Adam walked through the halls, his body radiated hatred as he was looking for a fight now. Most of the students in their year shrank back when his gaze passed over them, field mice hoping the hawk moved along, and this time it did.

Nothing was going right today, the active taunting in public, Jaune finding out about his brand, him attacking Jaune, then he heard the call between Weiss and her father. That pompous bastard. It was clear that he only cared for his company and image… wait why was that the part that upset him? They were going to pin the entire scandal on his head, Weiss had agreed to it as well, he should have broken the door down and broken her neck, but he hadn't even thought to harm or even shout at her when he heard what was said.

No, Adam was angry, but not at Weiss, he couldn't determine why he was angry.

Adam got his wish for a fight when he heard a voice, "Please… stop it… that hurts…"

Adam's head snapped in the direction of the voice, his senses sharpening as he recognized the familiar tone of distress. Without a moment's hesitation, he followed the sound, his bare footsteps nearly silent in the empty corridor.

Rounding the corner, Adam's eyes narrowed as he beheld the scene before him—a group of students clustered around a smaller figure, their jeers and taunts ringing out like a cacophony of cruelty. His fists clenched involuntarily at his sides, his anger boiling over at the sight, several human students were surrounding a smaller Faunus student huddled on the floor, the large red and white tail gripped by one of the other students gave it away.

Adam approached rapidly, not saying a word as he slammed his fist into the back of the head of one of the aggressors. The student dropped like a sack of stones, a surprise attack that shocked everyone involved.

Adam didn't hesitate, activating his Aura he grabbed the nearest one by his collar and pulled him in for a skull fracturing headbutt. This boy also dropped, gripping his face where blood ran past and over his fingers, Adam's black horns spattered red. A punch caught Adam in the back but there wasn't much force behind it, the attacker was weaker than Aries, or he didn't know how to properly utilize his Aura in hand to hand.

Another thought came to him. Or maybe they weren't even in the Huntsman program… Beacon did play host to almost all of Vale's higher education. Adam spun around with a solid backhand, a cracking sound could be heard that solidified Adam's assumption. These five didn't have Aura. "Shit…"

The remaining two on their feet and unhurt backed off in terror, even unarmed a Huntsman in training could kill the five of them without breaking a sweat. Adam turned to the Faunus who shared the look of horror before he clicked his tongue. So much for being a hero. "Take your friends and go." Adam commanded the uninjured pair, who scrambled to help the other three before they retreated down the hall.

The fox Faunus tried to crawl away on their hands and knees while Adam glared after the would-be bullies. However before they could escape his gaze pinned them in place, flinching in fear, expecting worse from the violent Huntsman trainee, long red-orange hair hiding most of their face. "I'm sorry."

The Faunus froze in place, their body tensing as they awaited Adam's next move. The apology hung heavy in the air, tinged with fear and uncertainty. Adam's expression softened slightly as he regarded the young Faunus before him, recognizing the familiar look of shame and resignation.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for existing," Adam's voice was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to the anger that had consumed him moments before. "They were the ones in the wrong, not you."

The Faunus glanced up, hair falling to the side revealing their amber eyes as they met Adam's gaze for the first time. There was a flicker of disbelief in their expression, as if they couldn't comprehend Adam's unexpected kindness.

Adam extended a hand, offering it to the Faunus in a silent gesture of solidarity. After a moment of hesitation, the Faunus tentatively reached out, his hand trembling as it met Adam's.

"My name is Adam," he said as he pulled the Faunus to their feet and went to dust them off before catching himself. The Faunus was a young woman, Adam's anger reignited, those five had gotten off light. Bullying a Faunus was a grave sin already, but it was compounded by the weakness and cowardice shown by targeting a woman without Aura. Not to mention she was tiny, even Weiss would be at least a head taller than her.

"Emberlyn…" the girl said softly, looking down and clutching her tail in her hands. "Thank you… but you shouldn't have interfered. You are going to get in trouble now, and next time it'll be worse."

Adam's eyes flashed in anger 'next time', it seems despite being only the end of the first week this had happened already. "If they so much as look at you wrong, call me. I'll 'talk' with them." His voice low as if growling.

