Adam Taurus was not happy. Then again, he rarely was. At the moment, however, his anger, no, his seething hatred could be blamed upon and directed towards a singular person in the room: That bitch.

No one in the White Fang knew who she was, but one day she just strolled in, killed a few Fang, then demanded that they bend to her will, and as much as Adam would've liked to gut her right then and there, he was being tied down by his leaders. He could almost understand their desire to not only have her aboard, but to give her a say in the White Fang's operations; She was strong (the safehouse's foyer had a bout a dozen charred corpses to attest to that), she clearly had brains, and most importantly, she had connections. Roman Torchwick, namely. When she'd brought that cocky, arrogant asshole to their safehouse, Adam had nearly gutted that bastard. Then, they started making demands. They needed men, weapons, mountains of Dust, a fucking train .

Worse still, they got results. People started to pay up more often, their protests drew more followers, their meetings had more recruits than ever before, and they broke into Vale . It was incredible, it was awe-inspiring. They'd accomplished their goal of breaking Vale open, and the only thing that kept their plan from going too well were the Hunters. They'd proved that Vale was vulnerable. Of course, the White Fang hadn't taken credit for that, that would've driven people away from them. No, instead they offered to repair and protect the affected Faunus-owned homes and businesses for a low price and the promise of loyalty. That had gotten lots of goodwill and more than a few recruits.

Did they benefit the White Fang? Yes, even Adam would begrudgingly admit that. However, that did not change what he hated most about them: they were human. The hand that would pull the White Fang up was the same hand that would push the Faunus down. They spoke as if they knew the oppression his people had and continued to face, and it sickened him that his fellow Fang would listen to them.

Andre, the Lieutenant who was still mocked for failing to kill that Schnee girl, was pointing at the map laid out before them. It was marked with lines and crosses noting districts, police patrols, Fang presence, and planned hits. "Operations to secure the Slums have gone mostly unchallenged. There was a shootout in the commercial district, but Buck's team made it out with most of the dust, and only one injury."

"Cops seem to be missing a lot more often, lately," Roman remarked arrogantly, his cigar hanging loosely from his lips, "I wonder why that is."

Adam saw his smirk and had to fight to keep his hand from drawing his sword. How desperately he wanted to cut that smirk off his face. Paying off so many cops made a decent dent in their finances, but it was beyond worth the price now that so few were dying in robberies. Still, it didn't feel right to Adam, it didn't feel properly earned. They needed that resistance from cops, they needed the fight. It was what united them, and it was what pushed them to be stronger.

Andre grunted. "No doubt thanks to you, Torchwick."

Adam scowled openly, now. Andre had been such a brown-noser the moment those humans started staking their claim. No wonder he'd failed to kill the girl, he was soft. Adam had no doubt that he could cut him in two right here, and the bitch probably wouldn't care. The local White Fang cell leader, a wolf Faunus by the name of Abraham, even looked at Andre with disgust. "Cinder," Abraham rumbled as he stroked his long, greying beard, "We're going to need a lot of people if this plan is going to work, and there's no way of knowing if we'll even be able to make it out alive."

Cinder nodded. "Yes, lives will surely be lost," her tone was languid and seductive, but it felt a little off when it came out of her, like it wasn't right for her face, "But sacrifice is necessary. The plan will succeed, and they will think it failed. The foothold you will establish will give us enough breathing room to make bigger moves in Vale and beyond."

Adam growled, "And what of the hundreds of Faunus that will die?"

Abraham shot a look at him. "They die to pave the way for our future, Bull."

"Bull?" Adam sneered, "Perhaps you should call me dog, seeing as that is how you treat me. I have—"

"Fine then, dog," Abraham growled, "Now, heel."

Adam felt a fire in him. His hand shot to the handle of Wilt, and he stepped into a ready stance.

Abraham stood, his huge, muscular arms crossed before him. His long, sharp teeth were bared and his tall lupine ears stood straight up. "You are only here for your tactical input, Adam. You are not here to challenge me, and you are not here for any kind of greater strategic or social input. You do not plan, you execute."

