Took MrsTheGoose to the airport on Wednesday. She's down south visiting her sister until next Thursday. I had to stay behind for work and to watch the dogs, and I'm bored out of my mind. I do not miss bachelor life. Killing time with extra streaming practically every day (normally only do 3 days a week), but I want nothing more than to lounge around and crack jokes with my wife right now. Flying solo is overrated.
Long chapter ahead! Laughing at the idea that I was gonna do the whole raid in a single chapter. Could've made this into three if I really wanted, but two felt better. We've also got some rare POV shift in this chapter, which I sorta enjoyed. I'm still very much a limited POV writer at heart, but it's nice to flex and show some other perspectives now and then.
"What do we do?"
"Oh man, this is bad…"
"We have to get out of here!"
"I don't wanna die!"
The arrival of Atlas spun the White Fang into chaos. Those that didn't break down and cower in fear looked to the exits, weighing their odds of escape against their chances of fighting off the response team from Atlas. It wasn't hard to guess which option would win out. If they scattered, Atlas would have a tough time tracking down all of them. A few unlucky ones might get caught and arrested, but most of them would probably make it out. If they cut their losses now, they could live to fight another day. No one would blame them for not wanting to face the might of Atlas head-on. All they had to do was run.
All they had to do was fail.
"Enough!"
Adam's single word cut through the tumult, freezing everyone in place as he commanded their attention.
Adam spared another glance at the approaching danger. "Load the trucks."
"But Adam…"
"Load the trucks!" Adam shouted down Felicia's doubt, forcing her back through the power of his command. "Grab as much dust as you can, then make for the rendezvous. The plan remains the same." One or two people started to move, only to slow to a stop when no one joined them.
Idiots! They didn't have time to wait around. Every second counted against Atlas. They had mere minutes until ground forces landed and began setting up a perimeter, encircling and trapping them before they pulled the dragnet tight. None of them had any hope of escaping that if they lingered. Their best bet was to hurry and make it out while the forces outside were still securing the area.
Felicia recovered her nerves enough to ask the obvious question. "What about Atlas?"
"What about them?" Adam snarled back.
"We can't fight them, Adam." Most of them weren't even armed. Those that were wouldn't last long against trained soldiers or more of those death bots he'd faced below. It would be a bloodbath. A very one-sided bloodbath.
"Then run." That's what they wanted, right? To run away with their tails between their legs like they always did. "Run away. Go hide in your holes and pray Atlas doesn't find you. Let them see just how weak and pathetic you are as you beg for scraps and hope for change. Prove once and for all just how dull our fangs have become."
White Fang. What a joke. None of them had fangs. None of them were willing to fight for what they believed in. Their emblem, emblazoned on the back of each of their outfits, showed a mighty beast, but they were about as dangerous as a housecat. They claimed to fight for justice, but none of them knew how to fight. They gave up before the fight even began.
He wouldn't give up so easily.
"Too long have we let the humans push us down without ever pushing back. Too long have we bowed the knee, even as they break our backs." Adam ignored Felicia, turning instead to face her men. None of them dared move, hanging on his every word. "We came here tonight to send a message - a message that we're tired of how they treat us. We're tired of being seen as less than human, as nothing more than animals."
A few people nodded, but more importantly, they turned away from the exits at his words.
"They want us to live in fear? Well I say it's time for them to be afraid." A smattering of agreement could be heard around the room as everyone closed in to hear him better. Adam nodded to where Epsilon and Gamma still held Omega's limp body. "Atlas has shown their true colors. They've bloodied us with their war machines, cutting down an unarmed man without hesitation. The white of Atlas is forever stained with the blood of our brothers." Adam looked back at the bullheads that would soon be hovering just outside their building. Boots would be on the ground shortly thereafter, intent on stopping them once and for all. "It's time they learn to bleed."
"Screw Atlas!"
"For the White Fang!"
"For Adam!"
Adam could feel the shift in mood even before their voices rang out. Faunus that had been on the verge of breaking and running now looked ready to charge Atlas itself. Maybe Sienna was right. Maybe they just needed someone to rally behind. If that was the case, then he'd play their hero for now. "Tonight, let's remind Atlas that the White Fang still has teeth. Let us show them they aren't as untouchable as they think." More cheers, mostly just yelling rather than actual words this time. "Load the trucks. Take the spoils of our labors. Show the world we will not let them beat us down any longer.
"Felicia." Adam turned his attention on their so-called leader, even as her men hurried to follow his orders with renewed vigor. Meanwhile, Felicia stood watching it all, stealing glances outside as fear continued to rob her of action. "Felicia, your men need you."
That at least got a reaction out of her. "I…w-we can't. Atlas is here."
"And I intend to meet them." As far as ideas went, this was probably his worst, but what choice was there? "You saw what happened down there." How the robotic death machines had focused on him almost immediately. "Atlas wants me. No one else matters to them right now. I'll keep their attention so you all can escape."
"You can't take them all by yourself." Probably not, but none of them could either. He was their best chance. "We have to-"
Adam refused to hear it. "Your men need a leader. They need you." Actually, they needed someone better than her, but she was the best they had right now. "Get the dust to Dormir. I'll hold them off here and buy you time. Once you're clear, I'll find a way to join you." If he didn't die first. Atlas had already shown they wouldn't hesitate when it came to him. Adam grabbed her shoulder before she could look out the windows again. "This is the moment we show Atlas what we're made of."
