We're back! Definitely glad I took last week off. My birthday week turned out to be a doozy. Had a lovely time celebrating turning 32 with my wife last Monday. Did a fun Beat Saber stream on Tuesday since my leg was feeling better after taking a painkiller, just to be safe. Unfortunately, I'm apparently allergic to the extra painkiller they prescribed, so Wednesday morning found me in the ER. Despite all that, I still did my big bday/streamer anniversary stream on Friday and had a ton of fun, though I don't think I'll ever do a full 24-hour stream again. Slept through the rest of the weekend, then back to work on Monday.

Life is like that sometimes. Oh well. Glad to be back to writing, though. And the brief break helped me think through some stuff in more detail and made this chapter a little stronger. Also, I don't apologize for the chapter title. Enjoy having that play in your head for a bit. Without further ado, everyone, let's get back to the story!

"Wha…what happened?"

Adam felt the world sway around him, threatening to topple him as he drifted through darkness. He shifted his feet as the ground beneath him dipped, only to feel them tangled and sluggish. The world tipped back, upending him completely with a gasp. Gravity decided to ignore him, allowing him to float onto his back, even as the soft ground beneath him rocked gently back and forth, paradoxically lulling him to sleep while threatening to empty his stomach.

"Oh good! You're awake!"

That voice. Adam recognized it. His mind flailed in the darkness, trying to grasp some unknown word, even as it slipped past his fingertips. Scrunching his face, Adam finally reached the illusive name. "S-Soji?"

"Aha! See? I told you he would be okay!"

Soji's words stirred the calming darkness into a maelstrom, drawing a groan from Adam's lips. His head pounded to the rhythm of the shadowy waves as he sought in vain to pierce the blackness around him, but not even a speck of light pierced the blackness surrounding him. A terrifying thought nearly toppled his ship.

"Why's it so dark?" Shouldn't they have lit a fire by now? Even without that, his eyes were always keen at night. He should've seen something. Soji sounded only a few feet away, but Adam couldn't make anything out. What happened? Had he…had he gone blind?

"Dark?" Soji's confused tone hardly helped. Adam's breath quickened, his pulse rising as he fought to sit up, even as a pair of hands forced him back down, telling him to calm down. It hardly helped. People only said to calm down when there was reason to panic. And right now, Adam was in full panic mode. "Adam, look at me!"

Adam tried, pointing his head in the direction of the voice. Still, nothing. He couldn't make out anything more than a faint glow. It intensified suddenly, turning his world a strange shade of pink but revealing nothing. Somehow, that felt more terrifying than the blackness before.

"Look at me!"

"I'm trying!" Adam shouted back, thrashing against the hands holding him down.

"Open your eyes!"

Open my-

Adam stopped, feeling the storm calm without warning. No. Surely he hadn't forgotten to…

Adam could feel shame creeping in as he mentally confirmed that his eyes were, in fact, still clenched shut. With a deep breath, Adam gingerly opened one eye.

"Ah!" Adam screamed as light exploded in front of him. His other eye decided the world was too bright to risk and stayed shut as Adam waved a hand in front of his face, smacking away the small light held in front of him. Spots danced around the room in dizzying displays.

"That's better!" Soji laughed. Why was he still yelling? Adam could hear just fine. He could see, too, contrary to his prior self-diagnosis. "How are you feeling?"

"So loud," Adam complained, cupping his hands over his ears. He finally coaxed his second eye to open after promising the offending light had gone. Even so, the calmer lighting of the room he was in assaulted him mercilessly. His head throbbed against the bombardment as he felt around for something to throw at the nearest lamp.

"Out of my way," a stern voice ordered, softer yet more forceful than Soji's. A short, older woman with silvery hair pulled back in a bun practically threw Soji aside before dropping a sizable bag on the foot of Adam's bed. "The boy's been through enough without you yelling in his ear."

"I wasn't-"

Adam groaned against the auditory attack, proving the woman's point. Soji backed away with an apology and a sheepish grin, leaving Adam to face their new visitor solo. "Better. How are you feeling, young man?"

Like a Beowulf had mistaken his head for a chew toy. "Not good."