"Call you? I… umm… we just met…"

"Yes, let me see your scroll, I'll give you my information. I will not sit back while something like this happens." Adam's rage at the injustice of the world had been reignited, even in Beacon Academy blatant bullying against Faunus continued to happen.

Emberlyn hesitated before producing a very old and beat up looking scroll from her pocket, a look of embarrassment on her face. "I'm sorry…"

Adam took the scroll carefully and typed his contact information in. "You have nothing to apologize for… none of our people should be treated like this; No Exceptions, No Compromise."

"You… you're…." Emberlyn stepped back, eyes darting around as if she was going to run away.

"Once, but not anymore." Adam said, shaking his head, it seemed the White Fang of this world weren't much different from his own. The phrase sounds good, it shows a core of fighting for something good, but there will be a fight.

Adam held out her scroll, and the small fox Faunus snatched it back quickly. "Umm… thank you, Adam," she looked down and began to stroke her own tail that curled around her hip. "Is… is there any way I can help you?"

Adam was caught off guard, she wanted to help him? An involuntary laugh slipped by his lips, this was new, not in nearly a decade or so since he could remember the number of times someone offered to help him could be counted on one hand… Ghira, Sienna… Blake. His bad attitude and horrific brand had scared people away. However each of them had been there in his life at different times to help him, but in the end two had abandoned him and he murdered the last. Not a great track record.

"Maybe some other time Emberlyn."

"Ummm… my friends call me Em."

"Friends are we?"

"Uhhhh no? I'm sorry."

Adam sighed and shook his head, his banter needed work. "We can be, Em."

After a few seconds of awkward silence she spoke again. "Where are your shoes?"

"Long story short… I can't go back to my dorm room right now." Adam said with a shrug.

"Oh…" a strange understanding crossed her face as she blushed a bit. "Ooooh…"

"Not like that… I make my teammates uncomfortable… maybe feel unsafe."

Emberlyn's head turned sideways slightly, tail shaking a bit. "Why? What did you do?"

Adam sighed and looked at the girl trying to determine if she was teasing him, "You don't have any idea of who I am do you?"

"The Huntsman who saved me?"

"I guess you don't keep up with the news?"

Em's tail drooped in her hand, "My scroll doesn't work very well, besides calls."

Adam laughed again, what were the odds he met another student that had no idea who he was. Despite the vicious rumors circulating about him for the last few days.

"Hey! That's not funny… I think! Are you teasing me?"

"No, no Em, just surprised. There have been all sorts of rumors about me and my teammates lately. I'm just shocked you hadn't heard them yet."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

Adam sighed hearing her apologize again. "Em, you don't need to apologize to me… simply put the rumors involve myself and the Schnee family heiress, no, there is nothing between us besides being partners and teammates," he tried to keep things simple.

"Oh, you're single too." It seemed the girl had no filter sometimes.

"You could say that I guess, not sure if that would be a normal take away from what I just said." Adam said, unsure if he should be offended or not.

"So… what are you up to now?" Emberlyn asked, now holding her tail with both hands.

Adam looked around and gave a half-hearted shrug, after working out his frustration on the faces of those pathetic bullies he realized he still had actual problems to deal with, "Aimless wandering until I find a place to stay for tonight."

Emberlyn's grip tightened on her tail, her little hands very clear among the bushy tail. "You can stay…" her voice trailed off and even Adam couldn't hear despite being so close.

"What?" Adam crouched down slightly.

Suddenly she took a deep breath, face turning more red than her hair and fur, "YOU CAN STAY WITH ME!" She shouted, voice echoing down the halls, likely due to nerves.

"We just met, don't you think that's a bit of a sudden offer? I could be trouble."

"But… you saved me," her tone was earnest and made Adam actually feel concern for the small girl.

"I don't think it's a good idea…"

"Oh… it's because I'm so small huh…" suddenly she looked on the verge of tears, tail completely limp.

"Why would you think that?"

"The people in my course have always teased me for being small… they'd say hurtful things…"

Adam was curious about what was said but had enough tact to not ask, that would only hurt her feelings more. "Fine, fine… lead the way."

Emberlyn's tail flew from her hands and began to shake excitedly, not exactly wagging but Adam could tell she was happy. Her small hands grabbed onto his and she began to lead him through the halls. They passed several groups of other students and more than a few individuals, all looked shocked by the scene.

