Leaden turned the TV off; neither he nor his father wanted to watch anything after what they had seen. His father even excused himself for a bit in his room.

Leaden just stood there in the living room, his mind contemplating the meaning of what he had just heard.

Someone named Cletus appeared on TV and exposed the SDC's shady business.

I say 'exposed,' but the truth was that there were always rumors about it. Cletus merely brought it to the surface. Still, there would be many who wouldn't believe it.

Leaden thought about it, and no matter what conclusion he reached, everything Adam did or made Leaden do contributed to improving the White Fang's image.

Making Leaden dress up as a White Fang member, play the hero (even if it was Leaden's idea first), and spread good words about the White Fang, not caring if they were lies or not.

And what Adam did now by "exposing" the SDC's crimes... Maybe it's more about reminding the people of their cause than improving their image. Maybe both? By showing the cruelty of their situation, some would start to justify their actions and gain more sympathizers, even among the humans, he thought. But why now? And to what end? Leaden didn't know.

He picked up his scroll and saw that it was 1 pm. His gaze shifted to his father's room, only to find it still closed. Deciding to go out and return quickly before his father noticed, he made his way outside.

# # # #

He found himself on one of Vale's rooftops, the exact number of times he had been there lost to memory. Being unable to make these types of calls back on Patch was frustrating, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. He longed to spend more time with his father, but he knew the current situation was more important. It was a matter of evading the impending storm, and he wanted to ensure the safety of himself and his family by getting as far away from it as possible.

With the scorching heat persisting these days, he had long abandoned wearing jackets. As someone who valued quality, it pained him to forgo such attire. Pulling out his scroll, he dialed Adam's number and initiated the call.

No answer.

The SDC was the subject of everyone's conversations now, and it was no surprise given the recent spectacle. Leaden doubted that the company would suffer significant damage. While they certainly didn't prefer things to unfold this way, it was more a matter of their perfectionist tendencies than anything else.

"Come on, Adam, answer," he said as he continued to try reaching him. "I want to know the details." Leaden was consumed by curiosity, eager to understand how Adam had managed to pull off such a feat and what motivated him to do so.

Leaden wondered why Adam chose to do it that way. What benefit would it bring them? The SDC held a monopoly on Dust, and they could easily dismiss the allegations with a simple denial, even if people didn't believe them.

Because they simply needed them. Give it enough time for the people to become preoccupied with the next trend, and the whole thing would be over. The unfortunate truth was that most individuals didn't truly care about such issues unless they were personally affected by discrimination or injustice.

At last, "What do you want?" Adam answered.

"What do I want? That's obviouse, I-" Leaden cut himself off as he heard the screams of agony coming from the other side. "Let me guess, it's the TV guy."

"Yes. I'm kind of busy at the moment." Leaden could have sworn that he had heard a disturbing sound — a squishing sound like the one you would hear when you squeeze a steak and its juices come out.

Leaden's discomfort continued to intensify as he visualized the gruesome scene in his mind. The vivid imagery became overwhelming, prompting him to mutter in a low voice, "Absurd." The sheer brutality was difficult to comprehend as what came to his mind wasn't his imagination, but a memory.

A father begging to be spared, and his wife and kid watching in horror. A reassuring smile telling them "It's going to be okay, you are going to be happy."

"Absurd," Leaden muttered once again, desperately trying to push away the memories he wished to forget. He had been attempting to bury those painful recollections, pretending they were nothing but just absurdity.

He was brought back by Adam's question. "What?" Adam seemed to have heard him. "Do you feel the need to say your favorite word anytime you want to now?" He laughed. "You are taking a turn for the worse."

Leaden's mood abruptly shifted, as if a switch had been flipped within him. The distress that had weighed him down just moments ago seemed to vanish.

Leaden rolled his eyes, but then remembered that Adam couldn't see it. "I just rolled my eyes," he said, hearing Adam scoffing among the screams. "You seem to be in a good mood for someone doing a surgery. But then, you are quite absurd."

