The troll is back and imitating me and others in the reviews, this time trying to make it look like I'd attack my own reviewers because obviously that's a thing I'd randomly do from a guest account. Ignore the nonsense.

Chapter 8

Yang wouldn't stop glaring at him.

"It's your own fault," Adam said, calmly eating his hefty porridge stocked with fruit and yoghurt. "Blaming me won't change that."

"Makes me feel better. I hate you by the way. Utterly hate you."

Her hatred washed off him just as easily as that of the recruits he'd trained in his time, although it was insulting to lump her in with those lot. As much as he hated to admit it, she, Weiss and Ruby were far stronger than most of the White Fang grunts. Then again, that wasn't his fault; he couldn't make huntsmen out of civilians in under six months. They'd done the best they could with the tools they'd been given.

"You still have no one to blame but yourself," he pointed out. "It's you who decided to join Weiss, Pyrrha and I."

Bleary eyed, grouchy and make sure everyone knew it, Yang growled something feral and stabbed her breakfast with a fork, savaging it with more force than was strictly necessary. Ruby and Weiss weren't much better, but Weiss was used to it and knew to keep quiet. She was busily eating a larger breakfast than she usually did. Good. Those pathetic portions she'd eaten before couldn't have had enough calories to sustain such exertion.

No doubt some foolish effort to maintain her figure. That might have been acceptable for a civilian, but as a huntress she ought to be burning thousands of calories in a good day. They were supposed to eat a lot of food. Though not all of it had to be quite so unhealthy as what Ruby ate. Adam's lips pinched as he watched yet another cookie vanish into the depths. Mannerisms aside, they all looked to be in a state, and not wholly from their training.

"You could always go to sleep earlier."

"Adam. Shut up." Ruby glowered at him. "Just… shut up."

Should he be insulted or amused that Ruby Rose of all people was trying to intimidate him? His body answered for him, cracking the tiniest of smiles. Ruby was about as threatening as a chihuahua.

Pyrrha had been even more surprised to see a full team waiting for her this morning, though again she'd accepted it with the kind of politeness he knew had to be forced. It wasn't his problem what she thought of it. She could stay or go as she pleased, and he fulfilled his side of the bargain, sparring with her, this morning to his victory. Pyrrha had seemed happier after that, agreeing to meet again tomorrow to get her own back. A simple arrangement. He liked it that way. Easier than figuring Blake out at any rate.

"I thought it'd be fun team training," Ruby mourned.

"Wasn't it?" he asked.

Three sets of deathly glares answered that one. Girls, he thought with a roll of his eye. He didn't mean women either, but girls – children. The women and men of the White Fang had been prepared to do anything, even to die, so waking up at early hours was nothing. They were still young though. For them, Beacon wasn't life or death but more of what they'd had before at preparatory schools.

They'd have to do more of this once they graduated, but for them that moment must have felt so far away. Four years must have felt like an incredibly long time for someone like Ruby. It was more than a quarter of the time she'd been alive. Blake and he had grown up faster, essentially adults from the age of thirteen and prepared to give their lives for the cause.

I wonder if we would have been like this were circumstances different.

It was difficult to imagine himself coming down, shirt untucked, yawning with two eyes, no scar, and a dopey smile on his face. The image alone brought a shiver.

"Ow! Ow! That hurts!"

Team RYST paused as one at the sudden cry, turning in their seats to look back. Several rows down, Cardin had a long faunus ear in hand, gripped tightly between his fingers and tilted at an unnatural angle.

"Ha! Look at this. Feels just like an animal."

"Ow!" the older girl cried, hunched under his arm. "L-Let go. It hurts."

Weiss' hand grabbed his sleeve before he could fully stand. She tried to yank him back down but just ended up pulling herself almost out her seat as well. "What are you doing!?" she hissed.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"You can't!"

"Watch me-" A second pair of hands gripped his arm, Ruby holding on tight. He growled at her. "Ruby…"

"It's fine," Yang said. "Look. Her teammates are on it."

One teammate was. A huge man who dwarfed even Cardin, and who gently pried the boy's hand off his teammate's ear before not so gently tossing him back. Cardin slammed into his friends, who broke his fall. He managed to stay standing and snap some insult off, but the giant turned the faunus away with a hand on her shoulder and escorted her to a table further away. Adam allowed himself to be drawn back down.

