Cordova was a mess of broken bodies and blood. It was familiar. Eyeing the red that stained the walls she ignored the whimpering of the captured Raiders who she knew would've torn her apart or rather killed her since she refused to be collared ever again. It wasn't easy to keep from shaking at the sight of the cages that covered the area around her. Even as Adam's group went around freeing the captives, she couldn't force herself to look. While she knew that no one was going to throw her into the metal prison, the scars around her throat burned.

In truth, she was vaguely sure that the instant she stopped being of interest to Adam, he'd abandon her. After all, he was too unpredictable to trust, and even if she did trust him there was a chance, he might hurt her sister. Still, a small part of her wanted to believe in him just because he'd given her the chance to break free. Raven would've called her a fool for daring to even entertain the idea of trusting him. Her mother might've been a horrible person, but she was a survivor. Besides, there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that Adam was like her mother. If that was the case, then she really had sold her soul to the devil. Resisting the urge to laugh, she hated the metallic scent that seemed to hover in the air around her.

Holding back a shudder when one of the cage doors was slammed shut, it was easy to see herself inside them. How much longer was this going to take? Running a hand over the jacket Adam had shoved at her, honestly, the man had acted like a possessive overlord, she took a deep breath. Soon the blood and corpses would be cleared out and she'd be able to rest. Despite not taking part in the takeover, her shoulders were slumped with exhaustion. Given how out of shape she was, not much energy would be needed to shove her back into the chains she'd only just broken free of.

She'd been brave once, now even the idea of being trapped was enough to shake her confidence. Nausea spun in her stomach at the thought of Ruby seeing how weak she'd become. It was one of the reasons she'd never wanted her little sister to save her. The fire that once burned in her blood was nothing more than a dull flame that had no hope of being reignited in this lifetime. No matter how much Adam taunted her, she wasn't about to fall into her old habits, nor would she buy into his promises. No one in this world deserved her loyalty except her sister.

"Let go!"

Twisting at the familiar voice, she couldn't stop herself from wincing as one of Adam's men was sent crashing to the ground. Blood-red eyes glared at everything around her as the green-haired woman stomped toward one of the bound Raiders. For a moment, she was completely sure that she was hallucinating, then a gray boot slammed into the man's back. Reaching down to grab the cowering man's hair, the dark-skinned woman hissed something into his ear that caused his face to pale. Yep, that was Emerald. When the man tried to choke out a protest, her nails dug into his neck.

Whatever breath remained in her lungs was stolen at the realization that this was real. Emerald was standing right there proving exactly why she'd been Cinder's right hand. Unlike herself, the other woman hadn't allowed herself to waste away into a weak vessel of her former self. If anything, the woman had gotten stronger despite not having her aura or semblance. Letting her hand drop to grip her shirt, she couldn't stop the way her eyes widened; if Emerald was here the others were alive too.

While she never gave up hope that her teammates were alive, she hadn't dared to imagine meeting them again. Even if she did there was a possibility, they might not even recognize her anymore. Clenching the fabric in her hand it was hard to keep calm. They were alive.

It was a mumble that drew her back into the present. Casting a glance at the people around her it was easy to see they didn't approve of Emerald's actions. Of course, they wouldn't after all the woman was causing a commotion and impeding their orders. If she did nothing then Emerald would be in danger, but if she did something she'd gain even more attention. There was also the fact she had no idea how Emerald would respond to her appearance. What if nothing had changed in these last four years? What if she was the only one who felt this ache in her chest?

Flickering her gaze to where Adam was slowly moving toward the situation and the tension that shrouded those around her, it was easy to see where this was going. These Raiders had clearly done something, beyond caging her, that sent Emerald into a rage. Or maybe that had been all they needed to do. While Emerald might not be the most aggressive of her former enemies, the woman was still dangerous. A fight with her now might ruin everything that Adam was working toward; not that she cared about his goals. Emerald was more important. Stepping past the men in front of her to gain the woman's attention she tapped her foot on the floor.

"Sustrai," she stated just loud enough for her voice to carry. Dropping the man, Emerald's eyes found her easily. It was a struggle to hold the woman's gaze when the floor seemed so interesting. Stepping away from her prey, the green-haired woman gave him one last kick before heading in her direction.

