing her arm and then black as he had slammed his seethe into her head knocking her out. Yang felt sick as she tried to get herself into a more comfortable position yet kept collapsing as she kept forgetting about her missing arm. Eventually she managed to just roll herself back to her original lying down position when she had woken up though she had been unable to reclaim her pillow which now sat annoyingly on the floor having been knocked over in her failed struggle to sit up.
“Hello, is anyone out there, hello!” yang called out even as her throat hurt like hell from how dry it was and the feeling of wanting to throw up got worse. Looking at the stump where her arm used to be Yang took note of the bandages that were at the moment partially soaked red, likely from her earlier struggling opening up the wound or damaging the stitching. Right now, it made her wonder where she was and who saved her and patched her up. Yang focused on trying to figure out that mystery as to keep her mind occupied as she felt the constant throbbing of her only partially healed wound alongside her growing headache and the growing sense of nausea and bitter taste at the back of her throat.
Yang wondered if she was in her home back at Patch as with the limited view, she was capable of she could make out that she was in a wood house, the room itself reminding her of her dad’s room. Please be dad’s room, by the brothers please let me be home. Yang prayed that she was home and that she hadn’t just been saved to be abandoned in some random home. Another whimper escaped Yang’s throat as the pain compacted with her sense of dread and fear. She wanted to call for her dad, her uncle, her sister, Weiss and Blake yet nothing came out of her mouth but pained whimpers. Her throat was raw and dry from her earlier attempts to call out and was now refusing to co-operate with her brain’s requests. A sense of dread and helplessness felt like a growing weight that was suffocating her as her sense of her surroundings grew beyond her original panic of just not knowing where she was and her own weakness became more prevalent in her mind.
It was not just the growing sense of illness that she was fighting to keep down, nor the wound she was sure she had partially re-opened but also that she felt incredibly sluggish and weak as her body refused, was incapable or just far slower than it should be in its responses to her attempts at even simple movement. Everything feels so numb, my stub feels like someone is playing it like a drum and why does it feel like someone is poking it with needles and my other arm feels like something is stuck in it…. Maybe I shouldn’t have struggled so much when I first woke up, I can’t even turn my head properly to look around anymore and I can’t get the pillow I was resting on back.
The worst part was just the passage of time as Yang could do nothing but lay in her rather uncomfortable position in the strange bed and wait. Yang was someone who was always full of energy and just being stuck unable to really do anything was torture for her as all she could hear was the wind outside of the room, the crackling of a fire somewhere and the ticking of the clock hanging in her room which was also out of her sight much to her annoyance that she couldn’t even see the time and depending on the model of clock maybe even the date so she could figure out how much time had passed since Beacon… By the Brothers Beacon! How long has it been? Did Blake and the others make it out alright? Were we able to force the grimm back and save the school, save the city? If I’m alive at least that means Blake made it out of whatever situation I found her in and if Blakes ok then I’m sure Ruby and Weiss are good as well, Uncle Qrow would never let anything bad happen to her and Ruby would move mountains to keep Weiss safe.
Exhaustion soon caught up with Yang as she had nothing to really keep her focus beyond her own worries and thoughts and well that was not something she wanted to think to much about as she had far too many questions and no way to get any answers until whomever had patched her up showed their face. Yang just let the darkness take her as she closed her eyes and let herself drift off feeling some relief from her suffering and stress. Sleep was not the escape Yang had hoped it would be as her hidden darker thoughts that was escapable in the waking world haunted her dreams throwing out nightmares that left her even more exhausted and restless while also leaving her to debate what was worse the nightmares that she could often barely recall or the boredom and mind numbing wait for something to happen as she just lay in her bed trying to push through her own physical ailments. Eventually it really was just out of her hands as she fell into a pattern of fitful and draining sleep and waking up at random not even having the blessing of energy sleep usually gifted.
During one of her more fitful periods of her body begging for rest Yang was sure she caught sight of her savior? Captor? Doctor? Tormentor? She wasn’t sure which, but someone walked in as she had been entering a period of her body just shutting down for some form of rest attempting to heal. The man grumbled a bit as she heard him walk closer, she tried to talk, to ask him to explain what was going on, to tell her where she was yet she could barely open her mouth to get a coherent word out.
“Well looks like your finally awake.” The man spoke before rushing to her bed side letting out a tired sigh. “I had hoped you would still be asleep while I was making sure, I had all of the supplies ready, but it seems you’ve given me even more work. At the very least you didn’t rip your IV out. That would’ve been rather nasty and could’ve cost you the other arm, maybe even your life after I spent so much time patching you up.”
