Disclaimer: I own nothing of RWBY.

Berry

By: Imyoshi

"He hates me!"

Pyrrha Nikos woke up to the sounds of Nora Valkyrie muffled wailing.

By now, she was semi-used to Nora's antics, no longer reaching for her hidden Miló underneath her pillow for the off chance of a Grimm attack. Ironically, that begged the question to why her pillow was her weaponry itself and not a feather stuffed cotton sheet? Her answer came when she turned her head to spot the pillow fort Nora had created for herself, hiding her head, and only her head, inside the fortified fortress of fluff with her body planted lifelessly, chest first, onto her bed. Lie Ren quietly sat beside her.

Pyrrha blinked.

When or how did she manage to steal her pillow from underneath her head?

A useless question. Pyrrha shook her head and absorbed the picture for all its glory. A pillow fortress? Snort! The Cereal Champion admitted it was overkill, adorable, entirely Nora, and her heartstrings ached. Just seeing their resident energizer ball of sugar in such a depressed and sluggish mood did not sit right. Rested lips curved upward from the way her partner consoled the heartbroken girl.

Ren gently patted his pillow-hidden partner on the back. "Nora, he doesn't hate you. Jaune's just upset as all. Give him time. He'll forgive you. Our leader's not one for holding grudges."

Pyrrha reluctantly agreed to that. Good luck finding a nasty bone in their Fearless Leader's body. Even after the Cardin fiasco, he still made it a point to wave to his ex-bully as if nothing had happened, grinning and all. Quite a sight to see Cardin waving back, somewhat confused. Pyrrha remembered it all so well. She glared the first time, glanced at the second, and giggled the third.

Nora, on the other hand, required firmer convincing. Watery eyes grew, peeking out from the darkness. "Promise?"

When Ren answered by leaning down and forcing his head into the pillow fortress, no matter how silly it seemed, and Pyrrha positively cooed, she knew he managed to repair whatever damage ached Nora.

"Promise."

Sadly, it was a temporary fix. Until Jaune said otherwise, Nora would be walking on eggshells. Who knew how long that would take. She never knew him to be angry. Huh? She wondered what her Human-turned-Faunus partner was doing.

Sleeping outside the dormitory must have been an unusual experience.

...

Everything the light touched belonged to his stomach.

Food.

Never before had he woken up to such a ravenous appetite, and he arose at the crack of dawn. Not the best sleep he ever had. Catnaps? Yeah, nope! Surprisingly, his back and shoulders didn't feel stiff, so that wasn't the problem. His extra sensitive ears picked up on everything making a peep. At least four times he stirred to some upperclassman grabbing a late-night snack from Beacon's storeroom. One time he growled, not by choice, instinct-driven, and had scared the man out of his skin from the thorax of his voice booming inside the echo-chamber of a ballroom.

He had enjoyed the sound of that man tripping and falling on his feet.

Whatever! Back to breakfast! Food helped sedate the bitter beast. Eating alone in solitary, way before anyone else woke up, added to the benefit. No people. Waking up to the sunrise had its other perks, like scoring the hottest plate right as Beacon's chefs finished preparing the meals. Multiple. He meant various plates. Mostly meats.

The breakfast of Apex Predators.

He ate in silence. People gradually mingled in as he came close to finishing his extensive breakfast with his team not far behind. Many eyes—and various others—looked and avoided his direction. Huff! Their paranoia and fear smelled densely in the air with yesterday's news headline making guilt set in. He tried to push his plate away, acting like he lost his appetite, but hunger overpowered that sense of rationality. Bites just became slower with some tasting like bitter ash.

Most tasted like meat.

Once he felt an unparalleled amount of heart-thumping stares, he cautiously grabbed his hoodie and hid his face from everyone in the solitude of darkness. The irony of a predator hiding in a bunny's logo sweatshirt plagued him. That didn't stop their mumbling from reaching his fine-tuned ears, and he unconsciously growled with developing slits overcoming his pupils. How Jaune missed his earlier ignorance, where he was laughing and joking with his team and Team RWBY.

What he wouldn't give to get that all back.

"Greetings, Jaune. Enjoying breakfast?"

Slitted pupils glanced up to find his partner holding a tray of her own. She grinned in that special Pyrrha way, taking a seat near the monster among animals. Ren wordlessly sat at the other corner of the table, nodding a greeting he came to understand that was Ren-talk for good morning. That only left one other person who stood in front of him, holding her tray close but never taking a seat. Compared to Pyrrha's gentleness and Ren's nonchalant persona, this screwed with the status quo.

"Hiya, Jaune... sleep well?"

Jaune Arc smelled her fear.

Either his senses were evolving the passing moment, or Nora happened to be the first human to fear him. How poetic that she feared what she created. Was it ironic that she was the first human to cower before him? Cosmic payback? Justice? None of that mattered, Jaune glared all the same with the darkness around his eyes amplifying the piercing stare.

At least she had the courage to stand before the freak.

"Morning, Pyrrha. Ren." Jaune said. "I slept fine."

Nothing for Nora, but she expected as much and quietly sat across from her predatory leader, sliding forth her breakfast with her lips thinned and wobbling. Blue ears flicked up in alert. What was this? He looked down to discover she had written the words I'm Sorry with blueberries drenched in sugary, thick syrup, spreading whip cream as a base with strawberries popping out the crust of white. The plate smelled heavenly, probably tasted much better, but the thought behind creating such a masterpiece, from Nora of all people, as an apology hit something primal lurking in his ancient DNA.

Gifting food to an animal, one so prehistoric, hit harder than any useless object or accessory.

His posture slackened by the tiniest of margins. Pyrrha and Ren noticed it. Not Nora, too emotionally unstable, but Sloth King and Cereal Champion sure did. Slits reverted to pupils, hidden due to the hoodie's concealment. Something random caught in his throat. Then she spoke so softly even his enhanced hearing almost missed it.

"I'm sorry." Nora whispered. "I didn't mean it. Please... don't sleep outside again. Not again. Please."

His chest hurt.

Faunus ears flattened back with his eyes turning glossy. The pain of seeing one of his team members, a part of his pack, fought tooth-and-nail against his humanity. Hostility battled with sympathy. He wanted to be angry with her, knew he had every right with even Pyrrha and Ren supporting his decision, but an aptitude controlled creature favored emotions over logic. Nora was hurting.

Reject.

Protect.

Distance.

Comfort.

Human.

Faunus.

Too much. Too much!

Maybe his body was still developing? Perhaps he was evolving into something that should be feared? What? What! Nora's unhappy face, the transformation, the news, the roar, the fear, the sensations, the teeth, the everything, all of it became too much to bear for his primordial impulses.

Jaune needed air.

"Excuse me."

He stood up and walked away with his food half-finished and pace more resembling a sprint. Now his appetite was gone.

"Jaune!" Nora whimpered with her fingers thrown out. Ren grabbed her hand. "Ren! But—?"

"Remember what I said?"

"He needs time?" Nora frowned. He nodded. She sulked into his chest and soothed against his heartbeat. "He didn't even touch the food. Ren? I don't know what else to do."

He rubbed her hair. "Be patient. He's coming around."

Nora didn't believe him.

...

Ozpin expected detectives and the sort at his door at some point, just not the very next morning, and not of the Huntsmen variety.

Rumors traveled fast.

They dressed in suits and low-cut top hats, Glynda's height with an air of smugness that reeked from one, and patience from the other. Broad shoulders, one slender, the other muscular. Weapons were strapped to their backs with one a high-tech hammer gizmo and the other a triple-barrel shotgun. An imposing duo to the weaker willed individuals, but to him, they were nothing but a nuisance. Two headaches to start the longest day of the week. Splendid. Nonetheless, Ozpin sat at his desk confidently with aged wisdom, and sipped his morning brew of hot chocolate.

Neither of them had barged into his office, an act of professionalism in their field, but Ozpin had been forced to invite them inside once they entered Beacon's premises. Not doing so aroused suspicion. Inquiries commenced right as they joined him at his desk, skipping all other manners of pleasantries and formalities.

Rumors spread fast with adequate detective backing up their sources, so they asked only one question, one word, one name.

