So I made a bit of a mistake last chapter. The whole 'Do you know Little Red Riding Hood' thing. That was meant to imply that Crue was going to tell SSN everything. Him being able to turn into a Wolf Monster and all about Salem, yes, but also how he's not from Remnant. I thought that last part was implied because that story isn't actually from Remnant. I should have been clearer. Or maybe I should have used a different wording.

Crue: "Well, my favourite fairy tale involves four girls of various colours in a world of magic and monsters."

Yeah that probably would have left nothing up to interpretation lol.

Also I don't know if this is common knowledge or not but the notifications on this sight at fuucked~ which means I haven't been getting emails about reviews or pms, and I felt awful when I saw some that I hadn't responded to for weeks. Hopefully they'll fix it soon.

Anyway, the chapter is finished and ready to read! Enjoy!

Adam Taurus stared at the man in the mirror. A tall Faunus with auburn hair that spiked backward, a pair of reddish black horns poked upward out of the hair. A single bright blue eye stared back, the other was bloodied red with a grey iris.

Above that eye was the symbol that burned Adam's insides with an unquenchable hatred. SDC. Even if it was mirrored, Adam could never forget the searing pain that coursed through his body when he received that scar.

Everything in the mirror showed a man who was willing to do whatever it takes. Everything he had done since joining the White Fang was to make the world a better place for the Faunus. Even if others didn't realise it.

His blood boiled as he thought of Blake, who had ran off with her tail tucked between her legs leaving him to fend for himself on a train swarming with SDC Droids. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she fell into the arms of a Schnee.

His fists clenched, his leather gloves creaking in anger as he shuddered with rage. The reflected brand on his face seemed to mock him, but in an incredible act of self control, he managed to hold back on slamming a fist into the mirror.

He wasn't superstitious, but seven months of bad luck was not what he needed right now. No, what he needed was something to take away the shaking in his right leg. He glanced down at it. The grey dress pants hid it well, but his injury was still there.

The phantom pain of razor sharp fangs piercing through his Aura and into his leg shot through him, as it had several times since the attack had occurred. He brought a hand up to rest against his chest, his lungs burning ever so slightly with the four long slashes that went across his chest.

He knew the cause. That monstrous beast that attacked him before he could finally exact his revenge. But, he also knew who that monster was.

He recognised those eyes.

Those eyes of molten gold that stared deep into his soul and caused every instinct his body had to scream at him to flee.

Crue Cullen was able to scratch through his Aura with just his nails, and this monster could do the same. He was no fool. He could put the facts together.

Crue was a Monster.

He was almost glad- on second thought. He was very glad the man was dead. If not for what he did to him alone, then for how far back his very existence would set Faunus back. A Wolf Faunus with the ability to turn into a monstrous version of a Wolf. The Humans would be killing them in their hundreds.

Not that they didn't do that already. A scowl overtook his face, the mirror reflecting the thunderous expression. It stretched his brow and caused the brand to sting painfully. The expression remained, but the recipient of it was changed.

No longer was it directed at the Humans, who were responsible for his suffering, for the suffering of all Faunus. No, now that anger was directed inward.

Adam was a Leader. He had to be fearless. Ruthless. Defiant in the face of danger. That was who his men had come to expect to lead them.

And yet…

Two golden eyes suddenly appeared in the mirror, staring at him over his shoulder. Adam's sword was already free of its sheath, as he caught it in one hand and swung downward.

A large, meaty hand caught it midswing before it could go any further. "If this is how you treat your allies, I would hate to see how you treat your enemies." A deep, gravelly voice spoke.

The haze around Adam's vision cleared, allowing him to look up. A huge, muscular Human, wearing an olive green coat, with short brown hair and a beard stared down at him. Adam stared back, examining his eyes.

They were hazel. Not gold. The smallest sighs of relief left Adam's lungs, as he pulled his sword back. The Human let him, releasing the grip so it would affect his Aura. He would not apologise. Certainly not to a Human. But, he did sheath his sword. "I did not hear you enter."

The man gave a simple grunt in response. "You seemed to be distracted. I did not wish to interrupt."

Adam frowned, realising that had the man before him truly been an enemy, he would have been in severe trouble. "I was recalling Beacon. Remembering what we are fighting for. That's why you're here, correct? To make sure the White Fang is allied with Cinder's benefactor."

