Remember when I hoped that the speed of updates would be increasing here? Yeah, how did that go- oh, it's been like two months. Yep, exams hit me hard, as did the holidays, and, if we're being honest, Project Zomboid.

To those of you who have stuck with this little fic, thank you. It means a lot to me. I spent a lot of time before this chapter more fully fleshing out my plans for this fic going forwards, and I feel really excited to see it unfold. Thanks once again. Now...

On to the show!

/-/

Blake considered herself to be a fairly composed person. She had seen a lot of things in her time. Done a lot of things in her time. None of that mattered as she stared into the screen of her scroll, hand subtly trembling as shadows screamed forth in her mind. Red on white, red eyes on white bone, red slits in white masks, red stains on white snow. Her breaths came faster and faster. She was distantly aware of something clutching at her shoulder, but it might as well have been the cold mist descending in the aftermath of an explosion. It did nothing to take her eyes off of the images in front of her. Her hand squeezed tighter until the scroll shot free and dropped into the grass.

"Blake. Blake!" Yang's voice punctured into her consciousness. "Hey, Blake. Are you good, girl?"

Blake could not steady her breathing, could not do much of anything but shake her head no in response.

Yang stooped to pick up Blake's scroll. Something in Blake vaguely suggested stopping Yang from seeing what'd upset her so, but she was far too busy with her own shadows.

"Oh, shit." For once, even Yang was stunned.

The rest of the teams crowded around Yang, and there were gasps, and exclamations, and probably tears, but Blake didn't see any of them as her breath rose and fell like a jackhammer.

Something slammed into her from behind.

Blake whipped around with a haymaker readied. Her eyes widened, and she narrowly diverted the punch from slamming Ruby in the head. Ruby froze, and her friends quickly went silent.

"B-blake?" Ruby asked, frozen tight against her torso.

Blake's breathing slowed an iota. She blinked once, twice, three times, and tried to recompose herself.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm here." She mumbled

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

How could she sound so worried for- for Blake? The girl clinging to her was concerned about Blake despite the fact that Blake had very nearly punched her in the jaw not five seconds ago.

"Nothing." came the automatic response.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call BS on that one Blake. You don't lash out like that. Something's really messing with you. Is it this?" Yang held up the scroll.

Divert. Divert. "No, no it's nothing. I'm fine."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Blake, if you're going to lie to us so blatantly you might as well just tell us you don't want to talk about it."

"It's fine." She snarled.

That gave all of them pause. They'd never heard her close to real anger, and the tension building up inside her felt almost ready to become tangible.

"Okay, okay, we'll back off." Said Yang.

Weiss shot a sidelong glance at Yang, but held her tongue at Yang's serious frown.

Blake let the tension seep from her body, and leaned into Ruby's hug, wrapping her arms around the Ruby. No more words were spoken- none seemed forthcoming as tears dripped from her eyes like lifeblood from a gouge.

/-/

The trip back to Beacon was short, but it was somber. Yang shot glares Cardin's direction, but there was little real malice behind her gaze- she was merely searching for an outlet to her anxieties. In the wake of such news about the Fang, their feud seemed small and distant. Cardin, for his part, stared blankly into the floorboards, either lost in his own head or afraid of imminent retribution. The aerial transport was filled with an eerie, quiet calm. At the news of the attack, something had shifted among the students on their little expedition. The Fang was growing bolder. From the most egotistical to the most timid, all of the students here had come and signed up to be the protectors of the people.

Yang's best guess was that this had been a distant glimpse of what that might actually mean. A glimpse at a possibility that every Hunter knew well but few wished to face- the possibility that sometimes, they would be forced to take up arms against living, breathing people. A strike in the heart of Vale was a wake-up call of a sort. People had just died, en masse, inside the walls of the kingdom. The White Fang would find little sympathy in the coming days, but to Yang that wasn't much reassurance. The Faunus in the city would suffer because of the hatred stirred by this strike, and whether or not the White Fang survived, there would be no bringing back the innocent civilians dead at the dockyards.

