RWBY: Tomorrow and Never Again

by PaulXion

The war has torn Remnant apart. The Hunters have failed and Grimms now lay siege to the city. Everyone we know and love are gone. But there was still a chance to set this right. A chance to change things... for better or for worse. And sadly, the only candidate left was the weakest among them. But perhaps... it was enough. Fan art by Keji Springfield!

34. Mess with the Bull, You get the Horns

Chapter 34: Mess with the Bull, You get the Horns

(Bomb Train) (Engine Room)

Jaune froze in shock, his eyes widened when the plea for aid reached his ears. It was just one sentence but it alone was enough to send the boy reeling in panic. Immediately his feeling of victory, all that joyous celebration died down as if someone had killed the laughter both literally and metaphorically.

"Ruby? Ruby what happened!" Jaune inquired holding onto his scroll tightly as if he was going to snap it in half.

"We… uh… kinda gotten ourselves in a jam." The girl on the other line replied innocently despite the fact she was being bombarded by countless shots of lasers that came from a certain spider droid. "I know that you're all probably busy but I could really… appreciate some backup. Bwahh!" Her camera angle then went upside down when she was lifted by the droid with its massive claw. "Wahhh!"

"Ruby!"

The screen shook but the girl seemed unharmed on the most part. "Ow… I'm ok. Just… send help as soon as you can! I don't think I can handle this on my own! Whoa!"

The line cut off from a sudden explosion leaving the boy and his comrades speechless. But there was little time to react. Jaune shook off his fear and uncertainty and replaced them with worries for his friends. He turned to his team on the screen and spoke.

"You guys get all that?"

"Yeah." Ren nodded on the other line. "What's the plan?"

What was the plan?

Jaune didn't know. They were on two different trains and if his gut was correct Ruby could be kilometer apart from the rest of them. How was he supposed to help them if he couldn't even reach them in time?

"Jaune, come take a look at this." Pyrrha called to the boy's attention gesturing to one of the larger holo screens which appeared to be the old railway map of the area. On the map were two blinking dots which signified two moving trains "Look here. This is us—and this one over here is probably the train where Team RWBY is."

And just as Jaune suspected, Team RWBY was indeed far beyond their reach. Their train was heading in the opposite direction, probably where more White Fang soldiers were lying in wait.

"It's too far. We gotta find a way to help them." He grunted loudly.

But Pyrrha saw to that. "I think I might just have a solution. Look over here. There's a station where both tracks converge. If we can change our route, I think we can board the other train before it gets away."

"Yeah but that train is way ahead of us. Do you think we'll be able to catch up to it?"

"Not if we unload the baggage." Pyrrha added gesturing to the clamps outside. "If we move fast and remove the other cars, we can move twice as fast as their train."

It was a one-in-a-thousand plan. But it was a plan nonetheless. Jaune was desperate for a solution and he couldn't come up with a better one. Not like there was one to begin with.

Turning to his team, Jaune formed the ideas in his head. "Alright guys. New plan. Ren, I need you in the engine room to help us work this thing."

"On my way."

"Nora, I need you to stay with Team SSSN and guard that bomb."

"You got it!" The happy-go-lucky gal nodded with a grin. "Neptune's out of the way so we should be fine."

"Alright… let's do it."

…

…

…

It didn't take long for Ren to arrive. Thankfully with his broad knowledge of technology he was able to make heads and tails out of the engine room's controls. Oddly enough, it was the biggest computer in the room that held all the keys to their plan.

Clank!

"Ok. The clamp locks connecting the engine with the train have been removed." He announced as he worked the machine like a wizard on a cauldron. "I've also got control of the tracks so we're it should just be a straight drive from here."

"How long before we reach the station?" Pyrrha inquired.

Ren looked at the calculations and nodded back to her. "Roughly 10 minutes according to the usual charts. But without any cargo and with max speed, I'd say we should be able to get there in a quarter of the time. But… I'm a little worried."

"About what?" The blonde leader asked.

"Are you sure you guys wanna go through with this? I mean… if you guys get aboard that train, there's a good chance you'll have to face Adam and…"

"Thanks for the concern Ren, but I think we got this." Pyrrha reassured him patting her partner on the back. "Besides, like Jaune said: Our mission is Blake. Adam isn't our problem. We'll do everything we can to avoid fighting him."

Ren didn't seem convinced. He wanted to voice his protest but knowing Pyrrha and her partner, they'd probably do either way. Jaune was stubborn to a fault and that redhead would probably go anywhere with him. "Alright. I'll trust you guys. Just be safe."

