Shard Past

A month. A whole month had passed since Adam came to Beacon.

It was hard to settle in. Not only with a permanent home, but with a team as well. He was used to working with people, there were always familiar faces in the White Fang, but they often came and went. The missions cost lives or destroyed what faith some members had in the organisation. All his years there, Adam could only recall a few faces. Kaanchana, Iya, Banesaw, his mother and Ghira, Ilia.

Blake.

He'd be lying if he said his search was still going strong. With lessons, assignments, even training sessions, they all took away what little time he had. It didn't help when someone on his team had a habit of letting her mind run away from her.

Eirian was a trier. The problem was that her energy was often focused on the wrong things, small useless projects that sprang to mind and left just as quickly. It had been a month and she still hadn't finished that bird statue she was fixating on. Never mind that her inability to sit still in class and focus was starting to already impact her grades.

The last one of which is the Law assignment given to them in their first lesson. Even with Ruri and Adam giving her the notes needed, somehow she managed to write up a fifteen-page defence for the scenarios they were given, per Vacuan Law.

The team was given Mistral.

Needless to say, she failed.

She wasn't the only one, though. Zanthus hadn't written anything for the assignment. The nights the team spent in their dorm, trying to get through the mountain of work that their professors had thrown at him, Zanthus sat there with Eirian writing down his thoughts. Any questions asked about his inability to do his work were brushed off with mumbled words and averted eyes.

There was something. Something he wasn't telling the others, but Adam knew he couldn't be the one to try and ease it out into the open.

Patience was a virtue, even if it was one he honestly admitted to not having.

Other things required his attention, anyway. The final lesson of the week had everyone practically itching where they stood, eager to flee from the hall they were brought to and enjoy the weekend ahead of them. None dared to move, however. They couldn't with the professor in charge of their lesson staring them down.

Professor Kaseya Tabi. A mysterious woman once hailing from Mistral, she taught them Stealth and Security, where she was truly in her element. From underneath her black, metallic hat, narrow eyes stared at all the students before her, cast in shadows along with her tightly curled stark orange hair.

Arms protected by silver gauntlets crossed her chest, with her mesh shirt exposing her muscular, heavily tattooed arms. Matching Adam in height, she commanded respect without speaking a word, the energy radiating off her catching to those around her. It was certainly… something.

Yet when she spoke, that mystery vanished and her true personality shone. "Aight, so this is what's gonna happen today, kids. We're gonna have… sneak off."

"A… sneak off?" Zanthus piped up in confusion.

"Came up with it myself." She seemed so proud by that, clapping her bandaged hands together with a grin. "I could keep you guys in a classroom and tell youse all about what our class is about, but that's boring and I don't wanna."

"I like her," Eirian whispered to Zanthus. Both of them standing right behind Adam, hidden from the professor's view.

Not that she noticed anyway. Bold and full of life, she was the complete opposite to the drained students in front of her, their dampened energy making her smile more forced the longer she tried to psyche them up.

"Guys, I know that it's the last lesson before the weekend but at least pretend I have your attention."

With a fist pumped up in the air, she let out what Adam could only describe as a war cry. "Now, are we ready?!"

No answer. Hand still in the air, she tried again through gritted teeth. "I said, are we ready?!"

"Yeah…" A few students piped up. One even tried to do a raised fist in response, only for their arm to drop back to their side, as if it was too much energy to even stand anymore.

It was the best she was going to get, and Professor Tabi knew it. Her grin falling into more of a grimace, her hand fell to her side, but she didn't let her energy be sapped by the dour students around her. Still clinging on, she gestured to the empty room behind her with a stretched-out hand.

"Given that Glynda's taken the Training Fields for her class today, I managed to wrangle the ERC to use instead."

"The ERC?" Adam piped up, glancing at the empty room behind her with a sceptical look. "Looks like a sports hall if we're being honest."

"Cherry Bomb, you know better than to take things at first appearances." He frowned at the nickname. Despite clearly seeing his sour expression, Tabi didn't pay it any mind, rather pushing a button that was built into the wall right next to the ERC's doors.

Deep rumbling could be felt through the ground. Bracing himself, Adam looked down at his feet in surprise, half expecting the floor to open up right below him. It remained solid. However, the same couldn't be said for the regular looking sports hall behind Tabi. With the varnished wooden floors splitting and pulling away, various machine parts were exposed to the shocked students.

New buildings and objects were pulled up from the pits below. Rooms, already furnished, quickly built up, with different areas posing different challenges. Finally, the loud whirring died down.

"This," Professor Tabi started. "Is the work of Atlas when combined with the creativity of Vale. I'm sure you all know what ERC stands for?"

No answer. "That's hurtful, guys. I thought you'd at least pay attention to something in my class. I'm disappointed."

She certainly didn't act at all like how Adam expected a Beacon professor to act. Compared to the more serious Glynda, none of the professors was quite what he expected.

"The Espionage and Rescue Centre. We usually reserve it for the higher years, but no one cares that I booked the Training Fields, it seems." She was incredibly bitter about that. "Either way, you guys are gonna show me your stuff. So to speak."

"What'd you have in mind?" Eirian spoke up, leaning around Adam so that the professor could see her.

"Stealth! Espionage! As future Huntsmen, you can't just run into a fight, guns blazing. Sometimes, you'll need to strike from shadows, and that's how today is gonna happen." She explained.

Ruri said nothing to that, quietly standing next to Adam as the two shared a look. Neither knew exactly what to do with the eccentric teacher in front of them.

Suddenly, her booming voice caught their attention. "You'll all be put into pairs and given one of these."

In her hand, a pair of silver bells rang softly as they swayed about. The same ones she was fond of wearing on her red sash that was tied tightly around her waist.

"Both teams will have to try and take the others' bells from them. Don't think about hiding them either. They gotta be visible on the student's body."