Abraham leaned forward until he was well within Adam's space.

"You are a boy. A dedicated boy, I will grant, but you are a boy. You are rash, crude, and you are a fool." He stood back up and gave Adam a disgusted sneer, "No wonder you drove that traitorous girl away."

Adam roared and charged forward, Wilt exploding from Blush. The room was silent in that moment, save for Andre who shouted and tried to reach forward and save his leader, only to find the action futile. Abraham stood tall, holding Wilt by its red blade in one hand. Blood ran down his arm, but he didn't seem particularly bothered by that.

Abraham's other hand shot forward and grabbed Adam by the neck, hoisting him into the air and forcing him to drop his sword. Adam's legs kicked as he sputtered for air and clawed at Abraham's hand. "You will remember this, dog, as the last time you ever uttered a single word of disrespect in my presence."

Abraham dropped Wilt and drove his fist into Adam's gut before dropping him. Adam fell to the ground with a restrained cry and gasped for air as his arms cradled his stomach.

"This will not happen again. If it does, the rest of your life will be short and tortured. Andre," Abraham turned to his lieutenant, "Take the dog for a walk."

Andre nodded and picked Adam's weapon up off the ground, then dragged its wielder out of the room by the collar.

Adam could barely see past the blinding pain in his gut, and he only half-registered the fact that he was being dragged along the safehouse's hard concrete floor. He heard the creak of a heavy metal door opening, then felt himself flying through the air and landing on cold, wet pavement. Wilt hit the ground next to him. It was raining in Vale, and Adam could feel every drop soaking his outfit. The pain was beginning to fade, and he pushed himself up on his knees.

He was in an alleyway deep in the heart of the Faunus ghettos, or the Slums, as the Fang called them. It reeked, the air was thick with the scent of wet trash, and it made Adam wish that he had simply been knocked unconscious. He reached over, the straining muscles of his abdomen flaring up in pain as he picked up his sword and slowly sheathed it.

Adam had to fight the urge to vomit as he stood and began shambling out of the alleyway. Why did being reminded of Blake still send him into a rage? It had been so long since the betrayal, why couldn't he get away from her? Probably because everyone mocked him for it. Even more than a year after it happened, he could still hear the other members of the White Fang jeering at him behind his back. He was pathetic, and it was all her fault. She was the one who abandoned him when he needed her the most! She ruined him.

He didn't realize he'd walked himself to the nearest bar, The Mouse Trap. Dust, what a stupid name, just seeing it made him want to risk being berated by Abraham again. He pushed the pitted, ugly wooden door and begrudgingly entered the establishment. As soon as he walked in, he was punched by the acrid scent of alcohol, vomit, a hint of blood, and the general stink of the bar's patrons. He remembered taking Blake to a place like this, albeit a nicer one, and how she'd immediately crinkled her nose in disgust. She'd always been arrogant like that.

Adam walked to the bar and sat on the dingy, ripped leather stool. He flagged the bartender, who gave him a curious look.

"ID?" The bartender requested.

Adam growled and leaned forward, clutching the shirt of the bartender, "If you don't give me a drink I will cut you in two."

The bartender raised his hands in acquiescence, "Fine, fine," under his breath, he added, "Not like I hear that one every week."

Adam never was much of a drinker, but now seemed like a good a time as any to start. He didn't know the name of the drink he'd been given, all he knew was that it was strong, and didn't sit pleasantly on his tongue. He drank it anyways.

Before long, he was floating on the sea of conversation that the bar patrons provided. He could feel his senses dulling, and the edges of the bar blurred. He had just enough sense left to realize that he should probably stop, but he didn't. The bartender kept putting drinks out, and he kept drinking. Perhaps he was trying to kill him. Adam laughed to himself, it would probably take more than alcohol.

Adam must have drunk too much, because he didn't even register that he'd been thrown out of the bar at some point, and he was surrounded by large, angry Faunus. They shouted at him, their voices pounding against his addled brain. They were saying something about money, but Adam couldn't decipher it for the life of him. There was clearly a problem, though, and he knew how to solve problems.