"I guess it's not just you that has it tough being a faunus," Ruby said.

"Did you think I was a special case?" he snapped. Ruby flinched and Yang sent him a quick warning stare. Sighing, Adam relented. "I'm not angry at you." Picking up his tea, Adam downed it in one to centre himself. He'd been close to losing himself, because he'd intended to go over there and do much more than save that girl. He'd wanted to see Cardin bleed. "Yes. Faunus have it bad, though it's better here than in Atlas."

"My family isn't responsible for that!"

Adam raised a single eyebrow. "Did I say it was, Schnee?"

"I… You were implying it." Her cheeks flushed but she held her ground. "We don't keep faunus as slaves. They're employees. All that tripe the White Fang spouts is just that. Of course they want to paint us in a bad light."

"Weiss!" Yang kicked her under the table. "Not now. Adam didn't even mention them."

"I-I'm sorry. I just…" Weiss glowered. "I wanted to make it clear why I held him back. I'm not condoning what happened but going over there would only have gotten Adam in trouble. Really, she's a second year, isn't she? I'm surprised she couldn't handle it herself."

"Are you that ignorant?"

Weiss' eyes blazed. "What?"

"Adam. Weiss." Ruby smiled and tried to lean over between them. "Don't fight."

"Of course she could have fought back," he said, staring past Ruby. "But what has `fighting back` ever won the faunus? The White Fang tried that in Atlas with their protests and all they got for it was ridicule and rocks. Those that fought back against that were arrested and charged with trumped up charges, then threatened with exile."

"Most faunus don't fight back because they're afraid of the consequences for doing so," he continued. "In Atlas, that might be the SDC hurting your family, criminal charges preventing you ever getting the job you want or even jail time. Here, she's probably more worried about the racists in her year. Or older. Ones who will be watching and who'll decide to take justice into their own hands if she fights back against Winchester."

"Bullies look after their own," Yang growled. "About the only `honourable` thing about them. The cowards."

"The SDC has nothing to do with any of that!" Weiss snapped. Ruby tried to shush her to no avail. "And fighting back against a school bully isn't like joining the White Fang. One is in school, the other is a disgusting terrorist movement!"

"Doesn't change the fact she won't fight back. They might even say she is White Fang if she does. Winchester is a well-known family, isn't it?" He knew exactly what they were. "Fought in the Great War. Famous for hating faunus. If she injured its heir, people might think her a sleeper agent getting her own back."

"But she's not," Ruby said. "I mean, not if she didn't even figh-" Her hands clapped over her mouth, eyes wide.

"My point exactly. The only way she can definitively prove her innocence is to take the abuse. That's the only thing someone from the White Fang wouldn't allow. Letting a human protect her also works." Adam sighed and hunched his shoulders. "Even an accusation of being part of the White Fang could see her in trouble. The teachers might not believe it, but they'd be forced to do an investigation. Her room would be turned upside down, her scroll checked, every contact she has questioned. If there was any doubt, it could even lose her the spot she has in Beacon."

"That's not fair!" Ruby griped.

"It's not."

"T-They're being cautious." Weiss wilted under Ruby's heated glare. "I agree it's unfair, especially to her, but you need to keep in mind the White Fang are terrorists. They've killed a lot of people and wouldn't think twice to put bombs in a school like this."

Trust a Schnee to exaggerate their so-called crimes. Bombing a huntsman academy was the last thing they'd willingly do. Huntsmen protected faunus as well as humans and were respected, even if they all too often sided against and harmed the White Fang. Unlike you, we try and keep our attacks on the correct targets. We attacked the SDC, not schools.

Most of them anyway. There were always the extreme cases. The nutjobs. Those who let hate overpower their thinking and became nothing more than the Grimm their masks denoted them as. They were few and far between, however.

"Be careful, Schnee. Your bias is showing."

"And yours isn't? You've had issues with my family since the day we met!"

"Don't flatter yourself. My issues with your family go much further back." His eyepatch itched against raw and scarred flesh. "And I wasn't the one to insult you. I was only explaining why she wouldn't fight back."

