I was not fond of the ending of Volume 6.

Even less impressed with the handling of the character of Adam Taurus.

That's all I'm going to say about that and move on.

I'm going to take a page out of Couer Al'Aran's 'Not This Time Fate' and make it a looper. While I may not particularly care for CRWBY's blatant waste, I'm going to try and make it sensible character development. While I may not go the antagonist route, because I'm a sucker for a good redemption story, I'll try to make this particular redemption make sense while I go through with it.

This is going to be Adam Taurus' character from my point of view, with plenty of retcons from canon to accommodate what I'm going for, also filling in some plot holes from RWBY, the standard procedure. Also expect a general aversion to the particular ships Adam got sacrificed for, because I don't particularly care for it. This story is not designed to make people happy, and you'll know what that means as we go through with it.

Without further ado, let's begin.

Lethargy...

"Oh..."

That was all he could say, all he could bring himself to say.

He could have roared his pain to the heavens, thrashed and fought and not give them the satisfaction of seeing him on his knees. He could have reached out with the last of his strength, wrapped his hands around the throat of the one that had turned him into this, and twisted until she joined him in death. He could have said something to her- to them, make his last words be something that left a mark.

But no.

He didn't.

Because he was tired.

So tired of fighting a battle that had already left him behind. Tired of chasing after the one that had caused his downfall. Tired of trying to talk sense into a world that would not listen, people who would not hear. Tired of the cold breeze that struck his face and aggravated the brand that had been so hatefully burned into him, he'd been tired of hiding it long before he died.

He had failed in his quest for revenge.

That was fine.

It meant he could rest.

Adam Taurus let himself go and fell into oblivion.

Adam Taurus woke up.

His slumber had not been a pleasant one, plagued with nightmares that had felt so real that he could remember the events so vividly still, feel what had happened to him in it down to its smallest detail. From the aching feeling in his broken spine to the cold sting of a pair of blades piercing his body. From the satisfaction that came with emerging triumphant, down to the crushing feeling of loneliness as he watched the only person he had left in this world run away from him.

What he had become.

He was still tired.

He wiped to cold sweat that had collected on his brow and leaned back on his bed, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself and remembering that yes; it was a nightmare and he was still with his men, camped out on Forever Fall awaiting the arrival of a SDC Cargo train that would arrive with a train that he and Blake would be robbing in just a few hours.

Where she would be leaving him.

Adam tried to strangle that treacherous part of his brain as he swung the covers off of him, he knew sleep would not come despite how tired he felt. He needed be focused and for that he needed these new... Memories, rearranged into something that wouldn't distract him. Because what he'd seen was truly troubling, mostly because so much of it made sense.

He'd seen Blake run away from him. He'd seen the Red Woman come back, more powerful than ever and more than willing to use that power to destroy them all if he didn't fall in line and serve her cause. He'd seen himself agreeing, not because of keeping his men alive, but because he was so disillusioned with loyalty that he'd been willing to cast all he'd worked for aside in the name of revenge.

And cast it all aside he had. His operations had expanded from a single camp in a little forest to rivaling every branch of White Fang in the Four Kingdoms, even if the quality had dipped. He'd let it be led by common criminals no better than the Schnee's. But it had been enough to topple Beacon itself, even if they'd had to ferry Grimm into the school to get it done. He remembered how sweet the vindication he'd tasted was, when he crippled Blake's partner and vowed to take away everything she'd loved while relishing in her pain, it caused him to take another deep breath and remind himself that it was just a dream.

Adam felt sick.

This wasn't helping him focus.

He needed to stop thinking about it.

He couldn't.

He'd killed Sienna Khan, someone he respected, over a throne. He'd set his sights on Haven Academy, reduced to a mere distraction by the people that controlled him like a puppet. He'd been ready to blow up a courtyard filled with his people because of revenge, and that had caused everyone to turn against him... Descending further and further when he'd put those who'd confronted to the sword one by one and chased Blake across a continent until she finally found the strength she'd needed to put him down like the rabid dog he'd become.

Adam took another deep breath, forced himself to calm down and slowly sat upright on his bed.

The images continued to run through his head in a vicious cycle, he couldn't forget no matter how much he dug his tired fingers into his head.

