Chapter 9
It was the morning after Adam's flight from Beacon. He was trying to be careful and remain unnoticed in case his team alerted the authorities. He was a vicious murderer after all and huntresses like themselves could leave him on the loose.
But he wouldn't let himself be caught. Too much was riding on him. His love, his race and the White Fang. He would save them all and all he had to do was try and find out what the White Fang's plan was.
"So what's the big plan?" Adam's follower asked with his hands behind his head. Such a strange way to walk.
"I can't return to Beacon so I need to do something else. I need to stop the White Fang."
"Right. Well, if they're behind the Dust robberies, are you going to protect the stores?"
Adam nodded. "It's the most likely target, so it's the best way to capture one of them and find out what their plan is."
"Well, I got a better idea! They want Dust, right? So they're going to want to get a lot! The ship I was on was bringing in a big load of Dust from Atlas-"
"So if we stake it out we can catch the thieves." Adam thought for a moment before he nodded.
"A better plan than just running between stores looking for trouble. Thanks for the tip." Adam turned and walked away.
"Hey wait! You're gonna need help!"
Adam shot his follower an annoyed look, not that he could see it. "I don't need your help with this. I can deal with the White Fang."
"Well, I'm coming anyway. I gave you the info the least you can do is let me tag along! Besides, a little backup is always useful."
"Tch. Fine. You can do whatever you want." Adam walked on and ignored the blonde Faunus that followed him.
Angry couldn't even begin to describe how Weiss felt about their errant teammate. Adam Taurus was a member of the White Fang. Or he had been? She didn't know but did it matter?
It mattered to Ruby and Yang that was for sure. They'd dragged her out here to search for the monster that had been sleeping in their room. She didn't see the point, however.
He had run away. He didn't want to be around them. And she was glad for it. He hadn't been subtle about his hate for her. It may have made sense now, but she still despised his attitude. Comparing her to her father, even indirectly, hurt.
She was nothing like him.
The only thing they should be doing was reporting him to the teachers and the police! I mean really, how could the teachers have missed this?! But her leader was adamant. Adam had redeemed himself in her eyes. Somehow.
Weiss had been hoping for Yang to at least agree that he was a danger, but there she went, supporting Ruby's crazed ideas of redemption. He hadn't been out of the White Fang for long, how could they possibly think he was so changed!?
Sure he hadn't killed her in her sleep, but that would have been obvious. He could be an agent who joined Beacon to become as strong as a Huntsman who is then going to pass that on to the rest of the White Fang! An army of Huntsman trained terrorists was… well, terrifying!
Weiss sighed as they exited yet another store, Yang having asked the owner if they had seen Adam. Meanwhile Ruby had run off with that strange girl they had met the other day.
"Do you really think we'll find him? It's been days! If he is even still in Vale then he's hiding out with the rest of his terrorist friends." Weiss crossed her arms.
Yang snarled. "Look I get you don't like him and all, but he's part of the team. You can yell at him about your issues all you want. But we're getting him back." Yang said before walking away, looking for more people to ask.
Weiss huffed and followed. She was only here for the team, so there was no point going off on her own unless it was to return to Beacon. That would just open its own can of worms, however. The team was already going to be in trouble because of Adam, she didn't need the rest of her team angry with her as well.
This isn't what I wanted from Beacon… Why couldn't I have been on the same team as Pyrrha?! They all seem so much easier to deal with… well aside from Arc, but even his constant flirting is better than dealing with a terrorist!. She huffed and shook her head. Now wasn't the time for daydreaming.
She had to help Yang, even if only to keep the team as cohesive as possible.
Weiss hoped they never found Adam.
"So how's it look?" Sun asked as he climbed back onto the warehouse roof, apples in hand.
"No change. This is their last night to act. The crates are moving tomorrow after all." Adam turned to Sun, who could practically feel the raised eyebrow at the food.
"I totally paid for it! Here." He handed Adam an apple. Adam took it without complaint.
It was a bit weird. For a blind man constantly wearing a blindfold, it always seemed like Adam could see and was expressing himself as such. Not that Sun could see either of those. As he said, weird.
He did wonder if his team had become accustomed to it or if they had even noticed. He was pretty aloof about it all. Not that Sun could blame the guy. Having been a member of the White Fang and then teamed with Weiss Schnee of all people? Yeah, that had been a recipe for disaster.
It kind of sounded like something the people at Shade would have done. As far as they were concerned if you couldn't get past your hate for another student then you would die in the sands. It was a bit extreme for him.
"Something's happening." Adam spoke up after a while. Sun pressed himself down onto the roof, apples rolling around forgotten. Sure enough, after a few moments several unmarked Bullheads flew in from the ocean.
Men and women dropped down, weapons in hand. Adam sucked in a breath. Sun didn't really recognise the gear, but the symbol emblazoned on the back of their jackets told him enough.
The White Fang had arrived.
They weren't alone either. Adam cursed as Roman Torchwick stepped down from one of the Bullheads. "What the hell is he doing here?! The White Fang wouldn't work with a Human! What are-" Adam cut off like he had remembered something.
"What is it?"
"Something that goes against the White Fangs goals. Let's move." Adam pushed himself up into a crouch.
"Wait! There's a lot of them, are you sure you wanna just jump in?" Adam looked back and just nodded.
