Weiss ran into her first obstacle that very night. She had no idea where to sleep in the middle of the forest. The sun was quickly setting, turning the bright forest into a confusing maze of trees and shadows. She hadn't planned what she would do during nightfall.

Her food rations at least saved her the trouble of finding dinner. It wouldn't last her forever, but that would be a problem for her to worry about later. Right now, she needed some way to stay warm during the night.

A pinch of Red Dust should be enough to start a small campfire, but the problem was that she'd only prepared enough for emergencies during combat. If she used it every night, there would be nothing left before she got to Mistral City. Weiss knew it was possible to start a fire using natural resources, but she couldn't remember how to do it. It was still a start. Weiss collected a decent pile of twigs and experimentally rubbed them together. All she accomplished was wasting her time.

Weiss cursed the useless twigs and threw them on the ground. She didn't need a stupid fire. It was a hazard to fall unconscious around it anyway.

After compiling a miserable pile of fallen leaves, she set her sword aside and lay on the ground. Her bag served as a small lumpy pillow. She regretted the decision to forgo a fire as the night grew colder and colder. The hard clumpy ground beneath her didn't help make it any more comfortable.

A snap of a twig made her sit up immediately. All she could see were streaks of moonlight slicing through the dome of leaves overhead. Weiss searched the darkness for her weapon, but she could only grasp onto leaves and dirt.

"You look pathetic." Adam's voice sounded right behind her.

She yelped, backing into a tree trunk.

"It's a miracle you survived so long outside daddy's mansion." His footsteps circled her like a predator. She could barely make out his towering figure in the shadows.

Weiss continued to pat the ground for her sword. Her hand found itself around a small rock instead. Having a single rock on hand was better than being completely helpless.

She reeled her small weapon back when he shifted closer, yet his sword remained sheathed. Adam could have disposed of her right then and there. She stood no chance when she was virtually blind and weaponless, but he didn't take the opportunity like she expected him to.

"Leave me alone." It surprised Weiss at how collected her voice sounded.

"How can I when you're making such a spectacular fool of yourself?"

Something cold fell on her lap. She kicked the object off, freezing when the twang of metal hit the ground. Weiss ran her hands over the spot she heard the noise, breathing a sigh of relief when her fingers curled around her sword.

Why would he give it back to her?

"It's no fun playing with an unarmed target," he said as if reading her mind.

Was it possible he didn't have intentions to kill her? Or was this some twisted game he was playing with her?

The more logical side of Weiss screamed at her to not cling to false hope. Her heart; however, urged her to read between the lines.

"Why the hell did you collect a pile of twigs, Princess? Did you want to take some souvenirs home from your little camping trip?"

"I-it's none of your business!" she retorted, face heating up at the thought of telling him the truth. "If you have nothing else to say then leave."

"Not yet, Schnee. I'm still not done with you," he said dangerously. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she answered truthfully, rising to her feet.

"Letting that villager insult you without fighting back; risking your pretty little face for a Faunus twice," he spat. "Are you trying to trick us into becoming your obedient little slaves again? Or maybe you're trying to protect your company assets. A dead Faunus can't provide you with free labour, right? Go on, there's no one but you and me right now."

"You're completely overthinking this! I saved Clay and Violet because it was the right thing to do. That's it."

"You expect me to believe that? Someone like you could never care about us."

Weiss wasn't prepared for the way his response cut into her heart. She didn't expect him to turn a new leaf after slaying a single Grimm on her behalf, so why did it hurt so much?

"I don't care what you believe! I know how I feel about this issue, and you can't tell me otherwise!"

"You'll have to try harder than that to trick me. You're even more stupid than I thought, Princess."

"I'm being honest, Adam. I learned a lot from Violet recently." Her hands grew clammy at the memory of that awful SDC mark on Violet's back. "I'm sorry for calling you a liar. You were right about the SDC."

How did her family hurt him? She bit back the question knawing away at her the past week.

"So you admit you were turning a blind eye this entire time."

"I didn't realize what was happening until recently. I know it shouldn't have taken me this long...but this is my family we're talking about. I never would've imagined we did so many hurtful things-"

"How predictable of you. A stupid Human girl lies to avoid taking responsibility."

"I'm not lying! I know it's hard to believe, but I promise it's the truth!"

"Is that how you manipulated those villagers? By crafting a sob story to earn their pity? It's almost believable, I'll give you that much, Schnee."

"You-! You don't know anything about me!"

"I know plenty about you, Princess. So drop the act and stop trying to feed me your bullshit."

