Troll in Reviews

As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.

He's also pretending to be me by writing my name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.

Chapter 5

Pyrrha Nikos, huh?

He knew the name. Watching tournaments was above him but not necessarily everyone under his control. People had hobbies and keeping up with them was a good way to wind down in the White Fang. The name had been thrown around a few times and a cursory question had yielded what little he knew. She was a tournament fighter on the young circuit, though at seventeen now she wouldn't qualify for that anymore.

It was a clever move on Goodwitch's part. Choosing an opponent for him was never going to be easy and while she could have picked someone weak to test his resolve, she'd clearly decided on the opposite and picked the person who had the best odds of surviving an assault if he turned violent.

Presumably, she's one of the strongest combatants here, he thought, looking her up and down. The redhead stepped up onto the stage already taking long steps and dipping at the hips. Stretching, but hiding it as motion. Good. At least someone knew the importance of it. His estimation of the girl rose a notch. Only that, though. She was still only human.

Goodwitch called out the rules a third time and Adam nodded without listening. She really expected the worst of him – or rather, she expected the dumbest of him. Even if he wanted to go on a rampage and kill as many people as he could, he wouldn't do it in training class when his opponents were armed and a teacher was close by to intervene, would he? Killing Team RYST in their dorm would have been far easier.

He didn't think she'd find that commentary all too calming.

I wonder if I should throw the fight just to panic her. The thought amused him for a fraction of a second but only that. He'd not once in his life thrown a fight to a human and he wasn't about to start now. He was the only faunus of their year. No. There was Blake, but she hid her features like a coward, so as the only visible faunus, he had to prove their worth.

"I hope we have a good fight," Pyrrha said to him with a smile.

"Hn," he fired back. Was there a point for anything more? He hoped for a good fight from her as well but saying that wouldn't change anything. It was up to her to match him, not him to wish for her to do so.

Goodwitch sighed, muttered something under her breath and shook her head. "Begin!"

Wilt sang free and slashed toward the girl's neck.

/-/

"Wheeee! Look how fast he is! Yang! Yang!"

"I see him, Rubes." Yang chuckled at her sister's antics but didn't take her eyes off the fight. All too many times had she and dad been forced to sit through Ruby's renditions of the fight between her, Adam and Torchwick, and each telling got more and more exaggerated. One thing always remained consistent though – that Adam was `awesome` and `super quick`.

Yang had assumed that meant when not compared to Ruby or quick in general, but it looked like Ruby had been spot on. Adam was speedy! His sword was a beautiful flash of red, streaking in to ricochet off Pyrrha's shield. There was no reaction on Adam's face. Not much of anything really. He wasn't the most expressive of guys full stop, and it hadn't changed here.

He's good, she was forced to admit. Real good. Adam was older than them by a couple of years and she'd kind of assumed that meant a small skill gap, but the way he moved in and out of Pyrrha's reach made it look like night and day. Pyrrha was holding, but she was also a championship fighter. While she hadn't had a chance to test herself against Pyrrha yet, she felt safe assuming she was in the top one per cent of people their age, if not the top tenth of a per cent. And sure, she was holding her own against Adam, but who else in class could?

A fire lit in her stomach and yer eyes flickered. She wasn't sure if she could, but she wanted to find out!

"Go Adam!" Ruby yelled. "Go Adam! Go!"

"Ruby," Weiss hissed. "You'll distr-" Weiss cut off at a warning dig of an elbow from Yang. Their eyes met and Weiss huffed and turned away.

Bitch. Yang looked back to the fight, content to ignore her ass of a partner until the end of days if needs be. They'd worried and waited after class for her, only for Yang to overhear the bitch talking to Port about how she should replace Ruby as team leader! Inexcusable. Weiss then had the gall to try and convince her why she should accept Ruby being replaced.

Fat chance. Even if she might have accepted Ruby not being a perfect fit for the spot, the fact Weiss was gunning for it now had her digging her heels in. Ruby would be team leader or there would be no Team RYST.

Adam slammed a foot down and slid under a quick thrust from Pyrrha. He chambered his blade, twisted his hips, and lunged across the mat, slicing horizontally over Nikos' stomach. The sound of his blade scraping over her shield was deafening. He didn't stop after. Sheathing Wilt, he lunged in and drew, using his pommel to deflect the short stabbing sword away in the same action, then completing the draw and cutting through a solid chunk of Pyrrha's aura.