"Hey, no need to tell me twice." Jaune shrugged as the train slowly began to pick up speed. "If everything goes well, we'll laugh about it tomorrow."

"Yeah." A fourth voice interjected. "And even if he did show up, we'll just kick his butt altogether."

"Bwah! Sun!?" Jaune startled seeing the blonde monkey appear from the door way. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your team?"

"Meh, they can handle things from there." The primate answered. "I'd rather be out there then to stand guard over some bomb."

"Sun… this isn't…"

"Hey, not sure if you forgot, Pretty Boy, but I also risked my hide back at the docks. Blake is my friend too." Sun interjected. "I'm going and there's nothing you can say that will change that."

Jaune sighed. He really couldn't argue with someone who doesn't follow logic or regulations around here. In the end, all he could do was wait and pray that they could make it in time.

(Evac train) (Open platform)

"Ok Ruby. Keep calm." The grim reaper said to herself trying to ease her nerve. "No need to panic. You've trained for this kind of situation. Giant robots are nothing new. You can take one measly robot. No problem, right?"

"Hostiles lost. Switching to infrared sensors." The giant spider droid stated out loud with its robotic voice. "Hostile detected… resuming fire!"

"Ugh… this is one reason why I really hate spiders!" Ruby quickly used her semblance dodging laser blasts after laser blasts watching as the large killing machine destroy its fellow synths in the process. "Alright you big meanie thingie. Prepare to be… umm… uh… ugh… what's a good pun to put here? Scrap metal? Circuit boards? Paste? No, that won't work. Where's Yang when you need her? She'd totally think of something."

"Intruder, prepare for assimilation."

"Oh! I got it! Prepare to be 'scythed'!" A quick succession of quick slashes followed which tor one of its arms off. "Ugh… no wait that was just stupid-stupid. Who in the world says 'scythed' to a robot?" Ruby grumbled bonking her head for coming up with such a lame pun.

"Threat level heightened. Switching to primary weapon."

"Ok how about… prepare to bust a circuit!" Ruby dodged another blast from the giant cannon and again she swung her scythe cutting one of its legs off but the machine still maintained its balance, just barely. "Hmm better but not quite there. I need something with a little more umph. Haa… I seriously need to watch more cartoons."

But while Ruby continued with her fight, she was left unaware of the ominous hissing noise coming from within the tunnel.

(Mountain Glenn) (Ironwood's temporary command post)

It was definitely going to be a hell of a night.

That was what Ironwood thought when he looked through the monitors of his armored command center which was guarded upon row of robots that served as both its protectorate and its shield. The General had only expected to bring a small contingency of soldiers to scout the area without attracting the attention of Ozpin and his Hunters. But ever since the departure of the students he decided to throw caution out the window and go in guns blazing. He brought his robotic army, he legion of soldiers and all their advance weaponries to crush all opposition and thankfully his rash actions seemed to have finally paid off.

He expected to use the full might of the Atlesian Army to deal with Adam but instead what he found was so much sweeter. Within the mountain cavern, his forces discovered a labyrinth full of White Fang soldiers. Their operation was much larger than anticipated which made his attack all sweeter. Normally the army he brought would easily be discovered by the terrorist but thanks to the assault made by the Huntsmen, they were able to keep the element of surprise and keep the White Fang bottled in the area. It was only a matter of time before they surrendered.

"General Ironwood, sir." One of the com officers reported. "Our main strike force has just captured the fortress. The White Fang within the area have surrendered but there are still a few pockets of resistance. Ground troops are mobilizing now."

One could tell that this was a major military operation and Ironwood knew that his actions would probably get scrutinized by Ozpin and his folk. The man had always been against such a large mobilization of such a force, thinking it would send the wrong message to the world. But to heck with playing-safe. If the fate of thousands hung in the balance, than he would gladly face the music back home.

"Sir." Another officer called out. "We're getting a call from the ground team."

"Have they found Adam?" Ironwood asked earning a shake from that soldier's head.

"No sir. They found one of the Huntsmen teams." He answered. "According to the leader, it seems like the White Fang are using old railway transports to move a bomb deeper into the mountains. She… isn't exactly providing a lot of details."

"A bomb?" The General raised a brow. "So what Blake said was true. Hmm… can you get me a detailed map of the old railway tracks? Vale built this place so they must have records somewhere."