"You, and especially you, are the last one on Remnant who should tell me this," Adam sighed, wondering again why he was casually having a conversation with a human. "What did you call me for?"

"Aww you had to cut it short," Leaden booed. "And I was enjoying how effective your torturing skills were too."

"Freak."

"No, I'm absurd," Leaden chuckled. "Anyway, what was the deal with the show earlier? Why are you torturing the TV guy? How do you expect that to benefit you or the White Fang?" Leaden unloaded a series of questions he was curious to know the answers to.

"You are a headache," Adam clicked his tongue. "Part of the plan. Personal grudge. Just wait and see."

"Wow, I no longer have any questions, you miraculously satisfied all of my curiosity," he said, irritating Adam with his sarcastic tone.

"Deal with it. Just continue to play your role, what was it? the hero? What a dumb name that only you would come up with, anyway, if it goes according to plan, you will see everything falling into place."

"You just don't want explain, do you?" He sighed. "Just give me anything!"

"Alright, alright, you are so annoying," Adam said. "I guess I forgot to reward you for finding out where Blake is." Leaden widened his eyes, he couldn't believe his ears. Adam was actually about to give him something. "Cinder Fall. That's the name of the employer I told you about."

Leaden froze, his mind blanked. The name had just come out of nowhere. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but only one thing occupied his mind.

"Wait, you knew it all this time?!"

# # # #

Adam hung up on Leaden; he didn't have the patience to listen to all the creative cursing words Leaden was mixing with the word 'absurd'.

Apparently, Leaden thought that Adam didn't know the employer's name to begin with. So he didn't expect Adam to not tell him sooner if he knew. However, the smirk on Adam's face showed that he didn't regret it.

That idiot, he thought. He kept telling him that they weren't friends, but Leaden acted as if they were anyway.

He checked for anything new before returning to the job at hand, and he found something interesting.

According to a report from the Vale Police Department (VPD), after carefully reviewing the surveillance footage from yesterday's case, it was discovered that the two faunus were the individuals responsible for the robbery. The humans who were apprehended were found to be uninvolved in the crime; however, the fact that they were in possession of illegal firearms does not fully absolve them of wrongdoing, and they will await an appropriate sentence.

There was still an unanswered question regarding the involvement of the infamous White Fang member, who seemed to have intended to help catch the real culprits. His motives remained unclear. The police were doing their best to bring the actual perpetrators to justice so that the citizens of Vale could continue to feel safe.

The smirk threatened to split Adam's face in half as he read the report. "That idiot actually managed to pull it off." He could see the finish line already.

The whimpers of pain ruined the smug face he wore, and in its place took nothing. He felt nothing as he looked at the man chained to the wall, the man's face was so pale that he appeared to have been brought from the dead. His fingertips were missing nails, but that wasn't all; they were also white, so white that it was obvious against his pale skin.

It was starting to turn purple.

Adam made sure that they were completely dried of blood. He tied a thread tightly around all of his fingertips to stop the blood flow, and then made small cuts. He only needed to squeeze.

Needless to say, it was unbearable. The man's fingertips were now useless. By the end of the day, he would need them to be amputated. However, Adam didn't plan to do that immediately. He instructed his fellow White Fang members to leave them that way for a few days and to focus on something else, such as his foot, before returning to the remaining fingers.

Adam wanted him to stay alive for the longest time possible, even for years. Since he was returning to Vale that day, he left them a complete guide on how to treat their guest.

Adam looked at his bloody hands and then at the man chained to the wall, his face betraying only one emotion.

Disgust.

"Filthy," he muttered as he looked at his bloody hands and the scroll stained with the man's blood. Adam approached the man and wiped his hands and the scroll on him. "I need a shower," he said, ignoring the noises the man was making.

# # # #

Adam was ready to leave as he had already packed his backpack. However, just as he was about to head out, his right-hand man, Casper, called him.

"Adam!" Casper came running, catching up to Adam just as he was about to leave. He made it in time as Adam stopped in his tracks and turned to face him, staring at him with a look of curiosity. Casper was panting, clearly having rushed to find Adam. "It happened as you predicted," he said, trying to catch his breath.

