Chapter 52

The Belladonna household was in the midst of being rebuilt. It was coming along pretty nicely too. The people of Menagerie had kicked into gear and were working hard.

"Remember to keep your shield up! You aren't going to win a war, just make it through!" Adam called out to the assembled trainee's. "Our opponents will have guns! Leave their leaders to myself and team SSSN and focus on taking down their grunts and disabling their explosives! If you can, try to leave the enemy alive. But don't be afraid to take their life if you have to."

He paused a moment and sighed. "We don't want to take any lives, but your personal safety is more important than trying to protect those we'll be fighting. Hopefully, it won't come to that, however."

Neptune and his team were checking their spear forms to make sure they had the basics down. Adam was drilling them in formations and general order of battle. They would keep to the back at first, put their shields up and then march forward to the enemy. While he and SSSN dealt with Blake and any of the other major players she brought, they would target the weaker forces.

It was supposed to be a small operation on the White Fang side, so they shouldn't have much of a problem. Especially with Ghira leading them. The old man wanted in on the op. Adam had been a little surprised, considering the man was a pacifist, but Ghira had assured him that this was his responsibility for allowing it to get this bad.

Adam could respect that. He had similar thoughts over Blake after all.

The day went on and their new soldiers went home to rest. Adam and SSSN kept at it, however. They needed to keep up their teamwork while Adam had a new facet of his Semblance to master.

It seems like I can use it now. But why? What changed? It was a conundrum that took a few days to really start figuring out. He had to dig deep within himself to understand why it worked now and he only really understood after most of the month had passed them by.

The simplest answer was that his desires had changed.

Back when I joined the White Fang I wanted to change the world for the better. It had quickly been corrupted, however. When I managed this ability before I had been thinking about Blake, so how does that connect?

At first, it didn't make sense, but he soon figured it out. They had gotten together early on in Sienna's tenure as leader. Back then he hadn't allowed his hatred to control him yet, so his dreams were still focused on changing the world for the better. But he hadn't been able to do it back then so why now?

That answer was simple as well. He was serious about it now. When the White Fang went violent he wanted to better things, but it was mixed with his desire for Blake and his hatred. But now he was pushing his hatred away and deciding to arrest Blake first.

The desire to make the world a better place for Humans and Faunus was now his top goal in life. This affected his Semblance. But how does a better world fit with being able to launch fire? Unless launching fire is a by-product and not the main change.

When he focused his Semblance he could almost imagine a question being posed. What did he want to use his energy to enhance? His standard was enhancing his swords cutting power or unleashing a wave of the stored energy itself, typically in a form of kinetic energy. But now he had the option to enhance his swords Dust abilities.

If I had a sword with Lightning or Frost Dust infused into it I could probably use waves of those instead.

So really his new mindset had increased his Semblances versatility.

I wonder how this would work with Yang's Semblance? We've been able to trade energy before so maybe we can add more Dust effects…

That would require him meeting up with her again though. He wanted to, but it would be awkward and difficult.

Once Blake is captured. Then I'll find you, Yang. We are partners after all.

The sun warmed her skin as she exited the house. Her sister was lying down, staring up at the sky as the early morning slowly passed her by.

Yang smiled and walked up to the red and black-clad girl. "Boop!" She said, dropping her hair over Ruby's face.

"Gak! Yaaaaang!" Ruby whined. She had a smile on her face though. They shared a hearty laugh. Yang plopped herself down next to Ruby as she sat up.

"Couldn't sleep?" Yang asked.

"No. Couldn't get much." Ruby replied. "A lot is going on and… so many Huntsmen are just gone. Qrow found no allies and it looks like we'll have to wait way too long before we can go to Raven to secure the Spring Maiden. I just… I'm worried…"

"Ruby…"

"Well it's good we're here then, isn't it?" A new voice called out. The sisters turned to see Weiss coming over to them, a smile on her face and a tray in her hands. Three mugs of steaming hot coffee sat atop the tray. "We have plenty of time to train and if you're going to wake up, you should have some of this." She said, handing a mug to Yang.

