Adam, used to waking up early in the morning due to the militaristic habits of the White Fang, was the first to awaken in the morning. It was early - sunrise - and his teammates were still asleep, so he sighed, stood, and grabbed his uniform, heading into the bathroom to get ready.
Adam took a shower, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and got dressed in his uniform, and he deadpanned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He was dressed in the traditional Beacon uniform, wearing his usual shoes due to a lack of an alternative due to a - surprise! - lack of money, and the whole thing cast too good of an illusion, even with his ribbon remaining in place.
He looked like a fucking teenager, in those clothes! That was what he was supposed to be going for, but this was just aggravating! He was twenty-three, it shouldn't have been that easy to make himself look seventeen! What the Hell?!
Adam returned to the main room and began reading through one of his textbooks. One by one, his teammates woke up and got ready, Adam idly noticing the order and how they wore their uniforms.
Dora woke up first, and when she came out of the bathroom in her uniform, she wore it with tall black stockings, grey shoes, and her hair in its usual pigtails, a silver peace-sign necklace hanging around her neck.
Dora then proceeded to wake Sam, who came out of the bathroom in the traditional men's uniform, but he didn't tighten the tie and he carried his jacket over his right shoulder with his hand, a pair of black shoes on his feet.
Jenna woke up last, and when she came out of the bathroom, she wore her uniform with knee-high white socks, brown clogs, and her hair in its usual ponytail.
"Oh my gods." Sam covered his mouth with his hands, gazing at Jenna, and she looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "You are so cuuuuuuuuute!"
"Huh?" Jenna asked, seeming surprised. Dora giggled, looking at her in amusement.
"You look like a twelve year-old, dressed like that!" She admitted, and Jenna blinked. Then, she shot a glare at Adam as he started chuckling.
"Guys, quit it!"
"Oh, look at her when she's angry!" Sam pointed, grinning. "That's just adorable!" Jenna crossed her arms, pouting. "It's so precious..!" Jenna deadpanned, then turned and left the room in silence. Adam raised an eyebrow behind his ribbon, smirking lightly.
"Tch. That sure was... Childish."
"HA!" Sam fell on the ground and started laughing, and Dora giggled as well. Adam chuckled, then he blinked, his eyes widening, as he realized that he was laughing with humans, and he quickly calmed himself.
'Damn... Why did I let my guard down so easily?'
/\
It was around twenty minutes later when Team A(J)CS finally realized exactly what had happened. The news came in a text from Jenna, which left them all stunned.
Sitting in Peach's class. You have five minutes to get here. XOXO.
"... Daughter of a bastard." Adam announced, his eyes wide. There was chaos for a moment, then Team A(J)CS burst out of their room at the same time as when Team RWBY and Team JNPR burst out of theirs, all eleven running down the hallway as fast as they could.
Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Team A(J)CS practically burst into the classroom just as the bell rang, signaling that they had just barely made it. The whole class looked up, including an extremely annoyed Professor Peach. The nearly-late students blinked, surprised, then they moved into the classroom like nothing had happened. Team A(J)CS quietly made their way over to where Jenna was sitting, as she had somehow kept three spots free.
"... We made it!" Sam cheered quietly as they sat down, and Adam sighed, face-palming. Great, it was official - he had a migraine.
"Took you long enough." Jenna smirked, taking another bite out of an apple she was holding. Her teammates looked over at her, deadpanning, then...
"... Who knew a total bitch could be so adorable?" Sam asked, and Jenna immediately deadpanned. "Damnit, you're a kawaii little tsudere..." Adam didn't understand any of that, but Dora evidently did as she let out a snort of laughter.
"Let's just focus on the class." Jenna sighed, closing her eyes. "I'd rather not start my year off with terrible grades."
"Nerd!" Sam shouted, pounding, Jenna opened her eyes, scowling lightly, then went back to paying attention to the class.
/\
Professor Peach passed out a short quiz so that she would be able to assess the knowledge of the class, then assigned some in-class readings and questions while she went over the quizzes. Adam noticed Sam making paper airplanes, Dora drawing in her notes, and Jenna skipping the readings entirely and just answering questions.