While it made sense, it did make Adam sigh to himself.

"The trick here is to use your smarts, not your fists since if the other team takes your bells, you fail." Her grin widened at that last sentence. What kind of sick pleasure was she getting out of this?!

Before anyone could ask their many questions, Professor Tabi added with a wavy smile on her face. "Be careful, though. These bells can be pretty noisy."

As if to emphasise her point, she shook the bells in her hand. Once soft jingling turned into a grating noise, easily heard by even the students that didn't possess exceptional hearing. On cue, Zanthus' ears perked up at the noise, focusing in on the source with a nervous look.

"So you chose bells so that we would have to work around the noise they make?" Adam questioned.

"Spot on. Even the best of you will have a challenge on your hands, so think fast and think smart." With a flick of her wrist, Tabi pulled the bells up and caught them tightly in her clenched fist, straightening herself up to full height as she carried on. "Now, I'm being nice and let you guys pick your partners."

"Uhh, any advice before we start this?" Eirian asked nervously.

"Yeah. Choose wisely."

That was the only advice they were gonna get. Deep in thought, Adam looked around at the students around him, realising that despite having settled down into Beacon now, he hadn't made any friends with anyone. Not even his team were interested in being his partner for the exercise.

What would he do? It made his skin crawl with the idea of going to someone and asking them to work with him, that itchiness aggravating and his social ineptness truly shining through. Maybe someone would take the initiative and come to him first.

As he stood there mulling over his very limited choices, a hand softly tapped him on the shoulder. With a quick turn of his head, he saw Ruri standing right behind him, having remained in the spot she stood since the beginning of the class. Staring up at him, she gestured to herself.

"You wanna be my partner?" Adam asked in surprise.

A nod. Hand on the back of his head, he hummed softly to himself before pointing out. "You are pretty skilled for this kind of job. I could use that kinda partner."

She smiled faintly at that. It was hard to spot, with her face returning to its neutral expression, but Adam managed to catch it before she did. It was nice, having someone around that wasn't struggling to deal with his… nature.

That moment ended when he heard Eirian chatting behind him. "It'll be easy. With your hearing and my sneakiness, we'll pass through this test like ninjas."

"We're some pretty loud ninjas, then," Zanthus grumbled. "You can't even get outta bed without waking everyone up."

"For the last time, I didn't see the paint can by the door."

"You were the one who left it there."

Her face flushed completely red at that. Arms flailing around, she resembled an embarrassed child rather than a Huntress in training. "Well, I forget easily! I'm the only one in the dorm without night vision, so you can't blame me when I stumble over something in the dark!"

"Okay, okay." Zanthus comforted, picking Eirian up with his hands under her armpits. She was surprisingly light given how easy it was for him to pick her off the floor. "You're only using me 'cause of my ears, aren't you?"

"And because I like you."

"Aw…" His whole body softened at that. Ears lowered bashfully, he smiled while Eirian grinned in his grip.

Still hoisted off the ground, the energetic girl twisted her head around, trying to look at Ruri and Adam before calling over to them. "Have you picked your partner yet, Ruri?"

"She has," Adam spoke up for her, crossing his arms with narrowed eyes. His frown deepened when Zanthus' face darkened, leaning around Eirian to look at the feline Faunus properly. "Is there a problem with that?"

"If that's what Ruri decided, then that's fine. I'm not so childish that her picking you would upset me." Zanthus shrugged.

"That's great that we're able to work as a team…" Eirian muttered, turning her head back to Zanthus. "It is called Team AZRE. We should be trying to put our differences aside and get through our lessons."

Even though Zanthus wasn't pleased with all her suggestions, he didn't try and push the argument any further. Instead, he put Eirian back down on the ground, silently nodding to Adam with his lips pulled into a tight line. A temporary truce. It was as good as he was going to get.

From behind them, Professor Tabi grabbed everyone's attention again with her powerful voice. "Alright, we all partnered up?"

"Yes, Professor." Her students replied.

"Great! Now, you all will go into the ERC and the lesson will begin." She gestured to the open doors, quickly adding before her class could even move. "Remember, anyone who loses their bells are out and will fail. Try and last out the time with your bell."

A time limit. Silence drifted across the entire group, no one saying anything with the reality set in.

Slowly, they started to approach the open doors leading into the ERC, taking the bells handed to them by Professor Tabi as they passed by. With his own in hand, Adam stared down at it with curiosity, listening to its faint jingling as it swayed in his grip. Light bounced off the silver metal, sparkling with surprising beauty.

Ruri kept close to his side. With her bell in hand, she quickly tied it to the belt wrapped around her waist. Thankfully, all the students were permitted to wear their combat clothes for the more practical lessons, if only because running around in their uniform was more hassle than it was worth.

Attaching his own to his belt, near his sheathed sword, Adam looked around at his surroundings. No longer were they in some typical gym one would find at a school. Rather, it seemed that Adam and Ruri wandered into a traditional Mistrali home, complete with furniture and sliding doors. A stereotypical place for a stealth mission, he thought with a deadpan expression on his face.

No one else was able to follow them when whirring echoed through the air. All of a sudden, the room started to shift, with walls rising to cut Adam and Ruri off from the other students that we're behind them, including Zanthus and Eirian. They were all alone.

"To push everyone to their limits today," Tabi's voice crackled to life over a comms system. "The ERC has been designed to constantly change the environments you are all in. Different environments need different skill sets to traverse, so keep your wits about you, and remember, you have to defend your bells as well as steal others."

Then the voice died down. Alone in complete silence, Adam could only glance over at Ruri, the two clearly saying what they were thinking without even speaking. Those purple eyes were focused. Sharp, she analysed their surroundings, kneeling to the ground when an alarm sounded loudly.

Begin.