It...

It was frightening, how far he could fall because of Blake.

He knew himself, enough to realize that all of that would come to pass if the one thing he hadn't accounted for would be realized. Even the thought of Blake leaving him to be alone was enough to make him snarl in rage, want to demolish everything that stood in his way and demand from Blake, why? Yet it would only serve her the answer on a silver platter.

Blake had seen what he'd become, had seen the lengths he would sink to, and had given up on him, rather than the cause. Rightfully so, given that all it took was her leaving him for his rage to turn towards his people.

It shook him to his core that Adam Taurus had a leash that was only held by Blake Belladonna, it made him realize that Adam Taurus did not care about the cause, Adam Taurus only cared about lashing out at everything that hurt him, and he would stop at nothing to make them bleed, to make them hurt as he had. The 'cause' he'd lauded so much had only been an excuse, a brush he'd used to hide the truth from himself and others.

No wonder Blake had left him.

He couldn't blame her.

No wonder she'd killed him.

He wouldn't blame her.

If he could be there now, he would hand her the sword himself.

And wasn't that a startling realization Adam just had, because he couldn't dismiss all of it as just a nightmare. It felt so real, it could have been real for all he knew. He knew it changed him the moment his hands fell short of reaching his mask, the creeping exhaustion that still hadn't left him despite, the hesitation and the absence of the hate that drove him until now.

Adam Taurus had only one thing left.

How had he not realized it until just now? Did it take him this long to realize that he only cared about Blake? How easy it was to think about abandoning the cause when Blake wasn't there, all that he had worked for wasted. Adam should have felt angry, he should've lashed out and cursed himself for being such a liar. But he only felt numbness and apathy.

He just didn't care.

Adam Taurus only had one thing left.

So what was he going to do?

He was going to be loyal for once in his life, and make sure none of that happened.

Lives.

Dawn was approaching fast, and the fate of Kingdoms would be decided based on what he would choose. Adam Taurus would never know what came over him that night, neither would the person closest to him, but he would never be the same.

Blake found him in the middle of the camp, organizing a different raid with Banesaw.

He'd been able to force himself to get up and put on his mask, ordering the watchers to wake everyone up besides Blake and start packing up camp as fast as they could. The 'favoritism' he'd shown (when it'd just been an effort to buy himself more time) was overshadowed by the strangeness of the orders he'd given, but they'd all fell in line when he'd mentioned the Red Woman.

They'd made good time, and he was able to pull his Lieutenant aside to change the plans for the raid. Putting him in charge of the operation along with almost all of the men he had available to him, they would be hitting the train and moving the Dust to a safehouse near a port town close to Mistral while he made sure she wouldn't follow them. It was not a good plan, not even close, but he hadn't the time nor the energy to come up with a better one on the fly and the men under his command were far too loyal to question his orders and Banesaw made for a good detractor.

It would also made sure that he didn't push the White Fang into her arms by abandoning them, they would martyr him the moment she'd try to use his disappearance to turn them to her side.

He nodded to Banesaw and watched as the lightly-packed group left to complete their mission.

He didn't plan on seeing them again.

"What are they doing?" Blake asked, her voice tense as she observed them leaving; there was a hint of fear in her voice, fear of having been discovered no doubt. It only served to confirm what he'd seen. He let her stew for a moment as he watched them disappear into the treeline, listening to the sound of her uncomfortable shuffling for only a moment before slowly reaching and removing his mask.

He felt her still as his gaze turned to her, eyes wide with shock and apprehension.

She was getting ready to run away.

"They will be handling the train," He said before slowly lowering himself down on a chair, the only thing left in the clearing beside his Command Tent, and the two of them. "I thought it would be best to not linger, that woman didn't seem like the type to let things go." He leaned back and sighed as he relaxed his tired muscles, eyes still on Blake, observing.

"You told me it was nothing." Something new in her voice? Was it concern or was it something else? He couldn't place it right now...

He just shrugged, "I changed my mind,"

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, a little bit of panic creeping in as she coiled like a spring ready to, well... spring, but there was a hint of confusion now, she was torn between running immediately and trying to figure out what was going on, "Am I supposed to go with them?" It would be easy for her if he nodded and let her go, an easy avenue of escape and he would't know of her flight until he reunited with her after dealing with the threat.