"Well." Peach spoke up, and everyone looked up. "Most of you did average, some of you did poorly, and one of you decided to draw a caricature of Professor Ozpin when Beacon runs out of coffee... I must admit, it is fairly accurate." Sam giggled deviously. "But... There was one student who managed to score one-hundred percent, though I wish that I could give her more credit for all of her detailed answers."
"Hm." Weiss crossed her arms, smirking. Professor Peach looked down at the paper, then she held it up.
"Miss Elurra?" She inquired, and all went silent. Slowly, Jenna raised her hand, and Peach walked over. "I must say, you are an expert in biology. Your insight is at a level akin to a master... Tell me, what are three cures to Death-Stalker venom that can be easily obtained in nature?
"... Sap from the crimson trees in the Forest of Forever Fall, brought to a boil then allowed to sit for three and a half minutes exactly before being consumed by mouth." Jenna spoke, and everyone looked at her. "Venom from a normal scorpion of any species has also been known to cancel out the Grimm venom if applied to the wound."
"And, the third cure?"
"The blood of the Death-Stalker that stung the victim, which must be both applied to the wound and taken by mouth before it can dissolve." Jenna answered quietly. All went silent, and Professor Peach slowly nodded, her eyes glinting behind her glasses.
"Perfect."
After Biology had ended, Team AJCS made their way towards their next class, and Adam looked over at Jenna.
"So... What's the story with you and biology?"
"My father was a scientist." Jenna answered simply. "I picked up a few things while watching him work."
"Then, you are officially Science Girl!" Sam announced, grinning, and Jenna blinked before continuing to walk. "What's wrong? You were awesome, in there!"
"I... I just don't like being at the center of attention." Jenna replied simply, looking down. "That's all... Anime Boy." Sam's jaw dropped as Dora snorted with laughter, then he raised a hand to his heart as he looked at his partner.
"Et tu, Dora?" He asked, and Dora rolled her eyes before shoving him. Adam gave a light smirk of amusement, then he raised an eyebrow.
'The Hell is anime?'
/\
Late that night, after classes had ended and he had completed his homework, Adam went to train by himself in the arena. After around two hours of that, Adam placed his weapon back in his locker before making his way back to his team's room.
As he walked down one hallway in particular. Adam paused, then he looked down a corridor, his eyes narrowed. He could have sworn that he has heard something, but even with his night-vision, he saw nothing.
A moment passed in silence, then Adam turned and kept walking, his guard raised. However, he returned to his room without incident and practically fell into bed, failing to notice that there was one bed in the room that was empty.
/\/\/\/\
Weeks later, Adam sat at a table next to Blake, eating lunch with her, his team, the rest of Team RWBY, and the ever-ridiculous Team JNPR.
"There we were..." Nora began one of her stories, and Adam tried to focus on his meal. "In the middle of the night." Ren chose to correct her story as she went along, not even looking up from his food as they went.
"It was day."
"We were surrounded by Ursai-"
"The were Beowolves."
"Dozens of them!"
"Two of them."
"But they were no match! And in the end, Ren and I took them down..." Nora smiled brightly, slamming her hands onto the table and standing up straight. Adam cringed, then sighed and shook his head. Another migraine. "And made a boatload of lien selling Ursa-skin rugs!"
"... She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."
"Ooh, ooh!" Sam clapped, grinning excitedly at Nora. "Tell us again, tell it again!" Dora and Ren exchanged glances, then sighed and shook their heads.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked her leader, who seemed... Distracted. "Are you okay?"
"Huh... Oh, yeah." Jaune replied, sitting up straight. Adam could already tell that he was lying. "Why?"
"It's just that you seem a little..." Ruby frowned, trying to find the proper word or phrase... "Not okay." And failing.
"Guys, I'm fine!" Jaune tried as everyone turned their attention to him. "Seriously, look!" Jaune gave a thumbs-up and faked a smile, and Adam narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, everyone heard laughter. Cardin and his goons were making fun of Velvet Scarletina, a bunny-Faunus member of second-year Team CFVY. Blake placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, looking worried as she saw his body tense and his expression turn to one of pure rage.
"Jaune." Pyrrha began, frowning as she actually tried to ignore the scene. "Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school."
"Cardin Winchester?" Jaune asked, trying to play it off. "He just likes to mess around, you know?! Practical jokes!" Ruby glared at Jaune.
"He's a bully."
