One of my nieces has been in the hospital lately with some serious issues. Had to have a feeding tube and everything after draining fluid from her lungs. They had her and her mom in quarantine at the hospital, but we were able to send some snacks and sodas to them. Looks like things have finally cleared up and she should be released this weekend, so big relief for the family.

Other than that, it's been relatively quiet here. Got some snow this week, but nothing serious. Just enough for the dogs to have some fun. Still hoping we get a big one so they can go nuts. The two of them love running through the stuff. Also been rereading my first story (In RWBY's Shadow) with MrsTheGoose and seeing the change in my writing style is fascinating. Also, I had a real alliteration problem. I swear some of the most mundane sentences were turned into tongue twisters. Still alliterate here and there, but man did I get carried away in the early days.

For being a celebration of light and dark, Concordia Day in Mistral certainly didn't look the part. The shadows of night were held back by the unnatural glow of a thousand lights. Barely anyone wore a purely dark mask, either sporting the hybrid version or a purely light depiction. Even the merchandise displayed in a dozen store windows avoided anything too dark. Well, except for that one clothing store, but they weren't getting many customers. Everywhere Adam looked, the people celebrated the light, ignoring the true meaning of Concordia Day.

No wonder the god of darkness helped his brother fight. He was probably itching to kill off humanity. After all, he'd done half the work creating them, only for humans to ignore or hate him. The stories always told of the good god blessing people and granting wishes. Worshippers would travel to his domain with offerings in their hands and prayers on their lips. Humanity clung to the light, ignoring the fact that they were equal parts light and dark themselves. The gods had made them creatures of balance, but humanity seemed intent on denying their darker half.

But Adam had seen the true darkness of humanity. There was no balance. They celebrated the light but reveled in the dark. Even here, he could see the truth. Mistral clothed itself in light and paraded through the streets in celebration, but as Adam quietly slipped through the darkened alleyways, the true nature of man revealed itself. Two women called to him, offering themselves to him for a bit of lien. The poor and outcast lingered in the shadows, unwelcome among the celebrations just around the corner. Drugs and alcohol ran rampant, fueling and controlling these poor wretches that the city refused to acknowledge.

Unsurprisingly, many of those clinging to life in the forgotten underbelly of society were faunus. Some would venture further down, surrendering themselves to the crime families lurking just out of sight. Others might try their luck with a far eviler entity, selling their soul to the SDC for the promise of food and shelter. Here in the capital city, with untold riches all around but always out of reach, hope was a luxury few could afford.

Adam had been in their shoes not so long ago. He could remember doing everything in his power to fight the inevitable, only to have life crush him and force his hand. He'd fought tooth and nail to make something of himself in the gem of Anima, but fate had other plans. He'd tried to play fair, forgetting Jean's most important lesson and paying dearly for it.

Actually, someone else paid for it. As much as Adam wished he couldn't, there was no forgetting that face. Not the cruelly grinning one with a revolver pointed at Adam's head. No, it was the lifeless one facedown in a pool of his own blood that had been seared into Adam's memory. Adam had killed a man that night, then burned down a warehouse to cover his tracks. He'd fled the scene and found himself at the SDC office downtown, eager to escape before anyone realized what he'd done. Little did he realize how much worse employment at Orostachys would be. Had he known what awaited him on that cursed island, he might've taken his chances down below or just fled the city itself rather than step foot inside that evil office.

For the second time in his life, Adam's feet carried him toward the SDC building through darkened paths, careful to avoid being spotted by anyone that might hold him responsible for his actions. This time, though, he'd get revenge for himself and every other faunus that had crossed the threshold of that horrid building.

Adam heard movement behind him. Not the unsteady shuffle of someone so far gone that they didn't even see the world around them, but the purposeful gait of someone trying to hide their approach. Light footfalls matching his own as someone dared to approach him. Adam sighed as he turned and spotted a wiry man with a poorly concealed knife. The would-be mugger froze at being spotted, unsure if he should attack or flee. Adam pulled the edge of his coat aside just enough to reveal the grip of his sword, helping the idiot make up his mind as he tripped over himself and fled. Adam didn't have the time or patience to deal with some lowly thief right now. He'd have to find an easier mark tonight.