Jaune Arc.

Ozpin expected as such with laced fingers. "I can full-heartedly assure you that whatever connection between my student and what happened at Vale is nothing more than a coincidence."

One of them tipped their hat. "We're just making sure to tie up any loose ends before we shut this case, you understand. It's not every day a new Faunus is created with a Faunus-related disaster happening. Excuse us for being nosy."

"I understand."

The other pushed his hat upward. "May we speak with him? We have a few questions. Standard procedure."

He shook his head. "I cannot I'm afraid without his legal guardians present. As he is underage, you understand bureaucracy."

"Our jurisdiction—!"

"Is limited here, as you're well aware." Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "Huntsmen academies and Kingdoms operate on a different set of rules. Here you abide by mine."

The Headmaster had to hand it to them for not losing their cool. Instead, one nodded and folded his arms. "Then I request his family's contacts to set up a meeting."

That was a request he couldn't deny.

"Very well." Ozpin searched his network for his document and ever-so-slightly smirked from the forgery. "It seems Mr. Arc has failed to include his emergency contact information in his transcripts."

Strangely, the slender one acted out, pointing fingers. "Tch! What kind of school are you running here?"

He remained indifferent to the display. "An academy for Huntsmen, not students. Missing phone numbers are the least of our concerns with Grimm lurking about."

Even stranger, the muscular one calmed his food-challenged partner. "Cool your jets. It's not the end of the world. I apologize for the display, Ozpin. However, you don't mind if we stick around and ask questions to the older brats, official police business."

Ozpin kept his lips from dropping. Jaune Arc's age allowed him some wiggle room, but the higher grades were above the legal age limit to not need parental supervision. Under no authority was he allowed to keep them from investigating possible sources. Only his students could say no to their questions.

Not him.

"Not at all."

"Very generous of you."

Not so fast. "Do be warned, classes are about to begin, and I will not allow you to drag students out. Either ask now or wait until lunch."

Again, the sturdy one acted too kind. "We understand, education comes first."

"Quite."

"We won't stay long."

Gone. The detectives left his domain without uttering another word. Once his elevator chimed, he relaxed in his chair with the tip of his specs falling to his nose. Troublesome. Calamity brewed on the horizon, and fingers were looking to blame someone. Those private eyes were only the first, just the first. Others would come to ask and point fingers. Some might already be here with others already on their way. Soon the council and possible his companion James might be rope into all this mess.

Ozpin dreaded the next messenger sent his way.

...

Monkey suits.

Adam Taurus instantly learned to despise them in the short amount of time he fumbled with the dreaded thing known as a tie. Now he knew why monkey Faunus preferred opened clothing wardrobe. Never again would he make simian Faunus wear such a suit—they suffered enough. Rip! Growl! Enough! He tore the tie off and draped the Mother Nature forsaken suit over his shoulder instead. When classes began, ugh, he just vomited in his mouth, he would wear the cursed outfit. Until then, it would remain over his shoulder.

Onto more pressing matters.

Ruby red hair made him stand out in the pack of predators. Unless if he felt like dying his hair another shade, he would be forced to take chances that no authoritative figures recognized him. Other features worried him more, like his sky blue eyes, a dominant trait from his mother's genes, contrasted against the stain of blood, making his face stand out more in a crowd. He didn't detest them, but appreciation was far from close. Sharp cheekbones, strong jawline, and other features of a fit Faunus appeared as any other, but the leader felt caged without his mask.

Unavoidable risks for the cause.

Unpleasantries aside, if corporate fat cats wore this dribble all the time, he saw why none of them were ever pleasant. Tch! If this plan went south, he randomly toyed with the possibility of making self-choking ties. Bastards would suffocate in their drool, and he would sipping on one-hundred lien wine, enjoying the lavish life since he sold those for a premium. Pleasurable thoughts, another idea for a different time.

Shake!

Adam grumbled. "Damn turbulence."

Changing inside a Bullhead's bathroom turned out to be one of his less stellar ideas, and it defeated the purpose when he opted to slug the uniform over his shoulder. Details, details. At this point, he was checking his teeth and face for blemishes. Nothing? Good. One last look at the man staring in the reflection later, and he exited the stall.

"Tell me again why I'm here, boss?"

To come face-to-face with his second-in-command.

Knut Eisbär.

Otherwise known as Banesaw by the organization.

He loudly grunted. At least one of them managed to fit into the monkey suit. He almost humored something resembling a snort from how uncomfortably snug it fit around his frame. The temptation to rip the sleeves off his uniform was impossible to miss. It looked so out-of-place on someone who regularly lugged around a chainsaw, like mixing water and oil. The person their mole stole it from must have been a few body sizes too small.

One look at the tall statured man wouldn't peg him as a Faunus. No defining features or animalistic traits to speak of, his markings were nothing but tattoos, except his fuzzy ball-shaped tail, which hid inside his pants. White as snow, a one-eighty to his overall appearance. All the barbarity of a polar bear Faunus, all of the bite, growl, height, and cruelty, but cursed with, what his other subordinate said in the comfort of darkness and hidden corridors, an adorable end. He vividly remembered choking back laughter the first time he saw it.

That wasn't even the end of it. The most eye-catching feature on display was the horizontal scar across Knut's nose, a battle injury for the newer recruits, something to aspire hope and morale, but an embarrassing story of weapon chainsaw malfunction for the senior members of The White Fang to chuckle over an alcoholic beverage. Few dared to joke about it with him present, but Adam made sure he never forgot so history wouldn't repeat itself.

That was the man he led toward the back seats. "Backup. I'm not walking into the lion's den alone."

"What about the rest of the recruits?"

He rolled his eyes. "In a school full of Huntsmen? They're meatshields, fodder. Useless in our pursuit. I need someone who can fight, not die."

Knut hummed, agreeing. Green eyes suited the colossal giant. "Won't people recognize you without your mask?"

"People are simpletons. Put on a mask, and suddenly everything else doesn't matter. Take it off, and you're nothing but another faceless figure."

Speaking of incompetent fools, he still had trouble believing his information broker managed to secure fake transcripts in the span of a few hours, transfer student, of course, but the point remained. Here he was on a Bullhead, heading right for this so-called prestigious academy. Laughable, sheer madness, anyone with a few hundred lien should be able to breeze right into Beacon Academy with their foot in their mouth and the other in their grave.

Somewhere in Beacon, a saber-tooth Faunus sneezed.

"So how do we do this, boss?"

Adam rested his arm on the head of his chair. "The mission is straightforward. We find this Jaune Arc and convince him to join The White Fang."

Knut waited for more. There was no more. "And if he's reluctant?"

"We force him, but that's a precautionary. We have some time."

Simple in design, easy to understand, impossible to forget, a solid plan.

All they had to do was find this Jaune Arc fellow.

More turbulence rocked the airship as it began its descent. Adam remained calm. Knut, well, he radiated a bloodthirsty atmosphere for the random humans sitting up ahead, but that was normal for the Faunus revolutionist. He chose him specifically for that trait. Once they touched the floor, Adam moved with the grace of a lethargic cat with his bag full of essentials over his shoulder and other commodities his mole broker provided him. Something, possibly school supplies.

Whatever.

They were the last ones out, tasting Beacon air for the first time. Trained eyes scanned the courtyard, counting each head outside. Just like he said, no one noticed his presence or screamed in a bloody panic. Without his mask, he was merely Adam Taurus, a false exchange student with his partner Knut Eisbär. Time to start the mission.

"Blend in."

Now that Adam Taurus said that plan out loud in a colorful courtyard filled with potential threats while standing out like a sore paw with his blazing hair and his height-blessed brother-in-arms, he was having extreme seconds thoughts on this whole attend Beacon Academy business. Knut thought so too, turning to regard him with the slightest tilt of his head.

"Sir?"

"Don't remind me." Adam growled. "And call me Adam. We need to keep appearances. Now, split up. Mingle. Try to find out this guy's location or what he looks like, we'll meet back here in an hour."

"How would I know if I've found this brat?"

He paused. "If what's written in the reports true, then you won't be able to approach him."

