Burning Black
By A Stereotypical Gamer
Chapter One: Split Ends
Beacon, three days after the apprehension of Roman Torchwick
Yang had intended to sleep a while longer, quite content to ignore Ruby's insistence they get up and prepare for the tournament and decide who to send ahead. Though her defeat during the train battle might've been enough motivation to sharpen her skills, Yang preferred to rest and recompose herself. And she wasn't the only one who'd felt that way, lazily indulging in the few quiet days before the Vytal Festival began in earnest.
Weiss had complied with Ruby's suggestion, and the two went off to train, as they often did, late into the night. Blake, on the other hand…
Yang wasn't sure what motivated the cat. Maybe she was seeking warmth and comfort. Maybe their brief bonding experience in the past week had triggered something within her. Maybe the brief moment they'd held each other during the dance had led to this moment. Or maybe this black cat simply wasn't so unlucky after all.
Yang had never had a better night's sleep.
When the light came in, however, Yang watched Blake climb out of her bed. "Are you afraid of what they'll say?" she teased, only half-serious. She didn't exactly want to announce it to the world, but she certainly wouldn't mind telling her sister and her teammate. Yang wasn't one for keeping secrets.
Blake, however… didn't say a word. She couldn't even meet Yang's eye.
Was she disappointed? Or ashamed? Did she feel guilty for doing this? Maybe she felt like she'd led Sun on, or betrayed him in some way? Or maybe she hadn't expected to carry things so far.
"Blake," Yang said, trying a more even, serious tone. "Are you alright?"
Blake still averted Yang's gaze. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Yang realized. She reached out to grasp her partner's arm, only for Blake to abruptly pull it away. Yang was silent for several seconds, watching her friend retreat. She hadn't been afraid of a more intimate touch in the dead of night.
Yang stared at the side of Blake's head. Blake looked at the ground. For several awkward seconds, the two were silent.
"Must've been some crazy dream I had," Yang suggested.
"Yeah," Blake breathed, still not looking at her. "Just a dream."
It wasn't the answer she'd hoped for. The words hurt to hear.
But Yang loved Blake, in one way or another. Having Blake in her life was more important than having Blake in her bed.
"I'm sorry," Yang heard her faintly whisper. Yang had no response to offer that.
She turned over and tried to go back to sleep, knowing that on this rare occasion, she wouldn't forget her dream…
After the Battle of Haven
Yang woke with a start, glancing frantically up. She expected the top bunk to fall on her head after the night she'd had… only to find nothing over her. She wasn't at Beacon anymore. She was in Mistral, in the house her Uncle Qrow set up.
She was remembering her dreams a bit too often now. Yang far preferred the days when she hadn't, when she could sleep and wake without any sense of time passing in between. And more prevalently, Yang thought she preferred the nightmares she'd been having before to the one she'd had now.
She'd much rather remember Adam cutting off her arm than… that.
Yang turned her attention down to the metal arm she'd been sleeping on and the discomfort she felt in her side, hitting her in a slow, gradually building pang. She didn't usually toss and turn when she slept –not anymore- but tonight she'd rolled over and cold metal and polymer poked her exposed skin. She could try and blame that; she could think her arm was the reason she had trouble sleeping. It was preferable to thinking it was simply discomfort and not a particular memory haunting her.
It was still dark out. A quick glance at her Scroll and Yang realized she hadn't been asleep very long… they'd all returned and gone to sleep roughly four hours earlier. Sunrise was still a ways off.
All the tossing and turning had left her hair a mess too… in some ways it was quite fortunate she woke up in the middle of the night and didn't have to let anyone see the state she was in. At least she wasn't crying. Not yet, anyway.
Yang dug her brush out of her pack and set to work. She briefly considered trying to return to sleep after the exhausting day she'd had –they'd all had- but was in no hurry to dream. Or have to go through this again after another few hours spent tossing and turning.
