Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
I'm also exceedingly rarely chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
For the next 4 days and 11 hours, Burger is effectively... not a bum.
-Story Start-
It was an awfully bright dawn, the sky was a cloudless canvas of ocean blue over Vale.
The wind was a chilly yet comfortable blanket, and it showered the city with an excessive sense of normalcy.
Normally, it'd be no issue - but it didn't quite fit or improve the depressive atmosphere of this place as Alex strode towards the entrance of the cemetery, Excalibur by his side.
...
He never liked funerals - not that anyone should like them, in any case.
But, he was not walking alone, almost tardy to the actual procedures:
Ozpin's voice rang out beside the wielder of the Holy Sword, "I am ashamed to admit that I have grown numb to this place over the years."
Their walk hadn't slowed, but Alex addressed the Headmaster with a slightly raised eyebrow. "I appreciate..." Though he'd almost jumped at the excuse not to join in, "you actually letting me come here - but how can you be so sure I won't... lose control again?"
Alex considered it a valid question; he was in a place of death and rest. And although he could hazard a guess as to what... 'triggers' his trance-like state, he'd assume it would be safer to avoid him being in this environment in the first place.
"I've seen more than enough cases in my long life to tell when someone is suffering from PTSD. And from what your seniors told me in tandem to your own admission... I have professional confidence that nothing would be amiss, at least in this junction."
Nodding, Alex somewhat agreed with him, nevertheless. "Hmm... I can't help but feel it's still risky." He honestly provided, though his tone was hesitant.
Ozpin gave a small, knowing smile. "Then why go through with it? If you'd like, I can send you back to Beacon, not before I speak with Miss Schnee about her therapist recommendation for you."
Alex's pace slowed as they were at the gates, taking out his ID whilst Ozpin casually waved the guard to let them through, "I don't know. A part of me feels there's no way I'll lose control again, yet another doubts that very notion." Scratching his head, he repocketed the ID as he followed Ozpin into the cemetery, continuing his admission. "And I did promise to try and make it here, so... I guess that's enough."
"I'm just leaning on the blind trust of your expertise and my own intuition, even if it failed me before." He shrugged.
"You speak like you need to be chained up, ease up, Mister Andrite. Your triggers are very specific; were that not to be the case, you would have lost yourself way earlier. This is the second time, right?"
"Yeah."
"A sense of danger, a situation of life or death, combat. Fight or Flight. I played a recording of a pained screech, yet it did not repeat that exact response. You need a situation, a very real one at that."
"...Maybe, if you're sure."
"It's the most I can conclude from what little I have, and from what little you told me. I didn't want to press the issue any further, but I was hoping you could cooperate with me here. You did promise such an outburst won't happen-"
"And yet it did, I get that... what do you want?" Alex's heavy steps paused, and the gigantic crowd of attendees of the funeral was already before them.
"What exactly happened to you? You weren't keen on specifics back when it happened the first time. The Brother Gods aren't a kind few, so whatever torment they put you through... I understand."
"Whatever that thing is, all you need to know is that I was fighting for my soul without rest for a month, but it felt like an eternity. I was alone-" His hand unconsciously moved to Excalibur's hilt, a movement Ozpin noted. "Almost alone." Alex corrected.
"Then my hypothesis stands. Unless the sight of a funeral triggers a fight or flight response from you, this is nothing to worry about. You do not need to be chained. Metaphorically speaking, of course."
Alex shook his head, clicking his tongue with visible frustration, "Neither do I want to be put in a closed box with sponge walls, but the loss of control..."
"It is terrifying, isn't it? I can find little more haunting a prospect for Man and Faunus alike than to lose control of who they are, regardless of circumstance." Ozpin's hand nested on Alex's shoulder, a reassuring look in his eyes. "Come now, we must be present for those who need us."
"Present, right." Alex agreed, though his words didn't convey much understanding.
This was a funeral he should have no business attending, minus the glaring risk of him imploding.
At least, that's what he thinks.
But it didn't matter - he wasn't doing this for Blake.
Thus, before Ozpin took a step forward, Alex did so himself, with the headmaster following suit.
As they walked alongside one another, Alex murmured before they drove into the crowd. "I forgot to ask you something,"
"Quickly."
"During my clean-up of the valley, I saw a Jellyfish Grimm."
Ozpin paused momentarily, his expression enigmatic, but he raised an eyebrow, "A rare Grimm. Did you perhaps discover what it is capable of?" He went straight to the point.
"It felt oddly intelligent when it looked right at me." Alex nonchalantly muttered.
"..." To Alex, it seemed as if a thousand thoughts raced through the presumably ancient man's mind.
"We'll speak of this later." He mentioned, focusing on the now.