There was a new scar under the woman's chin as if someone had held a knife to her throat. If they had, then it was unlikely they still lived. None of her former enemies took well to being threatened. Catching the questioning flicker in those red eyes, she gave a firm nod earning an almost invisible smile from the other woman. Doing her best not to flinch as gentle fingers brushed the scar on her neck, she closed her eyes when the hand drifted up to brush back her hair. It felt like just yesterday those same hands had been trying to take her life.

Leaning forward she pressed her forehead against the other woman's, knowing that if this was four years earlier, they'd be fighting. It was surreal that the first person she'd found was Cinder's right hand; it might've been a good thing considering having any of her teammates find her might've killed her. Still, it was easy to lose herself as her body relaxed for the first time in four years. Trying to blink away her tears, as she struggled to breathe, it was almost a relief when Emerald growled. The dark sound held enough familiarity to draw her from her spiral.

"Give me a name," she ordered bloodlust clinging to her words. It should've been terrifying. Fingers trembling, she didn't hesitate to grip the other woman's vest. Shaking her head, she barely resisted the urge to bury her face against Emerald's shoulder.

"A-already dead," she said trying to keep her voice from shaking. The satisfied glint in the woman's eyes was nothing compared to the warmth that filled her chest.

"Good."

The dark purr was a reminder of just who the woman in front of her was and of the blood on the hand brushing through her hair. Basking in the comforting touch, she almost whined when Emerald pulled back. Tightening her grip on the woman's vest she clung without hesitation. If she needed to, she'd beg for the woman not to leave her. Cooing softly, the thief gently untangled her fingers.

"Easy Sunshine, I'll be right back," she stated keeping her voice calm. Flickering her gaze beyond the trembling blonde to the dark-haired man watching them, she caught the intrigue in his eyes. She'd deal with him after she found Mercury. Twisting a lock of blonde hair around her finger, she didn't care about the eyes watching them.

Emerald wanted to rampage. Unlike Cinder, she'd never been one to lose herself to emotion. The dark scar around Yang's neck was enough to make her a liar. She wanted to darken the streets with blood and create a lullaby of screams. It was stupid, there was no reason for her to care about the blonde. While it had been true, she'd wanted to meet with the others again if only to soothe her own mind, there was no reason for her to be this outraged. That didn't stop her blood from boiling. They'd been nothing more than enemies, but Yang was still one of them. Just like Mercury, she'd kill for the blonde.

Turning her gaze back to the Raiders who caught her, she knew they had no idea where the assassin was or what had happened to him. That didn't stop her from moving toward them, it was only fair to give them a chance to earn their lives. Besides they'd still caged her no matter what left their lips she was going to kill them.

"So, where's my brother," she asked knowing they'd be confused. She'd been caught alone. Eyeing the panic on their faces she almost laughed as her vision darkened. After spending the last four years trying to forget the past, it was a little addictive to cut loose like this. It'd been so long since someone looked at her with such blatant terror.

"He might be with Ruby."

Spinning to face the blonde once again, it was hard to keep the shock from her face. Of course, she remembered the girl with silver eyes and almost shining innocence. Ignoring the relief from the men behind her and the stares digging into her skin, she returned to Yang's side giving the blonde silent permission to touch her. It wasn't at all shocking when her sleeve was gripped tightly, if the huntress thought that the two were together there had to be a reason.

"She put out a call for help on the radio. It might not mean anything but-"

"It might mean everything," she finished gaining a nod in return.

If they were together then she didn't have to worry about killing her captors. That didn't mean she had no desire to, however, Yang was more important than her vengeance. Besides Cinder had always taught her to pick her moment, just because they lived now didn't mean she wouldn't come back later. Mercury might be here soon. If that was the case, it was only fair to leave him the chance to work through his own anger. And if he didn't show up, well…

Letting the blonde sink into her arms, she frowned. Yang shouldn't be this eager to touch her. Who the hell had the right to break down a dragon? She wanted a name, a location, or just someone to kill for this. Better yet she wanted the flirty, bold, blonde back not the clingy woman in her arms. She'd feel better with someone to kill for this.

"Your little sister and my brother," she mused running a gentle hand through the woman's hair. The nod against her skin was a bit amusing although it broke her heart. Hating the way her stomach twisted she asked, "Any more proof?"

