Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

Author's Note: Hmm, a slower chapter like chapter four. But this one's more of a calm before the storm than the aftermath of a conflict.

So far, Roman hasn't done a whole lot of exceptional things that would be deserving of his rank. Not on screen, at least. But this chapter is where Roman really gets to shine. Because this chapter is absolutely fucking nothing but talking. Well, talking, and also Jaune actually planning for a fight, for once.

Chapter Five: Assessment

Cinder waited patiently outside of a tent. Behind her to her sides, Emerald and Mercury stood forming a triangle with Emerald to her right and Mercury to her left. They each carried a suitcase. Standing next to her was Roman Torchwick, idly smoking a cigar and impatiently twirling his cane. Roman's apprentice, Neopolitan, had been left behind - he had decided that she wasn't necessary for this.

More likely, he was keeping her in reserve for if things went wrong.

"Jeez, I know these guys are simple animals, but you'd think that as a formal organization they'd develop a sense of punctuality."

A few of the White Fang grunts surrounding them growled, and some of them tightened their grips on their weapons. Cinder sighed and smacked Roman's shoulder.

"Enough of that, Torchwick. I know you were raised in Atlas, but set aside your personal opinions while we're here. Need I remind you-"

"That we're here for a business proposition, yeah, I know. Still, I don't understand why you're going out of your way to work with the Fang. As far as simple labor goes, wouldn't Junior's men serve just as well?"

"In the short term, perhaps. But in the long term, my goals require more militant skill sets."

"Right, and those long term goals are?"

"You need only know what I tell you, Roman. Now, enough. It would seem that the Captain is ready to meet with us."

Surely enough, the tent flaps parted and a large man stepped out. He was broad shouldered and muscular, wearing a shirt with ripped sleeves. A black tribal tattoo adorned his left arm, and a white mask with red markings covered his entire face.

"...the Captain will see you now," the man growled. He held the tent flap open and gestured for them to enter. As they stepped forward, he spoke again. "Take caution, humans," he looked down at the group, clearly glaring at them through the mask. "The Captain is a busy man, and that he is taking time out of his day to entreat humans like you is an act of mercy. If you value your lives, do not waste his time, and do not anger him."

Roman opened his mouth to reply before Cinder slapped a hand over his mouth and replied, "Thank you for your advice. We'll keep this brief."

They entered the tent, and the flaps closed behind them, trapping them in dim candlelight.

It had been three days since I fell asleep in the shop. Since then, I'd been working non-stop. But I got today off, for whatever reason… Tukson finally gave me his phone number.

I used the time to prepare for confronting Cinder- if that was even her real name. After my daily workout routine - which now included gun holstering/dry firing drills, courtesy of Junior's men, as well as a run around the area - I had gone to the local hardware store and bought a few items. Paid for in cash, of course, and without Aurie's help - it would be suspicious as hell if she saw me carry that stuff in. I had then gone to a Dust shop and bought some processed Electric Dust. The grains of Fire Dust in the bullets were sufficient for minor explosions, but if I was to fight Cinder, I would need much more ordnance than that.

Not that I knew how effective it would be. She was just as much a ghost as I was - the company card she gave me belonged to a real company, but contacting them hadn't yielded any useful results:

"Hello, is this the Glass Night corporation?"

"Yes sir, my name is Jenny, is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Yeah hi, My name is Kayle, I just wanted to ask about my sister? She told us she worked there and I wanted to surprise her in her office for her birthday. Do you know what office she's in?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not allowed to release employee information. If that will be all, then-"

"No wait! Look, Jennifer, I'm sorry for lying. It's just- Sis ran away from home a while back, and she only wrote back to say that she started working for you guys. Can you just tell me if she is working for you? I just want to know if she's okay."

"...Give me a moment to check with my supervisor."

"No problem, Jennifer."

There were a few moments of silence as Jennifer probably put herself on mute to check, and then she came back.

"Okay sir, I can help you with that much. Give me a moment to check the database…"

A few moments passed as Jennifer searched, only to come up with-

"Nothing, sir. I'm sorry to say that your sister is not, in fact, working with the company."

"Oh. Okay…"

"I'm sorry, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"No, that's okay."

"Understood, sir. Have a good day."

