Chapter 20

"Stupid suit…" Adam muttered, trying and failing to do up his tie. He eventually gave up. It looked mostly right, he just hoped everyone would be too busy dancing. He sighed and looked longingly at his weapons. I wish I could bring those.

Instead, he left the dorm. He was already the last to leave out of both his team and JNPR. Apparently, he was the worst at ties. It's not like I've ever had much reason for them. Even meeting Ghira and Kali didn't necessitate this level of formal attire. But as much as he wished to be elsewhere, he'd made a promise. He would try and enjoy himself.

The halls were empty and silent aside from the muffled sound of the music that could likely be heard all throughout the school. Adam took his time. Months ago when he had first come, this place had been a maze, confusing and frustrating. Not only in the halls but in classes as well. Now though he felt almost at home here. He wished Blake could see it.

Adam stepped out into the fresh air and made his way toward the dance. He passed by a panicking Sun, who was having just as much trouble with his tie. The monkey Faunus waved when he saw him, then seemed to pause and consider before calling out. "Hey, Adam!"

Adam waved back but didn't head over. He could talk to Sun later, but right now he needed to make sure his partner didn't send out a search party.

The main hall had been thoroughly transformed. Everything was plastered with colour, turning the once simple room into a place of wonder. People filled the room, dancing to classical music. Adam was hit by the sudden change of atmosphere. The music and conversations of well over a hundred students stood in stark contrast to the almost serene nature of the hallways just outside.

It was very different to any kind of celebration he had gone to before.

"There you are!" Yang called out to him with a huge grin. "I was wondering if you were going to make it."

"So you're the welcoming party huh? Whose bright idea was that?" He teased.

"Mine of course. Could you imagine Weiss or Ruby being front of house? Or, worse, you?" She shuddered, writing something down in a large book. "Now that I've signed you in I can fix your tie!" She walked around her little stand and reached up, suiting words with action and turning his monstrosity into something respectable.

"Why do you know how to do this?"

"Well, I had to look after Ruby and dad for and while so I thought I'd pick up a few things. It's pretty easy to learn stuff like this these days, as long as you can connect to the CCT network." Yang smiled and patted his fixed tie.

Adam huffed. "Are you trying to be my mother now or something?"

"In your dreams big boy." She playfully slapped his arm. "Welcome to the dance Mr Taurus, try to enjoy yourself." She winked.

"I'll be sure to try the punch." He waved and walked into the hall proper. He took to the edges of the dance floor and searched for the food tables. The home of all introverts and wallflowers.

He passed Ren and Nora, in the middle of what some might call a dance but was more like Nora throwing her partner around. Ren's eyes silently plead for help. None came to his aid. Adam found Ruby hiding behind a pillar, watching the entrance vigilantly.

"Looking out for Yang?"

"Yup. Can't let her catch me. She'll force me to dance!" Ruby said with a nod before jumping as she realized he was right behind her. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

He raised an eyebrow. "So I should walk around announcing myself?"

"Well no but…" Ruby groaned and ignored him.

"So you don't want to dance?"

"No! I can barely move in these heels, I'll totally fall over and embarrass myself! I'd be a laughing stock!"

"Then let's hit the food. No use getting worked up. This is supposed to be relaxing."

Ruby looked back at him. "You don't look relaxed."

"Well much like you, I'm not used to this kind of thing."

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you guys party? I thought a group like that would have been celebrating every victory."

"We did. It was more for the lower-ranked members. Once I was a leader I spent the time planning our next move and before that, I preferred a more quiet time with Blake..." He trailed off.

"So you were just as anti-social then. Good to know." Ruby nodded sagely.

"Says the girl who was scared of talking to her own friends."

"Hey, you were the one who brought them in without warning me!" Ruby pouted causing Adam to laugh. "Heeeeeeey!" She whined in response.

"But back on topic, the rest of the group did tend to enjoy louder parties. Though there was a lot more alcohol and bad decisions. Or good, depending on your perspective." He shrugged while Ruby looked confused and then very uncomfortable.

"W-well then… awesome… yup…" She stammered.

"You asked. Now I'm going to grab some punch. You're welcome to tag along." He didn't wait for her answer, though he heard her stumbling after him. It didn't take long to find the food table and a large group of other people who were less than social. Adam and Ruby procured their drinks and stood in the open, watching the various people dancing.

Strawberry huh? Adam idly thought as he drank the, mercifully non-alcoholic, punch. He had almost expected someone to spike it, but maybe the teachers were watching it carefully. Adam took a look around. Doctor Oobleck was nearby, obviously watching the food and drink and probably Adam as well.

I've been mostly by the book since starting here. I guess they mostly trust me now, though I would say they're still wary of me. I wouldn't trust me either…

"Hey Adam, I got another question for you." Ruby said after several minutes of silence between them. He hummed in response. "That girl from the docks is important to you right?"

Adam nodded slowly, unsure of where she was going with this. "She is…"

"So what was she like? Before the whole 'you're a traitor, die' part, I mean."