"Adam is right." Yang stepped in to diffuse, bodily pushing him back while Ruby did the same for Weiss. "We're all disgusted at Winchester, right?" He nodded, as did Weiss. "See? We're all in agreement and all on the same side, so why are we arguing?"

"I… Yes." Weiss let out a sigh. "I suppose you're right. This, perhaps I got too involved in this debate."

A debate suggested there were two sides and that he was wrong. Adam opened his mouth, but Yang jostled him and knocked the wind out his lungs. He glared at her, but she glared back, clearly telling him to drop whatever issues he had. Grudgingly, he looked away. There was no point pushing it. The issue was resolved.

"We're all just grouchy from the early morning," Ruby said with a little giggle. "Team RYST is the most awesome team in Beacon, so save the fighting for the Grimm."

"Or for Winchester," Yang quipped. "As long as we're on the same side. While we're on that, does all that shit you said apply to you as well?" Adam suddenly found himself the centre of attention. "Is that why you keep letting him get away with insulting you?"

"It applies."

"Adam…" Ruby sounded like she'd been stabbed through the heart.

"It's not the reason I do nothing however." Goodwitch was. The watchers and all the threats of throwing him out for the slightest of indiscretions. He couldn't say that, but he could phrase it carefully. "I have my goals for joining Beacon. I consider those more important than my pride." No matter what Ozpin said. "I can put up with insults just the same as you can put up with losing spars or being given detention."

Ruby didn't look satisfied. "I guess…"

"What if he tries something like he did here?" Weiss asked. "What if he…" Her eyes rose to his horns, but she clearly didn't know how to say it. "What if he gets physical?"

"Then I'll get physical back. It's different if he makes the first move."

Yang laughed. "Law of the schoolyard. He who throws the first punch gets the biggest detention."

Pretty much just that, though in his case it was more plausible deniability in case he really lost his temper and did something that couldn't be explained away. That rabbit faunus was lucky, not only that her teammate saved her from Cardin, but that he'd saved her from him. Adam would have had words for a faunus who lay back and let the humans do whatever they wanted.

/-/

Adam grunted and slid back on his heels, a sharp wince slipping past his iron control. He brought his forearms up in time to block the next attack, aura sparking and pain shooting down his limbs. Yang's knee came up from below and he pushed both hands down onto it, blocking the kick and using the force to vault over and aim a roundhouse kick for the side of her head.

She danced back, blocked it with one hand and chambered a mighty punch he couldn't quite avoid thanks to his vulnerable position. Adam crossed his arms over his chest before it hit, dampening the damage even if he was still launched back. His shoulder hit the mat and he rolled with it, kicking back up onto his feet and coming up into a vague boxer's stance.

"Match over," Goodwitch called. "Due to aura entering the red, Adam Taurus forfeits the match. The victor is Yang Xiao-Long."

The familiar frustration bubbled up inside, but he pushed it back down. It was easier than it would have been normally thanks to the nature of today's spars. Unarmed combat drills. Easily his worst performance to date.

"Mr Taurus, you seem to have the barest basics of boxing down, with a little kickboxing thrown in, but it's rudimentary at best and you've obviously not put much time into it. Focus on improving that. Miss Xiao-Long, I have no criticisms but do not let that go to your head. You know full well you have an advantage here. Let this be something you all remember," she said to the class at large. "Too many of you rely solely on your weapons and are next to useless without them. This will not stand. Beacon will not accept its graduates being so limited."

If it weren't for the way she said that he might have thought the day's lesson was just to humiliate him. It seemed like something she'd do. Or maybe they wanted to test him for weaknesses, in which case they'd certainly found one today. As skilled and experienced as he was, he faced the same problems many in the White Fang did. They weren't huntsmen trained.

He was better than most huntsmen his age, but that was solely due to his brutal training and an unyielding determination. The only way he'd been able to advance so far however had been to specialise. Unlike others here, he hadn't had the luxury of tutors and years of varied training. With Wilt and Blush, he was on par with Pyrrha at the top of the class. No one could dispute it and every combat lesson spar still had him against her.

Unarmed, however, he was lesser. Not by much – he still ranked in the top third of class – but that was more due to everyone else being so utterly awful at it, and didn't reflect any better on him since he was both older than they and a leader of the White Fang.

