Team CRDL sat in Professor Ozpin's office, trying to keep calm as they faced Ozpin himself, the man sitting in his chair while his Deputy-Headmistress stood behind him, her arms crossed and her green eyes set in a glare.
"Listen well, all four of you..." Ozpin finally spoke, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You fail to recognize the seriousness of what you've done. If it was another one of the students, that would be one matter - I would still punish you severely, of course - but because it was her in particular-"
"Favoritism, much?" Cardin scoffed, and Ozpin's eyes glinted. He stood up from his desk, and the four boys cringed.
"This is not favoritism. This is... Precaution." Ozpin corrected sternly, and they all blinked. "In terms of power, Miss Elurra is in a whole other league than the rest of the students at Beacon - and, due to the extremely high amount of anger she possesses within her, she's been known to have... Outbursts." Ozpin looked down, frowning. "The poor girl has seen things that even seasoned Huntsmen could never imagine. She has every right to her anger, but still..." He looked up at Team CRDL. "She could have brought great harm to all of you, if she had been so inclined to. And the odds are, she was... I'm just trying to figure out why you still have your spines intact."
"So, wait..." Russel raised an eyebrow. "You mean to tell us that Elurra - the girl Cardin's been pushing around for over a month - is really some super-powerful fighter with super out-of-control anger issues? Sir, with all due respect, I don't think you've got that right."
"... Do I look like I'm being anything less than completely truthful and serious, Mr. Thrush?" Ozpin asked, looking up with narrowed eyes, and Russel blinked. "The truth of the matter is that, throughout that month of torment, it is likely that Miss Elurra was spending every single moment holding back a metaphorical storm of anger, one that would have easily swept all of you away if allowed to break free. Now, the reason for her efforts to avoid harming you for this long would be unclear if not for some footage I was able to uncover from several of Beacon Academy's security cameras."
Ozpin gestured to Goodwitch, and she walked over, her emerald-green eyes narrowed as she held up her scroll to display some footage.
...
Team CRDL snickered, hiding around a hallway corner with their weapons in their hands and saws at their belts, their eyes on Adam Taurus as he passed. Jenna Elurra suddenly turned around another corner, her eyes widening.
"What are you-?!" Before Jenna could finish, Cardin was there, a hand clamped over her mouth and his eyes narrowed. Her eyes narrowed as well, then she growled and bit his hand, the boy yelping and releasing her.
"You bitch!" He hissed quietly, looking up at her. He looked back at his team, glaring. "You deal with bull-boy. I've got this." Russel, Sky, and Dove smirked, and Jenna's eyes fell on their weapons and saws, her expression flashing with horror, then she looked away, biting her lower lip. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up.
"Wait, stop!" The girl held a hand out, and Cardin gestured for his team to pause. "I... I'll do homework for you - all of it, if that's what it takes. Just leave him alone."
"Tch." Cardin smirked down at her, raising an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I need you to do my homework?"
"You're failing Oobleck's class, and Peach's." Jenna stated, and Cardin blinked before his eyes narrowed. "You know I'm good in those classes. Leave my partner alone, and I'll bring your grades up."
"... It's gonna take more than that, doggie. Your pal made a fool out of me."
"I..." Jenna looked down, frowning, then looked back at Cardin. "He was trying to protect me. What happened on the cliffs was my fault, not his... If you need someone to use as your punching bag, use me."
"What makes you think I'd hit a girl?"
"Oh, so you're sexist too, now?" Jenna asked, raising an eyebrow, and Cardin's eyes widened as his teammates actually gave him looks that said not cool. "You weren't the day you threw those rocks at me."
"Grr." Cardin looked back at Jenna, glaring venemously. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal, doggie. All of my homework, and I get to do this-!" The boy lashed out and punched her in the stomach, the girl gritting her teeth to keep silent as she fell to her knees, gripping her stomach as her deep purple aura rippled and seemed to shatter. "Whenever I want... Got it?"
