Thank you for the feedback! This is an extra long chapter! I'd recommend listening to "From Shadows" for the store scene.
Chapter 3 - Turmoil
Blake found the next six months passing by in a blink of an eye. White Fang activity had increased as the organization began to take foothold in Vale and Atlas. That meant that Blake's parents and Fiona were sometimes stationed overseas. Blake never knew why; members were now forbidden from speaking about their assignments. Thus, Blake had often spent days and weeks at the White Fang headquarters, either reading in the library or attempting to practice her Semblance and combat moves.
With the frequent missions, Blake's training had initially stalled. Fiona [who had mastered swordsman ship, began novice archery, and had been promoted to backup enforcement] and her parents were either too exhausted or preoccupied to further her training.
However, to Blake's surprise, Adam was quite skilled in weapons and fighting. The bull Faunus had bragged that White Fang had begun mentoring him ever since he began living at the headquarters. Blake often found herself spending time with him – having him mentor her in more advanced forms of combat and weaponry. The two children often sparred with wooden swords or their bare fists. In turn, Adam would frequently pester her to read to him.
For once in her life, Blake didn't mind her parents' absence.
The wooden blade came crashing down, a few millimeters from Blake's nose. The ten-year old jerked back and lodged a kick at Adam's leg, causing his stance to falter. Creating a Shadow, she leapt forward and hooked her arm around his shoulder and tugged, trying to bring him to the ground.
However, Adam caught on and twisted his body, sending Blake to the ground. Quickly, before he could grab her, Blake created another Shadow and rolled. She leapt to her feet, but Adam grabbed her leg. Blake then elbowed his back, knocking him to the ground and tugging her leg free. Yet, Adam was anticipating her move, and he swung the wooden blade up.
Blake dodged, but lost her balance, weakening her stance. Taking advantage, Adam pulled her to the ground, but Blake had dislodged the sword from his grasp with a swift kick.
"Oi! I have an errand for you two to do!" Miles slid open the door and looked at the two children. Both of them looked tousled with their hands on each other's throats. Miles rolled his eyes.
"Guys, if you're so eager to kill each other, don't do it on my watch." Blake sat up and brushed herself off.
"Aw, c'mon, Miles," Adam complained, "I was about to win. Can't you make someone else do it?"
"No," Miles replied flatly, "You two are the oldest kids, and this is a simple shopping trip." He handed Blake a piece of paper and some bills. "If you don't want to go, then Blake is mature enough to go by herself." He winked at Blake, and she responded with a sly smile.
"Tch," the eleven year-old sat up, "I don't trust those vendors, and Blake is two years younger than me."
"Year and a half," Blake corrected.
"Whatever," he walked to the door, "Let's go, Blake, just get this over with." Quietly, Blake followed.
"It's winter! Grab your coats!" Miles called out.
"What's on the list?" Adam asked boredly, "How much cash did he give us?"
Blake quickly counted.
"About fifty Lien, but there's a lot on this list."
"Ugh…we have to carry all that?" Blake smiled.
"I'm sure this won't be so bad."
The two children grabbed their coats, and Blake wrapped her black scarf around her neck. She looked outside. An inch of snow had accumulated, but it was no obstacle for them the walk through. Blake kicked up puffs of snow as she walked. There was a comfortable silence between them; Blake immersed herself with her inner thoughts.
"You look like the grim reaper," Adam commented, eyeing her black trench coat and scarf. Blake shrugged.
"Black's my favorite color."
There was another pause of silence.
"Your fighting is improving, but you rely too much on your Semblance and Aura," Adam commented, initiating another conversation.
"Yeah, Fiona tells me to mind that," she replied, her breaths rising in a white mist, "I still don't know what's my preferred weapon. I can't decide whether to specialize in long or short range attacks."
"I thought you were going to be a diplomat."
"I still am," Blake insisted, "I've been studying history and diplomacy, but I still want to learn some self defense. I don't want to rely on guards to keep me safe."
Adam seemed to notice a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"Your parents had a bad mission, huh?"