First blood – though only for a second. Champions didn't go down easy it seemed and even before Adam had completed his swing, she transformed her sword into a gun, fired upwards and used the recoil to slam the butt down on his shoulder.

Adam grunted and held, but his arm was naturally forced out of position. Pyrrha slammed the flat of her shield into his face, twisted and swept her legs at his feet. Ruby gasped but Adam was faster, hopping over and kicking back the moment he landed. All in all, the exchange had taken barely a few seconds, but both their auras were chipped.

Still green though.

"Now this is a fight!" Yang cheered.

"It's Pyrrha Nikos," a nearby guy said. "What do you expect?"

"That guy has her on the ropes though, doesn't he?"

"Ha." A tall man in bulky silver armour scoffed. "That what it looks like? He's charging in. Nothing but aggression. Then again, maybe it's the hair." He elbowed his partner in the side. "You know what they say about bulls and seeing red."

The four cackled. "Wonder if she'll put him down at the end of it," another said.

"Adam won't lose!" Ruby yelled at them competitively. Her poor innocent sister hadn't cottoned on to what they meant. Bastards. Yang held onto Ruby's shoulder and pulled her back, shooting a dirty glare at the laughing jock.

"You should watch out as well. That red cloak is gonna drive him crazy."

"My fist is gonna drive you crazy if you don't watch it," she threatened. They laughed again, elbowing one another, and making snarky comments. All except Sky, who'd studied at Signal and so knew she was more than capable of rearranging their faces. The others didn't have the experience and were full of themselves. They'd learn.

"It takes all sorts," Weiss said, for once agreeing with her. "Adam's aggression makes sense. Pyrrha Nikos is a championship fighter and would control the fight from start to finish if he let her. He likely knows that and decided his only chance would be to put her off balance."

I dunno. Looks to me like he's handling himself perfectly well.

"Is he smiling…?" Ruby marvelled.

"Huh? Is he- oh hell." Yang grinned. "He is! Hah! I didn't think he had a smile in him!"

/-/

The girl was good!

He'd known they said it, but humans said a lot of things and what did tournaments between children count for really? Holding your blows, measuring your pace, all that was useless in the field, and for the first few seconds of the fight, he'd been furious to find her trying to do the same with him! Nikos soon learned.

The shock on her face as he not only kept up with but surpassed her was satisfying in itself, but not nearly as much as the elation that followed – then the sudden rush as she moved faster, struck harder and stopped pussyfooting around. Her probing thrusts became powerful lunges. Her shield became a weapon and not just defence. Higher and higher, she ramped up until he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was giving it her all.

Pyrrha was smiling like a madwoman.

He had to admit, he probably was as well. There was something so deliciously cathartic about being able to let go. All his frustration over Blake, all the guilt over abandoning his comrades for her and the repressed impulses to strangle Weiss while he had the chance were unleashed on someone who could for once take it. Wilt became a blur that sought blood, and Nikos couldn't hope to deflect every strike. Bit by bit, her aura was shredded down.

His was as well. As the fight progressed, she became more assertive but also trickier. Leg sweeps, grapples, knees, and elbows found him at the oddest of times, sometimes just to interrupt his attack but at other times to knock him back. Her sword became a spear became a gun and a sword again, shifting forms as fast as she did styles.

It was something he couldn't do. His entire focus was on his swordplay to the point that he was significantly weaker without it. The fact was a flaw in his style but one that couldn't be helped as he'd not had the benefit of expert instructors or a peaceful upbringing with which to master more.

Were it anyone other than him, it might have granted her the win. I've fought against swords. I've fought against spears. He ducked, tipped Blush forward, unloaded buckshot into her shield and drove a knee up into the bottom of it, forcing it out the way as Wilt lunged in. I've also fought guns, shields, cannons, whips and more!

Wilt sliced along the line of her ribs, cutting between her arm and her flank as she shifted aside. It was a killing blow for someone without aura, for the blade would have slid between ribs. It still caused sparks to fly now, tearing a chunk off her aura far greater than any before, enough to push her down into the yellow.

The simulated kill seemed to excite more than bother her – though the same couldn't be said for Goodwitch clutching her crop like a lifeline nearby. Pyrrha leapt in, twisted mid-air, parried his warding strike away and ducked low, this time slashing her shield at his legs. Adam was up and over before it could connect but she'd expected that and kicked up with one leg, catching his hip. A glancing blow at best, it still forced him to correct his landing and that gave her the time to squeeze off three shots. He knew he couldn't dodge and made no effort to, blocking each with aura. Not yellow, but close, right on the edge.