She doubted anyone was up yet –aside from the Belladonna guards outside- but then again, some of the Faunus who'd come along with Blake to help fend off the White Fang might've been up. The house had become quite crowded since the battle… most of the Faunus from Menagerie were on the boat anchored nearby, but Blake had brought a few friends to stay for the night.
It was great to see Sun again, even if their reunion had been pretty brief. Yang hadn't yet been introduced to the red-haired Faunus with the distinct freckles, but had heard her name was Ilia. They were both sleeping on chairs in the living room, while Blake herself was lying on the couch beside the coffee table under a thin blanket. When Yang stepped out from her room to try and quell her restlessness, she stopped to look at her former partner. Yang didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't help it… it was so jarring to see Blake without her bow, even when she was asleep.
Yang wondered what had changed, even if she was thrilled to see Blake move past her need for that particular security blanket. It served as an unpleasant reminder for how cute Blake was, especially when she was sleeping…
Yang tried not to think about it. It was hard enough getting used to having Blake around again. She didn't need to dwell on the past right now. She didn't need another reminder of how things went with them before; the prior day had been tough enough for Yang when dealing with her mother.
I'm not going anywhere.
Yang's left hand was shaking again. She reached over with her prosthetic to grasp her wrist, waiting for the feeling to pass.
That's all that matters, Ruby had agreed. That we're all here together… right?
It fell on Yang to be the bigger person then. Blake looked repentant and sorrowful, and Yang had struggled against her own feelings, trying to prioritize how important it'd be for Ruby and Weiss –and for Blake- and then thinking on the knowledge that her mother was running away too, out of her life forever, and how much Yang wanted to embrace her again… Yeah.
It wasn't closure. Yang just did what she thought she should. She'd much rather embrace her partner again than carry on being angry and distant. She was so happy to feel Blake's arm again and to know Team RWBY had been reunited. But after that wonderful moment, she thought on the past again.
They'd need to work through it. They'd have a lot to talk about when they had the chance to hash things out. And she wasn't entirely sure they'd just be okay when it was all over.
Her hand was still shaking. It wasn't often the tremors refused to subside… she hadn't been this bad since before she'd decided to wear the Atlas tech, when there hadn't been a hand to reach out and will this phantom pain away.
Yang nearly jumped when she felt another hand grasp her wrist. She whipped her head around so fast, some of the split ends in her blonde mane leaving her vision partially obscured. "Are you all right?" an unfamiliar voice asked her.
It didn't sound threatening. Yang tried to calm herself, to not be so on edge. She relaxed her prosthetic hand's tight grip and lifted it up to brush her hair out of the way so she could clearly see this new hand holding onto her, to the thin fingers and the cool ring holding in place the sleeve of a black shrug. Yang's eyes slowly moved up to follow the length of an arm, then to a concerned… and familiar face.
She was perhaps an inch shorter than Blake, and her hair wasn't as long, with taller and sharper Faunus ears, each with gold piercings –two in her right ear and one in her left- and eyes a brighter yellow than Blake's amber. In the early morning dark, one could be forgiven for mistaking this woman for Blake… Yang simply knew her partner well enough to immediately spot the difference.
Another person she'd yet to be properly introduced to. Yang saw her run over to embrace Blake and another tall Faunus man, and while she hadn't immediately put the two together, when Yang saw how much this woman resembled Blake…
"Yeah," Yang said again, falling back on the same less-than-committal word to try and put another's mind at ease. "Yeah, I'm just… still getting used to some things."
This woman –Blake's mother- did not release Yang right away. She relaxed her grip, but still held onto Yang's wrist with a gentle hand. Yang turned her attention to those bright yellow eyes, trying to put on a braver, more confident face: the one most people would expect to see from Yang Xiao Long.
"I'm glad to hear that," the older Faunus confirmed, finally letting her fingers slide off Yang's wrist. They stood quietly a moment, just looking at each other before she asked Yang: "Would you like some tea? I'm making some to take out for the sentries standing watch."
That was thoughtful of her. And while it might've made more sense to return to sleep, Yang was equally eager not to dream… "Yeah… sounds great."
