Troll in Reviews

As has been noted, there is a troll in reviews spamming guest reviews and trying to frame people by writing their name in the name slot. Just ignore it. It's not worth the effort of paying attention to and I'm only writing this message so people are aware.

He's also pretending to be me by writing my name in guest review slots. I would only ever review something from this (logged-in) account.


Chapter 8


Adam pushed them on a gruelling pace in from the coast for two days, still wary of Atlas' response and the possibility Mistral had seen them coming, and now even more concerned by the fact three random people could find them so quickly on arrival. When it came to forces that could be mobilised, only Atlas had a standing military of any strength and ability, but Mistral had its fair share of huntsmen, many of whom didn't think all too fondly of the White Fang, or so Adam put it.

What they might think of him, Jaune wasn't sure. Being away from Atlas arguably meant that the "crimes" he'd committed there wouldn't matter anymore, but that really depended on what Atlas decided to do. They had the weight to demand Mistral hunt him down.

No such encounters occurred. Whether that was on Mistral's part or thanks to Adam's caution was unknown, but with Coral still hurt and in tow, he was relieved for it all the same. They skirted villages and avoided major roads, Blake and a few younger faunus dropping masks and approaching small towns to barter for food or supplies.

Adam caught him looking longingly at a small village with dust-powered lanterns illuminating windows and the sound of happy people audible even from a distance away. The faunus placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him running in.

"I know it's tempting but we've no idea if your face is known outside Atlas. Don't risk it."

"You think Atlas would push for me to be captured even here?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. We bloodied their noses and showed them as fools – and while they'll blame the Fang for that, it's easier to direct all the animosity toward a single person." Adam looked away, frowning. "And let's not forget the group responsible has operations in Mistral. It's not just Atlas you need to be cautious of."

"You think they have that kind of pull even here!?"

"If anything, I think it would be even easier to have that sway here. For all I hate them, Atlas has their affairs in order." Under his breath, he muttered, "Where it doesn't come to faunus. Mistral is all but run by criminal families. What's one more? Or better yet, money filtered to one of those by a shadowy group wishing to stay hidden. They already have bases here – why else send two members of your family this way?" Adam poked his chest. "Be wary. Mistral isn't safe. It's just a different kind of messed up…"

"Do you think those three came from there…?"

"No. They were something else."

Adam didn't expand on that and quickly walked away to bark orders. He hadn't been forthcoming on what those people said to Blake either, though she did say maybe that was because he'd rejected whatever offer they'd made. The matter was over, or so Adam insisted.

Out of a country ruled by the military and into one ran by gangs. Shaking his head, he made his way back to the medical tent, sitting outside with a quick look in to see Coral asleep once more. It felt unreal that both countries could be so different and Vale so standard, or maybe he'd just been too naïve at the time to realise the similarities. Life in Ansel was far removed from the city of Vale, the seat of the Kingdom's power.

If it wasn't for what happened I wouldn't care about Vale, Atlas, Mistral or the White Fang. I wouldn't have even thought about it.

What did that make him? Callous? Uncaring? Nicholas would have told him not to go out hunting misery, but he couldn't help but think that attitude was wrong. If all it took for evil to exist was for good men to do nothing, then surely he was enabling it by wanting to live a normal life. Meanwhile Blake and Adam were doing something – and they'd been labelled evil terrorists themselves. Damned if you do; damned if you don't.

A commotion over at the edge of camp drew him to his feet and he reached for the handgun at his side before realising no one else was. Blake and the others must have returned. Jaune hovered on the edge of the crowd, watching as they put several crates down, fresh veg and fruit by the looks of it. The White Fang ran an organised system wherein cooks worked shifts for the whole group, preventing any wastage or hording. He could even see some meat, promising they'd be eating well tonight. A few of the masked members clapped the younger faunus' shoulders, laughing and thanking them for the bounty.

Blake didn't seem too bothered either way but some of the youngest looked enthused by the praise. Spotting him, she nodded and made her way over, unfurling something from her side. A newspaper. Holding it out, she said, "Here. It's bad news I'm afraid."