She was better than most of the grunts he trained. No, she was more than that. Nikos was good. Exceptional even, especially for her age. If the White Fang had people like her, they might have achieved more.

Let's see if she can go further.

His attacks grew faster still, streaking in like bolts of lightning. Pyrrha's smile wavered and then turned grim, determination settling in. Gone was any superiority. Gone was the pity, the nerves, and the notion of holding back. His blows rained down and she parried and blocked each, but it was with extreme effort that made her break out in sweats. He drove her back toward the edge of the ring, cornering her to a point where she could no longer retreat.

Above, under, slash and thrust, no attack was launched without another chambered. He repeated the motions to lull her into a pattern, but she didn't fall for it. He stopped trying, respecting her enough not to offer the insult.

Better than Blake. Practically on his level. The arena was wrong for her, he knew, because she'd have preferred to make distance and use her spear and rifle properly while the tiny arena they fought in prevented either. Maybe he'd ask her for a spar later. The thought surprised him. It wouldn't go away, however. Their fight could be a liberating one.

For now, this was just a bad territory for her. Adam drove her sword aside, slashed her shield down the other way and left her open. In the same motion he dipped one foot forward, sheathed Wilt with a practiced motion and lunged in for a drawing slash to end this once and for all.

Pyrrha saw it coming. Her eyes widened, the absolute realisation of her defeat setting in. There was shock too. Awe, surprise and perhaps a flash of something else. Adam cared little, slamming his foot down and drawing Wilt free.

It stuck.

The blade drew out five inches and then stopped.

What!?

The impossibility of it stunned him. Wilt was jammed. No, he could feel the blade rattle as it tried to draw free but couldn't, as though someone had placed their hand on the pommel and was pushing against him. His hand wrapped around the hilt tugged harder still, but it was like fighting against a river and the blade slid back down against his control, sheathing itself.

A knee struck his stomach. He was off-balance, mid-lunge and with the intent of following through with his left foot after the attack. Since the attack never happened, his balance was all forwards and into the slash, leaving him vulnerable. Pyrrha struck in that moment, bending him over her knee and kicking up, rolling him over and down. Adam landed hard but rolled, pushing off with one hand back onto his feet and whipping Wilt free with a single cut. The resistance was gone now, but it had been there. He knew he hadn't mistaken it.

"Match over! Pyrrha Nikos is the winner!"

"What!?" he roared.

"Need I repeat myself, Taurus?" Glynda stood above him, and that was because of the raised arena that he was no longer on. The bar above it showed him having barely dipped into the yellow, about equal to Pyrrha. "You have been knocked out of the ring. Therefore you have forfeited the match. Congratulations to Miss Nikos."

Loss by ring out. He couldn't believe it.

Wilt remained bared, thirsting for blood, and his chest rose and fell as he tried to rationalise what the teacher had just said. Ring out? What even was that? In what twisted parallel universe did a battle end because someone stepped out of a pre-determined area? He was still flush with aura, as was his opponent. And yet it was over. The students cheered. Others clapped.

With a snarl, he slammed his sword back into its sheathe.

"Excellent awareness of your surroundings, Miss Nikos, and an impressive display of defence. My advice would be to focus on your footwork, the better to put distance between your opponent and you if you need to."

Pyrrha nodded, but her eyes were on him and she looked surprised or even confused. Her weapon was also out, and she kept it in guard position, ready to continue the fight.

"And you, Mr Taurus, while your combat skill is without question, you should work more on strategy. Brute force isn't going to win you any points. There is always someone stronger than you, no matter how unlikely you may believe that to be."

Adam turned away with a scowl, marching into the crowd.

/-/

"Ha! Haaa!" A burly boy wafted his burgundy towel off to Adam's left, holding it out next to him. "Not tempted, Taurus?"

Adam ignored them, drying his hair with a towel, and making sure not to catch his horns in the fabric. They tended to get stuck in things if he was too quick, hence why he preferred shirts to tee-shirts. No chances of ripping it when he pulled it on over his head.

"Maybe you're in his blindside," another said.

"Oh right. I guess Nikos must have been as well. Or maybe he didn't see at all, charging in like a wild animal!" His jibe earned a chorus of laughter from his three allies, all huddled close in that way small prey animals did in the presence of a predator. Proof that instincts remained even in those lacking the intelligence to recognise them.