"... G-got it." Jenna replied quietly, and Team CRDL laughed as they walked off. Once they were gone, Jenna's hair slowly bristled as her ears flicked back, and she looked up, baring fanged teeth and growling lowly. Jenna stood without effort, scoffing and brushing herself off as her aura actually reengaged. She rolled her shoulders back, then looked off in the direction that Team CRDL had gone in with a raised eyebrow. "Tch. Those idiots seriously bought that? Worst performance of my career."
...
"... Performance?" Cardin asked as Goodwitch lowered the scroll. To this, she gave a small nod.
"Evidently, every time you gave her a beating, she would disengage her aura after a hit or two to take the attacks before reengaging it to heal herself, but she put up the act that whatever you did to her fazed her in the slightest. We believe that this was a ploy to make you focus all of your attention on her and not the other Faunus of this school, including her partner-"
"And, she was using you." Ozpin butted in, and Team CRDL blinked in surprise. "Conditioning. I've seen it many times... She used you to practice the use of the healing aspect of her aura, and to see exactly how much her body could take without aura. It was a brilliant strategy, really."
"So, wait..." Sky's eyes widened. "Elurra was playing us from the very beginning?"
"Yes, and if you look carefully at all of the work she did for you to turn in, she left little messages in the paragraphs. Or, shoul I say, she included your homework in your personally-submitted confessions." Ozpin held up a paper - an essay -, which had the first letter of every line circled. It actually managed to spell out CRDL, back hallway, noon, Tuesday, Scarletina. "Doctor Oobleck noticed immediately. It turns out, Miss Elurra is extremely clever, like her father before her. She fooled all four of you into thinking that she was the victim, but in reality-"
"She led us right into a trap." Cardin gaped, stunned. Goodwitch nodded, giving a light smirk.
"Indeed. Now..." She slapped her riding-crop onto her hand, the four boys and even Ozpin cringing slightly. "Let's discuss punishment."
The elevator door in Ozpin's office opened, a figure in black and turquoise stepping out. Jenna Elurra looked around with a frown, then her eyes fell on Ozpin - in his chair - and Goodwitch - standing behind him. Slowly, her eyebrow raised.
"So... How'd it go?"
"Those four won't be causing you trouble, anymore." Ozpin nodded, folding his hands before him. "They have to clean out the men's locker-room and all of the men's bathrooms around the school with nothing more than toothbrushes, soap, and water. They've also been made aware that they will now be under constant watch from several students who have been secretly told to watch them for wrongdoing - none of which is true, but by their terrified expressions, I assume I was convincing."
"Nice."
"Now... We need to discuss your recent actions." Ozpin's eyes narrowed slightly. Jenna blinked, then rolled her eyes and sighed, placing a hand on her hip.
"Great."
/\
Jenna returned to the dorm later that night, and as she silently crept through the room, she briefly paused and looked over in a far corner, her eyes falling on a larger, sleeping form. He had fallen asleep with his face turned in a particular direction - towards her bed. She must not have noticed when she snuck out, after they'd all gone to bed. Slowly, Jenna smiled, giving a small laugh as she gazed at him.
"Big lug... Get some good sleep, Adam."
/\/\/\/\
A few weeks passed without real incident. Team AJCS attended their classes, and to everyone's relief, Jenna's energy returned as she began spending more time with her team. Sam, who had been struggling in Biology, saw a sudden and sharp rise in grades as Jenna began assisting him with his homework, and - well...
"SCIENCE GIRL, YOU'RE MY HERO..!" Sam shouted, literally jumping into the girl's arms and kissing the top of her head as he clutched a test that he had scored a ninety-four percent on. Jenna blinked, her legs shaking slightly as she held him bridal-style, Dora laughing and Adam smirking.
"Uh..?!"
/\
Later that night, Team AJCS was walking down the hallway towards their room. Jenna was quietly humming something, giving a small smile, and Adam looked at her, raising an eyebrow behind his ribbon.
"What's that?" He asked, seeming irked. "Sounds kinda creepy." Jenna blinked, then looked up at him.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a song that my brother and I made up about our old man when we were kids." She grinned wryly. "It annoyed him, but I'd catch him humming it from time to time while he worked."