His lackluster answer didn't phase her in the slightest as she pulled a small flashlight from her bag. Adam fought the urge to smack it away as yet another person attempted to blind him. "Hold still. I know it hurts, but it'll only take a second." True to her word, a few painful passes of the light in front of his eyes was all he had to endure as she made a point of putting the accursed light away and turned back to him. "Do you remember anything?"

"He knew my name!"

"Which one of you is the patient?" Her snappy words were enough to silence Soji once more.

"I…I remember…" What did he remember? They were in a town. Oni…Oni-something. They'd gotten in just like any other town, but then…Jean. Jean had taken him somewhere. A store? A weapons store! They'd bought a sword, right? But why would Jean need a sword? He wouldn't. The sword…it was for him! But that meant-

Like a dam bursting, the memory of his fight with Jean came crashing down on him. He remembered their faux arena. The workers watching. Attacking Jean. The ring of metal against metal. And then…

"I lost."

"Hm?"

"I lost the fight," Adam muttered, sinking into his mattress in defeat.

His misery brought a smile to the woman's face. Or maybe just the fact that he could remember losing. Adam couldn't really tell. In fact, right now, he could barely focus. Being awake and speaking were triumphs by themselves.

"Do you remember anything specific?" his interrogator asked as she gently pressed behind his jaw, working her way down his throat.

"He…we were fighting with swords. He said if I won, he'd train me." And what an impossible goal that had been. Adam hadn't even landed a hit. Jean had just let him wear himself out, then downed him with a single blow. Adam's hand slipped up to the aching spot Jean had made contact with. "He…he hit my head."

"With his sword?" His nurse immediately began inspecting the back of his head.

"With the handle," Adam specified. Jean had been merciless, but he hadn't tried to kill Adam or anything. If he had, Adam felt confident they'd be performing a burial rather than an examination. "That's all I remember."

"That's fine," she assured him. "Left you a nice lump back there, but doesn't look too bad." The woman sat down on the edge of the mattress and watched him carefully. "I've got a few questions for you, and then I'll get out of your hair."

Her definition of few needed some work. She wanted to know so many things. His name. His age. Where he was born. Who he was traveling with. Then came the more annoying requests. Spelling Remnant backwards. Memorizing a pattern and reciting it back to her. Identifying the tenth letter of the alphabet. What started as a medical exam suddenly felt like some sort of evil trivia game.

Eventually, Adam had had enough. "Are we finished?" he demanded.

The woman smirked for a second, then wrapped things up. "I think so. You don't have any overly concerning symptoms. No memory loss. Eyes are dilating fine. Overall, I'd say you're as good as can be expected for someone who just woke up from a nasty bump."

"So he's okay?"

"For now," she answered, much to Soji's relief. "Put some ice on his head and take two of these with food three times a day." Adam accepted the small bottle she handed him, hearing the rattling of some sort of pills as he did. "Should help with the pain. You're gonna have a nasty headache tomorrow."

Great. Something to look forward to.

She turned to Soji with more instructions. "Keep an eye on him. If he starts forgetting things, has any severe mood swings, or can't keep food down, bring him to my office. And let the boy rest. I know how you and your brother are, but he's in no shape to be out on the trail tomorrow."

"We're staying a couple days," Soji promised. Rikyu had plenty of contacts and buyers in Oniyuri, many of which insisted on hosting him as their guest. According to Soji, it would be a great dishonor to refuse. And by that, he meant they might not buy from them again. They bought enough tea and tipped generously enough that Rikyu always entertained them with a formal ceremony that put their celebration on the trail to shame. He probably wouldn't see Rikyu at all tomorrow. "Anything else?"

"I'd say to avoid any more blows to the head, but that's good advice regardless." In a flash, she packed up her bag and headed for the door. "I can't believe Jean, beating up some young boy like that. Next time I see him, I might just give him a few lumps myself. See how he likes it."

"I'll make sure to warn him," Soji laughed, waving as she marched into the hall. Once the door closed behind her, Soji's face softened as he spoke. "You must forgive Jean. He's not normally so heavy handed, but I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Sure." As if that excused the cruelty Adam had been through. Dragging him along all this time, laughing at his attempts to better himself, then smashing his hopes in an impossible fight. If Jean didn't want to train him so badly, he could've just said no. Did he really have to embarrass Adam like that?