"Yeah," Blake sighed, "There was a speech, and some humans started to harass the protestors. Someone began to start a mob riot, and Dad and Fiona had to defend the speaker. Dad got shot in the leg, and Fiona had to use her Aura to remove the bullet and heal the wound. Mom had a tough time keeping the crowd in control; she was nearly trampled."
"They can hold their own in a fight," Adam reassured her, "Your parents and Fiona know how to take care of themselves. You shouldn't worry so much." Adam had a faraway look in his eye. "They'll be fine, Blake." He seemed more like he was trying to convince himself.
Blake shuffled along silently. The Faunus girl knew that her best friend had no family, and the White Fang took him in to train him into being a future member- possibly a high rank guard or spy. Adam rarely spoke about his past, and Blake knew never to ask.
After a few minutes, the two children had arrived at the marketplace. The area was mostly barren, except for a few stalls and the General Store. Most of the stalls were closed, leaving the General Store's windows illuminating yellow light.
"Do you think there'll be a new shipment of Dust?" Blake asked. Adam shrugged.
"Maybe, is it on the shopping list?"
"Yeah," Adam frowned and glanced over at the sheet of paper.
"Huh, I thought Miles wouldn't trust us with something dangerous."
"Do you think we might begin some training in Dust usage?" Blake asked hopefully.
"Dunno," he replied, "They'd have to give us our weapons, or we'd have to make our own before learning how."
As the two children approached the store, they could hear muffled voices coming from behind the windows.
"Looks like there's some kind of argument," Blake commented, "Should we go in?" Suddenly, there was a shattering sound of glass breaking. They peered through the foggy store window.
The store was relatively quiet; no customers or the shopkeeper were present. Squinting, Blake could see the broken remains of a glass jar. Its red powdered contents were in a small pile on the tile floor.
"Hey, I'm going in," Adam announced, "Wait here." He was about to reach for the handle when Blake's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
"Wait," she hissed, "I think there's something wrong. No one's here, but we heard voices seconds ago." Adam took another look into the store window.
"I think there's something wrong," he said with a clouded look on his face, "Just stay here and get Miles if something's wrong."
"No, I'm going with you. I can't abandon or let you get ambushed. I'm coming whether you like it or not."
"Don't be so dramatic, Blake."
"Adam!"
"Fine," he peered into the window, "Just stay with me."
Cautiously, he gently pushed the door open. The door creaked, and the two Fauni crept in, eyes darting around for movement. Adam and Blake exchanged looks, silently communicating the same idea. Something was off; it was too quiet. Blake's cat ears swiveled, trying to pick up any sound.
They walked deeper into the store, their shoes making light clicking sounds as they walked down the aisles.
Blake's frown deepened; there had to be something there. Eventually, the two made their way back to the cashier register. Blake noticed Adam's eyes shift towards the counter and back onto her.
There's something behind there. Stay here.
Blake furrowed her eyebrows.
I'm not a kid. Let's go.
Adam's face softened somewhat, and the two children stepped behind the counter.
Blake stifled a gasp. There was a person, the shopkeeper, sprawled across the ground, unconscious. At an instant, Adam's hand shot out and grasped Blake's, pulling her back and towards the door.
"We…We have to get help…" he whispered. His other hand reached out for the doorknob, but it was locked. Blake widened her eyes in shock, and her eyes darted around, looking for an alternate escape.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the tile floor, getting louder with each second. Her heart quickened as she futilely searched for the source of the sound.
"Adam…There's someone else here." Adam was still rattling the doorknob. Blake pulled him back behind the counter and crouched, waiting. Her thick, black coat was beginning to make her uncomfortably hot, and a thin bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
The footsteps stopped, and the rattling of metal could be heard. Adam's hand moved to cover Blake's mouth, quieting her breathing. There was a long pause.
Then, to Blake's terror, a large shadow loomed over them. Daring to look up, she saw a man grin down at her and Adam. The man looked psychotic with a maniacal grin and red and blue heterochomic eyes.
"Well, well," he drawled, "Look what we have here. Guests! Come, introduce yourselves!" His gloved had shot out and gripped Adam's horns, pulling him up. Adam grit his teeth in pain but didn't let go of Blake's hand.
