A/N: Boom! Twice in one week! On. A. ROLL.

Chapter 25

The streets of Vacuo were windswept and dusty, reminding Dutch all too much of Blackwater. The similarity dredged up memories of the boat job that went bad, and all of the misfortune that had followed since then. When he killed that girl, in vain hopes of saving the gang from discovery...Jenny and Davey had died on the way to Colter, Mac as well according to the Pinkertons. The Van der Linde gang's fall from glory began in a town just like the one he stood in, and it made Dutch irritable. Something Trelawny – no, Isaac Norman – should have picked up on.

The bell chimed as the man in question exited the shop, waving goodbye to the clerk as he turned to Dutch. He offered a wrapped sandwich to the old gang leader, who reluctantly took it. He wasn't very hungry, but he would be later.

"So, what did you find out? Is she here?" Rather than reply, Isaac opened another sandwich and bit into it, chewing politely as he enjoyed the meal and left Dutch to stew in the same frustrations he'd had since escaping prison. After a few moments passed, the magician swallowed and gave Dutch a look.

"Must you jump right to business every time, dear boy? There is such a thing as stopping to smell the roses, you know?" His apathy at completely their mission irritated Dutch further, and the man's fists curled tight as he fought to restrain his temper.

"Your so-called Queen promised me my revenge if I helped her find this Maiden, so I'd appreciate it if we moved right along, Josiah?" Dutch covered his mouth with an expression of insincere apology. "Oh I'm sorry, I meant Isaac. No sense calling you by the fake name you gave us for years." The man in question went to go take another bite of his sandwich, but Dutch's cattiness made him roll his eyes and cover it back up, stowing it in a satchel similar to what Arthur had once carried.

"No need for such attitude, Mr. Van der Linde. I am well aware of our Queen's deal with you. It is similar to the one she made to myself and Hazel, you know." Isaac brushed some dirt from his shoulder and indicated a small market nearby, protected by claw walls and an archway. The dust storm was still a few miles out, but they were already feeling the effects. Vacuo was nothing if not a sturdy Kingdom. "Vengeance is a potent motivator."

"Oh really? And who is it that you want dead, then? Someone steal your magic trick? Maybe sell a whole bunch of counterfeit gold bonds before you had the chance?" Dutch's tone was derisive and dismissive, but Isaac weathered it all the same. If nothing, one of the few good things Dutch had to say about him was that Isaac was most certainly a patient man. "And who else have you brought here besides me? I saw Sean, obviously."

"Just the two of you, unfortunately." Dutch looked despondent at that. Despite himself, he had a forlorn hope that maybe Hosea, Lenny, or even Molly might have made it over as well. Arthur had made it too, of course, but his traitorous son made no mention of other gang members. Javier and Bill, his last dedicated men, were rotting in prison. The only ones Trelawny had saved were Sean and himself.

"Thanks to the things my mentor taught me, I was able to restore enough of Sean's mind for Watts to do his work. As for what I'm after, it would be my teacher. You aren't the only one sore about broken promises, old boy." None of the usual cheer was present in Isaac's voice, though Dutch knew that the man was an excellent actor. He had no reason to believe anything that came from Norman's mouth. "She has promised me retribution against the man responsible for the death of my family. My wife and children." The sorrow in Isaac's voice was faded, but even to Dutch it sounded genuine. It caused the old bandit to pause a moment, the snort and follow the magician into the plaza. A few other patrons were finishing their business there, but the oncoming dust storm had already sent most of the locals inside. As such, outside was ironically the most private place to talk until the dust rolled in.

"I...I never knew you had a family. I always assumed that you spent too much time cheating and conniving to have time for a wife and kids. Is that where you ran to when we never saw you for weeks on end." Dutch asked, his anger subdued but not forgotten. He still had a million questions after all, about how Trelawny had come to work for a monster like the Queen of the Grimm. The magician sat at a circular wooden table, gesturing for Dutch to do the same.

"My wife, Alice, and two sons, Cornelius and Tarquin. We were blessed with twins of all things, and my darling Alice was very strong to have done as well as she did. But to answer your question, not always. I found America quite by accident, you see." When Dutch took the offered seat, he continued. "I have a very unusual Semblance, you see. I can pass between worlds, but the results are not always what I want them to be. When I came to America, it was to see the fall of Roanoke." Dutch guffawed at that, ignoring Isaac's irritated glare as he did so.

"Preposterous. That was almost two hundred years ago. You'd be the oldest man alive if that were true." The old bandit laid his suspicions bare, and Isaac sighed irritably.

"There are two explanations for that, Dutch. The first, passing between worlds as I do can have strange side effects. For some reason, an afternoon here can equal weeks on Lemoyne. The time in between freeing Sean and seeing Arthur and Charles in Rhodes might have seemed a long while to you boys, but for me it was an afternoon. It is impossible for me to measure the difference in time, but apparently it only works one way."