"Okay." Alex relented without issue as they pressed on.
-----------------------------
It didn't take long to find his way through the crowd, as he and Ozpin went their separate ways.
The attention and recognition of his figure was almost immediate, with Excalibur's ethereal gleam being an instant indicator of who he might be, at least to those a bit more up-to-date with the news - the faunus of the bunch held a look of either reverence or fear, but most held the former, for some odd reason.
Unbothered, he strolled through the crowd, who easily parted before him towards the easiest individual to spot - the two tall figures of Jaune and Pyrrha as they stood within a large group containing the rest of the members of RAWP and JRNY, minus Yang and Weiss.
As he walked, his gaze loosely drifted across the crowd, and what a crowd it was.
There were hundreds here, maybe even a thousand. The cemetery was almost fully packed and crowded.
All the first-years were here, alongside Beacon staff and a whole lot of Faunus and even reporters, though they were thankfully pushed to the corner to not stuff their noses too much.
In a way, he couldn't help but feel this was less of a funeral and more of a public spectacle, but he dismissed that stray thought as quickly as it came.
As he approached, his teammates and friends noticed him regarding him with a small wave and a tiny smile - as fit for the situation, he'd guess.
He'd reached arm's length distance from them as he waved back.
"It's good to see you could make it, Alex." Pyrrha offered genuinely.
Ruby, on the other hand, appeared conflicted. Her smile was a note more awkward. "Yeah... we missed you, but... are you doing okay?"
Alex's text messages proved to be a worrying thing.
And the question was never pointed at his physical well-being, which they knew would never come into question.
Alex's lips were a thin, tight line. "Generally, I feel like shit." Short, honest, and to the point.
"Umm, you could have just called sick, ya know?" Jaune offered with a sheepish expression.
He shrugged, "I'm okay enough for this as per expert opinion... just waiting on Ozpin and Weiss to settle the appointment or whatever."
"Appointment?" Jaune repeated, perplexed.
His confusion met no answer, as Alex continued:
"Speaking of which... where is she?"
Ren quietly pointed at a small podium with a curtain behind it, "Behind there-"
Ruby interrupted, "And before you ask, she didn't want to be accompanied."
She raised her hands to air quote, "Says it's to let the emotions and lyrics synchronize, state of mind of an artist, blah blah blah... can't be supportive in this team, honestly." She grumbled with a slightly more chipper tone despite the atmosphere.
"Wasn't going to ask, but nice to know."
"Sure missed your positive vibes." Ruby huffed with folded hands.
"Glad to be of service." He responded in his usual monotone.
Pyrrha chimed in for a moment, a note serious. "After this is all over, you have to talk with us about what happened, okay? And no finicky details like asking Weiss for that appointment, we don't have to work this hard to know what befell you, Alex." She chastised.
Ruby's head bobbed rapidly as she warned. "...But don't talk to Weiss, she's been having a smug face for the whole day after your message. It's inappropriate!" She huffed, utterly displeased.
"I figured." As he spoke, suddenly, all attention was drawn towards a loud microphone that stood on the podium. The taps of Ozpin's fingers on it sent out a static noise that drew all eyes to it.
Without another word said, it suddenly turned quiet, the loud racket and noise turning into murmurs and then... nothing.
Silence, almost perfect silence - but the chilly wind in this bright early morning.
And so, Ozpin began his speech.
Alex's gaze grew distant and dull as he habitually drowned out the usual spat.
He never liked funerals.
He's heard enough speeches, reminiscing, and admissions, particularly in his short first life.
Still as a rock, that dull amber could only listlessly gaze upon the podium as Ozpin's words and gestures were drowned out by the wind in Alex's mind - he heard nothing.
Eventually, it came to an end - and the next to arrive were probably Blake's Parents or any willing speakers familiar with-
Alex broke out of his meditative state, his facial features tightening up in a sudden, almost uncontrollable cringe.
"Yeah... I was expecting that kinda reaction from you." Nora offhandedly mentioned with a slight snicker, despite the atmosphere.
Ruby's dismayed tone was especially sharp. "You don't know how much of a shocker THAT was for me! I'm facing an identity crisis!"
There she was, Yang Xiao Long.
Well, with a key-detail missing.
Ruby bemoaned with an irritated edge, before Yang had begun her speech. "I'm supposed to be the sister with short hair! Not her! My identity! Stolen!" She then turned to glare at Jaune with an accusatory finger, "All your fault!"
Now, before Alex's very eyes, Yang Xiao Long had shoulder-length blonde hair, just like her sister Ruby Rose.
A woman who valued her hair almost as much as she valued her life had upped and cut like 80% of it off.
