~Six years later~

"We should be pushing into Atlas and setting up a few outposts around the SDC. The White Fang can't continue without more Dust. We need to be able to hit them fast, hard and most importantly; often." Their numbers were swelling, new recruits sick of the abuse humans thrust upon them, and they were struggling to arm them all.

It was a good problem to have, but it was a problem nonetheless

"If we can maintain a sizable enough presence here," He motioned to the map resting on his desk, "we'll be able to pull in at least twice as much Dust." Four or five raids and the White Fang would have plenty. Any extra could be donated to Menagerie, the goodwill, and the resulting support, would do wonders for the Fang.

"Adam, you can't be serious." His partner responded with a deadpan stare. "You honestly think they'll just let us set up shop in their backyard? " He hated when his partner used that tone, speaking as if he was an idiot. "Once their patrols spot us, it'll be hours at most before Atlas show's up to wipe us out."

"Then what do you suggest!?" He failed to hold the frustration from his voice, glaring at the young woman sitting across from him. Blake's sarcasm had lost its "charm" hours ago and the constant arguing over their next move was yielding little results.

"We can't just sit around doing nothing."

"I suggest," Her eyes narrowed in warning. "That we remain here, in Vale. Secure our position and work at cutting the SDC's support from under them. At least-" she stopped suddenly, the pair of feline ears twitching at the top of her head.

"What is it?" Even as he spoke his hand was moving to the blade at his hip, recognizing his partner's subtle movements for what they were. Would an SDC assassin feel the bite of his steel? It wouldn't be the first time he had been targeted within a White Fang compound and he doubted it would be the last. Schnee's only hired the best, after all.

"You had someone standing guard in the hall, didn't you?" Blake pulled gamble shroud free from its holster, "Because I can't hear their breathing anymore". He didn't ask how, instead gripping his Wilt and Blush in anticipation.

"Among the dozens of others patrolling around, yea. Someone should be there." This was one of their larger armories hidden in Vale; he'd have been a fool to have any less than seventy loyal fanus guarding the place. Sneaking or killing their way in unnoticed wouldn't have been easy. Whoever had come for them had to be at least half as skilled as the average Hunter.

"You heard… the lack of breathing?" The unnaturally deep voice reached them through the door, sounding like the throat that produced it had been put through a woodchipper.

Was the assassin trying to intimidate them? Someone trying to intimidate Adam Taurus, what fresh foolishness was this? It might have been amusing, if the voice wasn't so disturbingly inhuman.

"I was unaware faunus could have such impressive hearing." The door knob turned slowly, snapping audibly as the locking mechanism proved useless. It swung open a moment later, revealing the intruder.

"I assume it's a result of training, rather than innate ability. None of the other's were nearly as perceptive." The male figure stood at the doorway, covered head to toe in black body armor with a tinted glass visor hiding the face.

The armor stood in stark contrast to the white shield on his left arm and a matching sword attached at his right forearm. "You have Aura as well…" It trailed off, as if thinking to itself.

For the first time in what felt like years, Adam hesitated to attack. The intruder's armor held an intricity that he had never seen before, promising so much more than a regular assassin.

Even with its pitch black color scheme, he could make out the hundreds of small metallic plates that shifted whenever the figure drew breath. What kind of technology could achieve that without making even the slightest bit of sound?

With a growl, he pushed the thoughts aside. At the end of the day, there was really only one way to learn about one's opponent.

He leapt forward without a word, sending Wilt whistling through the air in a direct path with the figure's neck. The armor had to be weaker there, to allow for movement. If it connected, Adam was confident the blow would decapitate the figure.

The ivory shield forced its way forward, not only stopping, but pushing his blade back. The surprising force from the impact made him stumble, leaving him uncomfortably open. He didn't even have time to curse as he saw the snow-coloured blade rise above his head, prepared to mercilessly cleave his skull in two.

He had never felt so thankful to feel Blake's ribbon wrap around his midsection, saving him from lobotomy via broadsword. The white blade missed him by the skin of his teeth, carving its way deep into the floor below.