"Right." Felicia still looked a little shaky, but her focus was back on the mission instead of the odds. "Get those trucks loaded! We're moving out!"
Her orders weren't needed, but it was the thought that counted. Everyone was already busy following Adam's commands as it was, hurriedly securing as much of the dust from below as they could on the three trucks. They wouldn't have time to load them completely, but it would have to be enough. The two robots Adam had taken from the basement found their way on a truck, while Epsilon and Gamma carefully placed Omega's body on another.
Three trucks leaving an active crime scene wouldn't go unnoticed. Even if Atlas kept their focus on Adam, someone was bound to follow the trucks. They'd either be stopped leaving the city or chased down in the barren snowfields beyond. If he wanted them to get clear, he needed every eye on him. More than that, he needed them to have no time to notice anything else. He needed chaos.
Fortunately, chaos was something he could provide. "I need one of the trucks," Adam demanded.
With everyone else busy loading, Felicia was left to listen to his orders. "What for?"
"I have an idea." A terrible one, but it would have to do. "But I need one of the trucks…and your remote charges."
Fighting Atlas was a fool's errand. They had superior numbers, firepower, equipment, and organization. They prided themselves on being the ultimate power on Remnant, standing against any and all enemies of their Kingdom with ruthless efficiency. In a fair fight, they'd win every time.
Good thing Adam didn't fight fair.
"If they want their dust back so bad, then I intend to give it to them."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Winter Schnee marched down the bullhead ramp with a hardened face and half a dozen soldiers behind her. Two more bullheads hovered behind her, deploying the latest in Atlas technology. The Atlesian Knight-130, or AK-130 for short, promised to be the backbone of the Atlesian military. Faster. More Agile. Better armed. The moment the first AK-130 stepped off the assembly line, they made all other robotic technology obsolete. This would be their first true field mission - a mission Winter had been given the honor of leading. She'd make sure their debut lived up to all the promises Atlas had made.
Or, she would have, had a unit of them not been unceremoniously destroyed before she even arrived. How had Jacques managed to get his hands on their newest tech before they'd even been deployed in the field? She could feel a snarl forming but pushed it down before anyone could notice. As soon as this mission ended, she intended to march straight to General Ironwood and demand answers. Atlas resources were meant to protect Atlas, not that man's profits.
Still, their defeat hadn't been a total loss. She'd spent the entire flight down to Mantle watching the footage the androids had transmitted in their final moments. Who would have expected him to come all the way to Atlas? The White Fang had been growing more active recently, but they hadn't done anything more than protest in Mantle thus far. Atlas had allowed them to exist in Mantle only so long as they weren't worth the attention.
Perhaps it was time to remind them who was in charge, starting with the arrest of one of their most prominent members.
Adam Taurus. She'd studied his file until she could practically recite it. Limited training with a sword. Aura unlocked for only a few years. He was a nobody. Someone history would soon forget. But for now, he posed a threat to Atlas, and that would not stand.
"Fan out," Winter ordered the rest of the soldiers disembarking from her bullhead. "Our primary target is Adam Taurus, but there are more members of the White Fang on site. Arrest any faunus you encounter." The media would have a field day with that one, but what could they do? This wasn't just an active crime scene; it was a terrorist attack. The building was empty, according to their SDC contacts. The only people inside were working with the White Fang and would be treated accordingly. "If you see the target, do not engage. Leave him to me."
However limited his training might be, Adam Taurus was still dangerous. He'd killed before, and backed into a corner, Winter knew he'd do so again. She doubted he'd come peacefully, meaning this would only end with bloodshed. It was her job to limit that as much as possible, for both sides.
Winter's rise in the Atlas military had been nothing short of meteoric. Top of her class at Atlas Academy, she'd shocked everyone when she'd accepted a commission from the military rather than pursue the life of a Huntress or - gods forbid - go back to her father and the SDC. She'd been disowned almost immediately, but that was fine with her. Her parents - an abusive, self-absorbed father and an alcoholic masquerading as her mother - were hardly family in her eyes. The military was her family now, and she'd make them proud.
Her skills earned her a spot among the Specialists - the elite unit hand-picked by General Ironwood himself. Her tenacity and dedication saw her advance quickly, already taking on command of missions like the hunt for Adam Taurus in Mistral. But today would be her crowning achievement.
Because today, she would single handedly take down the most wanted man on Remnant and bring the terrorist organization known as the White Fang to its knees.
One of her soldiers ran forward with a report. "Ma'am, the area is clear. We found a few vagrants in a nearby alley, but they cleared out as soon as they saw us."
"Lookouts?"
"We don't believe so." But they weren't sure. Such sloppiness. They should've arrested them all and sorted it out afterwards. She'd make sure to address that later. "The front of the building is ours, but it appears there is activity inside. The doors are unlocked, but it appears power is out. No lights."
"Typical." As annoying as it was, she couldn't fault them. Faunus had a natural advantage in the dark, so why not cut the lights or wait until nightfall? Tactically, it just made sense. Control the battlefield, and you control the battle. Unfortunately for them, faunus weren't the only ones equipped to handle the dark. "Pull back for now. We'll send the Knights in to secure the building."
They might not be enough to take on Adam Taurus alone, but the android units were equipped with infrared sensors that could match and even outclass faunus night vision. Besides, even if Adam Taurus could handle them, the others with him didn't look like combatants. A show of force might make them break and run, leaving their target alone and exposed. He'd also taken damage in the initial encounter with the Knights. The benefit of having non-human combatants was that she could sacrifice them to wear him down while keeping her men safe.