Adam still wasn't sure what to make of that, but he was more of a see-to-believe type of Faunus, not a take-their-word-by-their-mouth guy. Not able to be approached? Call him skeptical, but he called bull. Pun intended. Either way, that was the perfect moment to split-up and begin their search-and-retrieval mission.

What could go wrong?

...

Blake Belladonna hated herself for hiding.

Jaune's silent struggled in the Mess Hall attracted her attention, among the other Faunus population, and she had silently observed Nora attempt to make amends for past grievous. Every Faunus had froze when he stood up and ran out. Before she knew why, her feet dragged her outside to follow him at a safe distance, leaving behind an untouched breakfast and immensely confused team.

Some good that did.

Here Blake was, keeping her distance with her ears flat underneath her bow. Nothing changed. Nothing happened. Jaune sulked over there, by the garden, and she hid behind a pillar with her feet locked in place. Yang was right. Just approach him. Step! Back step! Nope, not happening. She froze with her instincts and logic battling themselves tired. Faunus in need. Must help. Alert! Alert! Predator, stay back!

Huff!

Fingers dug into the pillar with her pride and stomach taking a low hit. Somehow she sat at the same table as Jaune when he first turned into a Faunus, dragged by her team, but it felt like every second after that, that barrier expanded. Lucky humans and their ignorance. Once, twice, a few times she considered contacting him via Scroll, but didn't have his contact information. Asking for Jaune's Scroll number from Ruby sounded embarrassing. Silly, she knew. More of that stubborn pride kept her from asking, leaving a Faunus in need to hurt while she hid. No.

No!

No more hiding, she reaffirmed, Blake would seek Ruby out and demand that number.

She chewed her lip. Blake took solace that she wasn't the only hiding from him. Every Faunus in about a fifty-foot range scurried and hid as if their life depended on it. He noticed. His ears moved from the whispers hanging in the air. A few times they flattened, but rose whenever he heard his name. They never remained low for long, and then he kicked imaginary dust.

Right.

Scroll number. Blake moved away from the pillar to find her leader when something familiar passed her peripheral vision. A mane of tamed crimson, wavy hair caught her attention. She swiftly turned around, doing a double-take from the person walking across her, toward Jaune Arc. Countless times she rubbed her eyes, blinked and pinched herself. Not a dream.

That hair? That coat? That weapon? Those horns!

That rose insignia!

One of her nine lives had a heart attack.

...

Target in sight.

Adam Taurus quickly learned it wasn't difficult to track this one-of-a-kind Faunus.

Gossip, mixed with horrendous stares and labored breathing, made locating this guy almost too easy. Faunus formed around him in a loosely-knit circle. Humans lively talked closer to him. Once he did spot him, courtesy of some scared schmuck pointing directly at him, the hairs on his neck rose. One or two of his heartbeats skipped a beat. Hn? So some of the reports rung true, but unstoppable fear?

He thought not.

He stalked his alert prey, moving confidently across the concrete jungle with his eyes trained solely on Jaune Arc, which was why they grew so full from not noticing another predator lurking in his shadow's territory.

"Adam?"

Gasp!

That voice! What the hell? He turned around in haste, too surprised to reach for his katana. Blake Belladonna in the flesh, standing before him, able to see his bewildered expression without his mask. She held her guard, glaring with those feisty feline eyes of hers, legs bent for either striking or running. Just like him, she had caught him by dumbfounded luck, a sheer sense of black cat misfortune.

Silence.

Deer-caught-in-the-headlights eyes forthwith turned predatory with his voice adopting an undertone of morbid promise. Retribution turned his vision red with his hand gripping the sheath of Wilt and Blush. Blake mimicked his movements, clutching Gambol Shroud both as a weapon and shield. Her breathing took a sharp nosedive, eccentric with an itchy trigger finger her greatest enemy. She couldn't keep her arms from shaking.

"Hello... Blake. So this is where you've been hiding."

"What are you doing here?!"

Under any other circumstances, any other foreseeable outcome, this would be a dream come true. How Adam longed to reach out, tenderly run his fingers over her smooth chin, and then snap her neck. Traitors deserved nothing less, but he admitted it was personal. Not business, not pleasure, merely personal. Payback at its roots, yet, Fate had other plans, putting her before his target like a cruel joke. No one was laughing. Surrounded by the enemy, and without troops, he was at a disadvantage, but she didn't know that.

He scoffed. "Do you really have to ask, Blake?"

Amber narrowed. Her cat-like sights shifted toward the lonesome Jaune Arc and back at her old-time partner. "Jaune Arc."

Bingo.

"Sienna has taken an interest in him, and so have I. His unique ability will make for a fine addition to The White Fang's coalition. The tides of Destiny are shifting, and our opportunity is standing only a few yards away."

He moved forward with a clicking sound resonating.

"Don't move. Not another step." Blake aimed for right between the eyes. "Leave. Now. Or I'll alert the Headmaster that you're here. You wouldn't possibly be able to win."

He remained undeterred. "And I'll rat you out. What goes around, comes around, sweetheart. Your precious Headmaster might have influence, but he's not invincible. Even he cannot protect you from the council once they get wind of you and your past. So go ahead. Run to that little Headmaster of yours. It's all you've ever been good at." Adam turned his back toward her barrel. "And honestly, I have bigger fish to fry than some traitor who turned tail and ran."

A different approach, a straighter barrel. "Why are you taking orders for Sienna? We both know how you are. You're not one for taking orders."

"Because we both want the same thing." Adam smirked and turned his sights to notice Blake's finger itching on the trigger. "Careful now, Blake. I have agents around. One wrong move, and your teammates, whoever the hell they are, will meet their demise, along with anyone else foolish enough to get in my way. The bullet won't even touch me."

Blake's bow twitched at the promising threat, but she knew she had nothing to fuss over. "You won't be able to approach him. No Faunus us able to. You'll be the one looking like a fool."

Humph. "We'll see about that, traitor."

One step forward.

Two steps back.

What? A fluke. He attempted a second step, only to regrettably discover all the reports turning out valid. Each step became harder with a cold sweat threatening to break on his skin. Harder, rougher, eventually, it felt like being trapped in the quicksands of Menagerie.

Impossible.

Adam sought out another step, only for his entire body to paralyze in unrivaled fear. Not a muscle in his body responded to his commands, all of them refused to move. Every attempt to push became twice as hard. Soon he was trembling from fighting an internal battle. No. No! His baser instincts were overpowering his virtue. Teeth bared as he tried to appeal to his humanity to squash those instincts.

Easier said than done.

Adam hadn't the faintest idea of how to approach such a concept. Ignoring one's basic instincts, how could he? Impulses and intuition were the driving force that pushed him near the edge and away too many times to count. Simply turning them off wasn't as easy as snapping one's fingers.

Was it?

Shoulders trembled. A grip on Wilt and Blush weakened. At some point, his blood boiled. Not. A. Muscle. Fright and Flight were taking over, overpowering Fight. Growl! Gripping his arm, he flinched when his fingers dug deep enough to bruise. Aura immediately sprung to life to heal the damage, but for a brief moment, all the fear vanished. For that glorious instant, his shaking stopped with his heartbeat no longer rushing to his head.

Pain? Now there was an idea.

Flight and Fright proved immeasurable to Fight unless he found a way to bypass that, and he might just have found the solution. He pinched deeper into his arm, almost drawing blood, and he managed a few more steps until overwhelming fear took over and turned his frame into that of a frightened child. Once Adam began taking steps back, he knew he was at his wit's end.

Blake noticed.

The barrel to Gambol Shroud lowered in a mocking display with her tone adopting a sense of taunt. "Just leave, you'll never be able to approach him. You're wasting your time and making a fool of yourself."

Ignoring her, he managed another step through sheer will, only for his body to turn to stone. Effort proved useless, his cause not stubborn enough to overpower his sense. Pain it was. He growled through his canines and flicked his katana out of its holster in a moment's strength. When pushed to a corner, a wounded animal instinctively fought back. Fear was nothing more than a mindset. The only thing to fear on this forsaken planet was fear itself.

Adam Taurus feared nothing!

Slash!