To that, Dutch had no argument. He was too far out of his depth to contend with the story. He had personally seen the man pass from one world to the next when Isaac had busted him out of prison, but he had no way of confirming the time difference that the magician spoke of. On several occasions, Dutch had sent Arthur and Charles both to see where Trelawny had disappeared to. Neither man had been able to determine his path or location, as if he had simply vanished into thin air. If he was to be believed, that's precisely what he had done.

"As for how I've lived so long, my mentor passed on to me many things thought lost to this world. You call me a magician in jest, but I assure you that I am capable of things you wouldn't believe." To demonstrate, Isaac passed a hand in front of his face. Where Dutch saw a youthful thirty year old man, a shimmer passed with his hand that revealed, for a brief moment, wrinkled skin and stark white hair. As the shimmer passed, the man's face returned to normal. Dutch was spellbound, captivated by the casual show of unearthly power. Eventually, he found his tongue.

"So that explains why it's been so long in between visits, but why did you keep coming back? Surely this world of technology and monsters was better than America." Isaac shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

"Safe haven from Salem's wrath in bad times, camaraderie between myself and the gang, recruitment opportunities," He sent a look Dutch's way, "There were a few reasons to stay around the gang, and I am nothing if not a patient man. I learned that from my long life, at least." Isaac's face fell at the mention of his teacher. Dutch wasn't sure about this fairy tale, but to be honest stranger things had happened in his brief stint out of prison. He maintained a healthy skepticism, but Dutch was slowly starting to believe the magician.

"And who is this teacher you have such a grudge against? If you're as old as you claim, he should be dead by now." Dutch crossed his arms. In the distance, the sun was hidden by the approaching storm. They would be locked up inside for a few days at least, but he wanted this out now, without people being able to listen through walls. Hell, anyone who heard would probably think he was crazy anyway.

"He went by the name Ozma when I knew him, though that has changed throughout the years. He is our Queen's enemy, and has been since long before you or I were born." Isaac looked at Dutch seriously. "He was my teacher, and swore to me that he would defend my family so long as I helped him fight Salem and her forces. To end the scourge of the Grimm on Remnant. Little did I know how foolish that was."

"And why, precisely, was that foolish?" He knew so little about the world they stood in, but their employer was the most mysterious of all. He didn't like being under someone's thumb, be it a sleazy Italian like Angelo Bronte or an immortal Queen like Salem. If Isaac had some insight on flipping things on the old crone, he would need to know.

"Because she can't be killed!" The magician muttered angrily, and Dutch could have sworn he saw sparks of lightning pass between the magician's fingers. "It's not that she is a strong fighter or lives a long life, the gods of this world literally banished her from death! For centuries, she and Ozma have waged this war against one another, using people like pawns in a deadly game of chess. And he KNEW that she was immortal! Her Grimm are infinite and her hatred is eternal, but..." Isaac trailed off, his expression despondent as he revisited the day his family was slain. "Salem only fights against Ozma, and his fight is impossible. He knew that, but he still allowed me to put myself and my family at risk by playing in his game. It was he that placed humanity between himself and the Queen, and he continues to use them as a shield every day."

"Isaac..." It was the first time Dutch had called him by his name honestly in the time they had been there, but he placed his hand on the man's shoulder comfortingly. "Did...did she kill your family?" The man sighed heavily, then gently pushed Dutch's had from his shoulder. In a single moment, he looked the very age he claimed to be. Even his hair flashed gray for a moment before whatever magic he used to stay youthful resumed.

"Her Grimm are attracted to negative emotions. I had just come home from a mission, despondent and angry. Ozma had told me about Salem's immortality, and I was still so angry with him. For the lies and the false hope he had allowed me to have for so long. We lived near the edge of the Kingdom at the time, and...there was an attack." Isaac glanced up at Dutch irritably. "I know she is the Queen of the Grimm, Dutch. I am not a moron. But it was my interaction with Ozma that made me a target. He promised me safety for my family, all the while dangling us over the Grimm like a delicious snack." The wind began to howl, and both men knew the storm was almost upon them. Dutch stood up first, his initial mood forgotten in the wake of Trelawny's admission. The magician stood up as well, looking down at his hands.

"I may be a liar, and a charlatan and a fool, but I know a losing battle when I see one, Dutch. Ozma will lose this eternal battle, and I will be there to see him fall." Stiffening and turning on his heel, Isaac Norman stomped into the hotel behind them, his demeanor too rigid and tight to pass off as the happy go lucky traveler. Dutch could hear him arrange for a room, but he still stood outside, looking up at the darkening sky. With all the dust kicked up in the air, it almost seemed like crimson clouds were spinning around them. This wasn't like the feud between the Braithwaites and the Grays. The battle Isaac had pulled him into had far higher stakes, and the magician had been kind enough to place Dutch on the winning side. The inevitable side. Long ago, Dutch had told Arthur that vengeance was a fool's game. But after everything his surrogate son took from him on the way out, and what that exit cost him, Dutch would have to make an exception.