"I want Knight units to breach here and here," Winter ordered, pointing to a pair of entrances on a holographic display of the refinery. As aggravating as Jacques could be, at least he'd provided them the blueprints in a timely manner. She could already hear tomorrow's press release boasting how he'd worked alongside the Atlas military to stop a terrorist attack. "I want our airborne units to cover the rear of the building here. Watch for anyone retreating, but do not fire. If Adam Taurus is seen leaving the building, I am to be informed immediately."
"Yes ma'am." Her retinue of soldiers saluted in unison, departing to their tasks the moment her own salute fell. The plan was simple. Adam Taurus was just one man. He couldn't cover two breach points at once. Whichever side he left open would be their foothold. They'd round up as many of his supporters in the first encounter, pull them out, then send in reinforcements on the weak side to flush out the rest while Winter dealt with the bigger threat whenever he decided to show his face.
It took no time at all to get everyone in position. She ordered the two bullheads to split and circle wide around the building, shining their spotlights directly at the windows. Five seconds later, a pair of doors were kicked in and her Knights entered. Winter watched it all from the back of her landed bullhead via a series of screens built into the metallic wall. Live video allowed her to respond instantaneously to anything that happened with every scrap of information at her fingertips. The perfect view for a Specialist to direct an operation from.
And to watch it all go to hell.
"What just happened?" Winter demanded as several screens went to static, even if she had a feeling she knew.
"Breach point two just exploded!" a frantic voice reported through comms. "Knights are not responding."
Crap. So he'd guessed their entry point, had he? That was fine. No one had been injured. All they'd lost was a few Knights. Androids could be replaced. If nothing else, it meant Adam Taurus wasn't at the second breach point. Which meant…
"All Knight units, pull back!" The order came too late. More screens turned to static, though not before she caught glimpses of her target tearing through her first attack wave. The entrance created a chokepoint that robbed them of the numbers advantage. Winter began issuing new orders before the last Knight fell. "Target is at breach point one. Alpha and Bravo are down. Charlie and Delta, secure the eastern alleyway. All other units converge on target's location but do not enter."
"Multiple hostiles spotted!" Winter's eyes snapped to a new display from one of her bullheads. "I count three on foot cutting across the alley. Appear to be retreating."
"Let them go." She wouldn't waste an entire bullhead on the first to flee. "Lower altitude and hold position. See if we can get a clean shot of their faces." They could always track people down afterwards. Only Adam Taurus mattered right now.
"Moving to assist."
"Negative!" She didn't need two bullheads to cover one exit. "Focus on the rear of the building."
"Understood. Passing over western alley n- wait, there's something down there." Another report. Another screen. "It looks like a vehicle. Appears to be blocking the alley."
No doubt to slow down any advance on that side. The escapees in the east were likely a diversion, then. Get them to focus on the wrong side so the rest could slip out elsewhere. Cute, but she wouldn't fall for such simple tactics. "Maintain course," she ordered, focusing her attention back on the gathering force elsewhere. "Assault units standby. I'm on my way. No one is to enter until I-"
"Target vehicle is moving!" came the sudden interruption. "Rapid acceleration."
Sure enough, the truck they'd spotted earlier had begun moving down the alley, but it wasn't running away. In fact, it was heading straight into their forces. And fast. They were trying to break the line, but why? Was this just some desperate escape attempt? If so, they should've gone away from the action, not toward it. What could be so important that they'd-
"Opening fire."
"Hold fire!" Winter practically screamed. "This is a dust refinery. What do you think they might be carrying?" No wonder they were being so bold. She couldn't exactly fire on a rolling bomb in the middle of the city. As much as she hated it, she couldn't exactly let it get away so easily. "Follow that truck, but do not engage. Once it stops, we'll send a team to-"
"It's not stopping!"
It what now? Winter's eyes widened in realization. ""Everyone off! We're under attack!"
Winter sprinted from the bullhead, turning instinctively at the sound of a roaring engine. This wasn't an escape; it was a kamikaze run, with her bullhead as the target. Instinct had her springing into action, summoning a large, black glyph directly in its path. It barely had time to form before the truck slammed through it, jolting with the impact as her glyph bled momentum from it before shattering. Another glyph fought with the truck and lost, but it bought time. Valuable time as her men ran for their lives. A third glyph nearly stopped the truck before shattering, slowing it to a crawl even as the engine fought to get it back up to speed.
"Halt!" Winter shouted, pointing her saber at the offending vehicle's driver. It continued accelerating, forcing her to give an order she was hoping to avoid. "Open fire! Take out the driver!"
Shots rang out behind her as her personal guards pinpointed the stubborn faunus and delivered a hail of precisely aimed death. This close, Winter could see the impacts jolt his body. Experience told her he wouldn't survive the encounter, but such was the cost of terrorism. He fell to the side as the truck impacted another glyph, bringing the truck to a standstill mere feet from her bullhead.
"That was close," Winter muttered to herself. Without her glyphs, that thing would've plowed into the side of her bullhead. A spotlight from above remained fixed on the idling vehicle. As far as distractions went, this was a good one. No doubt most of the White Fang had slipped out the back by now. Still, for them to sacrifice one of their own, just for a distraction? Had they really resorted to such extremes already? "Secure the vehicle and check on the driver." A useless gesture, but still proper procedure. "The rest of you, with me. We'll-"
Time seemed to slow, giving her mind plenty of time to very unhelpfully point out that she'd made a mistake. She felt the world flip a moment later. No, it was her flipping. Either way, she barely managed to brace herself before the pavement struck. She skipped across it in a heap, rolling to a stop several feet away. Everything seemed strangely quiet, save for a piercing tone that tried to drill directly into her brain. It slowly began to fade, but Winter wished it hadn't.