They all wanted to be the hero saving the village from the storybook monster.

Being a Hunter wasn't always that simple.

There were worse things than the Grimm out there.

Yang bit back a snarl, and pushed that damnable face from her mind. She'd barely weaseled her way out of Junior's without an arrest warrant in the first place. Either nobody in Vale knew where her deadbeat of a biological mother was, or they weren't willing to talk. Maybe that was for the best. Clearly the woman didn't give a damn about her family- the brother, husband, and child that she'd left behind. Maybe they'd meet some day, and Yang would have words, but Yang was done searching for leads. All it had gotten her was more pointless questions, a narrowly dodged prison cell, and the near-death experience where she almost took Ruby down with her.

Besides, she wasn't important right now. Clenching and unclenching her left fist, she drew her scroll with her right hand and looked at the images on the screen. The dock in flames, too many body bags on bloodstained concrete, and the embers of fading flames. She paused when she reached one image in particular- the one that had made Blake lose all her careful composure in an instant.

It was a grainy, high zoom image, taken from a far off security camera. She could make out a man in a proper black suit with an elegant white mask. Angry red crisscrossed the surface, matching a fiery mane, thick maroon horns, and a shimmering ruby blade.

Now, just who the hell are you? Yang wondered.

/-/

Blake's little meltdown had occurred about four days ago now, and Weiss was beginning to wonder if they would ever address it. Their first semester at Beacon was well underway, and much of their "new team" awkwardness had fallen away. Indeed, whenever they stayed a comfortable distance from the topic of the White Fang, Blake seemed to be improving. Facade falling, she would laugh and eat and joke with the rest of them.

But the moment, the moment the White Fang came up, all of that would go out the window. Blake would clam up instantly, make a hasty excuse, and exit. Weiss didn't know if the girl actually thought she was being sneaky with the avoidance, but even Jaune had learned to stay away from the topic around her- which was saying something, considering how doggedly the idiot still pursued Weiss herself despite her numerous (often direct and public) rejections.

It was Sunday, and since Weiss had persuaded everyone to finish their homework early, they were spending it down in Vale. Things were, for the most part, calm. They made idle chatter, discussing where to go next, the midterms, and the upcoming Vytal Festival. It was still some months off, during the next semester in fact, but construction for the event was already underway on the Beacon grounds. The half-finished buildings were hard to miss, and they got people talking. Ruby and Yang were eager to try their hands against students from other kingdoms, and Weiss could admit to a little curiosity of her own.

"What teams are you most excited about fighting, Rubes?"

"Oh, Atlas for sure! have you even seen all the crazy new weapons they put together up there?!"

"Eh, I'll take your word for it. Personally, I'm more interested in Vacuo. I hear that desert living makes you tougher. I wanna box somebody who stands a chance."

Weiss smirked. "Don't get too confident. Need I remind you that you still have to fight Pyrrha."

Yang placed a hand over her heart. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The match is today, ice queen. Get off my case."

"So that muttering to yourself about making a terrible mistake challenging Pyrrha was merely coincidental?"

"I didn't say that! Rubes, back me up here."

Ruby beamed, and wrapped her sister in a hug. "Aw, Yang! are you learning to be cautious around a strong opponent? I'm so proud of you!"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Yang pouted.

"What?" Ruby asked, pinching Yang's cheek. "Am I not allowed to be proud of my little Yang growing up?"

"Cut it out, you weirdo!" Yang protested, swatting Ruby's hand away.

Blake smiled and rolled her eyes at the display. "You two are a disaster."

"Yeah, but we're your disaster, kitty-cat, so you're just gonna have to put up with it." Yang turned to Blake with a grin- then a wink.

Blake turned away, and Weiss pretended not to notice her blush.

Weiss decided to rein things in before they forgot their purpose entirely. "Ruby, weren't we going somewhere?"