Blake silently gasped, pupils dilating and her sense of hearing muting. She lowered her weapon out of shell shock. It was as if all the tension vanished. Adam's body stopped trembling. Hunched shoulders straightened with his spine standing tall. Even his breathing settled with his body still turned away, sighing in peace.

At the very edge of Wilt, crimson iron splattered onto the concrete floor.

Adam overcame fear with pain.

A deep gash cleanly cut through his left palm, a self-inflicted wound. He indulged the pain with a bloody fist forming. A common misconception, one people believed because they acted like herded sheep, was that bulls despised the color red. That couldn't be further from the truth. Dripping blood was the definition of survival. Nothing else mattered. The heart in his chest thumped his ribcage so frantically that no enemy, big or small, dared frightened him. He made that point everlasting by sheathing his weapon in a tediously slow display of power.

Blake didn't understand that, caught by her own tongue. "You—you—?!"

"That's the difference between you and me, Blake. You weren't willing to spill blood for the cause. I am."

Adam Taurus took one step forward.

...

Jaune Arc wished he couldn't hear the whispering.

He longed since noticed the growing circle of people around him, even when hidden in his hoodie. Trying to shake off their constant murmurs wasn't working, and he found it discouraging. Why couldn't the other Faunus be like that Tukson guy? Maybe he hadn't been a Faunus? Perhaps Tukson had been a nice guy wearing a pair of Faunus accessories? People did have the oddball kink here and there. He sincerely hoped that wasn't anywhere near the truth.

Just once, he wanted a heart-to-heart talk with a genuine Faunus.

"Jaune Arc, I presume?"

He turned to address the unknown voice and opted to grin due to old habits. "How'd you know?"

Jaune froze.

Bull horns?

Another Faunus? Here? Close to him and talking? He cautiously lowered his hoodie, and thanked the sun his appearance didn't make this man run away and cower behind some bush. Eyes as blue as his shared a kinship with him, slightly brighter, and he didn't know what to say.

Adam, on the flip side, almost staggered back when that hood dropped. Eyes. Teeth. Markings. Ears. Four Faunus features just like the report entailed. Only his strict composure kept him from breaking character, biting his tongue hard. However, now that he got close enough, got a good enough look, and noticed the desperation in those empty eyes, the beast before him filled touched his soul. A sense of longing, he saw it there.

He saw his younger self.

"Rumors." Adam blankly answered. He extended his blood-free hand out. "Adam Taurus. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Jaune tentatively gripped his hand and grinned. "The pleasure's all mine. I—I'm sorry, are you a Faunus?"

After reading the reports, Adam wasn't all confused by his question. "Do the horns not make it obvious?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Jaune quickly apologized. "I thought—I didn't think—how did you—let me start over, please. Hi, the name's Jaune Arc. How could I help you?"

He held his hands up. "No help needed, I just came to see what all the fuss was about, it's not every day a new Faunus appears. And it appears the fabled rumors are true."

The Arc awkwardly rubbed his neck. "Yeah, that's me, the..." Jaune suddenly smelled the metallic texture of blood in the air. Then he spotted the dripping liquid on Adam's pal. "Oh my Oum, are you alright. That looks bad?"

Adam huffed at the kindness. "This? It's nothing to fuss over, hardly a flesh wound."

"How'd that happen?"

"I cut myself."

"Training?"

"Training."

Ouch. Training accidents, Jaune winced at the damage, but if Adam didn't care about the dripping lesion, he wouldn't make a huge deal out of it while he had him here. Huntsmen were thrown against and even through reinforced walls regularly anyway. The fought Grimm. Played with highly expensive and exploding toys. One time he watched someone eat Dust. Damage; an occupational hazard for this academy.

His grin made a triumphant return. "Hey! Now that I have you here, you mind helping me out?"

Adam carefully clipped his words. "With what?"

"With everything! In case you haven't noticed, no other Faunus can approach me. It's weird, but not you! Look at you! Here you are! So, I was wondering, can you tell me what it's like being a Faunus?"

He could. A thousand and one atrocities hung off the tip of his tongue, only for him to zip his mouth shut. Destroying his false sense of equality in the span of one conversation was not the way to recruit him into his organization. Discrimination required experience, lessons learned the hard way. Not through word of mouth. His naiveté needed not words, but action.

Smile, Adam, smile!

Not happening.

Harmless. Scraggly. Prey. Qualifications that fit this Jaune Arc person, but he felt the hairs on his neck rise from being so close to him and having those oversized canines grinning at him with bluish ears on red alert. Four Faunus features, four Faunus features, four freaking Faunus features, Adam could not ignore that. Ears, teeth, markings, and eyes. What a world turner. Only his dripping blood kept him from taking two steps back.

That and his inability to turn his back on a Faunus in need.

Besides, teaching him the inner workings of the Faunus lifestyle might push him faster toward the end goal.

"Everything?" Adam breathed. "That's a lot to go over. Why not look it up on the CCT?"

Jaune mentally berated himself for not thinking of such a thing but remained stubborn. He pretended he did. Adam pretended not to notice. Firsthand experience beat online articles any day, and he wasn't too keen with a Faunus leaving his space so soon. A chance, a possibility, he saw an opportunity to figure out how Adam approached him when the other Faunus couldn't. A solution. A possibility. Something resembling normalcy stood before him with ruby-rich hair and a gash across his palm.

Jaune Arc wouldn't forgive himself for allowing such a moment to slip through his fingers.

"Yeah, I could do that, but nothing beats getting information directly from the source."

On that, they both agreed on. "Fine, call it a courtesy, from one Faunus to another, but you owe me one."

"Arc's word."

Arc's word? Sounded like loyalty, Adam finally managed that rare smile, only for a pair of Huntsmen to approach them and spoil his game.

"Jaune Arc?"

Two sets of different shaded blue eyes slid to see the name caller. Jaune answered. "Yes, can I help you?"

Detective Muscles extended his hand out. "My partner and I are associated with Vale's police force and would appreciate a few questions."

Adam noticed the twitched in Jaune's jaw, the look panic, and the way his ears shot up in alert. "What kind of questions."

"Nothing major, we only need to know if you have any information to the whereabouts of the roar that shook Vale?"

Jaune sputtered. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Yeah, why?" Adam defended.

Silence. The detectives before him studied Jaune like an exhibit at the zoo. Adam noticed his jaw tightened. Obstacles before them, a nuisance, but he saw an opportunity to show Jaune Arc the ugly side of Faunus-human relationships. Even setbacks bore potential.

The slender one smirked. "Why else? Mr. Arc here is the talk of the school. We couldn't move five steps without hearing about it. It's more than coincidence that a new Faunus is created the same day a roar causes widespread mayhem. So excuse us our hospitality, but we must explore every source. No stone unturned, you know the routine."

"No." Jaune breathed through his nose, visibly torn. "I don't know anything about that."

None of them believed him, but the detectives wouldn't dare risk asking him any more questions, for now. The mightier one handed him a card with his contact information on it. "Well, if you do have any information on the whereabouts of that roar, please contact us."

"S-Sure!"

Adam no longer paid any mind to Jaune as his attention currently focused on the slender one eyeing him like prey on a platter. Something clicked in that detective's head, a gut instinct relating to a mane of red hair and a black suit. Curse his luck for dealing with actual humans that used their brains. Must be Blake's fault and her cat-related misfortune. He either made them scarce, retreated, or used this to his benefit.

The snakish man leered with his eyebrows quirked and one eye significantly larger. "You look familiar, have we met?"

Adam mentally smirked. Hook, line, and sinker. What better opportunity to show Jaune the cold-hearted side of discrimination that feigning innocence? "Why? Because I'm a Faunus, too?"

That quirky eye grew wider, saying nothing with his mouth puckered in thought. Not good. Adam silently maneuvered his bloody hand to grip Wilt and Blush when the quieter one grunted. "Okay, okay, we got what we came here for, let's go. Do call if you hear anything, Mr. Arc."

Jaune mutely nodded as they dispatched. He visibly relaxed once they covered a fair distance, Adam kept his guard up. A blood-stained fist formed with his voice adopting a hint of edge. "First lesson, get used to that."

"What do you mean?"

"Us Faunus aren't always treated fairly. I've never done anything wrong in my life, but you saw the way that guy looked at me." Adam sighed dramatically. "So, yeah, get used to that."

"What? No, that can't be true..." Jaune trailed with each word drawing out. Memories of the clerk overcharging him for his comics hit hard. "You're lying."

"I wish I was." Adam told him truthfully. "The world's not so nice. It'll chew you in and spit you out if you're weak."

He abruptly swiped the card from Jaune's hand and tore the paper into bite-sized shreds, tossing the remains into the nearest trash bin, but not for Jaune's benefit. Later, when the sun set and the clouds covered his blind spot, he planned to retrieve that card and find out more about those two. Couldn't have loose ends.

"What are you—?"

"Helping you." Adam cleaned his hands of the filth and mentally noted which trashcan held the fragments. "Forget about these people, they saw you, and thought you were the culprit for a crime you couldn't have possibly committed. Just because of what happened to you."

Jaune guiltily reddened in response, mumbling a barely audible yeah, before noticing Adam walking away. "Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"

Adam held his bloody hand up. "Hand. It doesn't hurt, but I'm losing a lot of blood. I need to go patch this up."

Jaune would have followed him, but he had class soon. "Oh, alright. Talk to you later?"

"Sure." Adam handed him his Scroll number. "Keep in touch. Just not for the rest of the day, I have to get my team settled in."

Code for recon and search-and-destroy.

He made contact, informed the target with gruesome intel, and established a means to report and keep in touch, so far, that was more than enough. Using his hand excuse was only frosting on the cake to separate and locate Knut to bring him up to speed, especially concerning a few detectives and their sudden elimination shortly. Wilt and Blush needed some warm-up.

On his way to their meeting point, Adam stopped at the pillar Blake hid behind, filling his voice with a loud and commanding tone. "Just in case we weren't clear before, tell anyone or alert the authorities of my presence, and I'll kill everyone in my way and expose your secret. Keep your mouth shut, and no one has to die."

She snarled and stepped to the side. "You wouldn't."

He lifted his hand for her to see the blood drip. "Try me."

She glared so hard the icy chill of Death failed to make such an impression. "He won't join you, you know. He's nothing like you."

Adam scoffed and formed a bloody fist. "You know the world's cold. You know it's mean. You're either prey or a predator. He's too soft to be a Faunus. Already he's experienced the harsh reality of it. Just give it time."

"You're a monster."

"Not by choice."

...

Adam openly grimaced at Beacon's water fountain.

Not so long after abandoning Jaune and taunting Blake, he took a detour and landed himself at the water fountain with his arm shaking. Forbidding his Aura to heal the damage had been difficult. Painful. Bloody. Cutting himself had been a spur of the moment reaction, fueled by nothing but adrenaline, and now the wound refused to be ignored, hurting worse than it looked. Aura needed time to reverse the injury. Not his brightest moment, but the results looked promising. Overcoming Fright and Flight with Fight, a dangerous tactic lesser-minded individuals lacked the backbone to pull off.

Tch!

Adam used his teeth to pull his soaked glove off. He formed a drenched fist to diminish the bleeding, considering and attempting to dip it into the crystal clear water to mitigate some of the pain, only for a smaller, gentler hand to seize his wrist and yanked it away with intense force before it even touched the brisk fluid. He stumbled, but the hand gripping his wrist kept him balanced. Following that hand, blue met silver. Slender met petite. Fierce met adorable.

Adam Taurus met Ruby Rose.

She humphed with worry. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get it infected, dummy?"

Adam dropped his frown from getting called a dummy. No one called him that, revolutionist, terrorist, Faunus, familiar names, but never that. So what if he was about to dip his hand into the water? Animals licked their wounds all the time and thrived in the wild. Who did this pipsqueak think she was messing with, touching his hand, the dreaded nerve of some humans.

He quickly pulled his hand free and glared. "And who are you to tell me what I can or can't do, human?"

She zeroed in on the horns on his head. "Ruby. My name's Ruby Rose."

Eyebrows pinched with Adam's lips thinning. That same bloody palm turned into a fist, and two seconds away from telling her to take a hike, his own advice came back to bite him on the hand—play nice—only for it to stubbornly relax. He huffed with his arms crossed.

"Adam Taurus."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you!"

He frowned. "The feeling's not mutual."

Now she frowned. "... Oh. Sorry."

Play nice.

He clicked his teeth and shot a dark glare at the tranquil water, just now spotting floating garbage on the other side of the fountain. Prestige academy or not, teenagers were selfish, all except her. Great. Obligation, not guilt, Adam Taurus never regretted his actions, forced him to acknowledge her good deed. Sickness with Blake Belladonna around and his mission on the line was not something he wished. Mother Nature forbid he trust his second-in-command to complete the mission.

"I'm—" Adam struggled to get the word out. "I apologize. Meeting new people isn't my strong suit. I'm a fighter, not a talker."

She brightened almost immediately. "Me too! Yang's always telling me to get out there and meet new people—she's my sister—but it's hard. Talking is dumb. Action's better."

He paused.

Action over words? A wise sentiment. He agreed wholeheartedly with that statement, relaxing his shoulders the barest amount as she rambled on about bee's knees. Between the utter chaos, he briefly heard early acceptance and something about an unfortunate birdie. When she started talking about annoying sisters again, he raised his hand to silence her, only to wince from opening his palm too wide and stretching the delicate skin. Ruby, Huntress extraordinaire with knees reverenced by bees, noticed the flinch and splotches of blood spilling down his arm.

"Oops, I rambled, didn't I?" Ruby never waited for his response. "What happened to your hand?"

He formed a fist. "I cut it during training."

"May I see it?" Ruby held her hand out, and he so-ever slowly, playing nice, offered his palm. She hummed. "It's deep. Does it hurt when I do this?"

By this, she meant poking it. Yes. "No."

She studied his face, squinting while continuously poking. Adam never broke eye contact, frowning and glaring the entire time. Why was she staring so hard? What? Did his mask leave impressions he failed to spot in the mirror? Had she figured out finally whose hand she was painfully poking? Drat! He knew taking off his mask would not suffice as proper espionage. Not for someone with his look! His free hand attempted to reach his katana, legs bending for a quick burst of speed after he cut this girl down to size, but Ruby's eyes flashed in recognition a second faster.

"Are you new here? I don't think I've ever seen you around, and I think I'd notice someone else with red hair."

Must be out of courtesy since her hair's an extremely dark shade of red with lighter hues as highlights. For that, and only that, Adam did not take offense. A sigh passed his lips with his lingering doubt gone. Cover not blown, he grumbled in practiced annoyance. The endless prodding began aggravating the bull Faunus.

"Transfer student. Atlas."

"Atlas!" Ruby chimed. "My partner's from there. Maybe you've run into her before? Her name's Weiss Schnee."

Adam suppressed both his killer instinct and his Aura from radiating so violently. Weiss Schnee here of all places? First Blake and now her? Why had this information been unknown to him? That damn Heiress should be able to identify his figure with or without his mask. Variables, so many to worry over, more than once, he bit his tongue to keep from spewing venomous hatred.

"I've... heard of her."

She ended her poking, satisfied with her inspection for lasting damage and his answer. In a flash of speed, Ruby vanished before his sights, leaving his palm outstretched in the open, only to return just as fast as she left. In her hands, she held a first aid kit that reeked of adorable. Adam thinned his lips, attempting to walk away, not one for requiring help, only for her to squeeze his wrist and begin the healing process in a don't move gesture.

A cotton swab.

She pulled out a damning cotton swab and began dabbing rubbing alcohol onto the wound. Minors cuts didn't need such treatment, but his cut wasn't minor, a failure and success on his part. Then she sterilized the injury, apologizing for a stinging sensation that didn't make him flinch. Tender, slow, and without discomfort, she gently applied pressure to cease the bleeding before gradually wrapping his palm in bandages. A passive process, something that would keep infection away and mitigate the bleeding until his Aura repaired the damage, but he refused to say thank you.

She didn't mind, awing from the sheer damage. "So? Training? Got a weapon for a cut this bad?"

Ruby glanced down at his hip and smirked. He intuitively reached to grip Wilt and Blush in a defensive stance, but no outward threat reached his animalistic senses. Harmless. Naïve. The adorable girl might be a prodigy and honey enthusiast, but he sensed no danger from her. Reluctantly, very, very hesitantly, he held out his katana for her to see, making sure to keep it close to her body.

"Wilt and Blush?"

She quirked her head to the side. "Huh?"

He growled. "That's the name of my weapon."

"Oh, oh!" Ruby grinned. "Can I see it?"

Hn? Lips curved downward. Intuitive little mink. He sensed no danger, adamant he could retrieve it if proved otherwise. Although, the starstruck gaze in those silvery irises creeped him out. Dangerous? No. Threat? Maybe. Still, she bandaged his arm and appeared not to discriminate, a step above the average, pathetic human. So he tentatively offered his sheathed blade for her to hold, and she couldn't grab it fast enough. Hands of experience inspected the exterior design, finding all the intricate small details no Huntsmen in their right mind looked for during life-or-death combat.

Ruby cooed when Blush unsheathed to reveal a dormant Wilt.

Red. Those stars of silver exploded into supernovas. She slowly pulled Wilt free from its sheath, wowing when the stock became angular and shorter. Delicate fingers trailed up the chokutō, inspecting for imperfections and impurities. None whatsoever. Wilt was as sharp as ever, able to cut a hair falling on it with his rifle ready to fire at a moment's last breathing notice, all fine-tuned to specifications. One incident she accidentally pinched her finger with the tip and yelped, placing the digit between her lips in a panic. Seeing her next to such a tall blade almost made him smirk.

"Now, this is a katana!"

Ruby praised Wilt and Blush to whatever entity existed. Pride swelled in his chest, a hint of happiness. He refused to curve her lips for her, but Ruby gushed all the same. Appreciation was welcomed, rarely he received it.

She swung it around, testing the weight, balance and overall cutting edge. Humoring her, he watched her play samurai, keeping his emotions in check when she started making sounds reflecting an imaginary battle as she fought her reflection from the trash-filled water. Once she unloaded a clip of Blush into the air. Adam briefly wondered if those sailing bullets would hit anyone on their way down.

An interesting thought.

"What about you? Got a weapon?"

Common courtesy—and general niceness—demanded he ask her the same question, however, he soon discovered that was the equivalent of opening's Pandora's Box and tossing it to the savages. Her boundless energy jumped up a level, and she shoved his katana back into his arms to reach behind her hip and display her scythe in all its glory. Remember when he thought it was amusing to see her hold his weaponry, observing her stand underneath the curve of her sickle's blade left him at a loss for words.

"Glad you asked." Ruby hugged her precious weapon. "This is Crescent Rose. She's a high-caliber sniper-scythe and my precious baby."

High-caliber sniper-scythe? "That's a mouthful."

She smirked anyway and graced him the privilege to hold her baby, under stricter supervision than he implemented, of course. That was her pride and joy. Regardless, curiosity worked at his baser instincts, and he scratched and sniffed the weapon to sedate that intrusiveness.

Crescent Rose.

Begrudgingly, a well-made weapon, well-balanced. Matched her entire Gothic style she was going for, resembling a reaper. Adam respected the blade and aspects of a tool meant for carving off heads. Sleek, smooth, and edgy. Gore just slid off. All Adam Taurus' stamps of approval. Calling it her precious baby put a damper on it, but at least she didn't talk to it, unlike some of the weaker-minded troops in his cause.

Hn? Why not. He swung an experimental arc to test the fineness of the scythe with his injured-free hand, not taking into consideration of reach or weight. To make a point clear, he did not stumble or accidentally pull the trigger. All planned. The awkward angle, the descent of the blade, and the falling of the fountain's Beowolf's statue head were all planned.

Plop!

The leader of The White Fang ignored the splash of the statue's head, unlike Ruby and her ohing, and narrowed his sights at the scythe wielder. Impressive, remarkable. To think she swung this weapon around in battle and for a creature her size and weight. That blade cut so effortlessly into the statue's head, sharper than a silver tongue, destruction held in the impossibly tight grip of Ruby Rose, Miss Bee's Knees. Internally, he marveled, externally, he handed her back Crescent Rose and said nothing.

"An exceptional scythe. Better than most weapons I've ever seen. You must be a monster on the battlefield."

She blushed in embarrassment, neither denying or accepting his praise. Blue eyes didn't react, and he turned to leave her be, but the pesky Rose opened her mouth again.

"So?" Ruby sat down on the cement and gestured between them with her finger. "Black and red, best colors ever, am I right?"

Adam breathed.

Small talk? Really? Did he look like the type to indulge in—sigh. Fine. Only because she bandaged his wound and he found his target, Adam humored her. He sat next to her with his shoulders hunched, and posture ready to leap at the first sign of trouble. Ruby didn't seem to mind, kicking her feet out in a non-threatening way and leaning back to swing.

They chatted about everything and nothing with her doing most of the talking and him responding in short bursts. Random things got brought up. Like Faunus related stuff—yes, they're real. Animal—bull. To Dust preferences—Fire, because I hate clean up. One brief moment she accused him of robbing her rose design—I'm older than you. If anything, you stole it from me. Something-something favorite color—red. Hobbies—taking designs from unsuspecting people. Foods—anything that's not fish. Red Bull—wings, what?

So on and so forth.

Pointless chitchat, a complete waste of time, in his opinion, it accomplished nothing, served no purpose, and, if anything, hindered his goals by delaying his time to scout out the area for possible exit strategies and vantage points. So it was a surprise when it left him in a better mood.

"We should spar sometime, see which one of us has the better weapon." Ruby snorted randomly. "Even though we both know it's mine."

Adam raised a brow.

A challenge? A stake on his pride. Many firsts were happening in this one conversation. No one back in the organization dared opposed him. Boring, actually. Few had the skill, and all lacked the spine. Bottom-feeders, all of them. Alpha status had its privileges but backfires. Now this girl, a five-foot-two adversary, more than a foot shorter than his six-foot-four stature, challenged him to a spar with backhand ease?

Faunus pride demanded he accepted. The mission said otherwise. Distractions, all of it, this talk, her rambling, this cut, nothing but obstacles in his mission, and yet he glared at the smirking redhead with eyes curved ever so teasingly. Ruby only upped the tempting bait by leaning forward and popping her tongue out, pretending to be adorably innocent.

"Are you challenging me, human?"

"Do you have water in your ears? I thought Faunus were supposed to have better hearing?"

Growl!

That was it!

She talked a big game, walked the walk, but now to see if she was all bark and no bite. "Tomorrow. Nine."

"What about class?"

His voice got stuck in his throat. Class? Right, transfer student, meaning he had to attend those wastes of space seminars. Their mole had mentioned it offhandedly, but he had refused to listen at the time. Damn it. First, the monkey suits, Blake, and now classes with professors? Tch! How much he loathed the High Leader and her twisted sense of humor.

"After, I meant. Slip of the tongue."

She nodded sagely. "Ah, like when you bite it."

"... Yes."

More nodding with sounds added. Suddenly, Ruby hopped to her feet. "What does the winner get?"

What else? "The satisfaction of defeating their oppone—!"

"Boring! How about a day with the other's weapon? I would love to see how yours ticks."

Weapon betting? That sounded like a risky gamble, and from what he learned, only benefited her, which would make it all the sweeter for when he crushed her and hid her precious baby in a supply closet.

"Fine. After class."

"Okie-Dokie! See you then!"

Adam Taurus watched Ruby Rose sprint away in her merry way, gripping the steel edge of Wilt and Blush with his damaged hand. The more pressure he applied, the more he noticed the lack of pain in his palm or the fluttering rose petals dancing in the air. Then the realization gradually sunk in that he staked his weapon, his lifeline, on a friendly spar, with a shadow stalking Blake in the background to watch over his shoulder for, and for no apparent reason except because she called it boring.

"What just happened?"

One minute he was walking back to meet up with his subordinate, and the next? No. Seriously. What just happened? Someone slap some sense into him. Nothing made sense. That entire conversation did not make sense. Adam did not do small talk, and yet?

He clicked his teeth.

Backing out would be simple, except he would end up a coward. Pride was on the line. Fight, Fright, and Flight dedicated a Faunus' personality, separated the prey from the predators, and he never scared or ran. Unlike some people. No other choice then, he must spar. He must win.

He would win.

Losing wasn't an option.

For acting so kind and not showing prejudice, he would beat her quickly, effectively and without mercy. Too fast before anyone could humiliate her, but just swift enough for bragging rights. Maybe severing whatever bond she thought they created in the process? Fewer headaches to fret over, fewer factors and eyes watching him. Blake was already a nuisance.

The next person that Adam bumped into, accident or not, he shoved the blunt end of Wilt and Blush into their stomach and dropped them to their knees before walking over them without a care.

No more meeting new people.

...

Skipping class, not only a much-needed recharge, but a necessity, and Jaune breathed his first sigh of relief once everyone departed for their first class.

No more whispering to haunt his nerves. The stench of fear no longer drifted in the air. Nobody, not a soul around. Just Jaune, his troubled thoughts, and this shady tree near the garden. Pyrrha might reprimand him for playing hooky, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She would understand, the day had only just begun, but already it added problems to his list of headaches. Those detectives? How was he supposed to worm his way out of that one? Taking responsibility or not, Jaune had zero desire to take the fall for the Vale incident, even if it was one-hundred percent his fault.

Maybe he should follow Adam's advice?

A one-of-a-kind Faunus smiled.

Meeting Adam Taurus had been an exciting discovery, like Tukson, but this guy was a student versus some random shop owner he met in the alley during rainfall. Finally, another Faunus could approach him. How wasn't too important, at least not yet, not with Adam agreeing to teach him the ins-and-outs of Faunus one-o'-one. Things were looking up.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

He stumbled and fell onto his side, finding Ozpin grinning down from the corner of the tree. Heart attack first and then panic. That was the order he followed as he failed to comprehend how Ozpin managed to sneak up on him. What happened? His heightened senses hadn't even picked on his Headmaster's movement or smell.

Scary.

He fumbled around for his belongings. "Sorry, sir, I'll head to—!"

"No need for apologies, Mr. Arc. Under the circumstances, I do not blame you, and I shall overlook it just this once." Ozpin sighed peacefully. "However, as luck would have it, I do wish to speak with you privately. We could either go to my office, or stay outside with everyone stuck in class. Which would you prefer?"

He appreciated the choice. "Outside, please."

Ozpin calmly beamed and sat next to Jaune, picking a few blades of grass with practiced grace. "It's prudent to start with the obvious. How are things?"

"You mean with my school work or team or—?" Ozpin's pointed stare stopped him. "Ah, you mean the whole Faunus thing. It's going okay."

"Okay? As I recall, you were quite enthusiastic about it before?"

"Things changed."

"May I ask what?"

He grumbled and folded his knees together. "People look at me differently. I'm treated differently. Some aren't so kind. Others avoid me like the plague."

Ozpin failed to keep his peaceful mask from slipping. Cracks showed. "Discrimination?"

He huffed. "Not just that. The Faunus, too. They're afraid of me, Headmaster."

The mask fractured some more. "Pardon me, Mr. Arc? Afraid of you? Do elaborate."

"How do I put this?" Jaune said over the top. "Oh, I know! They're scared of me, keeping their distance and running away if I so much as make eye contact. Before you ask, yes, I have tested it. Don't believe me, pay attention to all the Faunus around me and see for yourself."

Ozpin regarded the information with his brows furrowed. "Are you certain?"

He snickered humorlessly and hugged his knees tight. The darkness between his legs allowed for his cobalt irises to illuminate, hiding the saber-tooth within. A coldness swept under his spine with the rustling of the trees leaves bristling in the air. Bits of pollen tickled his sensitive nose.

"Trust me, sir, they're scared of me. I can see it in their eyes. I can smell their fear. It tastes metallic, like blood." Jaune choked, flattening his ears. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, it's still news to me."

Apology accepted.

Ozpin had to process this new information with Glynda, but first. "I see, this is a problem. If that's the case, then I advise you to stay out of classes until I figure out a solution, or else you'll scare the other Faunus students. And we can't have that."

The attempt of a joke was wasted but welcomed. "Thanks, appreciate that, but what about right now?"

"Self-discovery."

Bluish ears edged backward. Not what Jaune expected to hear. Sounded like a conventional answer that a second-rate guidance counselor said, but he figured it was worth a shot if Ozpin recommended it. Self-discovery? Self-discovery. He licked his overly large canines, unsure what that entailed. At that moment, his Headmaster made a show throwing the blades of grass into the wind and standing up.

"Wait!" Jaune lifted his head. Ozpin waited. "Um, I have a hypothetical question."

"Go on."

He glared and looked away. "Is it worth forgiving a person who messed up your life, hypothetically speaking."

Ozpin smiled warmly with aged experience and grandfatherly understanding. "Depends, are they important to you?"

Self-discovery.

Stubbornness kept the glare mighty but turned his voice meek. "Very. They're like family."

"Well, there you go, you have your answer." Ozpin sympathized with Jaune when he refused to agree. Boneheadedness must be a characteristic of a saber-tooth cat. "How about I share some life lessons. I've made many friends and foes in my lifetime, Jaune Arc, and from experience, I can safely say it's worth forgiving the ones that matter the most."

"... But what if you're angry with them?"

"That's perfectly natural, and no one would fault you, but let me ask you this, is that anger worth throwing away a friendship over?" Ozpin knew he had the teenager when he breathed deeply. "Cherish the ones that still see Jaune Arc for who he is, human or Faunus. Those companions are irreplaceable."

Jaune stood and cleaned himself of dirt. Some burden lifted off his shoulders, some, not all. "Thanks, I needed that."

Ozpin slyly smirked. "Don't you mean your hypothetical friend needed that."

He coughed, looking away. "Er, right."

The Headmaster chuckled. "Farewell, Jaune Arc. I wish you luck on your journey of self-discovery."

Jaune considered whether or not to tell Ozpin about what happened at Vale, but hesitated. What if he turned him in? His chest ached with his throat burning. Fake transcripts were one thing, but causing a mass panic across a Kingdom was another. One punishment required expulsion, and the other made his marked face pale into ghostly white.

Nope, nope, nope.

Freedom and pride were two very different things, and this might just be his newly acquired instincts talking, but Mr. Saber-tooth Cat preferred both. Somewhere honor lurked in there, in hiding with doing the right thing. Ha. Ha-ha. He scratched his neck awkwardly and waved to the retreating Ozpin with a toothy grin.

Whelp, maybe he would try this self-discovery business and try to look at the bright side?

"Self-discovery, self-discovery. What does that even mean? Does he want me to get in-tuned with my new body?" Jaune groaned and licked his canines out of a newly forming habit. "Now that I think about it, that's probably a great idea. I should and try to see what this Faunus body can really do. It's not like I got anything better to do while hiding from everyone."

In the aspects of the five senses, he only tested them to a marginal degree. More light reflected off his eyes at night, a handy trait of this newer body. Taste buds appreciated the added benefit of a broader flavor palette. While the whispering and murmuring took their toll—not to mention, fours ears sounded wrong—his newly developed sensitive ears were a gift. The only sense he hadn't endured was touch. Although, gripping comics and touching things showed no outlasting change to that sense, so maybe feel wasn't affected?

There was only one way to find out.

Five senses to test and a whole day to himself.

Exciting.

...

Pyrrha Nikos found her partner wandering the botanic garden with him sniffing every plant and flower.

Currently, he had his nose stuffed inside a tulip, gauging something beyond her mortal comprehension. A scrunch of the nose, a temperament lick of the stem, and her partner concluded he didn't like tulips and tossed the flower away. Chrysanthemums were his next choice, repeating the same process, only grinning this time. Then he ate it and her stomach churned.

While she wouldn't mind watching her nosy partner sniff until he developed an allergic reaction to pollen, Pyrrha walked behind him and cleared her throat. "We missed you in class."

He never flinched with a rose stuffed into his face, having heard her approach. "Sorry, I was busy talking to Ozpin about my current arrangement. And I couldn't really be in there right now, not with how things are turning out."

"He knows?"

"He knows."

"Oh?" Another talk for later. Pyrrha waited for him to finish tasting the dandelion. "Jaune? What are you doing?"

"Sniffing flowers."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay, why?"

He dusted himself clean of pollen and chewed on the violet. "Testing."

"Testing?"

"Yup." Jaune spread his arms out in a grand display. "Way I see, I might as well get used to this body, so I'm testing out my new senses."

"By sniffing plants?" Pyrrha paused. "And eating them?"

He shrugged. "What else can I do? If I go into the school, I might scare some Faunus into some heart attack if I try biting them. And I'm getting sick of the fear."

Pyrrha listened to his words. Agreeable. Scaring the nearby Faunus anymore might cause a ruckus, and keeping a low profile was the main priority. People. Hurt. Bad. She empathized with his newly discovered pursuit. Knowing one's body was one of the few necessary conditions for a future Huntsmen, next to skill and terrain knowledge, and her partner was stuck starting from scratch. Admirable, but the way he trained this newfound body was, by her standards, a complete waste of time.

Pyrrha Nikos had a much better idea.

"Are you up for some training?" Pyrrha offered. "Training would not only help you figure out the kinks of a Faunus body, but you also missed a session. And it's got to be better than eating plants."

"Hey! These fireweeds are very good." Jaune replayed what he just said in his head. "Okay, fine. Training it is. What's the worst that can happen?"

She smiled. "Famous last words, Fearless Leader. You should know better."

He made a point to ignore her and call for his weapon locker. Training right now sounded wondrous compared to people whispering and staring from afar. Distractions, distractions. He inhaled deeply and slowly when his storage unit crashed next to his feet. Out popped Crocea Mors tucked within the sheath.

He seized his family blade, and his heart thumped.

Primal blood rushed in his veins. Hot. His skin burned. This was the first time he touched Crocea Mors since becoming a saber-tooth. Goosebumps appeared on his flesh with his jaw tightening. Different, not a good enough word to describe the sudden sensation, but he lacked anything better and removed Crocea Mors from the sheath.

Was it always this light?

He pointed toward the outskirts. "Can we train by the woods? Don't want to freak out the other Faunus."

Code name for I don't know what'll happen.

Pyrrha granted his wish with her weapons locked-and-loaded and moved to stand as opposed to the trees. He held with his back toward the trees, the bottom of his feet restless. Wind brushed passed his face and tickled his flower-expert nose. For some obscure reason, he couldn't keep his body still, not even when he shifted into a practiced stance. Baser instincts were driving him nuts. Bonkers, even. The grip on Crocea Mors' handle was firm, steady and unwavering for a change.

She noticed.

Before she gave the signal, Pyrrha raised the stakes. "Let's make it interesting, Jaune. If I win, you sleep in our room tonight."

A one-sided gamble. "Alright, but what do I get if I win?"

She pursed her lips. "I'll write your next Grimm report for you."

That effectively froze him on the spot. Whoa! A free report from the Pyrrha Nikos? A Grimm one! For Professor Port's boring lecture? That was a guaranteed positive mark! Now he had to win!

"Deal. But I'm warning you. I feel lucky."

Luck or not, instincts saved his hide from receiving a slash across the chest when his partner suddenly dashed across the grassy field in one fell swoosh. Crocea Mors buckled underneath the uncomfortable angle from a diagonal cut, and he summoned his shield to intercept her shield's trajectory aimed for his shoulder.

Pyrrha smirked.

She lifted one leg and delivered a severe kick to his lower abdominal, only to be stunned from how little he flinched from a Semblance enhanced blow. Muscles contracted and then flexed. His body absorbed the blow, Jaune growled, and then he flicked her shield away to bash his against her side. Her caught-off-guard moment only lasted that long before she slid underneath his shield and space between his legs, already aiming to impale his shoulder blades with Miló.

Imagine her shock when he bent his arm backward and blocked her blade with his sword, although struggling. Heightened senses came with enhanced reflexes—both of them concluded, separating with Jaune gaining his bearings. Pyrrha grinned. Five senses and physical attributes? He never considered the other applications of this new Faunus body, never wondered about the tendons in his body or footwork only an agile cat knew. He dashed to the side, hearing the telltale signs of her clicking Miló into a rifle. Fire. Fire. Dodge. Dodge. Fire. Block. Jaune managed to avoid and intercept her bullets, hiding behind his shield with his eyes peeking over the edge, thanking his lucky stars that his partner's weapon made a bit too much noise.

Click!

What now? Sword or javelin? Thump! He received his answer when her spear collided against his shield with enough force to break it away from his hand. Pyrrha then threw Akoúo̱ and struck him on the leg, following up by catching her ricocheting buckler and lunging forward to leap and press her feet into his torso, firing him far across the battlefield.

Blood rushed to his head. He rolled, maneuvered his leg work, buried Crocea Mors into the dirt, and readied himself much faster than previous training segments with him kneeling on one leg, only for his head to be bounced back by Akoúo̱ by a direct hit to his nose. Another growl. Impulsive movements started to take over, all without his knowledge. Steadily, just like that time on the Bullhead, only his target was becoming visible to him, a tunnel vision with background noise muting.

He wasn't aware of any of the changes.

Feet dug deeply into the ground before he took off, holding Crocea Mors over his chest with his shield acting as a buffer for any potential gunfire. Pyrrha patiently waited, clicking Miló into her blade form. Akoúo̱ rested low to protect her body, a one-eighty to her partner's shield-and-sword protection. Then he amazed her by pouncing forward, nothing like she had ever seen him try before, feline-like, and flipped her blade into a backward stance.

So many openings.

Jaune swiped. He missed. She swung. She hit. The Arc grunted from the newly formed gash across his stomach, rolling onto the floor with his shield thrown to the ground. Match concluded. She doubted he could move much anymore with that injury, a self-inflicted wound if she ever saw one. For Jaune to charge in so recklessly, neglecting what she taught him, cost him the match in her eyes, and in the sane thinking capability of a logic-driven being, they agreed.

Instincts fought on a different plane of existence.

Silently, as quiet as the wind, he stood up and gently ran his hand underneath his hoodie to touch the injury, pulling it out to find his digits smeared in metallic tasting liquid. Fascination gnawed at him. Ancient DNA snapped. One second he relaxed to the sight of blood, and then the next, his brain fired on all pain receptors.

Flight.

Pyrrha took a cautious step forward when her leader ignored the deep wound to clutch his head, bloodying up his sun-kissed hair to restlessly scratch and itch. A throbbing headache tore into his skull. Veins appeared on his temple with his teeth clicked together. Thump. Thump. Just like that time at Vale, only more pain-inducing and no calming effect. Nothing compared to when he split his knuckles on Tukson's wall. A gnawing, clawing sensation raged against his scalp, and he growled with his throat burning.

He fell to his hands and knees.

Fright.

Pyrrha dashed over to help him, only for her legs to freeze in terror from an indescribable instinct to stay away. Fear. A four-letter word she rarely experienced firsthand. Cold. Damp. Her eyes wavered when he transitioned from kneeling to crouching.

The four-time champion sucked in a deep breath.

Bloodthirst.

Something in the air made her skin crawl. Fingers reflexively tightened their grip on a steel handle. A killer instinct like never before bore down on her form with her gut feeling churning obsessively in a mass panic. A new awareness, one she never encountered, not even when fighting Grimm.

All of it came from her partner.

Crouched with the horizon's trimming darkness camouflaging him, Jaune pierced her very soul with slits in place where his pupils were supposed to exist. What remained of those eyes was nothing but the deepest shade of cobalt. Bluish ears shouldered back with black markings spreading to dominate more of his skin, and the darkness around his eyes edged into slender points at each corner. Somehow his hair appeared wild, pushing back to reveal his forehead.

Then he licked his canines.

Fight.

Pyrrha Nikos stared down the face of an Apex Predator.

Author Notes: I know, I know, it's been a while. Time to get back into the groove of writing.