"L-let him go!" Blake stuttered and tried to swat his hand off. Her reaction merely humored him, but he relinquished his grasp.
"Oh, a cute little kitty," he turned to look away, possibly at an accomplice, "Hey, Roman, quit being a useless lump and get the Dust! It's just some kids!" The man's eyes shifted back towards them.
"Come on," he said in a sickly sweet voice, "Introduce yourselves." Adam began to walk out from behind the counter, his grip on Blake's hand turning his knuckles white.
"Adam," he muttered, looking down. He clenched his hand around hers and slightly jerked it towards a wall. Blake's eyes flitted there for just a moment, but she knew what it meant.
That wall was where new weapons were kept. Unfortunately, only one, a sword, hung within reach. The children would have to fight their way out.
From the corner of Blake's eye, she saw a redheaded teenager eyeing them carefully. Unlike the older man, this person saw them as a possible threat.
Then, to Blake's surprise, the teenager smirked and jerked his head towards the man. His hand made a small cutting motion. Blake's heart skipped a beat. Was this person just giving them the direction to attack his boss?
Adam slightly bent his head in affirmation and squeezed Blake's hand. There was no time to think.
Instantly, Blake created a Shadow and raced towards the wall. She had grabbed the hilt and was just about to yank it down before the man noticed two versions of her.
"Hey!" he raised the cane and, to her horror, the bottom cover lifted, revealing the barrel of a gun. Blake clutched the sword close and raced down a store aisle, dodging the bullets. Knowing that Adam would notice, she ran to the back of the store, making the man turn his back to Adam.
There was a grunt and the sound of glass shattering. Daring to peek up behind a shelf she was hiding behind, Blake saw that Adam had tossed a glass ornament at the man's back.
"Get the girl!" he shouted at the teenager and advanced on Adam. Blake wove in between the aisles, hearing gunshots and crashes.
"Augh!" the man's voice cried out, "You little-!" Blake looked out from behind a Dust display. The man had cornered Adam against a wall and was aiming the cane at his face.
"Die, you filthy animal!" he growled. Without thinking, Blake grabbed the closest thing to her, a vial of red Dust, and threw it as hard as she could. The vial hit the man's back with a loud bang and a fiery explosion.
"Adam!" she cried and slid the sword between his legs, towards Adam. Adam's hand clasped around the hilt, and he drew out the red blade. The man, with heavy burns, turned and raised his cane.
"Hey!" Blake called out and threw a blue vial, causing ice to form on his shoulder. The man swung around and aimed the gun at Blake.
Creating Shadows as decoys, Blake raced towards the man, throwing vials whenever she could find an opening. She was just meters from him when a near miss caught her off balance, causing her to falter in her step. She heard a loud bang and saw a puff of smoke rise. The sound resonated throughout the store, and for a moment, terror seized her heart.
A large bullet hole was millimeters from where she once stood; the hole was still smoking. There was a whimpering and groaning sound coming from a collapsed heap a few meters ahead of her.
The man appeared to be knocked out, but a smile pool of blood began to grow from a deep gash in his chest. Behind him, Adam stood shell-shocked and holding the blade out. His maroon eyes were wide with disbelief.
"A-Adam," Blake walked up to him, but he took a step back.
"Adam, it's okay," she reached out and touched his shoulder. Adam flinched but lowered the sword. There was a pause before he sheathed the blade and breathed out a shaky breath.
"I…I thought he was going to shoot you," his voice shook, "I couldn't let that happen." He reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I didn't want the same thing to happen to you."
His words didn't make sense, but deep down, Blake knew that he was talking about his parents.
They stayed like that for a while before Adam loosened his grip.
"Where's that guy? The redhead." Blake looked around, but the teenager had vanished.
"He's gone," she murmured, "You did nothing wrong. C'mon, we need-"
She was cut off by the sound of the door falling off its hinges. A large gust of wind swept in, making Adam shiver.