He mans hazel eyes narrowed an inch at the mention of Cinder. "You are right. But I suggest not referring to her as such. My Master, and Cinder's, is much more than a mere benefactor."

Adam left the conversation there. He had yet to meet this Master, but they were aiding his cause. Perhaps once this was all over, he might have a chance to meet them.

Regardless, Adam turned away from the Human and picked up his mask. "Well…" He began, putting it into place. "Let's go see what Sienna thinks of your Master, shall we?"

…

Sienna watched as Adam entered her chamber. She had two guards on either side of her throne, several more lining the walls in pairs. And Vaus, the hired bodyguard that she made certain no one else in the White Fang knew about.

He was hidden behind the massive tapestry with the White Fang's symbol that hung from the ceiling. All of this protection, all of these measures, and still, her muscles tensed when Adam strode towards her.

The warning from Kali was fresh in her mind, as Adam came to a stop some distance before the small set of stairs. He knelt down, bowing his head before her.

"High Leader Khan." He intoned, before glancing up. He was wearing his mask, which made reading his emotions somewhat difficult. However, this was Adam. Sienna had fought with him for years, and could tell he was filled with a silent confidence.

She could also tell he was favouring one leg over the other. An injury from the idiotic attack on Beacon that he refused to go into detail about. Something to keep in mind should he decide to attempt something now.

Kali had not mentioned a specific date of the intended overthrowing, but seeing as Adam had been bringing up Haven more and more, she had a feeling it would be soon. "Adam." Sienna stated.

"I trust you have come to a decision in regards to Haven." He looked up, a knowing smile on his face. Sienna scowled.

"You mean a new decision?" Her hands clenched into fists, nails scraping the armrests of her throne. She had already given him her answer.

"I am not going to repeat myself. So I want you to listen closely." She leaned forward, still seated. "The White Fang will not attack Haven Academy."

"High Leader Khan, I am begging you." He looked up, still kneeling while holding out a hand, as if offering her to take it.

"You should beg for forgiveness and nothing else!" Sienna snarled. Her blood was boiling. She already knew he wanted to overthrow her. To cast her out. And here he was, acting like he was giving her a choice.

"The assault you led on Beacon was not the great victory you clearly think it was. Or did you forget, that it was a Faunus who was blamed for it." Her amber eyes narrowed as she saw Adam tense at the fact, looking to the ground as his hand curled into a fist.

Sienna decided to test something. "Yes, a Faunus. Crue Cullen. The same Faunus that was witnessed and recorded fighting and defeating a high ranking member of the Atlesian military, a Schnee no less." There was a murmuring of approval among the guards, several of them smirking and whispering to their nearest coworker.

Sienna knew the name well. He had become extremely popular within the ranks of the White Fang, and among Faunus across Remnant.

How often does one see another of their own kind actually fight against their oppressors, who had for so long had them in literal chains. For the White Fang, it happened quite often, as it should have. But never had they dared go directly against the Atlesian Military in such a fashion.

They were powerful, much too powerful. Though it seemed some people forgot that. "You should be grateful your punishment was not more severe. Or did you think attacking an academy would somehow raise your status as a symbol in the eyes of others. What were you thinking?!"

"I was merely trying to follow your example, High Leader." Adam finally found his voice. "The humans have seen our strength now."

Sienna frowned. "I was one of the first to suggest violence where violence was necessary. Peace bred complacency and acceptance of our place in the world. I will not allow humanity to push us down without pushing them back."

"But the destruction of the Huntsman Academies crosses a line! Huntsmen protect us all from Grimm. The destruction of the CCT brought communication to a crawl! And the White Fang, the Faunus are more of a target now than ever before!"

Menagerie was the only safe haven for Faunus left. And if Adam went attacking even more Academies, it would bring the world knocking on their door. "You have justified humanity's campaign against us, and for what!?"

"Empty promises from a group of humans? Humans we still know nothing about, and come and go as they please! These are not examples of strength, Adam. They are examples of your talents being wasted by shortsightedness!"

Sienna slammed her fist down on her throne in anger. This was going against everything the White Fang stood for! She blinked once. "Was this how Kali and Ghira felt?"

"If you want to know more about the humans…" Adam began, standing slowly. "Then why not talk to one of them yourself." He turned towards the entrance of room. "Hazel!"

The doors opened, pushed open like they were plywood. A man entered, huge, with rippling muscles and dark brown hair and beard. And no Faunus traits to be seen. Sienna stood from her throne, eyes wide as the guards that lined the walls pointed their weapons towards the Human.