The screams hit her first. Terrifying sounds that she'd never forget. They didn't even sound human, but Winter knew what they were - the dying wails of men being burned alive. Aura spared her a similar fate. She pushed herself up to see her bullhead in flames, parked next to where a truck had stood moments ago. All that remained of the attack was a scorched crater.
Adam Taurus would pay.
/- - - - - - - – -/
The fire outside cast the refinery in an eerie glow. The screams of the dying could be heard even this far in, sending a chill down Adam's spine. Atlas or not, they were still people. They still felt pain, even if it paled in comparison to the pain inflicted on the faunus. Maybe once they'd suffered, Atlas would come to understand a little of what they'd caused for him and his kind. Probably not, but facing Atlas alone in a city he knew practically nothing about had him grasping for anything positive.
The trucks should be out by now. His distraction seemed to have done its job, throwing the soldiers into chaos and keeping their focus on the wrong side of the building. He could see one of the bullheads out front still, hovering over the explosion. The hum of turbines nearby told him another waited just outside his entrance. He hadn't heard any others and hoped the White Fang had slipped away unnoticed. He wouldn't know until he escaped.
If he escaped. He'd heard the enemy stacking up outside the door, and while some had fled back to the wreckage in a vain attempt to help, those blasted robots hadn't budged. He was tempted to rush out and take advantage of the confusion, cutting through their metal toys to even the odds a little, but it wasn't worth the risk. Robots he could probably handle. Crossfire from the soldiers might be delayed but would eventually hamper his efforts. The real concern, though, was that bullhead hanging overhead. It hadn't fired yet, but he didn't fancy his chances against that level of firepower.
And then there was the Schnee.
Specialist Winter Schnee. If he hadn't recognized her from all the news reports, he certainly knew about her through Sienna. A skilled fighter that graduated top of her class in Atlas, now a rising star in the Atlas military. Her name might have opened doors for her, but he'd seen some of her combat footage. There was no denying he faced a skilled opponent. The fact she was here without other Huntsmen spoke of her confidence in taking Adam down. As much as he wanted to claim arrogance on her part, the truth was she was the superior fighter. She'd had years of training, even before going to Atlas Academy, while he'd only had a fraction of her experience. He'd never even properly beaten Jean, and Winter Schnee would've made short work of someone like him. What hope did Adam have against someone like that with a sizable amount of backup?
None. At least not in a straight-up fight. Instead, Adam had aimed a truck-sized bomb directly at where he knew she'd be. "Hiding in the back like a coward. Typical Schnee." Why bother fighting her own battles when she could let others do the work for her? She'd sent her toy soldiers after him, so he'd fired back with one of his own. Omega wouldn't be getting a burial at sea, but Adam felt he'd prefer taking some of Atlas down with him over an anonymous dumping. One final act of rebellion, even after his death. Adam would make sure they held a memorial for him later to honor his sacrifice.
He didn't doubt for a second that the Schnee had survived. Now, robbed of her comfortable hiding spot, she'd be coming straight for him. Every instinct screamed for him to cut his losses and run, but he couldn't. Not yet. If he ran, they'd sweep the city for him. Every exit would be shut down and monitored, trapping the rest of the White Fang inside. He needed to buy them enough time to slip through in the chaos. Only then would he be able to retreat, which meant he had to keep Specialist Schnee busy a little longer.
He heard an explosion nearby - one he hadn't been involved with and much closer than he liked. A cloud of dust - the normal kind - swept into the refinery, glowing brightly from the light outside. It looked like Atlas was done underestimating him. He'd already rigged one entrance, so why not two? Rather than risk it, they'd let themselves in further down, blasting a hole in the wall. Peering out from between the machinery Adam had chosen for cover, he could see the glowing forms of more robots rushing in first, forming up just inside the large room to secure the new entrance. They held their ground, grouping into a rough semicircle as they waited for the real threat to arrive.
She was taller than he'd expected - still a few inches shorter than him, but he wasn't exactly short. She wore the same uniform as she'd done in Mistral, only now the pristine white was smudged and covered in soot. She scanned the room in an instant, glaring at the darkness beyond as if expecting it to flee before her intense anger.
And boy, was she angry. Adam wondered if the attack or her unkempt appearance upset her more. It didn't matter, since both were his fault and she looked eager to make him pay. So much for the stoicness of the Schnee.
As if hearing his thoughts, Specialist Schnee dusted herself off and schooled her face into a more stoic appearance, standing straighter as she cleared her throat. "Adam Taurus." Her voice carried through the building with ease. "You are accused of arson, rebellion, murder, and a host of other crimes, including your attempt on my life moments ago. Surrender peacefully, and no harm will come to you."
Did she really think that would work? He'd be willing to bet her robots were recording everything, broadcasting it back to some secure room up on Atlas with her superiors watching and waiting. She had to put on a good show. That way Atlas could claim they'd tried to end things peacefully. He doubted they'd show the footage of Omega being gunned down in cold blood.
Well, if it was a show they wanted, it was a show they'd get.
"I guarantee you will receive a fair trial if you come quietly."
"I've had enough fairness from the SDC," Adam called back, quietly moving to a new hiding spot as she followed the sound of his voice but held her ground.