"Sorry sir. No dice." The officer responded. "City schematics aren't in our database. We'll have to ask the proper authorities for it."

"Haa… alright then. Have our ground forces follow those tracks. I want our air units scouring the area. We're not letting Adam or Torchwick escape this time."

"Yes sir!"

"And have you tried contacting the other students?"

"Sorry sir. The mountain is creating some heavy interference. Only short burst transmissions will work in this mess."

(Evac Train) (Engine room)

It was almost over. Adam was counting the seconds that flowed by, wishing for once that time would actually go faster. His plan wasn't perfect but it was enough to grab the attention of the world. If tonight turns out successful, the White Fang will finally get the attention in needs rather than be side-lined like thugs in everyday news. He just needed to wait for the explosion to happen and then… everything… everything will change.

But just as the crimson swordsman gathered his conviction, his scroll began to beep with a familiar face on screen. For a brief second he actually thought that the plan succeeded, that they were ready to send this mountain to oblivion. But Adam's hopes weren't so fragile as to be so optimistic. If he knew anything about life, what could go wrong, will go wrong.

He answered the line hoping that the news would be good but again, he was disappointed.

"Adam…" His lieutenant's voice came through, sounding like a whimper. "I'm… sorry… I couldn't…"

The red bull took in a deep breath as he replied. "What happened?"

"I… I couldn't stop them from… taking the bomb." The wolf man grunted. "That boy… he's… they… are monsters. I am… so… sorry. I… I failed you."

Those words alone were enough to explain the situation. Somehow Adam knew it would be too much for them The White Fang he assembled was after all, just an organized mob that he needed to muscles his way through things.

Hanging up, Adam turned to the engine controls and had a thought come to mind.

"Looks like things aren't going well." Blake's mocking tone interrupted his thoughts. "It's over for you, Adam."

The black cat expected her mentor to scowl but instead he maintained his stoic appearance, brushing pass her.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You of all people should know that I always have a Plan-B." He reached for the controls, pressing a number of buttons in sequence.

It didn't take long for a computerized voice to interject. "Warning: Reactor heat exceeding safety levels. Please inform a technician to resolve the situation."

"This day will either end in our victory… or our extinction."

(Mountain Glenn underground) (Old supply depot)

It was a supply station of sorts.

That was what Pyrrha thought as she scanned the area from the train. Looking at the single structure that protruded from the open flatland, this must've been a place where workers come for some leisurely time or to change shifts among the workload. Regardless, its ruins were a testament to the architects that designed and built this place. In a more peaceful time, this place would've been bustling with miners and other folks who towed and dug their weight for an honest lien. But now it was deserted, empty and abandoned for the dust to claim.

"Over there!" Sun's voice interrupted her thoughts as he pointed in the direction of another train passing next to them. "That's gotta be it!"

Jaune took a peek from the doorway and noted the long line of other cars trailing by. "Alright. Ren, can you get us closer?"

The boy in green sighed at him. "This is a train Jaune, not a car. I don't exactly have control over where this thing goes. But… it looks like there's a stretch of flatland where the tracks are a few meters apart. I can get us there but you guys will have to find a way to make that leap."

"Leave that to me." Sun replied confidently as he began to stretch his leg as if he was preparing to run a marathon. "I can do long jumps in my sleep."

"It shouldn't be too much of a problem." Pyrrha added, folding her weapon together to free her arms. Jaune only wished he could say the same.

"Are you sure you guys wanna do this?" Ren asked worryingly. "There's no doubt Adam is on that train. If you meet him…"

"You let us worry about that." Jaune spoke patting his pal on the back. "Just be sure to get this engine back to Nora and the others. The farther you get that bomb from here, the better."

"I'll do what I can. But I make no promises." Ren replied turning to the controls. "Alright. We're coming up on the opening. Get ready!"

The trio of Hunters got themselves in position as the two trains inch closer and closer to one another following the tracks. One might even think that they were about to collide, derailing both to a gruesome and destructive end. But thankfully for Jaune, it didn't come to that.

"Wait… what the?" Ren said suddenly which caused the others to raise a brow to him.

"What is it?" The monkey asked.

"There's something coming up behind us." The boy pointed to the blip on the map which was approaching behind their train with dangerous speed. This made the three to take a peek through the back door wondering what it could be. The answer came in the form of a two headed snake slithering after them with deep red eyes glaring daggers at their souls and its forked tongues hissing back in rhythm.