Weiss and Ruby had excuses for being so small and light, but it didn't change the fact that take their weapons away and they were helpless. He didn't have those excuses. It was even more obvious because just like in his normal spars, Goodwitch had planned ahead and set him up with the toughest opponent he could have.

One of the lucky bastards who already fought unarmed. Yang Xiao-long was currently the biggest bastard of the lot, grinning like she'd won the lottery as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and sauntered off the stage with him. "Ooh. Bad luck, Adam. Guess this means I'm the top dog on Team RYST now."

"You bark like a dog, so that fits…"

"What's that? I couldn't hear over the sound of your whining."

Tch. He'd let her have the win this time. Partly because he couldn't stop her but also because she was right, and he was letting it get to him. How stupid. This was just a spar, and a spar with him at an unfair handicap. He'd set the record straight tomorrow morning by leaving Yang a quaking mess. They came back to Weiss and Ruby, who looked about as thrilled with the day's performance as him. Weiss had a nasty bruise under her left eye, though Nora Valkyrie hadn't hit her that hard. The Schnee's pale skin wasn't just for show. It bruised if she so much as brushed up against someone.

"Team RYST feeling less awesome than it did at breakfast," Ruby whined.

"Dunno what you're talking about, sis. I feel alive!"

"Cherish it," Weiss snapped. "You're not even top five when everyone is armed."

"Ahh. The sounds of sore losers. Music to my ears."

I'll have to train more on this like Goodwitch says. I never realised I was so limited. It wasn't that he'd never tried it before, but again, there weren't many good sparring partners in the Fang. Even when he had tried unarmed combat, he could only spar with Blake. Maybe learning here won't be entirely useless after all.

"I guess this is how Miss Goodwitch plans to keep lessons varied," Weiss said. On the stage, Sky Lark was up against Jaune Arc, both clumsy and uneven – to be fair, like half the class were – but giving it their all in an amateur boxing match. "I did wonder. As much as sparring makes sense for our training, having us fight one on one every day for four years was bound to get stale. And this is Beacon. They have a reputation for producing the best huntsmen."

"Makes you wonder what will come next," he said. It wasn't everyday he agreed with Weiss, but she had a point here. "Using other weapons?"

"You don't think they'll make us trade weapons, do you?" Ruby asked anxiously. "I don't know who I'd trust with Crescent Rose." Nervously, she bit her fingernails. At least until Yang slapped her hands away and told her off for the bad habit.

"I feel the same with Myrtenaster. I don't think they'd go that far. Some of our weapons are too expensive and possibly even dangerous if used poorly. She might have us use other weapons from the school stockpile, though. Maybe forcing us to have a melee and a ranged option?"

"Doesn't everyone already?" he quipped, thinking of Blush.

"Not him." Weiss pointed up to the stage, where Jaune Arc was trapped in a headlock on the floor. The match had turned to wrestling, which Goodwitch didn't seem upset about. It was all applicable in the end. If grappling worked, it worked. "He has a sword and a shield. That's it."

The boy who'd helped him the other day. Adam hummed, unsure what he should think or say. He had no reason to like the boy – in fact, having realised whose partner he was, he had every reason to hate him – but at the same time, he'd helped for no other reason than that he thought it the right thing to do. Adam considered himself many things, but ungrateful wasn't one of them.

He's worse than Ruby, Adam thought. That was no insult to Ruby given she was fifteen and a full foot shorter than Jaune was. It's not just his form either. He has no idea what he's doing. That could have just been since they were all unarmed right now, but he hadn't looked much better with his sword and shield either.

"Match over. Sky Lark is the winner. Mr Lark, while you defeated Mr Arc here by using your weight against him, you are not the heaviest or biggest man in class. I would suggest you look into a faster style to prioritise your reach and speed. Mr Arc, I find I am repeating myself. Think your attacks through and stop attacking recklessly. Be it with sword or fist, every attack causes you to over-extend. It is better not to attack at all than it is to attack and miss. Also, stop giving ground. You cannot run backwards faster than your opponent can run forward. The moment you give ground, you enable your enemy to run you down, and you will be off balance."

The advice was all valid and specific, but Jaune looked humiliated. It was hard not to notice how his advice was greater than anyone else's in class. "Y-Yes Miss Goodwitch."

