A/N: The idea for this fic came to me in during the middle of a workday, outside, on the hottest day of the year. I'm fairly certain that more than a few of my brain cells were fried that day, hence the crack-ish nature of this story.

Anyway, this is but a teaser of what is yet to come. Enjoy!

Winter felt it before she saw it. A cold piercing sensation, yet, at the same time, hotter than anything she'd ever experienced. She felt the warm blood trickle between her fingers as they wrapped around the crimson steel that had sunk into her abdomen. It pooled in her cupped hands even as she stared with a mix of shock and horror at the gruesome wound.

She heard Weiss scream out in rage. Saw her hurl herself at the one responsible for murdering her sister. She was too slow, however. Even with all her training, Weiss was not fast enough to match a master swordsman. Nor did she have any hope of overcoming him if she had been able to catch him.

Adam Taurus gracefully sidestepped the frantic girl, sticking out a foot, tripping her, and bashing her in the back of the head with Blush as she flew by. He towered above Winter, her having slumped to the floor and now laying on her back. With his mask missing, his singular blue eye gazed down at her not with satisfaction - as would be expected of a member of the White Fang - but with a look of sorrow. She would even go as far as to say it was regret.

"I'm truly sorry it came to this, Specialist Schnee," he said somberly. There was no trace of sarcasm or taunt in his tone. Adam spoke truthfully. "I wish there was some other way."

Winter could already feel the life ebbing from her body, even though Wilt had yet to even be pulled from her abdomen. She could only muster the strength to nod weakly.

She knew she should have been angry. This man had murdered dozens of her brothers in arms, led an attack that nearly claimed her sister's life, and worst of all, he'd used her as a tool against her family. Now, he stood above her, with his sword lodged in her stomach. She wanted to hate him, to stand up and fight until they were both dead. Though, whether it was from the blade in her gut or all that the two of them experienced together over the past few months, Winter couldn't bring herself to blame the man for doing what he thought was right.

Adam knelt and placed a single hand on her cheek. Against what all the world would have thought of her, she leaned into the touch, finding his gloved palm warm and comfortable. "I hope you'll come to forgive me." There was a brief pause before Winter nodded again. "Thank you."

/-/

Beside them, Weiss stared, wide-eyed at the two of them, what little color her skin had drained from her face. Winter's white uniform had quickly soaked through with blood. Her hands were trembling, and she looked up at that… that monster in utter terror. Never before had Weiss seen her sister show such real emotion. For as long as she could remember, Winter had been the picture of stoicism, never once flinching in the face of adversity.

But even as Adam Taurus looked down upon her, Weiss saw none of that fire, that spite that permeated Winter's aura. By the look of her, she had accepted her fate and was at peace with it.

"W-Winter?" Weiss's call came out as nothing more than a pathetic whimper and failed to get the attention of either of them. She tried again. "Winter!" Scrambling to her feet, she adjusted her grip on Myrtenaster and took her combat stance.

Both Winter and Adam turned to face her. The latter, staring down the blade of her rapier with a blank expression. Winter's face was quickly losing all of its life and color. She had to dispatch the villain fast and get her to a doctor. There was no way Taurus would let her leave without a fight, so she would have to test her skills against him.

Gods willing, she wouldn't come up lacking...

With all the speed and precision she could muster, Weiss charged the faunus, Myrtenaster aimed straight for his heart. She let out a fearsome cry as she approached his chest, prepared to see the blade bury itself into his torso. However, right before she collided with him, Adam simply sidestepped her strike yet again. Weiss's eyes widened; even with the boosted speed and momentum from her glyph, he'd dodged her like she was running in lead boots.

As she flew past, her back was wide open to him for a split second; not much to the average person, but dangerous to a skilled combatant like Adam. The heiress braced herself the inevitable counter-strike: a powerful kick or punch to her spine, or maybe he would just trip her up again so he could retrieve his weapon from her dying sister.

Though, despite all her thoughts, he didn't retaliate. He simply backed away with a combination of grace and speed.

"My fight here isn't with you, girl," Adam stated plainly. "I don't want to have to kill you as well." To her surprise, he held her gaze while he spoke, eyes cold and solemn.

Weiss readied herself to attack again. "Do you expect me to just let you murder my Winter without intervening?"

He ducked swiftly to the side, her sword narrowly missing his throat. "No, but I didn't come here to kill every Schnee, just one in particular."