The older Faunus woman smiled at her and stepped past towards the kitchen. Yang took one last lingering glance at Blake asleep on the couch before her eyes followed after Blake's mother towards a lit room.
She was quite the sight. Time had been kind to her.
But then, it had been to Raven too…
Yang shook her head and stepped into the kitchen. Blake's mother was already hard at work on the stove top, leaving a handful of kettles to boil while she busied herself with chopping and grinding up leaves at a nearby counter, adding them in small portions to one cup after another. Yang awkwardly stood by, wondering if she should offer her help or simply leave it be, eventually settling on leaning on an opposite counter and just looking on.
"I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to be properly introduced before," the Faunus woman told her, still keeping her attention fixed on her work. "My name is Kali Belladonna; I'm Blake's mother."
"Yang," was about all the reply Yang was able to summon.
"Yes, you were my daughter's partner at Beacon, right?" Kali inquired. "I'd love to hear about that when you have the time. There was only so much Sun was able to share when he stayed with us in Menagerie."
That might've sounded appealing to Yang at one point. At Beacon, in the excruciatingly slow process of getting to know Blake, Yang had wondered what her family might be like or if they'd ever meet. It was a distant memory now, subsumed by more pressing and immediate concerns… and of course, that night after the breach…
Yang shook her head, trying to clear out the cobwebs and press on. "Yeah, it's… been an interesting ride."
Kali seemed to complete her work with the tea leaves and turned to look back. She seemed expectant, waiting for Yang to continue.
It'd been a long time since Yang thought on it. The first two days at Beacon…
When Blake had blown them off to read her book and Yang called her a lost cause…
When Yang was staring down an Ursa and Blake had interceded, dropping the Grimm and then giving Yang a coy, leading smile…
"I don't know what Sun told you, but I'll bet he never talked about a 'landing strategy'," Yang began. "Wouldn't you know it, I first teamed up with Blake when she dropped out of the sky…"
Kali seemed quite eager to hear about it. Or perhaps she was just being polite. Either way, Yang went on. It was something she could dwell on without being upset, without having to dwell on where things ended up. The good memories didn't turn to bad ones just because of one particular bad memory Yang had of Blake.
"Then we go to get red sap in Forever Fall, and there's this weird situation going on with our friend Jaune and this other team CRDL, and Blake and I head over when we see them running through the woods…"
Kali was drawing nearer. Yang was feeling comfortable enough recounting things not to let it bother her.
"And when Blake ran we were all so worried. We didn't know about her and the White Fang, and hoo boy, did that turn into a whole thing…"
Kali was standing beside her now, though no longer staring quite as intently. Instead, her attention seemed to be on the back of Yang's head. Or maybe the side.
"And we really wanted her to go to the dance after Sun asked her," Yang continued. At that particular moment she paused. At last she found herself unable to move ahead.
That was a big day for her, when she told Blake a secret. When she shared something with her partner no one outside of her family knew… at least at the time. When Yang tried to convince Blake to let her in by opening up herself.
She wasn't sure what to say there. Her relationship with Raven probably wasn't a secret now –maybe not even to Blake's mother- but more than that, what route should she take? Say that Kali's daughter was in a bad, self-destructive place, maybe worry her? Talk about Blake and Sun?
Mention how happy Yang had been when Blake showed up and danced with her?
Her gap in the story hadn't gone unnoticed, but Kali didn't seem concerned. Instead she seemed focused on Yang's hair. Yang abruptly changed her focus, adopting a more comfortable –if more practiced and less genuine- tone. "Um… see something you like?"
"You have such lovely hair," Kali remarked.
Yang hadn't heard it in a while. It was such a change of pace to receive a compliment she was honestly taken aback. She tried to remember her social graces, to accept the generosity. "Thank you."
Kali ran her fingers through Yang's blonde mane. Yang tried not to let the sight and touch bother her… she'd gotten a bit less protective than she was before, and let others work on it. Ruby was a given, but she'd grown comfortable enough to let Weiss do the smallest adjustments when they were at Beacon.