"Oh, please." Jaune scoffed lightly. "Name one time he's bullied me."
"The books in the hallway." Weiss announced simply, not even looking up. Yang gave a weak grin.
"The shield in the door."
"The locker." Adam finished bluntly, and everyone cringed. Jaune forced a weak laugh.
"I didn't land far from the school!"
"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask." Pyrrha insisted, looking worried. Nora let out a small gasp.
"Ooh!" She stood up, excited. "We'll break his legs!" Okay, that was a human to fear. Adam tried not to show how stunned he was, and Sam nudged him lightly.
"Watch out for the pink ones, big guy." The S in AJCS warned, giving a light smirk. Adam shot a light glare at him, annoyed.
"Guys, really." Jaune stood, taking his tray with him. "It's fine. Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone."
"Ow, that hurts!" A voice cried out. The twelve's attention turned back to Velvet as Cardin pulled on one of her bunny ears. "Please, stop."
"I told you it was real!"
"What a freak!" Rage built up inside of Adam, but someone else acted before he did. Sam stood up on the bench, glaring over at Cardin.
"Hey, jackass!" Sam shouted, throwing an apple. "Leave her alone!" Cardin turned around after the apple hit his head, glaring up at Sam as his teammates got ready to brawl. "Seriously - watch it, boys! You do realize who that lovely lady's super-awesome teammates are, don't you?!"
Cardin went to retort, then someone tapped his shoulder and he turned to see the rest of Team CFVY glaring at him. The leader, Coco Adel, lowered her sunglasses and frowned at the boy.
"First year?" The girl asked simply, and Cardin nodded. "Then, I'll let you off with a warning." Eeveryone cringed as Cardin was kicked where no man should be kicked, and he fell to his knees. "I suggest that you never come near my teammate ever again... Come on, Vel." As the second-year team walked past, Velvet looked at Sam, tears in her eyes but a small smile on her face as she nodded at him.
"Thank you."
"Any time." Sam smiled, looking back at him meal and giving a small, satisfied smile. Adam gazed at the boy, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.
"Atrocious." Pyrrha looked livid, now. "I can't stand people like him."
"Then, why didn't you stop him?" A voice asked quietly. Everyone looked over to see Jenna picking at a sandwich on her plate, and she looked up at Pyrrha with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"
Jenna had been quiet, almost-obsessively academically-focused, and even a bit moody ever since the second day of school, and she had only been getting worse. She hadn't really interacted with the other eleven in the "group" any more than she had to, so everyone was surprised by her speaking up.
"I..." Pyrrha blinked, her eyes widening slightly. "I didn't want to make things worse-"
"Figures." Jenna stood up, her food unfinished. "You can preach all you want about wanting the violence and hate to stop, for the cruelty to be called out and shamed - but the only way to get results is to act."
"That sounds like a White Fang philosophy." Weiss commented, her eyes narrowing. "What, then? Do you support the violent actions of your fellow Faunus?"
"No." Jenna replied, looking over at Weiss. "They've hurt innocent people, which is something I could never support. They need to be brought to justice, just as people like Cardin need to be brought to justice."
"So... Your philosophy is that every crime deserves due punishment?" Ren asked, seeming to understand. To this, Jenna nodded.
"Yes. If you commit a crime, you should be condemned and brought to justice through a due punishment - nothing too lax or too extreme, just what is due. If you have done nothing wrong, then you should be left alone and treated with respect." Her eyes fell on Pyrrha. "If you have stood aside and allowed for evil to be done around you, then you should be called out for doing so." Pyrrha looked down, and Jenna's eyes went to Sam. "If you have stepped forward and done what is right, then you should be commended."
"... Hmm." Weiss gazed up at Jenna. "But what are your definitions of right and wrong?"
"Harming an innocent person is always wrong." Jenna replied, looking back at her. "Stealing out of greed is also wrong. But if someone you love is dying and you must steal to save their life, you are not in the wrong for doing so. Killing a person who intends to kill you and your loved ones before help can arrive and provide another solution is also not wrong, as you were left absolutely no other choice. That is right and wrong."
"You seem to have strong feelings about this." Blake looked up at her. Jenna blinked, then she looked away.
"I personally believe that everyone should. Karma, and what not." She announced quietly, frowning slightly. "... Maybe this world would be a better place if everyone did." With that, she turned and walked away.