Sure he did. The cruelly whispered words hardly surprised him. He needed to make a point. To show you that you're not good enough. Adam couldn't really refute that. No one expected him to win, but he hadn't even made Jean sweat. Every attack had been batted aside so easily. Adam had poured everything he had into that fight, only to have it ended by a single blow at the end. Jean's message had been clear. Even at his best, Adam was nothing more than a nuisance to someone like Jean.

"He's the one who brought you back here," Soji tried, failing to impress Adam. "Brought you in, called the nurse, and even offered to pay for any treatment."

Offered to pay for the damage he caused. Such generosity. "He isn't here now."

No one was. It was only the two of them inside a simple yet spacious room with two beds. The outside world hid behind thick curtains of a large window. It was late, judging by the bright streetlight sneaking through a gap in the curtains and the darkened sky beyond, meaning he hadn't been out too long. A small screen across the room quietly displayed a woman talking about the weather, though her voice barely registered against the ringing in his ears. The room was a little nicer than the ones they'd stayed at in other towns, but he had to imagine a town like Oniyuri had much nicer hotels than this. With much higher price tags, of course.

"Jean…" Soji debated his words for a moment. "He wasn't in the best mood tonight."

"That makes two of us," Adam growled, rubbing the aching lump on his head. What right did Jean have to be upset? Was this some case of 'hurts you more than it hurts me' crap? If so, maybe they could switch places next time.

Next time. There wouldn't be a next time, would there? Adam slumped backwards, drawing a sharp breath as even the fluffy pillows stung against his injury. He had to give a quick assurance to Soji that he was fine before adjusting to something more comfortable. Jean had given him one chance. Only one. He doubted this was some sort of test where his effort would prove good enough. Considering how pathetically he performed, he probably wouldn't even make that cut. After all that begging and pleading, his efforts had crumpled faster than he had.

That's what you get for asking. If you want something so badly, then take it. Take it? How could he take something like training? If he was strong enough to force Jean to train him, he might've landed a blow in their fight. He couldn't make Jean do anything. Not even break a sweat.

Who said it has to be Jean? Who else would train him? Plenty of other caravans and guards. Or maybe someone in Oniyuri. They must have some sort of security. That's right! No town could last long without people to fight against the Grimm. And a town as big and rich as Oniyuri probably had their own Huntsmen, especially if they planned to build an academy soon.

That just left one problem: lien. Specifically, his lack of any. No one would train him for free. His limited work on the caravan earned him room and board, plus payment for their rescue from Katai. Maybe he could ask for them to pay him, but that meant staying with the caravan still. If he wanted to pay for training, he needed to earn some money.

Or steal it. No. He'd earn his way. He just had to figure out how. Then again, Oniyuri had more than just training potential. A town this size had to have work, too.

"Soji?"

"Yes?" Soji perked up, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Do you…" Adam fought to get his question out, knowing what it would mean. "Do you think anyone in Oniyuri would hire me?"

Soji's shoulders dropped as the obvious connotation sank in. "Are you that unhappy with us? If it's because of Jean, I can-"

"No. It's not Jean. It's just…well…"

Adam's struggle for words gave Soji time to spiral further. "Have I done something to offend you?"

Soji? Adam almost laughed. As if anyone on Remnant could be upset with the man. "Nothing like that," Adam promised, deciding to just go with the direct route before Soji could conjure up something worse. "I just…I'm grateful for everything you've done, but I need to earn some money. I need to start finding my place in the world." He couldn't rely on their generosity forever.

"And are you so certain your place is not with us?" Soji asked, his friendly smile finally returning. "If it's money you seek, then perhaps it is time we start paying you."

"But I'm just a passenger," Adam reminded him. They'd picked him up in Katai and gotten him out of there. Any other caravan would've charged for the extra mouth to feed, even on a short journey. Adam dreaded to imagine how much he would've paid to stick around this long. "I just ride in the wagon all day."

"Do I not ride in the same wagon?" Soji countered. "Do I not eat the same food? Do you think I am not paid?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "You do more than just ride along." Soji and his brother owned the whole caravan. They handled all the logistics and made all the trades. That hardly equated to him driving the wagon once or twice.