A large man with horns and an already vicious reputation being pulled along by a woman not much larger than a child who was smiling brightly. It was quite the sight, a handful of people already whispering about what was going on.

Adam for his part sent a couple of messages from his scroll to Capri, Aries, and Ruby letting them know that he was going to be out for a while and not worry about him. Obviously he doubted any of them would really listen to what he said but he could try to assuage their worries before they become too much.

Each had their own replies, Ruby was asking where he was, Capri was asking how he was doing, and Aries simply replied 'okay'. Adam sighed and continued to reply to the two barrages of messages from his team leader and sister, while keeping pace with Emberlyn easily. Eventually they stopped in front of a door, he assumed to be her dorm room.

"Um… wait here." Emberlyn said before opening the door just enough to squeeze in and then slamming it in his face. Quite a contrast from how she had been acting before, which made him curious about what she was doing in the room. Through the door he could hear paper crumpling, the shuffling of boxes and the clanking of metal. Several minutes passed before there was a catastrophic crashing noise.

"Ahhhh!" Several seconds passed before Adam heard a soft, "Please help… don't have left me…"

Adam sighed and tried the doorknob, it was unlocked, stepping inside the room was dark even for how late it was, a heavy blackout curtain hung up over the window and the lights were missing bulbs. Scanning the room Adam took in details, there were only two beds, but both seemed piled with materials, papers, and boxes of supplies, the floor was also strewn with things Adam swore looked like metal hands, feet, even an eyeball here and there. In one corner was a dangerously stacked pile of boxes that seemed to have lost its peak, at the bottom was a buried but seemingly unhurt Emberlyn.

As he met her eyes the glistening tears began to fall down her face making him feel responsible somehow. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, Adam assumed she was apologizing for the room being a mess.

"Em, if you want to be friends you can't apologize to me so much." Adam walked over, sliding his hands under her arms and slowly pulled her from beneath the pile. Junk and random pieces of metal fell and clattered but she came free. "You also should not stack things so high when you are so small, what if I wasn't outside?" Gently he placed her back on her feet before plucking a couple pieces of debris from her hair, suddenly catching himself and dropping his hands.

"One of the professors would have come to check up on me… I never miss class."

"It's Friday afternoon, you'd be stuck until Monday morning?"

"…. Yes?"

Adam let out a sigh. "What about your friends?"

"You are my friend." Her statement was simple, innocent and very telling. Adam was her only friend, and he met her not even an hour ago.

"I… I see… your roommate?"

Emberlyn shook her head, "She dropped out last year and I haven't been given a new one."

Adam decided would have to check on her in the future, she was somehow content with being trapped somewhere for several days… but why did he care? Was it because she was a Faunus? That had to be the answer Adam decided, nothing else made sense.

Shaking his head he looked around the room again, "So… where do you sleep?" Both beds were covered in things he assumed had to do with what she was studying.

"Here." Emberlyn proudly pointed to a pile of blankets and pillows beside one of the desks. "When I get tired of working I just lay down here, and when I wake up I can start working again."

"That's certainly efficient."

Looking between her resting spot and Adam she let out a small sound, "Oh… umm… you won't fit though. I was trying to clean off the bed for you, but I messed up. Now you won't be my friend."

Adam couldn't help but chuckle at Emberlyn's earnestness. Despite the chaos of the room and her precarious living situation, she seemed genuinely concerned about his comfort. It was a stark reminder of the stark contrasts within Beacon Academy, where some students lived in luxury while others struggled to make ends meet.

"Em, it's alright," Adam reassured her, a faint smile playing on his lips. He push a bit of the strewn about junk with his feet he made his way to the bed. "I'll clear it off, just direct me, that way your things don't get mixed-" he reached for a box and a mechanic hand wrapped around his wrist causing him to pull back in surprise.

"Sorry!" She grabbed something off the nearby desk and prodded the arm, an arc of electricity caused it to release its grip on Adam's wrist. "My prototypes are unstable. The meat bits are still acting up."

"I'm afraid to ask… but… meat bits?"

Emberlyn's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "I'm working on creating special prosthetics for Faunus, like us! I want to help them lead better lives, you know? Overcoming the challenges we face. Atlas has those… robot arms and stuff. But those are dead, there is no life to them… so I'm trying to make living replacements… but they aren't going well."