"What is this?!" Sienna hissed, looking at Adam as if he had gone mad. He had brought a Human to the White Fang's headquarters. She realised he had already gone mad.

"Apologies." The man's voice rumbled. "I don't aim to cause any trouble." Sienna had heard that from Humans before. And it never proved true.

"You brought a Human here?!" Sienna grit her teeth as she stared daggers at Adam.

"You should hear what he has to say." "This is grounds for execution!" Maybe she could use this as a way to get rid of Adam before he got rid of her.

"Ma'am." Hazel interrupted, his voice an oxymoronic thing that seemed both quiet and loud at the same thing. "Please. Nobody needs to die today." Before her eyes, the Human kneeled. "I'm just asking for a moment of your time."

The action surprised her, but she quickly refocused. "The longer you stay here, the less of a chance you have of leaving alive."

Still looking at the ground, the man spoke. "I'll take those chances…" His head lifted up, and Sienna could have sworn his eyes glinted with gold. "If you don't mind."

Sienna squinted at the Human before her, but said nothing. She took a step back, sitting back down and bringing up a leg to rest on her knee. The guards around her took this as a sign to lower their weapons and stand at attention.

"You don't like me." Hazel began, standing tall and becoming eye level with Sienna, even with her sitting on the raised throne. "You have no reason to like me. But you don't have to like me to get the results you want."

"I'm starting to doubt either of you fully comprehend what it is that I want. I want Humanity to fear the Faunus. To know that we demand respect! I do not want to start a war with the Humans that we cannot win!"

"That's where you're wrong." Adam spoke up, smiling in that aggravating way that suggested he knew something she did not. Hazel glanced towards him as he spoke, his expression suggesting this wasn't part of an agreed upon plan.

"We can win a war against the Humans. Not only because we have the support of Hazel's master, but because the Faunus are the dominant species of this planet. We're better than the Humans." With each point he made, he stepped closer to Sienna, going up the steps that led to her throne.

"We have everything the Humans have and more. Humans shouldn't just fear the Faunus, they should serve the Faunus." His smile was nothing short of maddening.

"I've had enough of this conversation for tonight." Sienna looked upon Adam with a scorn she didn't think she had possible for such an old friend and ally. "Guards. Take them away."

She waited for the smile to dissipate from Adam's face, as the two guards closest to her moved forward.

They were stopped, by the other two resting a hand on their shoulders. Sienna looked to the guards halting the others in disbelief. "I said take them away!" The two who had stepped forward looked to their allies in confusion.

"I will admit, Sienna, you were right about my popularity. My followers in Vale already see me as the true High Leader. And many here in Mistral feel the same." There was a commotion from the doors, as they were blown open.

Four armed White Fang burst in, as the rest of the guards around the hall reacted. Some pointed their weapons towards the intruders, but more pointed their weapons towards her. Sienna stood to her feet, eyes wide in shock.

This was it. This was what Kali had warned her about. "What are you doing?" Hazel questioned, a fearsome scowl on his face.

"What's right for the Faunus." Adam answered. "From this day forward, I will be the one to lead the White Fang." More soldiers came out from between the pillars, wearing the colours of the Vale sect.

Behind her, the two guards had put their spears to the throats of their supposed allies, preventing them from moving. Sienna couldn't believe they would betray their own like this.

Sienna's heart began to beat erratically, as her hands clenched as they twitched for her weapon. Adam had to die. That was the only option. "If you think I'll just step aside and follow beneath you, you're wrong."

She turned, and a flash of red was all she saw, before the sound of a gunshot boomed throughout the room.

Adam let out a yell of pain as he stumbled backward, clutching at his leg. It hadn't pierced his Aura, but it was good to see she wasn't the only one who had taken note of that particular limp in his step. The room had gone dead silent, looking above the throne and seeing a smoking hole in the flag above the throne.

There was the sound of fabric tearing, as the massive tapestry bearing the White Fang logo began to fall. From behind it, Vaus reloaded his rifle and took aim at Adam. The two guards that had been stopped before used the confusion to disarm their attackers.

Sienna dodged out of the way of the falling tapestry, grabbing her weapon and unrolling it. A whip made of of various segmented chains snapped taught as she grabbed it at two ends.

