It had been two weeks since Weiss had gone to Atlas with the lamp. Any stops by the Argus Military Base just resulted in Cordovin gloating. Still everyone kept busy one way or another.
Ruby would still make trips to the military base after learning about the giant mech held there. Predictably the personnel there did not let her get close, but she still got to see it in action when a couple of larger Grimm needed to be dealt with. During a battle with a Sea Feilong the mech took some damage to it's right leg, but the technicians just said they would handle it and told her to move along 'civilian'. The legs didn't look replaced so much as patched back together next time it came out, but it held for three battles and the techs claimed there wasn't any particular concern about them failing and so no need to worry.
Saaya tended to just follow Ruby around during this time. She could tell the girl was feeling down with her partner still missing and wanted to keep her spirits up. Already used to Kagura getting them into trouble, Saaya was able to keep Ruby's hyperactive nature in check.
Aya and Kagura spent most of their time browsing the shops in Argus. Having none of the Native currency it was mostly window shopping, but there really wasn't anything else they were busy with.
Anna was trying to figure out a new plan for getting to Atlas. The rest of team RWBY had assured her that Weiss wouldn't just abandon them so the only other conclusion was that something had happened. The bullhead carrying Weiss hadn't returned so it was possible she never even made it to Atlas.
Saki mostly stayed at the Arc household. She wasn't the most trusting type and even if Anna was supposed to be safe, she also wasn't much of a fighter and Saki didn't want her getting hurt. Especially after those from Remnant started giving Anna dirty looks. It was her plan that sent Weiss alone to Atlas and nobody knew what had befallen Weiss since returning to the floating city.
Blake had spent the time trying to repair her relationship with Yang who in turn remained pissy. Worse, Yang could swear she kept seeing Adam in the corner of her eye. Recognizing it from her own trauma Blake sympathized, but never believed she could be right.
Team JNR mostly just wandered the city without any clear direction, Oscar would often join them in this and they would occasionally go out and train together so that he would be able to better hold his own.
This left Qrow and Maria who were stuck together. Qrow was certain that this was all his fault somehow thanks to his semblance and wanted to go drink himself to death in the nearest bar, but Maria had grown fond of Ruby while she taught her about Silver Eyes. Ruby was a good kid in her mind and the last thing she needed was for her Uncle to show up drunk every night.
At the beginning of the third week of Weiss being missing things changed starting with team RBY deciding to go on a was feeling particularly paranoid and Blake decided to bring Ruby along to help her out while Saaya decided to stay home and spend the day with her own sister.
"I'm telling you Adam is here!" Yang shouted over the crashing of the nearby waterfall.
"Yang… I just… don't see how he could have followed us all the way from Mantle." Blake started, "trust me I know what it is like to feel like he is around every corner, but he is a major criminal in every kingdom, there is no way he could be here."
"And I know what I saw at Brunswick farms!" Yang shouted back angrily.
"Yang… are you… Okay?" Ruby asks, worried for her sister. This just results in a hurt look from Yang.
For a moment there is silence save for the sound of the waterfall. Only for it to be broken by a voice all too familiar to two of them.
"You really shouldn't underestimate me so much Blake." As the girls look to the top of the cliff a red haired, horned faunus with a wrap around his eyes made his appearance.
Adam had found them.
"I wasn't interested in her though." Adam continues leaping down to the same natural bridge team RBY were on causing the three to pull back in fright. They had their weapons considering how far they were from the city, but they were still nervous.
"This whole time, I have been following you… Blake." Adam finishes a smirk adorning his face.
"Why me! Why can't you just leave me alone!" Blake shouts in fear, drawing her weapon and firing it only for Adam to block it with his crimson blade.
"Oh Blake. People have hurt me in plenty of different ways, but no one hurt me quite like you." Adam started morosely, "You didn't leave scars, you just left me."
A chuckle escaped his lips as he said this.
"Although I guess now you might know what it feels like. I can't help but notice that the Schnee seems to be gone. What did she abandon her friends in Argus as she ran home to Atlas?" Adam taunted.
"Weiss wouldn't do that." Ruby says almost more to convince herself than anyone else.
"Oh? And I suppose you know the Schnees so well." Adam's condescending smirk returns to his lips. "Hardly a surprise that a human would defend the Schnees despite doing this." As he continues Adam reaches up to his blindfold and pulls it off revealing the brand of the SDC.
