"My first priority is to finish above rather than beneath the ground."
James Hunt
Chapter 26: End of the Hunt
*THWACK*
"Gah!"
*THWACK*
"Ugh!"
*THWACK*
"Argh!"
A series of fists were currently moving back and forth towards a young girl with a bloody face and bloodied clothes. It was clear that the girl wasn't going anywhere or doing anything to stop the fists, but the attacker refused to stop punching her for two reasons.
The first was that the attacker was ordered to beat her until he heard a confession.
The second was that he was feeling a sense of pride in his work.
"That's enough."
The punching immediately stopped, leaving the young victim to finally catch her breath.
Blake breathed heavily after spitting out a wad of blood. She then moved her head upward to face Adam and her current torturer, a fully masked White Fang member that served as Adam's lieutenant.
While she couldn't see the damage done to her, Blake's pain told her what had happened to her in the tent. She was given a black right eye that was swollen shut, along with smaller bruises dotting her face. Her nose was at an odd angle, indicating it was broken, with blood slowly trickling down her chin. A cut was visible on the side of her head, formed from a pair of brass knuckles the lieutenant was wearing. Her hair disheveled from blood and sweat, and her bow was ripped away and forgotten. And although her clothing hid it, Blake was certain there was bruising along her torso.
"Don't you agree, Blake?" Adam asked as he walked past his lieutenant. "Isn't that enough?"
"S... Stop," Blake begged, her speech a little slurred. Was it a concussion? "You... don't... have to-"
"Yes, I do." Adam moved down towards Blake. "Do you know that I can count on all four of our hands how many times you questioned me? And I can count how many hours I spent trying to help you see where I'm in the right?" Adam spread his hands. "And yet, here we are. With you questioning me, again. I've been patient, Blake. I've tried reasoning with you. But now, enough is enough. Maybe now you can see why I do what I do."
"You... hurt people," Blake muttered. "We've... hurt people."
Adam nodded. "Yes, exactly!" He tapped the top of Blake's chest. "And look at what it's gotten us! We helped humanity fear the Faunus, helped us get everything we deserve!" Adam stood up. "And now, after your time with my friend, I'm about to get what I deserve."
"..."
Adam had a good idea that Blake was unsure about what it was that he wanted. So he began to explain himself. "Right now, everyone is about to believe that you betrayed us. That you led more humans here, humans that are ready to kill us."
"..."
"We'll handle them, of course. Just like I'm about to handle you. It's within my power to confirm your treason, or declare your innocence."
"..."
"Ilia already believes... No, she knows you're innocent. However, I'm sure you're aware how persuasive I can be. And with my popularity among the ranks, you'll be as good as dead if I say so."
"..."
Adam kneeled down again. "But I don't want that," he said as he stroked her hair. "You know how much you mean to me."
After a minute of silence, Blake finally spoke. "You... have a... strange way... of showing it," she said.
"But I'm still showing it." Adam removed his hand from Blake's head. "I know what I've said in the past, about my... tendencies. Accidents, self-defense, they're all valid. But this is a lesson, Blake. Now you can see what my tendencies do for me." Adam stood up again. "Because you're about to make a choice; you can stand with me once again. I'll have our medics take the best care of you while I clear you of any wrongdoing. And we'll be together again. Just like we were meant to be."
"...Or?"
Adam frowned. "Or... I hand you back to my friend before I drag you before our comrades and explain how you've been helping humans."
"..."
Adam stopped frowning when he saw the contemplative look on Blake's face. "Now you see," he said. "I know you're not going to choose the second option. Because now you know what violence does. I can see it in your eyes; you're afraid. You're afraid of what I might do if I don't get what I want." Adam turned away from Blake and towards a map in his tent. "Which is the exact mindset the humans should have towards us. Only then will we be put where we belong. At the top of the-"
"No."
Adam immediately stopped talking and snapped his head back towards Blake. "...What?" he asked through grit teeth. "What did you say?"
Blake looked back to Adam. "I said... no," she repeated.
Adam moved closer to Blake, and immediately felt blood being spit on his face. Blake knew that he would be angry, but she didn't care. She wanted him to know how she felt about the awful things he said.
And now it was Adam's turn to show how he felt.
*SMACK*
Blake cried out in both pain and surprise when Adam backhanded her hard. "Goddamn you!" he screamed. "What is wrong with you?! How can you tell me that this isn't what you want?!"
"I never wanted this!" Blake said clearly, despite the pain it was causing her. "I wanted equality! I wanted peace!"
"What you want is impossible!"
*SMACK*
Adam sighed as he began to calm down. "But I understand," he said. "The only problem is... the White Fang don't want that. Let me show you." He moved upwards and turned to his trusted lieutenant. "Don't kill her. Just make sure she can't talk when we address everyone."
"Yes, sir," the masked Faunus replied as he grabbed Blake. "C'mere." He then dragged her across the floor while Adam exited the tent to see Ilia.
"Everyone's waiting near the outskirts, Adam," she said.
"Perfect," said Adam. "Thank you, Ilia. I'll be right there."
"..."
Despite the notion, Ilia refused to leave the tent.
"Is something wrong, Ilia?" Adam asked, sensing her distaste for the turn of events.
"No!" Ilia quickly replied. "I just... I keep thinking back to those humans, and I keep thinking that there couldn't have been any way that Blake knew them. I'm sorry, Adam, but I-!"
"I understand," Adam said calmly. "I know all of this is unbelievable. I can explain everything, really."
"..."
"Trust me, Ilia. Just for a few seconds, while I explain everything." Adam put a hand on Ilia's shoulder. "Please. I don't want to lose any more people I trust today."
"..."
To say that Ilia was torn between two sides was an understatement. While she didn't want to let Adam, someone who had set a perfect example for the White Fang, feel betrayed once again, Ilia had misgivings about abandoning a friend.
Then again... she had listened to Adam before and was well rewarded. Surely, there couldn't be any harm in listening again. And so, she walked back towards her comrades, leaving Adam alone once again.
But all of a sudden, Hazel filled the void that Ilia left.
"You're just in time," Adam said as he grew confident in his upcoming speech. However, he felt this confidence falter when he saw Hazel was alone. "Where's the human you were bringing?"
Hazel crossed his arms as he slightly looked away from Adam. "...She's gone," he unhappily answered.
Adam became unhappy himself. "Gone?" he repeated in disbelief. "How?"
Hazel pointed towards the tent. "You may have been right about that one. When we all left the airship, the girl was tied up and locked in the dark. When I returned, all I found were broken pieces of rope."
"...Is that so?" Adam looked back to the tent and smiled. "This will be even easier than I thought."
"Not quite."
Adam turned back as Hazel explained himself. "I have a good idea who her rescuers are," he said. "They're not to be taken lightly."
"Neither are we," Adam replied.
"..."
The leader of the camp had an idea how to divide and conquer. "I have to address the camp before we go hunting," he said. "Get a head start if you like. I'll join you when I'm done."
Hazel cracked his knuckles and he began to walk towards the trees. "Very well, then."
True to his word, Adam left his tent to address the members of the White Fang. Not far behind him, Blake was being dragged by Adam's lieutenant.
The trio soon reached dozens of masked people wearing black hoods over their heads. Instead of looking at Adam, they were simply talking amongst themselves. Adam didn't care, though; he was rehearsing the speech he planned to deliver. He had everything he needed to declare Blake a traitor, all he needed was to see who was with him and who was against him.
And so, he walked in front of everyone with his lieutenant and began to speak.
"Friends, comrades... brothers of the White Fang," Adam began. "I've made two discoveries today."
"..."
Adam captured the attention of the White Fang quickly, which caused him to form the small hint of a smile as he continued to speak. "The first is that a train from the SDC is coming our way. A train loaded with Dust, weapons, and everything we need to continue our fight."
The masked men and women quickly cheered at the news. Adam knew more than anyone how much the White Fang despised the Schnee Family and how they would take much pleasure in robbing them blind. Adam would undoubtedly take pleasure as well, but he had to finish his business first.
"The second is... a terrible loss," Adam continued. "There's a traitor among us. A traitor that brought humans right on our doorstep." Adam gestured to his lieutenant, who hoisted Blake's face to the crowd so they could take a good look. Whispers and gasps filled the crowd of people, which was what Adam had anticipated. He knew a cloud of doubt would hover over them, and now he had to dissipate it with everything he had.
"Yes, I too had a hard time believing it," he began. "However, when presented with the necessary evidence... I was forced to face reality." Adam cleared his throat before continuing. "Sister Ilia can vouch that there are indeed humans beyond the camp." Everyone turned to Ilia while Adam was speaking. "Though their exact numbers are unknown, their intentions are clear. Our new friend, who still mourns for the Faunus who was unjustly murdered in Mistral, was able to capture one of the humans who partook in this action. She was rescued very recently, by the same ones who murdered Tyrian."
"..."
Adam couldn't see behind their masks, but he could feel the shift in the air when he mentioned the Faunus who lost his life in Mistral. Everyone may have been skeptical of Hazel, but they were always willing to stand up for Faunus who they believed were treated like dogs, even those who were murdered. Which was why Adam continued to build up this point, even if it sounded like he was repeating himself.
"Understandably, Hazel went into the woods to confront these humans head on," he said. "But he cannot face them alone. We must band together, find the humans who think they can kill one of our own and get away with it! We will show the world that we will not be hunted down, beaten, or murdered without consequence! Our fight must reach a new phase now!"
The Faunus before him united in raised fists and roars, all of which were directed at humanity. Adam praised himself in uniting the forces before him, even if he had to use hints of deception to get here.
Besides, humanity was all the same. To him, at least.
"Now comes the hard part," Adam thought to himself before he spoke again. "The train will have to wait until we find these humans. If we miss it, so be it. Humans can bury a destroyed Dust train whenever they want, make it appear as if it never happened. But when we bring them the heads of the humans who murdered Tyrian, we'll make sure the whole world knows our message. The first head, however..." Adam quickly pulled out the sword from his hilt, revealing a bright red blade pointed at Blake's throat. "Will be yours, Blake."
"..."
Silence filled the crowd once again, leaving Adam to break it while his lieutenant held Blake steady as she tried to move from the blade. "Like I said, one of the humans rescued the one Hazel had captured," he said. "They were here, they were among us... and they had help."
"..."
Adam looked back to the crowd. "There was no coincidence when Ilia found Blake with one of the humans." Adam pointed to one of the Faunus in front of him, someone he knew even behind the mask. "Just like it wasn't a coincidence when Blake called you out for self-defense. You, my friend, killed a human at one of our raids before he killed you."
"That's... That's right," he timidly said. "He almost killed me, and Anton over there." The Faunus pointed to a friend of his.
"Wasn't that the same day Blake called you two out personally? The day she called your self-defense murder?"
"...Yes."
Adam stopped pointing. "All of this has happened before. And it will happen again if something doesn't change. Blake's parents left the White Fang simply because they couldn't see the great strides we made for the Faunus. The same strides that's asserted our place in this world. The Belladonnas were holding us back all those four years! And now Blake wants to hold us back again! Is that what any of you want?"
"No!"
Fists and roars were raised once again as Adam once again took pride in gaining what he saw to be a loyal following. One that would be a great advantage in days ahead. And yet, he couldn't help but also feel that he was indeed being held back by Blake; albeit for a different reason.
But he couldn't be held back any more.
"I hope you'll forgive me for not putting this to a vote, but time is of the essence," Adam said. "Whoever these humans are, they have to be stopped before they hurt any one else." Adam moved his blade closer to Blake's neck to the point that it was resting on her skin. "And Blake can't be allowed to hold us back anymore."