Alex momentarily turned to look at Jaune with that cringe on his face mixed with confusion.
The taller blonde, however, stood tall and proud. His proud, smug smile seemed to almost split his face in half.
"Hair does regrow back if nurtured, doesn't it?" His pride seemed to radiate like the sun as he nodded to himself, and if he could pat himself on the back, he most certainly would.
Ruby wasn't fazed. "Sounding real proud of yourself there."
"I think it's pretty admirable." Pyrrha nodded with a warrior's honor.
"Some respect!"
"You know what? I'm glad I missed whatever caused that." Alex admitted simply enough, with a finger pointed at Yang as she stepped up to the microphone.
"You were there, though?" Ruby mentioned.
"I don't see how beating up John makes you just go for a bad haircut."
"...Jaune, and I put up a fight."
"Sure you did." Alex was honest, but it sounded slightly sarcastic.
"I did!"
"That's what I said, man."
"Pause! Take those words back!" Ruby made an X with her hands.
"Which words?"
"Yang's haircut! It's..." She hesitated, "It's not... bad, right?" Her hesitation grew even further as she looked at Yang, "Just... similar to mine and doesn't quite fit her as much as it does me?" She pointed a thumb at herself.
"Whatever floats her boat, I guess. Not my problem-" Before he could complete his honest two cents and accidentally avoid Ruby's question, Yang's lips parted, her face looked as if she had cried recently, with the redness in her eyes. Despite this, her lilac eyes held a resolve within them that anyone could acknowledge.
A certain firmness in her gaze and genuine acceptance in her tone as she spoke for Blake's honor.
Even so, given the situation, as habit dictated, Alex drowned out the funeral speech as it was, completely zoning out.
But, he couldn't help but feel an ounce of satisfaction for her, from what stray words crossed his mental filtration.
Her looks, her stance, her words.
In the end, she had decided not to throw it all away in despair - regardless, he would've respected her decision.
With Yang's speech over, a question was pointed out to Ruby as her older sister walked backstage.
"Are you certain you don't want to speak up?" Pyrrha whispered to Ruby, audibly enough for Alex to hear, whether he was intended to hear it or not.
He casually turned his head towards her, as he stood to the left of him and Pyrrha.
Ruby whispered in response, "No. I'm no good with crowds, and I don't want to address all these... strangers, it doesn't feel right. I've spoken with her parents, and that's enough." Her head was held high, with a certain confidence in her tone and way of going about it.
Pyrrha smiled, whispering. "As long as you're sure."
Shaking his head, Alex took himself out of the conversation he wasn't supposed to be a part of and redirected his attention to the stage, with two notable figures approaching the microphone.
Well, he could easily hazard a guess who they were due to their resemblance to the deceased Blake - her mother and father.
The crowd had grown as silent as it was during Ozpin's speech, not a single murmur leaving their mouths as Blake's father stood in front of the microphone.
His lips opened to begin a speech, addressing the crowd once more, and Alex once more began to zone out of the usual funeral speech.
...
It was different.
A good portion, a majority even of the speech was reminiscing on the kind of person Blake was, parts he never knew, nor cared to know.
But, towards the end, the melancholy, the bitter sadness was replaced with... unbridled fury.
A hatred, a resolve, a self-righteousness so strong it broke him out of his trance.
It was...
"I swear. My daughter's tragic murder will not be snuffed out quietly. By my name of Ghira Belladonna, Chieftain of Menagerie and Acting High Leader of the White Fang. I swear it!"
The crowd, particularly the faunus Alex, was unfamiliar with uproared with furious, vindicated cheers, their arms raised up high.
"DEATH TO ADAM TAURUS! DOWN WITH SIENNA KHAN!"
A declaration of war.
It was powerful, and swift - like thunder it struck and disappeared as quickly as it came, as Ghira and his wife stepped down from the podium, letting the funeral proceedings continue unperturbed.
Alex's lips pursed as he turned to look at his teammates, who held a firm expression. "Anything I'm missing?"
"The White Fang's imploding," Pyrrha stated simply, no issue in her eyes.
"Understandable." He hoped his involvement would end with just that casual dismissal.
And with that, with Weiss singing a song to honor the valiant dead, the uncomfortably public burial of Blake before cameras and a thousand people, her funeral came to an end.
Deep down, however, Alex felt like the troublesome girl, even with this - nay, especially because of this...
Hadn't truly been left to rest.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Greetings, my lovelies.
Electric chair or guillotine, or something else? What is vegetable Adam getting?
Anyway, too much to do, too many things happening in the background, too much to write.
Hope the chapter has been to your enjoyment and up to snuff and all that stuff.
Love ya and see ya in 24-48 hours on the next chapter!
Bu Bye!