Her face burned with frustration. It was like trying to have a conversation with a brick wall. She was a fool for thinking it was possible to reason with him.

"I'm done with this conversation! Go away and let me sleep in peace!" she demanded.

"Why would I do that when you're completely at my mercy?"

"You wouldn't do anything," she yelled recklessly.

"Are you sure about that, Princess?"

His blade clicked out from its sheath. She immediately held her sword up, yet he remained still as a statue. Weiss forced down every instinct to strike and looked bravely at his dark figure.

"If you wanted me dead you would've killed me by now."

"Who says that's not part of tonight's plan?" The glee in his voice almost convinced her he was telling the truth. "I'd never give up the opportunity to kill a Schnee."

"Then why did you save my life?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he answered instantly.

She smirked, knowing full well he could see her in the dark. "Back at Rumduol, Violet saw what you did. They all did."

That made him go dead silent. Cold air slithered between them like a serpent.

"You're mine to kill, Schnee. Mine alone."

"Get over yourself! You're not the only one my family hurt. Violet and Clay have every reason to kill me, but they didn't."

Just like him.

"And I don't care what you have to say or think. I'll never stop fighting to make things right for the Faunus," she vowed.

She activated a random Dust compartment when he stepped closer, surrounding them in an angry torrent of wind. She trembled from the frigid air ruffling through her hair and clothes.

"You might've fooled them, Schnee, but I won't stop until I expose your lies," he promised icily. "The moment you slip up, your life is mine."

Weiss kept her guard up even as his sword returned to its sheath. She didn't lower her blade until he faded into the silence of the night.

When she couldn't hear any signs of him, she breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto her knees, her heart racing.

Weiss curled onto the ground again, hopelessly trying to catch even an hour of sleep. As the night grew colder, she was reminded of the secret meetings she once shared with that kind innocent boy.

She didn't see any signs of Adam again the following night.

It was her third day alone that Weiss stumbled across signs of civilization. It was early into the evening when she discovered an abandoned camp nestled in a small clearing. Unlike the first time, she drew her sword and studied the contents from a distance.

Clothes scattered around collapsed tents and trampled bags. Flies congregated on bits of rotting meat around an abandoned firepit. What turned her stomach was the tiny hand-sewn dolls laying amidst the mess.

Was this the work of bandits Ash had warned her about?

Weiss inched into the camp once she was sure there were no White Fang logos sprawled within the mess. Even upon closer inspection, she couldn't find any clues on who was here last. Aside from the abandoned dolls, the camp was stripped of personal items and valuables.

She twisted around at the sound of swishing grass. The last thing she expected to see was a short, thin Faunus girl with a fluffy squirrel's tail quivering behind her. The girl was partially hidden behind a bush. Patches of dirt and leaves stuck out from her bobbed brown hair and stained her pink dress. Weiss lowered her sword.

"Hey there. What's your name?" she spoke softly.

The girl whimpered, tripping over her feet as she stumbled away. When Weiss stepped closer the girl cried out in fear, curling into a protective ball. Weiss quickly backed off. Her chest ached at the painfully familiar scene.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Weiss smiled warmly.

The girl continued to regard Weiss with silent terror. A weak groan from the girl's stomach further drained the colour from the girl's face.

"You must be hungry." Weiss slid her bag off her shoulders. The girl kept her eyes glued on Weiss as she took out some apples. "Here, I'll leave these for you."

Weiss placed two apples on the ground before turning her back to the girl. She didn't look back when tentative footsteps approached. The girl ate quickly, never saying a word. Weiss didn't try to speak to her again until she'd finished.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked. The girl did not respond. "I have some more fruits in my bag. Two apples are usually not enough to fill me up, especially after a day of walking."

Without waiting for the girl's response, Weiss fished out two more fruits and rolled them behind her. The girl murmured a quiet thanks before devouring the rest of the fruits.

"My name's Weiss," she said once the girl went silent again. "Can you tell me your name?"

"O-Olive," the girl answered softly.

Weiss peeked over her shoulder. Olive blushed and bowed her head when their eyes met. Very slowly, Weiss turned so she was facing her.

"You have a lovely name, Olive."

That earned her a shy smile. Relieved that Olive wasn't going to cower from her anymore, Weiss tentatively asked, "is this your camp?"

Olive stared at the ground as she fiddled with strands of long grass. The big glassy tears welling in her eyes told Weiss everything she needed to know.

"Where's your family?"