Ruby's face lit up. "Oh, yeah! To the weapons store!"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "The weapons store? I thought you and Crescent Rose were attached at the hip."

Ruby clutched the haft of the weapon reflexively. "I'd never replace Crescent Rose! Even this beauty needs to be cleaned every once in a while."

Blake snorted. "Once in a while? I think the longest that thing's gone without being cleaned is twelve hours."

"Yes, and it was a truly dreadful occasion that I'm still making up for."

Weiss couldn't tell if she was serious or not.

Blake relented. "Alright, fearless leader. Onwards."

Ruby pumped her fist and broke into a sprint. Yang matched a moment later, and Blake and Weiss turned to each other. Blake shrugged, and set off after them, leaping into the air and then off a wooden crate to close distance. Weiss looked at her high heels, and hesitated. Then she smiled, and bolted after them.

/-/

Blake had never been inside a store like this- not as a customer, at least. Once or twice the Fang had tried to raid Hunter-grade weapon stores, but it had never been common practice. The weapons in supply were often highly specialized and required extensive training for effective use- not to mention that such raids always ran the risk of running into the Hunters who shopped there. Blake's own weapons were designed by Ilia.

Ilia...

Nope. Today had been a good day. No need to taint it with those memories.

It was amusing to watch Ruby in a place like this. She zipped around from display to display. Blake considered herself well versed in weaponry. Before she'd had Gambol Shroud, they'd used whatever weapons were available to them, and even since then there'd been times when circumstances forced her to use other weapons. If it was a standard-issue Atlas weapon from the last decade, she'd probably fired it.

Ruby's knowledge put her to shame.

Blake had known that Ruby was a weapons engineer, but knowing and seeing were two different things. Weapons engineering classes were mandatory for students in the academies, but Ruby had taken up weaponsmithing as a craft since Signal. Her own weapons were well-made- Blake had no idea how Ilia had managed to make all the mechanical parts work so seamlessly- but Crescent Rose was something else. It was massive, shifted forms on a dime, and fired ridiculous caliber rounds, but still simultaneously maintained manageable recoil and reasonable carry weight.

Ruby was throwing around terms Blake technically understood- moving from muzzle brakes, to gas systems, to bolt carrier groups- but at such a blistering pace that she was left in the dust by the explanations. It was a bit overwhelming, but Blake endured it happily, because it was a chance to see Ruby fully engrossed in something she was passionate about- the kind of hobby and fascination that Blake hoped to find for herself one day.

Even if you don't deserve it.

Blake forced down the whispers.

"Ah, here we are!" Ruby squeaked.

She hefted up an apparatus that Blake could only guess was supposed to launch some kind of projectile.

"What is that?" She asked.

"It's a set of heat-resistant superconductive rails!"

"Why?"

Ruby's smile fell, and she secreted the device behind her back.

"No reason. Just thought it was cool."

Blake raised an eyebrow, then waved it off. "None of my business then."

Ruby tried and failed to hide her sigh of relief. Blake smirked to herself.

She wanted to keep this. This feeling, these moments. Of simple pleasures, friendships without strings attached, without bloodstained foundations. A life where she could do better than she had. She hadn't stopped caring about equality for her people, but wanton slaughter would never bring true peace. A group that persisted off of hatred and violence towards some "other" would never last long even if they emerged from war victorious- they would turn on each other, requiring an out-group to define themselves against.

She wanted to watch Ruby nerd out about weapons, lose herself in a project, and dash around in her mad glee. To see her reflection in Weiss, learn about the woman behind the straw man, and perhaps make change with words. To endure Yang's stupid jokes, and go to her for advice, and feel wanted. Most of all she wanted to stop running, and that was what scared her most.

If she stopped running, her past would have to catch up to her.