"Is that a…"

"King Taijitu!" The redhead was startled equally as her partner. As if they didn't have enough trouble on their plates.

"It's gaining on us!" Sun bellowed in panic. "What now!?"

"Ren!"

"On it!" The green garbed warrior answered, pushing the speed dial forward. "We're coming up on the meeting point. Get ready to jump on my mark!"

"You want us to jump across a chasm with a two headed snake chasing after us!?" Sun complained.

"This is the best shot you'll get! There isn't any other place these two trains will meet!" Ren grumbled. "Alright. There's an open platform coming up ahead. You guys will have to jump on that. There's a little fighting going on there so watch yourselves!"

The three once again took their places readying for his mark.

…

…

…

"Go!"

With that signal, the three Hunters jumped, the large snake Grimm gnawing at them from behind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Bwahhhhh!" Jaune let out a rather girly scream as his face finally made contact with the floor. The impact kind of reminded him of his initiation test, but at least this fall didn't hurt as much.

"Jaune!? Pyrrha!?" Ruby stated from her cover when she noticed the trio's crash landing attempt which was quite the welcome surprise. "And… Sun? How did you three get here so fa—and why is there a giant snake following you!?"

The blonde knight groaned in pain as he struggled to get back up. "You do not want to know. Where's the rest of your team?"

Ruby quickly recovered from the shock answering the boy. "Yang and Weiss are at the back dealing with Torchwick and his lackey. And I have a giant unkillable robot on my plate."

Jaune took a look and to his amazement, there was indeed a giant spider robot blocking their path. Judging from the damage it sustained with its missing leg and broken circuitries, Ruby must've knocked it around a couple of times but not enough to destroy it.

"So what's the plan?" Sun asked again.

Jaune nodded and quickly got to formulating one. "We'll have to muscle our way through that robot. Ruby, you and Sun move to the opening the left side while Pyrrha and I hold its attention. Once we get through, we…"

Meehhhhhh!

The raging King Taijitu let out an inhumane sound as it latched itself onto the train, its fangs coming closer than the team would like.

"O…k… new plan: RUN!"

Reacting to his words the Hunters and Huntresses made a dash towards the giant spider robot which quickly trained its weapons at them. Both sides expected a long and grueling fight ahead. But right before the robot could fire, the King Taijitu's albino half lunged towards it, coiling around the mechanical beast with graceful precision and squeezing the bolts out of its body.

But the bot wasn't gonna give in that easily. Using its shoulder mounted cannons as clubs, it bashed the snake out of its coiling state, stunning it.

"Hostile reinforcements detected. Threat level: Immense. Odds of victory reduced to 36%. Proceeding with elimination."

"Whoa!" Sun cheered as he watched the awesome battle up close. "Now that is awesome!"

Surprisingly enough the other Hunters seemed to agree. With the two headed snake crushing the robot with its tightening grip, the spider droid fired its weapon upon it, forcing the beast back. It was something only Hunters like them would say 'Came straight out of a move'.

Not wanting to waste this chaotic opportunity, Jaune rallied the group together. "Now's our chance! Get through while they're busy fighting!" The others followed him immediately, reaching the next car. But Jaune noted the adorable redhead still lagging behind. "Ruby, come on!"

"Can we wait just a little while longer!? It was just getting to the good part!" The child's eyes gleamed with awe as she tried to soak as much action she could get out of that epic duel. It wasn't every day you get to see something as awesome as two gargantuan monsters duking it out on a high speed bullet train.

"Ruby!"

"Ugh, fine!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once they were all in, Jaune closed the door behind them and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that he didn't have to be out there. God knows he wouldn't be able to handle a three way battle between a robot, a monster and Hunters in one setting. Putting those three together in a pot was a simple recipe for disaster.

"Oh man… that was close." Ruby said through pants, lowering her weapon in exhaustion. "But it would've been so cool to watch. They should totally make a movie out of it!"

"I know, right!?" Sun readily agreed.

But just as they were catching their collective breaths, another batch of robots activated, preparing to fight.

"Looks like break time is over." Pyrrha stated readying her blade. "Ready yourselves!"

"The engine room is on the next car." Ruby informed them. "Blake has to be there."

"Then we're going in." Jaune nodded drawing his sword. "Attack!"

(Storage car)

Back in the center of the evac train, Yang and Weiss were still neck and neck with their opponents, trading shots and blows against one another hoping that either side would yield. Sadly both sides were equally stubborn despite suffering from exhaustion and a few scars that they could tell their kids if they ever decide to get one. Well… everyone except Neo who seemed unscathed from the whole ordeal.