Adam's expression softened as he listened. It was a noble cause, and he could appreciate her determination to make a difference. "That's admirable, Em. I'm sure your inventions will help a lot of people."

She beamed at his words, her tail swaying happily. "Thanks, Adam! I'm not there yet, but I'll keep working on it."

Once the bed was cleared, Adam took a seat, glancing around the room. "You've got quite the setup here. It's like a workshop."

"Yeah, I like being surrounded by my projects. Helps me think," Emberlyn explained, sitting down beside him. "So, Adam, what brings you to Beacon? Why become a Huntsman?"

Adam's gaze turned distant for a moment. "I guess you could say it's about making a difference, too. Protecting people who can't protect themselves." He paused, the memories of his past weighing on him. "I've seen too much injustice, and I want to change that… that is why I was part of the White Fang before."

Emberlyn watched him with an intensity he wasn't expecting. "I knew you were a hero," she said with a genuinely happy grin. "You saved me, and you'll save other people too!"

Adam was stunned, his mind played back the night Beacon fell in his timeline, blood splashed as he swung his sword, Huntsmen in training and just normal students, none of them were spared. Had he or one of his people killed this innocent girl?

"Adam? Are you okay?" Emberlyn asked as she reached up to rub something off his face. "Why are you crying?"

Adam flinched back and his hand came up, there were tears, this time they weren't blood. "I… it's nothing. Just bad memories."

"Oh." Suddenly she got up and wrapped her little arms around his neck. "My mom used to do this when I was sad."

Adam hesitated for a moment, surprised by Emberlyn's gesture of comfort. Her embrace was warm and genuine, and for a moment, he allowed himself to be enveloped by her kindness. Despite the chaos and pain he carried within him, there was a sense of solace in her innocent gesture.

Gently, Adam reciprocated the hug, wrapping his arms around Emberlyn. He could feel her small frame against his chest, her heartbeat steady and comforting. It was a moment of vulnerability, a rare instance where Adam allowed himself to let his guard down entirely, if only for the moment.

"Thank you, Emberlyn," Adam murmured softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "For everything."

Emberlyn pulled back slightly, her amber eyes meeting Adam's gaze with unwavering sincerity. "You're welcome, Adam. You're my friend now, and friends help each other, right?"

Adam couldn't help but smile at her innocence and optimism. In a world filled with darkness and uncertainty, Emberlyn's unwavering belief in friendship and kindness was like a beacon of hope to him.

"Right," Adam replied, his voice filled with a newfound sense of determination. "Friends help each other."

In his life his goal had been to protect Faunus and to fight back against the injustices they suffered. Over the years that had changed to revenge for those injustices, and… after meeting Cinder it had warped further, after that he wanted them all to die, something felt wrong about that but he couldn't place it. What had changed?

No matter the cause, now Adam couldn't help but acknowledge that he had become a monster… little more than a beast by time he had been killed. This time he could be the hero he actually dreamed of being when he was younger. Protecting Faunus and working to right the injustices he saw happening. There was much to be done.

As if to ruin the moment of clarity and purpose his scroll buzzed in his pocket. Slowly he fished it out and answered the call without checking who was calling.

"Hey-" Ruby tried to begin but was cut off.

"Is that a girl?!" Yang's voice cut in, she was over Ruby's shoulder. The video call showed Emberlyn clinging to his neck, and caused Yang's outburst, "Isn't she a bit young for you?"

Emberlyn huffed at the comment and buried her face into Adam's neck, he straightened at the feeling of her nuzzling him. "I'm twenty…"

One could have heard a pin drop during the several seconds it took everyone to recover from this revelation. Even Adam thought she was closer to Ruby's age.

Yang coughed a couple times awkwardly. "Well, uh, she's cute? That your girlfriend?"

"He's my friend!" Emberlyn said loudly without looking at the camera, though he felt her grip tighten, almost threatening to choke him.

"She's my friend, I met her earlier. We were just hanging out… jealous?" Adam gave a small smirk at the camera. Something in him had clicked into place thanks to Emberlyn, things might not be ideal but for now he could live.

