Morning came too swiftly, while the Academy had opened only two days prior and they had just gone through the grueling Initiation challenge the day before, and yet they still had classes in the morning. Ruby and Yang seemingly took this as a challenge, they woke up before even Adam, the sun was still set.
"GOOD MORNING~ TEAM RWAY!" Ruby shouted suddenly after her and Yang had gotten dressed in the school provided uniforms.
Weiss fell out of her bed in a panic. "What in the world is wrong with you?" Her voice carrying a sharp edge due to the fitful sleep she had the night before, Adam's taunts followed by his teasing had made her unable to fall asleep for a long time the night before.
"Wake up lover boy!" Yang yelled as she threw a pillow at his form on the bed, only for it to stop short, his arm springing out from under the quilt catching it.
"I'm up." Slowly he sat up, brushing his hair out of his face and back behind his horns, he would need to have it cut soon or it would start getting in his face, something he had noticed the day but hadn't done much about it. It hadn't been this long when he... died. He must have been unconscious for a long time, how had he not noticed the day
"Whoa... he's hot when he's not all broody." Yang shot Weiss a wink and a thumbs up. "Good eye."
"W-what's that supposed to mean?!"
"I can hear you." Adam grunted as he swung his legs over the side of his bed, he had went to bed in his combat gear except for the armor and weapons which had been stowed back in the Lockers. Rubbing his eyes he surveyed his team, Weiss had gotten back up and was holding a blanket around herself as if afraid of his gaze. "I'm not interested Schnee, you don't have to worry."
Weiss, now fully awake and slightly flustered, attempted to regain her composure. "Well, it's about time you decided to join the land of the living, Adam," she quipped, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Adam shook his head and went over to his bags, rifling through them until he found his school uniform. "I'm going to go get dressed." Leaving the room he heard Yang starting to needle Weiss.
"So... Weiss..." Yang's tone of voice indicated things were about go very poorly for the heiress.
Looking down he saw a piece of paper stuffed into the corner of their door. Crouching down he picked it up and unfolded it.
"'I know who you are.' Oh yeah? What a weak threat." Adam muttered as he balled up the paper and continued down the hall towards the showers, there shouldn't be anyone else awake. Honestly he was shocked that Yang and Ruby were able to wake up without making enough noise to wake him up. "Have my senses dulled? Or was I just that tired from everything?" Adam muttered aloud as he entered the bathroom and went to the showers.
Back in the dorm room Yang had Weiss pinned by her eyes. "So... Weiiiisss... spill, did you fall for Adam at first sight or did his skills during the Initiation win you over?"
Weiss was caught off guard by the question. "What are you talking about? That... ruffian threatened me on the first day!" Despite the protest there was a small pink tint washing over her pale face. Despite their rocky relationship Adam had been willing to put things aside while they were in the Initiation, gave her his boots, and even princess carried her out of the fire. Then right after all of that he began to snipe at her again, why was he so frustrating?
Yang's grin widened as she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is that right?" Weiss felt like she wasn't going to like what was said next. "Then... why were you wearing his boots at the Ruins... and kept them until we got here last night? I'm not the only one that saw."
Weiss's cheeks flushed crimson at Yang's teasing, there was a reasonable explanation, her shoes broke. "I um... well... Adam lent me his boots after my shoes broke."
"Riiiiight... you two weren't doing some extra-curricular 'team bonding' out in the Emerald Forest?"
"THAT'S RIDICULOUS!" Weiss cried out, denying the accusation leveled by Yang. Both out of pride and embarrassment. This outburst caught Ruby's attention. "Adam and I... we were just working together to get through the Initiation!"
"Right, right." Yang gave a shrug and shake of her head, before giving an evil smile that made Weiss shiver. "But I got my eye on you, gotta make sure you are up to any 'team bonding'."
Weiss wanted to reply but Ruby's voice cut in, innocent and without understanding of the situation. "But Yang, we are supposed to bond as a team."
"Rubes... that's not... never mind, you're right." Yang let out a defeated sigh, her fun had been stopped by her baby sister, of course she couldn't blame Ruby, she was much younger than them, not to mention a bit of an awkward girl even for her age.
Weiss pounced on the opportunity to get away from Yang's clutches. "That's right! A team is supposed to bond." Looking around, all of their things were still in boxes. "Let's start the team bonding by unpacking."
"Yeah... but there isn't a lot of room." Ruby said as she looked at their dorm, the beds took up a lot of the space.
Yang nodded. "True... and our little Ice Queen here has so much stuff. It isn't all going to fit."
The three stood in silence for a time before a lightbulb seeming snapped on suddenly. "Why don't we just make bunkbeds?"