She pulled out her scroll and examined the picture again. Grainy, distant, but still very much undeniable. Adam was in Vale. She shouldn't have been surprised- that was always part of the plan. Still, she had vainly hoped that perhaps Adam would just leave, go somewhere else, or perhaps even go home and hang up his sword. She should have known better. Adam hadn't started out as a monster, but more and more, as time went on, she found herself among the last voices that ever advocated mercy when his temper ran hot. He could not let a traitor walk free, much less one that had been so close to him. To him, it was a black mark on his record, the penultimate slight.

He would come for her, one way or another. That battle would only end in sorrow. The very concept terrified her- Adam was single minded in his focus on training and violence- a man unafraid to fight dirty, and a monster in single combat. The massive Atlesian reward posted for his head was not an exaggeration, but a warranted warning. Hunters were the only foes they'd ever faced that could hold up to him in a fair fight, and Adam didn't take fair fights. She very much doubted she could beat him, especially alone. Then there was the matter of the aftermath. If Adam were bested, he would not come into custody willingly. He would fight to the last. She might have to kill him.

Blake didn't know if she could.

It was ironic, she supposed. There was no small amount of blood on her hands already, and Adam was little better than a monster in her mind now, but her stomach still turned at the idea of killing him. It didn't make any logical sense, but there it was. And for what? Because back when they'd first fled home, she thought they'd had something like love? She looked back and wondered how she had been so stupid. To let herself ignore and downplay the scale and cost of what they were doing.

What she was doing.

Always with the uplifting thoughts, huh Blake.

"Blake!" A hand clapped onto her shoulder.

Blake jumped, pocketing her scroll and spinning to face the assailant.

Yang stood in front of her with a goofy grin.

"You ok? You got that moody look on your face again."

"What moody look?"

Yang pointed to her face and shifted into a flat, blank stare. "That one. The one that says 'Oh, woe is me, I am so stupid and bad and I don't deserve to be happy so I must hide all my emotions behind a mask.'"

Blake snorted.

Yang's grin widened. "Careful there girlie. You keep almost laughing and I might start thinking you actually like me."

A snicker escaped Blake's mouth.

Yang pointed back over her shoulder. "Come on. Rubes found what she wanted, and she's checking out her stuff, including the magnetic rails she thinks she hid from me."

Blake smiled, and followed the blonde over to the rest of their team. The shadows inched away from the warmth growing in her heart.

/-/

If the arena had been packed when Ruby battled Cardin, it was overflowing when Yang faced Pyrrha. For as conclusive as Ruby's victory over Cardin had been, Yang and Pyrrha had both stomped every opponent to cross their path. They were undefeated in singles matches, and both a force to be reckoned with. Pyrrha had a reputation as the invincible girl- undefeated in singles matches for years on end. She was fast, agile, and ever blow she struck was debilitating. Yang, on the other hand, crushed opponents with unstoppable force. Her aura reserves were massive, and her personality, style, weapons, and semblance all made her an absolutely terrifying close range opponent. Added to her own speed and the mobility provided by Ember Celica, she had options to close the distance and pummel anything opposing her into dust with overwhelming power.

Pyrrha flicked Miló through its forms one last time before returning it to xiphos form. She smiled as she stepped forward into the arena. For once, this was a fight that truly excited her. She'd found herself feeling that way more often since arriving at Beacon- or more specifically, since she started facing team RWBY. The thrill of that first match still hadn't subsided- she'd been pushed to the limit, and actually lost. She had found a true challenge, not only in skilled opponents, but a fighting arena where the deck wasn't stacked in her favor. She had to rely on her own skill and intelligence to get the better of RWBY, for though they were weaker than her individually, they fought as a more cohesive unit than JNPR. Her skills were actually improving again, rather than stagnantly plateauing.

So when the invincible girl faced the dragon, she beamed as she slipped into a practiced, even defensive stance.

The crowd around her faded to a dull distant buzz. She'd long since become used to tuning out the audience. Her eyes remained on Yang as her hearing waited for the go-ahead from Doctor Oobleck. The brawler had settled back into a much more reserved stance than normal, her guard solid as she stood frozen. Pyrrha met Yang's eyes for a moment, and the blonde stuck out her tongue and winked. Pyrrha's grin grew just a fraction wider.