"As do you. Or has some other faunus boy been setting up camp every night for me?" Soji laughed as Adam conceded the point. "That settles it. I shall speak with Rikyu in the morning about setting up an allowance for you. Hopefully that'll be enough to keep you with us a while longer."

"Really?" Just like that?

"Really," Soji repeated. "What? Do you think us so unfair as to drag you along and not give you anything?"

Maybe. Not that he thought it unfair. They'd already done so much for him as it was. "You rescued me from Katai," he reminded Soji. "You snuck me out without even knowing me. I owe you so much." He could've been some rotten criminal for all they knew. In fact, that was all they knew at the time. But they'd still smuggled him out and given him a new chance at life. No one else had ever shown him such kindness. He owed them far more than he cared to admit.

Soji didn't agree. "You owe me nothing. Good deeds shouldn't come with price tags." When Adam made to protest, Soji cut him off, silencing him with a wave of the hand. "The matter is not up for debate. Rikyu and I will decide on appropriate compensation for your work. For now, rest."

That was it? All he had to do was ask? It seemed too easy, but Soji didn't seem like the untrustworthy type. Adam didn't know if the man even knew how to lie. "Thank you." It sounded so pathetic given everything Soji had done for him, but he had a feeling the man would prefer action to words. Adam would make sure he was worth every lien they offered and more. "I wasn't sure anyone here would hire me," Adam admitted. He couldn't exactly provide work references, and who wanted some unknown teenager as an employee? Besides Soji, of course.

"Think nothing of it," Soji assured him, patting his leg. "You're a good man, Adam, but you must learn not to give up hope so readily."

With a quick, reassuring smile and a snatch of some clothes from the dresser, Soji ducked into their attached bathroom. Adam could hear the shower start, but it was the sound of Soji's final words that echoed in his head.

"Don't give up." Adam tasted the words as a thought crept into his mind and began to take root. Now there was an idea. One that would have to wait until his head stopped pounding, though.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Adam awoke the next morning, eager to act on his new plan, but the old woman's words had proven prophetic as a nasty headache kept him inside most of the day. He had plenty of time. Soji had told him they'd be sticking around a few days to handle some business and visit a few important customers. Still, napping and sitting around only made him more anxious. By the afternoon, he could feel the cabin fever in full swing, like an annoying itch in his head that he couldn't quite reach.

Thankfully, Soji had come back at lunchtime with some food and a herbal tea he assured Adam would take the edge off a little. Even with that and the painkillers, his head still felt like it would explode at any second. The only real comfort he had was talking to Soji to keep his mind off the pain.

Rikyu had agreed to his request to add Adam to their payroll, though at a lower wage than anyone else - something Soji looked uncomfortable admitting. Adam didn't really care, though. Everyone else had more experience than he did, so it made sense they'd get paid more. Plus, anything was better than the previous arrangement of nothing.

The small stack of lien Soji handed him wouldn't last very long, but Adam didn't really have any expenses. Food was provided through the caravan. When they weren't camping out between towns, Soji assured him he could just share his room. If he wanted his own, he could always pay, but Adam had better uses for his money than avoiding Soji's snoring.

The next morning, emboldened by the money in his pocket and the scheme in his head, Adam went hunting for his target. The empty room down the hall yielded no hints, so Adam headed for the next likely haunt - the tavern.

"Jean? He was here earlier," a man near the bar claimed when Adam asked the bartender, who merely nodded at the speaker and left Adam to serve another customer. Most of the room stood empty, but a few men lingered around, nursing drinks or playing darts. Whether they were morning revelers or leftovers from last night, Adam couldn't tell, though the man before him looked too clean to be an overnighter.

"Where is he now?" Adam asked, ignoring the offered seat beside the man. If Jean wasn't here, then he didn't plan to linger, though it hardly surprised Adam that Jean would spend all his time at the bar.

"Went huntin' a few hours ago," the man shrugged, taking another sip. "Should be back soon. Probably stop back here."

"What makes you think that?"

"He always stops here to brag about his latest kill," he laughed, spraying a fine mist of beer that just missed showering Adam.

