Yang walked down the hallway towards the school courtyard. It had been three days since the Minotaur appeared, and the students were slowly settling back into a sense of normalcy.

Yang ignored the mutters, the whispers, and the stares. Rumors had quickly spread through the school about what had happened in the infirmary. Between what they learned about her mother and the knowledge that the demon that attacked the school had come for her in particular, Yang often found herself the topic of conversation. Very few of it was positive. The Branwens were notorious on Remnant, and Beacon was filled with their victims. And while no one knew what kind of connection Yang had with the demons, there being a connection at all put them on edge. Some even thought that she had brought the demons to Remnant, though no one was willing to say that to her face.

She stepped out into the courtyard where other students were waiting. Some of them were huddled up with their friends, holding on to them for comfort. Others had no one. There were a few students that had lost all of their friends since the demons invasion.

Ozpin stood in front of the statue in the center of the courtyard. He began with some speech that Yang wasn't paying attention to. All of the words came out gibberish, like it was a different language. Whatever it was it likely wasn't important.

Two hours later Ozpin's speech finished. The students slowly filed back towards the school. Yang noticed that there were students with their bags packed boarding airships leaving Beacon. Not that she could blame them. Not everyone was built for this.

Yang turned to leave when she heard someone call out to her.

"A moment, if you please, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin said.

Yang turned around and saw Ozpin with Glynda standing behind him.

"What do you need?"

Ozpin kept the same neutral expression he always had. "I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk."

Yang shrugged. "Sure."

The three went to a secluded area on the campus. Yang took a moment to observe the two teachers. Ozpin looked as relaxed as ever, but Glynda kept a firm grip on her riding crop. Yang hoped that whatever was about to happen wouldn't end in a fight.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Yang asked.

"I merely wanted to know how you were faring after the past few days," Ozpin replied.

"Well I found out my mom died and I might be a demon, a demon broke into the school and beat seven shades of shit out of me, and another demon came into the school and laid my closest kept secrets bare in front of everyone, but other than that I've been just fine."

Ozpin chuckled. "Well it's nice to know that your sense of humor remains intact."

Yang looked over toward Glynda. "You can relax. I got a bit of demon blood in me, but nothing's changed. I'm not gonna fly off the handle or anything like that."

Glynda relaxed slightly. "Perhaps, but it never hurts to be prepared. If I had any doubts about you now would be the best time to act. Depending on your progress you may become too powerful to stop."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Ozpin interjected. "That many paths have been laid out before you. I can only hope you will choose the correct one."

Yang looked into Ozpin's eyes. His expression didn't change, but the meaning behind his words rang loud and clear. If Yang decided to turn against humanity, he would put her down like a rabid dog.

Yang sighed. "If that's all I'm gonna head back to my room."

She began to walk away, but something came over her.

"My mother, what was she like?"

Ozpin paused for a moment. "She was one of my greatest students. She was strong, driven, and passionate. She was also completely amoral, and thought nothing of using force to get what she wanted. You are like her in many ways, but in many ways you are her complete opposite. I doubt you will follow the same path that she did."

Yang smiled slightly. "Thanks."

XxX

Weiss sat at her desk reading her book. She had just read a passage that resonated within her heart.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

The book was one of the few distractions she still had. As the demon crisis worsened she found that she had less and less time to relax. Perhaps that was why Mastema had given her the book.

This "Lord" that had been mentioned piqued her curiosity. He was mentioned several times throughout the book, sometimes as a figure to be worshiped, other times as something to be feared. His love and his wrath existed equally. It fascinated her, and left her wanting to know more.

Weiss heard a knock at the door. She walked up and opened it, seeing a familiar redhead on the other side.

"Pyrrha? Did you need something?"

Pyrrha had a small grin as she waved at Weiss. "Hello again. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

"Are your teammates busy?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "They're not, but this isn't something I want to bother them with."

Weiss motioned toward a bed and she and Pyrrha sat down together.

"What's up?" Weiss asked.

Pyrrha sighed. "I've been thinking about the past couple of months. I thought that I was good enough to take on anyone, but now I'm having second thoughts. I haven't had a fight that I can say I've won since the demons arrived. But then I look at my teammates, at Jaune. They're all progressing at a rate I never thought possible. I think they might leave me behind."

Weiss looked down at the floor. The Invincible Girl had just laid herself bare in front of her. Weiss didn't know what to say to that. She grasped for words, until she remembered a passage from the book.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Pyrrha blinked. "What was that?"

"It's something I read in a book. I know what it's like to feel like you're not good enough, like now matter how hard you try you just can't keep up." Weiss looked around and made sure no one else was coming. "I've never told anyone this, but I was thinking about dropping out of Beacon at the beginning of the year."

