RWBY: LIFE AND DEATH - CHAPTER 5

[Umber Khan - 16 years old]

Time passed fast, and the White Fang goals changed a bit, at first, when I joined, we were mostly peaceful, not, we conducted robberies and attacks on those who hurt the Faunus the most, I didn’t mind, not really, every change in any world started with someone saying enough, and as long as we didn’t target innocents to make our point, I was okay with this arrangement. Besides, as things were going, Sienna was going to become the next leader of the White Fang, her influence over the organization had spread beyond what I thought possible.

Which was a reminder of how much hate there was in the organization for the human race, most of the Faunus inside the White Fang, wanted blood, vengeance, retribution, something to soothe the unshakable pain they had inside them, they all wanted some type of closure, and the peaceful ways of the White Fang, the current White Fang, didn’t give them what they needed.

And little by little, Sienna had started to change that, must of Ghira’s dislike, she was offering them something he never could, the chance to strike back, and this was good and all, but her ideas were becoming more and more aggressive, I knew she wanted vengeance because so did I, there wasn’t a day I didn’t go to sleep without thinking of the pain I would inflict those who took everything from us, but unlike Sienna, I didn’t hate the entire human race as a whole, I hated a selected group of individuals, that would sooner or later, die by my hands.

But regardless of that, here I was, together, forever, she was my sister, and if things ever got tough, I would be there for her, to back her up, regardless of her choices. Not to say, I wasn’t voicing my concerns, because I was, which is why she was taking at times more passive approaches, in a way, she wasn’t going as aggressive as she would without me probably.

As for me, I was now known as the Ghost of The Faunus, a name humans had given me on the idea I was a supernatural being, all because they would never manage to hurt me, thanks to this my popularity with the White Fang was big, so much they would cheer when I arrived at a battlefield, already assuming we were going to win, not gonna lie, that shit did wonders to my ego.

As for my position on the White Fang, I was above everyone, but Ghira and my sister for a while, being the third in command for a year in a half, though this position didn’t last for too long, for I became the second in command within a month of my seventeen birthday, because Ghira stepped down from the White Fang, after a particular mission they were taking, where Adam had killed a human to quote on quote save him, I wasn’t there to confirm if Adam had deliberately killed a human when possibly there was another option, I was running another mission, but considering his track record, well… the chances he did it on purpose were high.

I couldn’t blame the guy most of the time, he had suffered a lot, maybe more than us, losing his family, then being enslaved by the people that killed them, I don’t know how much you need to break someone, to shatter their sense of empathy, but if there was something that did that, it was what he had endured.

What I didn’t approve of was Sienna painting him as a hero for the rest of the White Fang, one thing was to drive Ghira away, another was to attack our oppressors with the same force, but to romanticize murder? That was not what we should be standing for, we represent our kind, and if the values we stand for say a killer is a hero, then this cycle of hate and anger will never end.

“Sienna, I understand your point, but do you really think romanticizing his psychopathic tendencies is the way to go?” I pressed.

“He did what had to be done,” Sienna shot back.

“We are more than a vengeance Sienna, killing humans indiscriminately is not the way to claim our rightful place in this world!” I replied, exasperated.

“They kill us, enslave us and treat us like dirt, it’s our right to treat them the same!” Sienna all but shouted.

“YES, IT IS! BUT FOR THOSE WHO HURT US!” I growled, “We are aiming our hate, our resources to all humans when not all are responsible for the sins of their kin! If we do what you are asking me, and everyone else to do, we will be just like those who took everything from us!”

“It is what has to be done,” Sienna replied, coldly. So this was it, her hate for the Human race was stronger than her love for me, they do say people hate with more strength than they love.

“Then, I won’t help you,” I smiled a sad smile. “I love you, Sienna, you are my sister, my whole world, but I won’t be a tool that helps spread this corrupted message,”

“I love you too, Umber, but if you can’t understand my vision, I don’t need you,” That… hurt, a lot, more than any cut I had ever received in my life, almost as much as the day I lost my parents.

“If you ever need me, call me,” I smiled, wiping a tear away from my face.

“Goodbye, Umber,” She didn’t even look at me, how sad… so much for forever, together, well… regardless of her current demeanor, and her hate twisted personality, she was my family, and if she ever needed me, I was going to be there for her, because deep under her hate-filled heart, I knew she loved me, she just needed time to figure things out.

As I walked out of the room, I found Adam outside, leaning against a wall, blocking my path, “So the Ghost betrays us,”

“I don’t have the time, nor the patience to deal with you Adam, so move or be moved,” I growled.

“You don’t scare me, Umber,” Adam scoffed.

“Too bad, because I should,” I took a step forward, “So go ahead, Adam, take the first shot, it’s on the house, after that… all bets are off,”

“As you wish, Ghost,” Adam growled, kicking me on the chest.

“You are going to regret wasting your free shot at me with that kick,” I declared, charging at him.