Wanted: Jaune Arc

International criminal Jaune Arc wanted on crimes of murder, terrorism, theft, assault and violent actions against both military and civilian targets. Last seen in company of White Fang. Considered extremely dangerous and violent, the target is not to be approached other than by trained individuals. Witnesses should contact their local police or Atlas at the number below.

Bounty:

5,000,000 lien alive

2,500,000 lien dead

His own face stared back at him from the front cover of the `Mistral Tribune`, an artist's rendition of the same beside it with a White Fang mask on. His stomach flipped and flopped. He wasn't surprised by the news, but that didn't stop it leaving him nauseous.

"I'm an international criminal…"

"It was bound to happen," Blake said. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault…" he mumbled. Not the White Fang's at all. Even without them, he'd have been labelled this for daring to escape, for daring to believe his family should be free of the sickening experiments.

Crimes against civilian targets, though? Against a scientist who put his sisters through hell, and who took perverse pleasure in the act! How could they say that with a straight face? His fingers gripped the edges, threatening to rip the paper in two.

"Adam still needs to read that."

Jaune handed it back before he could lose it. "I notice they didn't mention my Semblance. Five million to capture me but they're not going to tell anyone what I can do. Not that I want them to beat me, but that doesn't seem a good idea."

"They must still want your Semblance. Enough to keep it hidden. There's still a chance other groups would hunt you down if they knew what you could do. Adam isn't the only one who'd kill to have you on his side."

On his side. Not our side.

"Other Governments?"

"Maybe." Blake shrugged. "Depends if they think it's worth the risk of upsetting Atlas. The criminal families of Mistral would give an arm and a leg for you. Though, if the offer was good, they'd almost instantly sell you back into experimentation. Strange as it sounds, at least you can trust the White Fang for that. They're not in this for money or fame."

"We're," Jaune pointed out.

"We're not in this," she said. "That's what I meant."

He knew she hadn't and that she was aware of what she'd just implied. Blake had been like that ever since Atlas and he wasn't sure what to do about it, or if he should do anything at all. In the end, it was easier to focus on his own problems and leave her to it. Thanking her for the news, he let her go deliver it to Adam, sinking down to sit on a log as she did.

Five million.

That kind of money was unknown to the Arc family. They weren't hurting for money and Nicholas worked a well-paying job of a huntsman, but he had eight children to pay for. Life in Ansel had been relatively cheap, or at least his parents always said it was compared to a major city. Apparently, you could buy a home in a frontier village for the price of a year's rent of an apartment in Vale.

You paid for the safety of a city. The walls, the huntsmen and the promise of never having to see Grimm, where villages outside the walls rolled the dice on their survival as often as not. Ansel had been safe enough, but still cheap. Five million would have been enough to live like royalty there, and was probably enough to buy a couple of properties in a city as well.

"In what world am I worth five million lien…?" he asked the air around him.

His body was weak compared to most guys his age. He was growing stronger and outward, but months of barely enough food to subsist on and no exercise had left his bones poking out at odd angles and his skin overly pale.

They didn't care about his body. Working his hand open and shut in front of him, he engaged his Semblance, and while there was no visible chance to his skin, he knew it would now be as vulnerable as paper. A single bullet, blade or splinter would dig deep, ignoring aura and imbedding in flesh and muscle.

Five million for this. Five million, his father's life and his family's freedom. Jaune gritted his teeth, bitter tears breaking forth.

"I wish I never unlocked this damn thing!"

/-/

Ozpin poured himself a cup of coffee but left the second empty, watching amusedly as his guest spun the chair he'd offered around and sat on it legs akimbo and hands crossed over the backrest, chin resting atop them. He was a messy and unkempt man with a tired expression and rough facial hair in need of a razor. The acrid tang of booze and cigarette smoke clung to him.

"Thank you for coming, Qrow. I do hate to drag you away on your holidays…"

"I'm assumin' it's important?"

