Chapter 3

It had been years since William had visited the White Fang camp. Since then, things escalated, the White Fang got very violent but there was still enough peace not to bother Blake. After raiding a large Schnee freighter she decided to apologize to Adam... Maybe try to right the wrongs she had created.

The day was bright and warm, there was no way that today could be a bad day. Blake had just been returning from her quiet place in the woods when she heard a cry of pain from the Faunus camp. Naturally curious she bolted towards the camp. Her legs carrying her as fast she could, hearing each individual stomp into the earth as her head began to throb from the long run.

She slid to a halt in front of the camp gates when she saw what was happening inside the walls. Peaceful protests in the White Fang never prepared her for what she saw. Even her raid on the Schnee Freighter was not even close to what she was witnessing. A human was on his knees at the feet of Adam.

Resting on the human's shoulder was Adam's blade. The blade was dug into the flesh of the man if slightly. Not enough to kill him but enough to make blood flow and pain to surge through his body like high tides.

"Now you truly know how we feel… This burden on our shoulders cutting deep into us. The stress we feel, the life we lead." Adam began speaking to the man as he panted for air wanting to be rid of the pain. In a swift move Adam removed the blade and then quickly grabbed the man by the throat lifting him up into the air. "Have you any idea on how long we've suffered?"

"Adam, stop!" Blake cried out from the gate. Without hesitation Adam threw the man aside like a doll.

"So you did come back… You left me on that train just to save a few people." The anger was clear as day behind Adam's eyes. ""But… I'll let it go… Afterall, we are partners."

"W-Why? Why are you doing this? Why does it have to be this way?" Blake's entire body shook, her words muffled by apparent fear.

"What else would I be doing? The one way they'll understand is if they get the same treatment." He gestures back to the man holding his shoulder trying to ignore the pain. "This filth," He says with venom dripping from his words. "Dared show his face as a racist. He attacked a Faunus in the streets and everyone watched. Its equality through vengeance my dear."

"This," Blake trailed off. "This is wrong." She said trying to choke back the lump in her throat.

"Oh, is it? When they've been doing the same to us for so long?" Adam shot back an accusatory glance. "I'll show you how we gain equality." He said as he marched back over to the man. Quickly, Adam drew his blade and stared the man down. The man lifted his head and in a single moment, a flash of blood, and a sharp cracking sound his head was on the ground. It's shocked, lifeless face rolled towards Blake a miniscule distance and stopped with his eyes on Blake. Pleading as if to tell her it was her fault this happened. That she didn't save him.

Blake fell to her knees throwing up what little of a breakfast she had earlier in the morning. The sudden violent reaction causing Blake's body to tremor and shudder violently. After a second wave of nausea she wiped her mouth and slowly stood up. She looked at Adam who only smiled at her with cruel eyes.

"This is only the beginning of the things we could do together my sweet." Adam laughed as he sheathed his blade.

"You're wrong…" Blake trailed off, still trying to gain her footing back from the sudden volt of energy. "This is the last you'll do with me around." Blake said moving back slowly before turning and breaking into a full sprint. Her body was still weak from the explosion of fluid from her mouth. Running took every ounce of her strength, fighting back tears and more pain.

Running. It was the only thing Blake could think of. She had nowhere to go, no one to return to. There was no way she could survive several grimm attacks in the forest. Not only was this the dumbest idea she had ever had, it was also the most confused point she was in her life. Nothing made sense, why was Adam just killing people. Why did live not matter to him any more, what had happened to the thought that everyone could be equal?

While deep in thought Blake sprinted too far into a steep hill and lost her footing, throwing her whole weight down the small formation she tried to brace herself with her arm, to hear a muffled yet sickening crack. Buried in what seemed to be recently displaced dirt (most likely from the few days of rain) she dug out her arm to see the middle of it broken. The arm had completely split from itself, though it wasn't the worst pain she had ever felt it burned like there was a fire igniting in her bloodstream as she finally took in what just happened.

She let out a gasp of pain and winced at the fresh memory of falling. She just laid in the dirt almost paralyzed as she realized how lost she was. She had no sense of direction, but the sounds of brush nearby caused her to panic. What if someone saw her in this sad state? Would she be killed by the White Fang for running again? Would a human take advantage of this moment of weakness? So much uncertainty followed as the noise of brush getting trampled became louder and louder.

"Hello? Is someone hurt out here?" The voice sounded so familiar to Blake. A comforting, familiar voice that almost dripped with honey as it spoke. "Hello-" The voice seemed to come to an abrupt halt. Suddenly the noises in the brush became more wild and the noises came faster. Leaping from the brush came an old man with a sort of safari outfit. "Blake!" The old man yelled throwing himself down beside her on his knees. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Blake only winced in pain as she tried to move her arm from underneath the small amount of dirt that covered it. "... Broken…" Blake just muttered trying to choke back the pain in her voice. The internal bleeding was only getting worse and worse over time. The pain and the bruising would only come faster as she fought for control of the pain. Quickly, the man threw his pack on the ground pulling out a large towel and turning it into a sling of sorts.

"I need you to sit up, can you do that?" He asked softly, unsure if any other bone was broken. Blake just gave a nod, tears starting to form in her eyes as the uncertainty of what comes next arrives. Slowly, the man begins to tie the sling around Blake's arm after she sits up with another gasp of pain. "You're lucky I was here… This could have been a lot worse." He said heaving a sigh after the sling was placed.

"Who…. Who are you and why are you helping me?" Blake managed to squeak out, the pain still enough to pacify her, but the sling helped.

"Don't remember me huh?" The man said as if he was remembering something from long ago. "Do you remember someone giving you a doll when you were younger?" The man asked with a smile.

"William?" Blake said almost in excitement, but in more shock.

"Oh, so you do remember me… but it looks like something drove you from your home. As long as you know who I am, I guess you can trust me right?" Blake recoiled at the question. She had known the man in the past, sure, but this was different. There weren't people surrounding her so that she knew interaction was okay. Worst of all, it was a human and not another Faunus. How could she trust him with her world turned upside down? Her world had just crumbled around her, how was she supposed to react? She couldn't just throw her life to the wind and trust a human. Not after today. Could she possibly grow to even trust a human?

"I… I don't…" Blake couldn't fight back the probability that she could be captured and tortured by some human. Blake once again rose to her feet.

"Fair enough… It seems like you've been through a lot lately…" William trailed off. He reached into his pack and pulled out a small card. "Here, if you ever need help you can just come to me. I live just outside of Vale. It's not too far from here, I want to help if I can, but I can't do anything unless you're willing to."

Blake took the card nervously and began to back away. The man remained crouched in his spot where he had just helped Blake, the sling as a constant reminder. Despite her encounter she had just had with Adam. Why she was running and the reason she wanted to get as far away from that killer as fast as possible.

The next few days were going to be shrouded with uncertainty, Blake knew that well, but she could survive. She always has, she was a survivor, that's what she did. She always persevered in the face of certain danger. Now however, she doesn't have anything to stand for. For the first time in her life, Blake can't say she belongs somewhere… She's truly lost for the first time.