"What do you mean?" Adam replied, narrowing his eyes.

Casper stood up straight, having caught his breath. "We received a message from Sienna," he said. "She's requesting that you go to the main branch for questioning."

"I see," Adam said, putting down his backpack. He turned back towards town and began walking back. "Gather everyone," he called out to Casper. "I need to have a word with all of you."

# # # #

They gathered in the town's theater, the sound of whispers showcasing the number of people in attendance. The chairs had been removed beforehand, so everyone was standing. The theater was the only place in town with a stage, so there weren't many options available that were better suited for the gathering.

Adam climbed up onto the stage and surveyed the hundred or so faunus gathered there, all waiting in anticipation to hear what he had to say. The loud voices of the people whispering and chatting didn't bother Adam, because the moment he opened his mouth, "Brothers and sisters of the White Fang."

It was complete silence.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Adam took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sure you're all aware of the recent news and what it means. Sienna Khan has demanded that I answer some questions. How did she know? I'm sure most of you have already figured it out," he paused for a moment.

"That we have someone here who reports directly to Sienna," Adam said, confirming what many in the audience had suspected. As soon as the words left his mouth, the room exploded with chatter. People began looking around at each other, asking questions and giving each other looks of suspicion.

But Adam had none of it. He raised his palm, and everyone fell silent once again. "If all you're going to do is suspect each other, then don't," he said firmly.

Despite Adam's words, they couldn't help themselves. The love and respect they had for him were immense, and they couldn't forgive anyone who might work against him in even the slightest way. They were loyal to him, not Sienna.

"Don't treat the person working for Sienna as an enemy," Adam continued. "If we start to turn on each other, then what have we left for the humans to do? Sienna won't bring us victory, I won't bring us victory, no one will. But we can achieve it together. If we want equality, we need to be one voice, one mind, and one fist. We need to be united."

But Adam wasn't finished. "Some faunus already hate the White Fang. We need to prove them wrong, show them that we can and will make their lives better. But if we start fighting each other, we will only prove them right," he said passionately. "That's why I will not tolerate anyone causing even the slightest unrest. This matter won't be taken lightly!"

When he was met with silence, Adam added, "That's all I have to say," and started to climb down from the stage. Casper approached him, but Adam didn't wait for him to speak. "Play dumb," he instructed. "Send a message to Sienna saying that I'm not here and that I'm in Vale. She won't press the matter any further."

Adam knew that Sienna had pride; she wouldn't have become the leader otherwise. She wouldn't want to admit to having someone as a spy, so she would likely play along. In a way, Adam would have both of them playing dumb.

Casper caught on to it and nodded without saying anything. Meanwhile, Adam's followers were unsure whether it was appropriate to cheer his name in this situation or not. Adam might not have realized it, but the speech he had just given had solidified their loyalty even further. He had given them another reason to believe that he was the right man to be their leader.

Adam's followers respected him and would obey him, but only him. Unintentionally, Adam was widening the rift between himself and Sienna, and doing so slowly but surely. This divide wouldn't be limited to just one branch of the White Fang, either.

Adam noticed a young girl standing off to the side, looking hesitant to approach him. Curious, he made his way over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked gently, trying to put her at ease.

"Well," the girl started, her nervousness obvious on her face. Adam waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. She clearly had difficulty stating what she wanted to say, but at the end, she gathered her courage and just blurted out what was on her mind in one sentence. "Some of us in the back couldn't hear you," she said. "So can you please give us a summary of what you said?!"

Adam was speechless. They surely loved him.

# # # #

Leaden decided to make an excuse for why he had gone out. He had bought some groceries and something for his father. Tai loved strawberries, and Leaden couldn't help but wonder what was up with this family and their love for them. It seemed to be the norm in this family to enjoy strawberries, he thought to himself. He didn't know about Yang, but at least three members of the family liked them.

Leaden didn't particularly love or hate strawberries. He was neutral towards them, but that was about to change. He clinged to anything that could be considered normal, and if it was normal for the Xiao-long and Rose family to love strawberries, then so be it.