"Alright. Both students are ready. Let the battle commence!" Oobleck shouted.

In the first heartbeat, Yang's arms rocketed backwards. She was preparing to launch herself. Pyrrha flicked the switch to morph Miló into javelin form. In the second heartbeat, Yang adjusted her footing to lunge forward. Miló was gripped tightly at the proper angle, but the weapon was only half extended. In the third heartbeat, Yang's gauntlets fired, and she soared forwards like a comet, one fist outstretched with another pulled back for a haymaker. Miló's blade clicked into place, and the slightest shift to the right brought it to bear, causing Yang's chest to slam against the point.

The blow was heavy, but Yang paid it no mind. Her outstretched arm sailed past Pyrrha's head, but her chambered punch rocketed for Pyrrha's breast, grazing Akoúo̱'s edge and smashing into her chestplate. Yang wasted no time recovering, landing on her feet and immediately rushing forward to get inside Pyrrha's guard. She grabbed Miló's haft and forced the weapon out of position with one hand, then came in for a second punch with the other. Pyrrha raised her shield as quickly as possible and sent the fist and accompanying shell sailing just over her shoulder instead of into her sternum.

Yang had seized the momentum early, but Pyrrha wasn't content to let her pull ahead. Before Yang could pull her arm back for another punch, Pyrrha bashed Akoúo̱ into the girl's ribcage at full force. The force was barely enough to make Yang stumble, but it was enough for Pyrrha to step back and flick Miló back into a spear. Yang had proven that the reach of the blade wouldn't stop her on its own, so Pyrrha had to get creative. Instead of a defensive stance or charging thrust, she swept her weapon in an arc. Surely not what it was designed for, and rather unwieldy, but the unconventional attack grazed Yang's torso and forced her back further. In that moment, Pyrrha swapped her weapon once more, into rifle form. Yang saw the opening and a vicious grin lit up her face. As Yang launched forwards once more, Pyrrha flicked another switch and fired a gravity dust round from Miló, launching herself out of Yang's path. It bought her the distance she needed to capitalize on the range advantage, but also pushed her right up to the arena wall.

Pyrrha's window of opportunity would be narrow. She leveled her gun and snapped off three shots as Yang turned towards her, hitting center mass twice and the right arm once. Yang's aura began to flicker. Pyrrha was already moving as Yang charged forward like a rhino. Another hasty rifle round struck Yang's chest, but a shotgun shell struck Pyrrha's midsection, and another clipped her knee. Pyrrha stumbled and fell to the ground, rolling over immediately to find Yang raising a fist to slam her into the floor. Pyrrha's eyes went wide. Yang's fist rocketed down, closing on Pyrrha's heart. Akoúo̱ came up just in time, diverting the massive blow into a hefty graze. Pyrrha fired another Gravity round, sending herself skittering across the cobblestone floor. The uneven surface bled off her momentum quickly, but it bought her more room to breathe. She hammered the trigger of Miló, striking Yang over and over, at least seven times, but the brawler force her way through the hail of fire. Her hair began to glow with golden fire, and eyes shifted to a deep crimson.

Miló melded back into a shortsword as Yang advanced towards Pyrrha Nikos.

Yang closed with a left hook, and Pyrrha dodged backwards, but the miss was followed by a spinning kick towards her gut. Pyrrha stumbled backwards to avoid the blow, and then saw Yang's right arm sailing towards her head. With a shift of the fingers, for the first time in years, Pyrrrha Nikos used her semblance on an opponent in battle.

Yang's punch was diverted by an invisible pull on Ember Celica, passing just millimeters from Pyrrha's right ear.

With that, Pyrrha drove her sword upwards at an angle, plunging into Yang's chest, and with that, the horn sounded.