/\/\/\/\
A few days later, Adam was in class with some of the other students, namely his team, Team RWBY, Team CRDL, Team JNPR, and Velvet.
"Yes, yes..." The teacher, Doctor Oobleck, began while zipping around the classroom. "Prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing the Faunus population in Menagerie."
"Hm." Blake let out a small hum, her eyes narrowing slightly. Adam cast a glance at her, frowning, then he looked back at Oobleck.
"Now, while this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events. Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day! Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"
"Huh." Adam was surprised by the blunt question, and he could tell that many others were as well. But then, one by one, many of the Faunus - including Velvet - raised their hands. Deciding to agree with his breatheren, Adam lifted his lower-arm from his desk, and Blake looked at him, giving a small nod. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Jenna grip the table, but she didn't raise her hand.
"Dreadful, simply dreadful!" Oobleck announced, seeming displeased. "Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence. I mean, I mean... I mean, just look what happened to the White Fang!"
'Wow.' Adam couldn't help but be impressed. 'Not only is he aware of everything that's led to all the shit happening these days, but he doesn't mind showing it. I kinda wish that all teachers were like this guy... Alright, Beacon - I'll give you this, you've got one half-decent human teacher.'
"Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" Oobleck asked, getting back on topic. Weiss immediately raised her hand. "Yes?"
"The Battle at Fort Castle!"
"Precisely!" Oobleck grinned, nodding. "And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General LeGume's forces?" Jaune yelped as something hit the back of his head, likely thrown by Cardin - who sat behind him.
"Hey!"
"Mr. Arc!" Oobleck sped over. "Finally contributing to class! This is excellent, excellent! What is the answer?!" Jaune was completely lost. Adam, instead of sympathizing with his acquaintance, simply scoffed. Seriously, even a kid as dumb as Arc should have known that it was night vision.
"Uh... The answer... The advantage of the Faunus... Had over that guy's stuff..." He noticed Pyrrha making motions. "Uh, binoculars?!" Pyrrha face-palmed as everyone (outside of Adam, Blake, Pyrrha, Jenna, and Weiss) laughed.
"Vey funny, Mr. Arc." Oobleck shook his head, disappointed. "... Cardin, perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject."
"Well..." Cardin smirked lightly, looking around. "I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier." Adam almost stood up, but Blake and Jenna held him down. They held him in his seat, and Adam growled, his hair and eyes briefly lighting up before he managed to calm himself down.
"You're not the most open-minded of individuals..." Pyrrha glared over at the boy. "Are you, Cardin?" Jenna looked up at Pyrrha, surprised, then she gave a small grin.
"What?" Cardin asked, looking over at her. "You got a problem?"
"... No." Pyrrha replied, and Jenna's smile fell. "I have the answer. It's night-vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly-perfect sight in the dark." Cardin groaned, rolling his eyes.
"General LeGume was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep." Blake continued, smirking slightly. "His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured. Perhaps if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't be remembered as such a failure." Cardin got up, looking livid.
"Mr. Winchester..." Oobleck sighed, annoyed. "Please, take your seat." Jaune snickered lightly, and Oobleck noticed. "You and Mr. Arc can see me after class for additional readings. Now, moving on..."
/\
After class ended, Adam pulled Jenna aside.
"Why aren't you telling anyone that you're being picked on because you're a Faunus?" He asked, his eyes narrowing. "You're not properly standing up for yourself, and whatever's up with you right now will only continue if you don't get help." His new partner crossed her arms.
"Adam, it's fine-"
"They're only getting worse!" Adam growled, glaring down at her. "Jenna, I'm not standing by while another Faunus - my partner - is getting all this shit!"
"Adam, just let it go!" Jenna snapped, then her eyes widened as her skin paled, and she took a step back. "... Please." That was the first time Adam had ever heard her snap like that. It was kind of impressive, but also kind of concerning. How much pent-up anger was she holding back? The wolf-Faunus looked down, embarrassed. "It's fine, Adam... I'm okay."
"... I don't believe you." Adam announced, turning away. "And until you tell me the truth, I won't be able to trust you."
"I know." She replied quietly, and he looked back at her. Her head was bowed, her expression filled with shame. "But... There are just some things that I have to handle on my own. It's for the best."