"What?" Both Ruby and Weiss were taken by surprise at the suggestion.
"OOOOOH! Let's do it!" Ruby agreed instantly.
"Wait, what about Adam, doesn't he get a vote?" Suddenly changing the room and moving around their stuff while he was gone was sure to not go over well with their broody teammate.
"Oh, defending your partner? Eh Weiss? I guess we could just push yours side by side." Yang raised her eyebrows suggestively.
Weiss turn as red as Ruby's scarf almost instantly, the insinuation clear as day. "NO! No... bunk beds are fine."
It took maybe ten minutes for the three of them to pile the beds on top of one another and create makeshift steps to get to the new 'top bunk'. The beds were surprisingly sturdy after completion, resting on top of one another with enough space for the person on the bottom bunk to sit up without hitting the other. The trio looked at their newly created bunk beds, Yang and Ruby seemingly proud of their construction while Weiss hesitated. "Dibs on top bunk!" Yang yelled out, her bag flying across the room to land on the upper bed on her and Ruby's side.
"Yang~! No fair!" Ruby cried out in disappointment.
"Big sister privileges Rubes." Yang gave a wry smile as she went to unpack and decorate her bed, desk and other areas. Ruby following, her enthusiasm lesser at first but picking up quickly as she put up her things. Posters, schematics, bits and bobs from their lives, all revealing something minor about their owners.
"Good work girls!" Ruby called out, clapping her hands together. "Now, let's decorate!"
"Dibs on top bunk!" Yang called out, throwing one of her bags up onto the top bunk on the left side of the room. "You two shorties should take the bottom."
"I'm not short!" Weiss and Ruby both denied the accusation. Ruby muttering to herself about drinking milk.
Weiss hesitated as she turned back to her side of the room, the bunk bed there had yet to be claimed. Should she take the lower bunk? It was easier to get out of bed that way, but the lower bed had been where Adam had slept the night before. Turning away she decided to unpack first and figure out the sleeping arrangements later on. Yang smirked seeing Weiss' hesitation but left it be for now as she hung up a poster with several young men on it beside her pillow.
All in all it took them around forty five minutes to rearrange the room, decorate some and get dressed for the day. Yang was now trying to hang a curtain across the center of the room.
"What are you doing that for?" Weiss demanded, unsure of the blonde girl's goal.
"Oh, y'know, just giving you and your partner some privacy." There was an emphasis on partner and privacy, accompanied by a smile.
"I told you! It isn't like that! He's a monster! An animal! A crazy person!" Weiss stood up stomping her feet. "He's as mad as that brother of his, both attacking people as soon as we got here! Adam's my partner due to chance, that's it! I don't like him!"
The door clicked open, Adam stood in the doorway his hair still wet, bag and towel held in the left hand. His hair seeming to have grown out at some point was reaching his neck.
"Whoa…" Yang said looking him over. "Then can I have him?"
"Yang!" Both Weiss and Ruby yelled out.
Adam blinked a couple times as if he was completely oblivious to what was happening took in the new design of the room; bunk beds, Yang standing on a desk and chair trying to nail a curtain to the ceiling, posters, pictures, and all the other nicknacks his teammates had put up. "Did I miss something?" His voice calm, flat, his expression stony giving no indication of what he knew, heard, or was feeling.
"So… Adam… you seeing anyone?"
"Is that a trick question?" Deciding it was best to play dumb Adam gave a smirk. "Three little girls who still need to get ready."
"You're no fun." Yang grumbled as she gave up on the curtain, leaving it half up. "But Sourpus is right, we should go get ready." The sun was now peaking through their window, it should be between half past six and seven in the morning. Yang and Ruby gathered their things to take to the showers quickly but Weiss hesitated.
"Which bunk do you want?" While the question was straight forwards she seemed shy about it. If they switched beds they would be sleeping where the other person slept the night before, but if they didn't Weiss would have to get up on the top bunk every time, a tall order.
Adam considered his choices, needle the spoiled princess more to feed the ever dying embers of rage and hate in his heart… or take the high road along with the top bunk. Shaking his head a fraction he tossed his bag up onto the top bunk. "I'll take top, afraid one night you'll fall out and won't be able to get back in."
Weiss bristled at the comment. "Hey-!"
"And it is easier for both of us." Adam grunted as he moved to his bags to begin unpacking. There was not a lot, a few uniforms, some street clothes such as button up shirts and an assortment of pants, underclothes and socks. "Also, remember, practical shoes, yeah?"
Weiss let out another sigh of frustration and defeat as she grabbed her things, going to catch up with the sisters. "So annoying!"