"I am a member of the Atlas military," Specialist Schnee replied in a laughable attempt to separate the two. "I have no affiliation with the SDC."
"Other than your name." She was the firstborn of Jacques Schnee, CEO of the SDC and the man most responsible for the suffering of faunus across Remnant.
"Who my family is has no bearing on your crimes." No, but having a Schnee come after him stank of a corporate cover up. "I am a Specialist of Atlas, and I have been tasked with bringing you in to answer for your crimes."
"And who will answer for the crimes against me? Against all faunus? What of those?" All they talked about was what he'd done. Not once did they mention the corruption of Orostachys or the attack on Shidekobushi. Abusive overseers and corrupt Huntsmen got away with murder - or attempted murder in his case - while he became public enemy number one the moment he fought back.
The world was against him every step of the way, trying to crush him under its giant, Atlesian boot.
"I do not condone the actions of the SDC," Specialist Schnee claimed.
"No. You just protect them."
"I am not-"
"Save it!" Adam didn't feel like listening to any more of her pathetic excuses. "Atlas. The SDC. You're all the same! And you all must pay."
The time for talk was over. "Very well. If you will not come peacefully, then I will be forced-"
Adam cut off her words but missed her head as she dodged back, narrowly avoiding the tip of his sword as he descended from above. Little by little, he'd flanked his way around, hoping to catch her off guard. The moment she recovered her footing, she launched straight into the fight. Her saber clashed against Adam's blade with far more force than it had any right to, sparking as metal grated against metal. A superior fighter she might be, but Adam found himself leaning into the weapon lock, pushing his opponent back through raw strength. All the lien in the world couldn't buy that for her, it seemed.
What it could buy was training, though. Adam saw it too late - the moment she shifted to the side, letting him break through her guard as she sidestepped and threw him off balance. The brief moment it took him to catch himself found her saber skating down his back, clashing with his aura as he screamed in agony. He swung blindly in her direction, but she was already gone.
First blood was hers, unless you counted his truck attack beforehand. Then again, maybe first blood belonged to Omega.
Adam turned, sword sheathed but ready to draw in an instant with his finger on the trigger. Specialist Schnee watched him carefully but seemed in no hurry. "A new sword. It seems our reports are out of date."
"You've been studying me?"
"To defeat an enemy, you must know your enemy," she recited with all the warmth of one of her robots. "I have reviewed your information, just as I am sure the White Fang has watched me." Not hard with how famous she was. "Which means you know my capabilities and just how outmatched you are here." She was right, as loath as Adam was to admit it. "Even should you triumph, what then? My men are surrounding this building as we speak and reinforcements are on the way. Defeating me simply means someone else will be the one to arrest you."
She was stalling, and for good reason. He was alone, while she had limitless resources to call on. Every second that passed made his odds that much worse. "So what, I'm supposed to just give up and let you kill me?"
Specialist Schnee sighed through her nose but kept her guard up. "I do not wish to kill you, despite what you may think. Lay down your arms, and you have my word that you will be treated fairly."
"The word of a Schnee." Worthless. He'd sooner trust a Beowolf than someone beholden to that vile name. "I'll take my chances."
"You will lose," she assured him.
"Then I'll die fighting."
"As you wish." The switch from conversation to combat was almost instantaneous. Adam saw the glyph form beneath her just in time to leap to the side, diving through a gap in the machinery and into the next row as she shot past. He raced down the row, leaping over a conveyor belt as he sought to put distance between them.
Despite his boasts, he had no intention of dying here. Certainly not at the hands of a Schnee. He couldn't fight her, and like she said, beating her wouldn't change anything. Whatever window he had was closing fast. He hadn't bought as much time as he wanted, but it would have to do.
"There's nowhere to run, Taurus." Her voice chased after him, but he had the advantage at the moment. She'd have to track him through a dark maze of metal monstrosities, always wary of an ambush at every turn, while he could weave through the shadows with ease. He just needed to make his way to an exit and escape before she figured out where he'd gone. He rushed for the doors they'd originally come from.
And ran straight into a pair of her robots.
"Intrud-"
He cut them down in a flash, but the damage had already been done. She had other units already in the building, doubtlessly feeding her intel every step of the way. She knew where he was now. Adam turned to hear the pounding of feet approaching, prepared for another clash with his persistent opponent.
What he wasn't prepared for was a Beowolf charging around the corner and bearing down on him with dogged determination. It wasn't like any Beowolf he'd ever seen before, glowing white with blue light shining from its eyes and open mouth like some sort of inverse of its darker cousin.
A summons. Yet another annoying trait he'd known about but hoped never to face.
Even if it didn't look like a regular Beowolf, it sure shared the relentless violence of one. It crashed through a table without flinching, leaping straight for him with arms and jaws open wide. Adam cut upwards, tearing through the monster's chest and shattering the strange creature in a single blow. Motes of light scattered around him just in time to reveal the true threat.
Adam turned just in time to take the blow on his shoulder instead of his head, but it still hurt like heck. How had she caught up to him so fast? She must've used her stupid glyphs all the way across the refinery, wielding a Grimm - the very creature that had nearly killed him as a child - as nothing more than a distraction. The same monster that people outside her vaunted city feared with every fiber of their being turned into a plaything for the spoiled Specialist.