Adam finally managed to get to his feet, a snarl springing to life on his face as he glared at Sienna. For a moment, the room was deathly quiet, before both Adam and Sienna screamed at the top of their lungs.

"ATTACK!"

…

Weiss awoke to the sound of someone crying. A brief internal examination told her that it wasn't her, though she was certainly in enough pain to warrant it.

She sat up with a groan, looking around and trying to recall what she could. Her eyes widened as she realised she was in a cage, a makeshift one with a dirt floor.

And she finally found the source of the sobbing. "Pyrrha?" The champion was a small distance away, a set of hastily constructed bars separating them. She was hunched over, arms wrapped around her legs.

There was a sharp intake of breath, as Pyrrha's head turned. "Weiss! You're awake." She clambered over to Weiss, and the Heiress noticed her hands were bound. That realisation caused her to attempt to stretch her own hands, only to realise she was tied up as well.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Weiss looked over Pyrrha for any serious injuries, but couldn't find any. Despite that, her eyes were ringed red.

"Balius." Pyrrha answered, tears forming in her eyes. "He, he didn't make it." Weiss felt a deep pit form within her stomach, as she shuffled closer to try and reach Pyrrha through the bars. They were just wide enough to allow her to rest her hands on Pyrrha's shoulder, and the girl leaned into the touch.

"Well, well, well." A voice broke the serenity of the moment, as both girls glanced to the side. A pair of men dressed in a mismatch of clothing were sitting on a pair of boxes, one of them grinning while the other drank deeply from a bottle.

"Look who's awake." One said, knocking his companions chest to get him to pay attention. Weiss frowned, looking around the men and seeing several tents propped up.

"What's going on? Where are we?" She asked them. Instead, it was Pyrrha who answered softly from her side.

"Bandits." She whispered. The one word explained everything, though someone else decided they could do a better job.

"You know…" A new voice spoke up, as Weiss glanced to a nearby tent and watched as a woman with cropped brown hair exited from the flap, dressed in the same garb as the others. Icy blue eyes watched Weiss like a hawk.

"I never thought I'd see a Schnee in this camp, let alone with Mistral's sweetheart." She strode forward, as the two from before quickly stood to attention, one of them muttering something along the lines of 'Vernal'.

Vernal came to a stop before Weiss' cage, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the weapons the bandit was holding. Her rapier. And Setanta.

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she got to her feet, leaving Pyrrha to face Vernal properly. The bandit smirked, resting Myrtenaster on her shoulder and testing the weight of Setanta. Weiss watched her manhandle the weapon with eyes like chips of ice.

"What do you want?" Her voice was clipped as she scowled.

"Straight to the point. I like that." Vernal smiled, gesturing to her Setanta in its sword form. "We don't normally deal in trafficking, not really worth our time." She pushed the tip of Setanta's blade into the ground, instead waving around Myrtenaster like she owned it.

"But once we realised we had a Schnee. Along with the most well known fighter in Mistral. Well, things changed.

"You plan to ransom me to my Father." And presumably, Pyrrha to her parents as well. Weiss realised she didn't know much about her friend's home life, and wondered if they were in the same Bullhead.

Vernal smirked, leaning down on Setanta as she stared at Weiss smugly. "It's a shame you're a Schnee. You'd probably fit in quite well around here."

Weiss didn't respond, her eyes glancing to where Setanta had sunk deeper into the muck. "Vernal. Was it?" She said, her eyes meeting the bandit's with a glare that could freeze water as she stepped closer towards the confines of the cage.

Vernal raised an eyebrow, leaning in with a taunting smile. The bandit watched as Weiss began to open her mouth to speak, yet no sound came out. "What?" She frowned in confusion, leaning in closer and wondering if she was mishearing things.

"I said…" Weiss began slowly, before her arms shot out of the cage and gripped Vernal's vest. The bandit's blue eyes widened, before she was yanked forward, face slamming against the metal bars of the cage.

"If you get so much as a scratch on that weapon I will get out of here and SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!" Weiss' eyes were huge, as spittle flew from her mouth in her rage. Before Vernal could respond, Weiss shoved her back, sending the bandit onto her ass in the wet muck.

There was a snicker from behind her, as Vernal's head suddenly jerked round, glaring at the two men from before. Both their faces were indistinguishable from statues as they had a vacant, thousand yard stare that refused to give anything away.

Weiss huffed, her breath coming out in sharp pants as her blood pressure returned to normal. Pyrrha looked at Weiss with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, a mixture of shocked and impressed that she was capable of such a thing.

