Chapter 13
"There were hundreds of them!" Nora declared, recounting some recurring dream for what felt like the hundredth time.
"There were two." And there was Ren, correcting her.
Adam didn't know who was correct. On one hand, Nora was the one having the dream, on the other, Ren tended to be more reliable when it came to these things. Honestly, the jury's still out on this one.
Besides, there's no need to strain his mind this early in the day. Everyone else seemed to agree, they just enjoyed a crazy story for what it is.
What would Blake have thought of them?
He discarded the thought before it could take root. He didn't need to be thinking about his love. It would only lead him to more pain, at least until he could save her.
"Oooooo serious face. What are ya thinking about?" His golden-haired partner said with a nudge to his side and a wide smile.
"Nothing important." He replied without thinking.
"Uh-huh. Sure. Definitely not the girl that almost killed you a few weeks back right?" She countered with a deadpan look.
"Don't worry about it."
"You know when people say that, it tends to make others worry more, not less."
"That sounds like your problem, not mine."
"Touchy subject huh? Why don't you tell me about her? Get it off your chest and all that." She gave him a warm smile.
He shook his head. "I think I'm done. I'll see you guys in class." He stood up from the table and left without another word.
"Oh ok. Bye Adam!" Ruby called out with a wave.
He ignored her and left the cafeteria. Of course they want to know about Blake. But I don't have any reason to tell them.
That was a lie and he knew it. She was an enemy now, she worked with Torchwick and they could be up to anything at the moment. He should tell them so that they would be ready to help take her down.
But what would happen if they knew how close we were? Or what I was like before? Or thought that we should kill or arrest Blake, rather than letting me save her?
But would they think that? Unlikely. Ruby was obsessed with becoming a hero. Yang would follow Ruby's lead and even if she didn't she's still a heroic person. Even Weiss might help him save Blake, if only to prove that she was better than her father.
So why didn't he tell them?
I…
Was there even a reason? Was he just 'not ready'? Would he ever be? He didn't know.
"Oof!" He grunted as he ran into someone, almost tripping over but managing to grab the wall to steady himself. "Sorry. Wasn't paying attention."
"It's fine. I should have been paying more attention myself." A woman replied, taking a step back from him. Hmm?
"Then it's both our mistakes." He said as he straightened his jacket.
"It appears so." She straightened her own jacket. A black and white thing that he remembered as being the uniform of Haven Academy. There was something off about it, she seemed… hazy "My apologies but I must be going."
"Right." He muttered as she passed by him. He flared his Aura, using it like a sonar to get a better look at her. Long black hair and a fine form. She looked strong and agile, a dangerous combination. She doesn't seem the type to run into someone, even on accident.
He stared after her a bit longer. Something wasn't quite right with her. He couldn't tell if it was instinct, the strangeness of someone like her running into him or the fact he recognized her voice.
Yang groaned as they left Oobleck's class. Another long-winded speech about the events of the Great War. AKA the biggest bore-fest since Port's class the day before. How Weiss stayed awake Yang would never know.
Today had gone from good to meh to urgh. First, she had tried to get Adam to open up but had been shut down and now she had to learn useless trivia about events from over 80 years ago.
At least they had Combat Class next. That was always fun, even when she wasn't called up, there was still a good show to watch.
As they were making their way to their next class Yang could only groan again when Weiss and Adam started a conversation about Oobleck's lesson. How can they still be talking about it!? And since when did they get on so well!?
Oh, they still sniped at each other and still called each other by their last names, but it seemed more like a personal joke than the real aggression they'd had before.
Oh, and there went Ruby, jumping in with the same level of care as a starving Beowolf.
"I wonder how the king of Vale beat two whole armies by himself!" Ruby exclaimed.
"It's probably an exaggeration. There's no way anyone could have that kind of power."
"You're just saying that because Atlas was beaten in that fight, Schnee."
"And you're just saying that because you believe anything if it says Atlas lost, Taurus."
The two smiled as they continued to rib each other. Case in point.
The locker room was mostly empty when they arrived. Just a few of the other students on the far side of the room and JNPR chatting loudly. Yang gave a half-hearted wave to them and punched in the code to her locker.