The outlaw stepped inside to avoid the coming gale and press his colleague for more information, well aware that the storm he was worried about had nothing to do with sand and wind.

The trip back to Vale was a solemn one as Arthur licked his wounds, his pride beaten from his failure to kill the Nuckelavee. He contacted the local bounty office and gave them the location of the creature's lair, as well as a summary of the fight. The receptionist thanked him for his insight, and the bounty posting was updated, as well as the reward increasing by another two thousand Lien. The increase pricked at his ego, but Arthur wished the next contestants the best of luck against the beast. It was too much for him.

With his bulldog hat donated to Sienna and his old one somewhere in America, the white gambler he had made from the legendary bull alligator in Lemoyne had been the last of his hats. Another reminder of his failure, right next to the empty sheath on his hip where his hunting knife had been. Another hat and knife would be easy to procure, but he'd had those for some time. Still, he was alive, so he didn't have too much to gripe about.

Upon returning to Vale, he stopped by to visit Summer and her family and then the Marstons. Ruby and Yang had been too busy with homework to chat, especially given how strict Taiyang was about the stuff. The outlaw had asked Summer and her husband about the Nuckelavee, and their wince at the mention of its name told him everything he needed to know.

"There have only ever been a few in recorded history." Tai had explained. "They're crazy tough, and every Grimm gets harder to kill as it lives longer. You're lucky to be alive, man." Arthur definitely felt it, even after the creature took a shot from the Deal Breaker at near point blank range.

"Grimm like that are the reason that Huntsmen and Huntresses prefer to work in teams. You have your rogues like Qrow sometimes, but too many people have been killed for going out alone." Summer had added, punching him in the chest irritably. "You shouldn't have gone after it alone, Arthur!"

It took a good few minutes of apologies and assurances that he wouldn't do it again before Summer had been properly mollified, though she still sent him reproachful looks. Arthur made his excuses and and left, saying goodbye to the girls before he did. It warmed his heart somewhat to see that Ruby was wearing her new belt that he had gotten her for her birthday.

So now, he found himself kicked back on John Marston's couch, sitting opposite of the man himself and Sean. The two had been up to something in his absence, and had just finished telling him about how John's Aura had been unlocked.

"So let me get this straight." Arthur prefaced, sipping a beer as he did so. "You two were deliberately told you couldn't do something, and then you went around tryin' to find any way you could to get it anyway? You think maybe there's a reason Junior told you it was a bad idea?"

"Yeah, there was." John shot back. "He didn't want to catch hell from Beacon and all them Huntsmen. If Sean did it, then we're in the clear. I figured you'd be happy to hear about it." He sounded surprised, and Arthur realized that he might have come off a little strong.

"I ain't saying that, I'm just wondering if maybe you could have waited til I came back around. Sean's under enough stress after he got damn near starved to death, and who knows what's going on with that eye of his?" At the mention of his cybernetics, the Irishman scoffed and tossed his hat in the air.

"You let me worry about that, old man. I've made some friends these past few years. I'll find someone to make sure the ol' doc ain't gonna turn my grape into mush. In the meantime, I've been looking to get back at him for all his lovely hospitality." The young man stood up and fished an old picture out of his vest, handing it to Arthur. The outlaw stared down at it, four people in lab coats all smiling smugly. The man on the far right had been circled, a guy with a thick mustache and gray sideburns amid black hair.

"That's the son of a bitch that put me back together and then threw me in a cell." Sean proclaimed resolutely. "I seen his face a thousand times, and I got no clue who he is. I need yer help, English." Arthur shook his head and handed the picture back, grumbling already. This stank of revenge, and he knew how fruitless such a pursuit was.

"And what the hell can I do about it? You see me meeting a lot of doctors and robot builders? I've spent most of my time over here in the damn woods more than anything!" Sean rolled his eyes and slumped down on the love seat across from Arthur, tossing his hands in the air.

"And I thought he was the brains around here? No wonder we've been up shit creek for so long, lost for oars and sense." He pointed a finger at Arthur. "It's not what you know, it's who you know. You're in good with all them important folk up at Beacon. All I'm askin' is that you run on up there one day, pick their brain, and see if they know this self-important milksop. Whether they do or don't, that's all I'm asking. But I'm willing to bet someone that makes expensive shit like this is well known by all the posh folks." The Irishman pointed to his eye, and Arthur had to agree with him. He'd seen a few prosthetics in his time with the White Fang and as a bounty hunter, but none of them had been on the same level as Sean's, in either quality or complexity.