"... If you say so."
/\
Jenna walked down a hallway alone, holding her books to her chest, then she let out a soft gasp as someone stepped around the corner and faced her, crossing his arms.
"Well, doggie?" Cardin asked, walking over to her. "Do you have my Dust-shop homework done?" The girl nodded shakily, drawing a paper from amongst her books and holding it out. "... Did you dumb it down this time, to make it more-believable?"
"Y-yes." Jenna replied, nodding shakily as he took the paper. "And I used the notes you gave me to copy your h-" Jenna winced as Cardin reached up and grabbed one of her wolf-ears, holding her in place as he looked over the paper. "H-handwriting."
"... This looks pretty good." Cardin raised an eyebrow, surprised. "It's got about as much detail as ol' Schnee's, but it's dumbed-down enough to make it look like something I could have come up with." Cardin looked over at her. "Nice work, doggie." Jenna blinked, surprised. "Just tell me this: how the Hell did you get so good with all this science shit?"
"M-my father." Jenna replied, avoiding eye-contact. "He was a scientist, and he taught me everything he could."
"Hm." Cardin released her ear and took a step back. "Well... You kept up your end of the bargain, doggie. No trouble, tonight." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Just make sure that that partner of yours doesn't get any funny ideas. Got it?"
"O-of course." Jenna nodded, and Cardin nodded back. The boy turned and left, leaving Jenna alone, and she bowed her head. "O-oh, gods..."
Jenna sat at a computer in the library, typing up a lab-report for Dust-Shop, and she sighed softly, giving a small smile. That smile slowly fell into a frown, and she opened a new tab, starting a new document under the name of Cardin Winchester, copying a template over from the first document, and beginning to work on it.
'The purpose was to...'
Jenna knocked on a door, and Cardin opened it, raising an eyebrow. Jenna looked up at him, a bit timid, then she held a paper out, frowning slightly.
"I... I finished the lab-report early."
"At'a girl." Cardin smirked, taking the paper and patting her twice on the head. "Keep this up, and your pal won't have anything to worry about - as long as you and that girl from Team RWBY keep him in line."
"Understood." Jenna nodded, gripping the books in her arms tighter. "Do... Do you have any new assignments?"
"Nah."
"B-but, I thought Oobleck-"
"I've got them." Cardin waved it off, and Jenna blinked, surprised. "Take the night off, doggie. You must be tired, since you've been my bitch for the last month." Jenna bowed her head as Cardin laughed, his teammates joining in from within his room.
"I... I guess I am tired." She agreed quietly, then she looked up at him. "Thank you. A-and let me know if you need me to do any more work."
"Off you go, to your crate!" Cardin jeered as she turned and walked away, her ears flicking back as she heard Team CRDL continuing to laugh. As soon as she was out of their sight, Jenna started running, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her face, the girl half-tempted to just cast her books aside and run away.
'It's not fair.' She thought to herself as she ran down a hallway. 'I'm stronger, I'm smarter, and I'm braver than this! Why do I let him treat me like a pet?!'
...
"Wolf-Faunus have always been regarded with honor, as they are great amongst Faunus kind. Strong, fast, and intelligent - they stood tall above both predator and prey. But the wolf-Faunus have always had one weakness, sweetheart. One that, try as they might, they cannot avoid because it is in their very blood... Once a being has become a member of their pack, a wolf-Faunus will do whatever they must to keep them safe, even at the cost of themselves."
...
Jenna tripped as she ran through the courtyard, being sent sprawling as her books and notebooks scattered. Slowly, she pushed herself up, her head bowed and her eyes closed.
...
Adam between her and Cardin, his hand wrapped around the bully's wrist and his expression twisted in rage.
...
Jenna opened her eyes, looking up at the shattered moon and the stars, completely silent as she kneeled on the pavement amongst her books and notes.
"... If you could see me..." She finally spoke softly, her brown eyes on the moon. "Would you be proud of what I have become, Mother?"
/\/\/\/\
Days later, after a field trip to the Forest of Forever Fall, Adam Taurus walked down a hallway alone, and he turned a corner to see Team CRDL there. Adam's eyes locked on Cardin's, and they narrowed slightly behind his ribbon.
"Just the guy I wanted to see." Adam announced calmly, only to grab Cardin by the collar and slam him into into the wall, glaring venemously. "I'm going to ask this once... What have you been doing to my partner?"