All his years in the White Fang, and even more so trying to stay hidden in the SDC, had left Adam with the skills necessary for stealth missions. Yet the way Ruri moved, he felt like he was just a novice. No sound of footsteps, no creaking of the tatami mats that decorated the false home they were in. Nothing.

She was practically a ghost.

Pressing her back against the wall, she had a hand on the floor and the other around the bells on her belt. Not even looking at Adam as he moved to her side, kneeling with ears straining to hear anything, she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.

Someone was around. Slowly, she rose to her feet, holding a hand out to stop Adam from moving while she stayed pressed up against the wall. Candlelight barely lit anything up. Small flames that cast spots of light around the room, anyone not lucky enough to have night vision would find themselves stumbling in the dark.

There. From behind the closed shoji doors, a silhouette wandered by, accompanied by another one following after them. Confidence pushed Adam's desire to act. They could take on two students. However, Ruri didn't seem to think so, her hand now pushing into Adam's chest to keep him in place.

Patience was certainly not his virtue. Scowling, he waited for her cue, knowing better than to go against what his partner decided was the best course of action.

Suddenly, she struck.

With speed and precision, she pulled the shoji doors open and dragged the second student inside, holding them tight against her body with a gloved hand slapped tightly against their mouth. Muffled noises were all they could make.

That was one way to do this. Adam was honestly impressed, searching the person for the bells while Ruri kept a tight grip on them. Given the rules set out by Professor Tabi, it wasn't hard to spot the silver bells hanging from the person's wrist, attached to the cloth bands that were pulled tight against their flesh.

With one quick pull, the cords on the prize came undone, and the duo claimed their reward. Bells in hand, Adam turned to the captive students and whispered to his partner. "What'd we do with him?"

Silent, she glanced at the person in her grip. Something glistened in those eyes, and with a smirk playing on her lips, she forced the person's arms behind them and, with one swift movement, undid the belt around their waist. Before they could protest, she fastened the belt around their hands tightly. Tied up like a little package was the only thing he could compare it to.

Pants around their legs and hands bound, they could only shuffle forward before Ruri forced them to the ground, kicking their leg out from under them while holding on tightly to the back of their shirt. A sharp grunt escaped them, their voice croaked and harsh as they snapped. "Come on, you don't need to tie me up like a dinner turkey."

"Don't want you running off to tell anyone else where we are." Adam piped up, tossing the stolen bells up in the air repeatedly. "You can sit around until class is over."

"Oh, you're a real joker, aren't you?"

Ruri gave the other Faunus a look, silently asking him for permission before he waved her to follow him. "We don't have time to waste. Just leave him."

With a little pout, she didn't push it any further. With the unfortunate student tied up and unable to go anywhere, he was left behind as the two exited the room. Shoji door sliding shut quietly, they stood there in the dark hallway.

Silence crept up towards them. It was eerie, with hairs standing up on the back of Adam's neck. Slow, careful steps down the hall, they crept through, Ruri taking the lead with her hand touching the wall. Adam didn't speak. He didn't dare to, instead of watching her fingers grazing the dark wood walls.

He had known about the specific skills some Faunus possessed, beyond night vision they all had. Feline ones like Blake and Zanthus had an acute hearing, able to pinpoint the drop of a needle in a silent room. Others, like Ruri's fish-like brethren, could sense even the tiniest of vibrations in whatever they touched. Given her inability to hear, this skill proved invaluable to her.

Tabi shoes muffling her footsteps, she pressed up against the wall as soon as they reached a corner. One hand on Adam's stomach, she guided him after her, peeking around the corner carefully in case the other student from before was still around. Those few seconds of silence were stifling.

She moved. Sneaking around the corner, she was only out of Adam's sight for a second before he heard a loud thud and sounds of struggling. His feet moved without thinking.

There, he saw the source of the commotion. Pinned to the ground, Ruri was helpless with another student on top of her, having pinned her arm behind her back while trying to grab the bells tied to her belt. Adam had to act. Before he knew it, his arm wrapped around the person's neck and pulled them off from on top of his partner.

Suddenly, his grip loosened with the person's neck turning to smoke. It wafted up into his face, burning his eyes and lungs as he accidentally breathed it in, only able to back away while coughing harshly. Rough hands gripped the back of his coat. Before he knew it, the world around him spun uncontrollably, and his body practically bounced as he was thrown to the floor.

Air vanished from his lungs. Chest and eyes burning terribly, he gritted his teeth in pain as he tried to lift his head, only able to see a fuzzy outline of something approaching him. Everything hurt. His arms ached as he pushed his upper body up, blinking the tears away while focusing on whoever was coming towards him.

Finally, his vision managed to clear up enough, and the student approaching him was not Ruri. It was likely the one from before. Smoke emitting from their body, he couldn't see their face from behind the ominous gas mask that they were wearing. Glass goggles stared at him eerily, the heavy breathing echoing through the hallway the only noise they made save for their heavy footsteps.

He hadn't even seen them move before. Their Semblance was something, rendering them completely untouchable while choking all unfortunate enough to be close enough.

Dragging himself backwards, Adam pushed himself to try and get back to his feet, but with every bit of energy, he had felt like it was being snatched away. His head was swimming. He couldn't breathe, couldn't focus. All he could do was sit there as the person slowly choked the very life out of him.

Where was Ruri?

He couldn't see her through the thick haze emitting from the student in front of him. No matter how hard he tried, all he could see was grey, dark figures shifting in the background. What was that?

In an instant, the smoke lifted. He couldn't see properly through blurred vision, but the heavy thud of something hitting the floor was unmistakable. When Adam wiped his eyes to clear his vision, he looked up to see someone standing over the student. It wasn't Ruri.