Whoever the doctor was, he was clearly a leader in his field. Ozpin and the others might know more, and a name would allow them to track the bastard down and return the favor he'd paid Sean. But it still left an ashy taste in Arthur's mouth.

"Alright, I'll ask around. Just...don't do nothing stupid until I finish up in Mistral, alright? I came back for some supplies and to make sure you two weren't at the bottom of the bay." Arthur rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "I already told you about Dutch, right? Keep yer damn heads down. The old bastard is still out there, and he's mad as a rattlesnake right now. I'll ask the Huntsmen about this doctor, but you two stay here and keep your heads down until I get back, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're not as dumb as we look, English. You do the snooping, and we'll be right here, aye?" John nodded in agreement.

"I'm not sure Abigail will let us leave the house at this point anyway. I still have work over at the Club, but we'll stay down until we hear from you. Promise." At least the scarred man had some reason to him. For someone that had already been ambushed once, Sean was being far to reckless with this doctor. Either he was underestimating the old man, or he was more angry than he let on.

"I guess that'll have to do." Arthur relented. Finishing his beer, he ran a hand through his hair and set it to the side. "Anyway, how are things with Jack? He getting along okay?" Taking it as a dismissal, Sean got up to get another beer, leaving John and Arthur alone in the living room for a moment.

"He loves going to school, and here recently he's been asking about Huntsman training. Abigail is beside herself, but he's really excited. Wants to go over to Summer's house whenever he can." Arthur chuckled at that, remembering how the young boy had been following Ruby and Yang around like a lost puppy.

"First crush, you think? They're a little old for him." Not that it mattered. A boy's first crush was often silly and grown out of, but it was proof he was growing up. It was inevitable that he would discover the fairer sex. The more he thought about Summer's family though, he winced. "Maybe not the best girls for him to cut his teeth on, either. Their pa is protective as hell." Ruby and Yang were both sweet girls, but Ruby was four years his senior, Yang almost twice that.

"To be honest, I was worried he'd never pull his head out of all those stories. Better now than later, I guess. I'll have a talk with Tai, but I've got no problem with him wanting to visit the girls every now and then. It's the profession I'm worried about." John said seriously. "I know we've have a dangerous road, but Huntsmen are a whole 'nother story. It's their job to fight monsters and bad guys, not just because they have to."

"Ain't that what you were so excited about, back in the day? Tussling with lawmen and outlaws as you made your living?" Arthur retorted as Sean came back in, sporting another beer and one for Arthur as well. The elder outlaw caught the beer that was tossed to him, opening it easily. "Hate to say it, but the boy looks up to you. Damned if I know why though." John glared at him for the jab, but Sean could only laugh at his expense.

"Aye, he got you there Scarface. No question on whose boy he is now, is there? Ha ha ha!" The Irishman plopped down on the love seat again, narrowly missing a swipe from John. The two bickered back and forth over that old wound as Arthur stood, carrying his finished beer and his open one to the kitchen.

The Marstons' apartment was a bit on the small side, with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The kitchen had decent space, with white tile floors and a similar pattern along the walls. Abigail had a big pot of stew on the range, and some cornbread in the oven if his nose wasn't lying. The woman gave the pot a stir every now and then, her eyes roaming over the cookbook she had bought earlier. Now that she was more or less caught up on her reading and numbers, Abigail had been trying to find work in the city. Arthur could tell that even though John was putting food on the table, she worried for his safety. Surely the talk about Jack becoming a Huntsman had brought her no end of stress.

"Hey there, Abigail. Need anything?" Arthur offered, dropping his spent beer in the trash can next to the counter and sipping on the second one.

"Thank you, Arthur, but I think I've got it. I just wish those boys would stop talking about sending Jack to Signal." The woman admitted worriedly. "He gets so wrapped up in them stories, it sounds like an adventure to him. Summer's girls ain't no help neither." She stopped stirring the stew and grabbed a towel, using it to open the oven and pull the iron skillet out slightly to check the cornbread.

"Yeah, well, he is his father's son alright. John don't sound too thrilled about it neither, if that helps." That had a different meaning with Abigail, though she knew he didn't mean anything by it. Before Jack's birth, Abigail's roll in the gang had been to...service the men when needed. Arthur had never accepted the offer, but John had been the one to knock her up and actually stay with her. But her roll as the camp whore for a time just before Jack's birth made the boy's origin a mystery for a time. It had been a nasty insult to her, one Arthur didn't abide when Micah or Bill started running at the mouth. Things were made all the worse when John ran off, leaving Abigail and young Jack as well as the rest of the gang behind.