She lunged straight at him, the tip of her sword aimed for his throat. He batted it away contemptuously, only to gasp as a second blade passed in front of his face. Since when did she have two swords? Apparently Atlas wasn't the only one that needed to update their intelligence. Had he not instinctively leaned back at the last second, she might well have added an extra underline to the initials beneath his mask.
Both swords slammed down against his own. Extra sword or not, she had to know a test of strength still wouldn't work here. Evidently, she did know, as she used his defense to launch herself over him, twisting in midair to strike at his back. Adam rolled forward frantically, feeling a slight breeze against his neck as he did.
"Surrender." This again? Did she always talk this much in a fight? Poised between him and his escape and with nothing nearby for Adam to use for cover, she had reason to feel confident. He hadn't so much as scratched her while she hounded him from every direction.
"Never."
"Then let us end this." A new glyph sprung to life beside her. Two massive arms sprang from it, dragging the full form of a Beowolf from the floor as if she'd opened a portal to the underworld itself. Typical Schnee, having others fight in her place. The moment he looked at it, she charged instead, making him pay dearly for taking his eyes off her.
Her solitary blows from earlier were swapped for a flurry of blows that he struggled to keep up with. Every strike he blocked left him open to the next one. None of them were particularly devastating on their own. He blocked the worst, but a steady stream of cuts against his legs, arms, back, and any other spot he couldn't protect fast enough began to whittle him down. He caught her next strike against his sword, then managed to get his scabbard up to block her smaller blade, giving him a moment to breathe.
A massive paw struck his side, throwing him away before he could even think of what to do next. He'd almost forgotten about her little pet, but it sure hadn't forgotten about him. It stood on hind legs beside its master, panting softly as the two stared him down. At some unknown signal, both rushed in again, Specialist swinging at his right with the beast doing the same on his right. He was about to become an Adam sandwich, crushed between two slices of cruelty.
Adam swung for the Specialist, focused on the true threat while his other hand snatched his scabbard and spun it around in a motion drilled into him a thousand times by Kaito. His eyes stayed focused on his real opponent, but he could feel the shift as he brought a barrel up, instinctively planting it against the Beowolf's chest before squeezing the trigger.
Just as he thought, the thing shattered before it could hit him, robbing his opponent of her unnatural ally. He caught her eyes narrowing for a split second on his scabbard. Apparently, that wasn't something in his file either. She flipped back gracefully, narrowly avoiding his attempt to make sure she didn't have a leg to stand on, before landing directly on a new glyph that shot her several feet further in a flash.
Before he could give chase, Specialist Schnee stabbed the ground in front of her. The ground glowed ominously around her as small shapes sprung to life and began circling in the air. Nevermore. One of them wouldn't be much trouble, but a dozen or more? She seemed intent on chipping away at him, little by little, taking her time as she proved who the superior fighter truly was.
This wasn't a fight; it was a demonstration. A reminder of just how powerless he was in the face of his oppressors. As much as she claimed to be just doing her duty, she was taking her time breaking him. She didn't want him to lose. She wanted him to give up. Atlas. The SDC. This Specialist. They wanted him broken, down on his knees, begging for mercy. They wanted to prove their dominance as a reminder to anyone else who might dream of escaping their tyranny someday. Servitude or suffering. Those were the only options they gave him.
He chose a third.
The Nevermore flock turned as one for him, aimed like bullets from a gun at the rebellious faunus who dared to dream of more. Every muscle in Adam's body tensed. He gripped his sword so hard his knuckles turned white. The glow of the fire intensified, casting the room in its destruction light as he ripped his blade free in front of him, cutting through the air before the first Nevermore ever reached him.
Red light coalesced behind his blade into an angry wave that cut across the room, engulfing the Nevermore one by one as his rage cut through the very air itself like the fin of a shark. The ground itself gave way, spraying bots of stone as his attack destroyed everything in its path.
How she managed to avoid getting hit, Adam would never know. Probably another one of her damned glyphs, but all he could see was the red arc tearing past her as she dove for cover. It carried through, carving through machinery effortlessly until it crashed into the wall beyond, splitting it in a violent explosion and vanishing somewhere beyond.
Adam fell to his knees, barely registering what had happened before the light faded and darkness claimed the room once more. In fact, it seemed to claim the ground around him rather intensely. He tried to stand, but something pulled him down, fixing him in place. By the time he realized the intricate shape of the shadow beneath him, it was too late.
"A valiant effort, but all for naught." Specialist Schnee stalked forward slowly, pointing a single saber at him with a strained look on her face. He wasn't sure where her mysterious second sword had gone, but she didn't seem to need it any longer. The black glyph continued to swirl angrily around him, fighting to drag him to the floor. "Adam Taurus, by order of the Council of Atlas, I hereby place you under arrest."
A squad of her robotic soldiers stomped up in unison, surrounding them and further sealing his fate. Exhausted, pinned to the floor, and heavily outnumbered, Adam waited for the final blow. "Do it. Kill me already."
He'd lost. The rest of the White Fang would get away, but he'd never make it to Dormir. Sienna would wait for the return of her most useful tool in vain. Jakob, Bane, and the others would mourn his loss, but at least they'd survive. Blake…gods, Blake would probably hate him for not coming back. Better her anger than her tears. She'd be okay in time. They all would. They'd find a way to move on without him. All that waited for him now was an unceremonious death.
"My orders are to bring you in alive," Specialist Schnee said. Like that mattered. Whether she took him dead or alive would only change who struck the final blow. He'd rather die here, fallen in battle, than be paraded around Atlas and propped up as a warning for every other faunus in Remnant - a cautionary tale against trying to change their lot in life. His trial would be highly publicized, as would his eventual execution.