"The bad Humans took them." The grass ripped out of the ground with a sharp snap.

Weiss studied their surroundings, looking between the foliage for signs of onlookers. In the dimming daylight, shadows resembled figures that weren't there.

"What do you mean they took them?"

"I-I was coming back after cleaning berries w-when those big bad men attacked them." Olive shredded the grass in her hands. "The bad Humans had really big knives and t-they forced everyone to follow them. T-they couldn't see me s-so I stayed quiet."

If the suspects had demanded the family to give up their valuables, it would be one thing, but to go as far as to kidnap them? Why go through the hassle of kidnapping random people on the road? Unless they could get blackmail money out of it, Weiss didn't see how it could benefit them. Regardless of the motive, Weiss couldn't leave without helping Olive.

"Did you see where the men took your family?"

Olive picked at her nails and nodded.

"Can you show me where they went?"

"Are you going to save them?" Olive eyed Weiss' sword curiously.

She hesitated for a second before answering," I'm going to try my best."

It wasn't a definitive promise, and there was no telling what the bandits did to their hostages, but that seemed enough for Olive.

Weiss followed Olive's lead further into the forest. The sky burned orange when they reached a thick barricade of trees. Unlike the rest of the forest, thick mossy tree trunks and overgrown shrubbery crowded the path ahead. The density of the trees completely shrouded the trail in thick shadows.

"I-I was too scared to go in there," Olive whimpered. "B-but that's where they took them."

"You were incredibly brave for going this far." Weiss smiled. "Why don't you wait for me back at camp? I'll come back as soon as I can."

Olive glanced between her and the dark path before bobbing her head. Weiss made sure Olive was out of sight before making her way to the thick treeline.

Branches snapped and leaves crunched with every step she took. If the kidnappers lurked nearby, they likely knew something was moving towards them. She hoped they'd mistaken her for a passing animal. It also didn't help that she could barely see what was ahead. Weiss wanted to use Red Dust for extra light but thought it wasn't smart to announce her presence to the entire world. Instead, she carefully felt her way around the dark and kept her ears strained for signs of danger.

The sun had completely set when she saw a faint amber light ahead. Her heart raced when she got close enough to see a metal cage looming in the distance. The outline of someone with cat ears inside the cage caught her eye.

Weiss quickened her pace. It was difficult to gauge how many people were in the camp, but it didn't matter. If she could take on a pack of Grimm, a bunch of lowlife kidnappers would be no problem.

She was ready to activate her Red Dust when something latched onto her arm and jerked her to the side. Weiss bit back a scream, crashing into a tree trunk. A hand clasped around her mouth from behind as she regained her footing. She tried swinging her sword at her assailant, but another hand clamped around her wrist, securing across her stomach.

"If you don't want me to snap your neck, you'll stay still."

Adam's voice whispered into her ear, turning her blood cold. She'd completely forgotten he was following her amid everything. Her Semblance could break her free, but that would likely alert the camp. She wasn't sure how she'd cope against a group of criminals and Adam simultaneously.

He tensed when twigs snapped somewhere to their right.

"Keep your mouth shut, Schnee."

He manoeuvred them behind a tree, pinning her against him as the footsteps grew louder. It was only then that Weiss noticed how tall he was. Her head barely reached his mid-chest, and he smelled distinctly of pine needles.

"I thought I heard something running around here," a male voice said.

"Probably just a deer," another drawled.

"I swore I saw a girl–"

"Why the hell would a girl be runnin' 'round in the dark?"

"Who cares? It'd be a nice treat."

"Ah, fuck off. You'll get enough pussy once the job's done."

The hand around her wrist tightened as the men walked right behind their tree. Weiss gritted her teeth, suppressing a wince when his hold became painful. They remained still even once the men passed by. Neither of them dared to make a sound until the men's footsteps completely faded.

"I'm going to let you go," Adam said lowly. "If you blow my cover, I'll make you regret it. Do you understand?"

Weiss nodded and scrambled out of his grasp once he loosened his hold on her. She wasn't sure what his angle was tonight, but she wasn't in the mood to entertain it.

"Thanks," she muttered, massaging the wrist he likely bruised.

"Don't get the wrong idea. You were a liability to my mission."

Weiss instinctively backed away when his sword clicked out of its sheath.

"Consider this your lucky night, Princess. There's something more important than you right now." He stalked towards the flickering campsite.

"Wait," she said. "Are you going to rescue the people in that cage?"

"Stay out of my way."

"I want to help too."

"I don't need help from a Human. Let alone a Schnee."

