Hey everyone! It's been awhile, i'm sorry! Well here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
-WhiteTigerLily
Hank whistled while he put the mugs and cups in place at the bar. He went to put away a box of silverware but accidentally knocked the container with his elbow to the floor. He grunted annoyed and knelt to pick up the utensils. As he did Hank heard the creak of the entrance door and he stood.
"Sorry mate. We are clos-" Hank frowned when he realized who walked in...Or more hobbled in while holding his head. "Qrow. Why am I not surprised."
"Hank, I need your help."
"Get out of my bar Qrow." Hank went back to work trying to keep his anger under control. But Qrow refused to stop.
"Hank It's important." Qrow sighed when Hank did'nt reply. "I know we have our differences." When Qrow said that Hank slammed a glass into the sink shattering it.
"Qrow do not give me your BS!" A growl roared in Hanks throat when Qrow inched forward persistently.
"Hank?" Qrow asked again and Hank murmured a short laugh.
"You don't give up."
Hank noticed the tiredness in Qrows eyes. He looked sick. Worried. Hank cursed under his breath and ripped his bandana from his head. Looking down at the bar he rolled his fists into the material. "What do you want Qrow?" Qrow walked over to the bar and leaned against it.
"Adam has my niece. Ruby."
"I know," Hank chuckled. Qrow glanced up to him surprised "She is a spitting image of Summer."
"You've seen her? Do you know where their going?" Hank listened to the desperation in Qrow's voice and he smirked.
"I don't know." Hank replied with a grin and Qrow narrowed his gaze from his.
"Why are you protecting him?" Hank's eyelids lowered at his remark and a flick of anger rose in his voice.
"What? Ticked I'm playing Dad when your suppose to be?"
"That's cute." Qrow shot back.
"Maybe if you hadn't walked out on your son that night none of this would be happening." Qrow kicked a chair in front of him and paced in the small area.
"After Summer, when she died, flipped a frigg'n switch in his brain!" Qrow barked as Hank walked around the bar and went to pick up the chair on the floor. "I did what I had to do. He went on a killing spree and you think it's because of me? I can't help him Hank. He...He's a lost cause!" Qrow snapped and Hank paused for a moment before pushing the chair back in its place at the table. Qrow blinked confused at how calm he was when he turned back to him. His wolf ears drooped down to the side of his blonde hair and Hank smiled sadly.
"You said those same exact words about me you know that." Hank grabbed his banana from the bar and fiddled with it in his hands. "But you know Summer didn't. She helped me be better." Qrow folded his arms.
"Adam won't change Hank."
"See that's your problem Qrow, you how no faith in people. Something you and your son have in common." Hank shook his head as Qrow looked to the window.
"I'm not Summer."
"No your not...And she's gone." Hank gave a grim expression and stood against the stool. "And because of that you lost your faith in yourself and in your son. I'm hopping Ruby can be what Summer was to me, to Adam."
"What?" Qrow questioned and Hank closed his eyes.
"A reason to live, maybe even to live for."
"You let Ruby go with him because you think she can fix Adam?" Hank nodded and Qrow lifted his arms behind his head and paced. After a few moments Qrow went over to Hank and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "If anything happen's to Ruby, I hold you accountable."
Hank looked blank at him, unafraid and sighed aloud.
"They are at the border. You better hurry if you want to catch them." With that Qrow shoved Hank back and walked out of the inn.
Ruby wrinkled her nose at her reflection in the mirror. Shopping was not something she was good at. After the incident with her getting shot her clothes were stained in blood. That morning Adam and her hiked to a small trading town not far from the border to gather supplies and clothes. Adam took off toward another shop and she went to a clothing store.
Ruby shifted her body around looking at herself at different angles. She settled for a white sweater and blue jeans but kept her combat boots. She never really wore pants so it was strange putting them on after so long. She blew out air and grabbed her tattered combat clothes in the corner and shoved them in her backpack. She pulled away the drapes to the dressing room and was welcomed by the sales clerk smile.
"You look great! Will you be wearing these out?"
"Uh, yeah." Ruby replied grimly.
"Alrighty then. I'll ring you up."
Ruby walked out of the dressing room and followed her to the desk to pay. She gave the women the card that Adam gave Ruby and she swiped it in the machine. Ruby looked around nervously, hoping she wasn't being followed. The clerk handed her back the card and Ruby walked out the exit door. She seached around for Adam and found him sitting on a bench across the street. Ruby looked both ways and ran through the busy road.
She rose a brow of surprise when she saw Adam in Cowboy boots, jeans, a long sleeved grey shirt and shades on his face. His outfit looked alot like when they first met in the bar, only difference he wore a beanie instead of a cap. Which reminded her, she had that exact hat shoved in a pocket on her belt that sat in her backpack.