Muscular arms pinning the student down, Adam could recognise Zanthus from anywhere, even with the cape wrapped around his face like a makeshift bandana. His grip tight on the poor student's arm, he pulled it back almost painfully, using his free one to pin them down with it pressed against the centre of his back.

"Neat Semblance." He muttered, swapping his hand pushed down on the student's back for his knee while he removed the cape wrapped tightly around his face. "That mask isn't just for aesthetics, is it? Don't wanna breathe in those fumes you give off?"

They didn't reply. From behind their mask, Adam could make out pained grunts, managing to find the strength to get to his feet while Zanthus finally looked up at him. "You alright, Adam?"

"I've been better." He croaked back, massaging his throat with a pained look.

"I can imagine."

It wasn't a harsh jab. At least, Adam tried to not take it as such, knowing that now was not the best time to start another argument with his teammate. So, with a deep sigh, he let the anger go. For now.

"How come you dropped in like that?" He asked.

Standing up from on top of the student, Zanthus helped them to lean against the wall, checking their sore limbs to make sure he didn't go overboard. As he did so, he glanced up at Adam with a curious gaze.

"Heard the commotion and smelt the smoke. I knew you and Ruri were around here somewhere, and I guess… I guess I was just worried."

"We're technically working against each other, though."

"Well, I'm not gonna try to steal your bell." Zanthus got up to his feet. "Are you?"

The two stood off against each other. Even with the animosity between them, at that moment, Zanthus wasn't angry anymore. His question didn't feel like he was accusing Adam but rather clearing the air. With his body relaxed and hands lazily on his hips, the whole energy around him was welcoming, and it had more of an effect on Adam than he cared to admit.

Voice softening unintentionally, he confessed. "No."

"Alright. It's a truce, then." Taking a step closer, Zanthus held his hand out expectantly.

Adam stared down at it. For a moment, he thought against shaking it, that same bitterness and pettiness voicing its opinion in the back of his mind, but he didn't. Rather, he took Zanthus' hand and firmly shook it.

A smile formed across his face. A few seconds passed with them mutually accepting the other around them, and then the attention was brought back to something behind them. "Oooo, smoky!"

Eirian's voice was unmissable. Chipper, treated the situation the same way she did for everything, with a can-do attitude and a smile on her face. Holding Ruri up in her arms, allowing the other girl to support herself on her body, she turned to the sore student on the floor with a surprised expression.

"Did you lose your bell?"

They nodded silently. "Don't worry about it. You did pretty well with that Semblance of yours!"

"Eirian, this is supposed to be a stealth mission." Zanthus chided, turning his attention over to her with an exasperated sigh.

"Right, right. Stealth mode. Got it." She fell silent. At least, only for a few moments, before she turned to Ruri and piped up. "Did you guys get any bells?"

"Eirian."

"We did," Adam answered, holding up the bells that they took from the other student before. "Ruri caught one just after the timer started. Speaking of which, you guys know how much longer we got?"

"I didn't see a clock around here," Zanthus replied.

"Well, now that we're all together, we can hide until the timer runs out." Eirian pointed out enthusiastically.

Adam's scowl worsened at that. "Why would we wanna hide?"

"We got our bells and spares to boot. The whole point of this exercise is to hide and protect what is yours from those who're doing the same." She explained nervously. "It doesn't make sense to run around and try to fight everyone we come across. At least, that's what I think."

"She's not exactly wrong." Zanthus joined in, unsurprisingly siding with Eirian while Adam stood there.

He hated to admit it, but they were right. This wasn't combat training, and he knew from what just happened that they weren't invincible amongst their fellow students. So, for now, he pulled his temper back and nodded in agreement, keeping his voice low as he finally acknowledged Ruri. "Are you alright, Ruri? They didn't get you too bad, did they?"

She shook her head softly. As if to prove her point, she finally let go of Eirian and stood up on her own, albeit a bit wobbling from the rough landing she had just before. At least she wasn't hurt.

Relieved, he moved to her side, wanting to make sure before addressing the group. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

Despite the biting tone to his voice, Zanthus didn't call him out on it. Thankfully, he focused on the mission on hand, turning back to Eirian as he took the lead. Despite being the leader, Adam found himself wondering at the back, even behind Ruri, and couldn't do anything about it. They had a truce. That did not mean the team accepted him as their leader.

In all honesty, he had no idea how to change their minds.

Together, they moved through the hallways and rooms with caution. For a classroom as big as theirs, it was surprising how they all managed to disappear, leaving the group of four wandering around the emptiness for what felt like forever. None dared to speak. They needed silence to focus, with Zanthus listening out for even the quietest of noises.

His ears constantly moved around. Swivelling on top of his head, they pinpointed on anything that echoed through the space, the group stopping until he decided it was time to move again.

Suddenly, the familiar whirring rang in their ears. Backing off from the group a little, Adam looked around in panic, wondering what was happening now when Professor Tabi's voice crackled over the comms again. "Ten more minutes, students. Keep up the work!"

Ten minutes. He hadn't even realised that much time had passed. The distraction proved detrimental, as when he finally paid attention to what was happening, he found the section of the hallway he was standing in shifting suddenly, spinning around before he could even move. The rest of his teammates tried to reach him, Zanthus calling out his name in a panic. "Adam-!"

His voice was cut off when the section fully spun around. Now, Adam found himself in an open space, with buildings and alleyways mimicking the open city streets. How they managed to fit this all in the space they were given was unimaginable.

No longer in constricting hallways with many rooms to hide away in, he felt exposed.

Wandering through the fake street, he held onto his weapon tightly. Ten minutes. He just had to hold out for ten more minutes. Slinking into a narrow alleyway, he thought about hiding away and waiting it out, finding himself annoyed that he was agreeing with Eirianof all people. Even though he was willing to extend a temporary olive branch to Zanthus, he refused to share the same courtesy to a human.