The rasp of Wilt being pulled from Blush filled the air. The people accosting him didn't seem to care much, though, and one even laughed at what must have been a very clearly drunken fighting stance.

"Look, kid," One of them, a hyena Faunus, judging by the wiry hair and spotty face marks, "You don't have to get yourself killed, tonight. Just cough up the Lien you racked up at the bar."

Adam tried to say something in response, but the words came out wrong and trailed off.

One of the men spoke around long, intimidating tusks. "Let's just get this over with, Travis, doesn't even look like he'd feel it like this."

The hyena Faunus, Travis, sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, kid," he cracked his knuckles, "But ya gotta pay somehow."

A fist came crashing out of nowhere into Adam's face. He recoiled and twisted with the punch's recoil, slashing Wilt outwards in the process. A couple of the men around him stepped back upon seeing the red sword, but none of them ran.

A kick came from behind, striking Adam behind the knee and forcing him to kneel. Almost blindly, he slashed upwards, feeling a little satisfaction when he felt the blade encounter some resistance. Looking up, Adam saw the he'd cut a long, red line up the torso of the tusked Faunus.

Another kick landed solidly on his side, forcing him to the ground. He tried to roll with the impact, but his inebriated body could barely comply with his instincts, leaving him sprawled across the pavement. A boot crashed into his ribs, and he felt one of them crack. His Aura was barely there, what with him being significantly intoxicated. He rolled away and got to his hands and knees.

Once more, a kick came, but Adam was able to get away just before it could land. He staggered to his feet and slashed out in a wide, horizontal arc. It didn't hit anyone, but it gave him some space to work with. He could see now that there were four Faunus before him, and the one he'd slashed earlier was leaning against a wall and clutching his bleeding wound. The Faunus before him were armed with various blunt objects; a crude club, a long metal quarterstaff that was really just a stick of rebar, a chain with a block of concrete on the end, and a stick with a bunch of nails sticking out of it. The weapons' wielders seemed to be, respectively, a lanky rat Faunus, a cougar Faunus, a hulking bear Faunus, and Travis.

The cougar charged at him first, thrusting his staff outward. Adam had sobered up just enough to be able to pivot himself away from the staff, but he wasn't cognizant enough to remember that he was fighting more than one person. The rat came up from behind him and slammed her wooden club, which Adam suspected was just a chair leg, into Adam's back, causing him to roar in pain. He kept himself from staggering, however, and dashed backwards, barging directly into the rat Faunus behind him. She cried out as she impacted the concrete pavement, and Adam kept her down with a swift stomp to the tibia, which easily gave out and snapped, causing her to scream louder.

Adam smirked, only to receive a rather painful poke in the gut from the rebar staff. He coughed and doubled over as bile threatened to erupt from his throat, but he managed to keep it down. As swiftly as his addled form would allow, his hand gripped the staff and yanked it towards him. The cougar tripped and fell forwards, and Adam thrusted Wilt towards his chest. He didn't quite pierce the cougar's heart, but he managed to get the blade through his shoulder.

The Faunus cried out and dropped the staff, falling to the ground as he clutched his shoulder. The satisfaction in Adam was ruined as something huge and heavy slammed into his side, sending him a few feet into the air. Adam crashed through the glass of an abandoned storefront, causing a few Faunus squatters to scramble and run from the building. He felt the jagged shards of glass slice and dig into his skin, but he managed to get back to his feet in time to watch the bear Faunus step through the broken window along with Travis. They both held expressions of unmasked rage.

Adam felt the telltale tingle of his Aura trying to repair the various cuts and internal injuries he had, but it was still weak due to his lingering drunkenness. He back-stepped, avoiding the wide swing of the bear's makeshift flail, which crashed spectacularly through the rotten wood wall of the building. Travis charged forward and swung his spiked club at Adam, but he ducked under the stick just in time. Adam thrust his palm out, solidly striking Travis in the gut. Travis let out a high-pitched wail, and barely managed to keep a hold on his weapon.

