Note: First, I apologize for the lack of updates from me. I haven't been in much of a mood to write, but now I'm trying my best to start up again. The last time I touched this story was February 22. It's been a long time since I got around to writing for this and I really do apologize for anyone following wondering if I would ever continue. That said I am going to be finishing this up soon, maybe one or two more chapters from as it will close to putting this to rest. Not because I don't like it but because I actually planned this to end around this point. Anyway here is the next part and hopefully sometime next week I'll put yup the last chapter or second to last chapter.

It's time for you to be a leader Adam. This mission will determine your leadership qualities and how much trust they can put in you. Don't throw away the chance just because you're a bit tried.

The young bull scrolled down the list, reading off the details of his assignment, jotting down notes on a separate notepad. He was going to lead a small team mostly of his choosing to do some regular stealing. On the outside it didn't seem like a big mission, but Adam knew the importance of his assignment.

Dates, company names, times, and locations of shipments; aside from the name of the Beta that would be joining them that was all he was given. With the smallest of details provided he was going to pull an all-nighter reviewing this information, and probably well into tomorrow morning, up until final minutes before mission start. He couldn't afford to mess up at this point; his probable career with the White Fang riding on this. Curious about the material he was given; however, he had to wonder if this was the secret important information Blake had previously been sent to find.

Adam examined each listing to scrutinize every detail. Each company on the list was vastly different from the others either by what they sold, or how they transported shipments. Three dealt in food production, two others were energy propellant producers, and one dealt in raw metal materials. As far as the bull could tell, each of these shipments was important one way or the other. The White Fang needed food to feed its growing army and the raw materials and dust were probably to build up the armory or sell for money.

Another hour or two of note taking and reading passed. Checking the time on his scroll Adam wasn't surprised to see that it was very late, and he probably needed to sleep. Most of the base was tucked under covers already, Adam having sent Blake off to sleep an hour ago. Sadly he couldn't yet, not until he handed in word of his mission details, about which of these companies he would be targeting.

Adam buried head in his hands to avoid viewing the time on his scroll. He was so very tired, the coffee Blake left from him on the table having gotten too cold for drinking. He could reheat it but it wouldn't taste right. It would be better to get a fresh cup.

Slowing shuffling out of his chair Adam trudged to the mess hall, cup, scroll, and notepad in hand. He had a slight idea about the mission and a team he'd take; all he had to do now was plan. But if he did his research correctly his plan would go off without a hitch.

"Stop the truck!"

Adam blinked at voice that shouted at him over the radio. He wasn't quite sure if heard correctly, but someone was asking him to stop. Adam struggled with the idea of picking up the microphone and answering the person that was yelling at him through the speakers in the trailer. He wasn't too fond of person speaking with him at the moment, the days leading up to this mission utter hell as far as he was concerned, and this person contributed a lot of grief for him. Adam decided he'd ignore the voice and focus on driving.

"Stop the truck Adam!"

This time Adam snatched the microphone off its hook to yell a definitive no, breaking the hook as he smashed the microphone back on. Adam tried to calm his temper; his patience was running thin today but thankfully the objective was almost complete.

The assignment had not gone as well as Adam would have liked. The bull and the beta that had been assigned on his mission spent most of the time prior to today arguing over the details of the mission and the plan Adam would use to execute it. The bull Faunus thought it his plan was brilliant, at least with the resources provided. Given that they knew where this dust shipment was headed in relation to a White Fang base, all his team had to do was detour the vehicle and take it.

The beta; however, was less than impressed. Apparently she felt there wasn't enough foresight in Adam's scheme and the whole operation was sloppily planned at best. But what could he do? He had all of three days to think of something.

But in some respect, the ex-huntress was correct.

The job wasn't as easy as Adam thought it would be. Based on the information he had, the truck was to follow a single path down a mountain stretch for them to intersect. The truck; however, took a roundabout road, almost purposely avoiding places that would best set it up for an ambush and increasing the mission time length. When the crew were finally able to detour and take the truck, the occupants inside were not easy to deal with.