He walked by a large screen, but he stopped in his tracks when he realized they had his picture in the hero costume. And true enough, he wasn't imagining things.

The main topic that the reporters were discussing was the SDC, as expected, but on the side of the screen, Leaden saw his picture and the question "A Vigilante or Villain?" displayed next to it.

Leaden let out a laugh. "Wow, I didn't expect to make any sort of change this quickly," he said to himself. He didn't feel curious about why this change had happened and didn't care to find out. For him, the world was absurd, and he accepted that anything could happen at any moment.

It would come back to bite him in the ass.

As he turned to leave, Leaden saw someone passing by and couldn't believe his eyes. He was met with amber eyes, and his own eyes widened in shock. His breath caught in his throat, and he froze completely, unable to move or speak.

How could he not when the black-haired girl he was desperately trying to find and couldn't was before him?

How could he not when the girl wearing black and white, that he couldn't find for more than a week, and when he no longer needed to look for her, was right there before his eyes.

How could he not? His mind was playing tricks on him, he thought. He thought for a second that the ice cream girl with Roman was the cause of this and it was just an illusion.

But it wasn't. And he knew it.

An idea crossed Leaden's mind. Why not make use of the situation? Blake was Yang's partner, and he wanted to make things right between them. So, why not let Blake put in a good word for him? That was his line of thought, and he couldn't help but smirk at the idea.

His thoughts came to a sudden halt when he noticed that she was wearing a bow. That's when he realized that she was trying to hide her cat ears. Leaden quickly understood the situation.

'Well then, let's make some friends.'

Meanwhile, Blake managed to make an excuse to her team. She told them that she wanted to buy a certain book, and that was enough to convince them to let her go.

The real reason Blake was out in Vale was that she was feeling frustrated. She had watched Cletus' entire confession with mixed emotions, and she didn't want to be around Weiss, who was disregarding it all as lies. Blake couldn't blame her teammate, but it was still frustrating for her. She needed some fresh air.

There was also the matter of the White Fang member who was supposedly helping others. Blake, as a former White Fang member, had her suspicions about him. She figured that he was probably a fake for one reason. He was acting alone, which was unusual for the White Fang.

No White Fang leader would allow one of their members to act alone and help humans without punishment. Unless, there was an agenda at play here. She was still curious about what his objective was and why he was helping people in secret.

Blake was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Leaden trying to say hello beside her. Leaden didn't feel offended, but he was getting a little impatient. The fact that Blake was paying no attention to her surroundings was starting to get on his nerves. As someone who took safety seriously, he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

Even if his own safety took priority but that wasn't the point. The point was, he got irritated, he teleported, causing them to bump into each other, and he knocked her over.

"Watch where you're going," he said, offering his hand. Leaden internally smirked, thinking that would make her pay attention next time.

On the other hand, Blake was baffled. She knew she was deep in thought, but she could have sworn that no one was in front of her.

She looked at Leaden and said, "I'm sorry," before taking his hand. He kindly helped her stand up. As she took a good look at Leaden, she tilted her head in curiosity.

"Aren't you Yang's and Ruby's brother?"

It was as if his world had shattered. That wasn't how he had planned for things to go. He had intended to smile, introduce himself, and make a good impression before mentioning his sisters. But now, everything had changed. He found himself caught between forcing a smile and letting his mouth hang open in surprise.

"Ahh, they mentioned me? I feel flattered. You are their friend from Beacon?" He pushed himself to let out a chuckle.

"Yang mostly insults you though," she raised her hands, "But Ruby defends you all the time, don't worry," she said, smiling weakly. Yang was mostly calling him an asshole while Ruby insisted that he wasn't that bad, so Blake's expectations weren't high to begin with. However, at that moment, she realized something.

"Wait, did you intentionally knock me over?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What?! Never!"

A/N: I didn't expect for the first arc to take this many chapters, but as I began to write I realized there were many things to build and establish. Also another Adam pov which also surprised me when I felt the need to do it. Adam is almost a second protagonist so him having a large part in this fic is expected.