And let Blake run her fingers through it on that night…
"So what happened at the dance?" Kali asked, straightening out kinks in Yang's hair with the gentle, sliding motions of her fingers. "Sun told me your friends in Team JNPR really stole the show when a boy walked in wearing a dress."
Yang couldn't help but smile at the thought, her immediate reaction. She tried not to let the smile fade when she thought of Pyrrha, tried to focus on the positive memory of her friends cutting a rug. "Well, you remember Jaune, right? Guy's a total dork, but he makes a promise and he's good for it."
She slowly shifted back to talking about Blake and Team RWBY, shifting attention to Mountain Glenn and their eccentric huntsman supervisor Doctor Oobleck. Kali was still listening intently, easily devoting her attention to Yang's story and to straightening her hair in equal measure.
It had been a long time she let anyone spend so much time on her hair. Ruby knew how intensive the process was and usually only helped for a few minutes at a time. The last time anyone had devoted so much attention to it was when S-
The kettles interrupted her train of thought with piercing whistles. Kali gently released Yang's blonde strands and went to wash her hands in the sink, moving rapidly to pour the hot water into each cup. Yang had barely regained her train of thought and Kali had already finished her work, loading several cups onto a wooden tray. She left one other apart and held it out to Yang, the blonde staring dumbfounded at it.
Kali smiled patiently, her offering of drink still extended. Yang did eventually accept it, looking down at the concoction, a strong aroma wafting to her nose. Yang felt a little more awake just from breathing it in.
Once Yang had it in hand, Kali lifted the tray and set out from the kitchen. "This Doctor Oobleck sounds like quite a character."
"Oh, you have no idea."
Once they stepped outside the house, Kali introduced Yang to the first guard, Saber Rodentia. Kali made small talk with him, inquiring about the state of his children and the other Faunus back on the boat in port. Yang also caught the name of Kali's husband –Ghira- and how much he appreciated the efforts Saber and his team had made to accompany them to Mistral. Kali went on to apologize for Saber and his team left to stand watch over her rather than allowed to rest on the boat with the others, remarking how Ghira would occasionally prioritize her safety over his own, leaving her to spend all night worrying about him while he was away. She seemed quite practiced at this, and Yang wondered exactly how much time Kali Belladonna spent talking to others and how much information she retained. Saber seemed to like Kali's tea and genuinely appreciate her interest… Yang could relate to that, at least. Whatever strange magnetism Mrs. Belladonna had, Yang wasn't the only one to take note of it.
But when they moved to the second post at the west end of Qrow's rented house, both women stopped abruptly when they found the Faunus guard assigned there lying face down on the pavement, weapons lying far apart and blood slowly leaking out from beneath him. Kali immediately rushed over, casting her carefully prepared tea aside and kneeling beside the Faunus, turning him over. The boy was much younger than Saber; he looked like he was barely older than Oscar.
Kali searched him carefully, before pressing her fingers to his neck and listening carefully. Her ears, usually pointed straight up, drooped ever so slightly and Kali lowered her head. "Poor boy…"
Yang had spent most of her early morning in a daze. She couldn't afford that any longer. Yang stepped over to Kali and put a hand on her shoulder. "Tell the guard. Get back inside and wake Blake and Sun. Stay with her and stay inside."
She hadn't thought to bring the remaining half of Ember Celica, but Yang did still have one weapon on-hand, unsealing the barrel in her mechanical arm. "I'll handle this."
Yang had come to Mistral because she had someone to protect.
The more things changed…
Many Faunus would have to die for their dream to come true. He knew that. He accepted it.
He'd been prepared to kill dozens, maybe even hundreds of them –including himself- when they attacked Haven. But it hadn't been in service to the White Fang, it hadn't been to punish humanity; it was because Blake had defied him again, and mocked him.
Once in his life, Adam wouldn't have though the boy deserved to die for protecting his chieftain's family. Even if they fought on opposite sides, Adam would've spared the boy's life and invited him into the fold out of respect for his bravery.