All the attempts she made to build that bridge further aggravated him. But those intrusive thoughts would have to wait, he had more important things to focus on at that moment.

"Looks like someone's got outta the pen." That voice. Adam knew it, immediately tensing up as he turned around to the source of the voice.

That boy from Oobleck's class. Gustave Rouge. It had been weeks since they ran into each other properly, but his face was always around in the background. Ice blue eyes, shaggy brown hair, and a strong jawline were the most distinguishable thing on him. Out of his uniform, he stood on a fire escape high above Adam, looking down with leather gloved hands gripping the black metal.

That smug look on his face boiled Adam's blood even more. Hand gripping on his sword, he shot back venomously. "Knew you weren't the type to ever be quiet. A deaf person could hear your fat ass coming their way."

"Cheeky asswipe," Gustave grumbled back.

Quickly, he hopped down from his perch on the fire escape, landing roughly on the ground a few feet in front of Adam. Leather hunting boots creaked with the movement, but that wasn't what caught the Faunus' attention. Strapped to his back, Gustave pulled out a blunderbuss gun, holding onto it with his smug smirk widening.

Adam was ready to fight. Something felt off though, and he couldn't let it go as he snapped at Gustave again. "Where's your entourage? Finally had enough of you after only a month?"

"Dunno. We got separated in here, which is what I'm guessing happened to you too,vache." The insult dug right under his skin. Atlesian assholes were all the same.

The heated glare he gave Gustave only spurred him on. Even if Adam knew he was being egged on, he couldn't stop his rage from bubbling over the top, teeth-gritting together as he continued. "Kitty isn't around? Took him to the pound after all, huh? I guess we all can't be good pet owners."

"That's It!" Adam bellowed, rushing forward with his hand on his sword.

The energy within him flared. He didn't care about area damage, zoning in on his target and ignoring all around him. A swift swipe, an attempt to cleave the boy in half, but his weapon was stopped suddenly. Surprised, Adam saw Gustave blocking the blow with his blunderbuss. Sparks flew as metal scraped against metal.

A rough kick to the abdomen and he was sent flying backwards. Boots dug into the ground, his sword driven into the stone to slow him down, but there was not even a second for him to breathe. Aggressive, Gustave descended onto the Faunus with harsh blows, spinning his weapon around with blades coming out of the blunderbuss' handle. Someone took inspiration from Professor Port.

Managing to deflect an attack, Adam flanked around him, hopping onto the wall before pushing off with his foot. Once in the air, he spun his blade around like a saw blade as he threw it straight at his opponent. With a quick deflect, Gustave sent it back to Adam with his grin never leaving.

He would wipe that grin off the posh prick's face. Without missing a beat, Adam grabbed hold of the sword's sheath and activated his Semblance, flaring up a stark red as he slashed downwards at Gustave. Energy surged outward. A powerful blast sent the other student flying backwards.

Unlike Adam, he wasn't lucky enough to stay on his feet. Still, he rolled with the movement, managing to roll onto his knees with one hand on the ground. Dust kicked up from their fight drifted in the air. Thick and heavy on his lungs with every breath, Adam panted softly to himself.

Gustave was still smiling. Pearly white teeth flashing, he got up to his feet once more and shouted out in excitement. "That's it, la vache folle! You certainly proved yourself an exceptional example for your species."

"How is it you still act like a twat even when complimenting someone?" Adam shot back, flicking his sword to the side. "Shame I can't say any Atlesian is worth complimenting."

"Va te faire foutre!"

"Sorry, I don't speak asshole."

A shot rang through the air. Ringing in Adam's ears, he barely blocked the bullets that were fired at him. Red metal flaring up for a moment, he could feel the energy from it seeping into his being, unable to stop the shock at just how powerful that blow was. This was serious.

The end of his gun still smoking, Gustave didn't waste any more time trying to rile Adam up. Rather, he charged straight for the Faunus, the axe mode of his weapon popping out as he swung wildly. There was no form to his attacks anymore. He was like a wild animal, lashing out in rage while Adam was forced on the defensive. There was the strength behind the blows, with Gustave visibly more muscular than Adam himself, and that pure strength gave him the advantage.

On the retreat, he ran through the alleyway with his opponent hot on his heels. Both danced around each other. Jumping over obstacles and dodging wild gunshots, Adam hopped up on a fire escape above him, similar to the one Gustave was standing on before, using the momentum to flip himself up and land soundly.

The high ground gave one certain advantage. Swift and nimble, he ran through the first level of the alleyways, wincing when more gunshots rang off the metal, sparks flying close to his face from the bullets scraping against the railings.

Hand on his weapon, he hopped down from his platform and twisted his upper body around. Power ran through him, from his chest to the very tips of his fingers, and with a sharp yell, he cut through the couplings that attached the fire escape to the wall. Metal screeched loudly as it gave way. Right on top of Gustave.

Dust covered all around, blinding Adam as he covered his face with his sleeve, coughing loudly while trying to peer through the thick cover surrounding him. It irritated his eyes terribly.

Finally, it started to settle down. With his arm lowering slightly, he looked ahead of him, unable to hear anything from the wreckage. Destroyed metal crumpled together, there was nothing of Gustave visible from the towering pile. That didn't make Adam feel better. Stomach twisting, he feared the worst, that he had gone too far again.

He only took a step forward before hearing spluttering off to the side. When he looked in the direction, the fear sitting in the pit of his stomach faded away, and for a moment, he forgot who the person was and sighed in relief. Gustave wasn't dead.

But then the fight before sprang back to mind. Immediately, Adam took the chance, appearing in front of the sitting teen with his sword tucked under the other's chin. Strangled grunts were all he made, a sweat drop rolling down the side of his face while Adam snapped darkly. "Give it up. You lost."