Adam raised Wilt, ready to execute the idiot who'd try to hurt him, but a chain lashed against his hand, knocking the blade free. Travis bolted forwards, tackling Adam and sending them both to the ground with Adam straddled beneath him. His fists crashed into Adam's face once, twice, four times before Adam was able to fight back. Blood flowed freely from Adam's broken nose and split lip, but he slammed his head forward into his assailant anyways. He felt his horns against the hyena's skull, and he heard his mask crack and split.

The two halves of the bone white mask fell to the floor, revealing one striking blue eye and one red, ugly brand that ruined his other eye. Travis scrambled backwards and held his head, groaning. Adam took the short break offered to pick Wilt back up off the ground, but was interrupted just as he took hold of it again.

One large, beefy hand snatched Adam by his red hair and hoisted him up to his knees. The pain in his scalp was blinding, and he cried out, only to be silenced as a chain wrapped around his throat and constricted his windpipe.

Had the bear Faunus been given an extra second of time, he would've been able to easily tighten the chain's hold on his neck, crushing Adam's windpipe and probably breaking his neck, but Adam managed to launch himself backwards, giving the chains around his neck a little slack as he kicked recklessly, striking the bear in the knee.

The bear Faunus roared in pain and knelt. Adam pulled the chain away from his throat and slashed upwards with Wilt, severing it and causing the two halves to fall way from him. He quickly turned around, rage in his eyes, and thrust the blade straight through the chest of the kneeling bear, piercing his heart and causing him to fall over, dead.

Behind him, Travis squeaked and backed up against a wall. "Woah-woah, there, guy, al-alright, I'll leave ya alone! No one else has gotta die, I won't tell anyone!"

Adam sneered in disgust. Now, he begged. They always do that when they're alone. "You should have thought of that before you tried to kill me."

Travis' hands were raised in surrender, "We wasn't gonna kill ya! We just wanted the money ya owed the bar!"

Adam had enough. He attacked thrice with Wilt, once slashing Travis across the face, second slashing diagonally down his body, and lastly thrusting Wilt through his throat. Travis burbled, his ruined facial features covered in blood that streamed down Wilt's blade. Adam looked him squarely in his last functioning eye, watching as the light died within him.

Satisfaction. Another victory.

Adam pulled the blade free from the corpse's throat and slumped backwards against a wall. The rush of adrenaline faded, leaving his muscles feeling dead. He was lucky. He should've died, or been beaten and robbed what with him being in a drunken stupor with a dead Aura for most of the fight. Beyond lucky.

Adam felt his stomach twist and wrench and he doubled over. Vomit and blood spewed freely past his lips, forming a disgusting puddle below him, and leaving an even worse taste in his mouth.

Adam stabilized himself with a hand against the wall and slumped out through the back of the building. Someone would come soon and find the bodies, and he needed to find some place to sleep. He wouldn't go back to the safehouse until Andre messaged him for a mission, he couldn't risk being thrown out for the last time by Abraham, especially since he might be leading heat to them.

Slowly, Adam limped through the Slums' alleyways, eventually finding another abandoned building filled with Faunus squatters. They were shocked by his sword, which he only just realized he hadn't sheathed, since it was covered in blood. They didn't run away though, they were probably used to seeing bloodied people come and hide in an abandoned building. Adam sheathed Wilt and covered his face with a hand, then made his way to the back of the building, where he ascended a flight of shoddy wooden steps. The room in the upper floor was relatively empty, with only a few Faunus sleeping under a mound of paper, old blankets, and refuse.

Adam cleared his throat, getting the attention of the now-awake occupants, "Any of you touch me," he growled, "You die."

He limped to the corner of the musty room and set his sheathed sword on the ground, then laid down atop it. The occupants didn't seem to care much, and just went back to sleep.

A few sirens began blaring, but Adam ignored them. All of his exhaustion hit him at once, and he passed out on the fetid, rotting wooden flooring.