"It is." Both Signal and Beacon were currently out for the summer holidays. As a teacher of one such establishment, Qrow's workload had finally eased, which made it doubly painful to call him back. "Rest assured I'm not drafting you into immediate duty. Not yet, anyway."

"Ominous." Qrow washed away his hangover with some booze. "Is this about the shit happening over in Atlas?"

"You've heard of it?"

"I keep my ear to the ground. White Fang troubles."

"It goes further than that I'm afraid." Ozpin took the time to open a news report on his terminal and show it to Qrow. The huntsman sighed and stood, coming around to get a proper look. "This is Jaune Arc. Sixteen, almost seventeen, resident of Vale. Up until around a month ago, presumed dead."

"And now a wanted criminal? Kid's been busy. You want me to take him down?"

"No. The young man is dangerous, perhaps even for you."

Ozpin noted the raised eyebrows and immediate disbelief. It wasn't unwarranted given the obvious discrepancy in experience. Qrow was a huntsman of two decades. Jaune Arc wasn't even a student. The balance should have been obvious, and that Qrow didn't immediately call his bluff was proof of the trust the huntsman had in him.

"I'm guessing you mean danger as in more than just working with the Fang."

"I do. Here. These records are of his Semblance – confirmed in person by myself. Take the time to read them fully."

Qrow shot him a suspicious look but leant down to read, eyes widening a few seconds in. He withheld his outburst and read until completion, but Ozpin could see the stress lines draw tight around his eyes. Qrow's hangover fled as he went on, until his fingers gripped the table's edge and his lips were a thin line.

"Is this real…?" Qrow continued before Ozpin could answer. "No, of course it is. You said you confirmed it. Gods. This… And I thought I had a shitty Semblance. Mine practically glows compared to this."

"Null is quite versatile."

"Oh, I get that. I mean shit as in what people will do to get a hold of it." Qrow ran a hand down his face and then paused, noticing the absolute silence. "Oh hell, that's what this is about, isn't it? It's already happening."

"You're as astute as ever. Allow me to fill you in on the news not released by Atlas. You may wish to take a seat."

It took a solid fifteen minutes to share what James had with him, and then another five to answer questions and allow Qrow a chance to rant himself back to calm. He allowed it with more than a little empathy. Nicholas Arc had been a student of his back when this body was younger, back when his position had been as a combat tutor and not a headmaster. While he'd never claim to have been the man's favourite teacher, they had a rapport.

Nicholas had been a good man and by all accounts he'd continued to be a good husband and father after graduation. That the first time he'd seen him after all those years was to be when his son unlocked so powerful a Semblance had been a surprise, but he could have never expected it would also be the last time he would ever see the man.

"Fucking fuckers!" Qrow roared. "Nick. Fuck. I remember toasting him when the news came in…" He slammed a hand down on Ozpin's desk, gnashing his teeth. "Fucking Atlas. Is Ironwood in on this? I swear, Ozpin, friend of yours or not I'll-"

"James is the one who discovered this and came to me for help."

The wind blew out of Qrow's sails. "Right." He swallowed, then firmed himself. "Good. Good on him. Tell me he's hunting down the bastards responsible."

Ozpin smiled. "James is quite upset at people going behind his back."

"Hah. Nice! Does he need help? I don't mind spying for him. You'd be surprised what people say when they think they're alone."

"That won't be necessary for now. James… I won't say he has things in hand, Qrow. There have been suicides among those he's captured. This goes deep. Sadly, I have reason to believe it goes deeper than just Atlas. Though one family member was caught being shuttled to Vacuo and two were seen headed for Mistral, three Bullheads entered Vale's airspace and promptly disappeared."

"Disappeared? Don't we have radar for that?"

"There was a blip." Ozpin offered a smile, but it had a sharp edge. A dangerous tint. "I'm told it was a simple technological glitch that caused us to lose track of them for a few minutes. Not long, but long enough for them to vanish entirely."