Her beautiful gauntlets lay waiting. She smiled and picked them up, cradling them. She grabbed some other gear and went to change when a locker slammed shut.
"Uhhh, you ok there Adam?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah Yeah, just a… just a spider in my locker!" Everyone stared blankly at him. Since when was Adam Taurus scared of a spider?
He never did explain how he can see through that blindfold. Why even wear it if you can see? She narrowed her eyes. I'll find out eventually Taurus, just you wait.
Everyone else just shrugged and went about their business but Yang kept a watch on him from the corner of her eye.
He opened the locker again and seemed to tense up before sighing and grabbing his gear. He shut the door and went to the men's changing area.
Something was up with him. There must have been something in the locker… Damn it, Adam, why do you have to be such a pain?
Another class, another teacher who was always watching him. You'd have thought that after the incident at the docks they would have realized how serious about this he was, but apparently not.
Did one of them let it get out? He wondered.
He could still feel the dread from when he opened his locker to find it hanging there. The White Fang mask burned a hole in his pocket but he resisted the temptation to take it out and stare at it.
Someone knew about his past and was taunting him. But what did they stand to gain? Did they want him to go crazy and attack people? If they wanted to out him they could just share whatever evidence they had.
It didn't make sense to him. He didn't have any leads either. There were just too many people with a motive, but he could firmly rule out any of the staff of having done the deed themselves. If they had a grudge against them they could just have him expelled, that just left the student population, of which there were many suspects. Cardin and his team came to mind but it wasn't like they were the only racists. Just the most vocal. Who knew how many there were who had kept silent or where in the upper years who would have done something.
There were too many suspects and too little evidence.
I could ask the others to help… and they would too. But would it get them anywhere? He could save telling them until after he had some leads.
It wouldn't be too hard, right?
Adam punched the wall of the locker room. He was alone, at least physically. Since finding that first mask, he had found numerous references to the White Fang throughout the school. For a week, every day had him seeing another two or three.
He was being taunted. Messed with.
A mask here, a crafted White Fang symbol there. From the obvious to the obscure, this person had done their research. The latest pissed him off the most.
A clipping from an old newspaper, copied and placed around school. It showed Ghira and the early White Fang abandoning a protest before it got violent. Commanded to leave because Mistral had gotten bored of their yelling.
He scrunched it up in his hands and threw it into the trash. He remembered that protest. The police had ordered them to disband. Ghira allowed it. The jeers of the crowd that had gathered. And the walk home afterwards.
The village they passed, and the people who decided that they were trespassing. The subsequent attack.
His first kill.
He'd done it to protect Ghira, but when Ghira had reprimanded him it had been Sienna he clung too. The one person in charge who had congratulated him.
Had he really been so starved for acceptance that he had followed her into the violence?
Yes…
He had.
His scar felt like it was burning. He collapsed to his knees in pain. He was reminded of when it had been seared into his flesh. The cruel man in charge and the words that he had told himself that continued to echo in his head.
Scarred. Despised. Cold.
The brand that had led him to the White Fang, to his hatred of humanity, to kill others. He despised it. He wished he could get rid of it!
Why must I bear this damned thing!
"AAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!" He screamed in rage. So much rage. It had boiled and stewed and now he couldn't help but let it out. Tears stung his eyes.
He stood and slammed a fist into the wall again, cracking the surface. He panted. He didn't know how long he stood there, breathing and watching as blood ran down his arm.
Huh… I didn't shield my hand… it was an idle thought. No passion or emotion. Just acknowledgement.
He sucked in one last breath and opened his own locker. He ripped an old shirt into pieces and wrapped it around his hand.
Dumb. That was dumb. If I can't keep my anger under wraps I need a better outlet. This week has gotten to me, but it's not the only thing not going my way.
He sighed as he tightened the makeshift bandage and closed the locker door.
"Sooooo the bull does have horns. That's good, I was starting to get worried." A cocky voice called from behind him. He growled as he turned to look at Cardin.
"What do you want, Winchester." Cardin laughed as his team spread out, covering the exits. It wouldn't be hard to break through, but they could gang up on him. He was confident he could beat them, Pyrrha had after all, but what would the others think?