"And if he doesn't catch anything?"

The man thought for a moment. "Don't think that's ever happened." With a shrug, he upended the rest of his drink, wiping a few droplets from his beard before ordering another one.

"Thanks," Adam muttered before beating a hasty retreat. If the drunk was right, waiting at the tavern would be his best bet, but Adam didn't really feel like hanging around the slob and reeking of stale beer. With nothing else to do, he decided to head back to the inn and watch some news instead, if only to pass the time.

The finely dressed, impeccably dolled up newscasters bounced from topic to topic, many of which went ignored by Adam. Who cared about some pig that could do basic math? And what sane person wanted to know about the latest celebrity scandal? Did people actually find it interesting to hear what famous people were sleeping together? Adam could only roll his eyes at the lengthy coverage of rumors and hearsay, enduring it all as he waited for something of substance.

The turn of the hour finally brought on the meaningful stuff. Storm damage on the coast. Upticks in bandit activity out west. Rescue efforts for miners trapped in an accidental explosion in Atlas. On their face, they meant little to Adam beyond his interest in learning about the rest of Remnant, but Soji had watched reports with him yesterday and helped him see more.

Every event had ripples. Little waves that spread across Remnant if you knew where to look. A keen businessman understood this and used the information to their advantage. A big coastal storm meant there'd be the need for relief supplies, while prices for imported goods might go up until repairs were finished. Bandits meant more danger for them, but knowing where the attacks were happening could help them avoid trouble. Plus, some of their competitors suffering a loss meant their gain, as heartless as it sounded.

The Dust mine one didn't seem as important to them, though. Not only was it on another continent, but they didn't do as much trade with Dust and Soji had assured him there wouldn't be much change in the long run. Sure, the prices might tick up a tiny bit, but a single mine would hardly cripple the economy. Plus, there were mines on every continent, so outside of Atlas, the impact would be almost non-existent, especially if they reopened quickly.

Another report started up about some sort of protests against the mining company, only to be interrupted by his door opening. Adam shut off the TV when he recognized the arrival.

"Heard you were looking for me," Jean announced as he let himself in. "You feelin' okay?"

"Better." No thanks to you, he didn't add. "My head still hurts, but it's not as bad as yesterday."

"Good." No apology. Not that Adam expected one. Jean didn't even look embarrassed at being the cause of Adam's injury. "So what's up?"

Adam fought back the temptation to lash out, biting down on his anger with a reminder of his plan. Jean might not like his plan, but after everything Adam had gone through to get his chance, Adam didn't really care what Jean liked. First, though, he needed to take care of something else.

"I want my sword."

"Your sword?" Jean looked a little confused.

"My sword." Adam steeled himself to push forward with his demand. "The one I used in our fight."

"Why?" Jean asked, leaning against the door as he studied Adam. "I'm not training you. So why do you need a sword?"

Any hope of his effort being enough to impress the man died then and there. "To defend myself." Jean raised an eyebrow but waited for Adam to continue. "On the trail. You know, in case we get attacked or something."

"That's what Jesse and I are there for." What was the point of guards if they didn't guard you? Still, they couldn't be everywhere at once, and accidents did happen. "You wouldn't last long in a bandit attack. Even worse against a Grimm."

"But I'd last longer than if I had no weapon at all," Adam reasoned. "And it would make me feel safer, knowing I had a way to defend myself."

"It also makes you a target." Jean wasn't going to give in easily. That was fine. Adam didn't intend to give up either. "Wielding a weapon makes you a threat to an attacker. And with how young you are, they'd go for you first."

"They'll come for me eventually, anyways." If they could get past Jean and Jesse. Then again, he doubted bandits would announce their attack and fight fair. Ambushes sounded more appropriate, and the guards couldn't be everywhere at once. "And a Grimm won't care if I have a sword or not. Trust me. I've faced them before."

Children were taught that the mindlessness of the Grimm gave humans a big advantage, but they always left off the cost. Bandits would target guards first, leaving the merchants safe until the end or using them as hostages. Grimm didn't prioritize that way. They attacked whatever caught their attention, whether that be a heavily armed Huntsman or a terrified child hiding in a tree.

