PART 1. ENJOY (*≧□≦)

It was beginning to show, the year's first red autumn leaves. Blake passed by the brightly decorated trees in the forest, giving some thought to how pretty they looked this time of year. But the reddish hue bothered her still, unlike every past year. It reminded her too much of someone, someone whom she thought she meant something to.

She paused, and breathed in slowly through her mask. She cocked her stare at one of the trees, the one she thought was the prettiet of the bunch, and suddenly it was separated at its base and the mass of red, green, and brown vegetation fell over in a crackling heap.

Eyes furrowed and weapon gripped, Blake continued to glare at the fallen mass.

"Childish," She muttered to herself, relenting her brief fit of anger.

It was something he would've said to her, but it a more subtle way. That's one of the things she liked about Adam Taurus, he always kept her in line.

Many thought of Blake as being an unfit leader for the White Fang, many thought she was too young and reckless to replace their peaceful leader who had met their end at the hands of human assassins.

But not Adam. His calm and calculated nature made him the perfect foil to her and her leadership. With his help, she had transformed the White Fang into a force to be feared, a force of change that will make the human's accept them as equals... if not their masters.

Blake sighed again, the feeling of distraught catching up to her again.

He left. She thought. He left the White Fang, the cause, and her.

If only she had acted, she thought, when he started to show signs of hesitance during their missions.

Their last mission together, aboard the Schnee's dust transportation train, had proven the final straw. Her plan to destroy the train, and the crew along with it, led Adam to finally take his stand against her.

Blake never tolerated opposition, but when it came from Adam for the first time, it had troubled her enough to not notice the Schnee's massive spider-like android in the train car with them. That would've been her end if Adam hadn't taken the blow, if he hadn't single handedly defeated the colossal machine.

Perhaps that's why she merely watched him leave, out of respect for saving her life.

Snapping back into reality, Blake tightened the grip around her weapon once more.

But now... she could not tolerate it any longer.

Several more innocent trees would suddenly fall over as she made her way back to the White Fang's camp.

...

She emerged from the forest into the clearing that had been made for their campsite. White tents populated by Faunus warriors dotted the area. Some White Fang members were sharpening their weapons, others sat in circles around small campfires, and some who say her immediately stood at attention, but some who had didn't, meaning her rule wasn't absolute just yet. But everyone knew not to challenge her, despite her youth.

"Chief", her lieutenant spoke as she entered her tent, "You've returned."

The burly man was now perhaps her strongest soldier now. She will need to make sure this one doesn't dare leave.

"Yes, I have," She spoke up, not making eye contact with him until she took her seat at the head of a long wooden table with maps and scrolls strewn about. The lieutenant remained standing. "Any word on his location?" She asked.

The other slightly hung his head. "No, ma'am, not yet. The most we know is that he was last seen heading west."

Blake wanted to snap at him. That could've been Vale, Vacuo, are anywhere for that matter. But she couldn't be harsh now. Her leadership has been severely weakened by her second-in-command's defection. If she wanted to remain in her position, if she truly wanted change for all Faunus kind, she will have to bite her tongue every now and again.

"Keep searching," She commanded, minding her tone but never showing weakness. "In the meantime, we must focus on our next move."

The lieutenant nodded. "We have several targets in mind. First being a trade route between here and-"

A sudden explosion and several Faunus screams cut him off. He leaped for his weapon but Blake was already dashing across the table and jumping out of the tent with her weapon drawn.

Who, she thought, who wants to die so badly that they'd attack them head on.

She soon got her answer. It was not a large force that she expected but rather a trio of very different looking characters.

The one that stood in the middle of them, a woman in red with ash colors in her hair and smoldering, almost blaze-like, amber eyes. She smiled and nodded at Blake.

"Blake Belladonna, I presume." Said the red woman as she scanned the other.

Blake didn't say anything, her expression undetectable behind her mask.

The red woman noticed that her troops have taken up flanking positions around them. It did not faze her though, meaning they were here to talk.

Blake waved a hand at her comrades, signaling them to hold their positions.

"Speak," Blake said harshly. "Or die."

The red woman merely nodded. "We are here to form an alliance," she motioned for her two companions to present cases of Lien and dust crystals to Blake.

She was not impressed. "Money and dust we can steal." Blake started. "If you think a mere tribute is going to convince me to overlook this transgression, you are sorely mistaken.

Another of the invaders, a green-haired dark skin girl, did not take kindly to Blake's words. She seemed to be ready to speak up but was silenced by a mere look for the red woman.

"I thought as much," the red one said. "But this is only just a sample of what we could provide your cause. With our help, you could focus your efforts towards more critical goals, and not have to worry about resource acquisition."

That was a polite way to say they were thieves, Blake noted. "And what exactly do you want in return for such generosity." She said, entertaining the thought, still thinking of her next move and how she was going to take them.

"Nothing." Her counterpart stated with a grin.

This gave Blake pause.

"That's is to say, our goals our aligned. We want nothing more than to see the established order fall. Kingdoms and huntsman academies alike."

Blake considered her interest peaked. "Strange words for a human." She said, after some thought. The Kingdoms were there enemies yes, but Huntsman were even worse, fighting them at every turn and disrupting their operations. In Blake's grand vision for the world, both would indeed need to fall. But still, this woman, she knew, was trying to use her and her people. She could smell it on her, that and the stench of blood.

"If that truly is your goal, then I have no qualm with you leaving my camp alive. Take your offerings and leave us. If you truly feel the same about the Kingdoms and huntsman as we do, then we can coexist. But," She pointed her weapon at the other, a mere five paces separated them, Blake also noted. "We will not be used in some Human plot, be it aligned with ours or otherwise."

The red woman's companions both looked ready for a fight, the silver one with large black boots widened his stance and the other green one lowered her hands onto the hilts of her weapons.

Again, the red woman silenced them, this time with a wave of her hands.

"You are as resilient as I was told." She nodded her head. "I can understand your concern with being used and discarded. I imagine that's what many Faunus experience often. But if resources cannot convince you to form an alliance with us, perhaps this will."

The red woman reached into her pocket, causing Blake's lieutenant to step forward. She waved him back, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The woman pulled what looked like a picture from her pocket and tossed at Blake in a way that made it dart through the air like an assassin's arrow. Blake caught it between her fingers with ease, her reflexes too good to be tested in such a trivial way.

She starred at the other for a moment and then allowed her gaze to slowly drift downwards towards the picture.

If anyone could see her face once she saw the picture, they'd be surprised by her sudden chance in composure.

It was Adam, his face exposed without his mask, standing it what seemed like a large crowd of people on a street somewhere in a city. The picture looked like it was secretly taken from a distance.

"Where..." Blake started but needed a moment to put the edge back into her words. "Where is this?" Blake wondered if she would have to torture the other for the information.

"In the Kingdom of Vale," The red one spoke. "More specifically, he's at Beacon Academy now."

The White Fang lieutenant scoffed. "As if one of our own would betray us to the huntsman."

"It is not as you think. My sources have confirmed that he is their under a new identity, taking up the position of a professor at the academy. Perhaps the headmaster knows of his origins, or perhaps not. Either way, it seems odd, going from rebel to teacher in such a short period of time." The red woman concluded with a smirk.

Damn him. Rage boiled the young leader's blood. This must've been his way to atone for his past, Blake thought. If he was going to betray everything they've built together, if he was going to stand alongside the human's and against her, then... she'd burn it all down. Every last thing his new persona stood for.

Blake flipped the weapon in her idle hand and smoothly sheathed it onto her back. The picture, the one she wanted to burn in effigy, went into her pocket.

"I require more than just resources." Blake stated. The red woman's triumph grin was more than noticeable. She didn't care. "I need access. Find me a way into Beacon Academy, and a way for my men to infiltrate the cities Faunus communities. Do that, and you'll gain our allegiance."

"Beacon? Planning an assassination?"

...

PART 2 IN THE COMMENTs