"Ruby mentioned Cinder," Yang whispered.

Wincing at the mention of her leader it was easy to remember the way Ruby had begged Cinder to change her mind. Just this once she'd put her faith in the reaper, if nothing else at least she was out of that cage. Meeting the eyes of the man who waited with a dark smirk on his face she idly wondered if he'd been the one to save Yang or if she'd saved herself. There would be time to find that out later.

"I'm picking you up now," she stated only moving after the blonde had nodded. It was horrendously easy to tug the taller woman into a simple princess carry. Where was all the muscle that she'd had from training? Noting the way Yang clung to her she hated it. She wanted the brawler back not this weakened version of her enemy.

"Eve, take them to my room."

Eyeing the man, she tilted her head. If he was a threat she'd kill him, however, Yang was more important than him. Tightening her grip on the blonde, she followed the brunette he'd singled out. From the carefully concealed interest, the other woman was just as interested in the situation as the apparent leader was. Disregarding the part of her that wanted to head out and find Mercury she frowned, this whole situation was a mess. That didn't mean that she was going to abandon Yang. It wasn't in her nature to abandon people.

(Weiss)

Running the butterfly knife in her hand over the whetstone, she didn't even glance at the paladin watching her. Danse was going to tell her nothing more than what she already knew. This was so off mission that it'd get her in major trouble, Maxon would lose his mind if he found out what she was doing. Not only that but he might just decide she was more trouble than she was worth. He'd done more for her than she really wanted to admit; without him, she would've died a long time ago. There was no way he'd approve of this.

These last few days of having her leader back were more than great; she was still floating. Finding out Blake had chosen to leave Ruby when she hadn't even known where the redhead had been, made it kind of hard not to stab the cat. She'd looked for almost three years for any sign of her teammates while Blake had turned her back on them without a second thought. Did all those years mean nothing to her?

Allowing a dark frown to tug at her lips, she tried not to think about the black-haired woman. Running a finger over the edge of her knife, she barely reacted when Danse came to stand in front of her with a determined glint in his gaze. He'd really picked the worst time to grow a spine. At least their Scribes weren't here to see him question her authority. She'd hate to have to put them in their place when they were already injured. Raising an eyebrow at the man, she easily laid her knife to the side before picking up the next in line to be sharpened. The open invitation to speak caused the man to shift nervously; he idolized authority too much.

"Are you sure about this," Danse asked tension leaking into his voice. Great, he'd chosen the moment she was contemplating cat murder to question her. Somehow her subordinate seemed determined to get on her bad side despite having the best intentions.

"Have I ever done something I'm not sure of?"

It was a trap. An easy to see the trap that not even their unluckiest recruits would fall for. That didn't mean that he could keep the frown from crossing his face or his eyes from narrowing. She was his Commander chosen by Maxon specifically for this mission. No matter how much he might care about her, if she started prioritizing anything above their orders then he had no choice but to report her to their leader. That didn't mean he wanted to.

"You've… been acting different," he said softly. The words almost burned his tongue but the way she tilted her head up to stare into his soul burned even more. His instincts were screaming at him to flee. Flickering his gaze at the knife in her hand, he was all too aware of how fast she could move.

"Is that so," she said faint amusement curling in her voice.

"Is that woman really this important," he asked swallowing back his fear. Or at least he tried too. Flinching as the knife stilled, he barely kept himself from stepping back. It was like his lungs had stopped working when faced with the ice in her eyes. Shoving all his fear into a little box, he wanted to leave. Right now, there was nothing he wanted more than to hide away in his shoebox bedroom and pretend his Commander wasn't thinking of skinning him alive with the knife in her hand.

"Careful Paladin."

Now would be the perfect time to look away or beg forgiveness. Even if she'd forgotten, he knew his Commander. The woman was a force of nature, but she'd never acted like this. She'd never put anyone before herself, even on missions she didn't care if they lived or died. All her enemies were dealt with so easily that it turned his own blood to ice. He'd always admired her attitude and firm leadership, yet she'd changed. Just one moment around the redheaded woman had turned her into someone he didn't recognize.

Had she been acting this entire time?

It was true that they'd already completed their initial mission, but what about their task to find and deal with the Institute. There was literally an Institute spy in this very camp, yet she did nothing. How had the woman he'd followed for years turned into this just by seeing one person? Part of him wanted to pry, he'd always been curious about her past. After all, she'd never tried to bond with anyone but Maxon even then it was never in public. There were even rumors that the two were secretly together, but that wasn't important right now.

"Respectfully, I doubt your ability to complete our mission," he stated trying to keep his tone even.

Humming softly, Weiss considered his words with a small frown. Of course, it'd be confusing for him to see this side of her. There was also the fact Maxon was arriving soon. She had to deal with him before she could truly return to her leader's side. Having Danse around might prove to do more harm than good no matter how well he might fight.

"Then leave." It was the ice in her voice that finally caused him to flinch.

"That's not w-"

"Stay or go it's your choice. I can't make it for you," she said knowing that he wouldn't dare to walk away. No matter how much he might disagree with her decisions she was still his commanding officer, if he walked away that'd be treason. Letting her lips pull into a cold smile, she picked up her knives before heading to where Ruby was curling up beside Mercury. There was no way she'd allow the assassin to take up all her leader's time.

(Emerald)

It was a nice room with a very nice view of the ongoing executions. Eyeing the man who'd spoken earlier from the window, she almost admired how ruthless he'd chosen to become. Not only was he unwilling to compromise he wasn't even hearing them out. It was a sort of cruelty that reminded her of Cinder. How had Yang come to know someone like him, or rather had he done something to the blonde? Glancing to where the other woman was pointedly looking away from the window, she pushed off the wall. While she might be more than a little happy about their deaths that didn't mean the other woman took pleasure in it too.

Walking toward the blonde, she pretended not to notice the eyes watching them. Apparently, Eve had decided to stay and guard them. No doubt the brunette would report everything to her master. Emerald would've done the same in her position. Violet eyes met her own. Almost none of the Dragon's confidence shined in those eyes. Someone had tried to break one of them. Hopefully, those people who hurt Yang were burning in hell.

"It's good to see you again," she said. Sitting beside the woman on the bed, she noted the way Eve tracked her movements.

"You too." The earnest light in Yang's lilac eyes was enough to confirm the truth of that statement. It took four years for them to be happy to see each other.

Emerald stilled when Yang reached out to cling to her jacket. Eyeing the blonde's tight grip on the fabric, she frowned. She didn't like how hesitant the Dragon was acting. It ticked her off that someone had hurt one of them enough to break their confidence. Keeping her movements slow, she pulled the woman's hand away from her jacket just enough to tangle their fingers together. Yang's skin was warm.

"Please tell me the people that hurt you are dead," she said. It was barely possible to keep the bloodlust from her voice. They needed to be dead.

"They are," Yang stated. Her eyes flickered between her own body and Emeralds judging the distance between them. It was too much.

"Good." Emerald nodded. She shifted closer as her gaze landed on Eve. "What about this group?"

"I agreed to work with Adam," Yang admitted. Resting her head on Emerald's shoulder, she didn't acknowledge Eve's giggle.

"The last time I worked with an Adam it ended with an entire city in flames," Emerald said. Part of her was worried about how clingy Yang was acting. Switching her grip, she reached behind her for a pillow. It was just out of reach. Tapping her hand on the bed she frowned before tensing when Eve moved.

The brown-haired woman moved like water as she easily snatched up the pillow. Holding it out, Eve smirked at the wary expression on the other woman's face. The obvious distrust was amusing, and even more, interesting was the protective grip Emerald had on Yang. Grabbing the pillow, Emerald laid it in her lap before whispering to the blonde. Tilting her head, Eve stilled when Yang laid down with her head resting on the pillow. There was no tension on the blonde's shoulders.

"How did you do that," Eve asked. Her eyes never left the blonde even as Emerald began to run her fingers through Yang's hair.

"I'd like to know too," Adam stated. Leaning against the door, he grinned when the green-haired woman stiffened. Despite the grin, his dark eyes were narrowed. This woman might be Yang's old friend, but Yang was his.

"You're this group's leader," Emerald asked. She didn't acknowledge the possessive glint in his gaze or how Eve stared at her.

"Yep, the name's Adam," he said. Stalking into the room he offered his hand to the woman who eyed him like he was a snake. This was going to be fun.