"You're into music?" Dora asked, interested. Sam laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"That's my Dora! Mention any sort of art, and she just-!" Sam wheezed as Dora suddenly elbowed him in the ribs, then he smirked weakly as she glared. "Marry me?"
"Screw you." Dora scoffed, rolling her eyes. Jenna snickered, then she looked up at Dora.
"Sorry, Dora: no such luck. Ani and I only wrote the one song, and just to be annoying. Dad was always real work-obsessed, and we thought it'd loosen him up, so-" Jenna went silent as they heard arguing coming from Team RWBY's dorm as they walked past, and Jenna, Dora, and Sam slowly came to a stop as Adam did, the bull-Faunus' eyes narrowing behind his ribbon.
"This can't be good." Dora commented, growing worried. Adam frowned as he heard the heiress yelling at someone. What was going on?
"You wanna know why I despise the White Fang?!" Weiss' voice demanded, and Adam's fists clenched. No... "It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"
"Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake's voice snarled. All went quiet.
Adam's teammates looked at him, their eyes wide, and he backed away, his expression filling with alarm. Blake burst from her dorm and ran off, and Adam turned and followed her, losing her as he made it outside. He heard footsteps following him, and a shout.
"Adam!" Sam called, sounding... Concerned. "Dude, stop running!" Adam did not obey. He just kept running.
Managing to evade his team, Adam arrived at the locker-rooms and grabbed his weapon, his whole body tense as he blankly gazed into his locker for a moment.
'Fuck.' Adam thought, closing his eyes. 'I should have known. Blake being placed on a team with a Schnee was just bound to end in a disaster.' He opened his eyes and narrowed him. 'Alright, then. I'll find Blake, and we'll fall back onto one of our other plans. We'll leave, go to another kingdom, and-'
"Adam?" A voice asked, and Adam looked back to see Ren and Nora there, looking like they had just finished training. Nora raised an eyebrow, confused. "You okay?"
"... I'm fine." Adam replied, his eyes still narrowed as he turned away. "Don't bother mentioning that you saw me to my team."
"Adam?" Ren asked, growing concerned. "Whatever is troubling you, you can talk to us. If you just allow us to understand whatever is-"
"You can't understand" Adam looked back at him, glaring. "... No human can." With that, Adam ran off into the night.
/\/\/\/\
The next afternoon, Team (A)JCS was wandering the streets of Vale, searching. They had tried to convince Team RWBY to come along, but Weiss refused and Ruby and Yang seemed sure that Blake and Adam would return. Team JNPR promised to call and let them know if that was the case.
Team (A)JCS had been searching all day, and they had had no luck in finding their leader. Sam didn't appear to feel any negative emotions towards Adam, but Dora seemed somewhat suspicious - however, she did agree that Adam needed to be found. Jenna was simply worried about him, and worried about what would happen when and if they found her partner.
"Excuse me?" Dora tapped the shoulder of an old man as he watched a pair of workers placing a new window in the front of his shop. The man looked back, smiling, and she gave a small grin. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's new to Vale, and I think he might have gotten lost."
"She's good at this." Jemma commented, looking at Sam. Sam chuckled, crossing his arms as he looked at her.
"She should be. She's wanted in three kingdoms, and they haven't caught her yet." He looked up, sighing discontentedly and shaking his head as Jenna stared at him with wide eyes. "But still, we need to hit that last kingdom to complete the set. Vacuo, Vacuo, Vacuo..."
"Uh... Wanted for what?"
"Vandalization of property." Sam replied, and Jenna blinked. "She's a graffiti artist. She's had to lie, sneak, or bust her way out of at least sixteen arrests."
"... Damn." Jenna actually seemed to look at Dora with admiration as she thanked the man and walked back over to her teammates. "So?"
"No sign of him." Dora sighed, shaking her head. Jenna blinked, then her eyes narrowed slightly.
"We have to find him." She insisted, then she sighed and took a deep breath. "If I try something, do you guys promise to not laugh?" Sam and Dora looked at her, raising eyebrows. "Look... All people have their own, distinct scents that Faunus - especially a predator-type Faunus like me - can pick up on. I've spent enough time with Adam to know his scent, and since I'm a canine-type, I might be able to-"
"Track him." Dora realized, her eyes wide. "Do you need something of his, or-?"
