HK-47: The White Fang's Assassin

Chapter Twenty Three - The Ace-Ops

As the White Fang continued the assault on the Atlas Academy, Adam moved through the academy's halls, killing anyone who stood in his path. Eventually, he found himself in one of Atlas Academy's training rooms. As he searched the room, he could hear a voice call out to him. 

???: Stay. 

Suddenly, Adam found himself unable to move as he was frozen in place. He soon found himself surrounded by Clover and the Ace-Ops. 

Clover: Good job, Marrow. Harriet, take his weapon.

Harriet nodded to Clover as she calmly walked over to the frozen Adam and took Wilt from his hand. Adam tried to free himself, but is unable to.

Clover: Struggle all you like, Taurus. You're not gonna be moving for awhile. Once Marrow's Semblance kicks in, you're frozen in place. 

Harriet: So that's Adam Taurus? So much for the White Fang Empire. 

Elm: What do we do with him now? 

Clover: Vine, you and Marrow restrain him. Harriet, you and Elm keep your weapons ready in case he tries anything funny. 

With that, the Ace-Ops moved to restrain Adam. In that moment, time seemed to slow down as Adam tried to free himself from Marrow's Semblance to no avail. As he continues to struggle, Adam was overcome with anger and rage as his thought of his convictions. Impassioned with fury and malice, Adam slowly began to break through Marrow's Semblance. Marrow was the first to notice something was very wrong. 

Marrow: What the....

Adam lets out an unearthly roar which caught Clover and the rest of the Ace-ops off guard. Before any of them could react, Adam lunged at Marrow and bites his throat. Marrow screamed as Adam rips out his jugular vein, causing Marrow to fall to the ground and bleed to death. The Atlas operatives were horrified as Adam spits out Marrow's throat, his mouth dripping with Marrow's blood. Adam glances to Wilt and attempts to grab it, but Vine uses his Aura Vines Semblance to restrain Adam. Clover turned to Harriet. 

Clover: Harriet, take him down! Elm, you cover Harriet!

Without hesitation, Harriet charged at Adam and attacked him with her Fast Knuckles gauntlets and lands several devastating punches on Adam. Adam soon breaks free from the vines just in time to grab both of Harriet's fists. 

Harriet: Elm! Now!

Elm then charges at Adam and Harriet. Elm then strikes Adam with a direct hit from her Timber hammer. The force of the hit sends Adam flying back several feet. Though Adam's Aura managed to absorb the brunt of the attack, Adam began to spit out blood as he was barely able to get up. His adrenaline kicks in as Adam charges at Vine. Vine attempts to use his Aura Vines to keep Adam at bay, but Adam proves too fast as he tackles Vine to the ground. He then gouges Vine's eyes with his thumbs as he crushes Vine's skull. When Adam finishes off Vine, he gets up and glances over to the terrified Ace-Ops.

Harriet: You son of a bitch!

Clover: Harriet, no!

Harriet and Elm then charge at Adam and attempt to gang up on him, but Adam holds his own as he grabs Vine's Thorn weapon and plunges it into Elm's leg. Elm scream as she backhands Adam away. Clover then uses the grappling hook on his Kingfisher weapon to grip Adam's arm. 

Clover: Stand down, Taurus or we will be forced to use lethal force!

As Clover and the remaining Ace-Ops corner Adam, Adam is fueled by adrenaline as well as his fury and malice. At this point, he's entered in a state of bloodlust. He charges at Clover, but Harriet lands a powerful strike to his face, partially shattering his Grimm mask. Elm then fires the rocket launcher mode of Timber, but manages to roll out of the way. He attempts to tackle her, but Elm uses her Aura Roots to plant herself in place. Adam was able to tear Timber from Elm's hands. As Elm attempts to take back her weapon, Adam hits Elm in the face with Timber, stunning her. Adam then seizes his opportunity and fires the rocket launcher mode of Timber and lands a direct shot, blowing her to bloody pieces. The recoil of the weapon knocks Adam back several feet. As a physically exhausted Adam slowly gets back to his feet, he sees Wilt next to him and grabs it. Clover attempts to attack Adam, but Adam impales Clover's lower abdomen with Wilt. As Adam fatally wounds Clover, Harriet goes for an overhead strike on Adam. Before she could land her attack, Adam plunges Wilt through Harriet's chin and skull, then forces the handle up, snapping Harriet's neck backward. As Adam takes a moment to catch his breath, he sees Clover slowly crawling away. Adam smiles to himself as he walks towards Clover. When Adam reaches Clover, Clover reaches for his weapon, but Adam impales Clover. Soon enough, HK-47 arrives with the Sword Of The Faunus. Upon seeing the carnage left behind by Adam, HK-47 is impressed. 

HK-47: Observation What a fine display of carnage! I applaud you, master!

Adam: Report.

HK-47: Answer: It seems one of the members of the Sword Of The Faunus inherited a curious power from an old and decrepit meatbag. 

As HK-47 says this Samanya approaches Adam and bows to him. She then tells about about her encounter with Fria and how she inherited the powers of the Winter Maiden. As HK-47 applies Bacta shots to Adam, he becomes interested. 

Adam: I believe it's time we've paid Ironwood a visit.

With that, Adam now set his eyes on Ironwood himself. It soon became clear that Ironwood knew something and Adam intended to find out what it is. With the White Fang Empire on the verge of victory in their assault on the Atlas Academy, all that was left was Ironwood.