Bit of a late chapter thanks to the absolute chaos of today. The monthlong test event for work has been postponed so many times, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. Well, it's happening. I leave in four days. Just once, I'd like at least a week's notice on this stuff. On the bright side, the delay means I actually found an extended stay hotel within my price range. Having a full kitchen and laundry available will make it a little less horrible being away from home. Still not super confident things will actually be ready in time, not to mention we just found out that one of the main systems we use doesn't actually do what we were told it would, which kind of spoils the whole point of all this testing. But the people with the money said they want it to happen, so off I go to see what fun awaits me this time!

Planning to still find time for writing, though my schedule while I'm there may be a bit crazy. I'll let you all know either way. Sadly, the best I can do is post a note on my profile, but if there isn't a chapter by around this time on any Friday, it's probably safe to assume I had to cancel that week.

Also, a quick shoutout to a fellow RWBY fanfic author on FFN named Bryon Nightshade. I'll say why in the end notes, but one of the jokes in this chapter came from something they said a while back when I was discussing this story.

That went better than expected.

Adam had never been very good with all that emotional stuff. He didn't have time for feelings. Emotions were a weakness. A vulnerability. He'd been too emotional as a child, and it only led to pain. Better to feel nothing than run the risk of being hurt. Too many people counted on him to risk everything on something as fickle as a heart.

And yet, Ilia seemed stronger despite the breakdown he'd witnessed. She'd found strength in the very thing he always assumed to be weakness. Maybe there were two sides to that coin. The same emotions that could cripple a man without a single scratch might work in reverse too. If they could make him weaker, could they make him stronger? Had he been holding himself back, afraid to risk being hurt again?

If nothing else, it sure seemed to help Ilia's confidence.

"I want a fight."

Music to Adam's ears. Drills were good, but nothing prepared you quite like actual combat, even in a controlled environment. Beyond that, she'd called it a fight instead of a spar. Spars were friendly matches for practicing moves or specific techniques. A fight, though, was so much more.

"Anyone in particular?" Adam knew it wouldn't be him, even if he secretly wished it was. He could see the determination in Ilia's eyes and wanted to test that fire against his steel. Unfortunately, even with her newfound resolve, they both knew a match against him would be as one-sided as they came.

Ilia was good, but she wasn't that good.

Even Blake would be a bit much for her, though the gap between the girls had started closing ever since they'd moved to Reyno. Not that Blake had gotten worse, but she'd plateaued a little lately. She'd really started to get ahold of her style, learning the strengths and weaknesses of both her weapon and technique. It was just that Ilia had more room to improve, so she was progressing in leaps and bounds at the moment.

Regardless, Ilia would be more than a match for any of her other squadmates, who had only recently begun to master their aura. It left her in a sort of awkward middle ground - too inexperienced to fight Adam or Blake, but too skilled to truly be challenged by the rest. They'd catch up a bit in time, but for now, Ilia had to choose between too hard or too easy. Either way, someone's butt was getting kicked. It was just a question of whose.

He didn't expect her to go for a third option. "All of them."

Adam followed her gaze to where the rest of the team were getting ready for their morning training with Blake. Six people? He had to assume she didn't include Blake, but that still left half a dozen combatants against her. Even if they weren't at her level yet, they still had aura, weapons, and training. Quantity had a quality of its own. Just to be sure, he looked back to Ilia, half-expecting her to be joking. She wasn't. "All of them?"

"All of them," she confirmed. "I need to push myself. I need to become stronger."

Adam wasn't sure if he should warn her about overdoing it or just squeal in excitement. Ilia had always been dedicated, but it sounded like she planned to up the ante a bit and really give it her all. Normally, he'd bet against her taking on that many people, but he recognized the tone of her voice. She wanted it. Needed it. Even if she lost, she'd know exactly what to work on and come back stronger for it.

So who was he to stand in her way? "Change of plans!" Adam loudly announced, interrupting whatever Blake had been explaining to the group. "Training field. Now. We're starting with a fight today."

A strange mix of excited and disappointed sounds met his announcement. "But Blake was gonna teach us about pushing our aura into our weapons."