Damningly, the brand seems to gaze back at Ruby and Yang as to how someone could be so cruel. Worse, despite everything a thought wormed into the back of each of their minds. Did Weiss know about this?
Blake took it best, she had seen Adam before the mask went on and knew how he had been hurt by humans. But not all humans were like that. Weiss, despite her early misgivings, was not like that. Adam had suffered, but that didn't excuse the awful things he had done.
"I am going to stop you." Blake stated, she would stand her ground and not run away anymore. This affirmation snaps Ruby out of it and she steps forward with a nod.
"What about her?" Adam asks, causing Ruby and Blake to look back at Yang. When Ruby took a step forward she had taken a step back. She was not ready to face the man who had taken her arm so casually and it could be seen as her face filled with fear.
Ruby could tell, but she wouldn't judge her sister for this. Instead she did the only thing she could. And charged. Blake followed quickly behind.
Blake had explained Adams' semblance to Ruby before so as she went in for a strike she attacked at an awkward angle, her scythe reaching all the way around.
Against two opponents Adam was on the defensive for now and with Blake coming in right behind Ruby he couldn't afford to go in for an attack that would likely be dodged by the smaller girl. Instead he followed the Blade of the Scythe with his own sheathed sword, never taking his eyes off of Blake.
By the time Ruby connected her attack with a pull of the trigger she was on the opposite side of Adam's sword arm, but with some impressive flexibility Adam was still able to catch the attack on his blade and deflect the attack over his head letting Ruby go flying by the recoil.
Ruby stopped herself by planting the blade into the rock beneath her as she flew and began opening fire on Adam to give Blake some cover.
Unfortunately, this was hardly a new situation for Adam as he managed to parry both the shots from Ruby and the acrobatic attacks from Blake.
To make matters worse his semblance both girls knew that Adam's semblance was like Yang's and the longer this went on the more dangerous he became. Still they couldn't just not attack him or Adam would have free reign to do as much damage as he wanted.
And Yang?
Yang stood there loathing herself.
She should be helping her sister and her partner, but everytime the thought comes to her head the image of her arm getting cut off replayed in her mind. She had kept seeing Adams face ever since the Fall of Beacon and by this point she wasn't even sure which times were real and which were just in her head.
As she is lost in her thoughts Ruby flies past her after taking a blow from Adam on her scythe. Quickly getting back up and charging back into the fray
"...Ruby?" Yang hesitantly asks at her sisters already moving back. Ruby had given a small smile to Yang as she passed as if to say everything would be okay. However, despite appearances the fight was not going as well as would first be assumed.
The issue was how long it was dragging on resulting in Adam charging up his semblance more and more. True he had lost a third of his Aura by this point, but much like with Yang that only meant he was more dangerous. Even having blocked it Ruby had lost a fourth of her aura in what was a rushed attack by Adam without the full power of his semblance behind it.
Ruby and Blake had taken enough hits in the fight so far that if either was hit by the full force of Adam's Semblance they would be in serious danger.
Still they fought. There was no more room for caution as Adams semblance was fully charged and so both girls engaged in hit and run attacks. Blake went in for a slash at Adams back and used her clones to back off before he even slashed at her feet. Still he tried and Ruby shot fire rounds at him.
Adam wasn't slow though and quickly dodged out of the way. He knew he was slower than both of these girls and unlikely to land a serious blow so each strike he made was with the intent of disrupting their footwork. If either girl tripped it would be over.
Like this the 3 played cat and mouse with each other.
However, as good as the two huntresses were, they had only managed to bring Adam to a third of his aura when it happened.
A step in a small hole created by Adams' attacks had Blake falling over.
"BLAKE!" Ruby shouted in fear for her friend, both girls' eyes widening.
Adam began charging up his attack immediately after seeing where that cat faunus had placed her foot.
But his target wasn't the one who had fallen.
When Blake tripped Ruby had stopped knowing she had no way of getting to her friend and instead chose to fire at Adam to disrupt his attack. Only for Adam to use his Semblance to launch a wave at the now stationary Red Reaper.
He wasn't interested in killing Blake. He had not followed her all the way from Mistral to kill her.