"Ready to give up?" Weiss inquired pointing her rapier in Roman's direction hiding her exhaustion from him.

Roman stretched his weary back groaning in the process. "Ugh… kids these days. You really don't know when to quit."

"I can certainly say the same for you."

"Listen Ice Queen. I really don't have time to play with you. Seriously now, it's way passed your bed time. So here. Let me sing you a lullaby!" He raised his cane hoping to deliver a lucky shot from the lower tip but like always, Weiss gracefully deflected it. "Ugh… what I wouldn't give for a bigger gun right about now."

And suddenly, as if answering to the call of his wish, a giant cannon-arm suddenly tore through the roof crashing right in front of the man.

"Ugh… did I do that?" Torchwick asked no one in particular as he stared down dumbly at the thing.

"Bzzzzt! S s s s… systems ma… malfunctioning." A robotic voice interrupted the battle crashing through the roof, its body slowly being dragged off by an unknown force. "Odds of victory… 2%..."

Meeeehhhh!

Following its fatal strike, the King Taijitu ripped the machine apart, throwing its remaining arm overboard into the abyss. It would've been such a cool scene if the snake hadn't turn its attention to them.

"A two headed snake…" Roman stated in annoyance. "Great… just what I needed for my day."

"Duck!" Yang called out ducking out of the way as the black head of the snake tried to nibble her golden locks. "Hey watch it! I just had my hair done!"

Weiss followed by creating an ice shield to lessen the impact. "Where did that thing come from!?"

"No idea, but if it takes a bite at my hair, I'm ripping its fangs off!"

Seeing the two preoccupied with the giant snake, Roman decided that now would be the best time to flee before the girls get back on their feet. He certainly didn't want to tango with them right now, especially when there was a giant Grimm in the mix. Signaling with his cane, Neo rushed to his side readying her mirror image ability.

"Hey!" Weiss saw his attempt and tried to stop him, if not a little too late.

Roman laughed at them, tipping his bowl hat in a gentleman-like manner. "Sorry lady, Ice Queen. It's been quite a fun ride. I'm sure you girls can handle one lousy Grimm. After all, that's what you do for a living. Love to stay and chat but… you know. I've got places to be, things to destroy and stuff to steal… so… tata for now. Neo darling, if you would?"

The pinkette gave a gesture of a bow to the two, throwing a wink at the blonde bomber who kept her entertained for a while. With a snap of her fingers a blinding flash took them. And by the time either of the Huntresses could recover the two crooks were gone.

"Come back here!"

"Yang, stop!" Weiss held the dragon back.

"What are we waiting for!? They're getting away!"

"And what about Ruby!?" The heiress shot back bringing Yang out of her angered state. "She could be fighting Adam even as we speak. And if you haven't noticed, we have a giant two headed snake to deal with here. Now set your priorities straight and forget those two. We'll have plenty of chances to catch them another time. Right now, we need to help Ruby. Come on!"

Yang's hair glow died down as she cooled her temper. The one-sided fight with the pinkette annoyed her so much that she wanted to lay just one good punch at her. But her sister was far more important here. With a deep breath she nodded back to the heiress. "Alright Ice Queen. Lead the way."

(Security car)

"Haaaa!" Jaune let out a battle cry as he sliced another droid down giving out a silent cheer to himself. Fighting an endless horde of robots kind of reminded him of Glynda's practical exam. But at least back then those droids weren't serious on killing him.

"Ugh! There's no end to them!" Sun exclaimed firing several rounds from his gun-chuck blasting holes onto metallic heads. Strangely enough Jaune agreed. The robots were endless. If this went on, it would take them about an hour before they get to the next car and time wasn't exactly on their side.

Should the train reach its destination, there's no telling what might happen. They might run into another horde of White Fang soldiers or worse, be taken miles out of the kingdom. They couldn't run into that kind of risk, not after what they went through. They needed to get Blake and get off this train as quickly as possible.

"Ruby, can you cut through to the other side?"

The cute redhead matched her scythe to the row of mechanical monsters and nodded. "Already on it!" Combining her speed and her weapon's strength she cleaved through the horde in a bee-line opening a path of the others. "Way's open!"

Jaune nodded impressively to her. "Alright. Everyone move up! Get through before they surround us!" The they followed his orders to the letter, rushing pass the robots as they gave chase.