"The Hell are you talking about?!" Cardin demanded as his teammates watched, their eyes wide. Adam's eyes narrowed further.
"For weeks, she's been returning to the dorm late at night - exhausted. Jaune was the same way, and now that the whole school knows that you were pulling his strings, it's obvious that it's the same thing, again. So... I'm not going to ask again. Tell me what you've been doing."
"I haven't done anything to your bitch." Cardin spat, and Adam growled lowly, his hair and the red details of his clothes starting to glow. "And since you don't have any evidence of anything, if you attack me here, you're the aggressor. And you'll get yourself and your team in trouble, which won't do the doggie any good."
"Stop calling her that!""
"Adam?" A voice asked, and Adam blinked, surprised, as a hand grabbed his wrist. Adam looked down, surprised, to see Pyrrha there, her eyes narrowed slightly. "... We need to talk."
Adam gazed down at Pyrrha for a long moment, seriously considering brushing her off and snapping Cadein's neck, the he sighed and dropped the bully, turning to her as he recovered on the ground.
"What?"
Adam crossed his arms, standing on a rooftop and facing Jaune and Pyrrha, his eyebrow raised.
"Well?"
"... We want to help you with Jenna." Jaune admitted, and Adam blinked. "Adam, I've noticed the signs, too. Cardin's got her on a leash, only it's even worse for her. We need to stop him. So... A week ago, Pyrrha and I set up a hidden camera outside of the Team CRDL door."
"Jenna told us to take action, so we did." Pyrrha nodded, her eyes narrowing, and Adam looked over at her. "Jaune and I reviewed the footage tonight, and while most of the encounters simply involved Jenna handing over a paper, there were some that got rough, and we believe that we have enough evidence to bring to Ozpin and get Team CRDL punished."
"Well, I'll be damned." Adam commented, actually managing a light grin. "Not bad." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously while Pyrrha beamed. "Alright, then. You take the footage to Ozpin, and I'll go and tell Jenna what's going on."
"Alright." Pyrrha agreed, smiling. Adam turned away, then he paused and looked back at her.
"... Good job." The bull-Faunus spoke, and Pyrrha blinked. "I know Jenna'll be impressed." Pyrrha blinked again, then gave a hopeful grin.
"Do you believe that this will make up for before?"
"I'm not sure... But it'll come real close, at the very least."
As Adam wandered through the halls, searching for his partner, he heard a commotion, followed by a voice crying out in pain. Deciding to investigate, he peered around a corner to see Cardin and his team laughing as none other than Jenna Elurra scrambled to her feet, holding her stomach.
"That partner of yours is getting suspicious, doggie." Cardin announced, his eyes narrowed. "You know what happens if he or anyone else finds out."
"P-please, stop." Jenna looked up, her eyes tearing up. The boy responded by slapping her across the face, and she winced. As he watched this, Adam felt rage build up inside of him, and he wished that he had his weapons.
"Those damn humans..."
"You know the deal." Cardin announced coldly, grabbing her right ear and twisting, and Jenna yelped. "You don't tell anyone, and I leave your friend alone."
"He's n-not my friend." Jenna looked down, gritting her teeth, then she looked up at him, glaring through her tears. "But leave my my partner alone!" Adam's eyes widened, and Cardin smirked.
"A deal's a deal." He replied, the he punched her in the gut, sending her into the wall. Jenna hit the ground on her side with a soft thud, her eyes closing as she curled up in pain. Her wild brown hair had fallen out of its usual ponytail, and her body quivered slightly in pain. She was barely conscious... Unable to take any more, Adam stepped out into the open, his eyes narrowing in rage as everything red on his body began to glow.
"Cardin!" Adam snarled, and the four humans turned to him. Jenna's eyes weakly fluttered open, and she looked up at him. "What the Hell?!" Cardin's smirk faded into a sneer.
"Oh, it looks like someone couldn't keep their end of the deal, after all." Cardin looked at Sky and Dove, his eyes narrowing. "Keep an eye on the bitch." He looked at Russell. "Let's teach bull-boy some respect."