Adam watched the boy skulk off and down. He might have felt the faintest stirrings of pity until he saw Blake appear and say some words, then the boy smile. Red hot fury coursed through him and he had to rip his eyes away.

"Guess we're not the only ones sucking," Ruby chirped happily. "I just wish he wasn't doing quite so well."

He being Winchester. The brute had tackled his opponent to the floor and settled himself over their stomach, raining blows down on his foe. Cardin was huge and bulky, and his armour only made him more so. Heavy armour was rare amongst huntsmen for good reason, but it worked wonders here, letting him take punches and kicks at will. Only someone like Yang or Pyrrha would have been able to deliver the force necessary to hurt him through it.

Cardin linked both hands above his head and brought them down in a hammer blow. The match was called, his opponent allowed to groggily crawl to his feet. Cardin offered no help and instead held his arms up high, walking around the ring like a professional wrestler accepting the adoration of thousands. He wasn't good; he was big. That helped when it came to this kind of combat.

"Can't wait for the day I get to fight him," Yang quipped. "How about you, Adam?"

"I'd enjoy it as well," he said, knowing it wouldn't happen. Goodwitch wouldn't be so stupid as to put him in the ring with a racist, armed or not. If she had any sense, and he knew she did, she'd be keeping him and Cardin far away from one another. A shame. He'd have liked to wipe the smirk off the brute's face. "If you get the chance before I do, make it slow."

"Adam!" Ruby gasped.

"Will do."

"Yang! No! Bad!"

He allowed a sarcastic smirk to settle on his features, watching Ruby try in vain to convince them not to plot the humiliation of their classmates with the Schnee uncharacteristically joining in, suggesting ever more convoluted ways that had Ruby panicking further, never quite realising they were all teasing her.

It was strangely comfortable.

/-/

Comfort couldn't last. It never did. Adam supposed he ought to be grateful it wasn't the Schnee who broke it. Even after another history lesson with Oobleck where the faunus rights were being covered, she'd managed to keep her opinions to herself and him likewise, and that was despite Ruby looking like she expected them to catch fire at any moment. They managed to surprise her, even if only out of spite, finishing the lesson without so much as a sharp word exchanged.

After, Weiss left with Ruby to perform maintenance on their weapons. He knew from Weiss' expression that it was less by choice and more Ruby dragged her along. That left him and Yang behind, and she obviously didn't feel as confident around him alone as Ruby did.

"Spar?" he offered. "Might as well put Goodwitch's advice to the test."

Yang cheered up immediately. "Unarmed?"

"Yes." He rolled his eyes. "You get to knock me around. Exciting, isn't it?"

"It's good for the ego," she laughed, rubbing her head with some embarrassment. "I was kinda used to being top of class in Signal. Didn't feel so great coming here and having so many people ahead of me. Sure, I'll help. I can teach you a bit more about boxing if you like?"

It was a generous offer. He treated it as such. "Thank you."

"We'll do it outside. Too stuffy to be stuck in."

"Agreed. Let me just change out my uniform and I'll meet you there. End of the hour?"

"Sure. Don't be late!" she teased. "You wouldn't leave a girl hanging on her first date."

"It's not-" Yang was already gone. "Does she try to be that annoying, or does it come naturally?"

He had a suspicion it was the former. Ruby was awkward and Yang seemed the opposite, but he had to wonder if maybe she didn't put some of that confidence on, especially around him. In her defence, Adam would freely admit he wasn't the easiest person to get along with. All things considered, Team RYST was managing fine. Really, it was a miracle he and the Schnee hadn't torn one another's eyes out. See Blake. I can be moderate too. You act like you're the only one deserving of another chance, the only one who could accomplish it.

Ozpin's face flashed before his mind.

"You only want the validation of proving her wrong about you."

Adam's smile fell. Did it matter? Redemption earned by either way was the same, and it still meant he'd joined the so-called `good side`. Blake didn't want a fresh start either, did she? All she wanted was to avoid the guilt. To hide away from the consequences of their actions. Wasn't that worse? At least he accepted the things he'd done. Questioning those decisions would be the same as spitting on the bodies of those he'd killed and those who had died fighting on his side.

"L-Leave me alone. Please!"