"Look, we both want to help rescue those people–"

"Let me get something straight, Princess." He turned back abruptly. Weiss held her ground even as he stepped into her personal space, towering over her. "There's no we in this situation, and there never will be. Piss off before I change my mind about sparing you."

"Will you stop being selfish for one second and listen to me?"

"I bet you'd know plenty about being selfish."

Weiss bit back an insult as a round of laughter burst from the camp.

"It might benefit the victims if we work together." She tried again. "One of us could focus on fighting while the other frees the victims."

"And what makes you think I'd want to work with you?"

"It doesn't matter what you want. What matters is that those victims make it out of here alive."

Weiss wasn't sure if she'd said the wrong thing when he didn't respond. In the dark, it was difficult to gauge how agitated he was.

"Do you want those people to get out of here quickly or not?" she asked when he remained quiet. "It's your call, Adam."

"You follow my orders, Schnee. If you make one funny move, I'll blow your brains out," he warned.

She didn't like the idea of listening to whatever he had to say, but she forced herself to nod. He didn't seem like the type to compromise.

"Keep your trap shut and follow me."

Weiss relaxed only when he backed out of her space. They crept to the campsite without another word. To Adam's credit, he led them down a path with the least amount of twigs and bushes. Even without added light, it was easy to navigate. She followed him behind a thick bush close to camp. It stood outside the campfire's radius of light, allowing them to see their target while staying concealed.

The camp consisted of seven Human bandits. Six bandits sat around a fire pit while the seventh member guarded the cage. The cage was filled with Faunus. Weiss doubted all victims were from Olive's camp.

The most peculiar thing about the bandits was their weapons and clothes. She'd expected to see them wielding rusted knives and the occasional rifle, not Atlas-styled guns and swords. Even the suits and long coats they wore belonged to brand names far too expensive for low-life thieves to afford.

"We did good work this week." A balding man addressed the others. "We'll have enough stock to buy a new place 'n some bitches."

"Hell, we might even have enough to live in Atlas," another piped in.

"At this rate, we won't have to work another day of our lives. It'll be easy sailin' from here."

Weiss didn't understand why they were boasting like they owned a thriving business. Even if they robbed every Faunus traveller on the road, they wouldn't have enough to afford an elite lifestyle.

She studied the caged Faunus again. The prisoners' hands were bound behind them with rope, and crude leather collars shackled their necks. A cold rock dropped into her gut.

They were getting rich on Faunus slaves.

"That cage is going to be a pain to break open," Adam whispered, his voice tight with anger. "I could pick the lock."

"How long will that take?" It was only after Weiss answered that she remembered who exactly she was speaking with.

"Depends on the lock. From a glance, it might take a minute at most," Adam said. If he found their situation odd, he didn't show it.

"A minute might be too long if they start shooting in the direction of the cage."

"You've got a lot of Dust on you. We could use that to make a barrier."

"We could force the door to open instead. I can summon something to pry it open. It might be better to get them out as soon as possible."

"...You're not as stupid as you look. What can you summon for us?"

"I-I'm not an expert at it, but I know enough to get the job done." She blushed, unsure why she was so flustered about her subpar summoning abilities.

Adam regarded her idea for a moment. Idle chatter from the criminals filled the silence between them.

"Here's the plan," Adam said. "I'm going to deal with the Humans. You get the victims somewhere safe. Take out anyone who tries to tail you."

"But there's seven of them. Wouldn't it be safer if–"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, Schnee. Make your move once they're distracted. Don't fuck this up."

Adam crept out of their hiding spot before she could retort. An eerie red light bled into the night, acting as a warning before he unleashed his Semblance into the camp. She didn't need to look to know at least one of the bandits was dead. The clash of metal and the roar of gunfire followed.

She should've known Adam would go straight for the kill, but it still left her skin crawling at how easy it was for him to do it. He sounded so calm and normal seconds beforehand.

The panicked screams from the trapped Faunus reminded her why she was here in the first place. Weiss swallowed the bile rising in her throat and forced herself to focus on the metal cage. The guard was still standing by the cage, shooting at Adam from a safe distance.

Weiss used her Dust to send a sharp burst of wind at the shooter, throwing him off balance. She shot out from the foliage, knocking his rifle away and trapping him in ice. The clashing of swords continued to roar behind her, but she refused to look back. She kept her eyes on the caged victims, her nausea growing when she caught sight of children trapped inside.