No, even now Adam still thought he could take Blake back. The Schnee had already fled and the blonde one didn't have the strength to stop him anymore. The only one he needed to get rid of was little red and he would have all the time with Blake he needed to make her see that this was for the best.
Ruby didn't have time. This attack had caught her flat footed and positioned as she was to attack Adam she didn't have time to block either.
The attack would hit.
But this time it would not hit Ruby.
Someone else had been watching her and as the dark red wave from the attack came, a blur of yellow got in the way.
Yang was Ruby's older sister, screw what anyone else said. And like an older sibling, she would protect her little sister.
When Adam had started preparing the attack Yang could see what the others couldn't and she remembered what Adam had said to Blake the night of the fall.
She took off towards Ruby and threw herself in front of the same attack that had taken her arm previously.
But this time would be different. Yang still had all of her Aura and her new arm was built to be tough.
So when Adams Attack connected with Yang it hurt, but she was still standing with a little under half her Aura left.
Just like with Adam however, Yang gets stronger when she takes damage. Both store up power Adam had just used all of his.
And because of this. Yang was now fully charged.
No words were spoken. The girls didn't need to and Adam was too enraged by the girl blocking his attack.
Still, this fight wasn't necessarily over. Adam may have been put on his last legs with only a third of his Aura left, but he was still dangerous and now he was out to prove it.
With the addition of Yang the tactics used by the girls shifted. Yang was the slowest amongst them, but also the toughest and could hit the hardest. So rather than the hit and run tactics used before, Blake and Ruby started disrupting Adam when he went to strike.
Yang would frequently attack with her left arm knowing it would be better to use her robotic right arm to block. Blow after blow like a boxer hit Adam. Still he was skilled and blocked most, but each time he did a shot from Ruby or a strike from Blake would hit his back.
Adam was being driven into a corner, and a cornered beast is the most dangerous.
As his aura broke Adam launched one more attack at Blake. It wouldn't hit she was too quick, but the action had all three girls launch an attack on an Adam with no Aura remaining. All three blows hit the body and Adam collapsed.
For a moment the Huntresses were left in shock; they wanted to defeat Adam, but they had not been prepared to kill him. None of them had directly taken a life yet and even though the one who had died may have deserved it the action still felt wrong to them.
Despite being furthest away Ruby was the first to reach Adams body.
"No, no, no you can't be dead I didn'.. You weren'.. No." Ruby could only stammer as the weight of guilt set in.
"Ruby. It's okay, you didn't mean too… he… he brought this on himself." Yang was similarly disturbed, but still felt the need to comfort her little sister. None of them had intended for things to end this way.
Blake took it the worst however. As much as she had loathed what Adam had become, at one point he had been her mentor and even someone she loved. Now. She had killed him.
Blake stood there blankly not knowing what to do with herself. She didn't blame Ruby or Yang. Adam had been here for her and so his death was because of her.
"We… we should bury him. That's all that we can do now." Yang hesitantly stated. Ruby and Blake took a minute but eventually nodded.
There was nothing that could be done for Adam even if he was brought to Argus. Even though they would likely be celebrated for killing such an infamous terrorist none of the girls wanted their names associated with this.
It took several minutes, but soon enough Adams body was buried next to the waterfall, a small pile of rocks with the Blindfold he had been wearing the only thing to mark his grave.
For a while the girls just stood there looking down at what they had made, what they had done, but eventually they began the walk home in silence. Only broken by a question from Ruby.
"Blake… the brand on Adam… was it…"
"Yes. It… likely wasn't something officially done by the Schnee's, but… there is a reason why most Faunus dislike the company and it is the same reason I had so much trouble getting along with Weiss even after… settling things. I… don't know the full story, just that the brand is from when he was a kid."
"You don't think… Weiss actually abandoned us… do you?" Yang asked the seed of doubt from what Adam said still in her heart.
"No! Weiss wouldn't abandon us like this." Blake responded vehemently.
"Right." Yang could only reply somberly, still not sure what could have kept her from sending someone for them.
"Hey do you hear that?" Ruby asked suddenly as they begin walking up a hill.
Sure enough both Yang and Blake do hear it. The sound of battle not far away. Sprinting up the hill the girls witness a massive attack taking place on Argus led by a leviathan Grimm.
And as they see it, Ruby can also see Atlas mech in the water on it's back.
The leg had given out and it had collapsed.