He'd been so naïve then. He'd let others tell him to be merciful, and all that had ever done was frustrate his efforts.
No longer. Now he had to act, swiftly and brutally or there'd be nothing more to gain. The White Fang would already be divided after news of the prior night's events got out. Even those men who stood by and watched him unseat Sienna Khan might've been tempted to break ranks and leave him.
He needed to remind them of his power, to bring them to heel. But he wasn't so reckless, so blinded by the humiliation Blake had forced him to endure, to think he could achieve that alone and unsupported. The team he'd brought with him to assault Haven had been apprehended, his lieutenants in Menagerie had failed or defected, and Hazel and the support he was supposed to receive from Salem had fled in the night.
He was surrounded by enemies and whatever power he had to bring to bear wasn't enough to beat all of them. Especially when he wanted to leave one of them alive… and take his time with those who'd betrayed him and endangered their noble cause.
More than that, however… more even than the White Fang…
Blake.
Blake didn't fear him.
She needed to be reminded. She needed to know what she was and who she really loved. She needed to suffer just as much as he had, and this little stunt she'd pulled now… her debt had only grown larger.
But she was accompanied by too many. Including those Adam wasn't confident he could defeat.
He knew it was risky to act now, but he had to move quickly, before word of his ignominious defeat spread and his work had been undone. The first campaign of the new high leader of the White Fang might not be a tale of glorious victory, but it would be a victory, no matter how pyrrhic, no matter how meager.
No matter how bloody.
Adam had waited through most of the night without rest –as was all too common for him now- and picked his spot. He broke into the house and the room of an inconspicuous looking boy in a deep sleep, exhausted from a battle he'd been woefully unprepared for. Adam might've killed him while he slept, but the boy's life wasn't the prize he'd come for.
Yet he'd left the battle with a prize… the very thing Hazel and Cinder had tried to recover while the White Fang were left holding the bag outside.
Adam didn't know what it did, or how it was activated, or what it might bestow. But if Salem thought it could be of use to her, it must've had something that could benefit Adam and the White Fang too.
For a 'relic' it was remarkably well preserved, in a charming golden lamp.
Adam wasn't one to respect history. Not when he had his sword in hand.
Power. He needed it now, and he needed enough of it to change the course of events. He needed something to tip the balance back in his favor.
Adam hoisted up the relic and attempted to open the lamp, to delve into its secret…
Yang followed the route inside. She was passing by a sleeping Ruby when she heard something loud crash nearby. Dust kicked up from under the door to Oscar's room and she faintly heard crumbling wood and stone. Yang immediately rushed over, nearly ripping the door off its hinges with her prosthetic arm and forcing her way in.
Oscar was still in bed, coughing violently in the dust cloud. Cold air rushed in as Yang shifted her attention to the bedroom wall… or rather, where it had been, the streets of Mistral filling her view instead with a few shattered fragments of wood laying on the ground.
"The relic!" Oscar shouted between coughs, "He has the relic!"
Yang wished she had time to get her coat; it was chilly outside. She'd also like to tell Oscar off for letting someone sneak in right under his nose, but at a better time… "On it!" She dashed out, following the other pieces of debris out into the streets.
She faintly heard Oscar call for her to wait between coughs, but Yang continued the chase. It was reckless to pursue alone, but Yang figured nobody was sleeping after that one. It was only a matter of time before Qrow or Ruby or Weiss or Sun ended up right on her tail.
Yang could at least buy them time to catch up once she found the culprit. She'd had a very bad day managing to recover the Relic of Knowledge, and she wasn't in the mood to let whichever of Cinder's cronies dropped by to steal it get away while everyone else was distracted.
Nothing fancy, nothing bold. Track and identify her opponent and draw things out until the cavalry arrived.
He saw things he'd never seen before. The image sharpened, the colors appeared more vivid. His hearing was better than ever, and he could listen to each wave splashing against the wooden pier. He could hear Faunus murmuring from the deck of the ship, looking on as their chieftain stepped out to meet him.