Qrow filtered through that and sighed. "Right. So we have traitors here as well. Awesome."

"We do, and that concerns me. It's not only a concern for the criminal elements conducting live human experimentation within our borders – we've seen where that can lead in Mountain Glenn – but it worries me to think what ends Mr Arc will go to for them. He has already killed in Atlas. He has sided with the White Fang. He has attacked, successfully I may add, military installations. And now, Qrow, we have three members of his family somewhere in our Kingdom."

"Shit."

"Indeed. I've been able to narrow it down to not being in the city. No Bullhead could have landed here, and you can imagine the difficulty trying to set up a hidden facility here. I have Oobleck scouring Mountain Glenn with Port as we speak. It's the obvious choice given Merlot's old facilities there. I've also asked Taiyang to give Patch a cursory once over, though I doubt they'd bring it there. You'd expect such a facility to be somewhere a little less inhabited. They want to avoid detection after all."

"Yeah. Good point. Where do you need me to look?"

"I don't want you looking for them."

Qrow went still. "Come again?"

"I have the faculty searching and your inclusion isn't necessary." He measured the words, watching the play of emotions across Qrow's face. Displeasure featured heavily. "I am as appalled at what is happening as anyone else here, but we must think greater. Imagine for a moment what might happen if she gained control of his Semblance."

"You want me to kill him…"

"No!" Ozpin was quick to wave that down. "No, Qrow, that is the last thing I want. What I want is for all this to not have happened in the first place, for Nicholas to be alive and Mr Arc attending Beacon with your niece, Yang. However, that future is beyond us now and I have to think how much worse things might be if Salem had a way to turn a person's aura and Semblance off. I want you to find him, but not to kill. I want you to recruit him."

The huntsman relaxed, sinking back into his chair. "As a student? Not sure that'll fly."

"It won't. He'd be as you are, albeit less used for combat. An agent. If nothing else, I'd protect him."

"Right. That's better than I dreaded." Qrow cracked a self-depreciating smile. "What do I have to work with? The kids with the White Fang because they're helping him with his goals. Are you going to offer the same?"

"I am, and you can make that clear should you find him. We'll help locate the missing Arc family members and reunite them. If possible, I'll also see the ones responsible brought to justice. Don't push him, Qrow. Don't force the issue. You're the strongest huntsman in Vale but that'll mean so little against him. If he refuses, walk away. We can't lose you."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to leave my nieces without an uncle. Alright, Oz. I like this plan better than leaving Nick's brat to be picked up by the ones who did this to them. They're in Mistral, right? I'll see what I can find. To be honest, I'm worried what Ray might think if she found him first."

The thought had crossed his mind as well. Raven appreciated strength, and while Jaune Arc may have been lacking in the traditional values of that, she'd make an exception for a powerful Semblance.

Raven's portals combined with Jaune's ability to drop the aura of anyone they appeared behind would make for an almost unstoppable combo. Then again, so would any wide range area Semblance that could be fired and forgotten. Or even the boy and ten men armed with guns. It really was a terrifying Semblance. There were stronger ones out there, but few that could so violently upheave the natural order of things.

Would it work on him? What would happen if he died and his soul, which was tied to aura, couldn't exit his dying body to find a new host? While he doubted a human Semblance could defeat a curse placed by a God, it was still worth considering. Especially if it might work in some small way on Salem herself.

"It's in your hands now, Qrow. Take no risks. Do not startle him."

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle as a lamb." Qrow approached a window and looked back. "You keep an eye out for those three that came to Vale, yeah? This'll go a lot easier if we can bribe him in with a safe and healthy sister."

"I'll do what I can."

/-/

It took them two days to meet with the envoys from Menagerie. They were White Fang like them, but oh so obviously less at the same time. It was obvious in the way they moved and acted, how they exchanged nervous looks and fidgeted in place where Adam's people stood firm and resolute.

Amateurs, Jaune thought without any real criticism. It wasn't an insult so much as a statement of fact. These people were less good at what they did, less confident, or maybe Adam was just that good a leader that he could whip a unit into something resembling Atlas' special forces.