"Huh? No! Why would I be?" Yang glanced up from the camera then back down towards him. "Wouldn't want to encroach on the Ice Queen's territory."

A simple joke but it killed Adam's enthusiasm for the banter, he still had to deal with Weiss. Her father had sold him up the river and she had given up defending him rather quickly.

"Is the blonde girl… your girlfriend?" Emberlyn muttered softly, only Adam could hear it and his laughter was renewed.

Adam chuckled softly at Emberlyn's question, his mind drifting momentarily to the complicated dynamics within his team. "No, she's my teammate, but not like that. Ruby, Yang's little sister and partner, is our team leader."

"Oh, okay then." Her grip loosed softly. "Are you guys friends?"

"Yeah! We're all friends!" Ruby called out, though Yang and Adam both raised an eye.

"Rubes… Adam and Weiss are often on the verge of fighting or fu-"

A large white boot flew from off screen forcing Yang to duck and cutting off her statement.

"It isn't like that!" Came another voice, Weiss just off screen it seemed. Adam tensed up a bit, he was not looking forwards to speaking with her, he had not been subtle about his departure.

"Is Weiss your girlfriend?"

"No, I'm not dating one of my teammates."

Emberlyn's tail flicked a few times and she just nodded. "Okay."

"She's a bit clingy huh?" Yang said, having recovered from Weiss' attacks.

"Yang! That's not nice!" Ruby reprimanded her older sister. "Maybe she just likes hugging."

"It is kind of weird, why's Adam letting her hug him… wait, his arm is around her, look! His hand!" Yang pointed at the screen and suddenly Ruby's face took up nearly the whole view on her side as she pulled the scroll closer.

"Oh! Ohhhh! It is!"

"Ow! What the hell Weiss?! Hey! Stop!" Yang cried out but Adam couldn't see what was happening nor was there any reply from Weiss that he could hear.

"Ahhhh!" Ruby suddenly dropped her scroll and the call cut out.

"Your other friends seem… nice." Emberlyn said softly, letting go of him and climbing off the bed. "I'm going to sleep now…" without missing a beat she began to toss aside her uniform and Adam had to quickly look away. The girl had no sense of shame or distrust it seemed.

"You shouldn't undress in front of men…" Adam said as he lay back looking up at the ceiling.

Emberlyn paused mid-motion, her hands frozen in the act of pulling off her uniform top. She glanced back at Adam, confusion evident in her amber eyes. "But... you're my friend, Adam. Friends don't mind, right?"

Adam blinked, caught off guard by her response. His mind raced, grappling with the complexities of the situation. Emberlyn's innocence and trust were both endearing and concerning. In the world he came from, such trust could be dangerous, but here at Beacon, it seemed to be the norm.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Adam replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's just... different, I guess."

Emberlyn nodded understandingly, her tail swaying gently behind her as she resumed undressing. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Adam. I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, Em," Adam reassured her, forcing himself to relax. "I'm just not used to it, that's all."

As Emberlyn changed into her sleepwear, Adam turned his gaze back to the ceiling, trying to push aside the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling in his mind. The encounter with Emberlyn and the call with his teammates had stirred up a mixture of feelings—gratitude, confusion, and a lingering sense of unease.

Despite his best efforts to focus on the present moment, Adam couldn't shake the weight of his past and the uncertainties of the future. The events of the day had brought to the surface old wounds and unresolved conflicts, leaving him feeling adrift in a sea of turmoil. The past was gone and future was coming more rapidly than he hoped. Soon he would be the target of hate and scorn worse than he had suffered over the last few days, it would likely spill over to those close to him… Emberlyn was already a target for bullies, maybe he shouldn't get close to her in the near future.

"Hey, Adam?" Emberlyn's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

"Yes, Em?" Adam sat up and turned his head to look at her, his expression softening as he met her gaze.

"Thanks for being my friend," Emberlyn said with a genuine smile, her eyes sparkling with warmth and sincerity.

Adam returned her smile, a flicker of warmth blooming in his chest. Despite the darkness and uncertainty that surrounded him, there was solace to be found in the simple act of friendship and innocence.

"Anytime, Em," Adam replied, his voice filled with quiet determination, this innocent would not suffer in this life. "Anytime."

"Goodnight Adam!"

"Goodnight Em."