A dark-haired girl with cat ears was trembling at the forefront of the group. She looked to be the same age as Whitley. Her long black hair was knotted, and her faded red dress clung loosely off her bony frame. The youngest member in the cage was latched around her waist, his squirrel tail trembling behind him.

For a second, all she saw was Adam when he was little.

Weiss pushed the mental image out of her head and focused all her efforts on summoning. The Alpha Beowolf from Rumduol rose from her summoning circle. With her command, it effortlessly ripped the cage door wide open.

"We need to leave!" she said to the victims.

The prisoners all looked at her like she was going to execute them. No one stepped out of the cage.

"Please, it's dangerous to stay here," she urged desperately. Still, no one made a move to leave their prison. They all stared back at her with scared, ashen expressions. She hadn't anticipated them to be afraid of her.

A stray bullet ricocheted off the metal bars. The prisoners screamed and clutched onto each other as they ducked. If they stayed any longer, someone was going to get caught in the crossfire.

"Please, it's dangerous to stay here! Olive's waiting for her family at–"

"Is my daughter safe?" A woman stumbled out despite the protests of several in the group.

"She's fine. I told her to wait for me back at your campsite." Weiss smiled. "She's the reason I was able to track you all down."

The promise of reuniting with her daughter convinced Olive's mother to take a chance on Weiss. Her willingness to trust Weiss persuaded the other members to follow her out.

Weiss kept her ears strained for signs of bandits when they stopped in Olive's camp for a breather. She used this downtime to help release the prisoners from their bindings.

Most of the prisoners kept their eyes warily on her while others chose to ignore her completely. The only ones who seemed okay with her were Olive, her family, and the dark-haired girl quietly sticking to their side. Olive repeatedly told her family how Weiss had given her dinner and promised to save them all. Olive's tale left a permanent grimace on some of the people around her. Weiss ignored the hostile glares shot her way as she worked.

"We shouldn't stay here for long," Weiss said once she'd freed the last prisoner. "I don't know if anyone followed us but to be safe–"

"How do we know we can trust you?" An older gentleman cut her off. "I ain't stupid enough to believe a Schnee."

Her family name was like a terminal disease. The mere mention of it made the group recoil from her.

"It was a Schnee who saved us," Olive's father protested.

"It could be a trap. That's how some of them get you, by earning your trust before they snatch you away to one of those awful Mines."

"I don't think a Schnee would use such a convoluted way to get new slaves."

"You're crazy if you think I'll follow that Human anywhere! At least I'll still have my dignity dying out here!"

The old man's comments made her sick, but she didn't have time to think about the implications behind them. There were still a dozen Faunus victims stuck in the middle of nowhere. They needed a safe place to recover now.

"I won't force you to travel with me, but at least let me give you directions to somewhere safe," Weiss said.

She slipped the bag off her shoulders, taking out the map and compass Ash had given her. Weiss pretended not to notice the sceptical murmurs as she told them about Rumduol Village. At least Olive's family appeared interested in what she had to say. She couldn't force them all to accept her help, but she hoped some of them would be willing to take a chance on her.

"I have enough rations to last the trip there," she added, pulling out nearly all the food Violet had given her for the trip. "You guys need it more than me."

"Thank you, Miss Schnee," Olive's father said once the supplies were distributed. "We don't know how we can pay you back."

"Just Weiss is fine, and don't worry about payment. I just hope you guys have a safe journey there."

Someone scoffed at her comment. She pretended not to hear it, shrugging her backpack over her shoulders again.

"You guys shouldn't stay here for long. They could come back at any minute." At least no one questioned the threat of facing those bandits again. "Get going. I'll patrol the area for anyone who could be following you."

Once the group left the campsite, Weiss lit her blade on fire and backtracked. She expected at least one bandit to have slipped past Adam, but she ran into no one along the way. It wasn't long before she found herself staring at that flickering campfire in the distance.

The forest had grown eerily still. The darkness surrounding her was thick, exasperated by branches interlocking overhead like fingers. She moved closer to the light, not caring if twigs snapped beneath her feet. A chilling breeze sliced past her, carrying with it a pungent smell of copper and gunpowder.

Weiss covered her nose, stopping dead in her tracks. A sickening knot tightened in her throat. She turned her back on the silent campsite and hurried away.

Thank you to Able and Table, a Guest reader, and Gleaming Onyx for the reviews!

Also, how is everyone feeling about the V9 trailer and crossover movie trailer? I'm cautiously optimistic about the new volume but don't have much interest in that movie. Not a big fan of the Justice League and the timeline hurts my head lol