"Smart. Idealistic. Hopeful. Kind. She would read all kinds of books and dream of giving Faunus a better place in the world. She always wanted to change the world and save people. She had a realistic view on the world because of everything we faced but she still held onto her vision of an ideal world. She never stopped believing in it… until her efforts failed too many times."

Ruby nodded, took a sip of her punch and looked up at him. "So she was a lot like me."

"Huh?"

"Well I said to you ages ago, didn't I? Yang read stories of heroes to me and I wanted to become a Huntress and better the world because of it." Ruby looked sad. "I think she and it would have been good friends."

"You will be… once I convince her that path won't lead anywhere."

Ruby smiled. "I'd like that. Though maybe I should plan out what to say first…" Ruby trailed off into muttered attempts at introducing herself. Adam couldn't help but smile. Maybe they would get along…

Minutes passed by with Ruby mumbling introductions to herself. Adam just enjoyed the music and his drink.

"Incoming." Adam said while nudging Ruby.

"Huh?" She looked up and squeaked, trying to hide behind him. He shook his head.

"Hi, Yang."

"Hey, Adam." The blonde said with a smirk before leaning around him. "Hi, Ruby!" Ruby let out an eep.

"Hi, Yang…" The redheaded girl pulled back from her sister, trying to gain some distance. "I'm not dancing!"

"I wasn't here to make you, though I expect you to at some point. I'm here to make sure someone else dances." She grinned and straightened up, looking right into his eyes. It felt like she could see through his blindfold now.

"And who would I dance with? I'm sure you are supposed to be greeting people and Ruby doesn't want to dance."

"Well, you could ask Weiss or Pyrrha or any other girl. But my time as front of house is over, I couldn't be stuck there all night after all!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out onto the dance floor. He didn't really try to resist. "You have to dance with somebody so it may as well be me!"

"Fine…" He waved goodbye to Ruby as he was dragged off to his inevitable embarrassment.

He'd never learned how to dance after all.

It had gone about as poorly as he'd expected but Yang seemed to have enjoyed it and he had to admit, despite his inability to dance he'd had fun. It wasn't what he would call relaxing but it was enjoyable. Maybe he had been missing out by skipping all those parties over the years. Of course, he could never regret the time he had spent with Blake…

I can spend more time at parties like this as long as my friends are here. Adam sat down with a contented sigh, he watched on as Yang went off to dance with several others, even ending up dancing with Sun at one point. He could see Weiss dancing with Neptune, who seemed just as bad as Adam himself. Nora and Ren taking a break over punch. Ruby was nowhere to be seen but he imagined she had escaped when no one was looking. Everyone seemed to be having fun.

As Adam was watching his friends having fun another sat beside him. He turned with a raised brow to his once enemy Cardin Winchester. They shared a nod.

"Taurus."

"Winchester. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The younger man seemed to consider for a moment before he spoke. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said. And what I said." He paused, still figuring out what to say.

"I suppose you have come to a conclusion then?"

"I have. I still believe that, at least in general, humanity is better, superior to Faunus. But saying it doesn't mean anything. I have to prove to the world that I'm right. I have to show why we are better." He looked Adam in his eyes, or where he thought they were. "I'm not going to spend my time messing around anymore, I'm going to stop discriminating and start dedicating myself. So when I show everyone how strong I can be, there won't be any confusion. Everyone will know that I was right."

Adam nodded slowly. It wasn't perfect but if he wasn't going to discriminate? He could live with it. The reasons behind it did matter of course, but if it ended off better for Faunus? It wasn't quite 'ends justify the means', more that his reasons for his means weren't important. Or they were? But more in a philosophical sense than anything practical. The means and ends would benefit Faunus as far as he could tell but Cardin's reasoning was about helping humanity, not the Faunus.

Did Cardin's reasons matter? Did Adam's matter when he abandoned the woman he loved? "So you're going to be a Huntsman and help everyone huh? All to prove humanity is better?"

Cardin nodded. "Humanity has forgotten why we were and are on top. I feel like I need to remind them."

"Well be prepared." Adam stood from his seat.

"For what?"

"For me to prove you wrong. Faunus and Humans can be equals, I'll prove it to you and her." Adam looked back at Cardin.

"Then I look forward to being proven wrong, if you can manage it." Cardin smiled as he spoke. There was an unspoken agreement. One day they would settle, once and for all, who was correct.

Adam looked forward to it.

The night passed on and Adam danced a couple more times with Yang before finally deciding he'd had enough. They did have missions the following day after all. The night was cool and refreshing after the hours spent in the hot and loud hall.

"Enjoy yourself, Mr Taurus?" A voice came from behind him. Adam turned to face the Headmaster.

"Surprisingly, yes. I didn't expect it nor did I plan to come." Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Yang convinced me. Or forced me. Bit of both." Adam shrugged.

Ozpin smiled. "Well, it seems you get on well with your teammates. That's very good. I knew giving you the chance would be worth it."

"Goodwitch didn't seem to agree."

Ozpin nodded. "She was concerned. Recently, however, she has been much less vocal about her objections. She still keeps an eye, of course, your history will likely force her to keep watching, but she is far more concerned for your education these days."

Adam scoffed and folded his arms. "My education huh?"