"Well since you asked I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were being pretty loud." He chuckled again. "I was starting to wonder if you were unaffected by my little gifts."
Adam growled again. He forced his rage down. He couldn't lose control. He might kill Cardin if he did.
"So it was you? I wondered, but really, what do you stand to gain?"
"Well you see, I wanted to show everyone what kind of animal you truly are. A raging bull. A monster that has slaughtered so many." Cardin's jovial tune faded into barely restrained anger. "It took a while you know. The teachers were good at hiding the evidence but my dad is something of a… collector. He loves keeping tabs on animals who attempt to become human." He spat on the ground in front of Adam.
"Your name only came up once. Really early on. The first time the White Fang attacked an SDC warehouse and got caught on camera. There you were. That was the only time they managed to catch you."
"So you know I was in the White Fang. What are you going to do?" Adam crossed his arms. If he hadn't, he might have used them to choke the life out of the bully.
"Get revenge of course. For what you did to me before and for all the people whose lives you've ruined."
"Going to gang up on me then?"
"No no, I'm not feral like you animals. As a human I'm far more civilised. We'll have a one on one fight."
"A duel? Fine. What happens if I win?"
"I stop placing anything pertaining to the White Fang in public and never tell anyone else what I know. But if I win you turn yourself in to the police and face justice for your crimes. Deal?"
"You realize I'm a lot stronger than you, right?"
"Deal?"
Adam sighed. "Fine. Let's do it."
"We'll fight in the forest. Less chance of the teachers getting involved that way."
"And your friends?" Adam eyed each of them.
"They won't be joining us. But if I don't come back they'll be sending our evidence to the police and every student in the school. Everyone will know your crimes."
He's serious about this. Can I trust him to keep his promise? Why fight me when I fight Pyrrha most days and she's beaten his entire team while barely breaking a sweat?
"Alright then. Let's go."
"Hey have you guys seen Adam?" Ruby asked, walking into their dorm once again.
"Hmm? No. Why? Did you need him for something?" Weiss replied without looking up from her homework.
"Well, it's just that I haven't seen him since classes and he seemed pretty upset recently."
"I think it's those weird pictures and things that have been turning up all week. He seemed annoyed every time he saw one." Yang replied while flicking through a magazine.
"I wanted to make sure he was doing alright…"
Weiss sighed. "If you're going to mope over it I won't be able to finish this." She let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine let's go find him. He's probably in the library."
"Oooooo memorised his movements Ice Queen? Maybe you aren't so cold after all. Are you perhaps becoming the Snow Angel that Jaune thinks you are?" A pillow hit Yang's face. She just laughed.
"Thanks, guys."
"He's going to be fine sis. I bet he's going to give us one of his eye rolls and glares when we all come storming up to him." Yang said as she jumped down from her bed.
"How can you tell that he's rolling his eyes?" Ruby asked as they left the dorm.
"I'm his partner. I can tell all sorts of things about him!"
"That doesn't answer anything." Weiss retorted.
"Exactly!" Yang exclaimed. Ruby groaned and jumped away when Yang tried to pat her head.
"You're so annoying!"
"And you're so cute! Worrying about your teammate!"
"And you're both loud." Weiss interrupted. "Come on, let's hurry this up." Weiss walked quickly down the hall, forcing Ruby and Yang to quickly catch up.
Now I just need to think of a way to cheer Adam up. What if I got him some cookies! Or cake! Or strawberries! Those always cheer me up!
Ruby skipped down the hall, thinking hard on what kind of sweets Adam would enjoy.
A/N: You know, I typically see Cardin in one of two states. The racist or the redeemed. There usually isn't much of a middle ground. Just something I've noticed. Let's see if I can fix that, shall we? I had wondered if I should split this into two chapters but I just left it as one. Could have spent multiple chapters building up random clues but oh well. Cardin has issued a challenge and Adam has accepted. How will their battle go?
Oh, and for those wondering the "Scarred. Dispised. Cold." thing came from Adam's Amity Arena description. Amity Arena has some pretty cool stuff actually. Like Sienna's Semblance 'Grudge'. Basically gets stronger the longer a fight goes on. Makes sense why Adam went for a surprise attack in canon.
Well, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!