"I need a stronger trail." Jenna replied, her eyes narrowed. "I need to find a place he's been to in the last six to nine hours. So, let's think... Where would someone like Adam go to clear his head after what happened, last night?"
/\
Adam stood underneath the docks in Vale, gazing out at the ocean with a frown as the sun set on the horizon. He looked down at Wilt and Blush, frowning, then he looked down at a mask in his hands. Adam sighed and closed his eyes, then looked up with a light glare.
'Maybe this is for the best.' He thought as he raised his mask to his face. 'The White Fang has chosen to become common criminals - thieves. They have become a disgrace - I can see that, now.' He turned and walked off. 'They need to be... Corrected. And my team would have only been a road-block.'
/\
Jenna, Dora, and Sam stood beneath the docks, and Jenna slowly got down on one knee, gazing at a footprint in the sand. Dora looked down at her, frowning.
"Is it..?"
"... It's his." Jenna confirmed, and the two blinked. "It's an hour or so old, so it's still fresh enough to track." Jenna took a deep breath in through her nose. "... Got him." Jenna stood, her ears flicking back. "We need to move."
"Jenna, we're exhausted." Dora protested, and Sam reluctantly nodded. "Maybe we should wait and keep looking for him in the morning."
"Yeah." Sam agreed, frowning at her. "If we find him in the state we're in, what do we do if he's in trouble? We won't be able to help!"
"And what if he is the trouble?" Dora added, glaring. Jenna blinked, then slowly looked away, down at the footprint. A moment passed in silence, then she looked up at them.
"You guys head on back." She smiled lightly. "I'll keep looking. Catch up in the morning, and we'll find Adam together." Sam and Dora blinked, surprised, then Dora frowned.
"Jenna, I'm not comfortable with-"
"It's fine." Jenna turned away, looking off in the direction the footprints led. "No worries... I'm only doing this so I don't lose the scent. That big jerk is going to try an awful lot harder than this to get rid of me, especially after all of that shit he gave me about nit coming to my team about things." She gave a bitter laugh. "What a hypocrite."
/\/\/\/\
Sunday morning wasn't as pleasant on the run as it was when you woke up in a bed at Beacon Academy. That was one of the many decisions Adam came to as he sat on top of a large crane in a shipyard, gazing down at the ground below through the slits of his mask.
He'd managed to get together information on where the White Fang was most likely to strike next from a conversation between drunken sailors he'd overheard, and he knew that - soon - a shipment of Schnee Dust Company Dust would be coming in. So, he had resigned himself to wait.
He'd "borrowed" some clothes (and a duffel bag for his usual clothes) from a local store to help him be less-noticeable. He wore all black - black shoes, black pants, a black shirt, a black jacket with a hood that concealed his hair, and a black scarf that was pulled up over his mouth. His mask covered his eyes.
Adam pulled his scarf down and took a bite from an apple he'd... Acquired... As his eyes narrowed slightly, the man falling into his thoughts. He wondered about his teammates and the others from Beacon. Surely, by now, they had alerted Ozpin and the authorities, and they'd be out looking for him and Blake - who he had not found yet. It was only a matter of time before he'd have to deal with the police, and that would be a whole other mess.
He wasn't very famous, yet. The media never really mentioned him, so the world didn't really know his name. But the authorities did, and once they knew that they were dealing with Adam Taurus, all Hell would break loose. So, no matter what, no one could recognize him until he could deal with the White Fang, find Blake, and get the Hell out of-
Wait...
What was that scent?
He knew it...
Adam set his apple aside and pulled his scarf up over his mouth and nose, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the docks... Then, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?"
Jenna wandered around the docks, frowning slightly as she hugged herself. She paused and looked around, her hair waving in a light wind, then she took a deep breath and sniffed.
"The scent ends..." She announced quietly, then she looked around the shipyard. There were men talking in one area, seeming to be waiting for something, and she slowly started walking again, her eyes scanning for any signs. "Come on, Adam. Where the Hell are you?"