"Well, you have never attended a school before as far as we can tell. She and Professor Oobleck were worried when you were falling behind in your theoretical classes."

"Weiss has been helping me." Adam's eyes narrowed at how much Ozpin's smile seemed to grow. It seemed almost smug. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Ozpin took a long sip from his mug. Wait, did he have that before? "Previously you would have called her Schnee."

"Well, previously I thought her a spoiled princess who deserved scorn."

"And now?"

"She's a victim. Of her father, the White Fang, Atlas, politics and probably more I don't know about. She is nothing like the people who deserve my scorn."

Ozpin nodded once and walked past him. "I'm glad to hear it, Mr Taurus. Oh, and Ms Rose may be late back to your dorm. I had to… discuss some things with her."

"What things?" Adam turned and called but the enigmatic Headmaster didn't answer. Adam let out a frustrated sigh before retiring for the night.

Ruby would be fine and he could ask about it tomorrow.

"So what happened!?" Yang demanded, her arms folded and an annoyed expression on her face, as Ruby entered the room the following morning.

"Uhhh… I fought someone in the CCT during the dance and had to tell General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin about it?"

"You fought someone!?" Weiss exclaimed.

"What would they want with the CCT?" Adam muttered.

Yang ignored those questions and looked Ruby over for any injuries. She looked fine, however. "What happened to your dress clothes?"

"Uhhh they were dirty, so I left them at the cleaners?" Ruby held up her hands, pretending she hadn't thrown them away the first chance she got. Yang would kill me if she knew!

Her entire team facepalmed. Ruby shrunk back a little. "Well, whatever. What did you tell them?" Yang asked after a moment of silence for the clothing.

"Everything I could about the person. And I may have said she had mentioned the southeast when she may not have."

"An excuse to head there to target the White Fang? Smart." Adam said with a nod.

"Yes, we can say we wanted to follow up on that lead during mission selection later today." Weiss said, hand on her chin.

"Well with that out of the way I guess, dad sent us some mail!" Yang changed the subject, holding a tube aloft.

"Oooooo I wonder what it is!" Ruby excitedly exclaimed. Yang opened the tube and turned it upside down. After a few beats of nothing a small furred object plopped right out. For a moment nothing happened, but then…

"Bark!"

"Zwei!" Ruby jumped in excitement. The corgi followed suit, jumping with her before sprinting around the room.

"Your father sent you this horrible, smelly, adorable, cute, perfect little boy! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!" Weiss fell instantly for the dog, who lapped up the attention.

"Says here dad's going on a mission and needed us to look after him." Yang said, reading a note that came with the tube. She shook the container and a mountain of canned food fell out, followed by a can opener.

"How did your dad manage to fit a dog and all that food in there?" Adam asked, sounding completely dumbfounded.

"Eh, he does this kinda stuff all the time." Ruby waved it away.

"He sends a dog through the mail all the time?"

"He sends all kinda stuff through the mail!"

Adam sat on his bed looking a little lost. Zwei sat in front of him, panting lightly. Adam picked the corgi up and held him at arm's length. "So what can you do?"

"Bark!"

"A good nose? That's very useful."

"Bark bark!"

"You do seem pretty strong and fast. Durable too."

"Bork!"

"You have your Aura unlocked? Interesting. What about a Semblance?"

"Woof!"

"Doesn't seem like you have one but that's alright." Adam seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Alright. I accept."

"Bark!" Adam nodded and put Zwei on his lap, patting his head.

"Is anyone else confused?" Yang asked.

"Yes." Weiss and Ruby echoed each other.

Yang folded her arms. "Adam, how did you..."

"Hmm? Oh well, I've trained dogs to use for tracking and guard duty before. I've learned how to tell what they've got and what they don't. You can check their Aura the same way you would check a human's." He held up his scroll, which was displaying an Aura bar without a picture. "I just talked to him because I thought it would be funny."

"What?" It was Yang's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Well… I guess we should head to the Auditorium?" Ruby asked.

"You're right, but what about the cutest little puppy around!" Weiss tried to speak normally, but quickly devolved into a blubbering mess.

"He's smart, he can handle himself." Yang waved her hand dismissively.

"We should take him with us." Adam said.

"Uhhh why?" Yang asked.

"Dogs have been used for centuries to aid humanity. Zwei here is smart, has Aura and a strong nose. He's perfect for taking into a combat zone when you need to track someone." Adam scratched the corgi's head.

"And how do we get him past the teachers?" Yang said, sounding exasperated.

"Leave that to me." Adam said with a smirk.

A/N: And so the dance passes. We pass some relationship milestones, with Adam/Yang, Adam/Cardin and Adam/Ozpin. With Cardin this is kinda what I meant before, trying to go between his redeemed self and racist self. He still believes Faunus are below Humans, but has realized he needs to prove it. That bullying and discrimination don't show that very well. And yeah, I skipped Jaune's dance and the CCT fight because it basically goes the same way as canon. No matter what Ruby has learned, she can't beat Cinder in the short time she has. Oh and Adam and Zwei get on well. Is that how he beats Blake? Throw Zwei at her? Things to think about I suppose.

I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!