While Jean debated the point to himself, Adam capitalized on his hesitation to deliver another blow. "And you bought it for me, so it's mine anyways." Childish. Arrogant. Adam hated how he sounded, but the point remained. "Unless you're planning to steal it from me."

It was Jean's turn to snarl, but only for a second. Adam had a feeling he wouldn't stand for a slight against his character. If that didn't work, Adam would threaten to tell Soji, and they both knew the man would insist on Jean honoring the gift properly. Thankfully, Adam never had to use his secret weapon. "Fair enough. The sword is yours. Jesse can teach you about taking care of it properly."

"I know how to handle a blade," Adam insisted. Shizukana's captain had drilled that into him mercilessly, making him sharpen and inspect every weapon in the armory countless times. Not to mention all the lessons from Mazarin.

"Fine. I'll have your sword put in your wagon before we leave." In two days, if Adam remembered right. He'd rather have it now, but maybe walking around town with a weapon would be a bad idea. "Is that all?"

Not even close. "No." Jean had already pushed off the wall and started turning to leave, only to pause at Adam's word. Taking a deep breath, Adam decided to spring his plan. "I'm pretty much recovered."

"That's good to hear…" Jean knew something was up as he waited for whatever Adam would drop on him.

He didn't have to wait long. "So we can continue our fight tonight."

"Our fight?" Jean turned back to him, a mixture of irritation and confusion plastered on his face. "How hard did I hit you?" Harder than necessary, Adam didn't answer. "You lost, Adam. I told you, you only got one chance. And you lost. I don't care how hard you tried. In the end, it wasn't good enough."

Adam knew that. He wasn't naïve enough to think Jean's rules were just a joke. But that was where he'd made a mistake. His rules. We'll fight until someone surrenders. Not until unconsciousness. Not until he couldn't fight any longer. Until surrender. Those were the rules, and Adam intended to follow them to the letter.

More importantly, he'd make Jean stick to them. "You said we'd fight until I surrendered," Adam reminded the man. "And I never surrendered."

"You were unconscious," Jean reminded him.

"And now I'm not." Adam's grin widened as he smugly threw the words at Jean. "You won the first round, but I'm not giving up yet."

Jean didn't find his tactic amusing, but he didn't immediately reject it either. "You can't be serious."

"I am." The fact that Jean was even letting him continue only added to his newfound confidence. "So, do you want to fight tonight, or should we wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm just gonna whoop you again."

"Maybe," Adam conceded. In reality, they both knew the outcome was inevitable, but that wouldn't stop him. "But like you said, I have to fight for what I want. So fight me."

Even halfway across the room, Adam could hear Jean's frustrated growl as his own words came back to haunt him. He had him. Jean couldn't back out now. Not without looking like a liar and a cheat. His pride wouldn't allow that. Better to have another fight than let his reputation suffer.

"Fine." Jean didn't say so much as spit the word. "Tonight. Same time. Same place. If you're late, I'll consider that a forfeit."

"I'll be there," Adam promised, refusing to wilt under Jean's glare. The two stared each other down until Jean finally stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Adam reveled in his small victory, fully aware of his looming defeat. But that didn't matter. He'd fight. He'd show Jean he wouldn't give up. Even if it didn't work in the end, he'd prove he was worth training. If not to Jean, than to himself.

He'd show the world that there was still some fight left in Adam Taurus.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

The day practically flew by. Even with the merciless beating waiting in the evening, Adam couldn't contain his excitement. His head still ached, but he'd make due. Besides, even at full health, he knew he would lose. Their first fight had made that abundantly clear. Adam doubted he'd land a single blow, even if Jean fought without a weapon and with one hand behind his back.

Adam knew that wouldn't happen. Jean would obliterate him this time. In securing his second chance, Adam had poked the Ursa a bit. Jean would be out for blood. Not literally, Adam hoped, but the man wouldn't settle for a quick knockout. Adam had challenged him, and Jean had to know he wouldn't give up easily. Another knockout would just mean the same argument next time. No, Jean would have to force him to surrender.