He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Fighting with every ounce of strength he had left, Adam lifted a hand to his blazer, reaching inside to pull out a small cylinder with a glowing button on top. "Sorry to disappoint."
His thumb slammed down before Specialist Schnee could stop him.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Thanks, Tom," Margaret practically shouted at the camera, fighting to be heard over the engines of the news bullhead she was strapped into. With the side door open to let them look down on the SDC refinery below, such was not an easy task. "Below us, you can see the refinery where elements of the White Fang have seized the building. Initial reports indicate that the wanted terrorist, Adam Taurus, may be the one leading this brazen attack on our city, though the military has refused to comment on an ongoing incident." Which might as well have confirmed it. They would've shut down a false story like that in a heartbeat to avoid panic.
Margaret waited a second or two for Tom's voice to come through her headset, relayed from the studio up in Atlas. "Margaret, it looks like there's some sort of wreckage outside the building. Do we have any idea what that might be?"
Of course they knew. Wreckage or not, it was hard to miss the militarized bullhead burning away in the night. "It appears to be an Atlas Manta aircraft. Locals reported hearing a large explosion several minutes ago, indicating a possible attack by the White Fang." And what a terrifying thought that was. She'd covered plenty of White Fang rallies, but the worst she ever saw was a few rowdy protestors getting arrested. Bombings in the streets marked a massive escalation. "No word yet on whether anyone was injured in the blast." Or killed. She had a feeling there'd be a few casualties, judging by the chunk of pavement missing next to the Manta.
"Hopefully everyone made it out okay," Tom agreed. "It looks like the downed aircraft has Specialist markings on it. Can you get any closer to confirm?"
Fat chance there, but Tom already knew that. She could recognize a softball question when she heard it. "We've been told to keep our distance while Atlas military personnel deal with the threat. You can see two dropships monitoring the area ahead, indicating a sizable presence on the ground. Sources say Specialist Winter Schnee has already entered the building, along with the new AK-130 units that debuted only a few months ago. Given Specialist Schnee's involvement in the Adam Taurus investigation, her presence might prove the terrorist's involvement in this attack."
"Terrifying stuff," said the man seated comfortably above with plenty of security. He wasn't the one that had flown to an active battlefield at breakneck speeds just to get footage of the outside of a building. "Do we have any idea why the White Fang would target an empty refinery like this?"
"No official reason yet. Whether they intend to send a message or this is simply part of the White Fang's vendetta against the SDC, we can only-"
Margaret's head slammed into the metal wall behind her as the bullhead lurched suddenly, propelled sideways by a tremendous blast. Sirens and warning tones blared from the cockpit as their craft struggled to stay airborne, spinning wildly while the pilot fought for control. She could barely breathe, her restraints digging into her chest until their terrifying pirouette began to slow. The craft shot upwards, pushing her down into her seat as they sought more altitude, well beyond where they'd been only a moment ago.
"Margaret? Margaret? Are you okay?" A hysterical part of her mind pointed out that she'd never heard that much emotion in Tom's voice before, even those couple of times they'd hooked up last year. Maybe there was still something there.
Recovering her senses, Margaret sat herself back up, still clutching the microphone as if her life depended on it. "We're okay, Tom. We…" She glanced out the open door and gasped at what she saw, waving for her cameraman to ignore her and capture the scene below instead. People could get proof of her survival later. What mattered was the headline unfolding outside. "My gods. Tom, it looks like…" A warzone. "The refinery…it's gone."
Not completely, but over half the building lay in ruin. A large chunk of wall, suddenly standing alone, collapsed inward, blowing away some of the rising column of smoke that could probably be seen all the way from Argus. The city was bathed in the menacing light of the largest fire she'd seen since the Mantle Arsonist had been captured five years ago. Heck, even he would've struggled to pull off something that big.
"Margaret, what's happened?"
Oh, right. They were still live. The viewing audience at home could sit in stunned silence. Her job was to talk, even when words failed her. "T-Tom, it looks like the refinery exploded." Obviously, but she didn't really have anything to work with. "I don't know how anyone could survive something like that. I can't say for certain, but- wait! Over there!" Margaret frantically pointed to the far side of the building. "Get us closer!"
Flight restrictions be damned. They could deal with whatever reprimands came later, but right now, she needed to get that footage, especially if it was what she thought it was. This was the kind of shot that would cement her place in the history books.
As their bullhead swung far closer than a civilian aircraft had any right to, Margaret could hear her cameraman zooming in. She checked her scroll, watching the live feed to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Sure enough, a lone form clad in white was pushing her way out of the rubble. "Is that…it is! Tom, it looks like Specialist Schnee has survived! She looks injured, but well enough to stand. Soldiers are rushing to assist, but she's waving them off. She made it, Tom! She's alive!"
Margaret could already imagine that shot playing non-stop for hours. The triumph of Atlas. Atlas standing tall in the face of adversity. White Fang fails to topple Atlas. So many headlines and captions praising the tenacity and endurance of the Atlas military. Nothing boosted patriotism like a story of triumph and an enemy to rally against. Margaret was certain of two things that would come out of tonight.