Pyrrha suppressed a gasp. "Really? Why?"

Weiss sighed. "It was Ruby. She got picked as leader over me, and from then she just kept on outpacing me. I couldn't keep up with her no matter how hard I tried. She's two years younger than me and she's already so strong. I thought I'd never be able to catch up with her. But someone helped me see where I was wrong. I should see her as a goal to aspire towards. She's my leader, and she needs me to be strong to help her."

Pyrrha place a hand on her chin. "I see what you mean. I have a lot to think about. But, there is one thing I've been wondering. Who exactly is this "God" person?"

Weiss blinked. "I'm not sure myself. I encountered His servants, but I'd like to see Him for myself if I can."

"Who knows," Pyrrha replied. "Anything can happen. It's a new world out there."

Weiss smiled at Pyrrha. "Well, if you want to talk again I'll be right here."

XxX

Ruby stood in the training field and summoned her demon. Frost Ace materialized in front of her and struck a pose.

"Hee-ho! What evildoers will fall before my might, ho?"

Ruby took a deep breath and summoned her aura. She tried to look at her demon like she did the Minotaur, but nothing was working. She sighed.

"What happened last time?"

She racked her brain trying to remember what exactly happened that day. She remembered that she was worried about Yang and her friends. If she didn't kill the Minotaur then and there it would have killed everyone.

She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her eyes. She could feel something rising from deep within her. She suddenly had an idea. She focused her aura around her eyes and in the next moment words began to appear around her demon. She focused and they arranged themselves in a way that allowed her to read them.

Frost Ace

Race: Genma

Phys:

Gun:

Fire: Resist

Ice: Null

Elec:

Force:

Light: Null

Dark: Weak

Ruby blinked. She had done it, and it didn't even hurt as much as last time. She decided to keep training to see how long she could keep this up.

Ruby heard footsteps approaching from behind her. She turned around and her face curled into a frown.

Yang

Race: Brute

Physical: Resist

Gun:

Fire: Null

Ice: Weak

Elec:

Force:

Light: Weak

Dark: Null

Yang sighed. "Are you still upset?"

Ruby turned away from her without answering.

Yang looked down at her hands. She felt something had changed in her. She concentrated and a small ball of flame appeared in her palm. She closed her fists and the fire disappeared. It was weak, but she could use magic without using Dust or her Aura. She truly had become a demon.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Raven. I didn't want to trouble you with it. I wanted us to be sisters, and I thought that if you knew it would… change things between us."

Ruby ignored her. Yang grasped her fingers and broke them with ease. Her physical strength had increased as well. She watched as her broken fingers mended themselves.

So I can regenerate too? Interesting

"It's not that," Ruby said. "Your mother left you, and you've been carrying that alone all your life. Why would you think I would want that? We'll always be sisters, and nothing will ever change that."

Yang wrapped her arms around her sister. Ruby groaned in pain. Yang had gotten much stronger in the past few days.

Ruby squirmed in Yang's grip. "Ow, I think I cracked a rib."

Yang laughed. "You'll live."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Ruby."

XxX

Deery paced back and forth. It had been three weeks since anyone had seen Adam and she was beginning to panic. She tried calling him, sending out search parties, even using demons to assist in looking for him, but nothing worked. It was like he simply walked off the face of the planet.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she saw it was the large man who acted as Adam's second in command. No one knew his real name, but he went by Wolfsbane, or Bane for short.

"You need to relax," he said.

Deery slapped his hand away. "How can I? Adam is out there somewhere. What if he got hurt, or ran into some hunters? What if a demon found him?"

Bane sighed. "How many times have we been over this? Until we hear from him we assume he's dead and carry on like normal."

"How can you just cast him aside like that? I thought he was your friend."

"This is a war. We knew that there was a chance that this could happen. If you can't handle it then you can go back to bowing and scraping for the humans."

Deery ground her teeth, but couldn't respond. He was right. They were at war. Dozens of them had died already, Adam was just one more.

A rustling sound came from the distance. Deery drew her pistol and aimed it towards the forest.

"Who's there?"

a man walked into the clearing. Despite how different he looked she recognized him instantly. His red hair had streaks of grey, his face was covered in blood, his arms and chest were crossed with scars, and he had a noticeable limp in his step. Despite how badly wounded he was, his ornate mask and his sword were in pristine condition.

Deery gasped and ran toward her leader. "Adam! Where have you been? No one's heard from you in-".

Her words were cut off by Adam placing a finger over her mouth.

"Later."

After being taken to a tent to have his wounds treated Adam told his followers where he had been. No one had believed him when he told them what he learned while he was gone.