How he had treated Abigail and Jack had been a huge reason for Arthur's dislike of John Marston. Regardless of the betrayal felt by Arthur, Dutch, and Hosea, John had abandoned his woman and child to go gallivanting off somewhere. Given that Arthur had lost his own family doing the same thing, it had irked him deeper than the rest of the gang. That had been some time ago, but it still served as a reminder for how much John had grown up in the past few years. He still had yet to actually marry Abigail, though they always introduced her as his wife. The man owed her a wedding, and eventually Arthur would have it beat into his head proper to give her one.

"I'll talk to the boy, see if he really wants it that bad. Maybe take him fishing again." Abigail smiled in appreciation, then went back to stirring the pot.

"Thank you, Arthur. I asked John to set him straight, but that's like asking the cow to dump the milk. He's the reason Jack wants to go off in the first place." Huffing indignantly, Abigail brushed her hands down her apron, more out of nervous habit than necessity. "I'm sorry Arthur, but I'm trying to get dinner finished. I call for you when its ready." The outlaw nodded, draining his beer and dropping it in the trash as well before he headed back out into the living room.

Sean and John were wrestling about now, two Aura-boosted knuckleheads doing their best to put each other in a headlock. Not willing to get into the middle of it but also aware of a high strung woman in the kitchen, Arthur chose to bite the bullet and separate the two.

"Knock it off, you hoodlums!" By the time they were settled and separated, the food was ready and Jack emerged from his room, though Abigail had to send him back to put his book up. The boy loved reading above all else it seemed, and every story was full of heroes and villains. Seeing that made Arthur want to speak with him even more about the reality of the world and its dangers, though a bit of pride slipped through as well. Judging by the expressions that Abigail and John wore as Jack told another excited story about Huntsmen and Grimm, they were a little proud too.

The boy would do fine as a Huntsman, in all reality. If he was really gonna commit, John would have to toughen him up a bit, but they were good friends with a family comprised of Huntsmen and Huntresses, Tai and Qrow being teachers. If he really wanted in on it, Jack could succeed. But it was up to him to try.

The steady, incessant beeping of the heart monitor was really starting to put him in a mood. Adam had been placed in the medical ward again for sparring with the Supreme Leader, though this time she actually included lessons before pounding his skull into the training mat. Apparently she'd had a change of heart after her trip to Menagerie last week, and she was teaching him instead of just using the lessons as an excuse to beat him senseless. A pity, since he had been using the blatant animosity to build up support within the White Fang. Even now, Hannibal was slowly turning his eyes toward Adam as a potential rival for the position of Supreme Leader. It would be trivial to appeal to the man's old bandit traditions.

The White Fang was changing, evolving to become the ferocious organization that the Kingdoms deserved. Sienna already had them targeting the SDC and the elite, but they still weren't going far enough. Stealing a caravan of Dust and leaving the drivers stranded earned resources and notoriety, but the humans were twice as afraid when all they found were corpses. He'd shown that on several occasions, but after that Sienna had pigeon holed him into her training dummy.

Blake had made his stays in the med wing a little less boring, though her questions as of late were becoming accusatory. She had discovered a few people talking about how Adam would run things, and unfortunately she was too intelligent to miss the signs. It was part of why he was so attracted to her, but it made things difficult as well.

Once she saw how he would run the White Fang and actually get results for their people, Blake would understand. Until then, however, there were some things she simply didn't need to know. Fennec and Corsac were back on Menagerie, recruiting as always. However, thanks to the efforts of the Albain brothers many of the new recruits were open to Adam's way of thinking. And recruiting within the Kingdoms themselves showed angry and justified Faunus flocking to the banner of the White Fang, ready to take back what was owed them. The kind of cause Adam could get behind, and thought he had been supporting when Sienna had usurped Ghira, albeit peacefully. Unfortunately, the influence of the Belladonna patriarch and a human like Arthur Morgan had dulled Sienna's edge, stopping the White Fang short of their full potential. Yes, things were violent and people were dying, but there was real change on the wind. In all Kingdoms, people were giving way to the Faunus, no longer looking down on them like second class citizens. Of course, those people would be in a bad way until the White Fang reached out to them, but Adam fully intended for that help to come.

"Hey, Adam." The med tech called gently, drawing his attention to the door. The young Faunus tossed him his visor, pointing toward his eyes. "You got a visitor. Figured you'd want the option." The bull Faunus nodded his thanks, then fixed the visor over his face, obscuring the brand placed on him by a racist, supremacist company so long ago. He didn't hide it out of fear; the opinions of strangers meant too little to him for that. Those around him respected him for it, saw it for the strength it was. But the pain in their eyes when they saw his blemish wasn't worth it.