How could it muster so much force?! The figure couldn't have been taller than 5'6 and was not nearly so broad shouldered as to explain the strength. A semblance maybe? Definitely something he needed to watch out for.

Adam let out a calming breath, forcing the initial shock away. It didn't matter what its semblance was, it wouldn't be able to stand against his own. He sheathed his blade again, glancing at Blake to ensure she saw what he was doing.

With a slight nod, she leapt forward, her weapon barking angrily as she opened fire. Rather than joining her assault, Adam instead focused on his blade, trusted his partner to keep their opponent busy while he charged his semblance.

They had used the same tactic dozens of times throughout their raids on the SDC, distract then destroy. It was a simple plan that they had used to devastating effect.

At just the right moment, with an ease that spoke of countless hours of practice, Blake's ice clone caught their opponent's sword inside it. Just as Adam's own semblance finished charging.

Without hesitation, Adam released his Moonslice, the built up energy extending out past his blade in a ruinous strike.

The figure, and everything in the general direction of said figure, was caught in the attack. The resulting destruction kicked up a thick wall of dust and debris, blocking their view of the aftermath.

He didn't let his guard down, Adam was too wary for that. The objective wasn't to kill this assassin, he just needed to survive and escape. Better to wait for an opportunity to counter rather than charging in just to be blinded by dirt and dust.

\-/

Jaune fidgeted nervously in the bullhead's cabin, looking as doubtful as he always did before a mission. Not for the first time, James felt the impulse to dissuade the young boy from such reprehensible work. Work better suited to black ops unit.

Or an assassin.

"How does the new suit fit?" He asked instead, knowing full well what Jaune's response would be if he tried to talk him out of the task ahead.

Every time he had tried before, Jaune, or the grimm, had cut him off, stating how they couldn't stand by and do nothing. That, if they could, they would help another way. No such choice was available to the Grimm hybrid that still showed uncomfortable amounts of instability when presented with intense negativity.

"Feels good!" Jaune replied, his nervousness seemingly replaced with a smile that stretched just a bit too wide. It was embarrassing to think about just how long James had thought the toothy grin Jaune often showed was for some kind of intimidation, and not the forced expression it clearly should have been seen as. Would have been seen as, had the boy lacked the glowing red orbs that marked him as a creature of grimm.

"Whitback likes it too," He paused for a moment. "- likes it, but is wondering how it was supposed to be worn by a regular person. Apparently it's too heavy with too many moving parts or something?" It wasn't a surprise the grimm had caught those details, it had always been disturbingly perceptive.

"It's a prototype we've been developing," James explained, "I've had it modified to allow for Whitback's full assistance." he added while pulling the file up on his scroll.

"It's covered in thin but durable plates made from a steel compound, so it'll be a lot heavier than the regular riot gear you normally wear to cover your features." James explained patiently. They didn't have the time for questions earlier, not with their busy schedule

"It's normally infused and powered with Dust to assist regular pilots with the weight. A specialized AI is also being developed to use all those moving parts to keep the plates from catching against each other. You don't need to worry about any of that of course, since Whitback can fill both roles." James continued knowing full well Jaune had already stopped listening. He mainly went on for Whitback, knowing the grimm to have a ravenous curiosity and nearly perfect memory.

Should he have been more hesitant giving the grimm what could amount to military secrets? Maybe, but it wasn't as if he had said anything particularly confidential. Their advances in AI tech were known around the world. Plus, if he had refused to explain anything, the Grimm would have certainly pushed for an answer. It might even remove the armor if it thought James was hiding something about it.

"Yea yea," Jaune brushed him off, his disinterest almost palpable. "So are you finally giving me a cool Mecha-shift weapon like yours?" He went on, "I mean even Winter has one and I've been here two whole years longer!" He motioned to the cockpit where Winter was piloting.

"She is seven years your senior, and doesn't have an almost infinite supply of biomass protecting her at all times." James explained with a raised eyebrow.

"And her fighting style goes beyond "Smash it fast and eat everything in sight."." Lord knows he tried to train the boy, but Jaune didn't seem to have a talented bone in his body.