"Adam Taurus," Ghira greeted, stiff and formal. "I don't suppose you've come to surrender?"
Adam didn't answer him. He focused on his objective, setting the old lamp aside and moving both hands to grasp the hilt of his sword.
Ghira sensed his intent at once. The chieftain reached over to fling off his violet coat and unfurled the claws concealed in each fingertip. He roared at Adam, standing protectively before his subjects looking on.
He had an audience. Good.
Adam allowed himself that small indulgence before returning his attention to the task. He couldn't be overconfident. Ghira had been high leader of the White Fang, and had survived more than one challenge to his authority and multiple attempts to assassinate him. Men fared no better facing him head on than they did stabbing him in the back.
Adam observed the surface of his blade, Wilt, and the energy radiating off it. He'd already gathered the first portion during his brief fight against the poor boy guarding the house. He'd need a lot more to proceed with the next step.
It wasn't typical of Adam to wait, but he wasn't going to be reckless. Whatever power he had, Ghira matched or exceeded.
The chieftain moved in, slashing in wide arc. Adam followed the motion of his arm and moved his sword into position, predicting where the strike would land and how to refract it; using Ghira's own momentum to further empower his blade.
Ghira would be the avatar of his own downfall, he just didn't know it yet.
Adam could measure his Aura without his Scroll. Even when deflecting the attack Adam had still absorbed enough impact from Ghira to lose a bit of his barrier. He moved to repair it at once, compensating for the weak spot so quickly it seemed instantaneous.
Ghira struck again and Adam stepped back. From Ghira's perspective the boy seemed to have bit off more than he could chew and was being forced back.
Ghira was no fool, but he couldn't realize he was being played. Had this battle taken place the prior day, Adam would've already lost. At best he'd have searched for an opening and retreated.
Today he could see the energy transferring to the surface of Wilt with every hit. He knew that whatever dings Ghira put in his Aura, Adam had enough to hold out until he could counterattack.
He measured the length of each swing. He counted the milliseconds in each motion and the pace of Ghira's breath. He saw the Aura on the surface of the Chieftain's body, where it strained to accommodate him.
Another slash. Adam was running out of dock to retreat upon, and fell to one knee. Ghira reared back to attack…
Adam focused his attention on Ghira's chest. He relaxed his grip on his sword, using one hand to turn his scabbard, Blush, and unleash its pellet rounds right at the weak spot. Ghira staggered as he was pushed back ever so slightly by the impact, his swing falling short of Adam's face, one nail running over the Grimm mask concealing the red-haired boy's eyes.
But more importantly, his Aura was disrupted, and he was overextending. It would take him nearly a third of a second to recover and restore the damaged point by refocusing Aura from elsewhere.
Adam was faster than that.
He drove his sword up from his kneeling position, focusing all the energy Ghira had unloaded onto Wilt right back at the chieftain. Adam impaled him then, watching as Ghira's eyes widened and his mouth was agape. With his hearing now, Adam heard the life pouring out the chieftain's lips with every breath he struggled to take.
On the decks of the boat, Faunus looked on. Some scrambled to come down and join the fray, but most could only look on in horror as their leader was bested. Most had the good sense to recognize their superior.
Those that came to help Ghira were not warriors, but townsfolk the chieftain enlisted. Dangerous when in great numbers… but when only a handful attacked a skilled combatant with a better tactical position, letting them charge at him single file on a wooden dock…
Adam withdrew his blade and let Ghira fall. He turned his attention to the civilians charging out with wooden swords and torches. They never even got a chance to take a swing. Adam cut them down, one after another with a single strike for most, and two when the Faunus had Aura enough to merit a second swing. After the fifth boy tumbled off the dock into the water, no more charged out to meet him. They were cowed now… cowed, but not yet broken.
Adam reached back to Ghira and hoisted up the chieftain by the back of his head. Ghira was still struggling to hold on, clinging desperately to his life even as it continued to slip away.