Adam made sure to arrive an entire half hour early, just to be safe. Jean was already there waiting, as were the builders from their first show. In fact, it looked like a few more had joined the audience. Adam was grateful to see his sword strapped to Jean's back. He'd wondered if Jean would try to alter the rules and make him fight unarmed or something, if only to spite him.

"You sure you want to do this?" Jean asked.

"Absolutely." Jean looked disappointed at his stubbornness, but what had he expected? That Adam had pushed so hard for a second fight, only to back out at the last moment? No. He'd see it through and force Jean to fight him properly.

Jean drew Adam's sword and tossed it across the small plaza, letting the blade skitter to Adam's feet. It felt foreign in his hands still, but he'd get used to it in time. Sadly, he didn't have that kind of time right now. The two would have to get along and endure another decimation together.

Adam took a few practice swings, stretching out his arms and trying to get a better feel for the blade. It was a beginner sword, and clearly made for someone a bit larger, but it would do. Maybe he could save up some money and get something different in time. Mazarin once called it a basic weapon, and after seeing everything in the weapons shop, he finally understood what she meant. It wasn't just that there were a ton of different weapons out there, but even the swords came in a dizzying array of styles. Short daggers. Two-handed behemoths. Curved swords. Straight swords. He wondered if one of those would suit him better.

Not that it would matter tonight. He doubted there was a weapon on Remnant that could even the odds for him. A Huntsman-trained adult with aura and muscles to spare against a barely trained teen coming off a concussion. He couldn't think of a less fair fight. Life's not fair. Jean was right, but if life didn't fight fair, then neither would he.

"You ready to get this over with?" Jean asked, his voice dripping with annoyance.

"Ready."

"We'll fight until someone surrenders or is unable to continue."

The extra rule didn't sit well with Adam. "No changing the rules in the middle of a fight." Otherwise, his chance would be over as fast as Jean could cover the distance between them.

"Middle?" Before Adam could answer, Jean realized his angle. Jean had agreed to a single fight, meaning this was technically just round two of the original spar. "You sneaky little…Fine. The rules are the same. One fight. You surrender, you lose. Let's end this little charade then, shall we?"

Adam nodded in agreement, settling into a defensive stance as silence fell on their arena. Much like before, the large lights flickered to life, bathing them in an unnatural glow as their audience settled in for the show.

"Begin!"

The single word reached him only a moment before Jean's sword. Adam barely had time to block and nearly fell from the force behind the attack. His hands ached from the cruel vibration as he tried to step back and create some distance. As he expected, Jean wasn't wasting any time. His attacker swung low, knocking Adam's guard up before a quick blow from the side wrenched the weapon from his hands entirely. Adam's eyes watched it tumble across the stone road, realizing too late the mistake he'd made.

The world shifted as Jean struck his shoulder with his free hand, throwing him back as a booted foot hooked behind his knee and ripped his feet out from under him. Adam hit the ground hard, gasping for breath at the sudden shock. Even so, he tried to get back up to continue the hopeless fight.

The tip of a sword came to rest against his shoulder, pinning him down as Jean towered over him.

"Yield."

It was over. The whole thing took barely a few seconds. Jean didn't look satisfied with his victory. If anything, he looked frustrated. Beating up on a kid probably wasn't his idea of a fun evening. He'd probably rather be drowning himself in beer at the tavern, listening to the local bums sing his praises. Instead, here he was, playing the villain against a helpless boy with more guts than brains.

"No."

Jean pushed a little harder, the sharpened point of his sword burning against Adam's shoulder threateningly. "Give up, Adam. You've lost. You can't win."

"But I won't lose," Adam growled back.

"Yield!" Jean demanded. "You need to learn when you've been beat."

"And you need to learn that I'll never stop fighting!" Adam yelled back. "You said to fight for what I want. Well I want to be trained! Teach me to fight. Show me how to protect people. Make me stronger."

"I won't," Jean growled back. "I won't teach another kid how to go off and get himself killed. The world isn't some fairytale where everyone gets to ride off and be the hero. People don't live happily ever after. Because the monsters out there," Jean thrust his hand toward the unfinished wall and the darkened woods beyond, "aren't going to stop."