"Great, first we were trapped on that side, now we're trapped on this side!" Sun complained.

"Not necessarily." Jaune reassured him turning to his partner. "You guys get to the next car and get Blake. I'll hold these robots off for you."

"But… what about you?" Ruby asked worryingly.

"Don't worry about me. I've handled my fair share of robots. Now go. The faster you guys get Blake, the faster we can get out of here."

Sun looked back to the small crowd of robot gathering. Even he could see that he couldn't take them all on. "Are you sure dude? I mean, that's a lot of them."

"No… he's right." Surprisingly enough it was Pyrrha who voiced her support to his plan. "If Jaune holds this side, we won't need to worry about the rear. We can move ahead unhindered."

Ruby wanted to protest but the machines behind weren't giving them much time to converse. "Intruder… cease hostilities and surren—." Jaune's sword cut it off its sentence.

"Go!"

The trio darted to the boy but eventually they obeyed rushing towards the next car. Only Pyrrha darted back to her hero, muttering an inaudible blessing before disappearing through the sliding door.

With them out of sight and out of earshot, Jaune gave out a brave smile as he turned to the training bots. "Alright you tin-canned creeps. Time to bust you open!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You sure he'll be ok?" Sun asked turning back to the door. To be honest, he was slightly worried for that blonde knight. Facing all those droids alone would be hard even for him. "I mean there were a lot of those things. Maybe one of us should go back and…"

But Pyrrha stayed the course putting a stop to the monkey's insult. "Trust me. Jaune is a lot stronger than he gives out. I believe in him. He'll pull through. I'm sure of it." Her voice wavered for a second but she hid it well enough to be undetected by the two.

Ruby nodded in agreement. She had faith in the boy. If he can survive a car crash then a few dozen robots should be a cake-walk. "Well we shouldn't keep him waiting either. Let's do this!" Ruby then fired a round from her rifle blasting a hole through the engine room and kicking the door open that dent the whole frame altogether.

The engine car was a lot larger than what they had expected. In fact, Ruby would even agree that it was probably twice as large as any of the cars she came through. She wouldn't have to worry about hitting a friend while swinging her scythe in this area. At the front of the car was a single computer where she believed the operator would run the train. And beside that computer was a certain cat tied to it.

"Ruby!?" Blake exclaimed, honestly surprised to see her here.

"Blake!"

"Look out! Above you!" The cat warned gesturing her chin upward stopping the red riding hood from an early execution.

A dark red blade swung downward appearing literally from the shadow trimming Ruby's hair by a small margin. If she was anything like her sister, she'd probably be fuming right about now.

"Whoa… that was close." She breathed a sigh taking a small leap back.

And there, standing in all his might and glory was the perpetrator of this whole offense. The living legend himself stood before our intrepid heroes with his burning red hair, the trademark Grimm mask and that black trench coat that distinguished him from the rest of the small fry.

"Adam…" Pyrrha stated, giving a helping hand to Ruby.

The living legend scoffed at them. "So you made it. I'll admit… I never expected you lot to come all the way here. I underestimated you. But I have to say that I'm a little insulted. I thought after what happened at the highway, they'd actually send some real professionals after me—not a bunch of kids. What's the matter? Are all the real Hunters so busy with their daily lives that they can't even be bothered with someone like me?"

"Surrender Adam." Pyrrha demanded pointing her blade at him. "You have lost. We know of your plans of destroying Mountain Glenn. We know that you plan to use the Dust Mine as its catalyst. We have thwarted your bomb and defeated your forces. Your insurrection is finished!"

"Yeah, what she said." The monkey agreed. "We totally threw a wrench in your plan."

But to their surprise, Adam showed no signs of surprise or bewilderment to their claims. In fact, he was laughing. "Hahahaha! You kids really think I would put all my hopes in one lousy bomb?"

Ruby muttered quietly. "Uh… I kind of thought of it until you said that."

"Idiots. I don't need a bomb to make my claims known to the world. All I have is right here. Now be good little kids… turn around and walk away."

"Guys, don't do it!" Blake shouted. "Just get away! He's too strong for you!"

But Ruby simply shrugged her fears off. "Sorry Blake. But like it or not: We're not leaving here without you."

"Agreed."

"Yeah! Just sit tight girl. We're coming to get ya!"