Adam buttoned his shirt and pushed away, brushing his hair back with one hand. The final instance with Nikos had felt like an age from their point of view but had likely been a mere two seconds in real time. He doubted anyone had seen Wilt jam uncharacteristically - impossible - and him lose balance because of it. Instead, they'd seen him lunge, trip over her leg and be thrown out the ring like a chump. Shaking his head, he stood and made his way to the door.

A meaty fist stopped him, held out before his chest. "Nothing to say, Taurus?"

"Unlike you, I prefer to let my actions do the talking." He fixed the taller boy with a piercing glare from his single eye. "I've marked your face. When we are called up to fight in class, I'll be sure to give you my response. Until then, you're in my way." He took the hand, squeezing his thumb into the wrist to make the boy wince, and tossed it aside. "Don't waste my time in the future, weakling."

Not even Beacon was free of the racists, it seemed.

He wasn't in the mind to deal with them.

"Hey Adam." Ruby was waiting outside, and if he were being honest, he wasn't in the right mind to deal with her either, but he was even less inclined to deal with a dejected version of said girl if he ignored her. As such, he grunted back what might have been generously called a greeting. "Your fight was super cool. I wish I got to fight today. Stupid Yang taking my slot."

"You'll have your chance, sis." Yang petted her head. "To be honest, I'm hoping I'll have a chance against our resident brood lord as well. That fight looked like fun." She smiled when he scowled. "Oh come on, don't pretend you weren't enjoying yourself. I saw that smile!"

"I was enjoying myself," he said. "Until the ending."

"Sore loser?" Weiss sniped. "Can't handle being bested, Taurus?"

"Coming from you, little miss not team leader?" Yang fired back, saving him the effort. Weiss scowled harder still. "Losing to Pyrrha Nikos is hardly a big deal. You're probably second strongest in class right now, though I guess we haven't seen everyone fight yet so it's a little early to call it."

Second best? Strongest? Silly labels for schoolchildren. He'd watched Blake fight and almost thrown up. Hiding her ears was one thing, but she'd fought like a skittish mouse. That might have had something to do with the way he'd been watching her, he supposed, but she ought to have been used to that. If nothing else, at least the fact she was keeping her heritage hidden meant the embarrassing display didn't make their kind look incompetent. No, he'd done that enough himself! Damn it.

"Forget it," he said. "It's lunch. Let's eat."

"Sheesh. That was a compliment, you know. Don't have to be such a grouch about it."

Adam ignored her with ease, closing his eye as he moved on and around Ruby. He hadn't made it past the girl's changing room before a voice called out, "Please wait! I need to speak with you!"

It wasn't one of his teammates. It wasn't Blake either, as much as he might have wished otherwise. Running up toward him with her hair still wet was none other than Pyrrha Nikos herself, top button undone as though she'd rushed her way through changing. Her face was red, and she came to a stop behind him, the three surprised – except Yang, who looked delighted – teammates of his behind her.

Adam turned, lips dipping into a frown. "Nikos." His flat tone made her cringe. She knew. Or she could guess. Her hands fidgeted for a moment, eyes not quite meeting his own. The bashful act may have sent the hearts of others aflutter, but it only made his eyes harden. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Adam!" Weiss blurted out. "Stop being such a sore loser and-"

"I – I wanted to apologise."

"Eh!?" Weiss froze, wide eyed. "W-What?"

"I wanted to apologise," Pyrrha said again, bowing her head and looking genuinely frustrated with herself. There was regret there, but not the kind of sorrow for an action taken – more a detached dissatisfaction, as though she wished she could take something back. "I wished us a good fight and… well, it wasn't a good fight. Or rather, it wasn't a good ending."

"No," he agreed, crossing his arms. "It was not."

"I'm sorry again. It's been a long time since I faced someone who could match me, and I let my competitiveness take over. I was enjoying myself, but I don't feel proud of how it ended. The second it did, I wished I could take it back. We could have fought longer. I robbed us both of that."

"You used your Semblance on me."

Her eyes widened. "You noticed…?" His only answer was a raised eyebrow. "Of course you did. You're right, and I'm sorry. I notice you didn't use yours."

"Too destructive."

"Ah." Pyrrha winced further. It was one thing to say he hadn't thought to but another to know he could have launched a far more powerful attack but chose not to. It wasn't against the stated rules to use Semblances and plenty of students had, but she knew as well as he that it had interrupted their fight. Ended it. That might have been acceptable for someone who sought the win and nothing more, but he'd been enjoying himself and the way it ended soured the experience.