"Thanks, Weiss."

"Ew bitter!" Ruby groaned before even touching the mug.

"Oh don't you worry. I put absurd amounts of cream and sugar in. You'll never even taste the coffee."

"Yay! Thanks, Nice Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed, reaching for the mug.

"Careful Ruby. You don't want to summon the Ice Queen!" Yang teased as Weiss glared at the pair of them. It faded quickly and the trio laughed. Weiss sat down as well and they sat in silence for a minute or two, drinking their coffee and waking up.

Ruby broke the silence, however. "I wish Adam were here."

Yang's good mood soured instantly. "Yeah well, he made his choice." She snarled.

"Yang… you know why he left." Ruby said. "He's trying to make up for his mistakes. Trying to fix things."

"Yeah well, he never considered staying and helping me did he!?" She growled. Her shoulder started to ache, right where it went from flesh and bone into metal. "Too busy chasing after his girlfriend!" Yang stood up. "He couldn't even be bothered saying goodbye properly!"

"Yang! You read the note! He thought it would make you angrier!" Ruby tried to calm her down.

"A fat lot of good that did!"

Weiss sighed. "Yang, he's never been very good at talking to us now has he? I get wanting him to talk to you but if you expected it then I have to say that's more on you for misunderstanding him."

I understand him better than either of you! She wanted to yell it at them. To tell them everything he told her just before the dance. But she didn't. Some lingering respect for him stopped her. Instead, she just marched off, forgetting the comfortable mood they'd had.

She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She wanted to be angry. How could he just leave like that!? They were partners, they were supposed to support one another! Instead, he left to go screw around somewhere and 'redeem' his crazy girlfriend! And Sun and his team followed him!

Yang barged back into her room, closed the door and silently screamed at the world. Why? Why did she have to have the partner who abandoned her? Or the mother that abandoned her? Or the mother that died and left her to raise a child only two years younger!?

Aaaaahhhhhh!

She sat on her bed and breathed. Soon enough there was a knock on the door followed by its click as it opened. "Ruby I'm not in the mood- oh. Weiss." Weiss gave her a sympathetic look and sat down on the other bed. Yang spoke up after a moment. "Look I'm not sorry about what I said."

"I get it. He left. He might have been there for a while but he left before you got better. When Ruby and everyone else left as well you must have felt pretty lonely."

"Yeah well, what do you know about being lonely? You have a big mansion, a sister and brother, both parents, a rich company. What could you possibly know about loneliness!" She spat the words but even then she knew it was unfair of her. Weiss looked unfazed, however. She just got up and sat next to Yang.

"For years my family had tension sitting there. It was as if we were built on a cracked foundation. On my tenth birthday, my father revealed what it was. He had never loved my mother."

Yang immediately felt guilty but she remained quiet and let Weiss finish.

"She knew. She must have, judging by her reaction. It was just confirmation. But it fell apart soon after. First, it was separate meals and parties and recitals. And then only with my father. Then it was none. No meals. No parties. No recitals. My mother turned to alcohol and she was never the same. She couldn't be called warm anymore. All of us had to look to our father for affirmation."

She paused for a moment to gather her breath and energy. "But we all know how terrible he is. Winter left soon after, abandoning the family for the military. Sure we got along but we barely saw each other. I wanted to leave too but where could I go? He was so controlling. Everything I did was twisted around to 'support the family name'. My talent for singing became a tool for charity events and my father's elite friends. My brother was groomed into being just like our father. Eventually, I had to get out. I escaped to Beacon and I found friends."

Weiss looked to Yang, tears in her eyes. "My childhood was lonely Yang. Maybe not like yours but lonely all the same. We all have our own version of it. Our own loneliness that only we understand fully. You. Me. Ruby. Adam too. Even Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora have their own. We'll only be able to understand some of it if we talk to them."

"I…" Yang wasn't sure how to respond. "I'm sorry. I know he felt he needed to fix things. Go and stop Blake from hurting more people. But I needed him." Tears pricked her eyes now.