Adam held a tinge of admiration to those kids. They were brave, if not foolishly so. For a moment he thought of them to be arrogant like many other Hunter trainees. But it seems these three were an exception. Regardless, one thing remained unchanged: He was still going to win.

(Cliff overlooking Mountain Glenn)

Roman and Neo appeared in a flash on a cliff outside of the settlement of Mountain Glenn. To say the least, the man was happy to be out of the clutches of Adam and the White Fang. Working with unprofessional rabble was really ruining his image. A mastermind like him needs to be in charge, not playing henchman. Leave the dirty work for someone else.

"Ahh… fresh air at last." The old fashioned crook took a deep breath, thankful to be out of that damp dark cave. "Only one thing to make this escape perfect." His henchman gladly produced a cigar from her pocket and a lighter in another hand. Like a perfect servant, she served him on his request with utmost precision. "Ah… nothing like a good Vacuon Tobacco to end a perfect night. This is how a henchman works. Remind me to give you a pay raise when we get back."

The pinkette simply shrugged off his praise, turning towards the dirt path behind them where a certain green haired thief was waiting.

"You're late." Emerald whined.

Roman simply scoffed at her. "Well sorry if I had to look convincing. It wasn't exactly easy to fight off two Huntresses and a King Taijitu at the same time. Besides, you know how I like to make an impression."

Red eyes rolled over as the thief replied. "Gee, thanks. You're an inspiration to us all."

"Oh don't give me that tone young lady. Did you at least get what we want?"

Emerald smirked as she pulled out a controller unit from her pocket. "It wasn't easy. That Adam doesn't take his eyes off it. Now come on. Atlas already made themselves at home here. We need to move now…"

And to the girl's truth, Roman saw it all. The Atlesian Army was certainly there. If the small fleet of fighters in the sky didn't tell him that then the battalion of droids down in the city would be an obvious point. But he didn't care. In fact, he actually would've enjoyed it. Seeing the White Fang and Atlas duke it out was like seeing an enemy take out an annoyance.

"Lead the way sweet cheeks. I'll be more than happy to finally get out this dump. And if I see another White Fang, it'll be too soon."

"Call me 'sweet cheeks' again, and you might wish you'd stay there."

(Evac train) (Engine car)

The fighting was one-side.

Blake could see it as clear as day. As much as she wanted to root for her friends for a quick and clean victory she just couldn't see them winning against Adam. Even with the champion of Mistral on their side, the girl with the speed of a bullet and a monkey who has more wit than all of them combined, they couldn't possibly hope to match someone who was as skilled as him.

Adam was on a league of his own. There was a reason why he was called a living legend amongst the members of the White Fang. He was a trained killer, someone who had no qualm with taking another life. His skills and abilities were well known throughout the world. It's the reason why even seasoned Hunters like Ozpin and Glynda would hesitate fighting him head on.

Something like that should've been pretty obvious after their skirmish in the highway. Yet despite knowing all of this, her friends didn't seem to show a hint of fear in their eyes. Whether it was ignorance or blatant courage or the desire to save her, a scum of a friend, they should be trembling at the sight of such power.

Clang!

"Sun, Pyrrha, cover me!" Ruby took charge of the team, rushing in with her scythe. Combining her attack with her speed, she delivered a flurry of attacks only to find them parried with utmost ease. "Grrrrr!"

"My turn!" Sun signaled, letting Ruby fall back for him to dual wield his gun-chuck-kata delivering countless blows with bullets flying in every direction. Adam however countered those blows and repelled him quite easily with a literal face palm. "Doh!"

"Sun!"

A chuckle came from the hero as he looked at those who dare to oppose him. "Not bad. Most people would faint with a single strike. You kids must be quite exceptional."

Pyrrha gritted her teeth at the man. She too could see the difference in their skill levels. It was as clear as day. Adam was simply too much for any of them to handle even with their powers combined. Even with his eyes hiding under that mask, Pyrrha couldn't imagine herself fighting on equal grounds with him. Heck, she could bring every freshman student of Beacon here and they'd still lose, utterly.

Fear began to creep on her shoulder. The fear of death. They can't win, not against him. The only way that they would have a chance of defeating such a monster is be monsters themselves. Slowly, the redhead champion reached to her pocket, pulling out the black stone that she wish she'd never use.

With a quick move, she cracked the stone into for even pieces letting that power slowly seeped into her body. She could feel it, quietly coursing its way through her veins. That unknown element that made her stronger, faster. It was so intoxicating that even the finest wine in Vale couldn't even come close to comparison.