When the tech disappeared, he was replaced by a man that made Adam's skin crawl on instinct. A brown trench coat hung down to his shins, draped close to the ground by his hunched form. His black hair hung lank across his forehead, the rest controlled in a ponytail that fell down his back. His eyes were yellow and wild, a manic glint that made Adam feel like prey. He unconsciously let his hand fall off the edge of the bed, brushing Wilt's grip in case things went south.

"Can I help you?" Adam asked brusquely, making it clear that he was in no mood for games. In the face of a potential predator it was important to have a strong front, bandages be damned. His question was met with a manic giggle, and the stranger stepped further into the room. As his coat moved, Adam could just barely see a scorpion tail flanking the strange man. A Faunus...but a dangerous one. Why have I not met him before?

"No, I'm quite alright at the moment, mister Taurus." Even his voice was irritating, humorous and sinister undertones advertising just how little of a threat this man found Adam. Unfortunately due to his injuries, Adam was forced to consider that appraisal valid. Sienna had broken ribs this past bout.

"Then what would be the purpose of this visit? Pardon me if I say that you don't seem the social sort." Adam observed with gritted teeth, his irritation flaring as the man cackled to himself.

"Oh, you've got good instincts! I like that. I'm not here to play with you today, however. You seem to have enough of that going on already." The scorpion's yellow eyes traced over Adam's bared chest, wrapped as it was with bandages, causing him to bring the sheet up with his free hand. How could someone make him feel violated with mere glance like that? "I'm here to offer my help to you, young Taurus."

"I don't accept help from strangers." Adam snarled. "You know my name obviously, but I don't know yours." The strange Faunus rubbed his hands together eagerly, his grin impossibly wide as he chuckled sinisterly.

"Oh, you are quite right young man. You may call me Tyrian. Your Supreme Leader spoke with me some time ago, but it seems that she forgot a certain promise she made to me." At the mention of Sienna, the man's eerie smile flickered for a moment, twitching into a mask of rage for but a moment before returning to the same oily smile.

Oh yeah, this guy's unbalanced. Adam thought dryly. Regardless of how this meeting progressed, he knew that fighting the unhinged was dangerous in its own right. This man's mind worked in ways that Adam could never fathom.

"What kind of help are you offering? What promise did she make?" As cautious as she was, Adam didn't see Sienna Khan making any sort of deal with a man like this. Which meant either he didn't have an accurate measure of her, or she hadn't had a choice in the matter.

"You see, I'm looking for a certain someone. Tall woman, red hair, white cloak. Supposedly dead for over a decade, but mysteriously seen alive not to long ago. She took something from my Lady that did not belong to her, and I have been tasked with finding this despicable little rat. The Lady Khan promised to forward me any information she found on the woman." His smile was empty of mirth, merely a showing of teeth. "Imagine my surprise when the man that saved the little wretch spent months working with the White Fang, and I never got so much as a text message." He made the statement wistfully, but the tension in his shoulders told another story. He was angry, obscenely so, and Adam had an idea who it was he was talking about.

"You mean Arthur Morgan, don't you?" Adam asked expectantly. At the mention of the gunslinger, Tyrian's demeanor made an abrupt turn, his eyes widening with glee as he cackled.

"Ha ha! I knew you were a sharp one, Taurus! Very sharp. Deadly sharp!" His giggles intensified for a moment, but then stopped suddenly for no discernible reason. Oh yeah. This guy is coo coo for Pumpkin Pete's. Adam observed to himself. His hand gripped Wilt more fully, but other than a tense right arm, he showed no other sign of his discomfort.

"So Sienna dealt with the human for some time and never told you. I fail to see what that has to do with me." He gestured down toward his damaged torso. "As you can see, she isn't happy with me at the moment. I wasn't exactly his biggest supporter, either." Adam wasn't sure how much Tyrian knew about the mansion incident, and he wasn't about to admit freely that he had set off the charges. Especially since there was no guarantee this guy was a friend.

"Yes, well...I suppose it doesn't interest you after all." Tyrian responded with a forlorn sigh. "And here I thought you might advocate for a change in leadership." He turned as if to leave, but he clearly saw Adam stiffen. In the wake of Sienna's treatment towards him and her reluctance to fully commit to doing what was necessary, the idea of replacing her had crossed his mind more than once. And even though he had never voiced it, others had come to Adam about it as well. The Faunus were furious and ready for change, and everyone could see that Sienna was bringing it all too slowly. More could be done, and it wasn't happening.

"Wait." Adam cursed the word even as it passed his lips, but Tyrian had clearly been waiting for it. Still facing the door, the scorpion Faunus turned his head slowly, one manic eye focused on Adam with an intensity only found in the insane. "She has too many supporters for a bloodless takeover, even now. My comrades would not take her death kindly. Not all of them at least." The number was smaller now than it had ever been, but it would still end with White Fang fighting White Fang. Such a situation was detrimental to morale, and difficult to spin after the fact. And they would only have one shot at it.