If the duties of a General weren't weighing him down, perhaps James could have pushed through Jaune's lack of talent. But as it stood, without Whitback assisting his movements, Jaune was practically a civilian with a scary pet.

"Hey! It's not infinite." Jaune shot back indignantly. "Just what I could grab from the outposts you've sent me to clear."

James let out another sigh. That could be anywhere between one and two hundred White Fang extremists. It might have sounded like a lot but it was only about five outposts give or take. He didn't like sending the boy out on missions, and only did so on rare occasions.

But Jaune wanted to contribute more, and their current mission was supposed to be a "test" to ensure he could handle more. James had tried his best to dissuade Jaune but the hybrid wouldn't hear it. He just wasn't able to let his family's death go, and continued to insist he needed to stop the White-Fang from accomplishing more.

They continued to ride in silence, the trip taking the better part of ten hours even with the speedy bullhead. Their destination was a White-Fang weapons depot tucked away in the outskirts of a small island in Vale called Patch. The intelligence his scouts gathered suggested a large facility with at least a plattoons worth of masked extremists standing guard.

"We're approaching Patch." Winter shouted from the cockpit. "I'll get as close as possible without being seen." Secrecy was their top priority, Ironwood could ill afford news getting to Ozpin about Jaune.

There was no telling how the old Huntsman might react, but it would be far easier for everyone if Oz never found out to begin with.

Jaune looked to be going through breathing exercises, something James had taught him after their first mission almost began with a panic attack. At the time, it had been a strange realization that Jaune's body was still mostly human.

A realization that helped keep James from putting more serious resources into destroying the hybrid during its earlier time within Atlas.

"You know, Jaune." James began, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder "you don't have to do this if you don't want to. The White-Fang isn't your responsibility." He couldn't help but attempt once more to dissuade Jaune.

"You're wrong." Jaune responded quietly, shaking his head. "They have to be stopped." Red pupils fixed James with an unyielding glare.

"I have to stop them"

"...Very well." Sending a child to kill a group terrorists… There had to be a better option. James just couldn't think of one that Jaune, or Whitback, would accept.

"Just… be careful, this isn't just another White-Fang outpost like you've cleared in the past."

"My scouts report far too many weapons for there not to be a higher ranking member overseeing operations. In all likelihood this individual will have their Aura unlocked and training on how to use it." It was the main reason James had been avoiding sending Jaune to anything bigger than an outpost. Individuals with their Aura unlocked tended to survive far more often. An outcome that Jaune couldn't afford to allow.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Whitback's got my back after all." Jaune gave a confident smile, his expression looking far more natural than earlier. It was strange to think how the mission itself seemed to scare Jaune more than the risk of injury the mission posed.

"Just be cautious," He tried to ensure understanding, "We can't let Whitback be discovered by anyone. An enemy with Aura surviving is far more likely than the thugs you're used to dealing with." James handed Jaune his helmet while speaking.

"So if you find one, try not to let them see you do anything… Grimm. Just in case." Jaune plunked the helmet on his head and gave a crude salute, the visor came down a second later to cover his face.

"Follow the waypoint on your visor, it'll show you where to go." As the last word left his mouth, the latch released and Jaune was jumping free of the bullhead.

"Impatient kid…" He muttered into the empty cabin as an uncomfortably familiar feeling settled inside him.

"He'll be fine." James told himself.

"He always is."

\-/

"... We look stupid." Jaune groaned loudly, doing his best to ignore the embarrassment that creeped up his neck.

Come now, Jaune. This is supposed to be a stealth mission. Whitback responded as they drifted slowly towards the earth. Or do you believe hitting the ground like a torpedo or using wings the size of buildings counts as quiet?

Jaune could only let out a defeated sigh. He couldn't think of a way to argue the point, but that didn't make him feel any better. The makeshift wings Whitback had created were far too small to hold their immense weight. They were barely able to slow their descent as they flapped erratically, looking more akin to a chicken's vain attempt at flight.