It wasn't the most conclusive evidence, but it was enough to suggest that the business cards that Cinder gave out were fake. The number on the cards probably did go to her private Scroll, or at least one of several. Her disguise was probably meant for her to blend in with the common populace, and if the average man called the number only to receive an answer from someone else, it would fall through.

Then again, the average man wasn't trained with an Assassin's mindset and wouldn't think to check the legitimacy of the card. Still, with that lead gone, there were no others for me to follow. I had the card, but aside from the number probably being genuine, I had no other intelligence about who Cinder was or her skill set. She was clearly skilled at stealth and information gathering to some degree to get the drop on me and take pictures without my knowing, but aside from that I had no clue about her. If I had known more, I could have created a combat plan, but as it was, I was in the dark without a light.

Which meant that, as much as I hated it, I would have to resort to one of my father's basic fall-back plans.

If you don't know how strong the opponent is going to be, but you're sure they're stronger than you are, then make up the difference with firepower.

As much as I loathed how I had obtained my skills, times like these were when I appreciated that I had them. Homemade weapons and traps were almost a specialty of mine.

Though I could make some rather simple bombs, I was trying to lay low and avoid the law, and if Cinder was a professional Assassin, then I could at least assume she had Aura, so their effectiveness would be lessened. The force of the explosions would do serious damage for sure, but only if the timing was perfect. Anything less and she'd likely be able to either avoid or negate the damage somehow. Not to mention, if I got caught in the blast, I didn't have Aura to protect me.

But before I made anything, I'd have to prioritize what I wanted.

First of all, I'd have to make something simple, some backup weapon I could keep in a pocket in case Cinder got too close in our fight. I was no slouch with a knife, but I could only assume she was stronger at melee.

By the Good Brother, all these assumptions… how I wished for real intelligence. Still, in the absence of intelligence, it was better to overestimate the opponent and prepare accordingly. So if I assumed that Cinder was at least as capable as an A6 or A5, then she would definitely outclass me in melee range. If she wanted me killed, she could easily do it herself… so she wanted me alive, for whatever reason. Ostensibly because she knew who my father was, but it wouldn't do me any good to think too deeply on her motivations without any real intelligence.

In any case, melee combat was out for me, but I still had to prepare for it. In which case…

I walked over to the kitchen and opened up the spice rack. I had bought several spices from the grocery store, ranging from common black pepper to chili powder to a powderized form of something called a 'Vacuo Reaper'. Apparently it was a new breed of pepper that some farmer had cultivated while I was in juvie. The cashier had asked if I liked my food spicy. I had replied yes - and completely honestly at that - but I also knew better than most people the potential of pepper to be used as a weapon.

To start, I simply did a little taste test of each of the kinds of spices I had to determine their usefulness. I knew most of them well enough, but it was worth it to reacquaint myself with them. The 'Vacuo Reaper' powder, on the other hand…

HOLY.

FUCK.

It burned. It burned more than anything I had ever tasted. This was just the powder? I would hate to eat a whole pepper. I thought I was going to die, and before I knew it I had drained almost half my carton of milk to wash away the taste.

…

"That's definitely going in the mix," I coughed weakly as I picked myself off the floor.

…

Once I had recovered completely, it was a rather simple thing to make the spice mix. I just brought out a bowl and poured the spices into it. A little bit of chili powder, a little bit of cayenne, some black pepper, some red pepper, Sriracha powder, curry powder, and a healthy couple of shakes of the Vacuo Reaper. I mixed it all together well (professional tip- wear latex gloves lest you touch your eye - or for men, something far more precious - while messing with hot spices) and pour it into a small, airtight, sealable bag. Bam, instant pepper spray- though throwing this shit in someone's face would probably be worse than the average Schnee brand pepper spray. That stuff, while effective, stayed within the limits of the law.

This stuff? This stuff could kill someone if it hit them dead on. Especially with the Vacuo Reaper in there. If the mixture got into someone's eyes or nose?

Cinder would have a very, very hard time dealing with it, no matter her skill level. Unless her Semblance negated such things or whatever, but still, it was an effective backup.

Once that was done, next was stuff I could use at mid-range. Within the range of my sword - not that I'd use it in the fight, since I was still learning to use it - but still too far to lunge in against someone faster than me. I'd need something I could distract Cinder with, something quick but effective, that I could use either to preempt an offensive or a retreat.

Flashbangs.