"And neither will I." Adam had had enough of giving up. He'd had enough of losing. He'd lost his family. His home. His friends. His future. And all he could do was sit there and watch everything he loved be torn away from him. He was weak. Pathetic. Well no more. He'd become stronger. He'd find a new purpose. And he'd make sure no one could ever hurt him again.

Adam pushed himself up, only for the blade to push him back down. "Give up, Adam."

"Never." Adam leaned forward once more, wincing at the sharp pain in his shoulder. "I'll never give up. I'll keep fighting, even if it hurts." Adam pushed harder, gritting his teeth as he felt the skin on his shoulder finally give way. Jean pulled back just a hair, but Adam followed, refusing to let up. "You said to fight for what I want. I won't just fight. I'll win."

Jean's eyes narrowed as he was forced back inch by inch, unwilling to let Adam skewer himself on his sword. Adam finally stood, eyes fixed on Jean the entire time.

"I'll keep coming." Adam stepped forward, forcing Jean back a pace. "I'll get stronger." Another step. "And I'll fight anyone who gets in my way. No matter what."

Adam waited silently, even as the small cut in his shoulder began to stain his shirt red. He was done sitting on the sidelines. He'd lost everything. But the thing about having nothing left was that you had nothing to lose, either. If Jean expected him to give up, then he'd be in for a nasty surprise.

"Stubborn little brat." Jean kicked his feet out from under him once more, leaving Adam flat on his back as he sheathed his sword.

Despite the extra blow, Adam stayed focused. "So you'll train me?"

"No."

"But you said if I won, you would." And he hadn't lost. At least, he hadn't surrendered. Which meant Jean was the one giving up.

"You didn't win."

"But-"

Jean didn't bother listening to his complaint. "You're too injured to fight. We'll pick this back up tomorrow. Maybe then I can knock some sense into you."

Tomorrow? Was he…was he saying their fight wasn't over? So after two rounds, neither of them were willing to give up. The fight would continue. How long could this go on, though? Would the two be locked in an eternal struggle of stubbornness? Had Adam condemned himself to a hellish existence of beatings at the hands of an indomitable foe?

That sounded an awful lot like training to him.

"Tomorrow," Adam agreed. "I won't give up."

"We'll see," Jean answered as he turned his back and walked away. Adam couldn't be sure if it was just his imagination, but he thought he saw the faintest glimmer of a smile on the merciless man's lips.

"Tomorrow," Adam quietly repeated to himself as he jogged over to his discarded weapon. He'd learn from these defeats. He'd study the man and find a way to overcome him someday. He'd grow stronger until no one would dare challenge him.

And then, he'd make sure he never lost again.

Adam getting to be a little intense here.

This week, in random things I researched while writing, I got to learn all about concussions, knockouts, and other brain injuries. Tried to mix some basic field tests for concussion protocols in here, along with some common symptoms. Always important to keep learning, even if it's just for writing purposes. Then again, my internet search history ranges from confusing to concerning sometimes. In RWBY's Shadow had me researching everything from dances and dresses to specific details on severe burn wounds and everything in between. And you don't want to know some of the stuff I've looked up for my murder novel. Pretty sure I'm on some sort of list by now.

I'm sure at least some of you considered the option of this all being some sort of test. I see that in writing a lot, and it works for some, but I'm not a huge fan of the whole "impossible task was really just a lesson in disguise" thing. Always makes the teacher seem petty to me. Jean doesn't mince words. He says what he means and sticks with it. So when he said Adam had one chance, Adam truly had one chance. Adam just found a way to turn those words against Jean.

On an unrelated note, the start of the chapter was fun to write. I haven't gotten to do nearly as much humor in this story as I normally do, thanks to the tone, but we can still have some fun here and there. It's actually based on a stupid moment of my own only a few months ago. I was in bed and feeling miserable (can't remember why, but probably a migraine or something). Went to turn on the lamp by my bed, which is touch activated with three light levels. Nothing happened. So I tapped it again. And again. After nearly a dozen taps and me wondering what the heck was going on, I realized that, not only were my eyes closed, but my arm was draped over my face, blocking out all the light. Meanwhile, my wife is standing nearby, watching me rapid-fire cycle the lamp over and over, thinking I'd lost my mind. She was right.

Next chapter, Adam continues his "training."