"Oh, my dear Adam." Tyrian pivoted on his heel, wringing his hands together as he hunched over once more. "I would have thought you of all people understood that blood must be spilled for progress. After all, didn't you advocated killing the hostages in the last few missions? Surely cleaning house falls within your range." Adam gritted his teeth, and he shook his head vehemently.

"No, we won't target Faunus if there-" Before he could finish, Tyrian was upon him, one hand locked onto his wrist to keep him from drawing Wilt while the other hover in front of his face. During the motion, a pair of curved blades had appeared above Tyrian's wrist, reminding him of a scorpion's claws.

"Spilled blood is spilled blood, Taurus. If you must kill for the good of the cause, what does it matter who dies? Surely you know as well as I do that true change does not come peacefully, and you must change the White Fang before the White Fang can change the world." The scorpion lectured, and he held the blades inches from Adam's face for several moments before he slowly retreated. Adam drew Wilt as his hand was freed and laid it across his knees, daring the deranged Faunus to try it again. Still, there was truth in his words. Adam's mask hid his countenance and the conflict he felt, but Tyrian would not wait forever.

"Truthfully, Sienna Khan's life was forfeit the moment she repaid my generosity with deception, but I wanted to make sure that her replacement was more understanding of our relationship." Tyrian continued, retracting his blades lazily. He had proven that he could kill Adam easily at this point in time, so he felt comfortable letting his guard down. Unfortunately, Adam couldn't dispute that either. "If you're not interested, then it seems you will suffer a small accident before I leave today. Nothing serious, just a little decapitation before bed time." Another mad fit of giggles wracked Tyrian's frame, and Adam grimaced. It was a deal with the devil, for sure. Still, if he was in charge of the White Fang, they could finally start this war in earnest. Faunus all over the Kingdoms were crying out for their aid, and Sienna was dragging her feet. Every argument she had brought up in supplanting Ghira now applied to her as well.

"If I were to agree to this, what would you need? How could I contact you?" Adam asked quietly, keenly aware that though his supporters were nearby, it would only take one witness to end this coup before it ever began. In his current state, Sienna would have no problem ripping his spine out.

"There's only one number on this scroll. When you have the names of her supporters and you are healed, call me." Tyrian tossed a standard scroll at Adam, who stared down at it silently. "Don't wait too long, Adam. There is work to be done. He he he he." Tyrian turned and walked out the door without a word, vanishing out of sight before he left the doorway. It wasn't a Semblance that Adam could tell, but more the man using the shadow and his dark coat to full effect. Adam watched the doorway just in case he came back, then looked down at the scroll in his hand.

It was done. No matter what, he was committed to this avenue now. Backing out now would have him maimed or killed by this Tyrian character, and that's before Sienna found that he was plotting to usurp her. Even if he concealed the meeting's contents, he couldn't explain away why Tyrian came to him of all people. For better or worse, it was now the Supreme Leader or him. The Albain brothers and the Outriders would uphold his appointment, especially if he phrased it as a challenge instead of a coup. There were still a few loose ends here and there, but Adam could worry about those later.

"Adam?" Jerking instinctively, the bull Faunus looked up and raised his knee slightly, using it to conceal the scroll from whomever was standing in the doorway. Thankfully, it was just Blake. Her ears flicked at his reaction, but she relaxed as he did.

"Oh, hey Blake." Adam greeted, relieved that it was her of all people. With Tyrian potentially stalking the base, she would need protecting more than ever. If they were to go forward with his offer, Blake was possible collateral in Tyrian's eyes. He would have to watch her closely. Adam removed his mask and gave the girl a genuine smile, and he got one in return.

"What's got you so jumpy?" Blake's grin was in her voice as well, though she still kept her distance. Adam was confused at first, then realized that Wilt was still laid across his knees defensively. The bull Faunus apologized sheepishly to his girlfriend, sliding the unseen scroll and his weapon to the side of the bed where Blush rested.

"Sorry, just ready to get out of this bed. Why, did you miss me?" He deflected her concern with humor, and she smirked.

"Why would I do that? I know exactly where to find you most of the time." Was her voice a little breathier than usual? No, he was still on edge from Tyrian's visit. "Speaking of, has the Supreme Leader released you from training yet? We're lagging behind on missions." That was her roundabout way of admitting that she missed him, and Adam took it for what it was.

"I think that there won't be anymore training for a while. I'll be having a meeting with her soon, then we should be on our own for a bit." Not that Sienna knew that, but he wasn't going to drag Blake into this plot. Successful or not, she had to be protected.

"I'm glad." The young Belladonna crossed the room quickly, coming to his left side and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Our scouting mission went well. We should be able to hit the refinery by the weekend. There's also word of a train passing through the region." She reported, knowing full well how stir crazy he was getting.