The SDC building looked exactly as he remembered. The street here was less lit than the heart of the city. Adam wasted no time crossing the street and ducking down an alley beside the building to reach the back, careful to avoid a security camera along the way. Disabling it would be easy, but that might alert the SDC to his presence. Better to leave it or wait until the attack started.

Adam ducked around a corner, keeping himself out of sight as he reached the rendezvous point for his team. Unlike him, none of them had a price on their head and could mingle with the crowds until the appointed time. Gathering early would only risk exposing them. Double checking that the coast was clear, Adam pulled out his scroll and connected to the secure line they'd set up for the mission. "This is Adam. I'm in position."

"Already? Aren't you a little early?"

"Not all of us can afford to be seen, Jakob." Not when the mere sight of his face would have every Huntsman and police officer descending on them. "What's your position?"

"Dinner," Jakob answered through a mouthful of food. "Figured we'd grab a bite to eat while we wait."

"Wait, we? Who else is with you?"

"The whole team's here." Adam could hear a few muffled voices.

That imbecile! "I thought I told you to spread out!"

"Relax, man." He would do no such thing. Didn't they understand the importance of not being noticed? "We came in together. Think it'd be a little weirder if we immediately scattered, wouldn't it?" Adam hated that Jakob actually made sense. Still, he should've run his idea by Adam instead of just changing plans on his own. "Want us to bring you anything?"

Adam's stomach growled a little at the idea, but he ignored it and focused on the mission. "No." He'd eaten before the mission. Several hours before, but still, he'd be fine. Eating could wait until after they got out, at which point Jakob would be getting an earful. "Fine. Stay there for now." It'd be suspicious if they left without finishing at this point. "Has anyone else checked in yet?"

Lowering his voice a little, Jakob ran through the details as quickly as he could. "Charlie and Delta are standing by. Foxtrot is scouting his target. Nothing from the other two yet."

He hated not having details, but he trusted his team leaders to get the job done. He'd trained them himself and drilled the operation into their heads until they could practically run it in their sleep. "Keep me posted. And make sure you get here on time. I want everyone in position and accounted for before we move."

"We'll meet you there, babe." His voice became more distant for a moment. "Excellent. What've you got for dessert?" Adam waited through the pointless chatter until Jakob got back on track. "I'll call you when we're heading your way. Wanna make sure we get good seats for the show. Talk to ya later, babe!"

Adam hung up before he could growl a response. Jakob's insistence on having code phrases had sounded like a good idea at the time, but next time, Adam would make up his own. He had a feeling he'd regret putting Jakob on his team, but they needed a communications specialist and Jakob had been in the field with him before. Having him lead another squad was asking for trouble, but having someone else in charge of him would've been worse. Not only would they have to put up with his foolishness - something Adam had built up a bit of a tolerance for over the years - but Jakob would've insisted he should be the leader. He had as much if not more experience than anyone else on the mission, so putting him in a lesser role would've been a slap to his face.

Yet again, Adam wished he had Bane with him. The big guy could be quite the calming presence, but he wasn't exactly subtle. Even if no one recognized him, a guy his size would still draw some attention - attention that they really didn't need. Instead, Bane got to stay back in Reyno and help with some building projects while Adam, Jakob, and his carefully selected teams infiltrated the city.

The night dragged by far slower than Adam liked. Nothing stirred in his alley, though he jumped a little at the fireworks overhead. The minutes ticked by slower and slower until Adam worried he might go insane waiting. Part of him considered going in by himself, retrieving the files, and planting the dust bomb strapped to his back. When Jakob finally called back, Adam almost launched his scroll pulling it out of his pocket.

"Report," Adam ordered as he clutched the small device close to his face.

"We're on our way," Jakob assured him. "Be there in five."

"And the others?"

"Bravo, Echo, and Foxtrot are in position. The others should be ready by the time we get there." Good. The sooner they started, the sooner everyone could get out of Mistral. If all went well, they'd be clear before the parade ended. Adam wanted to time the explosions with the final fireworks show if he could. The perfect punctuation for the festivities. "Any issues on your end?"