Yang felt herself being lifted up as the man repositioned her on the bed back into a far more comfortable position before grabbing a first aid bag and getting to work. First by attaching a new bag to her IV drip with a dose of what she assumed was morphine as Yang barely felt him get to work on cleaning up her stump of a right arm.
“You are incredibly lucky I got back when I did or I may have had to cut away even more.” The man grunted out as he snipped away at cloth wrapping and carefully removed it from the stump.
Yang watched as the man carefully cut away damaged stitches and feeling a new wave of nausea as she watched puss leaking out of the stump. This time she was far too weak to keep anything down as bile spilled past her lips much to the annoyance of her caregiver mumbling that he should’ve kept a closer eye on her. He worked to clean her up a bit as he put a cool wet clothe to her forehead and got back to work cleaning up the partially infected wound on her arm with much hissing coming from Yang even if there wasn’t much movement as the chemicals hurt like hell even if only for a moment as Yang felt whatever medicine the man had put in the IV bags get to work as she felt light and weightless and none of the pain she had been dealing with earlier was around anymore, she felt numb in a much more direct sense.
“I’m warning you in advance that you’re going to feel even worse when you finally wake up. I had to give you some strong stuff to deal with the infection and the illness it allowed you to catch with your body so weak. Honestly, you’re rather lucky I got back when I did.” The man gave her a small smirk as he got to work properly cleaning up her accident before placing a small, sweet-smelling bowl next to her bed. “That’s for when you wake up because this room is not going to smell pleasant for you when you properly wake up and I don’t have time to clean everything up properly as I have other work to do. I will come to check up on you more regularly, but I need you to act in your own self-interest, try to avoid moving around to much next time you wake up ok, or you could end up hurting yourself again and healing will end up taking even more time.” Yang couldn’t really say yes, she barely got a grunt of confirmation out as unconsciousness claimed her as the man gently fluffed up her pillow checking her temperature again before adding an extra dose of medicine to the IV drip as he left to finish the work he had previously been doing, the house had to be ready for its long term guest after all.
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Waking up Yang felt, well rested wasn’t the term she would use but she wasn’t in agony anymore and the sickness seemed to have gone away. She still felt stiff and sore, but she wasn’t feeling like she was on her deathbed anymore. Unlike last time Yang carefully looked around the room trying to get an idea of where she was. Unfortunately, the curtains were closed so she couldn’t see out the window, but she could hear the wind so some sort of storm was happening outside. Gratefully Yang could now also see the clock instead of just hearing the ticking though she felt shocked as she got a look at the date shown on it. Four weeks! It’s been four weeks since the attack on Beacon. Yang felt the panic returning as she tried to process how long she had been gone from Beacon since the attack, having no idea where she was and thinking about just how close she had come to death considering her medical and physical condition when she had first woken up. Yang stared at the clock as if it had personally betrayed her. Four weeks, her heart began to pound, a dull echo in her ears that felt far too loud in the quiet room. Four weeks since Beacon fell. Four weeks since she’d last seen Ruby’s face, Weiss shouting orders, Blake running—
Blake.
Her breath hitched painfully in her chest. “No,” Yang croaked, her voice still rough but finally present. “No, no, no…” She tried to sit up again, slower this time, every movement deliberate and focused, her body protesting almost immediately, muscles weak and trembling from lack of use and the medicine still coursing through her body. The stump of her right arm throbbed dully, wrapped in fresh, clean bandages that smelled faintly of antiseptic and herbs. Someone had changed them recently.
That realization, the memory of the voice she had heard in her feverish state sent a jolt through her as she recognised that she had not be hallucinating. There was someone was taking care of her. Someone that could help, that could explain whatever was happening
Yang scanned the room again, more carefully now. Wooden walls, sturdy and well-maintained. A dresser against one wall, a chair pulled close to the bed with folded cloth resting neatly on it—clean clothes. The IV stand still sat beside her, the bag half-full. Everything was orderly. Intentional. This wasn’t a battlefield triage or some abandoned shack being used for lack of anything better. This was well set up it was… prepared.
Her stomach twisted. If she’d been rescued, why hadn’t anyone told her anything? Why wasn’t she back at Patch—or at least a hospital? Why hadn’t Ruby found her?
The storm outside howled louder, wind rattling faintly against the window as if punctuating her thoughts. Yang swallowed and forced herself to breathe through the rising panic. Okay. Think. Don’t spiral. Remain calm and focus on what you do know and can see. Yang let her thoughts drift back to the survival lessons Qrow had taught her even though she always used to find them so boring no matter how many times he had told her that they were important and that she would need them some day. Well, it looks like that day finally arrived. Uncle Qrow can never find out about this; he’ll spend hours checking me over to make sure I’m fine and then spend the rest of my life gloating about being right. I’ll never be able to blow off one of his great lessons again.