They'd stun and disable her, even if only for a second - but a second makes all the difference.

With that, I turned to the things I had bought from the hardware store. In most other cities, it would probably be weird for a common hardware store to carry things like packets of potassium perchlorate, powdered aluminum, or other chemicals. But with Beacon overlooking the city? It made sense for them to carry things to cater to Guardian clients. Typically these kinds of chemicals would have to be ordered from specialty contractors, but since so many Guardians like to have personalized, specific weapons, materiel products sell well in Vale. After all, if a Guardian's weapon relied on a specific Dust and chemical mix to activate a special feature, then they would prefer to perform the mixes themselves rather than outsource the work to someone who might botch the mixture, potentially harming them or a civilian.

The same went for weapon maintenance with overly complex transforming weapons. The engineering of some weapons were very specific and particular, and something that only those involved in the weapon's creation truly understood. You just couldn't trust your weapon - your life - to someone who might cause some flaw that could cause a failure in the middle of the fight. Even the smallest careless flaw could cause a complete failure in battle.

Weapon handlers that a Guardian - or Assassin - could trust with a personal weapon were worth their weight in Dust.

Back to the chemicals, however. It took some time to mix together the potassium perchlorate and the aluminum powder - while I had made sure to have a dry but not heated workspace, these chemicals were easy to set off, and I wasn't about to cause an explosion in the apartment. The mix was seven parts perchlorate, three parts aluminum, one part Electric Dust, and one part Fire Dust.

Really, all I needed was the perchlorate and aluminum to make a basic flash powder, but the Electric and Fire Dust would help increase the effectiveness of the ignition and enhance the heat and light produced by the flash, and possibly stun Cinder with the shock. Unfortunately, in order to use the Fire Dust, I'd had to grind the Dust grains from the extra pistol bullets I had down even finer, which took about an hour by itself.

In the end, however, I'd made enough flash powder for three small flashbangs. I poured the mixtures into three small glass jars, then placed a common firework fuse in each jar. I had to stab holes in the metal tops of the jars to thread the fuse through them. Once the jars were all closed up, I used electrical tape to seal them.

A simple stun bomb, but it would serve. What next, then?

Some common booby traps would be useful… But I couldn't set up traps in the city. Not if a civilian could just walk out and set one off by accident.

Instead, I opted for an electric fly swatter. It took some doing, but I managed to remove the plastic cover and strip the wiring and electrical mechanism out, reworking the whole thing into a basic stun gun.

I had also purchased a concealed carry holster, which would allow me to bring one of my guns to the date. I had a feeling I'd need it.

But with that said… where should I fight her?

In the city, my options were limited. I couldn't just start a fight in the shopping district or the docks or something. Big commercial areas, where lots of people travelled to and from at all hours of the day… Definitely not a good place to deal with quiet business…

The alleyway? No, she'd probably heard the report from Junior about where his men had failed and died. If I invited her out there, she'd just get paranoid.

So where?

Roman closed his eyes and breathed as he entered the tent. He kept them closed as he exhaled to force them to adjust to a lack of light. As he opened his eyes, he quickly noted the nature of the tent's interior.

It was fairly clear. A wide standing area was available in front of the group. A table was placed at the far end of the tent, where the Captain of this particular White Fang company sat. His primary lieutenant stood next to him.

Adam Taurus, and Blake Belladonna, respectively. Roman had done his research, and done it well. Considering Blake's connections to the founder of the Fang, Roman had to wonder why she wasn't the Captain.

On the right of the tent wall was a board with a map of the local area tacked onto it, as well as maps of Vale and certain notable locations within the city. A table stood in front of the board, likely used for whatever planning sessions the Fang had regarding their targets. Several books were strewn across the table- likely shipping manifests for Dust, weaponry, or whatever the animals stooped to stealing. Maybe a few works on strategy. Roman figured he wouldn't be surprised if he saw the Mistralian work, The Art of War lying on the table somewhere.

It was one thing to study strategy. It was another thing entirely to apply it- and in Roman's mind, the White Fang were rank amateurs at waging a war. Still, he supposed, he couldn't really compare their acts of terrorism to a true war.

They were spoiled brats, throwing a tantrum since things weren't going their way. After the Second Faunus Revolution, most countries - well, if you really got down to it, pretty much just Vale - began enacting basic anti-speciesism laws against the Faunus. Now, there were even Faunus on the Council. On the other hand, Mistral didn't change anything, since they still believed that everyone was universally worthless, unless you could prove otherwise with your own power.