He felt a part of him shrivel and die as he hit the ground with a dull thud. Please tell me Winter and James didn't see that. He prayed silently while watching the bullhead he leapt from speed off towards the coast.

Shall we begin the mission? Or should we continue to mope on the ground?

"Yea yea, I got it." Jaune grumbled while standing up. With a quick tap of his visor a HUD blinked into his field of view, giving a clear display of where he was in relation to the target compound.

"Alright," He took a breath, doing his best to push down the familiar "pre-mission" anxiety that grew within his gut. "Let's get moving."

He took off through the forest at a sprint, slowing only when he got close enough to make out the facility through the trees. This is it. He thought to himself while the anxious feeling within him grew.

With Whitback's adjustment to Jaune's eyes, the darkening sky did little to hide the patrolling guards. Their heavy boot-falls only made it easier to track their movements from a distance.

I've done this before. This wasn't his first time going on a mission. So why did his hands insist on shaking so much?

Are you ready, Jaune? It was difficult to hear Whitback's words over the pounding in his chest. Even when it was forcefully slowed, the strange, almost numbing feeling remained spread throughout his limbs. Am I really okay with this?

"I have to be." Instead of a response, Jaune felt a familiar pressure in his mind. Without hesitation, he relaxed and let the feeling wash over him. With only a slight tingling, the feeling spread through both his mind and body.

Reality almost seemed to warp somehow. The feelings that were once felt so clearly were now dulled and distant. While sensations that could barely be noticed were now staring at him bright as day.

The air was moist and thick with the smell of foliage, broken by the pungent smell of people and metallic scent of weapons. There was also negativity mixed in the air, weak but still enough to put him on edge.

They would need to be silent, an open battle could easily cause enough negativity to bring on a frenzy. The risk of involving nearby settlements and possible travelers was far too high.

Kill every guard on site, silently; with that objective in mind his body began to move quickly. Sliding through the treeline and circling the compound in search of an easy target, and finding it in the form of a lone watchtower at the rear.

A single person stood upon it. A faunus, pushed to the point where they believed the death they brought was somehow helping their people. One who was just like the multitude of others he and Whitback had devoured in missions so very similar to this one.

Did every one of them deserve to die? No, he didn't think so. So why had he done it? Why did he continue to do so? Even now, as he thought his dilemma through, Whitback was using their body to methodically and mercilessly kill every White-Fang guard that stood in their way.

How could he accept these actions as correct?

The impossibly loud explosion, the burning flames, and the bodies…

Whether the White-Fang were justified or not, it didn't matter. They were tearing families apart, causing the pain he had suffered to countless others. They had to be stopped. No one could be allowed to get away with such crimes.

He just wished it didn't make him feel so cold…

He was scouring the last of the facility when he came across a room with but a single, sleepy guard standing in front of it. The guard was taken care of easily, but something kept Jaune from pushing into the room and taking care of the final two heartbeats that remained.

This feeling. He knew this feeling. The two faunus just on the other side of the door, his every sense told him they were just like any living person. And yet, there was something else. Something more about them.

Aura, he knew the feeling. Felt it through James, Winter and some of the soldiers he had seen during his stay in Atlas. But never once had one of his prey had it. Perhaps it was just that rare an ability, but somehow Jaune had a feeling James had more to do with that than random chance.

"You had someone standing guard in the hall, didn't you?" A female voice interrupted his thoughts. " Because I can't hear their breathing anymore." Did that girl's voice sound…. familiar? Jaune could swear he had heard it before, but Whitback was far more interested in learning how the faunus had heard them so easily.

"Among the dozens of others patrolling around, yea. Someone should be there." a male voice spoke, sounding more than a little cautious.

"You heard… The lack of breathing?" A part of him knew that letting Whitback speak, and letting a bit of his Grimm nature show, wasn't the best idea. But he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't just as curious as his Grimm friend. It wasn't often he got to speak with new people.

His weapons took shape on his forearms, a pearly white sword and matching shield, before he reached for the door.