Despite the voices of agreement he heard, Adam had a good feeling there were still some Faunus who stood with Blake. And so, he decided to finish the speech with a simple demand.
"Let anyone who challenges... step forward."
"..."
Silence filled the camp one more time. With that, Adam took one lingering glance at Blake before he moved his sword.
It was now or never.
*THWIP*
*THWIP*
All of a sudden, two metal hooks pierced the ground in front of Adam and rested just by his feet. The sound and sight surprised Adam and his crowd as they all turned to the source of the objects.
"What-?"
*BAM*
Adam found himself to be no longer standing, but moving through the air when something impacted his defenseless chest and head. He soon collided into some of the Faunus in the front row, and they all fell to the ground. The ones who were standing, however, looked up to see that someone else had taken Adam's place.
A boy roughly Adam's height with black hair, wearing a black jacket over a white shirt and gray pants, was staring at Adam while holding a pair of swords.
"I challenge," he declared.
"Come on, come on!"
"Hurry, hurry!"
Ren must have heard the phrases a million times by now, but he was still running as fast as he could. Of course, carrying an unconscious girl over his shoulders was making full speed somewhat difficult.
Ren, Nora, Mercury, and Emerald were all running through red leaves and multiple red bushes as they made their way with Midori back to the Dark Wing. Nobody knew where Eren and Cinder were, but they all knew the best way they could help was bringing the Dark Wing and all of its weapons with them. But first, they had to keep Midori safe.
Luckily, the group had managed to find their way back to the entrance of the woods, and their home away from home was waiting for them. Mercury opened the doors and led everyone back inside. After he made sure they weren't followed, Mercury shut the doors and moved to the driver seat.
"Okay," he said as he took a breath. "Now what?"
"We gotta go back!" Nora shouted. "Find Eren and Cinder and find out what the heck they're doing!"
"Nora's right," said Ren, who gently placed Midori in a bed. "It may be hard to find them, but we have to try."
Although Mercury agreed, he still couldn't believe that his friends abandoned him. "Dammit, what the hell is up with them?" he asked furiously. "If they wanted some privacy, they could have gotten a motel."
"Mercury, this is not the time for jokes!" Ren implored as he and Nora moved to the front seats. "Maybe if I use my Titan, I can-"
*CAW*
*CAW*
*CAW*
The trio looked at the windshield when they heard a familiar call. Sure enough, they all saw the same thing; a small Nevermore flying towards them.
"Grimm!" Nora said as she grabbed Magnhild. "We must have gotten stragglers when we were running!"
"Wait a minute," Ren said as he looked closer. "It looks... familiar."
Nobody said a word as the Nevermore flew to the windshield and dropped a small red leaf near the windshield wipers. It soon flew off into the woods.
"We have plenty of those already," Mercury said while brushing a few leaves off his shoulder.
"Hold on," said Ren. "There's something written on it." Nora and Mercury complied and they too saw a message on the leaf.
"Helping Eren save a Faunus. Be back soon."
"...Why did Cinder write it on a leaf?" Nora asked.
"That's your first question?!" Mercury asked in disbelief. "What does she mean she's helping a Faunus?!"
"I don't think anyone in the White Fang wants to be helped," said Ren. "Especially by humans. This sounds strange."
"Yeah, I don't like this." Mercury placed the keys in the ignition. "Should we go after them?"
"I would," Nora said as Ren nodded.
Mercury became more assured in his decision, but he then realized that someone was missing. "Em, you in?" he asked as he turned around.
"..."
Ren and Nora turned around to see Emerald sitting by herself against the wall. "Emerald!" Mercury called out louder. "You in or what?"
Emerald looked up at everyone else with a rather neutral expression. "Do whatever you want," she said quickly. "I don't care."
"..."
Everyone in the front of the car shared a glance at each other. It was unlike Emerald to be uncaring when Cinder's safety seemed to be at risk. Nevertheless, Mercury started the car and looked back at the Forever Fall. "Whatever," he said as he began to drive. Given that this was an all-terrain vehicle, Mercury slowly started to throw caution out the window as he moved deeper into the woods.
Ren and Nora were concerned, but not because of the driving.
"That was weird," Ren said as he moved to a seat.
"I know," Nora said as she joined him. "She chooses now to not care? She's never been like that before."
Ren turned back to Emerald, but decided to use the new powers his Semblance gave him to see the cause behind her passive behavior. And as he expected, he saw blue petals falling all around her.
"She's upset about something," he noted. He then saw purple petals fall as well. Not like the dark violet ones he saw with Rod Reiss, these ones were different. "She's also... afraid."
"Afraid?" Nora looked closer. "So she is worried about Cinder."
"Maybe. But why not say so? Emerald's never hidden her feelings before."
Nora tried to think of a possible explanation for Emerald's shifted attitude. "What about the mines in the woods?" she asked when the memory returned. "That would be enough to scare anyone."
"That's true," Ren admitted. "And then there was that thing Cinder... the thing she said." Ren looked back to Nora. "Do you remember what she said? She looked angry when she said it. I think it was something about..."
"Being a slave." Nora's eyes widened as she looked away and began to piece everything together. "Oh, no."
Ren immediately became curious and concerned when Nora apparently figured it out. "Nora, what is it?"
Nora looked back to Ren. "Do you remember the day the SDC tried to take Kuroyuri? When the mayor addressed everyone?"
"Yes. Why?"
"That day, Emerald said something that worried Cinder and Eren. Something that actually made Cinder cry."
"What?" Ren looked back to Emerald for a moment. "What did she say?"
"She basically told Cinder that she was her slave. She didn't mean to, but Emerald feels like she owes Cinder everything. I mean, remember how much work she did at the farm? She always took Cinder's chores, no matter how much it hurt."
"..."
Ren couldn't help but look back at Emerald once more as Nora explained everything. He indeed recollected all the times Emerald worked for Cinder. He even recalled a time when she almost hurt herself while doing so.
"Eren and Cinder were worried that Emerald was going too far," Nora continued. "They wanted to talk to her that day, but we had to stop the SDC. And then the Grimm invaded, Eren was going to leave by himself, and-"
"And it's all been building up," Ren finished. "All of Cinder's feelings must have come to a head when Emerald was saying we should leave her behind."
"Not just that; I think Emerald was going to say that she was nothing without Cinder. That was the same thing she had to say when she..."
"When she was in Atlas." Ren began to remember exactly what Cinder said in the woods. "She thinks Emerald's being her slave, just like she was in Atlas."
"And you know how Cinder hates that. Eren probably hates it more than anyone." Nora then remembered how angry Cinder was at the mine field. "She was just trying to help, but I don't think Emerald knows that."
Ren looked back to Emerald once again. "I can't imagine what she must be thinking." He then stood up and guided Nora to join him. "Come on. We should talk to her while we have the chance."
Nora agreed and followed Ren towards the back of the car. After she took a brief look at a sleeping Midori, she took the lead and opened up to her friend. "Hey... Emerald?" she asked cautiously. Emerald looked up to see Nora, although she was silent. But Nora didn't relent when she saw this. "Listen... Ren and I wanted to talk to you about-"
*CRASH*
"Whoa!"
Everything and everyone inside the Dark Wing flew upwards as a loud crash echoed through the vehicle. The car stopped soon after and everyone fell to the ground.
"Huh? Wha?"
Ren and Nora turned to see Midori sitting upright in bed as she processed what was going on. When her eyes fell on her friends, a smile came to her face. "...Guys?" she asked hopefully.
Nora quickly ran over to Midori and checked to see if she was okay. Emerald and Ren hurried to the front of the car where they saw Mercury laying on the steering wheel.
"Mercury, are you okay?" Ren asked as he helped his friend sit upright.
"Ugh," Mercury groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "I... think so." He looked back towards the windshield, but saw nothing but red trees all around him. "What happened? Did we hit something?"
*CREAK*
The sound of metal moving caught everyone's attention, as well as the fact that the Dark Wing seemed to be rising off the ground. Ren was forced to hold on to the back of Mercury's chair to prevent him from falling backwards while Emerald held onto the door. However, she inadvertently opened it and nearly fell backwards. While she was able to pull herself upright and get out of the car, she was able to see what was happening.
The Dark Wing didn't hit something. It hit someone.
And that someone was Hazel.
"Uh oh."
[Play "No Glory" on YouTube]
"It's him! It's the human!"
"He found us!"
Dozens of masked Faunus were currently talking about Eren Yeager, who had interrupted their leader's speech in a violent manner. But Eren was far from finished; slightly to his left was the Faunus who helped him save Midori, who he now knew was called Blake. He knew what he was doing was unnecessary, given that he had what he came for. However, he couldn't forgive himself if he left someone else to pay for his actions. After all, he was the reason Blake was here.
And now, he was going to be the reason that she was leaving.
"Get him!"
One Faunus lunged at Eren on all fours, but Eren simply launched himself upwards and let the Faunus strike thin air. But when Eren moved downwards again, he was able to hit flesh and bone while blood sprayed the area.
The majority of the White Fang were taken aback by the attack, but two of them took out swords of their own and charged at Eren. More blood spilled as Eren took out one of his swords to defend himself. This sword and his second one made contact with the blades, and he was able to push them aside.
Which left perfect room for Eren to sink his blades into their flesh.
The White Fang were beginning to realize that dealing with this human would be more difficult than they thought. "Get the armory!" one of them yelled as she began to run for a nearby tent. Her comrades quickly began to follow, and Eren was ready to follow them.
"No, you don't!" a gruff voice said as Eren felt something grab his arm.
Eren turned to see that Adam's lieutenant had dropped Blake and was focusing on him. Fortunately, Eren was able to grab the Faunus' other arm and tighten his grip. But the fully masked man seemed unfazed by the firm grip, as well as Eren moving as he pulled. He was even starting to laugh.
"Not so tough now, are you?" the Faunus asked.
"I don't need to be tough," Eren replied. "I need to be... here."
*WHISSH*
*SHICK*
"Aaauugh!"
The lieutenant let go of Eren as he let out a scream of agony. He couldn't see it, but a metal arrow was currently embedded into his back. And Eren took it upon himself to deliver new pain through a headbutt with his Aura. Once the lieutenant was on the ground, Eren gave a two finger salute to Cinder, who was hiding in the trees while firing another arrow.
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BEEP*
*BOOM*
Eren took the explosion behind him as an opportunity to pick up Blake and move closer to the trees. "I don't know if you can hear me," he said as he stopped by a bush. "But I need you to stay here until I come back."
As Eren began to lower her into the red leaves, Blake gently grabbed his arm to get his attention. "Help... me..." she begged through the pain.
Eren gently took Blake's hand off his arm while holding it. "I will, I promise. But we can't leave yet." He then stood up. "The White Fang will be on us the second we try to leave. I have to make sure they won't follow us."
"..."
Blake couldn't help lowered her hand. Despite the pain she was in, and that it was currently preventing her from doing just about anything, she understood what Eren meant. The idea, however, shook the young Faunus to her very core. Which was why she tried with all her might to prevent this from happening.
"Stop... please..." she begged once again.
"..."
While Eren understood Blake's sentiments, given everything he did on Paradis, this was a request he couldn't grant. He was now an enemy of the White Fang, and now they were all ready to kill him.
If they win now, they'll live.
If Eren loses now, he'll die.
And if he doesn't fight... he couldn't win.
He had to fight.
And so, Eren launched himself out of the forest and towards the White Fang, who were now armed with both swords and automatic rifles. They immediately began firing at Eren, and he did his best to dodge them. While he was good at dodging Titans and swords, Eren knew he wasn't fast enough to dodge bullets from guns like these.
Fortunately, Cinder also knew this. That was why she was firing arrow after arrow at the armed White Fang.
"That's weird," Cinder thought to herself as she watched her targets fall to the ground. "Nobody here has an Aura. Do they not know how to unlock theirs? Or do they just not care?" Cinder fired another arrow at a Faunus who was reloading his weapon. "You would think an Aura would be necessary for living in a place like this."
Cinder quickly put these thoughts aside when she saw another Faunus prepare to pounce onto Eren while he was fighting two more sword wielders. And so, she quickly fired another arrow and watched the Faunus crash into his comrades.
She then felt a heat rise when Eren quickly winked at her before he started fighting again.
*WHIIIIRRRR*
A mechanical sound immediately caught Cinder's attention. She looked around the clearing, but didn't see any weapon that could give off the sound of... a large tool cutting something.
Cinder suddenly lost her footing as the tree she was resting in began to move. Fortunately, she was able to use her gear to move to a different one.
That was when she saw her first target holding a large chainsaw and cutting down the trees she was in.
Cinder reacted quickly and let loose another arrow. But instead of embedding itself in his skin, the arrow bounced off Adam's lieutenant and hit the ground. It wasn't a miracle, it was simply the fact that this man had used his Aura.
"Really?!" Cinder screamed at the lieutenant. "Now you have Auras?!"
The lieutenant pulled his chainsaw out of the tree. "I'm a notable exception," he said. "Now come down here and fight like a man!"
Cinder didn't move, but she smirked at the Faunus. "Can I convince you to come up and fight like a spider?"
"..."
"Or is that not your animal type?"
The lieutenant angrily threw his chainsaw at the bark, and the tree began to fall after three seconds. But Cinder effortlessly jumped down and made her bow into two swords.
"Okay, not a spider," she said. "Sorry, it's kinda hard to tell when you hide your face like a coward."
"Coward, huh?" the lieutenant asked. "I'll give you something to be scared of!" He then threw the blade of his chainsaw at Cinder's head, but she ducked beneath it and struck at his legs. But his Aura protected the Faunus once again as he grabbed Cinder by the face and slammed her to the ground. He then threw Cinder towards the clearing, where she hit the ground three times before stopping.
"Oooh," Cinder groaned as she began to stand up. "I felt that one."
"Feel this, human!"
Cinder turned around to see another White Fang member raise a sword over his head and prepare to plunge it down into her chest.
But his head separated from his body before he could land the finishing blow.
Eren quickly pushed the headless corpse aside as he helped Cinder stand up. "You okay?" he asked as he twirled one of his blades.
"I'm good," Cinder said as she recovered her own weapons.
Eren looked back at the trees Cinder used as a vantage point, and then the lieutenant who cut them down. "Friend of yours?" he asked.
Cinder pressed her own back against Eren's as she looked at his side of the camp. "We're just getting familiar," she joked. "But he won't tell me what kind of Faunus he is." As she looked at the dead Faunus before her, Cinder could tell that Eren was keeping busy himself. "Any of them tell you what they were?"
"They were too busy trying to kill me."
"Fair point."
The surviving White Fang began to circle Eren and Cinder at the lieutenant's orders. It was clear they couldn't kill the humans easily, but they could indeed trap them. Eren and Cinder were beginning to realize this as well.
"They're not giving us a lot of breathing room," Cinder noted.
"And there's more of them coming," Eren said as he looked past the circle. Despite the fact they were outnumbered, Eren wasn't giving up anything. He wasn't even giving up hope.
Because he had an idea.
"How much fuel do you have?" Eren asked Cinder.
"Not enough to make it out of the forest," she said.
"Do you have enough for one jump?"
"A jump?"
Eren and Cinder soon made eye contact with each other as Eren shared his idea. "You remember the Iron Whirlwind?"
Cinder's eyes widened as she realized what Eren was talking about. The memory he showed her of his own special attack going horribly wrong had burned in her mind, even though she promised to help him practice it.
There was just one problem with that.
"But we never practiced it!" Cinder protested. "Lets just turn into Titans!"
"And risk burning the entire Forever Fall in a wildfire?" Eren asked. "Or draw hundreds of Huntsmen with more Grimm? Not a good idea."
"..."
"Look, just trust me! Use your gear to jump in the air, this will work!"
"..."
Despite her obvious misgivings, Cinder began to comply. "If you stick your hook in my hand, I'm gonna kill you," she promised.
"No, wait!" Eren said. "Fire your hook into the ground when you're up there!"
"What, why?"
Eren saw the White Fang coming in barely close enough to grab them. "Just do it!"
Cinder obeyed and used her Volant to fly into the air. When she reached the point where she didn't move up or down, she fired one of her hooks and watched it sink into the ground.
She then watched Eren grab onto it with both of his hands. "Get ready!" he said as he quickly spun the wire and himself.
Cinder yelped in the air as she began to move in a circle while moving downwards. While most people would have been scared, Cinder found herself getting the idea. And so, she kept a firm grip on her swords as she began to close in on the White Fang.
When she made a full circle and landed, the entire circle of Faunus had fallen limply to the ground.
Silence filled the area as the remaining Faunus and Cinder realized what she had done. Everyone couldn't help but look at Eren as well, but Cinder was the one who broke the silence.
"Did I ever tell you how much I love that move?" she asked.
"...No," Eren replied with a small hint of a smile.
None of the Faunus were happy, however. The lieutenant lifted his chainsaw again and ordered everyone to charge. Words couldn't express how angry the White Fang were.
Eren and Cinder, however, were happy to have each other in this time of conflict.
[End music]
While Eren and Cinder were holding their own against the White Fang, a majority of their friends were holding their heads in pain.
One second, they were all resting in the Dark Wing. The next second, the whole car had turned upside down and they were all sitting on the ceiling. And all of their beds and belongings had joined them.
Emerald was the only one who managed to escape the vehicle, and now she was staring at Hazel Rainart, the man responsible for this action. As she stared at the man who barely broke a sweat with the feat of strength, a single thought repeated itself in her mind.
"Dear Gods, I'm so screwed."
Hazel broke the silence between him and Emerald. "I don't wish to fight you," he said calmly.
As Emerald processed what she heard, she was able to find her own voice. "...Buddy, I'm not sure if I can fight you," she said. She then pointed the barrels of her guns at the hulking menace. "Then again... I can't let you take Midori again."
Hazel moved his neck a certain way until it made a cracking noise. "It seems we have to resort to violence." He then began to walk closer to Emerald while forming his hands into fists.
He stopped halfway when he saw Emerald making subtle movements with her hand.
"Huh?" he asked as he turned around. When he saw the Dark Wing once again, he saw a young girl climb out of the door and begin to run away. Unfortunately, Hazel recognized her as the girl he originally kidnapped. "No!"
Hazel immediately began to give chase while Emerald slowly approached the upside down car.
"I never did any multitasking when I used my Semblance," she thought to herself. "I gotta be quick." She then banged her fist on the metal side and whispered out to her friends. "Psst! Guys!"
"..."
"Guys, come on! Get outta there!"
Movement inside the vehicle revealed itself to be Ren and Nora. They were then followed by Mercury while they stepped out of the car and engaged their Auras.
"Where's Midori?" Emerald asked as she kept her eyes in the direction Hazel ran off in.
"I'm here!" a voice called out from inside the car. Ren and Nora reached inside and pulled out Midori, who was safe and sound. "Is everyone okay?"
"Just some bumps and bruises," Mercury said as he dusted his shirt off. "Ren, Nora, you good?"
"We're fine," Ren answered. "Emerald, are you-?"
"You have to go," Emerald said as she pointed behind her. "Take Midori and get out of here."
"What?" Ren followed Emerald's gaze into the red trees. "What are you looking at?"
"I'm using my Semblance. Hazel thinks he's chasing Midori." Emerald felt a quick surge of pain in her head. "Go on, get out of here before he knows what's up."
Nora was the first to oppose this plan. "Em, we didn't leave you back at the mines," she said. "And we're not leaving you-"
Emerald fell to the ground as her Aura suddenly broke. While it never broke this fast before, Emerald knew that talking to everyone and being unable to see Hazel had resulted in her losing her Aura this quickly. While she was frustrated, Emerald knew that she had to run.
"Come on!" she said as she began to run in the opposite direction Hazel was running in. Soon enough, everyone was following her.
About a few minutes later, everyone felt like they had run for miles. They were confident that they put in a decent amount of distance between themselves and Hazel, but charging blindly into a large forest revealed a certain problem.
"Where are we?" Nora asked as she stopped to catch her breath.
Everyone stopped with her. "Where are we going?" Ren asked.
"Was this the way out?" Midori asked as she looked around the red trees.
"No, we're still going towards the White Fang camp," said Mercury, who looked over to Emerald. "Right?"
"..."
Emerald looked around the abundance of trees surrounding her, and everyone knew that the look on her face showed that she had no idea where she was going.
Nevertheless, Mercury asked where she thought they were.
"I... I didn't see which way we were going," Emerald confessed. "Everything just-"
*SNAP*
Everyone quickly heard the sound of something breaking. However, this was no small branch breaking under someone's foot. Instead, it sounded like something large had been uprooted from the ground.
That something turned out to be a large tree, one that was thrown into the sky and was coming straight down on everyone.
"Get outta the way!" Mercury screamed as he dove for the ground. Ren, Nora, and Midori followed and just avoided the tree.
*BAM*
The resulting crash spread dust and pieces of bark all across the natural ground. When the surrounding area was cleared, a loud screaming reached everyone's ears. They all turned to see that the tree had landed very close to their feet.
But it had also landed directly on Emerald.
"Emerald!" Nora screamed as she ran over to her friend. "Oh, my god!" She then grabbed the bark and began to pull. "Don't worry, we'll get you out!" Ren followed Nora's lead and began to pull the tree. Mercury and Midori joined them, but the tree refused to move.
"Try pushing it!" Mercury suggested. "Nora, use Magnhild as a lever!"
As everyone else began to push, Nora transformed her weapon into a hammer and placed its end under the tree. But no matter how hard they all pushed, the tree barely moved and Emerald continued to scream in pain.
"Emerald, can you push it?!" Mercury asked in vain.
"My-My arm is broken, you idiot!" Emerald screamed through tears.
"Stand back!" Nora ordered as she took out her weapon. "I have to break it!" Despite the risk it posed to her friend, Nora knew that the tree had to go if they had any hope to help Emerald. Ren understood this well, so he backed away first. Mercury and Midori followed suit and Nora prepared to swing her hammer down.
But for some reason, Nora was struggling to bring it down.
Before she could look up to see what was wrong, Nora felt herself come off the ground with Magnhild. A brief moment allowed her to see that Hazel was holding the end of the hammer, and now he was ready to throw it with Nora.
And with a loud yell, that was exactly what he did.
With Nora out of the way for now, Hazel's eyes turned to Ren and Mercury. Both of them were in front of Midori, and they were both ready to protect her.
Ren was the first to attack, and his used StormFlower's blades to cut Hazel's torso. The attack was useless, given that Hazel had activated his Aura. And now he had thrown a fist at Ren's face.
Mercury came in next, kicking Hazel's torso and face when he jumped into the air. Fortunately, he was able to put some distance between himself and Hazel when he activated the gun on his ankle before the tall man could grab him.
Mercury landed in a tree when he leapt off of Hazel. He already knew how strong Hazel was, but Mercury was much faster than him. He could dodge some more attacks and look for an opening in the meantime. And given that Nora had emerged from the woods while swinging her hammer, Mercury knew he had a chance.
Hazel had grabbed Nora's hammer once again, but he was forced to let it go when Mercury kicked his back. Hazel swung a fist at Mercury, but the boy barely dodged it. Nora was able to finally land a hit with Magnhild, but Hazel seemed to have shrugged it off.
Not only that, but he also clapped his hands against both sides of Nora's head, which sent new kinds of pain on that part of her body.
Ren jumped on Hazel's back and stabbed his blades into the man's skin. While he wasn't expecting the attack to work, Ren's weapons seemed to have finally made a cut into the walking weapon. However, Hazel began to run backwards while seemingly not being impacted by the blades.
Ren, however, was susceptible to pain when he and Hazel collided into a tree. Hazel again shrugged off the attack while Ren tried to collect himself. But Hazel was fast enough to send his fists at Ren, who crashed into the tree each time he was punched.
Nora and Mercury saw that Ren had been knocked unconscious by the brutal assault. Strangely, Hazel seemed to believe that the boy had enough of the attack; now he had his eyes on Nora and Mercury.
"Ren!" Nora called out before she transformed Magnhild into its grenade launcher form. In sheer anger, she unloaded grenade after grenade at Hazel until there was a cloud of pink smoke where he was originally standing.
"That's it," Nora said as she stopped firing and calmed down. "I'm all out."
"We gotta get outta here," said Midori, who moved close to the tree once again. "Nora, use your hammer now."
Nora turned to the cloud of pink smoke she created. "But what about Ren?"
Mercury followed her gaze, but was turned back to the tree when he heard Emerald scream in pain. "In a minute!" he said as he pulled on Nora's arm. "Let's get Emerald before-!"
"Rrrraaaaahhh!"
*BAM*
A fist emerged from the smoke and collided into Nora's face. She too flew backwards into a tree, just like Ren. However, the amount of force was due to a sort of explosion, almost like someone had thrown a piece of Fire Dust at Nora.
Mercury looked back to the cloud of smoke to see Hazel once again. Only this time, his shirt was in shambles; which revealed a muscular torso riddled with scars and three Dust crystals.
It also revealed that Hazel was alive, well, and very angry.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Mercury yelled as he collected his thoughts. Midori said nothing as she backed away in fear.
Despite the fact that he was scared too, Mercury lunged at Hazel again. Ren and Nora may have gone down, but they didn't go without a fight. Mercury knew he couldn't call himself their ally, let alone their friend, if he wasn't willing to do the same.
And so, he fired at Hazel for what felt like a dozen times as he tried to put some distance in between the two of them. But the shots merely ricocheted off Hazel's skin like pebbles as he charged forward. And soon enough, he grabbed one of Mercury's legs and picked him up as if he was Magnhild.
Only this time, Hazel didn't throw the boy into a field of trees. He was too angry to simply want to throw his prey away like a piece of paper. This time, Hazel lifted Mercury by one leg and slammed him against the ground.
While keeping a firm grip on the leg, Hazel let out another scream and repeated the attack.
He then repeated it again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
On the eighth slam, Hazel let go of Mercury and began to breathe heavily. The sight of a broken and bleeding boy began to calm him down.
"You brought this on yourself," Hazel said as he turned away from Mercury. His eyes soon fell onto Midori, who had backed away until she bumped into a tree. Hazel merely walked over to Midori while kicking Emerald in the face to silence her screams. "You brought this onto your friends when you ran away."
"..."
Midori became as still as a statue while Hazel walked up to her. This changed, however, as Hazel reached out to her; Midori tried to back away even further, but to no avail.
"I understand your reluctance," said Hazel. "But listen to me; my master is no longer concerned about your well-being. She kept you alive for months for a reason."
"..."
"All of that is over now. She told me I could bring you back warm... or bring you back in a body bag. Your choice, child."
Midori gasped when she heard the new orders. She knew that Salem would want her back, but she didn't consider the possibility of not being alive. Midori hated to admit it, but she was considering that Eren and the others would be dead before she would be.
Only now... it seemed that became a reality when Hazel made a mess of Mercury. Nevertheless, she made her choice.
"I... I can't go back," she said timidly.
"..."
Midori slowly raised her fists to show that she was serious. "I... I won't," she declared.
Hazel was unimpressed by the display of courage, but he knew that the child had made her choice. She gave him her blessing to die.
"So be it," Hazel said as he lifted his fists.
*HISSS*
*BOOM*
A gust of hot wind and a blinding light knocked Midori back further onto the bark of the tree, but Hazel stood his ground. He turned around fast, and saw that he had made another mistake today; he merely assumed that the one called Mercury was dead.
But now, he was transforming into a Titan right before Hazel's eyes.
"My turn, asshole," Mercury internally declared as he charged towards Hazel.
Things had indeed taken a turn deep in the Forever Fall. While Mercury was forced to unleash his Titan against Hazel, the Faunus of the White Fang were being humbled by the combined might of Eren and Cinder. If they weren't being cut to shreds, the Faunus were running for their lives.
All except the fully masked lieutenant, who was having a difficult time maintaining order.
"Get back here, you cowards!" the enraged Faunus called out to his former allies. "Stand and fight or I'll kill you myself!"
It was evident that the lieutenant's words fell on deaf ears, and those ears were starting to hear better ideas than staying.
"Oh, God! I knew humans were cruel, but this is insane!"
"Adam thought we could take down Beacon with that other human?! We can't even fight those two!"
"Who are we kidding?! What are we doing out here?!"
"To Hell with this! I'm going back to Menagerie!"
The only one who looked back at the battlefield was Ilia, Blake's friend. Leaving her friend and leader behind wasn't an idea she liked, even though the Grimm themselves were starting to join the fight. If she left both of them now, she would be alone in the world. "What about Blake and Adam?" she called out to her comrades.
One Faunus grabbed Ilia's hand and pulled her towards the trees. "It too late for them!" he insisted. When Ilia began running with him, the Faunus let her go. "It's every Faunus for themselves!"
"..."
Despite the fact that she made it to the trees, Ilia couldn't help but look back one more time. The only thing she could see was Adam's lieutenant fighting the humans. The young girl could see the logic in retreat, but she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself for doing so.
"Ilia! Move it or we're leaving you!"
"..."
The credible threat was the icing on the cake for Ilia. With that, she ran deep into the woods and left the Faunus behind her to their own fate. And when the lieutenant saw this, he became even angrier.
"You'll pay for this!" he said as he recklessly threw his chainsaw blade towards Cinder. She was able to dodge every swing until Eren came behind the lieutenant and broke his Aura with a gunshot to his back.
"Check's in the mail, buddy!" Cinder yelled as she kicked the Faunus in the face. The lieutenant fell to the ground and cut himself with the chainsaw in the process, and the duo watched as his blood seeped into the grass.
"He's had enough," said Eren, who kicked the weapon away from the Faunus' hands.
Cinder lowered her swords and began to catch her breath. "Me too," she said between her breaths. "Think we're... done here?"
Eren looked around at the Grimm and dead Faunus. "I think we were done five minutes ago. Or at least, they were."
Cinder silently agreed as she looked around the camp. "Well, there goes a second Faunus revolution; up in smoke."
Eren nodded as he began to walk away. "Let's go."
He was then followed by Cinder, who couldn't help but look around at the destruction she inflicted. While she was proud to have helped Eren and Midori, a part of her felt bad that she ruined the Faunus' chances for a better life. While she didn't condone the violence she heard the White Fang being associated with, Cinder always heard that the group was an advocate for Faunus advancement. One way or another.
Eren wasn't too fond of this turn of events either. It was bringing back memories that weren't even his own; Grisha Yeager, his father, was once a revolutionary. It was his goal to liberate all Eldians from Marley's iron rule, by any means necessary. The result of these plans and ambitions were exactly what Eren had inflicted on the White Fang today: death.
However, Eren wasn't feeling guilty about what he did. In fact, he was confused by the White Fang's fight. From what he learned about Remnant's history, the Faunus staged a large revolution that won their freedom from humans. They had succeeded where the Eldian Restorationists had failed. They weren't living in any prison, they weren't slaves. The Faunus could live their lives however they saw fit.
So what was it that they were still fighting?
"But if you heard anything four years ago, you'd be wrong."
That was how Blake described the White Fang, when Eren said that they were fighting for the wrong reasons. Were they fighting for something else before? Eren was curious about this, so he decided to find out more when he had the chance.
But first, he needed to do what he originally came here for; help the Faunus who helped him.
"We just need to grab Blake," Eren said as he walked closer to the trees. "Then we'll be good to go."
"Fine by me," said Cinder. "I'm gonna sleep forever."
"Same here." Eren turned back to Cinder. "Oh, by the way, thanks for the help. I'm glad you stayed."
Cinder smiled at Eren. "No problem." The smile quickly vanished. "But, uh, I'm sorry about before."
Eren stopped walking. "Before?"
"You know, when I followed you into the woods. I was just worried, that's all. I didn't mean to say that you'd be better off if you weren't alone."
Eren began to remember what Cinder was talking about. Given everything they just did, it was easy to compare the incident to water under a bridge. "That's okay," he said. "I understand."
"No, it's not okay," Cinder insisted. "Eren, I didn't mean to be attached to your hip while you fight. I know you're strong, and you were capable of saving that Faunus by yourself. I just... I didn't want you to feel like you couldn't before. You know?"
Despite the sincerity of Cinder's apology, Eren wasn't sure what she was talking about. "I don't follow," he said.
Cinder knew she may be speaking out of turn now, but she wanted Eren to know how she felt. "Eren... you had dozens of chances to prove that you were a great fighter. Not just here, but on Paradis. And I just realized how you never got some of those chances."
"..."
"I just realized that she... that someone usually took you out of a fight. They didn't believe you were capable fighting on your own. And when I was following you earlier, I was just like everyone who doubted you. But you don't deserve that."
"..."
"I understand that now, that there are times when you need to fight on your own. I don't want you to feel like I was trying to hold you back or suffocate you. I know you're strong, Eren. And I know that there are some times you wanna prove it. I'm sorry I got in the way."
"..."
Even though Cinder tried to brush off her earlier choice of words, Eren knew who she was talking about. As she further explained herself, Eren knew that Cinder was referring to all of the times that Mikasa stood by him and fought with him. Not just that, but all of the times Mikasa got in the way of Eren trying to be strong by himself.
The more he thought about it, and the more he remembered what he thought about Mikasa while in the Forever Fall, made Eren realize that Cinder was right. Mikasa was a truly loyal friend, but it was becoming easy to see that she may have had doubts about his own strength and capabilities. That he was just a child who needed constant supervision.
And now, Cinder was professing that she saw the exact opposite in him.
"I..."
Eren began to feel a multitude of feelings. He was grateful that Cinder saw him in a different light, proud that she gave him the chance to show how strong he was, and honestly... Eren felt a sense of weight shift off him when he saw Cinder as the opposite of Mikasa.
"...Thank you, Cinder," Eren said with a smile. "I... really needed to hear all of that."
"It needed to be said," Cinder replied with a small laugh. Eren joined her as they began to walk back towards the trees, ready to finally leave the Forever Fall.
But as they finally reached the forest, Eren knew that something was wrong.
"Where's Blake?" Eren asked as he looked at a certain part of the ground. The place he was looking at was the exact spot where he laid Blake down. Now it was empty.
Cinder looked in the same spot and easily noticed the same thing. "That's weird," she said as she slightly grew on edge. "That's where you left her."
"She's not here."
Cinder looked around her, but all she saw was red leaves. "Maybe the White Fang grabbed her as they ran?"
"Maybe... but they all ran north. Did you see anyone come this way?"
"No, did you?"
"No." Eren looked around the area once again. "Come to think of it... I haven't seen the guys either."
Cinder looked around and realized that she hadn't seen their friends either. "You're right, we didn't. Did they not get my message?"
"My Nevermores haven't let me down yet." Eren realized that there was something else they hadn't seen. "Wait a minute; where's Hazel?"
Cinder quickly gasped when Eren asked that question. "He wasn't in the field," she said.
"And I didn't see his airship take off," Eren added. "He must have left while Adam was giving his speech. And the only place he could go..."
"Was out of the forest... and to the car!"
Eren and Cinder looked at each other and realized the same exact thing; they had to find the others. But before they made a single step in the right direction, the two friends heard a voice call out.
"What have you done?!"
Eren and Cinder heard the voice as clear as day, and they knew it didn't belong to either of them. Eren moved ahead and pushed past a red bush, which revealed something he wasn't expecting.
Adam was still alive, and he was holding Blake by the hair against a tree.
"It's Blake!" Eren whispered.
"And the White Fang leader!" Cinder replied quietly. "Guess he came to after all."
Adam pulled on Blake's hair even tighter as he put his other hand on his sword. "How did you do this?!" he angrily demanded.
"It wasn't me..." Blake whispered, too quietly for Adam to hear.
"How?!" Adam repeated.
"It wasn't me!" Blake repeated, much louder this time.
Eren realized that if Adam didn't kill Blake before, he was certainly going to do so now. Cinder knew this as well, but she still had her friends on her mind.
"Eren, Hazel's still out there!" she whispered. "What do we do?"
Eren looked back to Cinder. "I can take this guy," he said. "Find the others and see if Hazel's with them."
"..."
Eren saw a growing fear on Cinder's face. He didn't envy her position, given what everyone had said about Hazel. "We have to stop him," he said.
"I might need my Titan for that," Cinder replied.
"Then use it."
"We could use the Grimm too, if you go instead of-"
"I can't, I'm sorry." Eren looked at Adam's cruel treatment of Blake. "I got her into this mess, I gotta get her out. You're all out of arrows, and I have enough blades."
"..."
Cinder looked down at her gear and she saw that Eren was right. All of her arrows were gone, and she didn't have enough time to get them back. And she clearly couldn't change Eren's mind.
As much as she hated to admit it, she had to find Hazel alone.
"I'll scout ahead," Cinder said. Before she left, she gently slid her hand on Eren's shoulder to get his attention. "Be careful."
Eren looked back and nodded. "You too."
As he watched Cinder leave, Eren turned back to Adam and Blake. He could hear Adam angrily calling Blake out once again, but Eren didn't pay attention to the words he said. He knew that Adam had to be stopped, and the first thing to do was get his attention.
*BANG*
A shot above both their heads caught the attention of the two Faunus, and they both looked to see a human firmly standing behind them with a gun in his hand.
"Let her go," Eren demanded as he lowered the gun. "I'm the one you want."
Adam complied, only to reach for the sword on his side. "No one attacks the White Fang and lives," he said as he moved closer to his enemy.
"Then it looks like I'm the first," Eren said as he also moved closer while gripping his swords.
Adam quickly pointed the tip of his blade at Eren's neck, which made the human stop dead in his tracks. Adam then looked back towards the ruined camp he once called his home. He didn't have a chance to assess the damage in detail, since he was sure Blake was responsible. And in a way, he was right. Blake had lured this human here, and they both ruined everything.
"You did this?" Adam asked as he turned back to Eren. "All just to spite us?"
"I'm the one you want," Eren repeated. "But all I want is to get Blake the help she needs." He tightened the grasp on his swords. "Let her go, and you'll never see me again."
"...Is that so?" Adam looked at Blake under his mask. But he quickly looked back to Eren. "So she has been helping you. And here I thought I was lying to my own people. Tell me, how long has this been going on?"
"That's not your business. I said let her go."
Adam moved his sword closer to Eren. "I don't take orders from humans. I give them."
Eren narrowed his eyes at Adam. "I'm not usually one for taking orders either. But I'm giving you a chance here." He took one step backwards as he gently struck Adam's sword out of his face.
*TAP*
Adam allowed his sword to move, but just barely. "What about the others? Did you give them a chance?"
*TAP*
Eren and Adam knew that the tapping of swords was merely them daring each other to attack first. Eren didn't attack yet, as he felt compelled to keep talking.
"I gave them a chance," he admitted. "I let the survivors run away."
*TAP*
"...I can't recall the last time I ran from a fight," Adam replied.
*TAP*
"...Me neither."
*TAP*
Adam was starting to grow impatient, as was Eren. Both of them were considering taking the first shot, but still they waited.
"You still haven't answered my question," said Adam. "Tell me how long you've known Blake and I may spare your life."
*TAP*
Eren remembered what he said to the Faunus, but it was clear he wasn't taking "no" for an answer. "I met her today," he said. "After I told her the truth about Tyrian, she agreed to help me."
*TAP*
Adam briefly paused and wondered how the human knew Tyrian. "So it was you," he said. "You killed Tyrian."
*TAP*
"Don't make me kill you too. Just let her go."
*TAP*
Adam smirked. "I'd like to see you try."
Eren stood completely still. "...Fine."
[Play "Lost Judgement OST: Dig In Your Heels" on YouTube]
Eren swung both of his swords at Adam's face, but the attack was easily blocked. After a second of contact, Adam was able to push Eren back towards the clearing. Eren used his Voltant to recover and actually move into the clearing, where he was joined by Adam. The Faunus crouched towards the ground as he held his sword in his sheath. He then ran towards Eren, who moved his swords towards the Faunus again.
But Adam proved his speed to be superior when he managed to strike one of Eren's blades from its handle and then slash him across his chest. The force knocked Eren back again, but his Aura began to heal a deep cut forming on his chest.
"This guy's fast," Eren realized as he watched his cut disappear. "I should keep my distance." Eren took another blade from his gear, but he also took out one of his pistols. He then began to fire at Adam, only for the Faunus to simply block them with his sword. Not only that, but Adam didn't even need to remove the whole blade; just a small portion of it.
All the attack did for Eren was make him frustrated.
As Adam watched each bullet strike his sword, he could tell the human was planning on keeping his distance. Not that it would be a problem, since Adam was already planning on how he could strike from a distance. However, he just needed to get the human to keep firing at him. Either that, or allow him to come in for closer strikes.
"You were truly the one to attack the White Fang?" Adam called out as he pushed his sword into his sheath. "I'm not impressed."
"..."
Eren remained silent as he flew with what little fuel he had left in Soaring Freedom. Which, ironically, made him feel that he was trapped in the clearing that the White Fang once stood in.
The Grimm, however, were free to come in and attack both Adam and Eren. While most warriors saw this as a hinderance to their progress, Adam and Eren saw this as an opportunity. Adam began to turn each Beowolf, Creep, and Ursa to ash surprisingly quickly. At one point, it almost looked like there were three versions of Adam moving quickly. And with each Grimm he killed, Adam's sword and hair began to glow.
Eren saw how quickly Adam killed these Grimm, but that didn't stop him from cutting his hand and throwing his black blood onto any creature that tried to attack him. When they were hit by the black substance, all the Grimm began to run towards Adam. Eren used his remaining fuel to move into the trees.
"Why are they all coming after me?" Adam asked as more and more Grimm charged at him. One Beowolf even came close to cut his leg, but it became nothing but ash afterwards. The little space he had to see showed Adam that Eren was gone. "He... He ran?"
*GRRRR*
*SWISH*
Adam silenced a final Ursa's growling with his now glowing sword. When he looked around the burning camp, he indeed saw that he was alone. Which made him laugh.
"Was that the best you could do, human?" Adam asked Eren, who he was almost hoping he would be here. "I'll admit, I can see why you killed my men so easily. But not me."
"..."
"NOT ME!"
Adam stopped laughing as he looked around the woods. "I'm not like Tyrian or any other Faunus you walked over in your worthless life! I'm not someone who'll let any human walk over them !" Adam began to calm down, but he continued to talk. "You're doomed, human. You and all your kind. When you're knocked off that pedestal you all made for yourselves, you better believe that we, the Faunus, will be the ones to take it."
"..."
"Because no matter what you think of us, you're wrong! We are not animals! We are not slaves! We! Are! Free!"
"..."
"Free! Free to fight back! Free to take this world back! Free to make humanity pay for what they've done! Free to make them bow at our feet like the scum they truly-!"
*THWIP*
Despite the burning passion he felt when he delivered his tirade to seemingly nobody, Adam was able to hear a familiar sound to his right. When he turned around, he could see Eren coming towards him with one sword raised above his head while screaming. And even though Eren had the element of surprise, Adam was still fast enough to raise his sword to defend himself. The sword was glowing brightly now, and Adam knew that this would be a perfect chance to use it.
However, he didn't notice that Eren too was glowing. And he missed the fist that had just crashed into his face.
Now it was Adam's turn to be thrown backwards. Eren's abundant amount of Aura allowed him to use his Semblance to increase his strength in a well placed punch. He knew his blades and guns were having no effect on the Faunus, but Eren believed that he could land a good hit if he was close enough.
Fortunately, the speech Adam was delivering was enough to make Eren angry. Not just angry, but also disturbed. Eren could see that Adam was indeed free, he had no arguments against that. However, he was using that freedom to steal it from others. Manipulation, violence, and even murder were all elements that the Faunus had been using to steal freedom from others.
Eren had seen what stealing freedom from others looked like. He saw the damage it inflicted on people, even an entire world. That was exactly why Eren quickly believed that this single Faunus could be one of the most dangerous people he ever met. Adam could rival Salem, he could even rival Eren himself.
Which was why Eren knew he had to be stopped, no matter the cost.
But Adam didn't show any signs of stopping. After he tumbled on the ground and landed next to his dead comrades, Adam stood up and grabbed the left side of his face in pain.
"Left side..." Adam thought to himself, mainly how he failed to see that Eren had a second attack planned. As he got off the ground, Adam's Aura began to heal his body while he could feel his bones cracking. "So, he can throw a good punch. No matter." Adam began to reach for his sword in his sheath. "I have enough energy to-What?"
Adam looked at his sheath when he felt nothing but thin air. His sword was missing instead of being where it belonged. Confusion soon turned to fear when he saw that the human was still glowing, most likely due to his Semblance. And when he saw his sword laying just between the two of them, that fear turned to desperation.
Eren saw the sword as well, and he knew that Adam wanted it. Unfortunately, he was no longer able to use Soaring Freedom. Now he had to run towards the sword while using his remaining bullets to fire at Adam, who was also running towards the blade. Adam was forced to engage his Aura to protect himself, so he ran faster so he could use whatever Aura he had left to use his Semblance.
Eren reached sword first, and he stepped on its blade to prevent Adam from picking it up. He then swiped at the Faunus' head with a yell, hoping that he could cut his head when he was close enough. But Adam simply slid on the ground to dodge the sword and unhooked his sheath from his belt. The last thing he did was point the end at Eren's chest.
*BANG*
A shotgun blast from the sheath made a direct hit and made Eren fall over. His Aura protected him from harm, but Adam was still able to recover his sword. Eren knew that Adam was back on the offensive now, and Adam knew how close Eren was to him. It seemed to be anyone's game now.
Eren lunged towards Adam with a sword and a fist while screaming at the top of his lungs.
Adam yelled too as he swiped his sword into the air. As he did, a large red streak suddenly emerged from the sword. It was almost as if the sword had come to life and spit out a part of itself.
And that something just struck Eren, leaving him without a jaw and his right arm.
Eren fell to the ground once again, but this time it was in a sheer amount of pain. His arm and part of his face were missing, and he didn't have his Aura right now. Adam, however, was standing proudly over his opponent. He was tired, in some pain, and still angry at everything that happened; but he was still victorious.
"Heh," Adam choked out as he slowly walked over to Eren. "Heh, heh, heh, heh." When he saw the spoils of his labor, Adam smiled a large, intimidating smile. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" He then stepped on Eren's chest. "How the mighty have fallen!" he screamed as Eren bleed over on the grass.
"..."
Eren angrily stared at Adam as he tried to tolerate the massive amount of pain in his body. Adam, however, looked upon the missing jaw. "Have you nothing to say?" he asked sarcastically.
"..."
Before he could say anything else, Adam wiped his forehead of sweat. Despite the relief, Adam still felt hot. It wasn't just because he was out of breath from this unique fight, but he felt that he was in some kind of sauna. Adam looked down again to see that Eren's wounds were seeping with steam.
As well as black blood.
"What-?" Adam asked as he backed away. "Wha... What is this?" Adam kicked the ground in order to get the black blood off of his shoe. "This... This isn't right." He then looked at Eren again. "And they said I was a freak? What... are you?"
"..."
Eren was ready to show Adam exactly what he was; a Titan would surely result in victory, even if Adam used his Semblance again. He may have been bested physically, but Eren was far from finished fighting.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Three shots were fired directly at Adam, one of which had hit his arm. But Adam quickly retaliated by letting his swords take the bullets. He then looked past his blade to see that the shots were fired by none other than Blake, who was leaning against a tree while firing at him.
Adam used his unnatural speed once again to rush over to Blake and grab her by the throat. "You're too late, Blake!" he said. "He's gone!"
"No..." Blake whispered, lamenting the fact that she couldn't stop Adam.
The Faunus couldn't help but chuckle again. "You care for him," he assumed from her self-loathing. "And you've only known him since today?" He stopped laughing when he realized how the tables had turned against him. "Tell me... what do you even see in him? A human that was just put in his place?"
"..."
Blake decided not to dignify that question with a response, given how sick it made her feel. But Adam was far from finished.
"Don't you see, Blake?" Adam asked. "I just proved how right I was about earlier. We're better than humans. We have everything they have and more. And we can do so much more than break the humans." Adam leaned closer. "We can subjugate the humans."
"..."
Adam could see that Blake couldn't believe what she was hearing. He then saw that he was wasting his time with two people who had done nothing but hurt him. So he took his sword once again and lifted it upwards.
"I'll do it myself, then. Goodbye, Blake."
The young girl, despite the defiance she displayed towards the man who was once her leader, couldn't help but close her eyes as the blade began to move downwards.
*BOOM*
Both the Faunus heard and felt a very palpable explosion, one that nearly made them go deaf. Blake fell to the ground again while Adam covered his ears. He dropped his sword in the process, so Blake's life had been saved once again.
But one look at her apparent savior didn't make Blake feel very grateful.
Adam was hearing a loud ringing in his ears, but his eyesight wasn't affected. He could see the look on Blake's face, one that spelled a new kind of intimidation. Adam's curiosity made him turn around, where he laid his eyes on a massive, humanoid, monstrous Grimm that stood over fifteen meters tall. The mass and the apparent strength were intimidating enough, but the look on its face gave off a certain rage that would shake the strongest person to their core.
Adam and Blake couldn't help but back away out of instinct, but Adam was able to move faster. Unfortunately for him, so did the Titan's fist.
"DIE!"
*BAM*
The ground just in front of Adam erupted as Eren's fist slammed into it. Adam flew back and hit his body against trees and rock, but he still had some Aura left. Fear and confusion cast over him as he understood his predicament well, but he also understood that there was one way out of it.
Adam once again used his sword to unleash another red slice of energy. While this attack completely drained his Aura, the slice hit the Titan's arm and removed a part of its hand.
Eren didn't seem to mind, however. Not only was the Titan offering him protection, but the parts of his hand that fell off had begun to do something other than dissipate; it was turning into a Grimm pool, one that began to generate new and angry Grimm.
Adam's fear and shock at the turn of events made his mind go into a fight or flight state. And given that he had used up his Aura, Adam chose flight. His speed was natural and didn't rely upon Aura, so he immediately ran through the forests while jumping on the trees.
The Titan wasn't giving him a chance to escape. Eren and his Grimm continued to rip the forest apart in their pursuit of Adam, and Eren even hit one of the trees that Adam was standing on. Despite his evident fear from the screams and the pain Eren had dealt, Adam was still able to run. But the Grimm weren't too far behind, since Eren's arm continued to bleed Grimm and make more pools. Eren wasn't ready to let Adam escape.
All of a sudden, Adam's screams grew quiet.
"..."
Eren kneeled down to take a good look at the trees and the ground, but couldn't find Adam. Taking a risk, Eren exited his Titan and let his hand heal. His jaw was completely formed now, even though steam was escaping his body. Eren looked around at the field of Grimm that were still running into the woods, but couldn't see anything that looked like Adam.
He did, however, find a lone White Fang mask that had red painting on it.
Eren picked up the mask and examined it. He was sure it belonged to Adam, and so did the Beowolf that immediately smelled it.
"No Aura, no friends... no place to go," Eren thought to himself. "These woods are massive. And with the Grimm, there's no possible way he could survive. Not for long, at least."
The more Eren thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt with his gut feeling. Eren knew how dangerous Adam really was, and it would be a big mistake if Eren let him live. His gear was missing blades and it was all out of fuel, but Eren wasn't ready to give up looking for Adam.
"Y...You..."
Eren quickly turned around not to see Adam, but Blake standing behind him. She was still hurt, she was still bleeding, but she was also dumbstruck by the sight of the Titan.
"Did... Did you... just-?"
Blake couldn't complete a complete statement due to her pain. And due to the fact that she had just fainted.
"This isn't good," Eren realized as he moved closer to Blake. For the first time in years, his secret was revealed to someone outside of Kuroyuri; he was exposed.
Then again... Blake was seriously hurt. Without medical attention, or Midori's Semblance, there was a good chance that she would die. And her knowledge of Eren's Titan would die with her.
"What am I thinking?" Eren asked himself as he reached down and gently picked her up. "I'll think of something to explain. Maybe she'll believe that it's my Semblance." Eren took one last look in the direction that Adam ran away in. And then he looked back at the direction Cinder had left in. He reassured himself that Adam's chances of survival were slim, so he went off in the direction of his friends.
The walk felt like it took forever, but Eren managed to find the Dark Wing. However, it was flipped upside down and it was abandoned.
"Oh, no," Eren said as he moved Blake down. He then rushed inside the car to see nothing but beds and materials resting on the roof.
"Cinder?!" Eren called out.
"..."
"Ren?!" "Nora?!" "Mercury!"
"..."
Eren looked around the area once again, hoping to find any clues about their whereabouts. Fortunately, Eren discovered multiple sets of footprints after he almost tripped on an tree's large root. Eren quickly followed the footprints deeper into the Forever Fall, and his hope was somewhat restored when he heard what sounded like screaming.
*CRACK*
*CRACK*
*CRACK*
The sound of something breaking was faint due to the screaming, but it was evident. Eren's fears grew as he moved towards the source of the nosies, which had led him to a different clearing. Unlike the White Fang camp, this clearing looked like it had been made recklessly from trees being pulled apart instead of cut down.
There, Eren managed to find his friends gathered around in some kind of circle. Cinder and Ren were the first to notice him, but neither of them said anything. They simply stared at Eren with blank expressions.
Expressions that stated a new kind of disturbed.
"What happened?" Eren quickly asked.
"..."
Eren looked past Cinder to see what was in the center of the circle. He gently moved Cinder out of his way to see Nora, Emerald, and Midori huddled around three things in the middle of the clearing.
The first was Mercury's Titan, which was missing its arm and was starting to dissipate.
The second was Mercury, who was breathing rapidly while holding a large rock by his side. His face and clothes were caked in blood.
The third, and most disturbing, was Hazel himself. He was laying on the ground while bleeding in various places. His face looked like it had been broken in more places than anybody could imagine. His nose was contorted, his jaw was unnaturally moved to the left, his left eye was swollen shut, his right eye was bulging, and his teeth were littered across the ground.
As Eren looked at the aftermath of what was clearly some kind of brutality, he was sharing his friends' disbelief. And he could only say one thing.
"My... God..."
While Eren wondered what exactly happened to Hazel while he was dealing with Adam, everyone wasn't quite ready to talk about it yet. The most information he got was that everything happened so fast.
Eren decided to leave it at that, given that everyone seemed to know that it would be best not to talk about it with Mercury around.
Mercury, however, joined in the group's silence as he left Hazel and moved back to the Dark Wing. Everyone else pondered the decision of taking Hazel with them or leaving him for the Grimm. Given that he was an enemy and they had more important things to worry about, Eren and his friends decided to focus on getting the Dark Wing back in driving shape and helping Blake.
Mercury did the majority of the work with his Titan. He used it to pick up the car and put it back on its wheels while everyone put the beds back together. Again, Mercury was silent throughout the whole experience. He was even silent while driving.
Eren had decided that enough time had passed, so he moved to the driver's seat. "Hey... Mercury," he said. "Are... you okay?"
"..."
Despite being given the silent treatment, Eren continued to talk. "I'm... sorry I couldn't help with Hazel," he said. "Cinder and I were dealing with the White Fang."
"..."
"And I had to help Blake. You know, the Faunus that helped me find Midori."
"..."
Eren couldn't tell if Mercury was angry with him, but that was his first impression. Which was why he continued to explain himself. "I used up all my fuel and blades on their leader, I was going to-"
"Just leave it by the door," Mercury said as he pointed to the car door. "I'll get to it in the morning."
Eren looked down by his gear before he looked back at Mercury. "My gear? Mercury, you don't have to-"
"Just... leave it," Mercury firmly repeated.
"..."
Eren finally decided to let Mercury be, so he did as he was told. After he put his gear by the door, he decided to go sit on his bed and rest up.
"How are you feeling?"
Eren looked up to see Cinder standing by the edge of the bed. He moved aside so she could join him as he talked.
"Okay... sort of," Eren said. "I don't know if he's mad at me, but he's definitely not okay."
"I know," Cinder said as she sat down. "We should keep an eye on him."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I know as much as you do. I got a little lost in the woods, so it took me longer to find them than you did."
"Oh. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. How about you?" Cinder put one hand on Eren's. "Was there any trouble at the camp?"
"Trouble? Uh... no. No trouble."
Cinder moved her hand up Eren's arm. "Then why is your shirt missing a sleeve?"
Eren looked at his arm to see that he was indeed missing a sleeve. It must have come off when Adam took off his arm. Eren knew that he had to explain more than Cinder already knew.
"That Faunus, their leader... he was strong," Eren admitted. "And good with a sword." Eren looked at all of the blades missing from his gear. "I couldn't stop him as myself. I... have to be stronger."
Eren immediately felt a weight on his shoulder. When he turned to see what it was, he wasn't surprised when he saw Cinder resting against his side. "We all have to be stronger," she said. "I just hope I can be as strong as you someday."
"..."
Eren said nothing, but simply smiled at Cinder's flattery.
"Oh, you were right, by the way," Cinder said as she moved off Eren's shoulder. "I got a look at Blake when Midori was done healing her face, and you were right; she does look like me!"
Eren's eyes widened when Cinder confirmed what he said when everyone found Blake resting by the Dark Wing. "I know, right?!" he asked. "I thought she was you when I first met her, she looks exactly like you!"
"Black hair, amber eyes... it's so weird!"
Eren easily found comfort in Cinder's company, even though he still believed that he needed to be stronger against people like Adam. But for now, the battle was over. Everyone just needed a long rest.
The only one who didn't seem to be resting was Emerald, who was walking around and making sure the pain from her experience in the forest had all gone away. Midori had finished using Healing Wish on her very quickly, so Emerald was using her broken arm very slowly so she could be ready for the next fight.
Cinder saw this and decided to ask how she was feeling. "Hey, Emerald," she said calmly. "How are you feeling?"
"..."
Emerald turned to Cinder, but didn't say anything.
"The arm looks better," Cinder continued. "It doesn't hurt or anything, does it?"
"..."
Emerald continued to be silent as she walked past Cinder and towards her own bed.
"Emerald?" Cinder called out as she turned around. "Hey, Emerald!"
"..."
Eren also noticed the silent treatment Emerald was apparently giving Cinder, and he too was confused. "What the heck?" he asked. "What's wrong with her?"
"She just blew me off!" Cinder said as she looked back to Eren. "Is everyone here being quiet right now?"
"Not everyone."
Eren and Cinder looked over to see Nora standing by the edge of the bed. "Hey, Nora," said Cinder. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Nora said as she walked over to her friends. "Hazel just threw me around a little, that's all."
"You, uh... think you can talk about what happened?" Eren asked. "With what happened to Mercury and Hazel?"
"Not right now." Nora moved closer and whispered. "We're a little too close to Mercury right now."
"..."
Eren looked over to Mercury and agreed. He still felt guilty about leaving them all to Hazel, but that was the last thing he wanted.
"But for what it's worth, Ren and I think you did the right thing, Eren," Nora continued in a normal voice. "Midori's looking after the Faunus you helped. The first thing she did was talk about how she helped you find Midori."
"Oh, she's awake?" Eren asked. "I should go talk to her."
"Maybe give her another minute or two. Whoever beat her up really did a number on her."
"Yeah, okay. How's Emerald? She's acting kind of weird."
"She was fine when she left Midori. Why, what happened?"
Cinder spoke up this time. "I asked her about her arm, but she just blew me off. And she knew that I was talking to her."
"Really?" Nora asked. "That's weird, why would she-?" Nora suddenly remembered the conversation she was about to have with Emerald before Hazel appeared. "Uh, oh. Cinder, I think I know what's up."
"You do?" Cinder stood up. "What is it?"
"You remember how you, me, and Eren were going to talk to Emerald about her behavior? You know, the day the SDC tried to take Kuroyuri?"
"I remember," Eren said as he stood up. He then looked over to Cinder. "Did you say something to her?"
"No," Cinder replied. "No, I haven't mentioned it."
"Actually, Cinder..." Nora began. "You did get angry in the woods. You know, when you pulled Emerald off of the mines."
"Well... yeah, but I didn't-" Cinder began to remember exactly what she said to Emerald. More specifically, the words she used and the threat she made. "Oh, no." Cinder quickly moved past Nora. "I gotta talk to her."
Nora and Eren began to say the exact same thing. "Do you need us to-?"
"I'm fine," Cinder said. "I got this." She immediately walked down the length of the Dark Wing where she found Emerald fixing herself some dinner. "Emerald, can I talk to you?"
"Go away, Cinder," Emerald said, finally breaking her silence. She began to walk away, but stopped when Cinder stood in front of her.
"No, wait! I just want to say that I'm sorry. About what I said in the forest. That's all."
"..."
After standing still for what felt like an eternity, Emerald finally sat down in one of the Dark Wing's padded seats. "...Why would you say that?" she asked as she began to tear up. "What did I do?"
Cinder felt like she wanted to cry herself when she saw how bad she hurt Emerald. "I'm really sorry, Em," she said as she sat down. "I didn't mean what I said, I was just... I didn't mean to threaten you. I would never hurt you."
"...But you did."
"..."
Emerald looked directly into Cinder's eyes. "A slave, Cinder? Is that what you think I am?"
"No!" Cinder declared. "No, I didn't mean... That's not what I... Look, it's not that I think you're slave. I'm just afraid that..."
Emerald crossed her arms impatiently. "I'm waiting."
Cinder knew this, and knew that she had to be direct if she wanted Emerald to forgive her. That would require some honesty that Cinder wasn't entirely comfortable with.
But she did it anyway.
"I was a slave," Cinder finally admitted.
"...What?" Emerald asked.
Cinder mentally sighed as she reached into her tan vest. "I was a slave, Emerald," she repeated. She then took her hand out of her vest and put a small necklace on the table. "Remember when Eren and I were arguing with Winter? When I told her everything I had to do in Atlas?"
Emerald searched her memory of that night, specifically the reasons why Cinder didn't want to go to Atlas. She heard about the shock collar, but found it easier to dismiss everything else Cinder said. But when she heard that Cinder was a slave and remembered everything she said that night, Emerald began to see what Cinder was talking about.
"I thought... you were exaggerating," Emerald admitted. "That you wanted to shut Winter up."
"...I wish I was," Cinder confessed. "When I was a little girl, I was adopted by a woman from Atlas. She took me with her to her business. A hotel, actually. She and her daughters put this collar on me so I wouldn't leave. Then, they made me do all kinds of work. Cleaning, cooking, dusting, laundry, you name it. And if I was too slow or made a mistake... Zap!"
*BAM*
Cinder slammed her palm on the table for emphasis, which made Emerald jump. The picture was as clear as day for the young girl, and she immediately felt sorry for her friend.
"How long did this go on for?" Emerald asked.
"Not too long," Cinder replied. "About a week or two. But still, you don't forget something like that."
Despite the pity she gave Cinder, Emerald was still confused about what she said in the woods. "How am I involved with this?" she asked. "How are you making a connection?"
"Because of what you said, actually."
"What I said?"
"In the woods, when you wanted us to leave you behind. You were going to say 'Without you...'" Cinder was having a hard time thinking of the words, but she was still able to choke them out. "'I am nothing.' That's what you were going to say?"
"...Yeah. So?"
"You said it once at the farm too. When the SDC tried to take it. You remember, don't you?"
"Yeah." Emerald was growing impatient again. "So what? Why does that matter?"
"It matters because-!" Cinder had to take a breath to calm down. "Because I had to say it too."
"What?"
"To the woman who made me her slave. Whenever she punish... tortured me. I had to say the exact same thing, just to feed her stupid ego. Every. Single. Day."
Emerald soon drew the parallels that Cinder was making. "Okay... I won't say it again," she promised. "You won't-"
"It's not just the saying, Emerald," Cinder continued. "You scare me sometimes, you know that?"
Emerald was immediately taken aback. "I... I scare you?"
"Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was that I'm scared for you, Emerald. I'm scared that you'll be like me when I was trapped in Atlas. I'm scared you are being like me."
"But I'm not!"
"You are!" Cinder stood up and pointed at Emerald as she began to cry. "Ever since Mom let you come to the farm, you've done everything for me but nothing for yourself! You did all of my chores, you hurt yourself in the process, and you think I'm the only thing that makes your life worth living!"
Emerald began to cry herself, feeling more hurt and called out than she ever was before. "Because you found me! You cared about me, you taught me things, so how am I supposed to think everything I do won't matter if you're not there?!"
"Because I shouldn't be the only one you're thinking of! What about Eren?! Or Ren?! Or Nora?! Or Mercury?! The whole reason we went to the Forever Fall was to save Midori, not me!"
"..."
Emerald soon lost her voice when she knew that Cinder had a point. The reason for coming to Vale was indeed for the purpose of finding Midori, not Cinder. And while she tried to find a reason involving Cinder, all of her efforts reached nothing but vanity.
"But I... You needed... What about..."
"Emerald... this has to stop," Cinder pleaded. "I do care about you, but I want you in my life as a friend, not a slave. So please, please change how you see me. Promise me that I won't be at the front of everything you want to do in your life. Promise me that you'll live your life for you."
"Cinder... I-"
"Promise me!"
Emerald slightly jumped at the yell, but she managed to calm down. She also managed to see that Cinder wouldn't take no for an answer.
Even if the idea seemed impossible.
"I... I promise."
"Is everything okay out there?"
"I think so. It's quiet now. Oh, try not to move right now. You have a couple of broken ribs, possibly some internal bleeding."
Midori was currently talking with Blake in the back of the Dark Wing. She was also using her Semblance to heal the Faunus' wounds, which were starting to look better. Blake's face was cleared of any cuts or bruises, now it was a matter of how she was feeling on the inside.
Midori immediately regretted expressing the severity of these injuries when she saw Blake's face. "But don't worry!" she insisted. "You just need a few more minutes with me and you'll be good as new."
Blake's pain was growing weaker and weaker by the second as Midori gently moved her hands across her legs and torso. While the situation she found herself in was indeed awkward, the young Faunus was grateful for the treatment she was receiving.
"Thank you," she said calmly. "This is... amazing. I can feel everything healing."
Midori giggled at the idea. "I get that a lot. I've used my Semblance more times than I can count."
"And... you're okay with this? Healing me?"
Midori looked back at Blake's face. "You're not the first Faunus I've helped. And I'm sure you won't be the last. Besides, I got a feeling you won't be seeing those friends of yours for a while. Hm?"
Blake looked towards a window of the Dark Wing. "...You can say that again," she sadly replied.
"Glad to hear it... Um... I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
"Blake. Blake Belladonna."
Midori stuck out her hand. "I'm Midori. Nice to meet you, Blake."
Blake shook the hand with a smile, one that slowly faded when she decided to use this new acquaintance she made to another advantage. "So, Midori... have you known everyone out there for a while?" she asked.
"Not everyone," Midori replied as she placed her other hand on Blake's torso. Green light soon shined from the hand once again. "I've known Eren, Cinder, Ren, and Nora for a while. But I met Mercury and Emerald recently."
"So you've been here for a while? In this... mobile home?"
"Uh... no. No, I'm sort of a newcomer to this whole thing."
"Whole thing?"
"..."
Blake suddenly realized that she was growing closer to the truth. "Midori... what are you all doing out here?" she asked. "Why did Hazel kidnap you?"
"That's... a long story," Midori replied in an effort to not divulge everything.
"Does it have anything to do with the giant Grimm?"
Midori softly gasped when she heard that. She was with Mercury when he transformed into a Titan, so she indeed had questions of her own. But she put them on hold when she saw that Emerald and Blake needed help.
Now she saw a chance to address those questions.
"How do you know about that?" she asked Blake.
"The one who saved me, Eren... he turned into one of them."
"What? But-"
"No, please don't say that I'm crazy. I know what I saw, I do. You have to believe me."
"But... I thought only Mercury could turn."
"..."
Before either of the girls could ask another question, a new voice came to their ears.
"How are you holding up?"
Blake and Midori turned to see Eren leaning against the wall behind them.
"Eren!" Midori shouted as she jumped up. "Um... I was just about done here! We were just-!"
"It's okay, Midori," Eren said calmly. "I know what you're thinking." Eren turned to Blake next. "Both of you."
"..."
Blake kept quiet, but Midori was far from finished. Given what she saw with Mercury, she needed answers. While she was still unwilling to reveal what happened between Mercury and Hazel, she still wanted to talk about the Titans.
"Eren, did you know about this?" she asked. "What Mercury could do?"
"...Yes," Eren replied.
"What about you? You can turn too?"
"Yes."
Midori had another question, but she wasn't sure if Blake should hear it. So she moved closer and whispered as quietly as she could. "Was Salem involved in this?"
Eren could see that Blake was trying really hard to listen, so he whispered as well. "It isn't safe to talk about... but yes." Midori looked back to Blake and silently agreed. "Midori, I'll explain everything, I promise. Let me handle Blake first. Then we'll talk."
"..."
Midori looked back to Blake one more time before she nodded to Eren. "It was nice to meet you, Blake," she said as she began to leave. "Be more careful next time, okay?"
"Midori, wait!" Blake called out. "Don't leave-!"
"Calm down," Eren said with his hands up. "I'm not gonna hurt you, I just want to talk."
"...To talk?"
"Yes, to talk."
Blake narrowed her eyes at Eren. "Forgive me if I seem skeptical," she sarcastically replied. "It's not like you attacked me in the woods, hanged me upside down, stuck a sword and gun in my face, or killed everyone I've been working with for all my life."
Eren easily detected this sarcasm, but didn't return it with more. "I thought you were done with the White Fang," he said.
"That's not the point! I don't know who you are or what you are, I don't even know what the point behind all this is! I don't think any kind of explanation is enough to justify what you're hiding or how dangerous you are!"
Since Eren was no stranger to criticism, he calmly walked over to a seat and continued speaking normally. "Maybe not. But I'd like to think saving a life is a good start."
"..."
While Blake had to admit that she wouldn't be here without Eren, she still wasn't comfortable with everything she had seen him do.
"Besides, everyone seemed ready to kill you before Cinder and I came. And based on everything I had to hear from your leader, it was a good thing I came back."
"But... you didn't have to kill them!"
"Yes, I did. If I wanted to save you, I had to stop them. And if I wanted to lose, I would have had to die as well. Trust me, I knew what I was doing."
"..."
Blake was once again at a loss for words. This speech, this... philosophy of Eren's stood against practically everything she believed in.
But she was still here.
"...Are you a Huntsman?" she asked.
"No," Eren replied. "And I'm not planning on being one either."
"Then who... or what... are you?"
"I'm a who, don't worry. My name is Eren. Eren Yeager."
Blake showed a face of skepticism at Eren. "So... is that supposed to be a code name?"
"A what?"
"Erin is a girl's name."
"..."
Eren leaned back in his chair as he let out a sigh. And he only grew frustrated when he could have sworn that he heard laughter on the other side of the wall. "Not this again," he thought to himself. Suddenly, he stopped thinking so negatively when he had an idea.
"You're one to talk," he said. "Blake is a boy's name."
"What?" Blake asked. "No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not."
"I know three people back home named 'Blake.' They're all boys."
Blake quickly changed the subject back to Eren's name. "Let me get this straight; your name is 'Erin?'"
"I know what you're thinking, but no. Change the 'I' to another 'E.' That's my name."
Blake imagined the name in her head. "Okay... your name is Eren," she relented. "What are you doing with Midori? Why did Hazel kidnap her?"
"I may not be a Huntsman... but I have enemies. Enemies who think they can attack our home and get away with it."
"...Where's 'home?'"
"A village in the outskirts of Mistral."
"Was Hazel one of those people? Who attacked your village?"
"He worked with them. And Tyrian."
"I see. What about.. the tall Grimm?" Eren was about to answer Blake, but she stopped him. "And don't say it's a Semblance. If it were, your friend wouldn't have it either."
"..."
Eren was hoping he could pass the Titan off as a Semblance, but he could see that Blake was smarter than that. He knew that a lie was necessary, but he had to be quick about it. Otherwise, Blake may not believe it.
"I didn't ask for it," he said. "Neither did Mercury."
"..."
"I was made like this; it was an experiment. Someone took my body, and Grimm, to make me like this."
"..."
"It was in Atlas. That's where I escaped from, when I became like that. There's proof that I was there. It must have been all over the news that night."
"...I'll look at it," Blake promised. "Then I'll see what to think."
Eren accepted this idea, since it was the best thing he could think of. There was some exaggerating involved, but the evidence Atlas had of a Titan attack was real. He was sure that Blake would believe it, and she would believe what he said next.
"You can believe what you want, but you can't do it here," he said. "We can take you wherever you need to go. It would be best if you left, since it's clear we're not seeing eye to eye with the White Fang."
"I wasn't planning on staying," Blake confirmed. "And you're right. But it's like I said; the White Fang was different four years ago. It wasn't supposed to be-"
"A group of Faunus trying to conquer humans? When they have the freedom they fought for years ago?"
Blake was immediately impressed by Eren's knowledge of history, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her argument. "The Faunus Rights Revolution was a step in the right direction, that's true. But that didn't change how humans see the Faunus. We were still thought of lesser beings. We were still subjugated to discrimination and hate."
"Not where I'm from, they're not. Ruling humanity won't change anything."
"I never wanted a throne, Eren. I only want the humans and Faunus to be equal."
"Equal..."
The more he thought about it, the more Eren could see that Blake was telling the truth. After all, she knew he was telling the truth when he showed her what Tyrian did, and she clearly didn't agree with Adam and his views on the Faunus and humanity. If she did, she would have shot Eren instead of Adam.
But that wasn't enough for him to agree with her.
"No," he said.
Blake became confused once again. "...No?" she asked.
"No." Eren stood up. "Blake, I'm sorry for what happened to the Faunus, before and after the Revolution. I don't support the people who hate you, I never will. But if you think fighting for equality is a good idea, you're wrong. It's a fool's errand."
Blake immediately took offense to the claim. "Who are you to say?!" She was finally able to stand up, so she joined Eren. "You're a human! You have no idea what's it like for people to hate you for being who you are!"
"..."
"There are people who see the Faunus as slaves, even hunting game! And you think fighting against people who push you around is wrong?! That we should just give up?! You don't know what any of that is like!"
"..."
Blake's tirade had done more than reaffirm her belief in fighting for the rights of the Faunus, but it had also awakened certain memories in Eren's mind.
"It's the detestable island devils we should hate! Hate the devils who fled to the island one hundred years ago! Those island devils are the ones we should hate!"
"And so I proclaim, on this day, to the island devils on Paradis... this is a declaration of war!"
Eren had more than enough experience to know that equality between the people of Paradis and the rest of the world was impossible. He knew that if he wanted to see his people truly survive, they needed to be free, not equals. He could rip Blake's arguments into shreds if he was willing to share what he knew about the fight for equality.
And yet... Eren couldn't help but find the last part of Blake's argument to be compelling.
"Don't give up, Blake," he said calmly. "There are Faunus who need to be free from being pushed around, free from being treated for who they are. If you think you can free them, I believe in you too."
"..."
"But don't think you can make hate go away. You can only make the people who hate you go away. Only then, hate can start to be transferred to those who truly deserve it. Trust me... I know."
"..."
Blake didn't know what to say to that idea. Maybe Eren was referring to Adam, whose actions did nothing more but justify humanity's hate for the Faunus. Or maybe the humans who hate the Faunus themselves, the powerful ones who made the Faunus slaves or sport.
But Blake wasn't a murderer. And she certainly wasn't going to convince Eren that equality was possible. She wasn't sure what it was that made him so complicated, yet so wise. It was almost as if... he did know what it was like to be hated for who he was.
"I don't want to talk anymore," she said. "I think... I'd like to go."
"...Okay," Eren replied. He then walked towards the front of the Dark Wing with Blake in tow. "Mercury, stop the car."
Mercury did as he was told and pulled up against the sidewalk. Eren then opened the side door to let Blake out. And sure enough, the young Faunus stepped out of the car to see that she was in the city of Vale. It was beautiful at night, and she was grateful to see it once again.
And she knew that the reason she could see it was standing right behind her.
"You're right," Blake said as she turned around. "I can't make hate go away, I understand that."
"..."
"But I can't give up either. I don't know if you can see it, but there's too much at stake to stop fighting."
"..."
Eren moved back into the Dark Wing without another word, which left Blake feeling defeated. She wondered what she did wrong, why she wasn't able to change the mind of someone who hardly knew the White Fang. Maybe it was because he was a human, and didn't have to live like she did.
Or maybe... it was because she had failed. Simple as that.
"You'll need this."
Blake looked back towards the car to see Eren throw something towards her. When she caught it, Blake saw that it was her weapon, Gambol Shroud. She forgot that she didn't even have it.
"It's true, I don't understand why you fight," said Eren. "But if you don't fight, you won't win. Keep fighting, Blake. Just fight."
Blake quickly realized that Eren Yeager was, without a doubt, the most complicated and strange human she had ever met. There was no way she could understand him, and he couldn't understand her.
But... she could still thank him.
"Thank you," she said. "For saving my life."
"Thank you for saving Midori's. Do what she says; be careful."
"I will."
With that, Blake Belladonna and Eren Yeager went their separate ways.
Broken.
Damaged.
Seething.
Beyond all hope.
That was the best way to describe how Adam Taurus was feeling. In a single day, he had lost more than he could have believed.
His army of revolutionary White Fang was gone.
Blake Belladonna was gone.
His sword was gone.
And in a few minutes... his life was about to be gone.
Adam had run as far away from the Grimm and the Titan for as long as he could. But the wounds he suffered in the process and the amounts of negativity swelling inside him had made him an easier target. Now, he was currently being dragged into the woods by a Beowolf with no means of escape. That Beowolf soon revealed itself to be an Alpha, one that had just led Adam Taurus to its pack.
Soon, Adam was going to be tonight's main dish for the Grimm.
He was doomed.
*WHOOSH*
"BEGONE!"
A loud yell and a surge of what appeared to be some kind of... dark light... had made the Grimm all run away. They were replaced by a dark figure, one wearing a brown cloak and kneeling down to Adam. The figure rubbed a hand against his face and spoke in a woman's voice.
"Adam Taurus..." she said. "Look at how you diminished yourself."
Adam's eyes widened under the broken mask he was wearing; he knew the woman who had saved him.
"You!" he yelled while wincing from the pain. "This is your fault! This wouldn't have happened... if you hadn't come into my life!"
"No, Adam," the woman replied. "You saw your enemy. You fought him yourself. You had every chance to kill him, yet here you are."
Adam spit blood in the woman's face. "So... you've come to gloat?"
"No. As much as you deserve to pay for your failure, my master sensed Hazel's distress. As she did yours." All of a sudden, fire began to form on the woman's face, specially her eyes.
Her silver eyes.
"We need you, Adam. And you need us."
Author's notes: hey everyone. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long, we really had a lot to cover here. But you can expect more from us soon.
One more thing, there's a new post in my profile. AT and I have been getting comments about how the first act of the story (first 10 chapters) could be vastly improved. We want to see if a majority of you agree or disagree with this, so please vote. This will change major details of the story in the first act (and minor details in the rest of the story) but the main plot will be the same.
Thank you all for reading!