She shifted again, reaching awkwardly with her left hand to steady herself. Her fingers brushed something warm and ceramic near the bed. The small bowl the man had left behind—still there. The scent was sweet and grounding, floral in a way that cut through the sterile smell of medicine and the smell of sickness of her own body’s wounds and weakness. Someone had thought about her comfort, hopefully that meant she was someplace friendly or in the care of someone friendly. People had not been too friendly since her match against Mercury. Even Ruby and Blake doubted me, my own partner and my sister. If they felt I couldn’t be believed, be trusted what would a stranger think?... at least Weiss was willing to give me a chance. What does it say that she was the only one…
The door creaked softly. Yang froze as her thoughts were interrupted and panic started to settle in again as she felt herself grabbing the small bowl hoping to use it as a form of defence if whomever was on the other side of the door decided that he wasn’t a friendly face. Footsteps approached, unhurried. Not stealthy. Not rushed. Whoever it was wasn’t afraid of her waking up.
The door opened fully, letting warm firelight spill into the room before the man himself stepped inside. He looked much the same as she dimly remembered—tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair pulled back neatly. He carried himself with the casual confidence of someone in familiar territory. He was covered in snow though as he shook what was on his body off before putting the thick coat, he was wearing on a rack next to the door.
“I really should’ve stocked up more on fire dust, wouldn’t need to cut so much wood. If the weather is this bad here, I wonder what it’s like in Solitas right now?” the figure of the man stopped moving as his gaze rested on Yang and slowly raised his arms in a defensive position as he spoke slowly and in a low tone hoping to keep Yang from reacting violently “Easy, you’re awake, properly awake this time that’s good.” The man’s eyes stayed focused on the bowl in Yang’s hand as he seemed to be debating if he should let her throw it and simply attempt to catch it or if he needed to talk her down, he decided to talk her down. “Please be careful with that, it’s the only one I’ve got and I really need it to help remove the musty smell from this old house and I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck smelling cleaning products and your own sweat and illness.” The man let out a breath of relief he hadn’t know he was holding as Yang slowly lowered the bowl.
Yang swallowed hard. “Where… where am I? How did I get here?” it came out so weak, yang hated how helpless she sounded even if she knew she was helpless, it wasn’t a feeling she was used to or care for. She had always been the strong one, the pillar and this just felt so wrong.
“Somewhere safe,” he replied, closing the door behind him and moving to the chair beside her bed. He sat, resting his arms loosely on his knees, posture open. Non-threatening. Practiced. Safe. “Well, you’re in my home at the moment, Brunswick Farm. Got the place for a steal though the weather my be part of the reason for that.” The guy chuckled a bit as he checked Yang’s IV bag mumbling to himself that he should’ve checked the geography more carefully instead of only focusing on how cheap the land was being sold for. “Being close to Argus isn’t very helpful if I’m stuck dealing with weather like this very often.”
The word felt fragile for Yang as she processed a single word he had said, Argus. I’m in Anima, in Mistral. How did I get so far from Vale, from Beacon? The man seemed to have noticed her distress as he stopped talking giving her a chance to calm down and catch her breath handling a glass of water for her to drink. It was a little humiliating needing someone else to hold the glass for her, but she was grateful for the water. There was a silent pause between the two Yang feeling embarrassed as she got lost in his deep blue eyes being stuck at eye level as she drank from the glass, blushing a bit as the guy gave a short grunt putting the glass down also looking somewhat embarrassed by how close their faces had been deciding to finish his explanation to avoid the embarrassment or uncomfortable feeling that was now filling the room.
“As for how you got here, well from what little the medic that left you here told me you just had the bad luck of being on the wrong emergency transport escaping Beacon academy. The transport stopped nearby the farm to give its passengers a chance to rest and for them to figure out who needed to go where thanks to no longer having to run from the grimm, that’s when they took note of you. You were too far from home to be taken back in a timely fashion, especially with your injuries and with Vale suffering a grimm incursion well there likely wouldn’t be available beds at the necessary medical facilities and you were in far too bad a shape to risk moving you on a trip to Argus, especially with storm season picking up.” The man paused as he got up from his chair opening the blind on the window showing Yang the snowstorm spinning outside kept at bay by the wooden walls and the warmth of the fireplace in the room below. “You were badly hurt when they arrived at the farm asked for my assistance, gave me some extra supplies and keep you stable until they could send a proper pick up for you though I guess they didn’t plan for the weather getting this bad… sorry I wasn’t able to do a better job” Yang grew a confused look on her face wondering why he was sorry before it clicked in her head, he meant when her arm wound had gotten infected, when she had fallen into that feverish state of illness.