They weren't simple truck drivers; they were excommunicated hunter who took up mercenary like jobs for the highest bidder. Whoever was the owner of this dust shipment, they were smart, or at least careful enough to hire good hands to protect their investment.

This was unfortunate for Adam and his party. While he originally planned the mission to go off without any bloodshed, the mercenaries put up a great fight to protect their client's property. What's worse, they saw one of their faces; Blake's face. Adam instructed his team wear the mask of Grimm like creatures to hide their identity, but the young girl refused to do so. She held a strong desire not to hide behind the mask of creature most human believed Faunus originated from. So when the biggest and burliest of the ex-hunters saw Blake's face, that man soon found a red blade piercing his stomach.

Though they were strong, they ultimately proved to be cowards and tried to run away. Pantera cut them off swiftly, taking two by their necks and leaving the other to Adam. He was done in by a stab to his chest.

While focus on his thoughts, Adam noticed the other end was also silent. But as soon as the bull let out a sigh of relief he could hear someone ransacking the crates in the trailer, followed by yelling by two Faunus in the back.

Adam tried his best to ignore it all, until he could hear Blake's voice blaring over the speaker telling him to pull over, desperation in her voice. Looking in his rear view mirror he could see boxes flying out the back of the truck; the bull nearly slammed on the breaks. Anger boiling over Adam kicked open the cab door and ran to the back of the truck, the man sitting up front with him chasing after.

Adam didn't waste time in laying down insults at the panther that crawled out of the trailer. Ignoring the two Faunus cowering behind her, Adam blew off all his frustration from the mission to the ex-huntress that stood before him. Every piece of grievance the bull had to give was fed to Pantera, from the lack of support to the disrespect he felt he was given. Even her neutral face was interpreted a smug grin of arrogance the young Faunus couldn't ignore. It made him angry; it made him want to yell louder, to get inside her head, maybe physically hurt her and leave her dying on the side of the road.

Well, that might be too extreme and Blake might not like that, but he was that pissed.

Calmly, despite Adam's threat, the panther cupped his face with her hand and instructed him to listen closely, her eyes trying to sooth his temper. The fearful expression on Blake's face convinced him to relax just a bit, and then he heard it. It was a faint beeping that sounder softer than a radar, but loud enough to tell there were multiple sources of the slight disturbance.

Adam stood still trying to make sense of the noise, concluding that he had lost part of his mind if he could hear ringing. So focused on this distraction he didn't notice Pantera leave then return with a red dust crystal in her hand until the sound got louder.

"Is that—"

Adam didn't have time to finish his question. In one slow but deliberate movement the panther drew her blade and sliced the crystal.

To say enough around her was panicked would be an understatement. When they realized she was preparing to cut an extremely volatile energy product, in front of a massive shipment of flammable mixed energy propellants, they braced for the worse. Blake dashed away as far as she could; her shadow clones were carrying her as far as they could take her, intending to outrun an explosion should the truck catch some flames. The Faunus who had followed Adam out the cab disappeared in thin air, his entire being, clothes, and weapons vanishing as the panther drew her blade overhead. The Faunus that was with Blake and Pantera didn't have anything like the other two; he lacked a semblance. Accepting of his dying fate, he curled into a ball and covered his head.

As for Adam, he froze up right in front of Pantera. He knew aside the cowering wolf in a ball they'd receive the worse of the destruction that would come from this attempted suicide. Yet as if acting on instincts that demanded self-preservation the bull reached out to take the dust crystal from the panther, but he wasn't fast enough. He delayed a little too long and his body locked up.

Of course Pantera knew what would happen and almost laughed at her comrades when they saw the supposed eruption of flames never occur. Everyone was still, refusing to move, materialize, or come back until the ex-huntress grabbed the wolf by his collar and shoved the stone in his hand.

The wolf examined the item that inside had a small circuit and single flashing light in its core. He then understood what they were dealing with. It was tracker, made in the likeness of dust, from its color, weight, glow, and size. And what worse thee things were made to be silent trackers. They could only hear this one because it seemed to have a malfunction that emitted the noise, a request for repairs.