"This man helped found the White Fang," Adam called to them. "But in the end he proved unworthy of that honor. He let his weakness taint his view, and tried to make peace with vicious warmongers and expel and condemn anyone who dared to tell him the truth!"
He couldn't be too dramatic in his proclamation. He couldn't indulge for too long, because his enemies would have time to regroup now. He had to be expedient in shattering the hopes of those foolish enough to follow Ghira.
"There is no place in the White Fang –no place in the Faunus- for weakness," Adam continued. "I tolerated it once… I let you live in peace and safety instead of suffer alongside your brothers… no longer. No longer will I let us be divided. Choose, brothers and sisters. Choose where your loyalties lie."
He raised his blade and pressed it to Ghira's back. "And choose wisely."
He knew where to aim. He knew exactly where to strike.
The blade struck true. He heard the women, the children –even the men- scream. He heard Ghira draw his last breath.
Adam let Ghira's body fall from his hand and slide down his blade onto the wooden dock below. He flicked his sword and let the chieftain's blood fall into the ocean.
He turned his back on the chieftain's host, unafraid to leave them behind him. When he stepped off the dock and reached down to pick up the relic, his eyes moved towards a woman standing in his path.
He recognized that long mane of hair. But her eyes were different… when he saw them last, they'd been a dark and bloody red. Now they were terrified, wide. Her left hand was shaking uncontrollably, and she kept trying to raise her right, to point it at him, but always failing, always having the yellow and black prosthetic fall uselessly to her side. He could hear her breaths, so ragged and uneven. He could clearly see fear pouring out of her.
Yang had seen him walk towards her time and again. She'd replayed the moment so many times, trying in vain to fend him off as he came closer with sword drawn, that sadistic grin on his face...
She had to do something. She had to raise her fist and fire at him. Even if she couldn't beat him Yang had to at least stall him until the others joined her and they could surround him. But she just couldn't lift her hand.
Adam looked down at the relic. He wasn't sure what it had imparted exactly, but with the way it sharpened his senses, with the way it had allowed him to measure his Aura and strengthen his Semblance… he'd been able to defeat Ghira and reduce his number of enemies.
They'd be coming to join her. And the relic would ensure they'd pursue him relentlessly. If he left it behind they'd prioritize securing it and keeping it safely hidden away and give him time to plan his next move.
Adam stepped past the fallen relic and towards the girl. She tried to raise her hand again but couldn't bring herself to. The best she could manage was to reach her right hand to grasp her left wrist, to try and steady her shaking.
She couldn't even try to step back as he drew nearer, leveling his sword to her. He pushed the tip right towards her throat.
He should kill her. But as he recalled, she hadn't been too difficult to deal with… that new right arm of hers' constantly reminded him of it.
But she knew Blake. That fear this girl was feeling now would be much more useful than her death.
"Tell Blake that I haven't forgotten my promise," Adam told the terrified human girl. "Tell her that if she continues to deny the truth then I will remind her what she owes." He lowered his blade and sheathed it. "Tell her this is just the beginning."
Adam walked past a still stunned and trembling Yang, who continued to stare ahead rather than follow the dangerous psychopath. She looked down at the relic, and Ghira's body beyond it on the dock.
Yang clamped her grip on her wrist. Her arm wouldn't stop shaking, and her breathing just couldn't seem to get under control.
The beeping of her Scroll broke her from her reverie. Yang eventually responded to it, reaching her steadier right hand into her pocket and answering a call.
"Yang? Are you all right?"
Blake.
She still had Yang's number…
Yang's only response was labored breath. She had to tell Blake what happened but couldn't force herself to say the words.
Couldn't tell her that her father… that Kali's husband… that Adam…
"Yang?" Blake inquired again, her voice growing more frantic, "Yang?!"
Yang felt the Scroll slide from her hand and clatter to the ground. Now her right hand, her artificial arm, was shaking too.
Yang looked down at the Scroll on the ground, faintly hearing Blake cry out for her.