"You!" Vernal began, her teeth grinding against each other as she made to stand up. "This could have been nice and simple, but you just had to go and make things complicated!"

"No more so than you've already made it." Weiss glared at her captive. "Or did you think kidnapping the Heart of Mistral would go unnoticed?" She glanced to Pyrrha, almost apologetically for using her fame for something like this.

The champion appeared unbothered about that in this particular instance. "When people realise Pyrrha Nikos didn't make it home to Mistral, I dare say you'll have the whole of the Kingdom baring down on you."

"Not to mention my sister." Weiss smiled, finally feeling as though she had the upper hand. "You know me, you must know my sister. Winter Schnee. Special Operative of the Atlas Military? She's in Mistral now, and when she hears I'm missing, it won't take her long to find me."

"And you."

To her surprise, the bandit's started laughing. Vernal laughed too, turning around with a smile that suggested she was going to destroy Weiss' hopes. "You're clearly out of the loop, princess. Your sister isn't in Mistral anymore. No Atlas personnel are in Mistral anymore!"

She held her arms out wide, as if suggesting because of that her group had free run of the entire Kingdom. "General Ironwood closed the borders and recalled all his little troops and tin cans." She leaned towards Weiss, not close enough to have a repeat of before.

"No one is coming to rescue you." Vernal's sneer was nothing short of victorious. "And besides, I doubt she'd have an interest in doing any work in Mistral. Last I heard, she shacked up with some random Faunus in a Love Hotel."

The bandits laughed in unison as they walked away, leaving Weiss and Pyrrha to their own devices.

"Well, that was a lie." Weiss stated bluntly, sitting down with a sigh close to Pyrrha's side of the cage. The champion blinked in confusion.

"Which part?" She asked. "The General recalling his troops?"

"The part with my sister!" Weiss hissed, face red from embarrassment. "She would never be so unprofessional as to, shack up, with someone while on an important mission." The idea clearly disturbed Weiss, if the way she shook was any indication.

Pyrrha wanted to comfort her, but there were some more pressing matters at hand. "Then, General Ironwood did recall his troops?" She wondered how Argus was faring, the city was half-Atlas and half-Mistral.

"Yes. I overheard him and my Father arguing when I was getting ready to leave. It didn't sound good." Weiss frowned, sitting against the cage wall, her back to Pyrrha. Pyrrha copied her actions, the taller girls ponytail slipping through the bars and landing on Weiss' head, causing the Heiress to blow a puff of air to get it away.

They remained in silence for a few minutes. As dreadful as their current situation was, at least they were together. And luckily for them, the bandits did not seem to know too much about either of their abilities.

"Your Semblance is still fine, correct?" Weiss asked, looking to the metal bars of the cage. Before her eyes, each of the poles bent slightly, before freezing and returning to their proper shape. Weiss smiled. "What about your… other Semblance?"

She heard Pyrrha snap her fingers. "It's still working. Do you think your Semblance could help at all?" Pyrrha asked. Weiss thought about it, recalling her Arma Gigas summon.

"I think so." She managed a smile, and had a feeling Pyrrha was wearing a similar expression. They were still somewhat injured from the crash, so they would have to wait a while to recover their strength. But when they did...

"This bandits aren't going to know what hit them."

Spock scream: KHAAAAAAAAN!

Well, this chapter was a while in the making, and a distinct lack of Crue. Mostly because the explanation is something you, the audience, already know. And I want to save people reacting to it for when he's doing it properly. For some reason the White Fang part was a pain in the ass for me to get through, but I'm glad I did. Maybe it was just because it was so similar to how it went in the show plot wise. Oh, and in case people are wondering about the Hunstman Ex Machina from behind the tapestry, he's the same guy from when Sienna met with Kali and Neo.

I wonder how the fight will go. Only time will tell. Hazel will probably stay out of it, as this is absolutely not his fight. This is between Faunus, and whoever wins he'll work with so he has no real reason to fight alongside either.

As for Weiss and Pyrrha, let's just say the bandits picked two of the worst people to kidnap lol. I would also like to say Crue has had more of an influence on Weiss than he might have had on the others, save Ruby and her potty mouth. Speaking of, we might be seeing her and the rest of RNJR next chapter, along with a certain farm boi.

Anyways, that's it for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know if you did, and as always...

Until Next Time

-Friday