Feeling her strength returning, Pyrrha wasted no time in striking the man down. Adam expected it to be nothing different from the other two but he would be surprised to find himself forced back by the sheer power of that simple swing. To say the least, Adam was caught off guard by that mighty blow that it made him raise his guard up. He wiped that sweat dripping from his brow and took a good look at his opponent.

"The Champion of Mistral. I should've known." He muttered quietly to himself. "You might be worth killing after all."

"You're welcome to try." She countered before launching herself towards the man. It was there she felt the full might of the Black Dust. Every swing she made was 10 times stronger than what it originally was. She was fast before, but the speed she was accomplishing now was totally on another level. As the two sides continued to trade blows, Pyrrha felt her body growing stronger every second. With this power in her, her perspective of defeat changed. With this power… she might just do it… she might just win.

"Whoa…" Ruby's was awestruck. "She's awesome…"

"I guess they don't call her the running champ for nothing." Sun seemed to agree. The flaming redhead was doing way better than any of them. He wanted to intervene but felt like he would just be in the way.

Clang!

Both living legends clashed once more, their weapons locked.

"Ruby! Get Blake! Hurry!"

The grim reaper quickly brought herself out of her daze and followed her instructions. "On it!"

"Not so fast!" Adam blocked their path, giving two quick slashes which sent the two reeling back. The man snarled under his mask as he realized that he couldn't take these children lightly anymore. "I'm impressed. Only two people have been able to defeat me in a contest of strength. Looks like you three are more than meets the eye. But… unfortunately, that ends now."

"Oh yeah? Well bring it on, creep!" Sun challenged him, throwing a combat stance. "It's time I showed you how we do things back in my town!" The monkey prince charged, hoping to get one or two lucky strikes. But Adam always had a plan. With a simple gesture of his wrist, the living legend swung his sword around, cutting through the pipes and letting the steam vent into the room, creating the illusion of a thick mist. "Ow! Really man? Hiding in the smoke? That is so cheap dude!"

"Where'd he go?" Ruby barked, putting her back against Pyrrha's trying to cover each other's blind spot.

"Keep your eyes peeled. He could strike from anywhere."

And like a snake striking its prey from the bushes, Adam struck, aiming for the monkey boy first.

"Look out!" Blake warned only a tad bit too late.

"Huh? WHOA!" Sun barely had the chance to defend himself when he found himself grabbed by the foot and thrown off through a hatch that opened just as suddenly as the attack. You can practically hear him cursing as his voice trailed off into the distance.

"Sun!"

"Ruby, watch out!" Pyrrha noted a red flash and quickly pushed the scythe wielder away from the attack before parrying it herself. "Guah!"

"Pyrrha!"

A smirk appeared on Adam's lips as he noted the painful contorted expression on the Amazonian's face. "I thought as much. You haven't fully recovered from our last fight, have you?"

The woman clicked her tongue in irritation. It was true. Despite everything that has happened, Pyrrha wasn't fully recovered. Her body was still suffering aches from the last battle in the highway. She didn't think it would resurface now of all time.

"It's a shame. Even with all that power, all that training, you're still lacking experience." And with a good kick to the stomach, the Amazonian was sent towards Ruby throwing both of them off the train in a single action. The two redheads screamed out but their echoes died out in the ensuing chaos.

"No!" Blake pleaded, her heart beating with pain as she watched her friends falter to the might of her mentor.

"Relax." Adam reassured her holstering his blade. "If they're as half as good as those I've fought before, they'll live. You should be more concerned about yourself than others."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked painstakingly. "What's the point of doing all of this? What's the point of causing so much harm and destruction?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Adam countered staring down at his former pupil. "What was the point of staying with a team? What was the point of staying in Beacon? Did you actually think that your actions would change people's opinion on us? You of all people should know that these humans only listen to force. They can pretend to care, pretend to love you, pretend that we're equal, but it will never be real. Not until we shatter this bitter reality of theirs. What happened to you Blake? What caused you to change? You were a believer of the cause. Someone who believed in us!"

"I believed in equality." She spoke back, eyes glaring like daggers at the man she once loved.

"If you truly believe that, then help us." The bull asked. "Come back to us Blake. Come back to me. You don't have to go through this suffering alone."

"She an't alone." A third voice interjected alarming both occupants in the room. They turned to the doorway only to be amazed by the blonde knight's appearance as he slug his way through. "And she's not the one suffering."

"Jaune…?"