It seemed he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"I'd like to ask you to spar with me," Pyrrha said hopefully. "A proper spar with no Semblances and no interruptions. No ring outs either."

A human asking him for a spar. For fun, no less. Oh, it was training at the end of the day and they were in Beacon so this was expected, but they both knew the real reason was because they enjoyed the rush and thrill of combat. He'd seen it in her face, at least he had once she realised she didn't need to hold back against him. He was here for Blake and Blake only, but what was the harm? He had more than enough anger to burn and he wasn't going to find anyone else capable of burning it off on. Not unless he sought them in the upper years.

"I train in the mornings," he said, watching as her eyes widened and then her smile grew. "Five until seven in the grounds out front." Adam ignored the way Yang and Ruby retched at the idea of waking up so early. "If you want to join me, you can."

"I'll be there!" she promised. "Thank you."

"Hmph." He turned away. "Congratulations on your victory."

"No. This is my loss. I took a ring out when you pushed me. I won't consider that a win."

"That's still a victory," Weiss pointed out. "The rules were established-"

"Then it was a draw," Pyrrha argued, never taking her eyes off him. The fact seemed to irritate Weiss all the more. "I class our fight as a draw and want to have a second chance to finish it. Thank you for granting me that, Adam. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

With a happy smile and a skip, she turned and went back into the changing rooms, looking just that little lighter on her feet. As she did, she pushed past Weiss, who was still gobsmacked at what had just occurred, too stunned to speak.

If only the same could be said for Yang.

"Oooh." Her arm coiled around his neck like a snake. "Does tall, dark and mysterious have a date with the lovely Pyrrha Nikos already? You move fast, lover boy."

"Call me that again and I'll cut your hair into a bob."

Yang was suddenly tense. "You wouldn't dare!"

He let his silence do the talking for him, and Yang backed away nervously. Calling it a date was absurd, not least of all because neither were interested that way in the other. The strong gravitated to one another, driven by that need to test themselves. Aside from a commander and often thorn in her side, he'd also been Sienna Khan's primary sparring partner. It benefited them both. The same could be said for Blake, who had only grown as strong as she had thanks to his tuition.

Maybe the class hadn't been a total loss. He drew a deep breath and let it go, nostrils flaring. The way it ended was still a frustration, but at least now he'd have a chance to rectify it.

"Is that a smile I see…?"

Adam killed it. "No."

"Aww, come on. You were totally smiling."

"I can't believe this," Weiss muttered. "You've been invited to spar by the Pyrrha Nikos, and you demand she wakes up early to come to you? Do you have no idea how much of an honour it was to have her seek you out?"

Did the Schnee have any idea how much an honour it was for Adam Taurus of the White Fang to acknowledge Nikos' ability? Obviously not. Had she recognise his name, she'd have already been screaming at the top of her lungs. He saw the bait however, and there was no stopping himself for lunging for it.

"Jealous, Schnee?"

Her shoulders became stiff, her expression indignant. "N-Not at all!"

"It's alright if you are. Clearly, she saw your bout against the Boarbatusk and decided I'd be a better sparring partner. Don't beat yourself up over it. If you ask nicely, I'm sure Ruby will lower herself to tutor you."

Weiss bristled. He expected Yang to come to her defence but the blonde grinned savagely and said nothing. Apparently, her own spat with the Schnee went deep. Their eyes met and they shared an imperceptible nod. It was open season.

"Guys! Guys!" Ruby waved her hands between them. "No fighting. As team leader, I command it!"

They all grumbled but eventually complied. Adam chalked it up as his win, having gained not only the final insult but also leaving Weiss a growling and grumbling mess all through lunch. It wasn't running her through, but it was satisfying in its own way.

/-/

"So, that fight today was pretty cool, huh?"

"Hm?" Yang looked up from her scroll, dressed in her pyjamas and laid out atop the sheets. Adam was in the shower, having taken it after Weiss, and she couldn't help but think the timing for Ruby was a little too convenient. If she wanted to fan over Adam, she could have talked to Adam. "What's up?"

"Does something have to be up…?" Ruby quailed under her eyebrow. "I was just thinking… it me or did Miss Goodwitch seem really off with Adam?"