"Intel checks out. Only a couple cameras on the exterior." One watching the alley he'd come down, but it had a bad position that left it blind directly beneath. With the back and forth rotation, all they had to do was wait for it to swing past. The bigger pain would be the one watching the rear entrance. He'd have to disable that one before they started. "Watch your step on the approach. Don't want to spoil the surprise."

"Just like we practiced." Their spies in Mistral had gotten them an exact blueprint of the building, both inside and out. Reyno's team had constructed a crude representation for their drills. With how much Adam had studied the layout, he could probably navigate the building better than the people that worked there. "Want us to bring you anything?"

"Just hurry up and get here. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can finish." And the sooner they could all get out of Mistral. He kept waiting for something to go wrong. He hated having so many moving parts in one plan. He knew splitting up was their best bet, but part of him wished he'd just done the whole mission solo. Let him infiltrate each target one by one and plant the charges, then escape on his own. He hated knowing that the tiniest screw-up by another team might doom him. Worse, if something went wrong, there'd be more than just his life at stake.

Adam could still hear the celebrations echoing through the city, but they'd become more and more distant as the night wore on. As planned, the nighttime parade drew everyone toward the heart of the city and away from him. One of their targets - a clothing store whose manufacturer was based in Atlas and used faunus in their sweatshop conditions - would be fairly close to the action, but far enough not to endanger the crowds gathered for the parade. More importantly, far enough that no one should be peeking in the windows when his team was inside. Like most businesses, they would close before the parade, presumably to let their employees attend. In reality, no one would be shopping then and it would cost more to keep the doors open. At the end of the day, profits were always the main concern.

Won't be very profitable when the whole place goes up in smoke. Maybe people would even look into the company once they realized the White Fang targeted them. Surely some people would boycott them once the truth came out. In fact, why should he wait for people to investigate? They could just tell everyone themselves. He'd have to ask Ghira to make a press release about the business practices when he got back. Or maybe Sienna should. Ghira might not be too happy to see him after this.

"We're here!"

"Quiet!" Adam hissed, slapping a hand over Jakob's big mouth. Did he want to blow the whole operation? "Did anyone see you?" Jakob shook his head. "What about the camera? Did you manage to sneak past?"

Jakob tried to answer, but all that came out was a muffled mess. Adam removed his hand, trusting Jakob to keep it down this time. "No problem. We cut the wires beforehand. No one's spotting us through that thing."

Adam nearly facepalmed before remembering what he was wearing. No need to shatter his disguise. "No. I'm sure they won't think anything of a camera suddenly cutting out."

"That's what we did in Shobu."

"And they investigated it immediately." Which they couldn't afford right now. Hopefully it would take some time for them to send someone. They needed to be gone by then. "Tell all the teams to begin the operation. We're going in ahead of schedule."

Thankfully, not too ahead of schedule. Besides, theirs would take the longest. Everyone else would only need to slip in, plant their bomb, and get out. Adam's team needed to download the SDC files first, but that shouldn't take too long. They also needed to leave their mark before they left. The plan was to spray paint their logo both inside and out, just to be safe. There'd be no mistaking who was behind this. Especially as Adam swapped his Concordia Day mask for a much more familiar one. If they got spotted, he wanted them to know exactly who was behind this.

"Oh, before I forget, I got you something." Jakob shoved a small, plastic box into Adam's hands. Inside, Adam could see a slice of marbled cake with intricate swirls of white and black icing on top. "Saved you a slice of Concordia cake. Didn't want you to miss out."

Adam looked down at the box and back up to Jakob. "How can you think of cake at a time like this?"

"It's always a good time for cake," Jakob insisted.

Shoving the box back into Jakob's hands, Adam growled, "Not now, it isn't." They had a mission to get to. "We're on the clock."

"Afterwards, then." Fine, but only because he knew Jakob wouldn't let it go. Some battles just weren't worth fighting, especially when he had more important things to worry about.