Yang waved her hand in an almost panicked frenzy “No no no no no, you did your best to help and I’m sure I’d be dead without your care. Plus, the infection was my own fault, I reopened the wound, you just cleaned up my mistake. I should be apologizing; I probably cost you more supplies than necessary in keeping me alive.” The man simply placed a comforting hand on Yang’s shoulder seeing the look of self-deprecation in her eyes, the tone in her voice that he shouldn’t have put in that level of effort, that she wasn’t worth it.
“Anything else you want to know Yang?” The man asked as he offered to fill her in on what he knew about what had happened and had been happening
Yang grew unsure, nervous as she thought about the questions that really filled her with dread. As long as she didn’t know the answers then she felt safe from the truth, but the lack of information also tormented her despite the risk of it being bad news, she needed to know even if it ended up hurting. “Beacon,” she whispered. “My team—my sister— do you know what happened since I got here?”
“I keep informed but I’m not sure about your teammates or sister, I mean I only got your first name from the medic that left you here so I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you much about something that personal.” The man paused seeing that Yang looked both despondent yet also relived that there wasn’t anything to report after all in a way no news was still good news, sure you haven’t heard anything good, but you also haven’t heard anything bad. “The most news I can offer is about the attack on Beacon. To the best of my knowledge, they managed to repulse it though the school and Beacon tower got badly damaged, even heard they managed to get their hands on one of the instigators though I don’t know much more about that, the council is being extremely tight lipped about whomever they caught.”
Yang had a look of joy, excitement at the information that things weren’t as bad as she had thought they had been though considering everything had been falling apart when she had lost her arm it easily made sense that the school and the tower would fall. Though she still felt confused at how things had taken such a positive turn. “Wait last I remember everything was on fire, the Atlas mechs were shooting at everything that moved, and the white fang was dropping in grimm and attacking the Atlas personal.”
There was a slight twitch at the mention of the white fang though it was imperceptible to Yang as the man continued to speak explaining the situation. “Well after the tower got damaged the signal hacking the atlas mechs was disrupted so the Atlas personal were able to regain control of them even if the numbers were limited due to not having access to the tower for wireless control and the mech destroyed by those defending Beacon. The White Fang it seems flipped on whomever tried to involve them in the invasion and started helping in evacuating civilians and pushing back on the grimm incursion, a pretty good pr win for them. Atlas couldn’t do anything without risking even worse pr after their mechs got hacked and turned against everyone, so they were forced to leave the White Fang be.”
Yang blinked silent and confused for a moment as she tried to make sense of everything recalling the times the team had been dragged into a fight with the White Fang, Weiss and Blake’s descriptions of the group and their own experiences with it and how that all now seemed turned on its head. The White Fang had been helping Roman with his plans to attack and now they betray him? Was this always the plan so they could claim the glory of saving Vale or did they feel siding with Roman and whomever wanted Beacon to fall, wanted Vale to fall was to much of a risk and make to many people hate them, get the faunus to turn against them. Yang needed more information; she needed to know more than old second-hand information. “Is there anyway to contact Vale, my teammates or even Argus, is there anyone I can contact to tell my family I’m alive at least?”
The man’s mouth twisted into a nervous yet apologetic smile as he explained why that would be rather difficult at the moment. “I wish I could be more help but with the damage to Vales CCT tower communication is rather difficult over long distances and I don’t have anything powerful enough to even breach the snowstorms that hit this place during winter and the weather makes travel difficult even when people are in the best of health.” The guy pointed at Yang showing that in her current condition travel was not possible. “Plus, I brought supplies to ride the season out while I fix the place up, didn’t expect any company nor much need to travel so I don’t have anything to help travel through this weather so even I wouldn’t be able to get to Argus safely. If you want to get a message out you’re unfortunately going to have to wait at least till the end of Winter.”