Listening to wolf example how this tiny device painted a picture of how the truck traveled while he disarmed it for good, Adam caught the biggest of smug grin he had ever seen on Pantera face as she took her index finger and tapped her head. He didn't get it at first, but with the beeping gone allowing him to think he had a sudden epiphany, or several of them. There wasn't just one cleverly designed tracking device in the dust shipment, there were hundred mixed in that could only be found if they malfunctioned or if they played Russian roulette. And the trackers were transmitting data back to their manufacturers or wherever the owner of this shipment wanted, which meant as soon as this truck veered off course to avoid them, the owner knew. And they likely knew where they were going.

Adam didn't have time curse, as someone was quickly dragging him far away from the truck that suddenly had crates of dust surround it.

Now this was suicide, they were actually going to blow this dust sky high.

Everything that happened seemed to be a daze for the young bull. They had pushed back, far back and a little below the cliff side to avoid the supposed blast radius. And, Pantera might have actually blown the truck up as she planned, with a well fired shot from a fire dust tipped arrow and one of her swords that doubled as a bow. Oh and there was the beeping again. But between the flames from the burning dust, the ringing in Adam's ear, and his fatigue this time he may have noticed Pantera taking the little device and sprinting off into the unprotected and Grimm infested forest surround the mountain, her last words a bit muffled as he tried to gain some composure.

Adam watched her go then turned his attention to the failure he saw before him. One of the remaining Faunus mentioned something about staying in a town they passed on the road before returning to base. Adam ignored his suggestion, even as they began to walk away to watch the smoldering metal and minerals in the far off distance sink into the surprisingly small crater that was created from the blast. And even as the Grimm in the forest below bellowed, bothered by the sudden explosion, Adam decided he would instead take a seat on the side of the road and just watch the fire. Eventually his comrades noticed they were short one person and eventually Blake came back to Adam's side while the other two continued on the walk.

They didn't speak; Adam out of disappointment for his mistakes and Blake in understanding what this error must have cost her partner. Neither knew how long they sat staring at the flames, into the sky, or the dark depths where they Grimm were howling, but when Adam started to drift off to sleep, Blake nudged him awake and the duo started back down the road where the other Faunus when.

They gave him a second chance. For a group of Faunus the judged your competence and skill based on what you could do the first time, it was huge surprise to Adam when they gave him a chance at redemption. Considering the failure of his last mission he expected to remain in the middle of the hierarchy, the opportunity of climb to a higher leadership position forever lost with the dust he promised his mentors. Instead they called on him again, to pass on another assignment, one much more suited for him.

They were understandably angry when he reported his failure, but now, it seemed like they forgot he had botched such a necessary task. They almost pretended as if he never went on the mission; that he didn't plan it, and the he didn't jeopardize the safety of the organization. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, but how were they willing to forgive and forget such a mistake? Was it because he was grandfathered in? Or did they see he had much more potential?

Whatever it was, Adam was extremely grateful for the second chance and his easier assignment. And this time, he wouldn't squander the opportunity.

And how could he? They have given him something that played right to his strengths, and while he felt it undermined his versatility Adam understood specialization was a more desirable trait to have. The task he was assigned to was a throwback to his roots in stealth that still allowed him the freedom to complete it as he saw fit.

Abduction was the name of the game. There was a certain high profit person the leaders of the White Fang wanted something from and Adam was going to insure they got it. Looking over the paper that detailed the name and location of his target Adam had to laugh at the fact they jumped such a large gap from low level crime bosses to businessmen, military veterans, and politicians. What was especially funny was that they thought with kidnapping and torturing this man they'd get a ton of "support" for their cause. Adam thought they were being greedy, and possibly getting reckless, as there was a since of urgency for this job to be done as quickly as possible.

Okay, well maybe not reckless, as they still insisted on sending someone with a higher rank with Adam to make sure the assignment went well. Maybe it was because they wanted so much that this was a two man job, of course Adam couldn't fathom why they'd send him with her again.

It was if they his failure didn't matter, even as it happened on her watch, because here he was, keeping watch outside some politician's vast estate waiting for break in security so he could proceed with Pantera watching disinterestedly nearby.

This Faunus made him so uncomfortable; it amazed him how he could keep well behaved with her around even in the presence of Blake. Simply put, Pantera was not like them, not at all like the many of his friends in the White Fang.

He didn't really know what made her tick. It was easy to read Blake, especially since she was willing to share everything with him. But the Faunus next to him was by far to secret of all members. She kept no company aside from Blake, new spoke of her work, didn't even like speaking about herself. If anything she always looked depressed; Blake even confided in Adam once that there was something going on with the panther and she didn't know how to address it or begin to fix it.

If the last argument the two of them had was anything to go on, Blake and Pantera were pulling away.

Good news for Adam was the pretty soon he didn't have to worry about the overprotective big cat clashing with him on everything he stood for. But to say he didn't care wouldn't be right, because he knew just as well as Blake that Pantera wasn't always like this. Her new behavior was a recent change and Adam could say with confidence he considered the younger panther a greater ally than the older tired one next to him.

It had only been a two years since the radical transformation of the White Fang, but Pantera looked to have aged ten. And while he hated her, a lot, seeing how tired, lost, and empty she appeared most days worried him.

That's why this opportunity was just so good for him. The Alphas gave him a second chance but allowed him a secondary mission, an honest heartfelt conversation with Pantera meant to help repair a damaged bond between Blake and the ex-huntress, at the cost of how he felt.

So Adam started with small talk. Reminiscent of his younger, carefree days he complained about being bored and wanted to hurry and finish his job so he could indulge in his guilty pleasures. And reminiscent of her younger years Pantera scolded him with her usual awkward but otherwise insightful quotes and a light slap against his forehead.

With a friendlier panther Faunus gently smiling as she kept watch, Adam tried to keep the conversation afloat. It was all small talk, what he was thinking about eating, his comrades and their forgettable antics, things he may have recently read, and the next task after this one was finished. With the small conversation going on between the two Adam slowly focused his attention on Pantera and the talk started to look much more serious than it started.

He made small comments asking how she was doing, what assignment she went on, and in general what she thought about. Eventually the two settled on the topic of Blake.

"She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you', the bull chuckled. "She idolizes you. I don't think hate is a word in her dictionary."

"Hate seems to be the only true quality she lacks to be a true member of the White Fang", the panther responded, "She's not like me. She's passionate about being a part of something bigger; but she not like you either Adam. She's passionate in other ways."

"And you?"

"I'm just tired."

The conversation took a sharp turn and in one of her rare moment of peace that panther confessed a great deal of worry to Adam. The bull was surprised to hear that Pantera was jealous of his spirit, his pride, his loyalty those who he considered his dearest family, and his drive to find equality of his people by any means necessary, even if it meant dying by his own sword.

Pantera wanted that but didn't live the harsh life Adam did, and couldn't conform to his ideology so well. Over and over again Pantera mentioned that she was not aging well and each day was a struggle to continue because she felt so tired. Adam picked up the clues well and could notice why she was so reluctant to speak to Blake on personal matters, or why they argued so much in the past year. Pantera didn't know how to express to young assassin that she had lost her will to live.

It probably made sense why Pantera was so lost, detracted, and even cynical in recent memory. She said she cared about the cause, about finding justice, and about the young Faunus she held so close to her heart but Adam could tell she didn't want to do anything of this anymore. She must have had so many burdens from so many trials and secrets; Adam wondered if she ever thought about death to relieve her pain. Foolishly Adam suggested she request a break from the Alphas, that it would be okay since he could watch over Blake.

"Maybe, it's better if I leave the White Fang."

Adam tried his best to decode the sly grin on her face in hopes that he could rationalize her comment as being a joke, but his heart was beating too fast. Was she serious? Leaving the White Fang is impossible, and anyone who tries is met with death. Maybe it was possible when they were young in their reformation but not now, not when they had the power to enforce this law. Would she really leave Blake behind?

Adam didn't get his answer as he let the conversation end there. And shortly after the end of their talk the bright lights of the mansion they had been watching faded to black. Maybe later he could confront Pantera after they took this Schnee man as hostage. But caught up in execution of the mission, after a long night of torture that almost ended in an accidental death, Adam forgot. It wasn't until Adam was promoted in rank that he remembered why their talk was so important.