"You look normal?" Ruby remarked. Adam looked up smug toward her and shrugged.
"I can't be going around flaunting i'm White Fang, Rose. People will get word out." He answered sarcasticly as She frowned with a glare.
"It's Ruby."
Ruby sat next to him and adjusted her shirt. She glanced up at Adam and starred when he held an apple in his hand and handed it to her. Ruby nodded in thanks and took the crisp fruit. She looked back as Adam crouched over resting his arms on his legs and chomped a bite of apple. It like he did't really want to interact becuase his eyes were glued to the road.
It was silent and they didn't talk. Ruby took a bite of her apple as well and smiled mischievously. She bent down and rustled through her bag until she found the baseball cap tucked away in the pocket bag of her belt. She pulled it out and set it on her head. She acted casual about it holding her legs to her chest, taking another bite and waited for him to notice.
"Alright Rose, we are going to head for the train around 2:00." Adam directed and leaned back on the bench. "After that we will catch a boat from there and-" He glanced at her and stopped talking.
"What?" She asked with a sway of her head to move her bangs to the side. She watched him knitt his brows together and crooked his head in amusement.
"Aha...Funny. You kept it?" He asked. She hummed happily and he frowned poking her in the arm. "Shut up, Rose."
"Its nice to see you both finally getting along. Shocking really." Ruby and Adam looked up to an old man standing in front of them. Ruby grinned confused and stood up.
"I'm sorry do we know you?" Adam stood up as well.
"Well I suppose it's confusing in this body." This body?
Suddenly the old man's eye sockets shined red and Ruby stepped back into Adam. Adam firmed his jaw and caught Ruby from tripping over.
"Cinder?" Adam asked. Ruby flung her head back and forth from Adam to the old man.
"Cinder?" Ruby asked in panic and looked back at the old man's glowing eyes. "You can turn into old people now?" The old man chuckled and rose his hands to his face.
"It's called a possession; Ruby. I wanted to test it out on somone but unfortunately I can only do it on humans with a weak will." Cinder's voice hummed behind the Olds man's and Ruby shuddered.
"Did you know she could do this?" Ruby asked concerned. Adam shrugged slightly disturbed at Cinder's new trick.
"Nope. This is a new one for me." Adam addmitted as the old man folded his arms.
"I want you to take a different route to mistral on the south to another town. I need you to do a convince a few friends of mine to join our little revolution." Cinder looked to the cap on Ruby's head and smirked.
"So what, do we just forget about the Ember?" Adam asked annoyed.
"Oh no your still going to do that."
"Unless you plan on giving us more time then I'm not doing a detour." Cinder chuckled behind the old man's voice.
"I see that my hold on you is decreasing, interesting...Yet you are still open to suggestion so I know I haven't lost you completely." Cinder said delicatly and Ruby gave a strange expression with how she said that and waited for her to continue. "Fine. I'll have Blake take care of it. As for you two good luck, you only have a few weeks left. I suggest you Hurry. We'll be in touch." With that the old man's red eyes slowly faded back to his original color. Ruby gasped.
"Wait how is-" It was too late the old man came back to his consciousness and gave a scowl in her direction.
"What are you staring at?!" He yelled as he walked away. Ruby glanced to the ground and clenched her hand to her chest.
"Juane." She muttered to herself with a frown. Moments later Adam pushed the brim of her cap forward, pushing it down in front of her face. She adjusted it and looked up at Adam.
"We need to go." Adam said as he picked up his backpack and handed Ruby her's.
"Kay." She answered and set the straps over shoulders.
"Hey," Adam spoke up. "We still have a few more weeks. She can't doing anything to your team till that time is gone. Got it?" Ruby furrowed her brows. Was he trying to cheer her up? When Adam noticed her starring to long he shook his head and started walking ahead of her. She smiled and jogged up next to him.
They made it to the train. It was extremely busy with people from every corner of Remnant. It made sense, since all other transportation were electrical and with the C.C.T.S. still down. All those ways of travel were not possible, unless you were the military and had the resources, this was your only way of travel cross country. Unlike this train it ran on gas and charcoal and was not affected at all. Ruby got pushed around by the crowd and tried to stay close to Adam but for a brief moment she was separated from him.
She looked over her shoulder nervously searching for him but couldn't see his face. She frowned. Right, what face? He had it covered most of the time. She could honestly say she didn't really know what he looked like. Out of no where a strong arm wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her into their embrace.
"Geez Rose you are a chore." Adam's voice was stern but she was glad to know he found her.
After awhile of waiting they were finally on the train. They sat across each other in the tiny cabin and they both looked out the window. Ruby thought deeply and remembered about what Cinder had said earlier and was curious.
"So what did Cinder mean by she had a hold on you still?" He didn't answer but Ruby knew he was listening by the way he firmed his jaw in response. "Are you like under her control? Can Maidens actually do that?"
"She has no control over me!" Adam snapped. Ruby bit her lip in surprise. Adam settled back into his seat and rested his head in his hand. "If anything she cursed me."
"Cursed?!" Adam shushed her and Ruby sucked in a breath in suspense. "Maidens can curse people?"
"I guess."
"How?" Adam looked up with a raised brow and clicked his tongue. Ruby puckered her lips confused and it finally came to her. "Ew gross!" Adam coughed a laugh. He found that amusing?!
"What it's just-"
"No! That, I don't need to know! Do not need to know about you and mistress of Evil's happy time!" Ruby pulled her knees to her chest and looked out the window wishing that conversation had never been spoken. She blushed when Adam started laughing.
"Happy time?" He asked with a gasp from chuckles. She grabbed the brim of her baseball cap and lowered it over her eyes. Adam took a breath and decided to answer her question. "I was told that Maidens are capable of curses but this spell she put on me must be disappearing because i'm starting to get control. Though i'm still willing to to do things for her regardless but i'm sure that will go away too." Ruby glanced up again and set her feet to the ground.
"How did you get rid of her "curse"?" Adam closed his eyes. Honestly he could only think of one reason. Ruby. He thinks it might have been her unknowingly removing the curse from him. Ruby was a Maiden too after all but he wasn't sure so he didn't tell her.
"I don't know. Maybe Cinder isn't as strong as she thinks she is." He half lied. Ruby shrugged looking out the window.
The next few hours would be the most miserable. After getting off the train they headed to the dock to get on a yacht headed to Mistral. There waiting for them was Emerald and Mercury. They must have left before them to retrieve the yacht. Mercury gave a devious smile toward Ruby.
"Hello again Ruby." Ruby frowned and looked away from him. "Whoa Adam I barely recognize you without the mask, wow." Adam sighed irritably at Mercury.
"Please tell me i'm not going to have to hear your mouth the whole time on this trip?" Adam questioned vaguely and Mercury laughed.
"Oh no not me, Emerald will be directing the crew while i'm gone."
"Where are you going?" Adam asked.
"To complete my side of the deal," He lifted a large box next to his feet from the ground and hoisted it up. "Cinder said to give one of your terms a go. Your sister's new arm as promised." Ruby smiled inside. Her sister was finally going to get her arm.
"Good." Ruby muttered as she shoved past him and stepped onto the boat.
"Geez. You'd think she would hold a grudge more toward you. After all you were the one to make Yang disabled." Emerald mentioned after noticing Ruby's expression. Adam curled his fist and pointed his finger in her face.
"Say that any louder and I swear ill rip your tongue out." Emerald blinked confused as Mercury stepped in front of her.
"You okay Babe? What the hell Adam?!" Mercury's face filled with anger as Adam pushed him and Emerald aside and walked up the ramp. He heard Mercury smirked. "Please tell me that your not actually starting to care abou-" Mercury began but Adam cut him off.
"If you say another word I will kill you." Adam threatened. Mercury shrugged he then whispered something Emerald, kissed her and went his way down the dock. Emerald waved goodbye and started up ramp into the boat and walked past Adam giving him a scowl as she did.
Ruby hurled herself over the side of the boat and gasped silently and held her stomach with her hand. She grimaced at how the boat swayed back and forth by waves in the water. She shook her head and sat down on the deck sighing uncomfortably. She took in deep breaths and looked up at the night sky. She managed to sneak out of her room before vomiting all over her cabin.
Ruby winced when hand started to cramp again from stress and she began to rub it and closed her eyes. She felt a shoulder nudge hers and she opened her eyes surprised seeing that Adam sat next to her.
"Adam?"
"Rose." He answered. Ruby squinted and saw he had a bandage wrapped over his eyes.
"Why are you wearing that?" He looked her way and shrugged. "Wait can you see me?"
"Let's just say I have excellent vision. So, you still haven't got a hold on that?" He pointed to her hand that she was rubbing and Ruby swiped it to her side. "You don't have to do that with me Rose." He grabbed her hand and began rubbing it tenderly with his fingers. Ruby's cheeks became slightly flushed with pink and she tried to hide by turning her head away.
"So when will we be in Mistral?" She asked trying to take her mind off him rubbing her hand.
"In the morning." He was straight to the point, still focused on her hand.
"I'm scared." Ruby said suddenly and blinked when she realized she just said what she was thinking. He paused and set her hand down beside her.
"Don't be." He looked up at her, his lips forming a firm line. "Feel better?"
"Yeah my hand feels alot better." She answered quickly and Adam chuckled. "What?"
"I was talking about your motion sickness, don't want you puking all over my boat." She frowned with a sigh. She stood up and walked past him annoyed.
"You should feel bad, I'm pretty sure I barfed vital organs."
"That bad?"