Pyrrha Nikos had won again.

Pyrrha fought the urge to let out a beaming smile. Yang steadied her footing, caught her breath, and then stared at Pyrrha. Yang broke out into a toothy grin. "I guess you're not so invincible, huh girly?"

Pyrrha couldn't hide a grin. "I beat you."

Yang tilted her head as her face went neutral.. "You got lucky. Next time, I'm gonna kick your ass."

Yang couldn't hold the facade for long, and soon broke down into bellowing laughter. With that, Pyrrha let the dam burst and found herself shaking with laughter- and a bit of leftover adrenaline, were she being honest. She felt so free that she stepped forwards and wrapped Yang in a gentle hug. The blonde wore a look of shock for a moment, then wrapped her arms around Pyrrha and squeezed. Pyrrha complained through giggles. "Stop! You're going to break my back!"

"That's the goal, sis. Somebody's gotta get you back for ruining my winning streak."

Pyrrha weakly slapped Yang's shoulder. Yang finally released her from the bear hug, and turned to the audience with a theatric bow. Pyrrha followed suit for the hell of it. The crowd let out a cheer, and the two made their way to the doors to reunite with their teams.

/-/

Weiss smiled as she shook her head at Yang, The girl had lost the fight, and yet she seemed to barely care. She beamed as she embraced Pyrrha, and the two fired banter at each other as they talked to the rest of the group. Though Yang had lost, Weiss was surprised to find she wasn't very upset. In fact, on further reflection, she felt energized. Amused, and motivated to improve her own skills. She hadn't forgotten how quickly Pyrrha had dismantled her carefully honed style, and it still irked her. She wanted to try again, and also try her hand against the rest of JNPR. She wondered if-

"Hey, Jaune, I have an idea!" called Ruby.

Weiss watched as the two stepped back. "Yeah Ruby?"

"You remember our first group fight, right?"

"Hard to forget it. I knocked out Yang." Jaune jested.

"Lucky shot, vomit boy!" the girl called.

"Yeah, well seeing Yang and Pyrrha just now gave me an idea. What if we started sparring against each other more? Like, on a schedule or something."

"...you know, I kinda like that idea. I had a lot of fun the first time, and the practice can't hurt. I might be able to stab a little Grimm or two, but I've still got some catching up to do if I want to match your skills."

Ruby blushed. "You're getting better!"

Jaune waved it off. "I appreciate the compliment, but I still haven't won a single spar. I need to step up my game."

"Or, you might just need a trick up your sleeve." Ruby coyly insinuated.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss interjected.

Ruby jolted and turned to face Weiss in a heartbeat. "Nothing!"

"Hmm. How odd. It sounded like you were planning something devious."

"Nope! Completely innocent, above board activities!"

"Hmmph. Well, I'll leave you to it, but if this comes back to bite me, I'll make sure to levitate all of your snacks just out of reach for a day."

"You wouldn't!" Ruby gasped.

"If you don't want to see my wrath, don't test my ire." Weiss quipped.

"Hey! Jaune!" Ruby shouted to the boy fidgeting right beside her. "On the topic of changing the subject, sparring practice! How does Saturday sound? We could have practice every weekend! It'd help everyone learn each other's styles and how to fight against varied opponents."

"Sounds cool to me. I'll ask the rest of the team about it tonight."

"Awesome! Alright, this was super fun, but I've gotta go make battleplans now. See you Jaune!"

Jaune waved, and Ruby shot off in a crimson bolt. The rest of the team made their excuses and then followed back towards the dorm. Weiss drew a pen from a pocket and twirled it around between her fingers as she began to brainstorm.

/-/

Adam Taurus was tired of brainstorming. He sat behind a desk in a small room in one of several safehouses, polishing the blade of his crimson sword. A water cooler bubbled in the corner, with a blank whiteboard in the center of the wall opposite him. As the man often had, he reflected on his past and purpose as he cleaned his blade to a gleaming ruby red. The Vale Branch of the White Fang had accepted his authority without much complaint, but now people were beginning to grumble. Adam couldn't help but agree with their complaints. The White Fang had been sent running around the city, holding up Dust stores. These fighters were volunteers, and they had signed up to combat oppression, not rob businesses like common thugs.