There was something else he could do. With his sword practically pressed to Gustave's throat, his free hand snatched the bells that were dangling on the belt fastened across his chest, out in plain view of everyone.

"And this," Adam started, holding up the bells with a smirk, "is mine."

Just then, a loud ringing sound echoed through the entire ERC. The end of the lesson, and the pretend mission.

"Congrats, students." Professor Tabi's voice congratulated them. "Please, make your way back to the foyer to return your bells and receive your marks."

After the orders aired across the comms, that familiar whirring replaced her voice and sure enough, the buildings around them started dipping into the dark opening in the floors. Entire streets and buildings swallowed up into nothingness. It was certainly a wonder to those fortunate to see it.

Sighing in exhaustion, Adam finally let Gustave go with his sword moving away from his throat. Dry coughs his thanks, he watched the Atlesian student rub his neck gingerly, sheathing the sword while rubbing salt in the wounds. "I'd go and tell Professor Tabi how you were bested by avache."

The insult thrown back in his face did little to quell Gustave's clear rage. For a moment, Adam half expected the human to forgo the rules of the class and go for another blow, but even with the weapon sheathed and Gustave given complete freedom again, he made no such move. Rather, he sat there while Adam made a move to leave, hearing Zanthus' voice in the background.

"Adam! Adam, where are you?!"

"Over here!" He answered before even thinking about it.

"You know, I shouldn't be surprised." Gustave's voice sprung up. Pausing, Adam turned around, listening with a narrowed eye as he continued vindictively. "The way you talked about the White Fang in Oobleck's class, how you always jump to violence, you're a credit to your race. A bunch of savage, idiotic anarchists that threw away the only good thing they had going for them."

"If you wanna utter another word, stand up, and I'll kick your ass again."

A chuckle had Adam seething more. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Honestly, that bandage of yours must be hiding some nasty stuff."

"Don't."

"What happened, anyway?" Gustave pressed, his voice turning into a mocking drone. "You got to put in your place, and now you're acting out like an angry child? Daddy didn't discipline you enough?"

"Shut. Up." Adam's tone went dangerously low. He was about to snap, he could feel it.

"Soft spot. Do you even have a father,vache? I heard that bulls leave the heifer after doing it. Got a taste of the milk and fucked off, did he?"

The red mist descended over him. Sword raised high above his head, he let out an enraged cry, ready to bring it down on his head and end the scum right where he sat. All attempts to stop him were ignored. His rational thoughts screamed at him, trying to remind him what he was trying to do, that he was trying to change, but its cries went unheard.

He would've gone through with it, if not for his hands grabbed hold of him and wrenching him away. Voices in his ears, he couldn't make sense of it, struggling and thrashing about in the tight grip. "Let go of me!"

"Stop, Adam." Zanthus. His voice was a harsh whisper, a complete opposite to Adam's rage-filled screams. "Don't do something you'll regret."

Nostrils flared with his angry panting. With Zanthus refusing to let go, his superior strength keeping the other teen practically pinned to him, Adam was left stuck there while the blinding rage faded away. Rational thought clawed it's way back into his mind. Yet, he couldn't pay it any attention, too focused on the venomous words thrown at him to even think straight.

"Be angry. Be upset, but don't let yourself fall to his level." Zanthus advised.

Slowly, he let the angry Faunus go, trusting him enough to not start another fight again. When Adam looked over at him, he noticed Ruri and Eirian a few feet behind him, watching the whole scene with shocked expressions on their face. Eirian even had her hands covering her mouth, having no words to say about what she had just witnessed.

Stop staring. Please, stop looking at me.

He never voiced those pleas.

Without a word, he pushed past Zanthus and stormed back to where all the students had gathered. Silent, he still had that dangerous energy around him, bringing the mood of the room down when he burst back into the foyer to the surprise of the others, and Professor Tabi.

"Ah, Cherry Bomb, I was wondering when you and your team would-" She was cut off by Adam chucking the bells he collected at her.

Silent, he didn't stop, stomping past the others in his class and towards the exit, eager to leave and go back to his dorms. Even when the professor called after him, he ignored her. He didn't have the energy or the skill to answer her questions without erupting again. He just wanted to be alone.

The whole walk back to the dorms was a quiet one. Only when he reached the familiar building did he notice other students congregating around it, finally free from the heavy work of the week and looking forward to the weekend ahead of them.

Some glanced his way when he passed by, but none tried to grab his attention. Quickly, they learned that it was better to leave Adam alone, especially when he was in a foul mood. And this one was one of the worst moods he had ever been in. Given everything he had been through, that was a feat.

Finally, he made it back to his door. The door shut, he would've enjoyed the blissful silence and time to himself, if not for the ripping sorrow in his gut. Years he had managed to suppress those emotions. Those memories. They gripped at him, tearing into him like claws while he threw himself onto his bed, not even bothering with his shoes as he rolled onto his back.

Staring up at the ceiling, he felt like ripping his hair out, unable to stop the intrusive thoughts from coming to the front of his mind as nails dug painfully into his palms. He couldn't calm down. He couldn't think of anything else.

Vivid green eyes and cherry red hair filled his mind. He could almost smell that perfume, the faint scent of peaches, and the soft touch on his head, ruffling his hair or caressing his cheeks. Comforting words whispered in his ears. A voice is long gone but remained in him. He hadn't thought about her in years. He didn't want to.

The pain of missing her was too much to deal with. All that pain came right on top of him, with Gustave's words echoing in the back of his mind.

Do you even have a father, vache?

Eyes drifting close, he could picture her perfectly. His mother. His biological one.

"Can you tell me more about Dad, mama? Please?"His childish voice begged. Adam, only eight years old, could remember the need to learn more about his father.

Who was he? What was he like? Why did he leave?