Which, to be fair, made sense. You couldn't send any but your best to skulk around in Atlas taking on hostile military encampments. Understandable as it was, it still left him feeling more than a little anxious to be leaving Coral with them.

"Is it really safe?" he asked Adam. "They don't seem… well…"

"Good at their job?"

"Yeah…"

"They're rank and file," he answered, frown in place, "But they're not going into any action so that's fine. Mistral's wildlands are all but abandoned. If it's not the city or the roads leading to the closest villages, Mistral doesn't want to hear about it. They made it here without incident. They can make it back."

"What if Grimm attack?"

"You see those two." Adam pointed to a tanned faunus and his very pale companion, who had silvery hair. "Those are Yuma and Trifa. I won't say they're as skilled as myself but they're at Blake's level or a little above. Those two will be dealing with any Grimm."

The woman noticed their attention and elbowed her partner. The two approached, the man smiling widely and the woman looking Jaune up and down, judging him. The twitch of her lips said he'd come across less than stellar.

"Adam. Good to see you. You need us for anything?"

"No." Adam nodded his way. "This is Jaune. His sister is the one you'll be escorting back to Menagerie."

Trifa hummed. "The human girl…?"

"Will that be a problem?" Jaune asked.

"It won't be." Adam drew a line under it. "Am I understood? If it is, Wilt will be having words with you directly. Human or not, she is a VIP to Menagerie and is to be surrendered to the Belladonna family on arrival. They are allies of the White Fang and have my personal promise of protection."

"Hey. Hey." Yuma held his empty hands up. "We're not saying otherwise. White Fang isn't going to turn away allies, human or otherwise."

"Sienna is curious, however," Trifa said. "Ilia has been… less than forthcoming on details, while Ghira won't allow his new guest to meet with Sienna without both his approval and his presence in any meeting."

Lavender. He knew she was safe, but it was still a relief to hear Ilia was looking out for her. Less so that Sienna Khan had an interest. Jaune nervously looked to Adam, wondering what he'd say. He was the leader of this group, but he didn't rule the White Fang.

"I'll talk with Sienna myself when we have a chance," Adam said. "I've already received orders from her. Interrupting dust convoys. I could write a message but if she wants a face to face meeting, that's going to take time. There's no CCT we can access here."

"I can relay a message back," Trifa offered.

"Hngh." Adam scowled. "Tell her I have an ally working alongside us, but that anything more can't be said other than in person. She'll know who if she keeps an eye on the news. We've not exactly been subtle."

"So we've heard." Yuma laughed loudly. "Numerous bases bust and Atlas in uproar. Damn, Adam. No one strikes harder than you do."

"Jaune helped with that. He was instrumental in our efforts."

The attention slid to him. As nervous as he was, he held his ground and nodded back, grateful for the mask that shielded his eyes from view. They might have been able to see the panic otherwise. Both the faunus regarded him for a long moment, no doubt trying to work out if Adam was serious or not. Eventually, Trifa nodded.

"Glad to hear it. His service is in exchange for safe transport of his family then?"

"Yes. I've assured him of it. Don't let me down."

"We'll see it done," she promised. "Just be sure to explain to the Khan just why he's so important. She trusts you, Adam, but you know the White Fang is more than just her. We'll escort the human safely to Menagerie but that won't stop the rank and file gossiping."

"I couldn't care less what they do, so long as they do not so much as make a threatening gesture toward her."

"I'll stick to her personally," Yuma said. "No harm will come to her. Shall we…?"

Adam nodded. "Jaune, show Yuma to your sister. Trifa, with me. I may as well fill you in on as much of the details we can. I also need you to send a report back to Sienna. We're fine on manpower, but we need to stay out of Atlas for a little while…" His voice trailed off as he and the silver haired faunus walked back to his tent.

A hand suddenly wrapped around Jaune's shoulder, making him stiffen. "So. Your sister?"