Roman kinda liked the way Mistral thought about people.

Vacuo, on the other hand, had always placed family over species. Tribal skirmishes over oasis property was more common than hate crimes.

And Atlas… Was still just Atlas.

Honestly, if they wanted to attack a country that treated the Faunus like dirt, then Atlas should be the first place to go. If anything, Vale was the closest thing the Faunus had to a paradise, aside from Menagerie itself.

Then again, he supposed it made sense that this small organization didn't take up arms against Atlas- they hardly had the strength for it. And considering the ways that the last two Faunus Revolutions had gone…

Well, perhaps the animals could learn from history, switching from traditional warfare to guerilla tactics.

Roman particularly noted a section of railroad track marked on the maps with a series of red thumbtacks… probably a hit they had planned out. A cargo raid? But why on the rails? And why so close to their base camp? That was a threat to operational security...

On the left side of the tent was a weapon rack. It carried a few guns- Atlas Military tech, Roman could surmise. Probably stolen from whatever guarded the SDC Dust shipments. And yet, the two at the desk carried their own weapons- probably personally designed and custom-made.

Good. That meant their fighting style was largely dependent on their weapon type. Even if certain techniques could be replicated with similar weapons - there are only so many ways to swing a sword, after all - they had trained with their specific weapons to the point that using something else was unthinkable for them.

It was a common flaw that Guardians and amatuer Assassins had. If you grow too attached to one weapon, if you let it define your fighting style, then all an opponent had to do to defeat you was disarm you.

Which was why Roman practiced with much more than just Melodic Cudgel. From dime-a-dozen weapons, like the crap axes and machetes that Junior equipped his guys with, to specialty weapons like timed explosives or multiple varieties of Dust firearms, Roman made it his business to be proficient with just about any kind of weapon he could find.

You never know when you might lose your favorite, after all.

Both the Captain and his lieutenant wore masks. Well, Roman supposed, it only made sense for the leadership to lead by example. He could afford them that compliment. Although, where the Captain and the other lieutenant outside the tent wore custom-made masks, this lieutenant wore one of the common masks handed out to the average Fang recruit.

Was it an attempt to better connect with her subordinates? Or perhaps… she wasn't as invested in the White Fang as her co-conspirators? Was it a way of refusing her position as lieutenant when she felt that she deserved to be higher ranked, because of her connections to the founders?

Was it simply that she had misplaced her own mask?

So many options… The psychoanalyst in him shouted for more information, but he forced it down. He would learn more from the talk itself, and he could corroborate that information with what he had known ahead of time.

As they drew up to the table, it was the lieutenant - Blake - who spoke first, stopping them a good five feet from the Captain.

"That's far enough, humans. You're taking up enough of our time as it is- skip the pleasantries and state your business with us."

Cinder opened her mouth to reply but a subtle motion from Roman stopped her as he drew a cigar out from his jacket.

Remember Cindy, this is why you brought me out here. I'm the expert here.

Roman flicked out his lighter and began to light the cigar. As he did so, he stepped further, right in front of the table and replied, "So tell me 'Captain', does your inferior here speak for you?"

A few flicks of his lighter marked the pause in the conversation. The Belladonna girl recoiled, an arm instinctively reaching for her weapon. She needn't have bothered, however. For just as Roman managed to get the thing to catch-

A flash of red.

That's all he saw as the lit end of the cigar was sliced off, though he heard a click as Adam Taurus slid his sword back into its sheath at his side.

So he's a quick-draw type. Or at least, he's skilled in the art. Matches up with his IGO record.

Behind Roman, Emerald and Mercury tensed, but were held back by Cinder. So, she at least had that much control over them. Good.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't stink up the command tent, human." Adam Taurus spoke the last word with such vitriol that Roman felt even an the most forward-thinking Valean would consider restricting Faunus rights if they had heard it. "As for my partner, she does speak for me in this instance. Allowing you to speak with me is mercy enough - don't waste your opportunity by angering me."

Ah yes, good old bravado. Assuming he knows who I am, he's putting on a brave face- but for whose benefit? Well, that assumes he knows who I am. If he doesn't- then he's either extremely uninformed of humans that aren't in some way connected to the Schnee or he's a fool.