"I'll take the camera on the door. Wait for my signal to move in." Disabling the camera wasn't exactly hard. It was a little high up, but a nearby dumpster got him close enough to slice the thing clean off the wall. Just for good measure, he drove his heel down on the device and kicked the remains under the dumpster. "We're clear. Tag the building while I work on getting us inside."

Blake would've been proud to see her handiwork being used. Within seconds, the White Fang emblem adorned the wall next to the back entrance in bright, white paint. The rear door had an ID scanner beside it to let employees through. He didn't have a card, but maybe a swipe of his sword would be enough. The electronic pad sparked and died, but the door held firm.

"Nice, but not everything can be solved with brute force." Jakob waved one of their team forward - a shorter woman who pulled a lockpicking kit out of her back pocket. "Something like this requires a lighter touch."

Adam turned and swung at the door, carving right through where the locking mechanism was. His sword bit through, lodging into the frame before Adam wrenched it out and sheathed his blade once more. The door slowly swung open a crack. "Light enough for you?"

"Har har," Jakob replied, pushing the door the rest of the way open and peering inside. The hallway ahead stood dark and empty, as expected. Still, Jakob didn't want to be the first one in. "After you."

"Such a gentleman," Adam deadpanned, pushing past his friend to enter the building. "Jakob, you're with me. The rest of you go check admin. See if they've got any paper files we can take with us." The more intel they could gather, the better. "Tag the room on your way out, then meet us at the manager's office."

There were several terminals throughout the building, but whoever programmed their download device said it would be best to use the manager's station. Something about the program copying the user profile, which should give them more access than some random secretary or recruiter. That, and the other terminals might be localized, limiting the data they could access. It was all speculation, but if the experts said to use a certain terminal, then that was good enough for Adam. After that, they'd plant the bomb in the break room - it was as close to the middle of the building as they could get - and leave.

"You ready?" Adam asked as he and Jakob split off.

"To download a bunch of files? I think I'll be okay."

Did he ever take anything seriously? Oh well. So far, things were going smoothly enough. No unexpected cameras. No alarms. No audible ones, at least. For all he knew, they'd tripped some silent alarm and half of Mistral was on their way to kill him. Great. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't get the idea out of his head. He looked down to see his hand had already come to rest on the hilt of his sword, preparing for the inevitable hell he'd called down on them mentally.

Jakob's elbow nudged him out of his thoughts. "Light up ahead." Huh? What did he mean-

Three doors down, there was indeed a light. It was too bright to be a monitor or something, meaning it had to be a room light. A light in an empty building wouldn't normally raise many alarm bells. Someone could've just forgotten to turn it off on their way out, especially if they were more focused on the evening's celebrations. Simple mistakes like that were to be expected in most businesses.

But this wasn't just some business. This was the SDC, a company known for unconscionable business practices and pinching every lien they could. Needless energy bills were tantamount to blasphemy here. Knowing the SDC, they probably had some sort of system in place to automatically shut off lights, either on a timer or more likely with a sensor.

Which meant they weren't alone.

Slipping past wouldn't be an option. Adam knew the layout of the building perfectly. Just to be certain, Adam counted the doors again and even checked the room numbers. Sure enough, the open-doored room was the one he thought it was.

The manager's office.

Adam signaled for Jakob to follow as he crept closer to the door, careful not to make a sound. Carefully, Adam peeked around the corner, only to duck back when he spotted someone at the desk.

She didn't see him, but that was only half the problem. Adam raised a finger to his lips, then held it up to let Jakob know someone was in there before turning back to the new problem.

What was she doing here? Working late, obviously, but why? Why tonight of all nights? Maybe she'd leave soon to catch the parade. They could just wait her out and finish the mission, right?

Wrong. There was no telling how long she'd stay, and Adam didn't have all night. On top of that, he doubted she'd miss the damage to the employee entrance on her way out. Think, Adam. Think! Maybe they could try another terminal. He'd need to get his team out first, just to be safe. Then he could double back, download what he could, and get out before she even realized he was there. He could circle around the long way to reception. Or maybe the recruiter's office he'd visited a few years back. That had to have an external connection. He could still complete the mission and leave her none the wiser, oblivious to what was going on around them.