"Alright fine, let's do this."
The pair jumped down from their vantage point and snuck around the containers. They weren't the stealthiest, but they seemed to be good enough to go unnoticed. It helped the White Fang weren't trying for a quiet operation.
Adam rushed forward, drawing his crimson red blade and wrapping his arm around Torchwicks throat.
"Oh for the love of…" The thief groaned as Adam brought his blade up, ready to plunge it into his hostage at a moment's notice. Sun rushed up in front of his new friend, drawing his staff with a twirl.
"All of you surrender! Just drop your weapons and I won't have to beat you with my stick!" Sun exclaimed, a smile on his face.
The White Fang looked between each other and lowered their weapons. Sun's smile grew. That was easy!
An explosion blew Adam back. Sun spun around in time for Roman to smash his cane into the face of the monkey Faunus.
Sun was sent to the ground but rolled with the motion, popping back onto his feet with a jump. Roman flourished his cane before planting it onto the ground and wiped some dust from his coat.
Adam's out for a bit, that explosion probably came from Torchwick. Gotta hold him until Adam's back up!
Sun rushed forward, breaking his weapon into its gun-chuck form and unleashed a flurry of attacks upon the thief. Torchwick managed to block many of them, however.
A ribbon wrapped around Sun's leg and pulled his feet out from under him. His face slammed into the ground with a spark of golden Aura. The ribbon unwound itself and was pulled back to the new combatant.
Another Faunus, proudly displaying a pair of cat ears hidden amongst her raven-black hair. A pair of swords in hand.
Great, another one.
"B-blake?.." Adam's voice was quiet and sounded so very fragile.
The woman, Blake apparently, turned and shot Adam a foul look. "Oh great. The traitor."
Sun could practically hear Adam's heartbreaking from here.
No… no why is she here?! I… I can't fight her! I'm not ready! I haven't even proven I can be better yet!
Adam was panicking. There she was, as if nothing had happened. As if it hadn't been weeks since they'd seen each other.
There she was calling him a traitor.
It hurt. It was true, but it hurt. To hear her speak to him with such disdain. A part of him felt like just breaking down and crying. But the rest knew he was still in battle.
He would have to face off against Blake. He gulped as he picked up his weapon. This wasn't going to go well.
She rushed him, swinging the twin blades of Gambol Shroud with intent to kill. He blocked and parried where he could and tanked what he couldn't. He wound swing at her but she would duck back or under or even jump over it.
He was losing. But why? The answer was obvious and only took him a moment to realise.
He was holding back. He didn't want to hurt her. But it was only making her angry.
She slashed again with her katana. He blocked it and forced it down and away from his body. But, her cleaver cut into his back as she used the momentum to spin around.
"When did you get so weak! You used to be the best of us but look at you now! This is what happens when you hang out with ungrateful humans!" Blake roared as she cut into him again. His Aura was dropping hard and he was fighting back.
He was only defending and not even that well
Damn it! I can't fight her! I can't hurt her! There was nothing he could do. He was going to lose because he couldn't fight against the woman he loved.
He back peddled and took stock. Sun was fighting off both Torchwick and a dozen White Fang grunts while more hooked containers up to their Bullheads. If they didn't act soon they would lose the Dust. Sun was in trouble and Adam couldn't bring himself to fight his opponent.
What the hell do I do!? I could run from Blake, maybe swap with Sun. That could work.
As he prepared himself Blake rushed him again. But before she could strike a bullet tore up the ground between them. An explosive round? And that sound…
The entire battle seemed to pause for a moment as everyone took in the new combatant.
Adam's eyes widened as he took it in. His teammate. His team leader. Ruby Rose. She had come. But is it to fight me, or save me?
"When did a traitor get friends?" Blake growled. Distantly Adam could hear Torchwick saying something patronising, but he turned his focus squarely on Blake.
"No idea. But I guess I have them. You could too Blake." He stood tall, he had to if this was going to have a chance of working.
"You've only been gone a couple of months and you already preach just as much as the humans. Do you hate yourself and your race that much?!"
"No! I hate the actions we took, not myself. Not the Faunus. Not the White Fang and not you! I'm trying to be better, Blake! You can too." He held out a hand for her.
Blake scoffed. "I'm not as weak as you, Adam. Your resolve may have broken, but mine is absolute! The White Fang shall not go quietly into the night! We shall gain our freedom and rights! Through blood or terror, it doesn't matter!"
She reached to her belt and pulled out a mask. Adam choked on his breath as he saw it. Blake put the mask on.
"We shall fight for the rights of all Faunus! We are the White Fang!"
Adam stood face to face with Blake, wearing his own mask. All of his past was staring him in the face.
"For the Faunus! For the White Fang!" His past shouted. The others took up the call throughout the battlefield.
Adam was stunned, and Blake took advantage of it. She charged and with her came Adam's past, his fears, his shame, his terror.
His anger.
Adam braced himself.
Blake struck with the intent to kill.
His Aura broke.
A/N: Soooo... yup. Blake is leading the charge, fighting on the front lines even for something like stealing some Dust. Adam was not prepared to face her so he's in trouble. He wants to convince her to change sides but he hasn't changed enough, so all he has is empty words. I hope you all enjoyed and I shall see you next time!