Russell charged, and Adam did a spinning kick, striking him in the chest and throwing him back down the hallway. Cardin attacked, but Adam punched him in square in the face and sent him flying into a wall. Sky and Dove got up and charged, but Adam delivered a devastating strike to Sky's back before turning around and actually kicking Dove in the throat. Any one of those attacks would have been lethal if they had not possessed aura, but since they did, alll four of them scrambled to their feet and ran off into the school, terrified.
Adam glared after them, his whole body demanding that he give chase, but he had other priorities. The bull-Faunus looked down at his teammate, the glow around him fading, as she shakily tried to stand, then he offered a hand. Jenna looked up at the hand, blinking, then she wiped her tears away as she continued trying to use the wall to pull herself up.
"I-I can get up by myself."
"I know." Adam grabbed Jenna's hand and helped her up anyway, holding her wrist to keep her in place as he looked down at her, his eyes narrowed. "What the Hell were you thinking?"
"I..." Jenna blinked, her eyes wide, then she looked down. "I found out that they were going to do something to you, but I couldn't prove it. And I-I couldn't let them-..."
"What could be so damn bad that you'd-?!"
"They wanted payback for what you did on the cliff, when you threatened Cardin."
"So? As you can see, they're no problem for-"
"They were going to send out some gossip claiming that you were in the White Fang, then jump you and-..." Jenna gulped as Adam's eyes burned into hers, then she looked away. "Cut your horns off."
All went silent. Adam's eyes widened as he stared down at the girl, the bases of the two horns on the sides of his head - the symbols of his Faunus heritage - tingling slightly. A Faunus' trait was their most defining feature, and it was also the most sensitive part of their body. If those boys had succeeded, Adam would have been in unimaginable pain - pain enough to make his recent migraines seem like nothing - for weeks, and his horns would never have grown back right.
He'd have been left disfigured, ashamed, and bitter - most-likely bitter enough to return to his old, cruel, human-slaying ways. Maybe even more bitter than he was when he was branded... He knew this, but Jenna didn't - she was just trying to protect him. She didn't know even a hundredth of the real stakes, but she'd still made the sacrifice.
"Jenna-"
"So, I did what I had to do to get them off your back. You helped me, and..." The girl gave a small shrug. "I can take a punch."
"... How many times has this happened?" Adam asked quietly. Jenna stayed quiet, and Adam grabbed her arms, quickly growing frustrated. "How many?!" Jenna winced, and Adam blinked before he pulled one of her sleeves up. Old and new bruises covered her arm. Adam blinked, then looked at his new partner's face, slowly reaching up and wiping away some makeup, revealing a dark bruise. "Oh my gods."
"I'm fine, really-"
"You're not fine!" Adam growled, livid. "You should have told me and let me take care of it!"
"Kind of hard when you find them carrying saws and watching your partner as he walks from the training arena, alone!" The wolf-Faunus snapped, then her ears flicked back and she looked down. Adam blinked, then he remembered that night, thinking he was being watched. "... It was nearly curfew. I was going to see if you were okay."
"... Look..." Adam gave a small sigh, looking away. "Thanks."
"No problem." Jenna shrugged, then winced softly as pain wracked her form. "P-partners look after each other, even if they're not friends."
...
"By no means does this make us friends. I am only partnering with you because Blake is taken and you're the least annoying person here besides her. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
...
Adam sighed, shaking his head, then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the girl placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as he pulled her side to his, then he began helping her down the hallway towards the dorm, knowing she'd protest going to the infirmary.
"We might not be BFFs..." Adam spoke up, the term foreign but necessary, and Jenna looked up at him. "But, I think this makes us friends, Science Girl."
"... Good enough." Jenna chuckled weakly, then straightened herself as they arrived at the dorm. "If anyone asks about this-" Jenna gestured to the bruise Adam had uncovered on her face. "We were sparring, and I lost. Clear?"
"... Crystal."
:Will Team CRDL please report to my office?: Ozpin's voice suddenly spoke over the intercoms, Goodwitch loudly cursing in the background as Pyrrha and Jaune's voices laughed awkwardly. Jenna blinked, surprised, then she looked at Adam as he smirked deviously.
"What?"
Well... I think that that's about 1000% better than the original.
It's not as rushed, we get more character development, and as you can tell if you've read the original of this story - some bits of backstory have been changed. But that's nothing you should worry about...
I only own my OCs! Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks! :)