After nearly an hour the three still hadn't returned, Adam had finished unpacking his meager belongings some time before. Getting up and going over to the door he was shocked to see Capri standing outside looking worried, dressed in her pajamas still. "What's wrong?" Adam's voice shook for a second, why did her look of concern and worry bother him so much.
Capri jumped at his voice before pushing him into his own dorm, he was shocked at her strength. After she looked around to make sure the room was empty she collapsed onto Weiss' new bed. "I was worried about you… being in the same room as that girl you've been picking fights with all day long." She looked him over and gave a resolute nod. "You seem fine… umm… is she?"
"The Schnee girl is fine."
Capri nodded then shook her head. "You should call her by her name, she's your partner now." The tone of her voice took him back, why did it matter if he called her Schnee or Weiss?
"Why?"
"Because!" Her eyes glittered, not like she was about to cry… but something else. "Just do it!"
"What about the blonde girl and Ruby?" The thought of being kind to Weiss made him annoyed, a feeling anger flashed through his head at the thought of Yang. She killed him, he should want her head on a pike, but instead he found her tolerable.
"Hmmm? Yang and Ruby? What about them? You already call Ruby by her name don't you?" The observation caught Adam off guard, he did call Ruby by her name unconsciously. Standing back up she got very close to him, making Adam want to step back. "The blonde is Yang. They're your teammate and Ruby's sister… so… be… nice." The last three words punctuated by heavy pokes in the chest. "And to Weiss too." She added emphasizing that he had to get along with Weiss specifically for some reason.
"I'll think about it." Adam would promise no such thing, though perhaps now would be a good time to turn the tables. "So… your partner's name is Daiki?" Capri blushed at the mention of her new teammate and partner.
"Yeah?" She tried to sound nonchalant about it but her eyes kept flickering away. "He's a good partner."
"You've known him for a day." Adam pointed out.
"Two days!" Capri argued like it was important to specify. As if a single extra day was enough to gain a deep insight into a person or gauge how well you and them would work together.
"Two days then... what do you actually know about him?" Adam asked skeptical, it was strange he shouldn't feel anything for his false sister, and yet he had a protective urge to make sure she was okay and safe.
Capri paused for a moment before she began to ramble rapidly, gushing about cru-partner. "He's six feet tall, so only a couple inches taller than me, he is from Vacuo, his family all have red eyes like him, he doesn't like tight shirts, complained about the school uniform last night, he likes to watch scroll videos of tournaments, his shoe size is twelve, his favorite color is red, funny isn't it? Ummm... his bracelet can actually transform not just into a sword but a staff as well and it can shoot dust out of the dragon's mouth. He unlocked his Aura and Semblance when he was around eight years old. He has two younger sisters and a little brother. One of his uncles married a fox Faunus. And he has seventeen cousins across both of his parent's siblings."
"He told you all of this..."
Capri's face turned a bit red and she looked to the side. "Yes... mostly." She wrapped her arms around him suddenly. "I think I like him Adam!" Her eyes suddenly pouring tears.
Adam froze and wasn't sure what to do. "It... it's okay." He slowly put his arms around her in a small hug. "What... uhh... what's wrong with that?"
"He's... he's... a human..." Capri sobbed into Adam's chest, burying her face into his school vest, her horns dancing close to smacking him in the face.
Adam leaned his head back slightly then froze for a moment, in the past he had believed all humans were evil and should be enslaved or purged, that had been less than a week ago for him, mentally at least. So why did the sight of this girl crying about having feelings for a human make him feel the way he did, like someone had just punched the air from his lungs. "Why does that matter?"
Capri leaned back from him, her eyes still wet with tears. "Because! Mom and Dad won't approve, because of what happened to us."
It was now that the door decided to click open, and slammed, Ruby was laying on the ground having clearly fallen. "RUBY!" Yang's voice hissed, but there was no point of trying to be sneaky, they were caught, Yang and Weiss were crowding the doorframe around the door before it seems Ruby lost her balance and knocked the door open somehow.
"H-hi Adam..." Ruby said with a small awkward chuckle of a child being caught. "Uh... how's it going?"
Adam felt anger rising up in his chest, he was dealing with something, something he hadn't ever dealt with in the past, seeing things from the other side. Some humans seemed to be good, but a private moment had been intruded upon by his teammates, not that they had just arrived, they had clearly been trying to listen. Adam grunted, disapproval evident on his face, causing Ruby's face to crumple, while it was her fault they were caught all three of them had been there. Turning back to Capri Adam gave her one more quick hug, the feeling awkward but it seemed to make Capri feel better.. "Go back to your team, get dressed and get ready for class, we'll talk later."