"I don't know if I'll make the refinery, but you can bet I'll be there for the train." He held out his hand, and she took it without question. "Ready to show me what you're made of?" Blake chuckled and leaned in, pecking him on the cheek and retreating before he could reciprocated with something a little deeper. The little minx.

"Always. Now focus on getting better. I have to go tell Hannibal where to put our heavy hitters." She stood up lightly from his bed and walked toward the door. He watched her go, his eyes unashamedly locked on her rear as she swayed, but he frowned when she stopped.

"Adam..." She turned around and faced him again, her eyes worried. "You would tell me if something was wrong, right? We're partners, remember?" The open honesty on her face, searching for the affirmation that he so desperately wanted to give her. But his deception bit his tongue for him, and he paused for a moment. No matter how badly he wanted to include her, a willful person like Blake would rush headlong into the fight before he could help. No, this he had to do alone. It was a lie, granted, but one for her own good.

"Of course. I trust you more than anyone else here." He kept up the facade, even as the words turned to ash in his mouth. "You know I care about you, right?" His words seemed to reassure her after a brief moment, and a small smile crossed her lips.

"Of course, Adam." She winked and turned on her heal. "Don't spend too long in the infirmary, okay?" With that, she was gone, leaving Adam swimming in a sea of guilt and trepidation. Were he not so distracted by the outcome of Tyrian's meeting, he would have remembered that Blake's scouting mission had been projected to end yesterday.

Once she was down the hallway a good bit, Blake's deceptive calm faded as a worried expression crossed her face, her breathing coming in short gasps. Her steps quickened, carrying her towards Sienna's office as quick as they could. She passed a few other White Fang members in the hallway, too wrapped up in their own conversation to take notice of her. When she reached the fork in the hall to head toward the Supreme Leader's chambers, however, she stopped.

Adam's mysterious visitor hadn't been quiet in explaining his offer to Adam, though she hadn't heard the start of it. Still, if she brought Adam's conversation to Sienna right away, the other White Fang supporters would hear about it. If they backed Adam as much as he had told Tyrian, a civil war would open up right in the middle of headquarters. And once word got out, every cell in the Kingdoms would be afflicted by the schism. It would be the end of the White Fang. That said, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing! If she confronted Adam, there was no doubt that he would try to keep her from talking, if not for his own sake then for hers. His mysterious visitor had exuded a deadly aura as well, and she had no doubt that the scorpion Faunus could wipe the floor with her. Hell, he would even enjoy it.

Making another decision, Blake turned the opposite direction of Sienna's office, instead storming out to the outside. When she passed the gate guards, a quick explanation of 'recon' had satisfied them, and soon enough Blake was alone in the jungle. She made sure to get outside of the range of the security patrols, edging closer toward Mistral's capital. When she was certain that she hadn't been followed, Blake pulled out her scroll. She opened her contact list, staring at Adam's name as it was the first to appear.

Her parents had cautioned her about Adam in the past, but she had blown off their worries. Adam was dedicated to the cause, and willing to do more than her mother and father ever had. He cared for her deeply, and had been her greatest supporter when she wanted to get out and make a difference. But now? He was planning a coup to kill and replace Sienna, as well as anyone in the White Fang that got in the way!

Instead of clicking on Adam, she selected another contact below his as she looked around to make sure she hadn't been followed. The number rang a few times, and she realized that the time difference in Vale would probably make this the middle of the night. Even so, she hoped against hope that he would pick up. On her screen, the scroll ID resolved into a black screen, revealing a man asleep on what looked like a cheap couch.

"Ugh... hello? Blake?" The groggy voice on the other side asked. Though she was elated that he had actually answered, Blake's dread about the whole situation pushed to the forefront. Her voice was full of worry as she actually said it out loud.

"Arthur, you have to come to headquarters! Adam is plotting to have Sienna killed!" She pleaded, her eyes wide with worry. On the screen, the sleepy gunslinger sat up quickly, blinking through his stupor as the gravity of her words hit him full force.

"He's doing WHAT?!"

A/N: And now we approach the canon timeline, and all the allegiances that it entails. Made a few changes, such as Tyrian handling the White Fang instead of Hazel (which makes sense as he's a fucking Faunus. What the hell, RT?) Summer being alive throws a wrench in things, but so too does Arthur's interference. The Relic being outside of Vacuo for instance, though Salem and the crew aren't aware of that. Salem's crew have showed their hand far earlier than in canon, largely because things are progressing before Cinder can start her nefarious schemes. The next chapter will have the conflict between Adam and Sienna that has been building for some time. Hopefully we'll have a better showdown than the cheap shot Adam hit Sienna with in canon. Although now that we know her Semblance, that wound up being wiser than we first thought.