Either way, his temper is short. Perhaps fitting, given his Faunus trait.

"Very well then," Roman said, clapping his hands. "If you want to keep things short, then let's do so! So here's the gist of things, bull-boy. We've got jobs in mind that are… let's say, labor intensive. We could use the- for lack of a better word, manpower - that your organization could provide. Forget stealing from Dust shops or raiding trains-" Roman was pleased to see both Adam and Blake flinch at his casual dismissal at what they probably thought was a secret plan, "-and we'll bring you power the likes of which you've never even conceived of before. Work with us, and we'll help you bring Atlas to its knees."

Adam straightened at the mention of Atlas. Specifically, at the idea of destroying Atlas. Naturally, someone in his position would eagerly grasp at any opportunity to ruin that nation. But of course, it wouldn't be that simple.

"Those are bold claims," Adam remarked. "But Dust is rather easy to come by-"

"Oh sure it is, now that you're just a single company of White Fang. But if you truly want to wage war with the nations, you're going to need more members- and if you want more members, you need the resources to arm and equip them. Common weapons are easy enough to find and train with, but if you want more warriors of your calibre on your side, you need the armaments to match them. Join us, and well give you enough Dust to fuel an army."

"Do you think we don't have plans to do just that?"

"I don't doubt that you do. My offer to you is to- professionalize the process. Your operation here is, frankly, amateurish. I will give you credit for changing it up from the past and using guerilla tactics instead of waging a traditional war, but your methods need polishing. Your men didn't search us, they didn't do anything to confirm our identities, we walked right past your perimeter patrols without being noticed, and that's not even getting to your long term strategy."

"What would you know about our long term goals?"

Roman scoffed. "When you put your long term goals and strategy down in a publicly available book, it's not hard to figure out. It's nice to have dreams, kid, but you can't have a nation of Faunus without people skilled enough to maintain it. Or the land and resources… which is where we come in."

"And what could you do to help us obtain land?"

"We can topple the Valese government. Beacon. The CCT. We would leave Vale in ruins, crippled, with no leadership to protect it from Grimm… or the other nations. A vacuum at the head- free for your organization to step in and take control of the land."

Or not. If it was that easy to create a nation - a true nation - then Ba'al Barca would have succeeded during the First Faunus Revolution. It's one thing to depose a government, another thing entirely to found a new one. And as with all things, destruction is easier than creation.

Still, the White Fang was a militant organization- key word, militant. They were soldiers - or rather, animals playing soldier. They wanted to conquer a nation because they believed that military conquest would be the answer to all their problems- that if they could just enact the laws, then the laws would be fair.

Fools, the lot of them.

In any case, the argument seemed to be working well with Adam Taurus. On the other hand, Roman noticed Blake Belladonna seem to shy away from the mention of ridding Vale of it's government and leadership.

Interesting. A pacifist? Or, perhaps worse, an idealist? Someone who believed they could, perhaps, make a significant change in the world without also causing great upheaval?

In any case, she was clearly crack in the White Fang's leadership, a weakness he could exploit… Later, if he needed to. For now, he would have to establish a working relationship. He wouldn't be able to turn them against each other if they didn't place any value in what he said.

"As I said," Adam replied, "these are bold claims. Admittedly, what you promise lines up directly with some of our long-term goals… But you can't possibly expect us to trust you without proof."

"You'll have it," Cinder said, stepping up.

What was this bitch doing?! For fucks sake, Roman thought, she better have something good if she's going to step in here. Hopefully it'll be one of her actual jobs, because then I might be able to figure out what she wants...

"We have our own plans, naturally. As was discussed, we desire the collapse of Vale's government for our own ends. But unlike your organization, our deadlines are… a bit tighter. In three weeks, we will kill a Guardian of the Third Rank. She heads a civilian militia that protects several outlying settlements that collectively maintain one Council Representative. In fact, the area she is assigned borders that of the Forever Fall. With her death, their organization will fall into chaos, causing safety and security to falter in those villages…"

Roman seemed somewhat impressed as he walked next to Cinder back towards their transportation. Emerald and Mercury kept pace behind them. Considering what they had dealt with, it was perhaps for the best that Neo had been left behind. She would have been bored by all the talking. Still, credit where credit is due, he thought.

"I'll admit," he eased in, "your plan is better thought out than I expected. Start a small problem, and let it build into something they can't control. Although... When you said you had a series of jobs, I expected a few robberies, maybe the collapse of a business… I didn't expect a terrorist."

"Hardly, Torchwick. My desire to destroy Vale's governing body has nothing to do with politics. They're simply in the way of my greater goals."

"And those would be…"

"In time, Roman. For now, simply gather what information you can on the woman we discussed."

"Amber, right?"

"Yes, Amber Corona. 'The People's Protector', or so they call her."

Roman nodded. "I'll get what I can."

Cinder smiled. "I trust it will prove sufficient."

...

As they piled into the vehicle, Cinder received a call on her Scroll, and asked the others to wait a moment.

As she picked up, she heard a familiar, if somewhat disheartening, voice.

"Hey Cinder, it's Jaune. We met on the flight from Atlas and you gave me your card?"

Cinder panicked internally. It was Jaune. Jaune Arc, son of one of the world's deadliest Assassins. What did he want with her? Stupid question, he probably knew who called the hit out. So what exactly was he calling for?

"Well hello, Jaune," Cinder replied evenly. "It's been a while. I hope you've been well."

"It was touch-and-go for a bit, but I think I've found my stride. Anyway, I was thinking… I'm free this coming Saturday, and I was… Uh, I was wondering if you'd like to go out? For dinner, or something. If you're free."

Cinder was honestly impressed by how well the young man played the role of the awkward teen. Considering his heritage, he likely had some experience with the opposite sex, so this was a ruse. Still, if she could get him alone, away from others, then perhaps she could deal with him once and for all.

She smiled, though she knew he couldn't see, and nodded.

"I am free. Okay then, Saturday, at…"

"Shall I pick you up from the hotel at six?"

"Six o'clock, then. It's a date."

Safety Note: Some of the things Jaune does in this chapter, like his creation of flash powder, can, to some degree, be attempted in real life.

Don't do that.

Messing with chemicals without proper training can cause serious injuries or even death. Also in general, planning an assault on a person is pretty much universally frowned upon.

Remember, fiction isn't reality.

A/N: Review Replies

Thorson (Guest) - Thanks! I'll keep it coming!

Baron Bolt (Guest) - Karnack who? I genuinely have no idea who or what you're referring to. In regards to Aura, his strength/speed/etc. will be enhanced naturally once he gets it Awakened. As for his sisters… It's an interesting idea, but not what I'll be doing with them. Though if I get as far along as I plan to, one or two of them might be seen fighting in the future.

knuckz - Thanks for the review! I appreciate the compliments. As for any conflict between Jaune and Weiss… Well, I'll leave that as is for the future. Hope you keep reading and enjoy any future chapters as well.

Tommy298 - Here you go my guy!

A/N 2: On the Subject of Menagerie (and the White Fang)

So last chapter the world-building section of the Author's Notes said "Five Nations" but I forgot to talk about Menagerie. So here's that.

Menagerie is the last Monarchy on Remnant, led by the Apex. Menagerie is only recognized by Vacuo and Vale as an actual nation - Mistral is indifferent towards them and Atlas refuses to recognize their sovereignty.
The Apex is not a ranked Guardian, but they are considerably powerful in their own right. By Atlas standards, the Apex is considered a Rank A2 Threat.

The Apex holds absolute Executive power in Menagerie. Legislative power is held by the Commune, a group of Faunus who present law drafts to the Apex. Judicial power is held by the Adjudicators. Naturally, the Apex has the final say on any laws, as well as judicial judgements.

The Law Speaker is a special cultural position amongst the Faunus of Menagerie, born from their tribal roots. It is a particular Faunus who has memorized the entirety of Menagerie Law, and, once a year, recites it publicly, verbatim, from sunup to sundown. They have no official judicial power, but they are often sought out for their wisdom in legal matters.

Menagerie was the birthplace of the White Fang, a once peaceful organization founded by Ghira Belladonna, a pacifist. Ghira stepped down after an attempt on his and his family's life, upon which Sienna Khan took control of the Fang and adjusted their methods to include retaliatory violence. After Adam Taurus published The Third Crusade, the idea of genuinely conquering a true nation for the Faunus has once again become silent but shared dream amongst the especially angry White Fang members.