A valuable skill, especially for those with thinner blades like Blake, but that could wait. "And she can teach you that later. Besides, I have a feeling you'll need every bit of aura you can manage."

"Who's up first?"

"All of you." He certainly had their attention now. They usually fought one on one, mixing up opponents so they could grow as an individual. On rare occasions, they might do two pairs, or one pair versus him in the case of Blake and Ilia. The last time he'd had more than that in a single fight had been back in Menagerie when he'd beaten the entire team singlehandedly.

He wasn't the only one to remember that slaughter. "We have to fight you?" Nag's words sent a chill through the team. They'd had twice as many against him and barely stood a chance. Even with all their training since then and having their auras unlocked, none of them looked overly enthused at a rematch. Good. He'd hate to think they were losing their fear of him. Maybe he'd better remind them sometime soon, just to be on the safe side. Make sure they knew how high the bar was set. He couldn't have them overestimating themselves, now could he?

He'd have to wait his turn. "Not today." The implied threat of another day hung over their heads. "I had something a little different in mind."

"A free for all?"

No, but he'd log that one away for another day. He doubted it would apply to most of their real life fights in the future - actual combat usually involved only two sides - but they could still learn some valuable lessons from such chaotic clashes. Holding off to save energy. Going after a distracted foe. Uneasy alliances forged in the heat of battle. If nothing else, he'd have fun watching it.

As much as he loved the ideas they were accidentally feeding him, he knew he shouldn't keep them waiting. "The six of you will be fighting Ilia today."

A much easier opponent, given their numerical advantage. "Just Ilia?"

"I'm right here." Adam had a feeling she'd make Marcus pay for such a casual dismissal, but he was probably just concerned that Blake would be against them. The two girls combined would easily trounce them.

"Just Ilia." It was mean of him, but if Ilia wanted to burn off some steam, he'd make sure she had plenty to burn. "Live fire and weapons. Ring outs are in effect. Otherwise, you're out when your aura drops or we call it. Or surrender" Though they all knew the last option would earn them extra laps afterwards. He needed to make sure they were actually pushing themselves rather than bowing out at the first sign of trouble.

Ilia wasn't the only one feeling overly confident today. "We got this," Marcus assured his team, confident in their numerical advantage.

"Team Animal, for the win!" Azure cheered.

Team Animal? Oh dear gods, they'd named themselves.

Indie raised her hand. "But aren't we the White Fang because we don't want to be called animals?"

"We're taking it back!"

Adam was officially cheering for Ilia. Azure in particular needed to lose, just for coming up with such an idiotic idea. And taking it back? When had they ever claimed that term? There was literally no good way for that term to be used for them. How exactly were they taking it back?

"Can I talk to you a minute?" Blake waved him aside, stepping away from the group. She leaned closer as she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Training," Adam answered, unsure exactly what the problem was.

"I thought I told you to talk to her." Great. Now even she seemed to think she could boss him around. Perhaps they were overdue for a spar of their own. "You're supposed to cheer her up. You can't just beat the sadness out of her."

If only life were that easy. "I talked to her, just like I promised." That sounded a little better. "And it worked."

"Really?" Did she have to sound so surprised? "What did she say?"

A lot of things. None of which he felt comfortable sharing for her. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that she wants a fight." And that was the sort of request he could get behind.

"All six at once?"

"That's what she wanted." And he couldn't help but respect her for it, regardless of whether she won or not. Though if she did pull it off, he'd make sure the other six paid dearly for their failure. Whatever the outcome, Adam just liked that she was brave enough to try.

Blake wasn't as thrilled. She looked like she wanted to intervene, but there was no way Adam would let her. Whatever joke they had about Blake holding the reins, Adam was still in charge of Alpha Squad, and he wasn't budging on this decision. Challenging him openly would just force him to remind everyone why he'd been put in charge.

Still, he wasn't one to dismiss his subordinates' concerns without at least hearing them out. He waited to see if she had anything else to say, but she held her tongue, resigned to the fact that the fight would proceed. Just to be safe, Adam added, "I think she just wants to prove herself." Not to them, though. Ilia wanted to prove to her parents that she could fight, just like they'd always wanted. Blake wouldn't understand. She still had both her parents, even if she'd run away to defy them. She still loved them despite their disagreements. And someday, when they'd finally earned their place in the world, she'd be able to go home again.