"It wasn't just you," Yang said, putting her scroll down. It wasn't just Ruby, or them imagining it. She'd been irritated about it all day as well. "I mean, hell, she practically ripped him apart in her assessment. That was less advice and more insults. Not to mention how she dragged him up first and threw him at the strongest person in class."

"He did well!" Ruby defended loyally.

"Sure, but did Goodwitch know he would? Seems a little unfair. What do you think, Weiss?"

There was no pretending she hadn't hear them in their small room. Weiss put down her book and brushed her hair back. Unlike them, she was already under her covers. She did that the night before as well, only changing into her nightclothes at the last possible second when Adam was busy, then going to bed straight after.

If Weiss was worried Adam might peek, she was barking up the wrong tree.

"I wouldn't want to say anything ill about the staff here. However…" Yang's eyes widened. Even Weiss…? "I did think it a little unprofessional how she acted around him." Wow. Okay, that had to make it official. If even Weiss was going to defend Adam – albeit out his hearing – then it had to be serious. "Miss Goodwitch seemed a little too pleased with his loss."

"You notice how she was watching that fight more closely than any other too?"

"Was she?" Ruby asked.

"No one expected you to see it, sis. Too busy drooling over the weapons."

"I was not!"

"But you see it, Weiss? She was tense as anything."

"I did notice," Weiss confirmed. "I thought it just because it was the first fight. You know how it is, the first is more likely to have people break the rules because they don't know them. I was less sure after. Winchester acted like he wanted to actually kill that blonde boy and she only intervened at the last second, but she looked ready to leap into Adam and Pyrrha's fight."

"And it can't be that Adam and Pyrrha knew one another before or had issues," Yang pointed out.

"No. I'd say he might have been an ex-competitor with his level of skill but Pyrrha had clearly never fought him before, or she would have known from the start what he was capable of. Do you think we should speak to another teacher about this?"

Maybe, but Yang wasn't inclined to think that'd go anywhere without proof. "My dad's a teacher at Signal," she said. "Maybe I can ask him what we should do. Less likely to get us in trouble."

"Hmm. That seems wise."

"Do you think it'll be an issue?" Ruby asked nervously. "What if Adam feels upset…?"

"That brute? Ruby, I doubt he would be upset even if Miss Goodwitch launched a table at him!"

"Got to agree, sis. Adam is thick skinned enough to look after himself. We'll keep an eye out as good teammates should, but I think dealing with the problem is the main thing."

"Exactly." Weiss laid down and yanked the covers up angrily. "Now be quiet. I need to get to sleep if I'm waking up early."

"And why are you waking early...?" Yang asked. "Not to intrude on Adam and Pyrrha's date by any chance?"

"Not at all. I just happen to think early morning training would be valuable for my development as a huntress."

Tch. Yeah right. Adam had hit the nail on the head when he accused Weiss of being jealous of the attention he was receiving. And all that about sparring with Pyrrha being an honour, it looked like Weiss wanted to worm her way into a similar arrangement. It was a little petty, she personally thought, but none of her business. As long as Weiss could sneak out the room without waking her like Adam did. If not, it'd soon become her business, and something Weiss might live to regret.

"Whatever. As long as you're not a homewrecker."

"I don't care who Adam dates!"

"As long as it's you, right?"

"NO!"

Adam chose that moment to step out the shower, hair damp, white bandage over his eye, other eyebrow raised dangerously. It was clear he'd heard everything. Ruby giggled, while Weiss managed to pale so much she looked like snow.

"Five," he said, heading to his bed. "I'm not waiting up for you, Schnee."

/-/

"He was really good with the sword. You think he could give me any pointers?"

Such was the innocent question that had Blake's heart racing. "WHAT!?"

Nora, Ren and Jaune looked over toward her, surprised that the normally quiet member of the team – quiet compared to Jaune and Nora anyway – had spoken out, and so violently. Her partner blinked and answered honestly. "That guy. Adam, was it? He was really good."

"Really good," Nora said, bobbing her head. "I wanna fight him!"

No you don't, she thought. Swallowing at the thought of Adam interacting with her team, she sought an excuse they might believe. "I don't think he's the approachable type."

"You can tell that without speaking with him?" Ren asked.

"It's intuition. I mean, did you see the way he interacted with his team? And he was always frowning and scowling. Trust me Jaune, he's probably not the kind of person who would help you. He was furious he lost that match."

For a moment, she'd thought he might ignore the teacher and cut Pyrrha down. Adam didn't take defeat well. He never had.