She felt a surge of rage lance through her. Not two minutes prior, he'd plunged his sword into Winter's stomach, now he was acting all passive? "You think I'll believe that? You people are all the same; I'm sure you'd like nothing more than to wipe my family off the face of Remnant. My father can't be the only reason you're here." For indeed, his target had to be Jacques. Who else could it be? Weiss had fought the White Fang enough in Vale to undoubtedly earn a place on their most-wanted list, but Adam wasn't fighting her. He was simply avoiding her, letting her tire herself out. Possibly so he could end her in one fell swoop later, but she doubted it.

Winter, while she was known and highly respected as an Atlas Specialist, had very little interaction with the terrorists, hostile or otherwise. Whitley and Mother were similar in that they simply hadn't made themselves targets like Weiss or their father had.

Jacques Schnee however, he was the biggest prize for the White Fang. The CEO of the largest dust conglomerate in the world, member of the Atlesian council, and well-known bigot with regards to faunus, he ticked all the wrong boxes. If Taurus was here to kill any of them, it had to be him.

"No. No, he's not," Adam said, his hard gaze drifting once more towards an unconscious Winter. "I made a promise to someone, and I intend to uphold it."

Weiss grit her teeth so hard they might have cracked. "What are you talking about? What promise? To who?"

"Wilt cut deep," he noted, ignoring her question. "Winter doesn't have long. Are you sure you want to waste what little time you have left with her fighting me?"

When she didn't answer, he sighed and faced her. "Maybe I should rephrase that. I don't want to waste time fighting you. In fact, I would prefer it if you gave it a rest. Let me do what I came to do, and I'll leave you and your sister in peace."

Tears bit at Weiss's eyes. As much she was loathed to admit it, he was right. Winter was dying, bleeding out not ten feet away from her. And here she was, making a hopeless attempt to stop the man who had maimed her. If she continued, she would only wear herself out entirely. Taurus had already made it clear, he had no interest in killing her. Perhaps...perhaps he really would leave if she stood down.

"Damn it all," she hissed through gritted teeth. An overwhelming sense of guilt flooded her mind. First, she hadn't been fast, skilled, or even prepared enough to stand at Winter's side against him. Now, Weiss was actually considering letting him murder their father just so she could be with her sister as she died.

What would Winter do in this situation? She would probably hold out as long as she could, even against so superior an opponent. After all, her pride was worth more to her than even life itself.

Weiss cursed again. "Fine. Just go. Go, leave us alone."

Adam nodded solemnly. "Whether you believe me, or not," he said. "I am sorry it came to this."

Whatever dam that was holding back the flood of Weiss's emotions broke as soon as he turned his back. Breaking into sobs, she dropped Myrtenaster to the floor and rushed to Winter's side. Her skin was deathly cold, her breaths heavy and labored.

"Winter?" Weiss gripped her sister's shoulders, "Winter, please hold on. Don't leave me. Not again."

"W...Wiess," Winter's voice was fragile and soft, nearly inaudible over her pitiful cries.

The younger Schnee gasped and stared at her, eyes like saucers, heart pounding. "Yes, thank the gods, Winter! I-" She was cut off by a weak cough and a spurt of blood.

"Adam... is he-?"

"Gone."

Winter nodded. "You let him go?"

The heiress cried again. She'd failed her sister, failed the only person in the world she lived to make proud.

"Yes," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. He was just too strong. Now he's going to kill Father, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Winter's eyes closed and she appeared to be soothed by the admission.

"Good."

/-/

Rage boiled beneath Adam Taurus's skin as he stomped down the corridors of the Schnee's mansion. It was an anger so hot and wild that he couldn't even appreciate what he was about to accomplish. He, the man who brought Vale to its knees, was on his way to end the White Fang's oldest and most ruthless enemy. The most valuable prize of them all awaited him at the end of this last hallway. Jacques Schnee's head on a pike.

However, he could've cared less for the glory, or the infamy the act would gain him. All that mattered to him was vengeance. For all the pain the tyrant had caused him and those few precious to him. The faunus race as a whole would indeed benefit from his death, but that mattered little now. Jacques would suffer for a much higher sin.

He had caused Adam's heart to beat for another, once more. Despite what he had felt a few months prior, love had again clouded his mind. It was a strange love, born from hatred. Bloomed in the heat of fierce combat and watered by blood. It was an odd bond, but one that he had come to accept and enjoy.

That was all done, though. Ripped apart by the vile dust tycoon. For that, he would pay dearly. And all of Remnant would bear witness.

Jacques Schnee had granted Adam love.

Jacques Schnee had taken it away. It was what he was good at.

Now, it seemed only fair that the monster of the White Fang will show him what he was good at.

A/N: So? What'd ya think? I'm looking forward to continuing this fic. It's been an interesting idea that's just been floating around in my head-goop, maybe now it'll finally get some outside feedback.