Adam and Ilia would never have that option.

"Trust me on this one." Or don't. In the end, it wouldn't really matter. "To the training field! You'll get five minutes once we get there to prepare." He didn't want to give them too much of an advantage.

"Can I go back and grab my gun?" Azure asked.

Maybe they needed those advantages after all. "Why don't you have it with you?"

"I didn't think we'd need it today."

Gods save him from such stupidity. "You always need your weapon. The only way to be prepared for the unexpected is to always be prepared." Even here in Reyno. The Grimm could attack without warning. Or maybe an Atlas patrol spotted them and needed to be chased down before they could radio for backup. Their enemies wouldn't wait until they were ready, so neither would he. "Training field. Now."

"But I don't have a weapon."

"Then you better find one in those five minutes," Adam growled, struggling to resist the urge to take Ilia's spot and give them all a much harsher lesson. "Either that, or you'll fight unarmed." And learn never to forget his weapon again.

Luckily for him, they weren't the only ones training today. With a quick chat and some bribery of chores, he managed to acquire a rifle while everyone got ready. Adam and Blake took their seats atop a small viewing platform he'd had constructed to give him a better view of training. It also gave them a shady spot to sit and escape the heat, though that didn't matter much this early in the day.

"Think she stands a chance?" Adam asked as Ilia and her opponents prepared. Well, Ilia's opponents prepared, quietly discussing plans as the timer ticked down. It was good to see them taking it seriously. On the other end of the field, Ilia stood, watching them all impatiently.

"I'd say forty sixty," Blake hummed, scooting over to the edge of the bench to catch the rays of sunlight that snuck under their awning. Adam didn't have to ask who the forty was. "She's good, but she's better in one on one. Six opponents might be a problem. Especially if they spread out."

They'd better, or he'd have them doing burpees until they turned into vomitees. Ilia had decent range, but at the end of the day, she was still a melee fighter. One of the first lessons he'd taught them was the basics of range advantages and disadvantages. If they let her close in on them in a group, she'd wipe them out while using them for cover from each other, rendering them useless. If they could keep her at a distance, they had the advantage. She knew that too and would seek to close the distance as often as possible, but with six of them, they could spread out and keep five away at any given moment. She'd have to take the first down, then get to the second and fight them, and so on. It would take time, and time was on their side.

He'd focus on speed and ferocity, ideally while taking out their best gunners first. Of course, they'd keep Nag further back, knowing better than to risk losing her early. Charging her would buy them more time, but it might be worth it to take out the biggest threat early. Then again, he had no problem tanking hits at the start. Ilia's aura wouldn't hold quite as long, so she'd probably need to go for the nearest target and work with whatever they gave her. The question became whether they set her up with a weak target, sacrificing the chaff early, or if they put someone like Marcus who was halfway decent in melee to keep her busy.

"I'd go with fifty fifty." A little generous, but Ilia wouldn't have asked for the fight if she didn't think she could win. Plus, who didn't love an underdog? With how often he'd been forced to fight overwhelming odds, Adam had a bit of a soft spot for them. Besides, Ilia was the culmination of training from him, Sienna, and Blake, so that had to count for something.

The moment his timer reached zero, Adam stood and called out, "Begin!"

He could've given them warning, or even stood up to catch their attention with movement, but he figured he'd drive the lesson home on always being prepared. And if it just so happened to benefit Ilia, who was moving before he even finished the word, then so be it.

After all, there was no such thing as a fair fight.

"Looks like they're sacrificing Laurence." The weak link of their group, and the first to fall as Ilia sped straight into their attack, doing her best to rob them of their advantage early. The suddenness of the start meant they had to fire on the move, tanking any chance they had at accuracy. Hm. Mobile target practice. He'd never really considered it, but it might be worth trying out.