"R-Right. This way." He led Yuma in the direction of the medical tent, pulling out from under his arm as he did. The faunus didn't appear to be armed but considering he'd been leading them through the wilderness, that only meant he was good at hiding it.

He trusted Adam and Blake and Ilia, but the rest of the White Fang were unknown entities.

"So, you must be pretty handy to have about if Adam is willing to go this far for you." Yuma fished unashamedly, making no effort to hide that fact. "I'm taking it straight combat isn't what you offer as emaciated as you look. Tactical advice, information? Are you ex-Atlas?"

Jaune's teeth gritted together. "No."

"Oh. I hear that. Not a fan of Atlas, eh?" He laughed and pointed at his head. "Bat faunus. I can hear you grinding your teeth together clear as day. Not a turncoat from Atlas then, not with that kind of reaction."

"I'm helping. Isn't that all that matters?"

"Not really. You're a security risk. Sienna is nervous."

He shot Yuma a confused frown. "Should you be telling me that?"

"Just making sure you're in the know. A nervous Khan is not a friendly Khan. Adam vouches for you – and that goes a long way – but the sooner you properly swear yourself to the White Fang, the sooner you'll be accepted into the fold."

Swear himself…? He had no intention of. The White Fang were a means to an end. Adam knew that, Blake did too. Their arrangement was simply that; Adam helped him find the girls and he helped Adam in return. That might continue after they were safe since he wanted Atlas kept distracted from Menagerie, but Yuma was suggesting something more. Absolute loyalty. Becoming a part of the White Fang officially.

"I'm human…"

"Despite what you may hear we're not entirely anti-human." He said it with a roll of his eyes and a lopsided grin. "Some of my best friends are human. The Kingdoms just like to make us out as that because it stops humans helping us."

"There are human members then?"

"Some. They're mostly informants and backers. Faunus tend to take the brunt of the suffering and you need a certain amount of pain before you act against it. Our human supporters want to help us because they think it's the right thing to do, but not having their backs up against the wall, it's hard to expect them to fight for us. Inconvenient too. There are advantages to having all our combat members be faunus."

"The night vision, right?"

"Yep. Adam filled you in…?"

"He's taught me a few things."

"Sounds like him. Adam is good – the best of us. Listen to him and you'll go far." Yuma stopped speaking as they arrived at the tent. The flap was open, allowing him to see inside to Coral, laid out asleep on an obvious medical bed. Emaciated, pale and dappled with bruises, there was no mistaking her condition for anything other than what it was. "Oh." Yuma closed his eyes and looked away. "Atlas did that…?"

"Yeah." Jaune's hands clenched into fists. "Atlas did that."

"I'll see her to Menagerie, kid. And the others… well, I said most humans don't know what it's like to be treated like animals." He looked back to Coral and then to him, finally piecing together just why Jaune was so gaunt. "There are always exceptions. I'll make sure Trifa knows." Yuma removed his mask and stored it away, revealing a friendly and quite handsome face. "Nothing will happen to her on my watch, friend. I can promise you that."

/-/

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly." Adam watched Trifa's face cover the full range of shock, denial and finally stunned understanding. The woman slumped, collapsing onto the foldable stool he'd offered her. The reaction was about what he expected.

"Cancels aura…? That's… It's insane…"

"It's dangerous is what it is. One misapplication and he kills us all. The potential, though. Well… I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from."

"I can. This… Adam, hell." Trifa shook her head. "I'll tell Sienna. I can't speak for her, but there's no way she won't support you on this. The girl will be safe. I'll personally throw myself in front of anyone that so much as steps her way. If she were to die in transit, I can't imagine what he might do."

He could. Jaune was a man balanced on the edge of a knife, with but the slightest push being all that was required to send him tumbling down. If the White Fang failed its promised duty to him and provided that push, it would be a disaster. He'd already killed. It took time for even the most haunted of White Fang to kill a person.