His feet brought him to a halt, eyes glancing down the side corridor toward the rocket lockers. Wilt and Blush were inside but he didn't need them for a spar with Yang. Further in he spotted the same girl from the cafeteria, this time without her teammate. She was pinned against the lockers by a boy and three girls who looked a little older than the faunus but younger than him.

If she isn't going to fight, I shouldn't intervene.

Thinking it didn't stop him stalking their way. The brain was funny like that; it suggested things that served no purpose because you weren't ever going to follow them, like the time it pointed out terrorism was bad as he accepted his mask. He should have let the weakling faunus handle herself. He should have killed the Schnee, cornered Blake, knocked her out and dragged her out of Beacon already.

Instead, he strode toward the humans with a sneer on his face. "Four humans to corner a single faunus in a dark corridor." Their attention turned his way, shoulders tensing before they realised he wasn't a teacher.

"Who's this?" the lead girl asked. "Your new boyfriend, Velvet? I guess he must be since you're both sporting headwear."

"No one." Velvet said. "He's no one."

"Not seen him around," the single boy said. "Must be a first year. Run along, freshie." He waved a hand dismissively. "Before I make you leave."

Adam squared his feet and crossed his arms. "I'd love to see you try."

It looked for a moment like they would. He wasn't tall or burly like Cardin and the bandage over his eye made him look wounded instead of dangerous. The difference in age wasn't apparent, even if they should have noticed something off by how eager he was for this. In the face of four huntsmen in training, the first year didn't run. He brought both hands up, baring teeth and thirsting for blood.

One of the other girls stopped them. "Cass, don't." She drew the apparent leader back. "You know Oobleck has his eye on you after the last time. He's baiting you. Knock him around and he'll run right to Oobleck. You know how that guy will look on you roughing up a first year."

Cass – perhaps Cassie or Cassandra, he'd have to look it up – bristled angrily but backed down. Her eyes closed and she huffed, pushing Velvet back into the lockers. The faunus crashed into them and slid down a bit before catching herself.

"See you in class, Vel," Cass grated, walking off with her posse in tow. The single guy, no doubt desperate to show off for his teammates, waved a fist threateningly in Adam's direction. He received nothing more than a raised eyebrow in return.

"Lovely people."

"I don't need your help."

"Hm?" Adam turned to the crumpled faunus, who was in the process of dragged herself up. Pale face, burning red cheeks, rumpled blouse and eyes rimmed with moisture. He rolled his eyes. "A `thank you` is usually the best place to start."

"I'm not thanking you for anything, you – you monster…"

The air stilled. Adam did too. Slowly, his eyes sharpened. "What was that?"

Velvet Scarlatina pushed herself further back against the lockers, trapped somewhere between terror and defiance. "Y-You heard me," she stammered. "I know who you are. I know what you are." Her ears stood up rigidly, a sign of fear or anger. Maybe both.

"I just helped you."

"You didn't help anyone! You never do! You just wanted to hurt them. It's obvious! You didn't want to stop a fight happening, you wanted to start one."

"And you wanted to roll over," he fired back. "Interesting tactic."

"I'm not a violent maniac like you."

"No. You're a victim."

Velvet flinched.

"You play the victim and wait for someone else to come save you," Adam said. "Be it your teammate or a teacher. You outsource the responsibility to them, and force them to be the violent one, all so you can sit in an ivory tower. And I guess you've made it my turn today." He scoffed at her. "Maybe if you'd taken care of it yourself, this `violent maniac` wouldn't have had to step in."

"I didn't ask you to…"

"No. You didn't. And if it were just you, I'd have left you to suffer for rolling on your back like a damned dog!" His voice rose at the end. "But it's not just you, is it? It's every other faunus those four ever meet, because you're teaching them that faunus won't do shit in return. Teaching them they won't be punished for this."

"So what?" she hissed. "I should throw everything away and become a terrorist?" Her finger stabbed into his chest. "Take hostages and kill them like you do, Adam Taurus? You didn't even change your name!"

His hand curled around her finger and bent it back. "Because I'm not afraid," he whispered. "Unlike you. If they want to come after me, let them. I'll stand up for the faunus where you won't."

Her eyes watered but she still managed to force the hate out. "You stand up for no one. You've done nothing but make life harder for us."

"At least I tried." Adam pushed his face close to hers. Eye to eyes. Nose to nose. "Tell me, Velvet. What have you done for the faunus? How far have you pushed faunus rights by cowering away from every human who looks at you the wrong way?"