Predictably, Laurence didn't last long against Ilia by himself. What little time he bought let them spread out, but that was about it. Blake summarized his thoughts easily. "I would've put someone stronger up front. Marcus or Azul, probably. Buy them a little more time." Or any time. Laurence could still fire a gun, so keeping him in the rear would've served them better, even before considering the real world implications of sacrificing men like that. "Now they're down a man with almost nothing to show for it."

"Less than nothing," Adam corrected, grinning as Ilia showed off her adaptability. Laurence falling did more than just lower their numbers. It gave Ilia an opportunity in the form of his gun. Worse, Ilia could've used Laurence as cover, shielding herself while they were stood in the open. He would've halted the fight if she tried, since Laurence wouldn't have any way to defend himself with his aura on the verge of failing.

As her first victim scurried away, Ilia opened fire, spraying bullets wildly across the field. A few shots found targets, but her real aim became apparent as Marcus and Indie instinctively backpedaled, only to discover there was nowhere to run. Indie saved herself at the last second, but Marcus didn't realize his mistake until he tripped over the edge of the ring.

"Two down. Not bad." Not bad at all. She'd taken down a second opponent without actually fighting them and used the brief confusion to cover her charge on Azure. By the time she'd torn through him and covered the distance to Nag, it was painfully obvious who would claim victory. Azul tried to help, charging in to cover their best marksman. She'd been the only one to plan ahead and bring a second weapon, pulling a short sword she'd wisely kept hidden the entire time. At least someone had taken his lessons to heart. Guns were great, right up until someone got in close with a better weapon.

Nag did her best to keep Ilia distracted, but it wasn't enough. Whether Ilia saw the approach, heard Azul's footsteps, or just trusted her instincts, their attempted pincer fell apart the moment Azul swung. It was hard to watch, but not because of how poorly it was going. Adam rubbed his eyes as Ilia's skin flashed a bright green, then just as suddenly switched to a burning red. Blue. Orange. Purple. She tore through the color spectrum faster than Bane took down trees, turning herself into an epileptic's nightmare. Even from this distance, Adam winced at the display. Up close, it must've been torture, judging by the pained scream from Azul as she completely missed her target. Her next scream came as Ilia's sword struck her arm, causing it to jerk violently for a second. The moment the muscles relaxed, Ilia stole Azul's sword from her and hurled it out of the ring before returning her focus to Nag.

Poor Indie was the last to fall, spasming on the ground at the end of Ilia's whip. Ilia helped her up after, whispering an apology. As leader of their squad, Adam had access to their aura readings on his scroll as long as he was within range. While Ilia's was buried deep in the yellow and had even started to take on an orange-ish tone, everyone on the other side except Marcus had a thin sliver of red at best next to their picture. Nag was on empty, having held out as long as she could. She'd need to see the medic for the cut on her arm, but it wasn't anything serious, so it could wait until after their review.

But first. "Laps, Marcus."

"What? Why?"

Did he really need to say it? Apparently not, since Azul beat him to it. "Because you're an idiot."

"But what about the review?" Marcus tried, desperate to escape his well-deserved punishment. "Shouldn't I stay for that?"

"Fine, we'll do yours first. Don't be an idiot." Adam managed to keep a straight face, even as the rest of the squad lost it. "Now, laps."

"How many?"

"How many times around the ring will it take you to realize what a border is?" Marcus knew better than to answer that. "Keep going until you collapse or I say to stop. Whichever comes last."

Message received, Marcus took off like a shot, eager to escape before he dug the hole any deeper. Adam watched for the first half lap, making sure he didn't slack off, but they'd all made that mistake enough times to know it wouldn't end well. Adam wasn't above chasing them with a training sword for motivation.

Content that order had been restored, Adam turned his attention on the remaining five losers. "Anyone want to explain how the six of you lost so easily?"

No one volunteered.

Fine. He'd do it himself. "Six ranged fighters against a single melee combatant with no cover."

"She stole Laurence's gun," Indie pointed out, only to eep and duck when Adam looked at her.

"Imagine that. An opponent adapting to the situation to overcome their disadvantages." Did they really expect anything less? Ilia wasn't dumb. She knew what her biggest problem was and took steps to address it. He could teach them fighting styles, aura control, and tactics, but ingenuity like that was a thousand times more valuable. It wasn't something that could be taught. It was instinctual. "And you practically handed her a gun when you put Laurence up front. No offense, Laurence."