Adam knew the truth of the matter, the greater purpose behind their campaign, but kept that information close to his chest. It was imperative that the strike they were preparing for went off without a hitch. They could not afford for Vale to find out about Mountain Glenn, and not all of the Fang's members were truly committed to the cause. Some might have found their nerve faltering if they knew what was truly in store, and so Adam had kept the knowledge of Cinder's true plan to a chosen inner circle. At the head of those Faunus he had deemed loyal was a man who called himself Banesaw. Adam thought the title pretentious, but the man was a proficient fighter and had been one of the cell's leaders before Adam's arrival.

Some of those old leaders had taken offense to Adam's new rule, but through his righteous fury and official support from Sienna Khan, they had bent the knee in the end. Banesaw had been amongst the first, and was vocal in his desire for more decisive action against the state, which made him Adam's first choice to lead an aggressive, likely one-way, mission into the ruins outside the city. Banesaw would lead the expedition to Mountain Glenn.

But that was in the future. For now, the Fang still needed much more Dust, and Adam had not forgotten the interference of that inscrutable Cinder Fall. To even call them allies of convenience was generous. The woman emanated an aura of superiority. Her attitude made it obvious that she always thought she was two steps ahead of you, and Adam had asked himself more than once if working with her was truly a good idea. A breach into Vale would serve the purposes of the Fang, but Adam couldn't discern what such would do for Cinder. She didn't strike him as an anarchist, nihilist, or rebel- her motivations seemed personal, bereft of ideology and care for the grand causes of others. So what did this strange, powerful human and her two lackeys have to gain from the White Fang breaching the kingdom's defenses?

Adam took a pen and sticky note from the desktop, and wrote quickly, in blocky text, "CINDER'S MOTIVATION?". With that, he drew a knife from the brace on the table and pinned the note to the corner of the map laid out before him. As he finished cleansing his weapon, he sheathed it, and examined the layout of the warehouse where their next big strike was planned, in just a few days. To ask the Fang to strike at the docks again, so soon after the last attack, was a risky venture, no less so because Adam couldn't be present for the mission. There was a much more public incident planned as a diversion, and Adam was to be a key part of it. His men would be told to defer to Banesaw, and that pompous, self-aggrandizing idiot Roman.

Adam was not a squeamish man, but he found himself facing doubts. Not for his purpose- never for his purpose- but rather, doubts of those around him. Cinder obviously couldn't be trusted, and Adam half expected her to stab him in the back any moment. She'd do it if she thought it would help her. Roman was only an ally because he feared Cinder, and not the most useful one at that. He could fight well, but tended to avoid direct conflict like the plague, and he didn't have the number nor quality of men needed for an undertaking such as this.

Even the Fang at his side. Banesaw was good, and his followers were faithful, but many were untrained, and ill equipped. They had not been hardened by battles against Atlas- they were poorly supplied, ill-disciplined, and mostly new to war. The coming days would see many of them break under pressure.

Adam let out a low growl as he brushed a hand through his fiery mane. The situation was tenuous, but it would have to do. He would work with the situation he was given. He would whip the Fang into shape, keep Roman close and Cinder closer. He would face whatever challenges arose so long as he could bring righteous justice to the human oppressors.

Adam reviewed the files for the upcoming missions once more. He found little to revise- he had already pored over the plan half a dozen times. The smaller map of downtown Vale had been annotated with red marker, and behind the map were pictures from all around Schnee Square- just outside the Vale stock exchange.

Adam smiled.

/-/

This time, Adam isn't content to wait around in Vale. This one took me a while to write and edit, but I'm hoping to get into a more stable writing groove. What are your thoughts?