Adam Taurus calmly walked over to his partner as she sat on a rock in the Forest of Forever Fall, waiting.

"Blake." The bull-Faunus alerted the girl of his presence, and she looked back at him. "It's time."

"Okay." Blake slid down the side of the rock and walked over to him, looking up as she placed a hand on her hip. Adam gazed down at her for a moment, thinking that something seemed off about his partner, then the two started running through the woods, black against a forest of red.

Blake and Adam arrived at a cliff overlooking some train-tracks, and leapt down onto the roof of the vehicle as it rushed past, its horn blaring. Adam leapt first, Blake right behind him, and Adam drove his sword into the roof of train as he landed, Blake landing next to him and holding on without much effort or noise.

Getting up, the two ran over to an escape hatch on the roof of a train car, Adam shooting the lock that held it shut and opening it, looking down for a moment through the slope of his Grimm-mask. Adam leapt in, Blake following, and...

"Looks like we're going to be doing this the hard way." Adam smirked lightly, looking back at Blake. They were surrounded by Atlesian Knights, and they a.l activated as the two drew their weapons.

"Don't be so dramatic." Blake rolled her golden eyes, smirking playfully. A Knight prepped machine-guns in its arms.

"Intruder! Identify yourself." It ordered in a monotone voice. The bull-Faunus smiled deviously before firing Wilt (his sword) out of Blush (the sheath/gun), hitting the Knight in the head and knocking him back.

Charging, Adam grabbed his blade out of midair and sliced the mech in half. The rest of the Knights drew blades and charged, but Blake attacked with her own blade, Gambol Shroud. The two went to work, slicing and shooting, Adam being able to easily deflect bullets with Wilt as he and Blake faced the last few robots. Done with that car, the two climbed back onto roof of the train, more Knights arriving to attack them.

"Let's do this." Adam grinned, growing excited as he saw a battle - a challenge - coming. The two charged, working in sync to destroy their android attackers.

Arriving in the first Dust car, Adam opened a crate to examine the contents, finding several vials of extremely volatile Dust-crystals.

"Perfect." He looked back at Blake. "Move up to the next car. I'll set the charges." Blake frowned, seeming concerned.

"What about the crew members?" She asked warily. The bull-Faunus rolled his eyes behind his mask.

"What about them?" He asked, somewhat irked, and Blake looked away. Suddenly, a spider-droid came down from the ceiling and aimed its weapons. Blake was looking at her partner, again.

"Adam." She tried, seeming uncomfortable. The spider-mech attacked, and when Blake tried to counter its approach, she was thrown to the ground. Adam, seeing this, ran forward and slashed at the robot to buy Blake some time, but he was kicked away, barely recovering in time to dodge some blasts from the mech's cannons. The spider-droid tried to step on and crush Blake, but Adam darted to her side and scooped his partner up bridal-style, getting her out of harm's way and setting her down. The girl looked up, her golden eyes wide. "We need to get out of here."

Before Adam could reply, the two were blasted out of the train-car by the spider mech's cannons, looking up with alarm as it gave chase. Adam's eyes widened behind his mask as he quickly got to his feet, placing a hand on the hilt of Wilt, then he looked back at Blake, his eyes narrowing.

"Buy me some time!"

"Are you sure?!" Blake asked, her eyes narrowed. Adam gave a stiff nod, baring gritted, fanged teeth.

"Do it!" Everything on Adam having to do with the color red began glowing, and Blake attacked the spider alone. She was impressive, but eventually she was thrown back again. Luckily, Adam was ready. "Move!"

Blake moved out of the way as the spider fired, but Adam absorbed the powerful blast with Wilt, glowing with hellish brilliance as he let out a small, dark laugh. The spider approached, and Adam lashed out, his single slice causing the spider to near-instantly dissolve into rose petals.

Sheathing his blade as his body stopped glowing, Adam turned and ran over to see his partner standing on another platform, blade drawn. Blake looked up sadly, eyes full of remorse, and Adam raised a hand. What was she doing?

"Goodbye." Blake whispered ruefully, then she cut the connection between the two halves of the train. Adam's eyes widened behind his mask, his world slowing down and making the seconds into hours as he watched her move away, his hand still raised.

He considered where he'd go from there. Back to the White Fang? Without his partner, his closest friend? What about their revolution, their revenge upon those who had wronged the Faunus - the humans? The humans who should, by all accounts, be slaves to the far-superior Faunus! Why was she running away?! Why-?!

"What about them?"

Adam's body tensed, his eyes widening further. It all made sense, now. Blake was her father's daughter, and a constant supporter of the peace. She fought when she had to, but taking lives is something she would never consent to.

What he'd done back there, when she'd brought to him the matter of the lives of the crew members - it wasn't okay. He had, admittedly, fallen and fallen far since he'd joined the White Fang, and Blake had stayed by his side anyway. But this, this was Blake's limit.

The question was, was it Adam's limit? Could he continue down this same path, now that he understood exactly what treading down it this far was costing him? He wanted power, he wanted vengeance, he wanted justice - but could he lose Blake to get it?

... Adam decided.

Running forward, Adam Taurus leapt onto the other half of the train before it could depart, standing up straight as Blake looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Adam?!" She asked, alarmed. "What are you doing?!"

"You're ditching the White Fang, but you're not ditching me that easily, partner." Adam smirked lightly. Blake stared at him, absolutely stunned, and Adam couldn't tell what she was more: facing crippling terror, or fighting back relief. "So... What now?"

"... I have no idea."

"Blake!"

"Hey, I'm doing this so that I can find another way, Adam! A peaceful way! If you can't handle that, go back to the White Fang or just kill me now and get it over with!"

"... You think that I would turn on you, just like that?" Adam asked, frowning. He really must have fallen far... Blake gazed at him, wary, then sighed and looked down.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Adam. I just know that I have to get out, to go and get strong enough to be able to find a new way."

"You are strong-"

"Not strong enough, and you know it... I'm heading to one of the academies. I have to learn how to live among and work with humans." As Blake spoke, Adam's nose wrinkled slightly in disgust. "Adam-"

"I get what you're saying - I do. But Blake, humans-!"

"I know, but if we're not willing to change, then why should they?!" Blake shot back, and Adam blinked. Then, he sighed and shook his head.

"Always so spirited, and stubborn..." Adam looked up at her, frowning. "You'll end up getting yourself killed... So, I guess that I'm going to have to make sure that that doesn't happen."

"Adam?" Blake's eyes widened again. Adam just gazed at her, then gave a small grin as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're my student, aren't you? It's my duty to keep you safe, and to make sure that those academy quacks know what they're talking about."

"... You jerk." Blake actually smiled up at him, for the first time in what felt like forever. Adam blinked, then his body tensed as she reached up and took hold of his mask. He quickly reached up to stop her, but her other hand grabbed his wrist. "Adam... It's alright."

Adam hesitated before releasing Blake and letting her pull the mask away, and the bull-Faunus blinked, his eyes squinting as he tried to adjust to the full light. It had been so long... Adam looked down at her, one eye as blue as the ocean on a summer day while the other was crimson and blinded by the brand of SDC that scarred his face. As Adam looked down at Blake with an expression of annoyance rather than anger, she smiled.

"What?"

"You look WAY younger, now... You could pass for seventeen."

"Tch." Adam rolled his eyes, then he held his hand out. Blake hesitated, then handed the mask back, and Adam placed it back on his face.

"We'll have to find something else, if you have to cover your eyes."

"I do... Well, then? Lead the way, oh partner of mine."

"... Last chance." Blake frowned, gazing up at him. "If you do this with me... There's no going back."

"Well... What do you think?" Adam asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Do you believe that I can change?" Blake gazed up at him, then gave a light grin.

"You changed into this. You can change back... But I don't think that it'll be so easy."

"... Name something worth doing that ever is."

Well... I know what you're thinking, if you read the original version of this story.

"IceWarrior13, you bitch! I loved that original story! Don't you dare change it!"

Well... I sort of fell out of love with the original story, once I became a bit of a better writer and began seeing all of its flaws. So, now I'm taking each chapter and updating it to be - well - better.

Just bear with me guys, okay? I'm trying my best to save this story, so don't hold back my metaphorical defibrillators, okay? XD

I only own my OCs. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!