"None taken." They all knew he wasn't exactly the most combat proficient member of their team. His strength lay elsewhere and was sometimes far more important. He'd get stronger in time, but Adam just wanted him able to defend himself. If Laurence found himself involved in direct combat, they'd already messed up somewhere.

Nag decided to try her luck defending their plan. "We needed time to spread out, and Laurence is our worst shot. It didn't make sense to risk someone stronger." A few silent nods encouraged the group's new spokeswoman. "We needed our best gunners in the long run."

Not a terrible point, admittedly. Their plan focused on a drawn out engagement with a strong foe. They'd need to keep up sustained damage, so losing a skilled fighter early would hurt. Since he added the least to their combat proficiency, Laurence was an acceptable loss in their minds.

Adam hated that term. "Get a shovel."

"Huh?"

"Get a shovel. Or would you rather dig with your hands?" They weren't getting it, which meant he'd need to spell it out for them. "Since you were so eager to sacrifice Laurence, you get to dig his grave."

Acceptable losses. Casualties. Words like that were used by people like Atlas to sugarcoat death. It was always easier to treat it as a number rather than what it really was. In doing so, they showed just how little they cared for those under them. They'd promise to honor the fallen's sacrifice, then send a form letter to the loved ones and move on. Cold and heartless. Just like Atlas.

They needed to be better than that. Adam could still remember the name of everyone who died in the attack on Euryale. He could remember seeing those left behind weeping at the funeral. More than that, he'd felt the loss himself as he'd personally carried Jakob's body to the pyre before it was lit. Throwing away lives should never be an easy choice.

"Six feet deep." He'd measure it afterwards. If it was even an inch short, he'd make Nag dig a new one. "No food until it's done, either." A second member of the team departed to her task. Their numbers were dwindling fast, leaving the remaining four worried for their own futures. He figured he might as well bolster them a little. One of them, anyway. "Good work bringing a second weapon, Azul. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

Guns were useful, but they weren't the answer to everything. He'd proven that plenty of times, fighting primarily with a sword. Swords didn't jam. They didn't run out of ammo. And when an enemy got too close, it was always good to have a backup.

"We weren't expecting a full-blown fight this morning." This time, rather than duck for cover, Indie just sighed and said, "I know. Laps."

"Laps," Adam confirmed as she jogged off to join Marcus. "As for the rest of you, I expect to see you out here training later today. Maybe next time, you can actually put up a fight." Or at least give Ilia a real challenge. Him or Blake would be one thing, but Ilia was a distant third in their squad. If they couldn't handle her, then they had a lot of work to do.

"She's a demon," Azure muttered. The sound of his sister's facepalm was the only warning he received.

"And you're an idiot, or so I've been told." Three punishments had already been doled out, but it looked like they needed one more. "Make sure you return your weapon, then you can join Marcus and Indie. Maybe next time, you'll remember to come prepared." And to not draw attention to himself. Adam had almost forgotten all about him after the fight. If he hadn't said anything, he might've slipped away unscathed.

The other two wisely chose to make their escape, even if Adam had no intention of punishing the pair. Azul had done better than the rest of the group and earned her rest, even if she'd lost. Laurence knew what he needed to work on already and had done his duty as scapegoat without complaint. Their only failing was a skill issue.

Which left him with just Blake and Ilia, only one of which had been involved in the fight. Taking down the rest of the team hadn't exactly cooled her newfound confidence, either. "What about me?" she demanded, likely fishing for compliments. Given that she'd just dismantled half a dozen opponents, he couldn't really fault her.

He could, however, antagonize her a bit. "Why so serious? You won. Would it kill you to smile?"

Oh, come on. That was funny and she knew it.

"How'd I do?" Okay, so that's the tone we're going for. Got it.

"It wasn't perfect, but you came out the victor with your aura still intact." Weakened, but very much still there. That was a big deal, especially for someone at her level. "You adapted to the situation, capitalizing on your enemies' weaknesses to claim victory. Well done."