None. He knew it. She knew it.

Her eyes watered and tears ran free. It didn't stop her spitting in his face unexpectedly. Pinned against the lockers as she was and shaking like a leaf, knowing exactly who he was and how dangerous, she managed to find the defiance to do it. If only she could have shown that kind of backbone against the humans.

"Maybe I am a monster," he whispered to her. "But I will never be a bystander like you. I won't sit back and watch as a faunus is beaten down. If that makes me worse than you then so be it. It's a price I'll gladly pay."

Fingers dug into his shoulder from behind. "Then pay it, you fuck!" a furious voice yelled, spinning him around to face a brown-haired girl in black glasses and the fist rushing into his face. Adam barely had the time to register it before the world was spinning and his head hit the floor.

His skull cracked loudly on the tiles, but he'd managed to get his aura online to prevent it splitting open. The same couldn't be said for beforehand and he felt thick liquid pooling down his face. His hand came up to his chin and came away stained red.

"That's what you get!" the brunette roared. "You fucks stay away from my partner or I'll dish it out worse!"

Velvet stood flat against the lockers, staring at him in horror. Not for what had been done or that her teammate had clocked a first year, but because her teammate had just punched Adam Taurus in the face. The most dangerous terrorist this side of Vale, and someone who by all rights had bested, captured, and executed people better than Coco. It must have surprised her that instead of rising to his feet and slaughtering his attacker, Adam threw his head back and laughed.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Coco demanded.

"I guess this proves it," he replied. "Doesn't it, Velvet? You did nothing and now your teammate steps in, bloodying her hands in your stead." He saw the realisation dawn, the flicker of Velvet's eyes to Coco and then the moment she saw what he meant.

Coco's knuckles dripped blood onto the tiles.

Snidely, Adam said, "But at least you're not a violent maniac like me, right?"

"C-Coco." Velvet took her teammate's hand and pulled her away, never once taking her eyes from his. "L-Let's go. It's fine. He's… He's not someone to worry about. He won't do anything again. Let's…" Her voice cut off, wretched and weak. "Let's just go."

"Come near her again and I'll do worse," Coco threatened, spitting at him as she was hauled back. "You've been warned!"

Adam watched them go, spitting blood that had dribbled down his lip away. He snorted a second after, spraying blood down between his legs like a shotgun blast. Broken nose by the feel of it. Not the first he'd ever had. He had to smile at that – the first had been a newcomer half his age who Adam hadn't taken seriously and been caught in the face with during training. The kid had been beside himself with fear, but Adam had laughed it off, clapped his back and used him as an example on how you shouldn't let your guard down. The boy died two months later in a raid on an SDC convoy.

Let his guard down…

Adam sucked in a breath and tasted iron as he touched his nostrils. They were oozing bad, all facial injuries did, and there was little chance of hiding it before Yang noticed, seeing as she was waiting for him outside. Knowing her, she'll be on my case for the names of who did this. Heh. And now I'm the one with a human wanting to step up to defend me. Ironic.

He fished out his scroll and sent her a quick message calling the spar off. No details. She'd hound him and find out later – there'd be no hiding a broken nose – but at least he'd have a little time beforehand to make up an excuse. Try to help a faunus, get cussed out by said faunus, smacked by said faunus' human friend trying to defend her, then left to drag himself to the infirmary.

"This has been a day and a half…"

As ever, Adam is weirdly fun to write. I like it because it challenges me to find realistic ways to defend what is, in reality, a lot of heinous acts. It's like in school when you were in debate class and you were told to debate from the point of view of the obviously amoral choice. It's harder, but kind of more stimulating because you need to really dig deep for it, whereas arguing the other side is super easy because you can just say "yeah, terrorism is obviously bad" and that's it.

I love the challenge he poses, and the best part is when you really dig into it and start to find ways to phrase it so it not only makes sense to the character in their own twisted world view, but even hits other characters with more traditional ones.

You don't get that writing Ruby as a main character. She's just too `good`.

Adam and Weiss actually managing to debate sensitive topics without clawing one another's faces off is also a good sign. He even called her "Weiss" a few times instead of Schnee.

Next Chapter: 16th June

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