That he was doing this alone might be a surprise for her, as they were partners.

He should've just let her go, far easier for her that way... But Adam Taurus chose to be loyal, and that loyalty came with a heavy amount of selfishness, "I don't know Blake. Are you?"

She stilled as the implications of that question was presented to her, and clearly wanted nothing more than to turn around and run, but was afraid he'd pursue after her, he was faster than her after all.

She should have run to be honest, he had no intention of chasing her.

This would all be solved once he'd dealt with the Red Woman.

Blake chose to explain herself, instead of running. "Ada-"

A waste of time.

"I don't blame you," He interrupted.

"What?" Was her undignified answer, clearly caught off-guard.

He shrugged again, "You wanted to run, run from what we'd become." What I'd become. "I don't blame you," He told her the truth, and was glad to find the doubt that marred her face, she didn't believe him, she shouldn't believe him.

"You knew?" He rolled his eye, to make her think it had been obvious, in truth it had been anything but obvious. "Why didn't you do anything to stop it?!" Wha-? "Did you want the White Fang to fall this far?!" Ah, she was talking about the White Fang, she had truly believed in what it represented and resented what he was turning it into, he only resented the thing he'd become in that dream.

He just sighed.

"I don't know what I was thinking." A lie, but he had her attention. "But right now? I just didn't want to be alone,"

That brought her short, "Alone?"

"I don't care about them Blake," Now that wasn't a lie, and it felt good to get off his chest, "I care about you, and I don't want to be alone." He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice, the emotions he felt in a whirlwind crushing his chest as he fought off the urge to say Again. It would break him and he would spill everything in a torrent of emotion that would end up serving no one.

"What's happening Adam?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, it was filled with concern he didn't deserve.

"It's complicated." Technically the truth, and a desperate attempt to not lose control, because he was losing it rapidly and he needed to get it back before he said something he might regret, he closed his good eye and took a deep breath.

He felt Blake shuffle around for a moment, "You... You can't ask me to stay Adam."

"I know that," He just couldn't bring himself not to follow, not after all he'd done in those memories when he had followed.

Someone needed to punish him for it, for all he'd done.

Might as well be him.

"What are you going to do?

His gaze slid to his sword, and he felt the spring that was Blake coil even further, "Make sure the Red Woman doesn't follow."

"You're going to fight her like this?"

"I've been fighting for as long as I can remember Blake, it won't be any different." He needed to finish off that hated woman, at least that would make him do something worthy to feel vindicated about, "She needs to be dealt with," She was going after Beacon, and that could not be allowed to pass when it was where Blake would be going as well.

"You look like you're sick Adam," Did he? He felt like it. "You can't fight anyone like this,"

He scowled, he didn't like to be underestimated, "I am more than a match for her," He could even the playing field with his semblance, and the memories about the upcoming tournament gave him an idea on their capabilities. The Green one's Semblance would prove troublesome, but could easily be neutralized with a swift ambush, and the Grey one wouldn't be able to handle a sustained barrage from him if he pressed it while they were distracted.

The Red Woman's power was only effective if she'd mastered it immediately, if not...

"You'll die,"

Was that desperation?

Wasted on him.

He was tired, too tired to continue trying to convince her to leave him to deal with them, "You're free Blake. I'll take care of them, make sure no one follows you." Wasn't that what she wanted? She'd clearly done more for the cause by being on the Schnee's team, and with him out of the picture keeping the Red Woman busy, she would be safe and happy.

She still hadn't left. "What changed Adam?"

"What?"

"You were ready to kill anyone who disagreed with you yesterday." There was the accusation he was looking for. "What happened to change that?"

He chuckled, the action causing Blake actually take a step back.

He actually couldn't remember the last time he genuinely laughed...

"I had a dream."

It was her turn, "What?!"

It dissolved into full blown laughter.

He didn't resist Blake pulling him up in the chair by his arm after that, nor did he resist her leading him away from the abandoned clearing by his arm. She still thought he was worth something then? He couldn't tell honestly.

He was busy laughing.

Had he gone insane?

Probably.

Gods he was tired...

That's the end of it.

Look forward to hearing what you guys think of it.