"I know." Weiss pulled Yang into a hug. "When we see him again we'll lay into him for leaving and then make him stay with us. How's that?" Weiss' words helped to soothe her anger.

"Ha. Yeah. We'll tell him off for leaving." Yang replied with a smile.

The door opened again but this time it was Ruby coming to check on them. Yang gave her sister the biggest smile she could manage.

"We'll be okay Ruby."

The cell was cold and damp. Menagerie didn't have any good prisons. Most of the time they just kicked people off the island or out into the inhospitable desert.

Guess I'm too important. Ilia thought.

From what the guards had been saying she'd been in this cell block, alone aside from the guards, for almost a month. The attack on Haven was coming up. Adam and his forces would be leaving soon. They'd leave her here.

But someone didn't want her to rot in jail.

Sounds of combat echoed from a distance. A nearby door broke down and the two guards in the block were slain in seconds.

Yuma appeared at her cell door, a condescending look on his face. "You're lucky, Ilia. Our Supreme Leader wants you by her side." He said as he unlocked the door.

"She does? What about the others?" Ilia asked, stretching once she left the cell. Yuma offered up her weapon.

"The Lieutenant is releasing them. They are to try and complete their previous mission. He'll be joining us for the escape, however." Yuma replied easily.

"We're abandoning them?"

"We can't escape with all of them. Adam's too soft to kill them now so once we succeed at Haven and gain power from our allies we can free them. I'll miss having Trifa at my side but I'll manage." His tone was cold.

He doesn't care what happens to them. Ilia gulped. They were all allies though. Comrades. They should be fighting to rescue each of them! But he was right. They couldn't escape with all of them…

"Then let's go." Ilia finally answered. Yuma shrugged and led the way out.

They had reached the trees by the time Adam and his allies arrived. They tore through Corsac and Fennec with ease. Trifa and some others tried to help but they wouldn't last. Ilia had to turn away and retreat with Yuma.

After an hour of walking through the forest, they reached a secluded port. It was old and only had one boat. The Lieutenant was already there, prepared for them. He nodded to her as she climbed on board.

They were off moments later. Ilia couldn't help but feel like they had done something wrong. Blake… shouldn't we have rescued everyone? It's not like I'm the best here. If you had to choose one or two shouldn't it have been Trifa? She works well with Yuma. Or maybe the Albain brothers? They're smart and many in the White Fang trust them greatly. Why me? Is it just because we're friends? Am I only free because of nepotism?

She had no answers but continued to think about it all the way back to the ship they had out to sea. She'd be able to ask Blake soon enough. There had to be a good reason for Blake to want her and only her freed.

There had to be...

A/N: So... Ilia's free already. I was stuck on if I wanted to hold it off for another chapter but really it wouldn't matter much. The Battle for Haven is fast approaching and the month is spent training or sitting in jail. At least the Menagerie side of things. In Mistral, it's only a couple of days to a week because the Menagerie arc is technically earlier in the timeline. Doing it this way means we see both sides rather than one first and then the other. Meh. Anyway. Adam has mostly figured his Semblance out now. His advancement is essentially a reward for finally pushing past his hatred and obsession with Blake. He's been on the path for a while now but after fighting Ilia he has become resolved in arresting them, rather than just talking to them. For so long he's held back against Blake because he wanted to talk her into changing sides, but now he will do his damndest to capture her. Although as he said in previous chapters, she's last on the list for the Battle of Haven.

Meanwhile, Yang is mad because Yang is Yang. Abandonment issues let's freaking goooooooo! Poor Yang. Poor Weiss too. Poor everybody really. Everybody is pretty justified in their choices here, even if some of them are bad choices. Adam should have stuck around or at least properly said goodbye but he doesn't people very well. Let's see how much better he does once he encounters everyone at Haven. Of course, unlike canon, he'll be facing multiple foes. In canon, everyone Adam could have called on was either dead, captured or swapped sides. Here Blake has Banesaw, Yuma and Ilia. But Adam has a full team at his back as well as a lot of Menagerie. So it'll hopefully be an interesting fight.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! I'll see you next time!