Winter Schnee would be a hero to the public, and Adam Taurus and the White Fang had grown into a real threat.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Clawing his way out of the ruins of the refinery had been a pain. As far away from the center of the blast as they'd been, all that leftover dust in the basement had gone off like a bomb, flattening half the building and bringing the roof down on him, the Schnee, and all her robots. He'd been lucky that a large column had fallen between him and the Specialist, cutting her off and giving him cover to make some distance before the rest of the building came down on his head. He'd waited for focus to shift away from his corner and sprinted down a dark alley, eager to make as much distance as possible.
Maybe sprinted wasn't the right word. More he'd thrown himself forward, trusting his feet to keep up as he limped away, bouncing off the alley walls shakily. He wanted nothing more than to stop and catch his breath, but he had to get away before anyone spotted him. His aura barely survived the blast, but other than some nasty cuts and bruises, he'd be fine. Better than whatever Atlas had planned for him should they capture him.
His luck held as he stuck to the shadows, ducking for cover at every siren. A drugged out teen would wake up in a few hours, chilled to the bone and missing his coat, but Adam needed it more than he did. He considered seeking out the White Fang for help escaping the city, but he didn't want to risk leading anyone back to them. He'd have to go alone.
Atlesian incompetence saved him from having to sneak past one of the gates. Felicia had identified a couple of breaches in the wall that were still under repair. Finding one took a while, but eventually he found the hole and slipped out of Mantle without a word.
The sun rose to find him trudging through the snow alone, doing little to warm his frozen body. The last of his aura had faded fighting against the cold. He fought on, doing his best to stay alive no matter how much his body begged to take a break. If he stopped, he'd never be able to start again.
He hadn't survived the might of Atlas just to fall to their weather.
It took him hours to make it to Dormir, though he had no idea why he headed there. He'd given specific instructions for them to leave by sunrise. They'd be well on their way to Menagerie by now, with both the refugees and, hopefully, two truckloads of dust. He didn't really have anywhere else to go, though. He couldn't go back to Mantle. If getting there didn't kill him, Atlas would. Dormir was one of the only settlements he knew and would hopefully let him lie low for a bit and figure things out. Maybe he could find a ship heading for Anima and sneak aboard. Mistral wanted him dead almost as much as Atlas did, but he'd rather take his chances in the forests of Anima than the harsh wastelands of Solitas.
Adam nearly cried when he finally caught sight of Dormir in the distance. Probably would have, if he didn't think his tears would freeze to his face. His pace quickened at the promise of shelter and warmth. An inn would be the best choice, but he didn't have lien for it and couldn't risk being recognized. Maybe he could find a storehouse to hide out in. Or even a shed. Anything that blocked out the wind and snow. His eyes looked over the settlement as he came closer, identifying possible targets for him. Maybe a public restroom in a store. The smoke from a blacksmith's forge looked awfully tempting. Or maybe the large ship at the pier would have space.
Wait.
"Those idiots!" He knew that ship. Why were they still here? Had something gone wrong? Did Atlas find them before they could get underway? His mind raced almost as fast as his feet until he found himself running past people in the street and up a ramp to the main deck.
A single figure stood near the rail, watching him with relief as he stomped his way over. Even Adam's fist failed to wipe the smile off Bane's face.
"You're back!" Bane excitedly proclaimed, ignoring Adam's pathetic attack. To be fair, with how exhausted Adam felt, it probably barely even registered to the giant.
"Why are you still here?" Adam demanded. "I told you to leave me. The civilians come first."
"They're fine," Bane assured him. "Dust got here hours ago. Everything's loaded and ready to go, but we wanted to wait for you."
"You kept them here?"!?"
"We took a vote. No one wanted to abandon you." Those morons. Didn't they know he was fighting to keep them safe? What if he'd died? Or gotten arrested? They would've waited around until Atlas found them. Then his sacrifice would've been in vain.
"I told you to leave," Adam repeated. "You promised me you'd get them out."
"I promised to get everyone out," Bane corrected. "That includes you."
Adam wanted to hit him again, even if he knew it would do no good. That moron. He'd risked everyone for him on a whim. The mission mattered more than he did. Bane should've known that.
Adam didn't even realize Bane had steered him inside until the door opened and a blast of delicious heat washed over him. He nearly fell over the moment he stepped inside, but Bane caught him and helped him along. Not to the wheelhouse or the bunks, but to the cafeteria where a steaming mug of coffee found its way into his hand. He huddled over it, breathing in the steam as he let the heat seep into his hands. The room was packed with faces he didn't recognize - refugees that he'd helped rescue from Mantle. They watched him with reverence, giving him space as the ship left Dormir and headed for Menagerie.
Headed for home.
Adam lives. Winter lives. Everyone lives! Well, except some of those unnamed soldiers, but who cares about background characters?
We never get to see Adam and Winter fight, but I feel like they would've crossed paths at some point. In a 1v1, I think I'd honestly take Winter to win, especially this early on. He'll get stronger, but Adam was killed by two basically first-years while Winter has years of private teaching and graduated top of her class at Atlas Academy. In other words, the strongest Huntress in her year. Add on military training with Ironwood's elite unit and she is a far more intimidating force than I think she gets credit for before V7/8. This is a younger, less experienced Winter with a lot to prove still, so she's not quite canon Winter in attitude yet, but she's close.
Adam's Semblance grows again, which we'll see more of in the coming chapters. Up until now, it's all been melee-range, but now we get to see the ranged capability developing as well. Still room to improve, of course, but we're getting there. And yes, I did slightly steal the idea of a ranged slash cutting through her Nevermore summons from the Qrow vs Winter fight in V3, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Next chapter: Adam returns to Menagerie after a successful mission.