"And how about the way the teacher was acting around him?" The teachers knew of course and were giving Adam the wary attention he deserved. Not the imprisonment, however. Letting him into Beacon was bad enough, caution or not. "Don't you think it was telling how the teacher was always on his back? Maybe she knows something we don't – like he's a violent person who always takes things too far. Or someone who likes to hurt people."

"Like Cardin?" Jaune asked glumly.

"Yes, like – oh." Blake winced, suddenly aware of the frown from Nora and the glum look Jaune wore. He'd not taken his loss well either, which she considered fairer on his side since his opponent had been so antagonising about it. Winning was one thing, but Winchester had taken too much pleasure in it. "I know you want to get better than him but if you need training, how about I train you?"

"Would you…?"

"Of course." If she had to. If she really had to. It would eat into her free time and be a complete pain in the behind, but she'd carry Jaune up a mountain on her back if it meant avoiding Adam. "Gambol Shroud is a sword as well as a gun. I know enough to help you improve and I'm your partner. If he was going to help anyone, it would be his team."

Nora nodded, apparently pleased with what she must have thought was Blake apologising for bringing Cardin up. It was in a way, but only that. Her teammates were weird but friendly. Nora and Ren had a thing going on no matter how much they denied it and Jaune, well, he was an under-achiever. There was nothing wrong with that. The law of averages meant that for every exceptional student there would be someone less able. He was still in Beacon and would improve in time.

They're better than Adam. Nora is annoying and way too excited in the mornings, but none of them want to kill people. Suddenly, she was the moodiest member of her team, and frankly, she was okay with that.

"I guess I kinda felt sorry for him too," Jaune said. "And guilty…"

Blake's confused showed in an explosive "Bleurgh?"

"He was getting bullied in the changing rooms…"

Adam? Her – well, not her, but the Adam she knew? Adam Taurus? White Fang Adam Taurus was being bullied in a changing room. "D-Did anyone get hurt?"

"I don't know. He hid it well if he did." Not quite what she'd meant but Jaune didn't notice. "It was Cardin again. He was talking about bulls and how Adam was like a wild animal." Jaune's fists bunched in his sheets, drawing the material up. "I just stood there. I was so relieved it was someone else and not me that I kept my head down and didn't do anything."

"Neither did anyone else," Ren pointed out.

"Still, I… Argh. I guess I just wished I had the guts to step in, you know?"

"I know." Nora rubbed his back. "That's what makes you our super-cool and super-sweet team leader. And soon you'll be super-strong as well when Blake trains you. Then BAM! You break Cardin's legs!"

Jaune laughed.

Blake laughed with them, but more out of a desire to fit in than anything. People were showing racism to Adam. That was bad. She'd known the same racism that existed everywhere would persist in Beacon; it was part of the reason she hid her ears, the other being to evade any pursuers from the White Fang.

For all that worked. Adam found me instantly!

If those bullies kept pushing, Adam was going to snap.

Was that… Would that be a bad thing? They were in school so Adam would be surrounded by people. He was good, but he wasn't good enough to beat everyone. The teachers would stop him if he lost his temper, then he'd be expelled or even jailed.

Possibly at the risk of a person's life.

But if said person was a racist and a bully… no. That didn't mean they deserved to die! She'd left the White Fang to avoid that cavalier attitude. Maybe training Jaune up was just the best way to handle it. If he were strong enough to handle Cardin, he could do what he wanted, step in and save Adam the trouble. And if Adam snapped before that point, well, that was out of her hands, wasn't it?

"Should we train in the mornings?"

"No!" Her panic surprised him, but she recovered quickly. Adam trained early. He always had. "A-At night," she said. "In the evenings. How about at eight? We can come back, shower and sleep after. We'll do it on the roof, so people don't come gawk and make it awkward."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan!" Jaune laughed. "Thanks Blake. I appreciate this, really! You're the best partner I could have ever asked for."

"Y-Yeah." She turned over, hiding her face and the guilt there. "No problem, partner."

Adam makes a friend…? Question mark?

Sort of.

Cardin is also rearing his ugly head into things with the typical disregard for his own safety he showed in the show. This not really being a comedy, even if it has funny moments, I'd just like to assure that I'm definitely not pushing for the misconception that Blake is racist toward Adam here, either to her team or Team RYST. That's a joke in Rabbit Among Wolves because that story is more slapstick.

Next Chapter: 5th May

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur