Please read the note on reviews at the end of this chapter. It's important to avoid misleading drama.

Tl;dr - someone is posting fake reviews and being a troll. Ignore stupid guest reviews flaming.

This Story:

Since I'm fairly sure this story will be rather unpopular given its protagonist, I thought I'd take the unusual step of explaining why I decided to write it. First, this is going to be a shortish story – probably 10 – 15 chapters tops. That stands as a good interim to let me plan out a bigger one in more detail. That may well be the Team STRQ story I've been thinking of. We'll see.

One of the reasons I wanted to write this beyond that however is because the story I most enjoyed writing (despite being one of my least popular) was Stress Relief, a story in which I took an unlikeable villainous character in Cinder and showed how she could change over the course of the story. I had fun writing that despite the flame that happened when, mid-story, Cinder went and murdered Pyrrha in the show (A few people lashed out at me like I'd somehow convinced RT to do it, lol). Since then, I've always wanted to explore another villainous character and I like the concept of Adam. At least, when he wasn't being a complete pushover and dying in a really flimsy and anti-climactic way.

I also wanted a non-Jaune focus story for a change.

I said before that I'll not reveal pairings and I'll be sticking to that, but for the sake of avoiding a lot of horrible reviews and (justifiable) unease from readers I will confirm here and now that this will NOT be Adam x Blake. I agree that forcing her back with him would be abusive as all hell and although Adam will be pining after Blake as per canon, this story is NOT about pushing them back together. It's only framed that way because it's what Adam would be thinking. It would be his motivation. It won't happen. Adam and Blake won't be a thing here.

While I disagreed with some of how RT handled aspects of Adam, I definitely agree that it was right for Blake to leave him. Most of my issues were more about how anti-climactic his death was and how they could have had a little more character to him than "just" being a jealous ex. He was also branded by the SDC and a terrorist leader after all, but at the end it just felt like the jealous ex angle was bigger and the only real thing about him.

I won't be treading on that but do expect some thoughts that seem in favour of him being in the right from Adam's PoV. After all, HE would think Blake should come back to him early on. That's just his character. He's not going to openly think he's in the wrong, etc. Seeing it doesn't mean I'm encouraging or saying I support the idea of people who feel they've been abused going back to their ex, etc.

I don't. Far as I'm concerned, Adam burned his bridges long ago.

Chapter 1

Ruby kept Crescent Rose up in front of her, watching the man she vaguely recognised but couldn't place the name of. Someone bad, she was sure. Her headphones hung around her neck, music still lightly playing from them. Around her, more of the men in suits fanned out, cutting off any escape and wielding their batons and clubs menacingly. At least, she figured it was meant to be menacing. Their footwork was all wrong. Uncle Qrow would have sighed.

"This really isn't my day," the man said, holding a hand up to his bowler hat and sighing at the floor. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late? Isn't it past your bedtime, Red?"

"Isn't it past yours?" Ruby countered.

It wasn't her best work. Really, she wished she could take it back, especially when the man and all his people burst out laughing. Heat crept up her neck. Poo. Uncle Qrow had taught her how to be a butt-kicking huntress but never spent any time on how to smack talk.

"Oh, wow. That was great." The pretty man with the makeup rubbed a finger against his eye. "I needed that. Alright boys, ge-"

"I would like to buy this dust."

The thief paused as the new voice cut through his speech. He looked over her shoulder and Ruby turned to, jumping on the spot as she realised someone had snuck in behind without her noticing. His back was to her, tall and dark with a black coat and black pants. The only decoration was a white symbol etched onto his upper back and shoulders, and someone – someone with a lot of style – had drawn a red rose over the top of it in what looked like paint.

The man had dark red hair standing up in spikes and two blackish horns. At his side, and far more noteworthy to her, was a long and thin blade held in a sheathe. To her eyes, the sheathe looked a little too special to be just that; she could see a small loading catch for dust vials, telling her it had an attack functionality as well.

None of that was too surprising. Huntsmen and students were the main customers of dust stores for obvious reasons. What shocked her, and apparently the man attacking the shop too, was how this new person was leaning forward on the counter, utterly ignoring the carnage around him.

"Are you listening to me?" he asked the cowering shopkeeper. "I said I'd like to buy this dust." He tapped a vial of red dust down on the counter. "Is that a problem? Or is it these that are the problem?" He touched his horns and growled threateningly. "Tell me it's these. I dare yo-"

"Ahem." The thief coughed. "Excuse me? Red and Redder. I'm kind of talking here."

"And I'm shopping," the redhead fired back without turning. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?"

The thief's mouth fell open.

Ruby tittered.

"Okay. You know what… Just get them."

The suited men charged in from every angle. Ruby glanced back to her… friend? He wasn't even looking! Weighing the options between defending him and closing in first before she was surrounded, she yelled out a quick warning and charged.

Uncle Qrow always said if you were attacked from two sides at once, you had to attack one of the sides first. Cut off the flank before the vice could close. Ducking under the swing, she hooked the blade of Crescent Rose around the man's ankle and whipped his feet out from under him. He fell and aura flared, instantly letting her know she could be a little rougher.

The second swung for her but she parried it with the haft of her weapon and spun it around, disarming him before driving the butt into his stomach and then up into his chin. Using the momentum from being pushed away, she twirled and swatted the first man, now getting up, across the side of his face before he could finish the motion. He flew through the window and outside, crashing into the street.

Oooh. Collateral damage. I hope the owner won't be angry.

That could wait, though. Heroism first. Ruby looked back to make sure the other guy was okay.

She needn't have. Two men were down and she watched in awe as the faunus held his weapon, still sheathed, across the throat and shoulder of a third, wrenching him back and tossing him over one shoulder. He hadn't even drawn his weapon and he'd dispatched all three, and without letting a single one break the dust vial on the counter or hurt the shopkeeper.

So cool.

"You were worth every lien," Torchwick told the downed gangsters. "Truly, you were. And what is my luck tonight? Bad enough I get one brat stepping in to play hero, but two? What is this, the neighbourhood watch?"

"You're a villain," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Like I'd stand back and do nothing."

"You attacked me first," her new companion growled, already having turned back to the counter and ignoring his groaning victims. His tone was way more menacing than the armed men had ever been. Enough so that even she edged away. "I don't care about you in the slightest. Get out my sight and let me buy my dust and we won't have any quarrel, human."

Wait, he wasn't going to help her? But he was a huntsman!

"That so?" Roman looked and sounded a lot more confident, grinning widely. "Well, it's nice to see an animal that knows their place."

Steel hissed as the most beautiful blade Ruby had ever seen was suddenly levelled next to her head, aimed at her opponent, the faunus in black taking a position next to her with a visible snarl.

"And now we have a quarrel…"

A dust-infused weapon. Or a weapon coated in dust. No normal metal would have made the blade that red otherwise. Did it have elemental effects when swung? Could it convert dust into strength, speed or air pressure? How much dust did it cost to keep such a thing going and how could she convince him to turn Crescent Rose's blade red? Crescent Rose had to have a red blade. She couldn't believe she'd ever made such a glaring oversight.

Oh right, and the fight. Yes. Ruby blushed and tore her eyes away. Maybe she could ask him if she could hold it later. Nodding in agreement to what he'd said, she aimed her scythe at Roman Torchwick.

"Well Red and Redder, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He was backing away, keep his arms spread wide with his cane hanging from one hand. "And as much as I've love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways…"

"Hmph."

Ruby's hair fluttered as the faunus moved. No stranger to speed, she was still caught off guard by how sudden his attack was. There was no hesitation. He surged in and swept his sword up, slicing an explosive dust round fired from the cane in Roman's hand aside. It split in two down the middle, flew by and exploded on either side and behind him.

So cool…

Landing on one knee, he kicked off and covered the last of the distance. Metres in seconds. He lashed out, almost cutting Torchwick down in a single attack but for the thief's desperate parry. Torchwick swung but the huntsman was already in the air, twirling over his head. Mid-flight, he pirouetted so that his back was to Torchwick, his free hand holding his sheathe out and downward behind him.

Dust barked and pelted Torchwick, who was forced to cover his face with one hand. It was a dust rifle. I knew it! How does it fire when the weapon is sheathed? How many rounds does it have? The questions went unanswered as he landed behind Torchwick, pivoted and drove a foot into the small of his back. Torchwick buckled, swinging behind him with the cane, only to hit the flat of the man's sword.

With a twist and a flick, he sent the cane spinning in Ruby's direction. She caught it and blurred back, helping by ensuring Roman couldn't get his weapon. Not that she thought for a second he needed it. Kicking Roman's knees out to force him down, he pushed the man to the floor, brought his sword up and thrust down.

Ruby's eyes bulged. "He's already beaten!"

The red tip stopped an inch from Torchwick's eye, which rolled up as the man fainted.

"Y-You don't need to stab him," she blurted out. "He's beaten…"

The faunus stopped, looking her way as Ruby's heart threatened to come tearing out her throat. Shaking slightly, she swallowed. It was okay. He'd stopped. He probably always intended to and just wanted to scare Torchwick. Y-Yeah, that made sense. God, she probably looked stupid for thinking he'd do it.

"Aheh," she laughed nervously. "S-Sorry. I thought you were actually going to… to…"

He didn't respond. Standing, he whipped his sword to the side, brought it up and sheathed it once more. Despite having fought alongside him, it was the first time she'd really looked at him from the front. Yang always did say she spent too much time focused on weapons.

He wore a black coat over what looked to be a red T-Shirt, the top buttons open and showing his chest. His face was angular and smooth but he didn't look as old as she expected from his voice and skill. What immediately caught her eye – and his, funnily enough – was the black eyepatch that covered the left side of his face, including his eye, forehead and a bit of his cheek. Just poking out from the side and over his nose was a bit of red, like a scar.

Oh, and he was scowling at her. Like, really scowling. His single blue eye burned into her. Suddenly, she didn't feel all that confident in asking for an autograph.

It was almost a relief when the huntress showed up.

/-/

"I was under the impression you were going to be on your best behaviour. That was part of our agreement."

Adam glanced up from his scroll as the headmaster of Beacon let himself into the holding cell. Into his holding cell. The door clicked shut behind him, not that it or the pathetic guards outside could keep him locked up if they wished it. Wilt's reassuring presence on his hip was proof of that. Flipping his scroll over and away, Adam sat up, sweeping his feet off the table.

"I fought a villain and protected a huntress-in-training." Leaning forward, he mimicked Ozpin's speech. "I was under the impression that might count as good behaviour."

Ozpin watched him carefully and closed his eyes. His nostrils flared as he exhaled. Shaking his head, he strode over and drew the chair back, sitting and placing his cane down on the table. Torchwick and Ozpin. Two men who, to Adam's eye, fought in so similar a manner. An interesting coincidence but little more. Torchwick had been weak.

"You have my gratitude for stepping in, and no doubt the gratitude of Miss Rose and her family for protecting her. Roman Torchwick has been taken into custody and will not be a threat on our streets again. The shopkeeper also asked me to give you this." He pushed a small vial of red dust onto the table. "As thanks for your efforts."

Smirking, Adam took it.

Ozpin's hand caught his wrist.

The sudden and visceral rush of fury tore through him. His teeth were bared before he could stop himself. "I do not appreciate being touched by a human."

"That is something you will have to get used to if you wish to continue this." Ozpin held on for a second longer before releasing him, making his message clear. "I have my doubts, Mr Taurus. My doubts as to whether you are as genuine as you profess. Whether you can change as you so easily claim you can."

Adam's lips peeled back. "You gave her a chance."

"Miss Belladonna appeared far more contrite than you."

Adam tensed at the name; an outpouring of confusing and unwelcome emotions washing over him. Anger. Love. Hate. Desire. Pain. Happiness. He gritted his teeth and looked away, reigning in a temper that threatened to lash out. The rage bubbled and simmered beneath the surface like a volcano waiting to erupt. With visible effort, he forced it down.

"This is part of the problem," Ozpin continued. "You're a barely restrained ball of anger waiting to go off. I have Glynda and the Council on my back telling me to arrest or kill you now. Warning me that I'm playing a dangerous game with children's lives allowing you anywhere near Beacon."

"Then why don't you?" Adam scoffed. "Or do you think I just need a hug to be redeemed?"

"No." Ozpin's eyes bore into his. "I think that the second I try, you'll be gone. That you will return to the White Fang and become so much worse than you are right now. It's not idealistic hope that has me accept you, Mr Taurus. It is cynicism. It is the knowledge that at least with you in Beacon, you will be close enough for me to keep an eye on. And make no mistake, I will be watching you. One step out of line. One thought that you might be a danger to my students and nothing shall stop me dealing with you myself." Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "Am I understood?"

"Tch."

"I said, am I understood?"

"I heard you the first time." Adam said. He'd let Ozpin think it was fear that had him capitulating, rather than his love for Blake. Her betrayal burned still, but he was willing to change. His hands tightened into fists. He shouldn't have to change, but he was willing to. For her. "I wouldn't waste my time being here if I wasn't going to try. I'm taking as big a risk as you are."

"I am aware of the sacrifices you have made, Mr Taurus." The way he said it made it clear he didn't consider them equal. "They allow me some small hope, but I have been let down before and I fear you may be no different." Ozpin sat in silence for a few long moments before continuing. "The semester will begin in one week. I'll ask you stay out of trouble until then, and after. Every teacher in the school knows who and what you are. They will be monitoring your actions and reporting to me."

"Will she be monitored as well?"

"Of course." Adam sensed the lie but didn't bother commenting. "You and she are a similar case. On a related note, Beacon does not allow racism – in either direction – but I won't be so naïve as to say we can prevent all of it. Should you experience any instances, I would ask you to inform a teacher and not deal with the situation yourself."

Not cut the students down to size. He rolled his eyes but agreed with a grunt. This was all going to be a farce anyway. In terms of skill, no one in Beacon was going to be able to hold a candle to him. The only reason he wanted to be there at all was to show Blake he could change. Show her she could have spoken to him about her problems instead of running.

"That will also be a problem." Ozpin pointed to the eye patch he wore in place of a mask. "It will draw unwelcome attention."

Snorting, Adam lifted it up and let the man see beneath. As much as he despised it, there was a certain pleasure in watching the man's eyes close; his nostrils flare; his shoulders slump and to hear the muttered curse slip forth. Adam let go and felt the fabric snap back into place. "The attention will be worse if I take it off."

"I agree. I'll ask the faculty to stifle any curiosity. Please do not show that off."

"You think I want people to see it? Am I free to go? Or are you intending to keep me locked up for helping deal with a wanted criminal?"

"You're not being detained."

Adam nodded and stood, pushing his chair back and making his way to the door.

"Adam…" Ozpin's voice made him stop. It took a good ten seconds before the headmaster spoke again. "I want to say do not make me regret giving you this chance, but I fear I already do. Instead, I'll say this. Do not waste this chance. If I believe you a danger, I will take whatever steps I must to stop you. I will not ask you to surrender. I will not ask you to reconsider. Threaten my students... and I shall kill you."

Adam wasn't fool enough to assume an old man couldn't fight, especially when said old man ran a school for huntsmen. He might have gotten there through administrative skill and connections, but he might just as easily have gotten there by other merits.

"I know how to control myself," Adam said. " And I will. If I didn't, I'd only prove her right."

/-/

Adam scanned his scroll again outside the station, sighing at the familiar empty feeling in his stomach as he looked down the fifty or so messages he'd sent Blake and the zero replies he'd received back. Thumbing higher revealed a happier time of constant bickering and chatter. Had she blocked him? Could he blame her if she had?

Or had she gotten rid of her scroll when she left? That would only make sense given she might fear the White Fang would use it to track and deal with her – or that someone in Vale might discover who she was by looking at it. It might be that she was just not receiving his messages rather than ignoring them. At the very least, she'd have responded with surprise to his messages that he was joining Beacon.

Either with shock or horror, he thought glumly. I wonder which…

"Ah, Yang. That's him!"

That annoying voice again. Adam grimaced and turned in time to see the little girl in red dragging a much taller girl with a long golden hair toward him. For a second he thought she might be a lion faunus with a mane like that, but he doubted it. She was walking alongside a motorbike, guiding it along the pavement with a hand on the handlebars.

The thing was bright yellow. He felt offended just looking at it.

"So," she said, her voice friendly, rich and thankfully not as squeaky as the smaller one. "You're the guy who helped my little sister out? Thanks for that. The name's Yang Xiao-Long. Nice to meet'cha."

Adam regarded the hand warily. Ozpin was in the building behind him, however, and might very well be watching. He could also sense eyes on him from somewhere, no doubt the blonde teacher who had been vehemently against letting him anywhere near the students. Better to show he could do this now. I'll have to deal with a lot more humans in Beacon…

"Adam." He took her hand and shook it, hiding his scowl. "And it's fine."

"I'm Ruby!" the little one chirped. "I didn't say so in the shop – oh, and that was so cool. You were like whoosh and slash and bang!" She mimicked firing Blush from her waist. "And can I see your sword? Can I know how you made it? Can you make Crescent Rose red? It'd really fit my cape."

Adam leaned back.

"Chill, Ruby." The blonde – Yang, he reminded himself. Best to start learning their names as though they were equals – pulled her sister away. "Sorry about her," she said to him. "Ruby's always been obsessed with weapons. Probably fangirled all over yours."

"C-Can I hold your sword?"

No. A hundred times no. A filthy human touching his weapon. But again, they were watching. Yang's motorbike was angled in such a way that he could see the vague shape, black skirt and white blouse of that teacher with the glasses and the scowl in the side mirror. Watching him. Ready to intervene if he acted out of hand. Ready to cut off his chances before they'd even begun. He'd show her. He'd prove he could do this, even if it meant putting up with such ridiculous levels of excitement. With a shake of his head that initially had the girl sulking, he unhooked his weapon and held it out.

Ruby squealed painfully and snatched it from his hands. Yang nodded her thanks in a kind of `you didn't have to but thanks for being nice` sort of way. He shrugged back. If he killed every human who got on his nerves, he wouldn't have time to do anything. He felt naked without Wilt and Blush there. If Ozpin was going to attack, now would be the time.

"The blade is so pretty. What is she called?"

"Wilt," he said, nodding to the sword. "And Blush for the scabbard."

"Like roses?"

"Hn. That was the idea."

"That's so cool! We match!" The girl showed off her cape and weapon. It wasn't hard to see the rose motif. "This is Crescent Rose and I'm Ruby Rose. And you have rose weapons and a rose on your back. We're like a super awesome team. Oh wow, imagine if we got to go out on hunts together. Wouldn't that be awesome!?"

Adam tried hard not to let the horror show on his face, though judging by the way the girl's sister snorted into her hand he hadn't nearly been successful. Faunus children weren't something he liked to deal with at the best of times. Human children were worse. Human children obsessed with him, his weaponry and his fashion choices took the cake and ate it.

"Sorry Ruby, but I think you need to graduate from Beacon before you can partner up with a huntsman like him." Yang prompted her to give the weapon back and Adam took it, offering the older sister a short nod. Not gratitude per se, just a little acknowledgement that she was marginally less annoying than her sister.

Children could be worse than adults in some regards. The older generation at least made efforts to hide their hate, and in some way had an excuse for it. Not one he would ever accept or forgive, but those that lost parents to faunus at least had some logic in hating them. The children did not. They just hated because faunus were different. Because they inherited and mimicked cruelty from others without understanding what it did to people.

Luckily for her, the brat – Ruby – seemed far more interested in weapons than his horns. In fact, he wasn't even sure she'd once looked above his waist – and not for the reasons a more self-conscious person would have thought. Great. I've found the only person who doesn't care I'm a faunus and I have to worry she'll try and fornicate with Wilt.

Humans. They were all so messed up.

"I'll graduate!" Ruby promised. "Just you wait. And since I get to go to Beacon now, I can graduate even sooner. I'm going to be a huntress a whole two years early."

They thought him a professional huntsman and he saw no reason to dissuade them of that notion. According to his research, Beacon worked on partnerships and teams and he already had his partner picked out, whether she realised it yet or not. It was not some annoying human brat with a fetish for the colour red.

It's an annoying faunus with a fetish for trashy porn, he thought fondly.

"Thanks again for helping my sister out." Yang placed a hand on said sister's shoulder, more to keep her still than anything. "If you ever need a favour and I'm around, feel free to call. I owe you one."

As though some human girl could help him. "It's fine. I was just…" He sighed. "Just doing what a huntsman is supposed to do. No thanks is necessary."

How galling.

Accurate, though, and if he was going to show Blake he could do this, he'd better start playing the part. At least he could pick what jobs he went on after he graduated. There were plenty of villages where faunus lived in isolation, ignored by many human huntsmen who didn't consider them worth the effort. He could protect those people.

The duo thanked him again and left, or rather the blonde all but forced her sister to go, picking her up, putting her on the bike and obviously ignoring her excited chatter as they tore away with a final wave back. All in all, the meeting hadn't gone as poorly as he expected it to.

They clearly hadn't recognised his face, and since they'd not bothered to ask his last name, they missed that. Even though he wore a mask, the name of Adam Taurus was known in Atlas. Given that Ozpin recognised him the second he applied, it was known in Vale as well. He thumbed his eyepatch, feeling the familiar tug of burned skin underneath. While he couldn't wear his mask, he wasn't going to walk around parading what the SDC had done to him either.

"Satisfied?" Adam asked out loud once he was done. "Or are you going to scowl at me for the rest of my education?"

Goodwitch huffed and turned away, stalking back into the station without saying a word. Adam laughed mirthlessly. It wasn't funny, but it amused him a little to see how upset she was. Not that he couldn't say she wasn't right to be.

Him, in a school like Beacon, learning to be a huntsman.

"What a joke…"

/-/

"You have had a lot of bad ideas in your time but this is by far the worst!"

Ozpin chuckled. What else could he do when he fully agreed with what Glynda was saying?

"Do you really think he's being honest? Do you really think he can change after all that he's done? I'm aware he doesn't have an arrest warrant in Vale, but no one would bat an eye if we took him in. Atlas would laud us as heroes."

"Mr Taurus will be attending Beacon."

"Ozpin!" Glynda protested, slapping a hand down. "This isn't a game. He's a terrorist!"

"As is Miss Belladonna."

"And I'm no keener about that decision either. Arrest them both!"

That would be the easier solution, but not the easiest action. While he was confident he could deal with Adam Taurus in an even fight, there would surely be a lot of damage done in the process. Better than in a police station than a school, he could agree, but better it not happen at all.

"If I had rejected him, Glynda, then we would give the White Fang back one of their most powerful and violent members. I'm not happy about having him in Beacon either, but I'm less pleased with the idea of having him in the White Fang. We can watch him. He will be surrounded by huntsmen and huntresses at all times of the day."

"By children!"

"They are adults now, Glynda. We will be sending them against Grimm, which I should hope are a little more monstrous than a single broken faunus." Hope. Even he wasn't sure if that was the case, but they couldn't coddle their students. "Have a little faith in them."

"And Taurus," she snapped. "Am I to have faith in him as well? Am I to believe he will change his ways and become a model student simply because he wishes to? Is that what you're asking?"

"No. I am not and will not ask it."

"Do you really think he can change? Or that he will?"

"No." Ozpin's smile became just a little sadder. "No, I don't. While I would like to say I believe the power of friendship and having a team will change him for the better, I am not sure it will. Some are too lost to hate. Too broken."

"So what, you pity him?"

"I pity the man he once was and the man he might have become. I do not pity what remains." Ozpin stood with a sigh. "For I fear the Adam that might have been is long dead." He stepped past Glynda, feeling her eyes on him. "Monitor him. I shall have Port and Oobleck do the same. We'll put some rules in place. His weapons are to be tracked. His locker is to be watched. He will need to register each time he attempts to leave campus, where he's going and then sign back in. If he misses a single lesson, I want to know why. We won't be taking any chances with him."

"And if he steps out of line?"

"Then I shall deal with him personally."

/-/

"Sheesh, sis, you sure know how to pick 'em."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, looking up from her position on the bike. They were at the ferry back to Patch, so moving slow enough in a queue for them to talk. "Adam was super cool. Did you see his-"

"Yes, I saw his weapon." And the eye-patch and the scowls and the barely hidden disdain. Course, Ruby had missed all that. Too busy climaxing over a hunk of metal.

When she first saw him, she'd thought he looked pretty hot. What could she say? She was a girl and she liked to look. That soon changed. There were plenty of guys who could look sexy frowning, and he was kinda good looking, but his demeanor was just a tad too grumpy. A real downer, and not the sexy and moody kind. It'd been painfully clear he wasn't interested in talking to them and only did so because he was expected to.

At least he was polite enough to not throw it in Ruby's face. I honestly expected him to.

"I'm sure he was cool and he did help you out, so he's good in my book. I'm just saying he wasn't the friendliest person I've ever met. In fact, he might be the least friendly. I've had enemies in Signal who've been happier to see me."

"He just fought and beat Torchwick." Ruby naturally came to the defence of her new hero. It wasn't new. Yang would have called it a crush if she didn't know Ruby would have been like this for anyone. She was just that obsessed with huntsmen. "He was probably annoyed about that."

Maybe he'd been in a mood. Yang guessed she would be as well if her evening got ruined and she had to spend it being debriefed at a police station. He got a pass for that. And for helping Ruby out. Besides, it wasn't like they'd ever have to see one another again. She was off to Beacon, now with Ruby, and he was off to go kill Grimm.

Hopefully Ruby could make friends with someone a little less gloomy once Beacon started…

Adam is going to be quite unlikeable early on in this, and that's by design. I'm intentionally letting him be a bit of a twat, constantly assuming Blake is wrong, that she should have stayed and that he can win her back by "proving she was wrong" to leave in the first place. Obviously, that's all stupid shit. Obviously, it's intentional for the story. He's a little bundle of edge in canon and he has to be that prior to any character growth here.

While I know most people will be mature enough to realise I'm merely writing the character as he's portrayed, I still have to add that here since a vocal minority tend to assume that if I write a character a certain way, I'm saying that's my own opinion or something. Or worse, me self-inserting.

All in all, even if I'm sure this story will be hated, I'm kind of excited to write it. It's so much more interesting to be writing a character as messed up as Adam compared to someone as simple as, say, Ruby. That also includes his rather obvious racism in this chapter, always making snide comments on "humans" like it's some kind of slur. Ruby starts the show off being such a nice character so there just isn't much room for her to grow. She gets what, more nice? It's boring from a writing point of view. Unless I write a story where Ruby becomes evil, that is. Go the other way.

Note on Reviews: So, the troll from about a year ago is back and posting insulting reviews as a guest on all my stories. He tries to frame other people by writing their logged-in pen name as his "guest name" and even by saying stupid stuff like "Coeur is awful. Go read (name)'s work instead. It's better" to try and get them in trouble and reported. Please just ignore any inflammatory guest reviews. They're all from one worthless idiot trying to make himself feel important. Don't react or respond to them in any way as they're not worth the time.

Also, they're apparently now writing guest reviews on other people's stories in my name. Yawn. Please ignore such pathetic trolling. If I honestly wanted to review something, I'd a) have my account signed in and b) use correct grammar when doing so.

I wanted to not have to write this and give the idiot the attention he deserves (none), but alas, several people have been tricked and started commenting me and one another, so I need to include this warning.

Next Chapter: 3rd March

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur