"I sincerely hope Adam confronts Crimson in this episode," Kali whispered, as the audience settled into their seats, ready to watch the next episode.

"As much as I would love to see that happen, I don't think it'll happen just yet," Ghira shook his head. "Something tells me that Wolf Faunus has one last trick up his sleeve..."

The episode began with Adam exiting an elevator, stepping out into a long white hallway. As he prepared to continue forward, he reached up to his ear to contact someone.

"Pietro, you're sure the server room is up ahead?" the bull Faunus asked.

"It should be, according to the map I've pulled up," the Atlas Scientist responded.

"What should I expect to see?" Adam continued. "If they are VR training those brains, I'm guessing it won't look like your typical IT department."

"Quite right," Pietro nodded. "Most of it will likely be occupied by life-support units. Feeding oxygen and nutrition to the brains they have stored, you know. They would also need a server to feed them the VR date, but in terms of structure, it's really more brain storage and maintenance than a 'server room.' But no doubt it mailers a convenient euphemism for what they are really doing there."

"Ah, like how agents of the Atlas Intelligence Department refer to their organization as 'the Company,'" the bull Faunus hummed.

"Atlasian Intelligence Department?" Qrow grunted, looking at Ironwood suspiciously.

"Yes, or A.I.D., for short," the General nodded. "The idea was that we would 'aid' the other Kingdoms by keeping a close eye on individuals that could potentially danger the peace and safety of Remnant."

"And you didn't tell us about this organization sooner because..?" Qrow continued.

"Qrow, it's an intelligence agency," Winter sighed, rolling her eyes. "I think our spies would appreciate secrecy, wouldn't you?"

"Indeed! Something like that would never arouse the suspicions of rank-and-file staff who may fear it," Pietro stated in response to Adam's question. And I am sure those complicit in this operation feel better not calling it the 'VR training room.' Even something so simple as a name can help one ignore the truth of what they are doing. Truly fascinating, how the human brain works..."

"So this... room, that's where Crimson will be waiting for me," the bull Faunus determined. "If he wants a fight, I wish he'd just get on with it. He didn't seem the type to run and hide."

"Well, he IS in charge of security," the Atlasian Scientist pointed out. "But I suspect this is not about business. If I had to guess I would say he is toying with you. Testing you, perhaps."

"I hate bad guys like that," Sun sighed.

"Tell me about it," Whitley agreed. "I watch a lot of anime when my father's not looking, and those villains that always send all their agents out to fight the heroes get on my nerves after a while. If you're so strong, go fight them yourself!"

"Whatever he's doing, it won't change what's going to happen once I finally catch up with him," Adam growled. He swiftly stormed down the hallway, rapidly approaching a pair of double doors on the opposite end. The bull Faunus shoved the doors open, making his way into a large open room, with marble tiling covering the floor. A large pair of metal doors stood opposite of him. Adam prepared to continue forward, but stopped cold when he noticed a figure standing in front of the door. A familiar figure, a woman in a black armored suit, clutching a double-bladed glaive, with six long black tentacles writhing behind her back.

The audience stopped cold, as they, too, recognized the figure.

"There's no way!" Velvet gasped.

"Ebony Deep?!" Coco demanded, unnerved. "That can't be right! Adam killed her!"

After a moment's pause, Adam found his voice.

"What?! Ebony?! But she's-"

"No, it's only a spare body for her, if I had to guess," Pietro spoke up. Adam looked again, and sure enough, the squid Faunus's head was nothing more than a mannequin topped with a wig. "It's most likely being controlled by an A.I."

"Oh, well, that's a relief," Ruby sighed, relaxing. "I thought the Titans could raise people from the dead at first..."

"Yes, but Adam still has to fight that thing," Weiss pointed out. "Let's hope this version of Ebony is weaker than her sentient form."

"Just an over-glorified robot, huh?" Adam mused, and then he smiled. "Well now, it's nice of Crimson to give me a punching bag to warm up with!" The bull Faunus unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the Artificial Ebony in a challenge. "Calamari's on the menu tonight!"

"Get her, Adam!" Yang cheered.

Adam lunged forward, slicing at Artificial Ebony's chest with Wilt, but the cybernetic squid Faunus deflected the attack with her glaive, before driving it down towards the bull Faunus's head. Adam sidestepped the strike, then spun into another swing, only for his opponent to flip away from him. With a twirl of her glaive, Artificial Ebony rushed towards the bull Faunus, and began to rapidly slash at him with her double-bladed weapon. Adam grumbled in frustration as he was forced to repeatedly block the squid Faunus's attacks. Finally Artificial Ebony let up, and spread her arms, allowing all six of her tentacles to rush towards the bull Faunus, attempting to coil around him.

"Nice try!" Adam sneered. He quickly spun his sword in front of him, severing all six of the writhing from the robotic squid Faunus's body. He then attempted to stab Artificial Ebony, but she spun away from the oncoming red blade, then snapped her fingers. Immediately, a group of Sulfur Fish dropped down from the ceiling, and immediately rushed toward the bull Faunus.

"Oh, right," Blake grimaced. "I forgot fighting Ebony is a package deal."

One by one, the Sulfur Fish leaped up into the air, attempting to swarm Adam. The bull Faunus merely shook his head, quickly slicing each and every robotic Grimm out of the air. As the Sulfur Fish fell at his feet, shooting sparks and melting into ooze, Adam focused his attention back at Artificial Ebony, in time to see several large pieces of metal hurtling towards him.

"Yikes!" Velvet squeaked, jumping in her seat.

"Look out, Adam!" Coco cried, momentarily startled.

Growling, Adam lifted Wilt and quickly deflected the metal projectiles. The bull Faunus sheathed his sword, then quickly drew it again, releasing a wave of energy towards Artificial Ebony, who flipped over the oncoming attack. Landing in front of Adam, the robotic squid Faunus swiped at him with her "regrown" tentacles, which were actually composed of long Sulfur Fish tails, then began to rapidly slash at him with her glaive. The bull Faunus grit his teeth as he dodged and blocked the flurry of attacks, switching to wielding his sword in one hand, as his other slid down towards his scabbard. As Artificial Ebony twirled her glaive over her head, allowing her tentacles to rush towards Adam a second time, the bull Faunus quickly flipped over her, rapidly sheathing Wilt and firing off Blush, snapping the robotic squid Faunus's pole-arm in half. Artificial Ebony whirled around to face Adam, just in time to see him drive Wilt into a heavy downward slice, tearing open a large gaping wound down the length of her body. The robotic squid Faunus shuddered, oil leaking out of her gaping wound and wires writhing out of the tear like intestines, before she fell, collapsing lifeless on her back.

"He won!" Pyrrha cheered.

"Alright, Adam!" Nora whooped. "I knew you could do it!"

"It was a good fight," Ren admitted. "To be fair, though, I don't think an A.I. would be able to challenge Adam the same way Ebony herself could."

Adam sighed as he stared at the lifeless body of Artificial Ebony, then prepared to make his way towards the large metal doors a second time. As he approached the center of the room, though, all of a sudden, the air vents released a heavy smoke, which quickly filled up the entire room.

As the bull Faunus stopped cold, preparing for trouble, another familiar figure, this one a man with three-toed feet and long red hair, and grasping a pair of sai, leaped out of the smoke at the bull Faunus.

"Well, we should've seen that coming," Adam sighed, shaking his head.

"You've already beaten him once, though!" Ironwood pointed out. "I'm sure you can do it a second time!"

"They have a spare body for Rust, too, huh?" Sienna commented, as Adam blocked the sai plunging towards his chest with Wilt's blade. "Well, if it's only an A.I., it should be no match for you, Adam." With a snarl, the bull Faunus shoved the pronged weapons away, then spun into a sideways slash, but Artificial Rust was already gone. After a couple of seconds, the robotic frog Faunus burst out of the smoke a second time, his sai plunging towards Adam's back. The bull Faunus rolled away, and stood up, then pressed a button on his intercom, causing eight hard light swords to appear and spin around him. After a couple seconds, the swords blasted away from Adam, quickly dispersing the smoke in the room, and revealing Artificial Rust, who was sticking to a wall over the bull Faunus's head.

"Nowhere to hide now," Cinder smirked.

Artificial Rust quickly dropped to the ground, attempting to crush Adam beneath his three-toed feet. The bull Faunus dove out from under his descending opponent, then stood and swung his sword straight towards the robotic frog Faunus's waist. However, before the sword could actually make contact, Rust's body split apart, allowing Wilt to pass harmlessly through him.

"Oh, yeah," Adam grimaced. "I almost forgot about that function." He watched as the robotic frog Faunus spun around to face him, and soon the two of them were trading sword slices and sai stabs, each combatant barely able to block the other's blows. Finally, the bull Faunus sidestepped a rising sai attack, then swung his sword towards his opponent's neck. The robotic frog Faunus's head lifted off its shoulders, causing Wilt to pass through his body a second time. "I got you!" Adam sneered. As Artificial Rust's head reattached itself back to the main body, the bull Faunus quickly grabbed Blush off his belt, and fired it point blank into his opponent's face. With a burst of sparks and oil, a gaping hole was blown through the robotic frog Faunus's head. Artificial Rust dropped to his knees, then fell face down to the ground in front of Adam, his body breaking into segments as it hit the floor. "Over and out," the bull Faunus nodded.

Heh, heh, heh! a voice laughed. Calmly, Adam turned to face the wall behind him, where his shadow was projected, watching him in amusement. Well done, my friend, the shadow congratulated him. I couldn't have done it better myself.

"Oh, you still would've won," the bull Faunus responded coolly. "There just would've been a lot more damage done to the surroundings when you were finished."

"Well, this is new," Ozpin commented, interested. "Adam's shadow isn't tormenting him."

"But why isn't he?" Ms. Goodwitch murmured, confused. "That seemed to be its only purpose..."

Fair enough, the shadow admitted, mildly amused. I'm just glad you're letting me out again. You were only hurting yourself, keeping me bottled up inside.

"Don't I know it," Adam sighed, shaking his head. "I'll be honest with you: if there was any way for me to rid myself of you, I'd do so." The bull Faunus shrugged. "But until that day comes, your strength and power may as well be put to good use. I say when you get to come out and play, though. Got that?"

Loud and clear, the shadow nodded. Don't worry, now that you've started using me again, I feel no need to complain anymore. Besides, I think I'm more valuable to you than you realize. The shadow's glowing eye flashed with sadistic knowing. You NEVER would've defeated Rust without my help.

"That may be, Brazen Bull," Adam nodded, accepting his inner-Grimm. "That just may be..." And with that, the episode ended.

"That was certainly an unexpected revelation," Penny blinked, once the lights had come back on.

"So that shadow was Adam's Grimm form?" Willow asked, mildly surprised. "I didn't think that it could have a mind of its own."

"I've heard of inner demons, but that's taking it to a different level entirely!" Yang commented, much to the audience's pain.

"Could we not make jokes about my mental instability?" Adam requested, clutching his temples as a migraine ravaged his head. "I get the urge to punch someone every time somebody does that."