Until the bomb goes off. He'd forgotten about that. The whole point was to blow the place up. She'd die in the blast. That wasn't part of the plan. There wasn't meant to be any casualties on this mission. A quick in and out, followed by some property damage. As much as it pained him, he'd have to change the plan. They'd get what they could and get out without planting the charge. The SDC would be spared all because of a lone woman working late. Blowing up this office was meant to be the crowning jewel of this mission, but it looked like he'd be going home disappointed.

You don't have to. Huh? But the manager was there! He couldn't risk waiting for her to leave. Then don't. But how- Let her die in the explosion. What?! Don't what me. She's part of the SDC. She probably signed off on sending you to Orostachys in the first place. For all you know, that woman right there is the source of all your suffering.

Was she? He'd never met the manager when he signed up, but it had only been a few years. She might very well have been in charge then. Still, she hadn't been the one to torture him. She wasn't the one holding a hot iron to his face. She might not even know what went on at the camps.

Of course she does. How could she not? Look at her. She's probably sent dozens of faunus to similar fates. Maybe even hundreds. Her whole job is to find new victims to replace the ones her bosses break. Like it or not, her hands are just as bloody as the rest of the SDC. Without her, you might still have both your eyes. It's time she paid for her crimes.

Could he really hold someone responsible for another's actions? True, she'd sent him to Orostachys, but that didn't mean she supported what happened there. Did it? Even if it did, he'd let Overseer Ferric live. Could he really punish her more than the man who'd orchestrated all his suffering? How was that fair?

As if the SDC cares about what's fair.

They might not, but he did. He was better than the monsters that branded him. He had to be. Adam Taurus was no saint, but the sins of the SDC ran deeper than the dust mines.

While Adam was busy debating morality, he sort of forgot about the other person in the hall. Jakob leaned closer. "What's the holdup?"

Jakob had never been good at being quiet. Even his whisper tended to be a bit loud. Adam could've strangled him as his question pierced the silence of the hall.

"Is someone there?"

Adam and Jakob froze at the words, unwilling to so much as breathe and give themselves away. It must've been her imagination. Or maybe she'd assume it some trick of the mind. Long hours in a secluded office could do that to you. Surely she wouldn't jump to the conclusion that-

"Kent, is that you?" Nope. No one out here. Definitely nothing worth investigating. "I told you guys to go on without me. These reports are due in the morning."

Better get back to work then. Adam telepathically willed her to return to her mundane task. Instead, he heard the moment her chair slid back and frantically waved for Jakob to retreat. If they could just make it back to the corner, they'd be okay. She'd see an empty hall, shake it off, and go back to work. All they had to do was get out of sight before she reached the door.

Jakob panicked and froze. Adam shoved him to get him moving, but that just knocked him over. Crap. Crap. Crap! They didn't have time for this! Any second now, she'd peek out to see a pair of faunus - one of which she was bound to recognize - hiding outside her office. They needed to get out before that happened. He needed to get Jakob moving before-

From the corner of his eye, Adam saw the shadow appear. He turned in time to look up at the woman entering the hall. Almost as if in slow motion, her face swung in their direction. Remnant seemed to stop as they saw each other. Her eyes widened a moment later. Her mouth opened in terror, ready to pierce the night with a scream that would sound their doom.

All that came out was a pained squeak.

Shaking, she looked down to the sword buried in her stomach. A trembling hand reached down, loosely gripping the blade that had pierced her stomach and ruptured out her back without a sound. Her legs swayed before finally giving way, the light in her eyes already fading before she tumbled.

Adam caught her halfway, one hand over her mouth as she sank down. She fell back, sliding off his blade cleanly to spill her blood on the uncaring floor below. Dead eyes stared up at him, an unheard question of why burning into his own.

"Adam?" He didn't know how long he knelt there, staring down at his handiwork when Jakob's words finally roused him.

"I…s-she…"

"She's dead, Adam." He could see that. He'd watched her die. Felt her final, gasping breath struggle past his fingers.

Death was nothing new to him. The first time he took a life was only blocks from this very building. The thief in the warehouse. Geryon. Gideon. Not to mention the people who had died because of him. Orostachys was littered with men and faunus that fell in his rebellion. He could still remember the screams. The dying gasps. Watching friends assure them they'd be okay as death took hold.

But this one felt different.

"It's okay, Adam," Jakob tried, helping him to his feet. "You did what you had to do." Did he? She hadn't had a weapon or even the slightest trace of aura. He could've overpowered her without even trying. "C'mon. Let's get those files."

Adam followed him into the office, but he couldn't stop glancing at the dead woman in the doorway. Jakob forced him into the seat - the seat of a dead woman - and instructed him on what to do. Nothing, really, but watching the progress bar on the terminal at least kept him focused while Jakob rummaged through the office. Paperwork from recent signings. A memo on quotas and targeted recruitment efforts. Even a large dust crystal in a glass case - apparently the first one mined from some new dig site. By the time the download finished, Jakob had a small pile of treasures ready to go.

"That's everything." Jakob disconnected the device, then just for good measure, tried to rip the terminal out of the desk. "A little help?"

Adam's sword cut through the screen with ease. It probably wouldn't have survived the blast later, but a little extra destruction couldn't hurt. Without a word, Adam followed Jakob to the door, doing his best to ignore the body on the floor as they left.

It didn't work. "All done back there. You got the- what the heck happened here?!" The rest of the team came to a sudden stop as they noticed the woman on the ground. "I thought this place was supposed to be empty. Where'd she come from?"

Jakob shrugged. "Not sure, but she tried to raise the alarm. Adam stopped her." Permanently. She wouldn't be raising alarms anytime soon.

She wouldn't be doing anything.

"We got the files. Let's set the charge and get out of here." Right. The mission. He still needed to complete the mission. Otherwise this would all be for nothing.

Adam stood guard while the team handled the bomb. It wasn't that big, but even a small amount of dust could cause a serious reaction. Jakob checked in on the other teams in the meantime. All but one were finished, with the last one setting their charge now. None of them reported any complications, either. The only ones to run into trouble was their team. Not for the first time did Adam wonder if he was cursed. He just hoped his bad luck would take a break for a bit.

In no time at all, they were out and away. The teams were sent ahead, slipping out of the city in the midst of the parade. Adam and Jakob went last, but Mistral didn't care too much about people leaving the city. With his mask in place - the Concordia Day one rather than the more obvious mask - no one even batted an eye.

Considering what would come next, they didn't bother with as much subtlety this time, landing the airship not far from the city. Adam stood at the side of the airship, watching the city in the distance as they lifted off with a metal cylinder in one hand. The button on top pulse ominously as they rose, giving Adam a clear view of the city in the distance. Fireworks lit up the sky as thousands of people gathered to celebrate together. Taking a deep breath, Adam ended it all with a single press of his thumb.

Even from here, Adam could see the explosions scattered across the city, but his eyes were fixed on one in particular. Sienna had made sure the bomb for the SDC was bigger than the others, both to send a message and to handle the larger structure. The fireball that rose into the night didn't hold quite the joy he'd hoped for. He could already imagine the panic and chaos spreading through the city. The headlines in the morning would be filled with their handiwork. He wondered if they'd even care about the single casualty in the midst of those infernos.

"Cake?" Jakob didn't wait for an answer, shoving the small box into Adam's hands again. "I'll radio ahead with the good news."

Adam stared down at the slice for a solid minute. Tentatively, he took a small bite, hoping to find solace in the sweet dessert.

All he could taste was blood.

First non-combatant kill! Also his first female victim, coincidentally. Has a bit of an impact on Adam, but we'll deal with why and how he handles it next chapter.

On a brighter note, cake! Asked MrsTheGoose for Concordia Day food ideas after coming up with a stew last week. She instantly thought of marble cake, which seems fairly obvious in hindsight. Always nice to have her help me out. Also, now I want cake.

With chapter 100 on the way, we'll mostly be dealing with the fallout of this mission. Wanted to start escalating things a bit instead of just doing raids and relief missions. GOt plans for more, but gotta do baby steps. Bombing a capital city counts as baby steps, right?

Next chapter: Adam returns to Menagerie, but as a hero or a villain?