Yang grew a look of horror on her face at the news trying to get up to argue before collapsing back on the bed filling her with a sense of dread and weakness as she realised that in her own manner she had just proved this stranger right, she was in no condition to even try and leave this room let alone try to make the trip to Argus, she could only feel stupid at the thought oof realising she was possibly going to kill herself and the pain she would put her dad and Ruby through if they were fine and had to be informed she had gotten herself killed. Yang let her head sink despondently in acceptance of the fact that she would have to wait. The man who was helping her simply comforted her, his mouth curving into something almost kind trying to be reassuring without being condescending or controlling he simply was relieved that she wasn’t going to try and kill herself trying to accomplish a task even a healthy person could be risking their life to try and complete. “You don’t need to worry about Vale or Beacon or your team, right now healing is your job. Focus on recovery and I’ll focus making sure you don’t end up hurting yourself forgetting how injured you are”
Something still felt off about the whole situation, but exhaustion dulled the edge of her suspicion. Her body still felt heavy, slow to respond, like she was walking through thick mud made of her fatigue and medication. “…Thank you,” she said quietly, the words tasting strange and somewhat hollow as Yang finally realised rather ashamedly that she didn’t know the name of her caretaker. “I’m sorry but I don’t think I ever got your name.
“My name is Adam and there is no need to apologise. I’m a stranger and you’re in a strange place it makes more sense for you to be seeking answers and information rather than asking me for my name.” He gave yang a reassuring nod and shrug showing he didn’t feel slighted at all by her taking so long to ask. “Rest. I’ll bring you some food later. And Yang?” He paused at the door. “I won’t let anyone hurt you while you’re in my care. This is a safe place so just take care of yourself, think about what you need.” The door closed behind him with a soft click.
Yang lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts churned. She hadn’t known who he was and Adam didn’t know her. She didn’t know why he’d saved her. But right now, he was the only solid thing in a world that had burned itself down while she had slept. It was nice to have someone taking care of her for a change, someone caring for her needs when she had spent so long looking after Ruby, helping her dad after he had managed to pull himself back together, to be the focus of someone’s attention even if it was as simple as helping her heal and recover was … nice. She didn’t know why but the feeling scared her and made her feel warm all at the same time.
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Adam stood in the hallway long after he’d left her room, listening to the storm rage outside. Soon he took the walk towards the downstairs living room heading for the fireplace feeling an eery calm settle over the room as a hidden tension seemed to bleed out of Adam’s body, as the facade of care and safety melted away replaced by something sinister and cruel. She didn’t recognise me, she didn’t know who I was at all. It seems dear Blake is still as quiet and secretive as ever. It seems your lack of trust is going to be working in my favour Blake because your friend knows nothing about me, but I know oh so much about her. Adam took out his scroll as he started to read through the files, he had collected on Blake’s teammates but especially focused on the file’s information on Yang.
Four weeks of careful work. Four weeks of controlled doses and measuring effects, and side effects, measured isolation, testing Yang’s limits made so much easier by her feverish and ill state even if it had been a risk to her life and his own game and setting up a routine plan for how to handle Yang, handle the time he knew she would accept the isolation, her own weakened state and before she really started to question him on things instead of simply accepting what he told her. He had removed every variable—no news, no visitors, no reminders of the life she’d lost beyond what he allowed, what made things easier for him, broke down her walls, opened up roads for him to enter and closed off any escape she could conceive of.
Pain, when necessary, comfort when earned, a spiderweb of lies, truths and half-truths to tie her up in. Yang was strong, he’d known that, seen it from the moment she’d thrown herself at him when he had been ready to strike Blake down back at Beacon without hesitation or forethought about any risk she would’ve faced. The files he had read and was still reading as he studied Yang only put further emphasis on that strength but also showed a hidden desperation to protect and act as a shield for others showing such a hidden damage, a chink in the armour for Adam. Strength like that doesn’t break easily but it can be bent and if I bend it enough even if it doesn’t break, if she doesn’t break, I can reshape her into something else entirely, into something not even those closest to her will be able to recognise, that even she won’t be able to recognise.
“She’s waking faster now, she is starting to recover and the medicine doses will need to be altered, the medicine changed. Healthy is fine but I do still need her slowed down and not thinking clearly about this situation.” He murmured to himself, adjusting the gloves on his hands as he moved toward the fire putting the scroll down as he stared into the flames enjoying the crackling of the wood as it was burned up forming a sort of twisted symphony with the howling wind outside and the light creaking of the wooden frame of the house. “Trust follows clarity or what she thinks is clarity.”
He had given her safety, structure, care and reassurance. He gave her answers, twisting the truth to his own benefit made so much easier by her ignorance. Soon, she would stop questioning why she was here. Soon, she would stop thinking about leaving. The day would come when Blake finally came looking, when she would see his good work and he would enjoy the anguish on her face, seeing the pain he would bring upon her simply by having her know he only got his hands on Yang because of her. Adam smiled into the fire as he tossed another log onto it as he settled onto a coach to get some sleep and rest of his own. My cat may have left but it seems she left me a dragon to claim.