"I was unaware the faunus could have such impressive hearing" He twisted the doorknob, heedless of the lock's protests, and opened the door to look between a red haired, male bull faunus and a black haired, female cat faunus. Both held weapons that looked highly customized, reminding Whitback of how Ironwood's specialists would arm themselves with similarly, specially crafted weapons.

"I assume it's a result of training rather than innate ability, none of the other's were nearly as perceptive." They had to have training, they held such intricate weapons comfortably and didn't flinch from a fully armored opponent. That combined with the odd presence they gave off brought Jaune to state the obvious. "You have Aura as well…" They needed to be careful, Whitback and he had never dealt with enemies like these.

He looked between the pair, took a breath, and waited for them to strike. Judging by their rather offensive weapons he figured it wouldn't be long until they came to meet his shield.

The red headed bull was the first to charge, his blade crashing against Jaune's shield of ivory with a resounding clash. Jaune acted quickly to exploit the opening his shield afforded, bringing his blade down with all his might.

The black haired cat prevented a swift conclusion however, by pulling the Bull out of danger with the ribbon attached to her weapon. With nothing in its path, his blade carved deep into the concrete floor, leaving him unable to react to the counter-attack.

The blade that doubled as a SMG flew towards him. With the ribbon attached to its trigger being expertly tugged and manipulated, Jaune quickly found himself being wrapped up in the strange weapon. The ribbon's material held a surprising amount of durability, catching him off guard for only a moment.

Whitback didn't hesitate to form a tiny, bladed tendril out of sight and slipped it through their armor, stealthily cutting the restraint just as the Cat was closing the distance to take a swipe.

Jaune was quick to raise their shield in order to block the cleaver/sheath that came for their neck. At the same time Whitback, with a wrenching motion, dislodged their blade from the concrete.

Ignoring how a human shoulder should rotate, their ivory blade whipped around at the smaller faunus. Dodging should have been impossible, yet the girl didn't look panicked as she pulled another trigger on her weapon.

With a flash of Dust, an exact duplicate of the cat faunus made entirely of ice appeared, catching their ivory blade inside it while the girl leapt backward.

Just how long did she think ice would hold them? She didn't have nearly enough firepower to properly take advantage of the miniscule amount of time her strange trick bought her.

The rasp of steel coming from behind warned of the oncoming attack. They spun on the spot, just in time to see a wave of unprecedented energy extending out past the Bull's blade. Jaune instinctually raised his hand to protect his face, but Whitback could already tell there was no point in defending against such an attack.

The wave hit them full force, tearing through armor, flesh and bone as if it were paper. The sudden pain that followed ripped through Jaune's psyche before Whitback could cut off the sensation, forcibly separating their minds and dragging Jaune's into darkness.

It was an unimaginable feeling, like fire scorching every part of his body while his insides were pushed out. To say it hurt would be akin to saying the ocean is wet, a useless statement that couldn't hope to encompass the immense scope of the entire picture.

"You're alright Jaune, see? No need to cry." The blonde woman assured him while lightly patting his freshly bandaged scrape.

"Is he… going to be okay…?" The young girl in red asked, fear lacing her voice.

"Of course"

I've… misjudged the situation. Whitback's voice pulled Jaune from the memory. Please allow me to take full responsibility and rectify my mistake. Mistake? How could it blame itself for any of this? He had been the one who wanted to fight the White-Fang to begin with.

Had he the strength to, he would have pulled their conscious' together once more to continue the fight. But the numbing sensation was already spreading through him while Whitback easily, if not gently, wrested control over their body.

Jaune felt like he could fight for control if he wanted, but honestly he was still reeling from the pain he'd just experienced. The rest was a welcomed sensation. Instead of resisting, he simply muttered a few words of encouragement.

"Do your best, Whitback."

\~/

Hope this chapter made sense. I'm a little worried that trying to keep my grammar proper while having two people are share a single body might not have worked out as well as i hoped, but lemme know what you think! Hopefully i wont have to go back and reedit the edit, but we'll see. Other than that, I hope ya'll are enjoying your day/night and hoping I'll see ya next time!