"You did great!" Why did Blake's approval seem to matter more than his? Maybe he'd ticked her off a little with his joke. "Where'd you learn to do that color flash thing?"

Ilia shrugged. "I just sort of came up with it. Been practicing it for weeks. Did it look good?"

"It looked awesome."

"It looked effective," Adam followed up, far more interested in the application than the showiness. "Can you do white?" Ilia answered by driving away all the color from her skin, making even an albino look tanned in comparison. "Brighter?"

"It's just color," Ilia answered as she returned to normal. "I don't actually glow or anything."

So much for turning her into a walking flashbang. "But your aura does. If you can do a quick flash of aura and match the tone with your skin…" Ilia tried, but the timing didn't quite line up. It wasn't quite as effective as Adam had hoped, but it was a start. "It was just an idea. Don't push it if it doesn't work. You'll just waste aura." And in a fight, every tiny flicker of aura was precious.

Ilia looked determined to get it right and tried again with much the same result. "I'll keep practicing."

"I'm sure you will." Ilia had had a taste of greatness. She'd fought and won against overwhelming odds, and he could see in her eyes that she wanted more. Much more. "I have a meeting with Sienna tomorrow morning. I think she wants to start up activities in Anima again while Atlas is busy licking their wounds." More importantly, while their eyes were focused on their own land for a change. "I was thinking maybe you two could take the lead on the next one."

"Really?" They both asked in unison.

"Why not? You're clearly my two strongest fighters." Behind him, of course. Way behind. "And it's not like I'll be sending you by yourselves. I'll be there to help, but I want you two calling the shots. I'll only step in if something goes wrong."

Two bodies crashed into him at once, nearing bowling him over as they both hugged him. He stood there awkwardly with his hands up, unsure how to feel about being the center of the sandwich. Somewhere in the poorly contained squeals and cheers, he thought he heard a few thank yous.

"You've both earned it," he assured them. Blake with all her training. Ilia with her assistance and newfound resolve. "Plus, it's about time I let some of you start taking over. I can't run every mission."

He could, but they'd always be limiting themselves as a result. He and Sienna wanted to expand their capabilities, which meant they needed more experienced officers. Tagging along with him would only go so far. They needed the chance to lead and make decisions without him getting in the way. He'd already started, putting Yuma and Trifa in charge of Nonemu. It only made sense to continue with his most skilled fighters.

"But I expect you to both be on your best behavior until then." They shot back, trying to look as innocent as they could. Like with anyone their age, that only made them look guiltier. "And only if Sienna approves it." Which she would, but he wanted to cover his bases, just in case. Plus, it would make it sound like he was fighting for them, which would only make him look better when it all worked out. "Now, I'm gonna go chat with Cerco. You two keep an eye on our delinquents."

"What do we do if they act up?" They wouldn't. Not if they knew what was good for them.

"Then remind them who the strongest members of Alpha Squad are." He hated pandering to people, but if it got him the day off, then he'd pander with the best of them.

Watching the two run off, already barking orders to their squadmates, Adam couldn't help but shake his head amusedly. Those two were a mess. So easily excited at the tiniest bit of praise. Still, there was no denying their skill. Someday, they might even give him a run for his money. Maybe once he hit eighty or something.

Either way, it looked like the White Fang was in good hands.

Ilia flexing all over everyone. Time to make her OP and break the story.

Just kidding. I always felt Ilia was on a similar level to Blake in canon, though still lagging behind her and held back by her conflicted emotions. Don't think she could actually take Blake in a 1v1, but love experimenting with her a bit. She doesn't use her faunus ability much in combat in canon (apart from hiding in the shadows), but we've seen how sudden she can change to vivid colors, so why not weaponize it? Might not work as well on a prepared foe, but imagine trying to attack someone and they just turn into a walking kaleidoscope. Gotta imagine that would be super trippy.

The joke about taking back the term animal came directly from Bryon Nightshade. Loved the idea when I mentioned their names spelling out ANIMAL over three months ago and told him I was absolutely going to use it. Also snuck in a quick reference to V2 Ruby for those watching closely. Always love finding ways to do little things like that where I can.

Next chapter: Blake and Ilia get their mission.