A figure with a white cloak stepped in, and, Blake thought she was imagining it, white rose petals drifted in. The figure, a woman, lifted off her hood, looked through her red bangs, and surveyed the room. Blake felt her stomach drop; the woman was not a Faunus. They were too tired to fight off another adult. Would the woman attack them?
Blake and Adam considered making a run for it, but she had already taken notice of them. Her eyes widened, and her mouth parted in shock.
"Oh my god…: she whispered, and she made her way over to them, careful not to stain her red boots with that man's blood.
As she approached, Adam took a step back and moved Blake behind him to shield her.
"D-Don't come closer," he growled. The woman stopped and lifted her hands, showing no weapon.
"Hey, I need to make sure you two are okay," she sounded motherly and gentle. Despite her suspicion, Blake felt herself trusting her.
"Adam," Blake whispered, "I don't think she's going to hurt us."
"She's human," he spat with venom, "They're all the same – liars and cheaters. They'll attack you when you turn your back to them."
"You need to calm down," the woman stated calmly, "If you get yourself angrier, your Semblance might hurt your friend." Adam stared at her with a mixture of incredulity and disbelief.
"What?"
"Your eyes and the tips of your hair," the woman gestured at her own irises, "they're glowing red. Your Semblance is charging energy, and, unless you calm down, you'll release it through that sword you're holding."
Blake stepped forward and stared into Adam's eyes. Indeed, their usual maroon color had changed crimson and began emitting light.
"Can you let go of the sword?" the woman asked, "It'll be easier for your Semblance to diffuse that way."
Adam looked like he was going to challenge her, but he released his grip on the sword and let it clatter to the ground. Blake breathed out in relief; his eyes changed back to maroon.
"Can I get closer?" the woman asked politely, "My name is Summer, and I'm a huntress. I need to make sure that your Semblance is okay. Are any of you hurt?"
"No," Blake answered, "Can you tell what his Semblance is?" She was careful not to mention their names. The last thing they needed was for the government to get involved.
Summer took a step closer and bent down. Her proximity caused Adam to flinch and avert his eyes.
"I think he's going to be okay," Summer said, "Are you hurt?"
"No," Blake replied, "Do you know what his Semblance is?" Summer shook her head.
"No, sorry. What Semblance do his parents have?" Blake shuffled uncomfortably and looked away. Summer seemed to understand.
"It's certainly not a common occurrence to see a couple of children take down a criminal overlord," she said with a gentle smile, "Atlas and Vale owe you thanks. My daughters are going to be so excited to find out that I met two heroes today."
Blake's heart skipped a beat, and she and Adam looked at each other in surprise.
"What are you talking about?" Adam asked with suspicion, "This guy is some thug, that's all." Summer raised her eyebrows.
"This man is Flint Shalestone. He's Vale and Atlas's most wanted criminal for trafficking and murder." Adam's eyes darkened, and he looked at the man with contempt.
"Is he…" he trailed off.
"Yes," Summer replied grimly, "I'll call the police and escort you guys home. Can you wait outside?" Adam looked like he was about to protest, but Blake pulled him along.
"Now's not a good time to disobey," she whispered."Thank you," Blake said to the huntress. Summer smiled warmly and shrugged.
"Keeping the peace and fighting Grimm, that's the job of the Huntress. I should be thanking you."
Adam looked at Summer and picked up the sword.
"Just in case if there's any of his goons waiting for ambush," he explained and followed Blake outside.
The two children leaned against the glass and waited. The afternoon light had faded away, leaving an indigo night sky specked with stars and the broken moon.
A sudden thought occurred to Blake.
"Adam," she tugged on his sleeve worriedly, "Are the White Fang's headquarters supposed to be kept secret?" Adam blinked in realization.
"You're right," he replied. He looked back at the General Store window. "We should go before she notices."
Blake felt a little reluctant to leave Summer so suddenly, but she nodded in affirmation. They couldn't put White Fang at risk.
Sparing one last look, Blake and Adam sped off into the night.
I'm sorry, but updates are going to start slowing down. I have final exams and I still need to decide which college I'm going to. I'll update as soon as possible, I promise!