"Hey!" A man shouted, and Jenna looked back, frowning as one of the men walked over to her, his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Faunus?" Jenna blinked, surprised, then uncrossed her arms and drew something from her pocket, holding it out. Her Beacon ID card.
"I'm a student at Beacon." She announced, and the man blinked. "My partner, he's been missing since Friday. I've been tracking him-"
"There ain't anyone around here." The man's eyes narrowed again. "I suggest you get outta here, kid. A Faunus in a place where Dust is gonna be shipped in ain't gonna look good." Jenna blinked, then nodded as her ears flicked back.
"Oh. Thank you, sir." She spoke quietly, then she turned and walked away. The man watched her go, then scoffed and turned away.
Adam stared down at the scene, stunned, then looked away. His eyes were narrowed, then they closed as he sighed quietly, shaking his head.
"Stupid girl..."
Jenna paused once she was out of the men's sight, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Dust, eh?" She asked quietly, looking back. "... Okay, Adam. I'll play your game."
/\
Adam could see Blake, now. She was hiding on top of an old warehouse, a monkey-tailed boy with his arms full of apples talking to her quietly as they waited, just like him. He should have known...
Two bullheads landed, two more circling overhead, and from the two on the ground, men in the uniforms of the White Fang exited and began getting to work. They were stealing the Dust, under the direction of the infamous Roman Torchwick - a human.
This was going too far.
Adam's eyes narrowed, and he crept down to the ground below in silence, getting ready to strike. However, before he could move, Blake darted over and wrapped her blade around Torchwick's throat.
"Nobody move!" She shouted as the men prepared to fire at her, and Adam cursed. She removed her bow, glaring venemously at the men as they were taken aback. "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?!"
"Somebody didn't get the memo." Torchwick smirked deviously. Blake looked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."
"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation!" Blake snapped, and Torchwick blinked. Then, his smirk returned as one of the circling bullheads flew over them and created a powerful wind.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation!" He corrected, then he fired his cane at the ground and sent Blake flying back, firing twice more to chase her off into the maze of storage-containers. "Here, Kitty-Kitty..."
The monkey-Faunus suddenly threw a banana peel down at the thief before jumping down and kicking him in the face, rolling in the ground before standing up and turning to the thief, livid.
"Leave her alone." He demanded, and Adam blinked before his eyes narrowed again, seeing that the boy was now surrounded by armed White Fang soldiers. Torchwick recovered, looking back at the blonde with a smirk.
"You're not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you kid?" He asked, and the blonde looked around at all of the men as they prepared to attack. He suddenly began fighting back, kicking several down before drawing a bo-staff and beginning to take them down.
Torchwick finally had to step in, and the blonde held him off for a short time before Blake stepped in to further support her ally. They fought the thief together for a time, then Torchwick fired at a hanging crate and separated Blake from the blonde. The monkey-Faunus looked up as Torchwick aimed his cane for his head, but-
"HEY!" A voice shouted, and all looked up as Ruby Rose spun her scythe before driving its tip into the roof of the same warehouse that Blake and her friend had been hiding on. Torchwick smirked, looking up at her.
"Oh! Hello, Red! Isn't it a bit past your bedtime?!" He asked, and when Ruby was briefly distracted, he raised his cane and prepared to fire at the girl. However, just before he did, a flash of brown, black, and blue darted over and forced his cane to point straight up with a silver spear. The shot fired, and Torchwick looked at the interloper.
"Huh?" He asked, seeming surprised. The girl looked up, her brown eyes narrowed as she let out a low growl, then she and slashed with her spear, sending the thief flying back and to the ground. Torchwick recovered, his eyes widening as Jenna Elurra stood up straight, holding her spear in a challenge as the blonde boy recovered behind her.
"Jenna?!" Blake asked, coming around the edge of the container and looking at the wolf-Faunus in surprise. "What are you doing here?! Were you with Ruby and-?!"
"I'm looking for my partner." Jenna replied, looking over at her briefly. "Found you, instead. But he can't be too far away." Blake stared at Jenna, stunned, then the wolf-Faunus looked back at Torchwick. "Don't move."
"... Boys." Torchwick spoke up as the White Fang men recovered. "We found her." Jenna blinked, surprised. "You heard Fall. She's to be taken alive."
"What?" Jenna asked, seeming confused. "What are you talking about?" Torchwick raised his cane, and Jenna quickly spun her spear to block the shot. The battle began anew, bullheads firing as Sun and Blake tried to deal with the White Fang, Ruby and her friend - Penny Polendina - joining in as Jenna began trying to deal with Torchwick.
"Rah!" Torchwick swung his cane, Jenna blocking it. She looked up at the thief, her eyes wide.
"The Hell's going on?! Why-?!"
"I'm under orders to take you in." Torchwick announced, and Jenna blinked. "She didn't tell me who you are or why, but hey: I'd rather not get my face melted."
"Fall... Melted..." Jenna spoke the evidence, her eyes narrowed. "Who is she?"
"Your worst nightmare." Torchwick replied, then he backed away and swiped his cane at her feet, sending the girl falling to the ground. Jenna looked up, her eyes wide, as Torchwick aimed his cane at her face. "Nighty-night, mutt."
Jenna collapsed her spear and raised her arms to shield her face, only for someone to dart over and scoop her up bridal-style just before the shot was fired. As the smoke cleared, Jenna blinked, then her body jolted in surprise as her mind processed exactly what had happened.
Someone saved her.
"H-huh?" Jenna looked up, her eyes wide, to see a figure in black holding her. He looked down at her through the slits of a Grimm-mask, and she blinked, stunned. She knew that scent... "Adam."
"The Hell are you doing here?!" He demanded, only to leap aside and dodge another attack, holding his partner to his chest as he looked back at saw Torchwick aiming his cane at them. Slowly, the thief raised an eyebrow.
"What's this? A White Fang mask..." His eyes narrowed. "Okay, kid. You've got one shot to stop playing hero. Play nice, and I won't tell your boss any of this."
"Boss?"
"Banesaw, kid - the old lieutenant. Fall appointed him."
"She doesn't have the authority."
"Oh, great." Roman rolled his eyes. "A loyalist. Your savior ran out on you, kid. Adam Taurus is gone, and you might as well fall back in line with the rest of the mutts... That is, if you want your revolution." Jenna winced as Adam's hold on her tightened. "So, hand over the girl and help us deal with these Hunter brats, and hey - I might be able to convince Mr. Bad-Guy-From-Every-Horror-Movie to get you a promotion."
"Why do you want her?" Adam asked, confused. He didn't see that Jenna's eyes had widened, her skin turning pale as something clicked in her mind.
"I don't want her." Torchwick shrugged, frowning. "But Fall gave me a description of someone she's looking for - brown hair, wolf-Faunus, self-destructive hero-complex. Your little girlfriend there fits the bill."
"She's not my girlfriend!"/"I'm not his girlfriend!" Adam and Jenna shouted together, both of them annoyed. Torchwick rolled his eyes, then gestured with his cane.
"Whatever. Just drop the girl, and this doesn't have to get ugly."
"Fall..." Jenna's eyes narrowed, then widened. "Oh no." Adam looked down at her.
"What?"
"Long story. Let's just say that, if this is the person I'm thinking about, I'm really screwed."
"If it's the person I'm thinking about, you're really screwed." Adam agreed, then he looked up at Torchwick. "... I would never hand over one of my own kind to a human."
"Your funeral, kid." Torchwick announced, shrugging as he smirked and readied to fire. Jenna blinked, then suddenly struggled out of Adam's arms and stood up, her weapon unfolding.
'Ozpin's gonna kill me.' Jenna thought as her world slowed down, the girl coming to stand between Torchwick and Adam, raising her spear out before her. 'But I have to risk it.' The shot went off.
"Jenna?!" Adam asked, his eyes widening behind his mask as his partner seemed to take the attack in his place. The smoke cleared up, and there she was, completely unharmed as she scowled at the thief who had attacked her. Torchwick took a slow step back, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Impossible... That's why-"
"RAH!" Jenna swung her spear and sent Torchwick flying towards the only remaining bullhead on the ground, the thief scrambling inside as it and the only other survivor flew off into the night. The ground was covered in wreckage, bullet-casings, and White Fang men - some alive and some closer to the other end of the spectrum. Jenna lowered her spear, collapsed it, and placed it on her back, and she turned around. "Adam-"
"Stay back." He held his hand out, his eyes narrowed behind his mask. Jenna blinked, surprised, then she frowned as she gazed at him, forlorn.
"... Aren't we supposed to be there for each other, partner?" She asked, and Adam blinked. "You had my back with Cardin twice, and I had your back once... I owe you one, don't I?" She gave a small smile, and she held a hand out. "Come on, Adam. We need to go home."
Adam slowly held a hand out, moving to take hers, then his head turned as he heard sirens in the night. Jenna looked off in the same direction, then looked back at him...
Only to see that he was gone.
/\
Adam ran through the streets of Vale, his eyes narrowed. He'd seen the scene on the docks - cops everywhere while Team RW(B)Y took Blake back, Jenna shouting into a scroll. He didn't have long until-
A clinking sound, and he looked down at the pavement before him. Sitting there was a small, silver sphere with a ticking sound coming from it. Adam blinked, then his eyes widened in disbelief as he turned around to see a silver trigger with a purple button, a thumb ready to push down.
"Dora-"
"Sorry." Pandora Caixa spoke, glaring as Sam and Jenna caught up, and she pressed the trigger. Adam barely dodged as an explosion of blue paint went off, splattering on the walls and instantly freezing due to the ice-dust held within. "Damnit!"
Adam scrambled to his feet and kept running as Dora crammed the trigger back into her duffle-bag, drawing a dagger and shifting it into a pistol as she and the other two continued to give chase. Adam took a deep breath, hearing their footsteps draw closer, then he ducked into an alleyway...
Only to find a dead end.
"Damnit!" Adam cursed, then he looked back as his teammates came into the alleyway. Dora stepped forward, her eyes narrowed, and she blew a handful of wind-Dust, sending a powerful gust of wind at Adam that sent his hood falling back. He tugged his wind-swept scarf, revealing the bottom of his face, then he looked back at his team with a glare.
"Adam, please - talk to us." Jenna pleaded, stepping forward. "You have lived with us for months. You've gained all of our trust, and we're not letting you lose it just yet... You're our leader, and - whether you like it or not - you are our friend, Adam." She sounded like she needed his convincing as much as he needed hers. "So, please - trust us. Tell us what's going on."
"Yeah, man." Sam agreed, nodding. "We're not jumping to any conclusions." Dora crossed her arms, seeming suspicious, then she nodded as well. Adam gazed at the three for a long moment before he sighed, looking away.
"... I used to be a member of the White Fang." Adam admitted, and his team didn't react. "One of the higher-ups, actually." That managed to get a reaction. Dora and Sam's eyes widened, while Jenna simply blinked. "I'd grown to hate humans, having seen how they treated the Faunus. I... Lost some people, among other things, and it only made me hate humans more. Blake and I were partners."
"That's why you're so close." Sam realized, seeming to pull himself from his surprise. Adam nodded in response.
"She was always treated differently in the White Fang, but I didn't really care about what made her different from the rest of us, so I took her in as my student and taught her how to fight... Then, around a year ago, Blake and I were on a mission. During it, Blake seemed to get more and more against all that we were doing. It was wrong - I was planning to let innocent people die just to send a message to our enemies... After the mission went sour and we had to abort, Blake left the White Fang. I went after her, and when she managed to convince me to try and change my ways for the better, we decided to turn our lives around by becoming Hunters."
"Wow." Dora's eyes were wide, as were the other two's. "That's big..." Adam looked down. "... Well, since story time's already started, I guess we should all get some things off our chests while we're at it." Adam looked up at her. What could she have to hide? "Maybe... Maybe it'll help us all trust each other, a bit more." At that, Adam's eyes widened, and Dora slowly smiled. "Because... I want to trust you. And, you should know that you aren't the only person here with a less-than-clean slate... I'm wanted in three out of four kingdoms for vandalism, but that's just because I haven't made it to Vacuo just yet." She gave a light smirk as Jenna and Adam's eyes widened. "I've snuck out of the dorm a total of twenty-three times since we became a team to go to Vale and give some of its nicer walls a makeover."
"... God of Light, Dora." Jenna chuckled, and Adam slowly grinned. Dora giggled, and Sam raised his hand, beaming.
"Me next, me next!"
"Okay." Adam rolled his eyes. "Let's see what little Sammy has to-"
"I once killed a man with my thumb." Sam stated blankly. Adam and Jenna looked at him with disbelief as Dora face-palmed and shook her head. "Kidding, kidding... I only seriously injured him." Adam and Jenna blinked. "Don't ask how, but I was nine, I only used my thumb, and I ended up in Mistral Juvie for two years." Sam gave a sheepish grin. "I'm hyper because I was kept in solitary confinement, and it was a tiny room. Now that I've got the space, I use it constantly." Now that she was the last one left, Jenna looked down, then took a deep breath.
"I grew up outside the kingdoms with my mother, my father, and my brother." She began, and everyone looked at her. "My mother was a Huntress, and my father was a... A researcher, and he was training my brother in the ways of science. I was never as good as them, but I did pick some stuff up..." Jenna looked up. "My mother was killed by Grimm, and my father sort of lost himself. Some years later, he and my brother died, and I... Left." Jenna's eyes shifted away. "I was discovered in the Forest of Forever Fall by a Huntsman called Qrow, and Ozpin invited me to come to Beacon... That's why I'm not exactly social. I guess that I'm just tired of losing people, and I'm angry at the world - and all of that time in the Forest of Forever Fall sort of conditioned me." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Fighting and killing was the only way to survive. And sometimes, when I get angry or scared enough, that old mentality comes back to haunt me."
"Damn." Sam cringed lightly. "How have you not killed that Cardin guy?"
"I actually have a lot of self-control. I have to, with what's at stake." Jenna replied, then she looked at Adam. "Adam, you say you're not one of them anymore... So, I believe you." He looked up. "If I didn't, I would personally call Nora to come and break your legs." Adam's eyes widened at that. "But, we do. So, I suggest that we all try and get used to this whole trusting thing." Jenna gave a small smile as she looked at him. "We're stuck with each other for four years, as long and we don't try to kill each other."
"... We won't last until Tuesday." Dora deadpanned heavily. The other three started laughing, and Adam managed a smile.
'Dumb kids.' He thought to himself, gazing at them as Sam wrapped an arm around Dora's shoulders, the blonde deadpanning as Jenna raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. 'They're young, stupid, and trusting. Two of them are human, one's quirky and secretive - and they're all idiots. But all the same...'
"Come on." Adam turned and started walking away, his teammates noticing. "We have to hurry if we want to be home before curfew." Sam and Dora began following him without much reaction, but Jenna stayed in place for a moment, surprised, before smiling and catching up with her partner. Adam looked down at the short wolf-Faunus as she raised an eyebrow and gave a light smirk.
"... Softy."
"Stalker."
"Edge-Lord."
"Bitch."
"Jerk." Jenna looked forward as Adam rolled his eyes, mildly amused, before seeing Dora and Sam fall into step next to his partner as they exited the alleyway. He gazed at the three for a moment, then he looked forward as well, smiling as he looked up at the moon.
'They're my idiots.'
Well... I know that that was 1,000,000x better than the original. Why?
GENUINE EFFORT! XD
Boy, this one took a while! Does it show?
Anyway, what's new? CRDL's punishment, more character development for Team AJCS, some little bits and pieces of info that are supposed to clue you in that not is all that it seems with some certain parties - am I forgetting anything?
I might be! This chapter's 6,500 words long! XD
Also, I imagine the notes for "Home" playing in that last scene. I don't know why, but I can imagine that, after something like this, this reforming Adam would have to have established at least some sort of connection with his teammates due to their stubborn loyalty. He's warming up to them, slowly but surely.
I only own my OCs. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks! :)