"That's impossible," Deery said. "It's completely insane."

Adam laughed and started coughing. "That's what I thought at first, but it's the truth."

Bane seemed to take it all in stride. "That's all well and good, but what about the plan? Perhaps you forgot during your little escapade, but we have certain obligations."

Adam was silent for a moment. "We will discuss that matter tomorrow. I'd like to rest for now."

A grunt burst into the tent. "Brother Adam, that woman has returned. She seems angry."

Adam sighed and grabbed his sword. "It seems this must be addressed now."

He slowly made his way to the camp's entrance using his sword to support himself. He saw Cinder standing outside with wind swirling around her. Their eyes met and her face twisted into a scowl.

"You little worm," she growled. "I hope you have a good excuse for avoiding me. Don't forget that I could destroy all of you without even trying."

After what he had experienced Adam saw Cinder in a new light. When she came to the camp and killed his men he didn't understand how one woman could become so powerful. That lack of understanding became fear. But now he knew. He knew the source of her powers, and he knew that there were beings whose powers far exceeded hers. He even knew how to obtain that power for himself. Where once he saw a formidable enemy, he now saw a little girl throwing a tantrum.

Adam coughed into his hand. "I was away on a… personal matter. But I am glad that you're here. I think now would be a good time to renegotiate the terms of our arrangement."

Cinder's eyes glowed ominously. "Oh? What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I have no desire to serve under you any longer. I will pursue my own ends. Our deal is over."

The area surrounding Cinder burst into flames. "It's over when I say it is. Don't think I'll let you live after defying me, you worthless animal."

Adam drew his sword and the fight began.

After what seemed like hours the fight ended. Most of the camp was destroyed, though the soldiers managed to evacuate before getting caught in the battle. The ground was blackened with scorch marks, and the trees burned with flames that couldn't be put out no matter how hard they tried. The White Fang were forced to evacuate.

After finding another safe haven they took time to gather themselves. What they had witnessed would change them forever.

Adam groaned as he felt a wound open up. His victory was hard fought, but he survived to fight another day.

"What do we do now?" Deery asked.

"I want you to bring me a camera," Adam replied. "Everyone needs to know what transpired here today."

After a bit of preparation Adam stood in front of a camera. His message was being broadcast to every White Fang base on Remnant.

"My name is Adam Taurus. I am the acting leader of the White Fang's Vale faction. Recently, I found myself working with a human under threat of death. I was forced to act on their behalf, dishonoring my creed and sacrificing the lives of those who placed their trust in me. However, that ended today."

He held up Cinder's severed head and displayed it for the cameras.

"I can make no apologies for allowing myself to become someone's servant. However, I can honor their memories by carrying on their wishes. I recently went on a journey. As I ventured I discovered the truth of this world, and I realized the futility of our efforts. This world's corruption is seeped into the very foundation. Simply overthrowing the human's rule is not enough. We must tear down the pillars that hold up this world, and build a new one in its place!"

The crowd began to stir. What Adam was suggesting was far beyond what they had signed up for.

Adam noticed the hesitation in the audience. "I understand that many of you may be reluctant, but remember why you joined the cause. Remember the abuse, the indignity, the denial of your basic humanity. If you follow me, I can create a world where we can live in peace, free from the oppression of humans. But in order to obtain that peace, we must spill blood like we never have before. In order to reach paradise we must journey through hell. We can prevail. We have the power, and there is nothing and no one that can stand in our way. Will you join me?"

The audience erupted in applause and cheers. Adam took a short bow.

"I hope those listening will make the correct decision. I will contact you again when it is time to act."

Deery turned off the camera. "That was quite the speech."

Bane laughed. "Boy always had a way with words. So what are we gonna do now?"

Adam sat down in a chair. "We continue where we left off. Continue gathering resources and prepare for our assault on Beacon."

"I thought attacking Beacon was that woman's plan. Why should we even bother?"

"Because Beacon has something that we need, and there's someone there I need to see."

Bane shrugged. "I don't care either way, long as I get to kill something. But, is it all right if I take a little detour?"

"For what?" Adam implored.

"Sending out our new mission statement. You weren't the only one to go out on a little journey, and I've got a demon that'll get me anywhere I need to go. Besides, I think it's time I settled an old score."

Adam sighed. "As long as you don't forget the mission. The sun will soon set on the world of man, and we will be the ones to usher in the new world."

He looked down in his hand at the gem Cinder had on her. He could feel the power pulsating within it. Everything he desired would soon be in his grasp

AN: I think this story might end up a lot shorter than I thought at first, maybe. Either way I hope you keep reading, or don't it's up to you