Capri slipped away and squeezed between the small crowd of girls by the door. "Excuse me..." She muttered as she passed by before she dashed across the hall and into the dorm directly across from theirs.
"Oh... well she's close by." Yang said, trying to break the tension.
"Enough." Adam said, his anger rising now that Capri was gone. "You three... I'll see you in class."
"Hey..." Ruby tried to speak up but he strode through the doorway, checking both Weiss and Yang on his way out. Weiss was basically knocked to the ground by his larger build while Yang stood her ground.
"Asshole!" Yang shot back at him. "Look we just wanted to know what was going on... we are your team, of course we want to know about you."
"You wouldn't understand! None of you would. Humans, the lot of you, lives easy from the time you are born, controlling everything and everyone else, what would you know about my life or those like me?!" Adam snapped, his temper having gotten out of control, his life before, hunted, branded, tortured, and then when he was finally free he was dismissed by the man whose approval he sought most. So he turned to Sienna, she approved of what he did, so he kept it up, he fought, stole, and began to truly, deeply hate, each action gaining approval both from Sienna and seemingly a majority of Faunus. Until Blake's defection, then his continuous defeats and failures, his descent into madness was hastened by every single one... each time Blake was involved, until the end.
The thought angered him, even more so when he remembered that she had helped him the other day. The irony of the girl that killed him once now potentially saved his life. Growling to himself he walked down the hall ignoring any further protests or any attempts to get him to stop with their words, he knew if he stayed it would come to blows and that would not be good, especially with those two watching his every move. Artemis and Apollo, what were they? Why did they care about saving him... how was this entertaining, it was mental torture. Was that it, they wanted to see him suffer... they weren't angels or gods, they were demons, monsters. The thought made him even more angry, then his mind turned to the note. That was certainly from Blake.
How dare she pity him! The traitor who even hid her true self while attending Beacon.
Adam found himself in a courtyard alone, his mind racing and spiraling out of control he couldn't help but let out a roar of anger, anguish, and many other emotions. It lasted for some time before he ran out of breath.
"Well I say lad, it seems you had quite the bottled up feelings for you to unleash your rage like that." A voice came from behind Adam, great someone else had been able to sneak up on him. Adam truly believed he was slipping, his senses were dulled and he couldn't even keep an eye on his own surroundings.
Adam turned around to see a stout shorter man with a large mustache standing there, his arms crossed and a knowing glint in his eye. The man seemingly had a way of appearing out of nowhere.
"Professor." Adam acknowledged, his voice a mix of irritation and resignation, the older man had to have been a teacher here after all or else why would he be around so early in the morning.
The portly professor stepped forward, his booming voice filling the courtyard. "It's quite alright, my boy! We all have moments where our emotions get the better of us!"
Adam scoffed inwardly at the platitude but remained silent, letting the man continue.
"You see." Port began, a twinkle in his eye. "It's not the strength of your anger that defines you, but how you choose to channel it."
Adam's brows furrowed. "And what if I choose to channel it into something you don't agree with?"
Port chuckled, a hearty sound that echoed through the courtyard. "Ah, therein lies the challenge, doesn't it? But let me tell you a secret, lad." He leaned in, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone. "Sometimes, the greatest battles we fight are not with others, but within ourselves."
Adam's eyes narrowed, his thoughts swirling with conflicting emotions.
"You're carrying a heavy burden, my boy." Port continued, his voice softer now, tinged with empathy. "But it's how you carry that burden that will shape your destiny."
Adam remained silent, his jaw clenched as he absorbed Port's words. The professor's wisdom struck a chord within him, it rang with the same tone as the turmoil he felt swirling inside his head and heart.
"And remember." Port added, his voice gaining a hint of solemnity. "True strength is not in the absence of fear or pain, but in facing them head-on, despite the odds."
Adam met Port's gaze, a flicker of understanding seemed to pass between them. Perhaps the man had a point.
As Port turned to leave, he glanced back at Adam with a knowing smile. "Take heart, my boy. Your journey is just beginning."
With those words, Professor Port walked away, leaving Adam alone in the courtyard with his thoughts. Adam couldn't help but wonder if there was truth in his words, the man spoke grandly, but did it mean anything? Was he even able to let go of the past and move forwards? Then again hadn't he already? He had changed in the short time he was 'alive', having tried to comfort Capri when before he would have scoffed at her worries and told her to stay away from the human boy. Adam looked skyward and let out a sigh, not a roar.
"What have you done to me? What purpose do I have in my life now? Who am I anymore..."