And every time, his mother would caress his cheeks and answer in ways that didn't hurt so much. Remembering the way her eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, how her eyes scrunched up and glistened with unshed tears, only for her to quickly wipe them away as to not worry her child.

"I will when you're older. I promise."She would say every time. Yet every time, he wouldn't be old enough for her.

Now that he was older and wiser, he could look back in a completely different light. All she did, she did to protect him, and he never got to thank her for the sacrifices she made. For all the times he made things hard for her, or the SDC, or the humans themselves.

Guilt and pain tore him up from the inside, nearly sending him into a sobbing mess. He missed her so much. He would give anything to have her back. Even his own life.

Suddenly, the sound of the door open had Adam scrambling to compose himself, rubbing his eyes furiously to get rid of any tears. As he lowered his arm to see who it was, he was greeted by Zanthus, and only him.

For a moment, he waited for Eirian and Ruri to come in, peering around the feline Faunus only to find him completely alone. With the door shut behind him, Zanthus answered Adam's unspoken question. "Eirian and Ruri went to the library to take out some books. Thought it was a good idea for me to come and talk to you without any… problems about Eirian being here."

He didn't even have the energy to feel relieved that Eirian was keeping her distance. In all honesty, he needed her bright personality to distract him from the thoughts that wouldn't go away.

"You don't need to come and check up on me. I'm fine."

Zanthus wasn't convinced. Trudging over to his bed, he sat down with a deep sigh, the mattress sinking under his weight while he softly replied. "I know that we're not friends. You might hate me, and that's fine… but I can't sit back and watch my teammate be upset without trying to help."

"I don't exactly deserve it, though. You said it yourself." Adam sat up properly, legs swinging over the side of his bed while he recalled bitterly. "I'm not your friend, and I'm not interested in being your friend. This relationship between us is purely professional."

"I know you overheard our talk that night we argued, but you don't get to be angry at us for how you behaved. That's not fair."

Adam glanced away with a scowl, though still listening while Zanthus continued calmly. "I'm not here to fight. Eirian's my friend, she's my teammate, Ruri too. They're the closest thing I have to family anymore, and even if you don't want to be a part of that, it doesn't change the fact that you're my teammate, too. And… I know what it's like to have a complicated past with family."

That piqued Adam's interest. Finally meeting Zanthus' gaze, the two sat there in silence, watching the other before the blonde teenager sighed deeply. "It's not exactly something I talk about often."

"Something's been on my mind. You said you were from Mistral, but you don't exactly look Mistrali."

"I could say the same to you. What kinda Mistrali name is Adam?"

Adam's eyes narrowed at that. "It's 'cause I'm from Mantle, dick."

Despite the insult at the end, Zanthus didn't take any offence to it. He laughed softly, the way his face brightened up leaving Adam dumbfounded with heat flushing to his face. It was nice seeing him like that. Not arguing or frustrated with their leader, just… having fun.

Sadly, that happiness faded when Zanthus confessed sadly. "I'm only Mistrali by nationality. My parents didn't exactly settle down in their homeland."

Leaning back on the bed, he gazed off out of the window, watching the Spring sunbeam through and illuminate the room. The way the warm light highlighted his bronzed skin was dazzling, just like the sparkling beams bouncing off his armour.

"My dad came from Vale. An old fishing village to the northeast of here. And my mom came from Vacuo, near the border between it and Vale. Neither of them stayed for very long, and they had me and my sister in Mistral." He paused for a moment. "Even before I ran away, it wasn't a happy time."

"You ran away?"

"Yep. Thirteen years old, I had enough. My dad was a piece of shit and my mom didn't care. Packed up what little I had and hit the road… Wound up in Haven, if you could believe it."

Haven. Adam knew the place well. A cesspool of poverty and abuse that not even the human citizens were free of. The higher you lived in the levels, the better your life, but he would not return to the lower rings of the city if his life depended on it.

Zanthus' voice suddenly dropped. A murmur, he seemed distracted by something, focusing on something that wasn't even there as he continued. "I ran into some very bad people. Ring runners, folks that took in Faunus and made them fight for entertainment."

"I've heard of them."

"Then you know what happens to those who lose." That he did. "I stayed there for a couple of years. I couldn't exactly go anywhere, I was stuck in the contract and all my earnings went to my boss. I couldn't even sneeze without his saying so. Not that far off from the SDC mines…"

He gave Adam a knowing look. As if on cue, his scar started burning, aching terribly while Zanthus carried on telling his story.

"I did bad things, Adam. Real bad things, and I'm not proud of them. I guess that's why I'm doing half the things now for you. Because I know what it's like to be hated, to be so ridden with guilt over your past."

"You don't even know my past."

"I don't. But I know that whatever happened to you, it's stuck. Take it from me, that kinda thing never goes away easily." He was speaking from experience. The way he straight up told Adam it, the confidence in his advice, it was impossible to ignore.

Glancing away, Adam thought about coming clean. Keeping secrets for so long took a toll on a person. But he couldn't. What he did in the White Fang, was something he had to carry on his shoulders, and he feared that despite what Zanthus just told him, he would turn his back on Adam completely if he knew the whole truth.

Still, the trust he put in Adam was not ignored. Slowly, layer by layer, he felt himself coming clean about a few things. "I guess you know what it's like to have humans dictate your every move. But were there any Faunus there?"

"Sure. The few that raised, anyway. They mostly kept the others in the line."

"So you can imagine what the Faunus felt knowing their people helped in their oppression." Adam paused for a moment. "It was the same thing in the SDC mines back home."

"You worked for the SDC?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it working for them, but yes. In a way."

Zanthus stiffened up at that, giving Adam his full attention as he unloaded some of the weight that he had carried for years.

"My mother worked for them before I was even born. You could say I was born into it, and I'd pretty much agree. In Mantle, you had very few job opportunities, and even less as a Faunus. Our people either became criminals, maids, hookers… or they'd go to the mines." His scowl deepened as he remembered the dingy streets of Mantle.

The way the fumes choked the air, how it stained the very buildings themselves. How above all of them, like a taunting sign, Atlas floated in the skies, powered by the blood, sweat and tears of Mantle. Of the Faunus that died in their mines, bringing crystals to the surface that kept the whole of Remnant alive.

"Many died in those mines, including my friend's parents. I almost came close a few times myself." He sighed. "Managed to escape when I was ten. Came to Mistral, and the rest is history."

"What'd you do in Mistral?"

"It doesn't matter." His response was quick and sharp. It was one secret he wasn't ready to tell yet.

And luckily, Zanthus moved on to something else. "And your mother?"

The longest silence fell on them. Adam didn't know how to respond, staring down at the carpet that decorated their dorm, watching his shoes kick at it with hands clasped together on his lap.

Slowly, he muttered a short answer. "She died."

"Oh… I'm sorry for your loss." Zanthus comforted. "What was your father doing during this?"

"I… don't know. I never met him."

Ears swivelled back completely on Zanthus' head Staring sadly at his teammate, he didn't have the words to say, only able to lend a listening ear when Adam continued in an angry tone. "Now you know why I hate humans. Why there can never be peace between us and them. Do you think it can happen after Gustave said? How he saw my mother as nothing more than an animal, a thing that was discarded like she was nothing?!"

"I understand your pain. My parents are still alive, but they are practically dead to me. I know how lonely and painful grief can be, how angry it can make you, especially when the world keeps kicking you down." Zanthus refused to raise Adam's anger. His words were calm, collected, and Adam felt his anger simmering with the civil conversation. "I can't make you let go of that pain. I can't make you let go of this hatred, but I can help you try to move on. Not just for you, but for the people who are still here, who still love you."

"And who's that? Who could love me?"

"I do. So does Eirian, so does Ruri. Even when we try to keep our distance, we still care enough about you that we want you to be okay."

The confession left Adam stunned. For so long, he was used to people accepting him only when he had something to gain. Even Kaanchana's love for him came and went whenever he did something that displeased her.

It confused him. It scared him. Sitting there, he could only splutter out. "But I never did anything to deserve it."

"Adam, you don't need to earn the right for people to care about you if they want to." Zanthus pointed out, gesturing with a hand wide open. "What you did was wrong, and it'll take some time for you to gain our complete trust, but whether we trust you or not does not erase the fact that we still believe you're a good person. It's deep down, don't get me wrong, but it's still there."

"And do the others believe this, too?"

"I don't think you need me to tell you that. Eirian found it especially hard to stay away, and I know she's been taking Ruri's tupperware to bring your lunch."

"She told me Ruri packed those lunches herself." Adam would remember this.

Zanthus laughed at that. "Yeah, no. It was Eirian… and speaking of her."

Oh, no. Adam knew the conversation would eventually come back to the missing girl. So, he braced himself for another argument that would surely go around in circles.

"I get it, your experiences with humans haven't been the best, but do you think treating Eirian like this is going to make things better? Make you feel better?"

"I'm not suddenly going to be her friend because you want me to be."

"I'm not asking that. All I want is just for you to be more considerate. Growing up in Menagerie with a human mother has made things difficult for her, and even though she won't say it, I will." Zanthus eyebrows furrowed. "Just… leave her be. When she's talking, don't treat her like every other Faunus has her whole life. If we want things to be better, we can't throw every human we know under the bus."

Adam wanted to argue back. Yet he didn't. Somehow, he knew that Zanthus spoke from a place of suffering, knowing how bad it is for their people, and while he was still angry and still unwilling to let Eirian in, he was willing to at least stop biting her head off every time she came near him. At least, for as long as his temper held on for.

With a brisk nod, Zanthus loosened up and smiled warmly. "Okay. Thank you."

The two sat there quietly. It was nice, save for the questions circling Adam's head. Even with Zanthus having admitted to so much of his past already, there were still gaps in the story, gaps that Adam was eager to learn more of. Yet he held his tongue. Zanthus gave him the decency to keep his past private. The least he could do was offer that decency back.

Any thoughts vanished when the door slammed open. Bouncing off the wall and sending vibrations throughout the room, Adam and Zanthus practically jumped off their beds as they turned to the person who interrupted them.

Bright red eyes peering from behind the stack of books she carried in, Eirian entered the room full with a triumphant voice. "I found them!"

"Found… what?" Zanthus asked nervously, trying to calm his speeding heart before it completely stopped.

Dropping the books on the desk next to her, Eirian turned to her friend, pointing a thumb over her shoulder to Ruri, who had followed the boisterous student in while closing the door far more gently than it was opened.

"The books we need for Professor Oobleck's history assignment. We gotta research on the history of Menagerie, so I thought I'd grab every book I could find." She rubbed the back of her head bashfully. "And I always got my dad on call if we need him. He knows practically everything about the home."

"Well, you can read those and write down the notes for our assignment." Zanthus shrugged.

"Nope, nu-uh, I wrote your notes down last time. We're gonna work as a team and we're gonna do this assignment together!" She ordered as she put a fist in the air.

No one else was excited. Well, maybe Ruri was a little excited, but it was difficult to tell with her stoic expression most of the time.

Zanthus, however, seemed more unsure and nervous about the prospect of reading the books. Twiddling his thumbs, he glanced away when Eirian pointed out with worry clear in her voice and on her face. "Hey, what's wrong? You were like this the last time I tried to get you to read the assigned books."

He looked around. Surrounded by his team, there was no escape, and it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. He couldn't exactly hide it forever.

Ears hid in his thick hair and his tail swishing on the bed he was sitting on, he sighed deeply and confessed with an embarrassed tone.

"I can't read."