Backed into a corner, that timeframe shortened drastically. Survival instincts made monsters of everyone in the end, but Jaune had another altogether more dangerous trigger.

"We're working to find his family. I'm still taking the orders from Sienna and we'll see them done, but make sure she knows we're not running rogue out here. These facilities are run from Atlas. The last thing we need is them actually finding a way to manufacture this."

"Agreed. They have to be shut down. What of the boy? Is he loyal?"

"He's allied-"

"That won't be enough, Adam. Not for Sienna. You know that. Is he loyal?"

Adam clenched his lips together. He couldn't say it and wouldn't insult Trifa by saying. Jaune was loyal to one thing and one thing only, his family. That wasn't going to change any time soon. "Once his family are safe and sound, he'll be free to make his own choices. At that point he might well choose to repay us by joining. I don't want to push it now."

"Sienna won't like that."

"Sienna will just have to accept it!" he snapped. "He's already wanted by Atlas and we both know the political weight they have. The more he works with us, the more they'll push him further and further into our hands. Tell her we need to be patient with this; Atlas is doing our work for us. Give it half a year and there'll be nowhere he can go other than to us. They'll drive him into our hands, and he'll defend Menagerie to protect his family."

"That's still conditional on his family being there, Adam. It's not true loyalty to the cause…"

Damn Sienna and her loyalty. How many of them really were loyal to the cause anyway? He was, but there were just as many who were only there because they'd been driven out, then more members who were just supporting family and would jump ship the second they did.

They weren't all as potentially powerful as Jaune was of course – that was why Trifa was making such a big deal of it, and why Sienna would be on his back until Jaune was fully sworn in. The risk of him jumping ship and turning traitor was too high. If it were anyone else, Sienna wouldn't even care. In the end, it all comes down to your Semblance.

He sent a silent apology Jaune's way.

"Give me three months," Adam said.

"Three…?"

"That should be enough time to secure the family here and get an idea on where the others are. That'll also make four out of eight returned. Once we have half of them under our belt, I can push for him to commit. At that point, it'll be clear we're his best chance of saving them. It'll also be a good time to return to Menagerie to resupply since we'll be done with Mistral anyway. I can bring him to see Sienna in person."

Trifa considered that for a few seconds before nodding. "I think that will satisfy her. Alright, Adam. I'll pass that on. Three months and we'll expect to welcome him in as a brother of the White Fang." Trifa stood. "Make sure it happens. If he refuses or hesitates for even a second, Sienna might just decide it's better no one has a power like that."

Scowling, Adam nodded, ignoring Trifa as she walked out the tent flap and away.

Idiots. Didn't they realise what this was? Didn't they see the potential? The White Fang wasn't going to win a war against the Kingdoms, and that was what everything was coming down to. He did his best and made the Fang the menace it was, but he was only one man.

The White Fang needed an edge. Null could become that edge.

But only if Jaune wanted it to be. He could be their greatest ally or their worst enemy, and he could flip the switch between those two extremes in a fraction of a second, even in the middle of a fight, killing them instantly. Sienna spoke of loyalty without any idea of what that was. Loyalty was flawed. It always had been. Loyalties could change over time or in the heat of the moment. They were flexible.

The White Fang needs this. Adam stood, blowing out a long breath. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure the White Fang gets it.

Sienna be damned.


Hey. I'm back!

Fully self-isolated now. We still did our event last week, but we did it online via video conferencing. It was honestly a mess. I'd say it worked, but it was as panicky and crazy as one might expect. Would have liked to postpone it and do it all later but with businesses bound to suffer as this goes on, we needed the cash flow so I decided it was better to have a lower quality event and reap the money than postpone for later and refund.

In business theory, people would call that a short-sighted decision, but those classes and lecturers never quite remember that sometimes you need immediate answers. No use making plans for two to three years in the future when there's a crisis hitting your cash flow right now. Depending on how things go, there may not be a business in two or three years. May not even be one by the end of this year!

But there'll still be fanfiction. Don't worry.


Next Chapter: 6th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur