Behind a pillar, a shadow loomed.

Golden pools narrowed from the sight. It'd been several hours since the two boys boarded The Howling Thorn. Loud snores rocked the common area. They sprawled over the couch without a care in the world.

Despite the soothing sight, anxiety gripped Blake with fierce claws. It was nauseating.

While the rest of her crew slept, the faunus watched the new arrivals like a hawk. More specifically, Adam. She didn't trust him one bit. Sun on the other hand seemed like a cool dude. Probably not someone to be worried about.

With a scowl, Blake didn't tear her gaze away. Adam hadn't moved in over an hour. It was like he was a statue and that made her more uneasy. He was way too calm and took things in stride.

A secret haunted her. One that only Adam had witnessed.

He's the only one who knows how I escaped, Blake thought. What if he tells them? Would he do that?

Dread piled on top of her shoulders like a ton of bricks. It was an undeniable pressure that'd been mounting since the new arrivals was starting to weigh her down. She didn't know how long she could stay like this. At this rate, the anxiety would eat her alive like some parasite.

To make things worse, their next stop in Vacuo wasn't close by. At least not close enough. It was at least a few-day trip. Internally, Blake was counting down the seconds until Adam would leave.

Then again, Blake didn't know Adam very well. They'd only interacted a handful of times when they were part of the Khan crew. He was always indifferent toward her.

However, Blake tried to keep her distance when she realized that he agreed with Sienna's tactics. Recruiting- kidnapping- faunus for the crew. Taking advantage of their skills. Killing any humans who got in their way. Not only that, but Adam was once Sienna's right-hand. Not only did he agree with her, but he acted on her behalf.

He was loyal to her, Blake thought. Sienna must've tossed him to the side like the rest of them. And when she was done with him… he tried to leave.

Another frown. He more than likely wasn't trustworthy and probably still despised humans. What the hell was he thinking if he was surrounded by humans now? Her entire crew were humans besides herself.

Only a few days, Blake thought to give herself a confidence boost. A few days. I can do that. I think.

At least the other arrival was tolerable. Sun seemed like a fun dude. His smile was almost contagious like Ruby's own. Blake wouldn't mind if they got to keep Sun along for the ride. Although, he might get a tad obnoxious after a while.

Shaking her head, she whirled around. Blake really needed to stop judging them. It wasn't good for anyone. The only thing she could do was keep her chin up and look at the bright side.

Maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe Adam wouldn't say a word. She spent the last several hours thinking of the worst-case scenarios. Her imagination ran wild..

After a deep breath, the faunus scurried down the hallway and back to her room. She could sleep it off. It was getting late as she felt a yawn breach her lips.

Before she could close her mouth, a sudden impact shoved her to the side.

"Agh!"

Blake jerked back on instinct, only to hit the wall she was slammed against.

Confused gold met a blank stare that loomed under the grimm mask. Forcefully, Adam gripped her wrists so she couldn't get away. She was pinned. Blake tried to fight him off, but it was for naught.

"What do you want?" Blake quipped.

"You're going to pretend like nothing happened?" Adam asked in an eerie tone as he tightened his grip. "You found yourself a crew- a human crew- formed relationships with them, and you didn't even tell them?"

Angered, Blake leered him down like the mask wasn't there. "What I do is none of your business."

"Are you afraid, Blake?" Adam snarled as he leaned in to taunt her. "If they knew, they wouldn't come near you, much less be your crew. Is that why?"

"Shut up!"

"You can't run away forever. Tell them how you kil-"

"Get off her, asshole!"

Adam was forcefully ripped away from Blake, who was glued to the wall.

Yang grit her teeth as her eyes warped to red. She had a death-like grip around his collar as she lifted him off the floor, his feet hovering. Her blonde mane emitted a calm, fiery aura like it was about to burst. The first signs of her yellow flames were beginning to spark.

"Don't. Touch. Her. Ever. Again," Yang warned in a dauntingly calm voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

Briskly, Adam pried away from her death grip in a display of strength that caught Yang off guard. "Don't come near me, filthy human," he spat like it was poison.

Something inside Yang snapped. The embers around her form swirled in a fury, which prompted Blake to hold onto her arm.

"Yang, I'm okay," Blake said in a stern voice. "Forget him. He's not worth it."

When crimson orbs met calming gold, they flickered back to lilac. There was something about Blake that was always tranquil. After Yang took a deep breath, she glared at the bull faunus.

"If you pull that shit again, I will personally throw you overboard."

Adam only stared at the bumblebee pair as they walked away and out of sight.

After Yang shut the door to her room, Blake whirled around and asked.

"How much did you hear?"

"Not much," the blonde answered, which was relieving to hear. "I heard you both yelling, that's for sure. When I saw his hands on you, I lost it."

"I'm sorry, I should've told you," Blake said genuinely. "We don't get along."

"I should be apologizing," Yang replied, which caused a confused expression. "I noticed you didn't like him by how you looked at him. And don't worry, I won't ask any questions unless you want me to. I know how hard it is for you to talk about your past."

Having such an understanding partner was like a dream. One day, Blake would be ready to share. But right now, she wanted to show her appreciation.

Swiftly, Blake draped her arms around Yang's neck in an embrace. It was brimming to the top with trust as they smiled.

Blake practically purred in delight. "You are the best girlfriend anyone could ever ask for."

Fondly, Yang kissed her on the cheek. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?"

"I'm okay," Blake reassured.

There was no way Blake would lie, but Yang had to check for herself. It looked like the pin had to hurt.

Yang lifted her girlfriend's wrists. They were slightly red and fading. The douche. Next time, Yang wouldn't just throw him overboard. She'd beat him to a pulp first.

Quietly, the blonde nuzzled her cheek before planting a kiss on her lips.

"Let's get some shut-eye, yeah?"

Content, Blake held her hand. "I'd like nothing more."


Come on, come on…

Since her adrenaline was fueling, she fumbled with the key she worked so hard to obtain. At last, she unlocked the door to bust out of her room- her cage. The metal gate fell and clanked loudly for everyone to hear.

Above, the wooden ceiling leaked and plopped droplets onto the soggy floor below. The moldy wood absorbed the water with a slurp. Her rushed steps were quiet due to the neglected boards.

Every night, the Khans locked everything down. That meant mostly everyone on the crew was shut in their rooms at a certain time. If you could call them rooms. More like jail cells without the toilets.

That was one of the many reasons that tonight was the night. It'd been a while, but once Blake immersed herself into the Khans' routine and scoped out security, she plotted her escape.

Another left, Blake thought as she veered onward and then she gasped.

Footsteps. They were already onto her. Blake only sprinted faster through the dark halls. All around her, the alarms dinged incessantly.

She was so tired of this life. Of being abused by faunus. It was bad enough to be treated horribly by humans, but her fellow faunus? Where did it end? She thought they'd at least be kind to her. Turns out, the Khans were no different from some humans.

In a partial victory, Blake leaped out on deck. It was pitch-black, but that hardly mattered due to their night vision. There was also a downpour and various strikes. Good for cover. One of the many reasons why she chose to escape specifically tonight.

Several faunus intercepted her with their weapons. In response, Blake wielded her katana with mighty swings. Lightning struck when blades met. Fortunately, the other faunus underestimated her combat abilities and failed to stop her. She was on the mission of her life.

As she kept fighting dozens of Khans, she reminded herself why she was risking her life. All-day every day was endless hard labor. Blake never got breaks, hardly any food, she was treated horribly by her 'crewmates,' punished for her so-called 'incompetence,' had restricted freedom, and a few wounds had been neglected with no time to heal. She wasn't going to live like this any longer.

Various shouts hurled into her ears. Definitely insults. She had no time to process them as she dodged more jabs. Unfortunately, this many people attacking her at the same time made her tire. There was no way she could keep an eye on all of them.

With her clones, she was able to break away from the horde. Successfully, she pounced on top of the railing with her heart pounding. The ocean looked as vicious as her betrayed crew.

The moment she hesitated, a swift stab in her lower torso almost knocked her off the ship.

"Agh!"

She let out a gasp as her body reacted on instinct. To protect herself, Blake impaled him with her katana. A hard gasp flew out as the man faltered backwards in a pool of his own blood. For several moments, all she could do was stare at what she'd done.

Panting from the exertion, Blake gazed back down at the waters and then to the crew. At least the ocean wouldn't guarantee death. It gave her a second chance before. The Khans never gave second chances.

After a deep breath, the faunus dropped off the ship. As she looked up, she noted the shocked expressions of her former crewmates.

Everything was cold and numb. Dark. So dark. The abyss was closing in on her as she hugged herself.

Her body was slowly shutting down- it was terrifying.

"-ake!"

At least she could hear something. Maybe a figment of her imagination. Golden pools blearily opened and searched the dark depths. Nothing.

"Blake!"

Underwater, she gasped.

Her body shot up from under the blankets. Well, she would have if a pair of arms wasn't holding her down. Her adrenaline skyrocketed and she struggled to breathe and remember where she was.

"Blake," Yang greeted solemnly. "Slow down your heart for me, okay? Just breathe."

To Yang's dismay, her girlfriend was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. To comfort her, she pulled her in closer. It wasn't often that Blake was vulnerable, but when she was, Yang was there.

Thankfully, Blake seemed to calm down when she realized her girlfriend was with her. Previously, she thought she'd drown again, and now air was precious.

With a sad expression, Yang entangled her fingers through her hair. From experience, that usually soothed her girlfriend. Lovingly, she kissed her face until her shaking ceased.

Those nightmares haunted her for years.

After everything that's happened tonight, I'd be surprised if she didn't have a nightmare, Yang thought, knowing Adam had ties to her past. We're in this together, Blake.

The nightmares didn't occur often. Honestly, Yang didn't know what her girlfriend had dreamt even though she had a hunch. Blake's lips were sealed, but that didn't matter to Yang. She knew that deep down, Blake would open up eventually. Probably when she accepted whatever happened to her.

"I love you," the blonde whispered.

Any traces of Blake's distraught expression vanished when she heard those affectionate words. A smile enveloped her, and she kissed her girlfriend on the lips.

"I love you, too."


Is that PTSD I see? Oh, Blake. Sorry I love making you suffer. It's not just you, though ;D Lost in thoughts all alone: "A white ivory throne beckons so obtain the fate you sow. On this path, be wary friend and foe." Now the crew is wary of Adam.

Stay dandy,

~Toto