Sunlight burned her swollen eyes the following day. Weiss rolled onto her stomach, burying her face into her arms. With the previous night's argument still fresh in her head, the last thing she wanted to do was to travel. Even as her stomach twisted painfully from hunger, her body was too heavy to move.

She ground her teeth in frustration, internally cursing Adam for everything he said to her last night and Blake for keeping so much from her.

Would Ruby believe her if she told her about Blake's past? Or would she somehow find it in herself to forgive Blake despite all the lies she fed them? What would she do if Blake met up with Ruby as well?

She didn't know what to think anymore.

An aching groan from her stomach darkened her mood further. Weiss wanted to pick up her bag and backtrack to Rumduol again. At least there, she wouldn't ever have to confront Blake. Violet and Ash would welcome her back, and she could live the rest of her life without ever having to worry about this again.

It was an easy escape from the horrible reality she found herself in, but it also wasn't fair to Violet. If she gave up now, it'd be spitting in the face of all the victims she promised to fight for. She couldn't be selfish anymore.

Weiss sluggishly pulled herself up from the ground, her head spinning as she struggled to her feet and forced herself to walk.

The forest was an endless conglomerate of foliage and trees. Her legs and stomach ached as the day dragged on, and she was cold to the bone despite the sun blaring over her head.

Weiss wasn't sure how late it was when she encountered the thin dirt trail. It didn't seem to be used often as undisturbed grass and weeds poked out from the pathway. She followed it without a second thought, eager to find a place to finally eat a full meal. It took an eternity for her to make it to the end of the path.

The trail led her to a bustling town. Simple wood buildings and houses scattered around the community like repelling magnets. The local population consisted of Faunus and Humans, though neither appeared welcoming to newcomers.

Human bystanders eyed Weiss' backpack as she passed, and Faunus locals stared at her like she'd introduced the plague to their community. Weiss tightened her hold around her sword. The incessant pain in her stomach was the only thing keeping her from turning back.

The first thing she did was approach one of the less intimidating merchants for a new map and compass. After confirming her location, Frangipani Town, and finding a warm place to stay, she thanked the merchant and proceeded to the inn.

The inn, which also served as the community's only tavern, was an old two-storey building held together by weathered wood. Inside it stunk of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Weiss couldn't find anything resembling a reception counter, save for the bar at the far end of the building.

Patrons eating lunch or catching an afternoon drink filled the tables. Human and Faunus patrons took over opposite halves of the room. The Human patrons didn't spare her a glance while the Faunus ones glared daggers at her and whispered fervently to each other.

With great hesitancy, she walked towards the bar.

Two Human bartenders were running the front. One was shamelessly smoking next to bottles of alcohol while the other was busy cleaning a glass cup. Weiss approached the latter.

"Excuse me, but do you have any rooms available?" she asked.

The man smoking a cigarette raked his eyes down her figure and grimaced. "You want a room with a bathroom or not, girlie?"

"Erm…bathroom please."

After paying for their service and retrieving her key, a meek man with lizard scales came to show her upstairs. The employee couldn't look at Weiss without flinching. His colleagues didn't blink an eye at his visible distress.

Unlike the bartenders, who wore spotless white button-up shirts and dress pants, the Faunus man's uniform consisted of an old baggy t-shirt and faded pants. Dozens of mismatched patches mended tears in his shirt and pants.

She tried making small talk with him but stopped when the colour drained from his face. They climbed up a rickety set of stairs at the very back of the building without another word. The second floor consisted of a narrow hallway with three doors on either side of them. Even from up here, the smell of smoke and fried food permeated the air.

"Thank you." She smiled once he led her to the door at the very end of the hall.

The employee jumped when she regarded him. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" he murmured, looking down at his feet. Even his runners were riddled with holes.

She eyed his miserable uniform with a frown. If they were giving him the worst set of clothes to wear for work, she couldn't imagine what his paycheck looked like.

"Here." She dug into her cash stash and handed him a generous tip.

The man stared at the roll of cash in complete awe. He looked up at her and then back to the money she held out.

"F-for me?" he asked quietly.

"Of course. I always tip fairly." Though she's never tipped a whole roll of bills up until now.

The man paused for a moment before taking the money. He flinched as if waiting for her to demand it back.

"I hope you have a nice day." She assured him with a polite smile.

The man stared at her like she grew a second head. "T-thank you, M-Miss. T-thank you!"

After the man left, she entered her room. It had only a single twin bed, a nightstand, and a shallow alcove that served as her closet. A square television sat on top of a rectangular crate across her bed. The fact nothing stunk of oily food or smoke was an added plus.

She rested her sword against the wall and dropped her bag onto the bed. After fishing out the casual gown she wore at Violet's, she headed straight to the bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what she needed to wash the tension off her body.

After feeling refreshed and alive again, Weiss went downstairs to order something to eat. The building was even busier than before, leaving only a few spots open in the Faunus half of the room.

Human patrons eyed her curiously when she made herself comfortable in the Faunus section of the room. The Faunus patrons weren't any happier having her around either. It was like sitting beneath the world's biggest spotlight, with both sides of the crowd anticipating her next move. Weiss kept her head down, hoping to not appear hostile.

The crowd's curiosity eventually died out, returning to their day-to-day life without a hitch. Those who refused to keep her out of their sight continued to glower at her from their tables. She pretended not to notice the hostile glares and listened to conversations buzzing around her as a distraction.

"Did ya hear bout the recent break-in?" Someone said from one of the nearby tables.

"Did it have to do with that big CEO in Atlas?"

"Yeah, I heard his mansion got raided by terrorists recently."

"Shit. Must've been a bloodbath in there."

"Nah, none of the workers died. Got roughed up good, but still kickin'."

"The White Fang are losing their touch."

"People sayin' it ain't the White Fang. It's some kinda new crowd. Nothin' valuable got stolen as far as I know. Don't know what the hell they were doin' in there, but they pissed off that rich fellow to high heavens."

Weiss' curiosity spiked. The reason Father tightened security was because of increased terrorist activity. This was the first she's heard rumours about a group outside the White Fang being responsible for it.

"They must've done somethin' to make that guy riled up."

"Some folks sayin' he lost some valuable documents. Rumour has it these people stole evidence to prove–"

"Your order, M-Miss." The arrival of her food snapped her attention away from the conversation. The meek man from earlier smiled as he placed her plate down. "I-I also brought you extra napkins."

He shoved folded white napkin into her hand before quickly taking his leave.

Weiss was ready to dig in when she unfolded her napkin and found a hastily written message in the corner:

Eat in your room. We have many White Fang supporters here.

Weiss finished her meal in bed while watching the news. The conversation she overheard downstairs proved to be reliable. The news reported a major break in affecting one of Atlas' top businesses, a jewellery brand Mother used to frequent for earrings and necklaces.

The report claimed it was the work of the White Fang, with authorities believing it may be a new branch due to the lack of casualties. Nothing was stolen, but the CEO has publicly threatened to sue authorities if they don't find the culprits. There was nothing said about it being a new terrorist group. She chalked up that bit of information as baseless gossip.

The most concerning reports came out of Mistral. A family related to the late Orin Blackwood was found dismembered earlier that day. Their severed heads were discovered by concerned friends, stuck to fence posts. Weiss switched off the TV before the report could delve into more detail. It reminded her too much of Lavender's family.

The only good news was nothing horrible was being reported from Vale.

Weiss wondered how Yang was faring with her new condition. The last time she heard from Ruby, it sounded like Yang lost all her fighting spirit. It was hard to imagine Yang of all people losing her explosive energy.

She also worried about Ruby's journey to Haven Academy. Was she experiencing the same growing pains as Weiss? Or was it a bit better with Jaune's team accompanying her?

And then there was Blake.

All at once, the relief she got from her shower and warm meal shattered at the mere thought of Blake.

Weiss knew Blake committed crimes before leaving the White Fang, but she always assumed it was petty crimes like vandalism or robbery. She never would've imagined Blake took part in more extreme forms of violence.

And she still would be ignorant of it had it not been for Adam. Her hands balled into fists at the horrible realization.

How long was Blake planning to keep it a secret from her? Did she ever plan to tell her? Weiss will never know until Blake comes out of hiding.

Was Blake ever planning on returning? Or was she going to pretend like they never met? She didn't have an issue pretending she's never committed any atrocious crimes.

Weiss grabbed her pillow and chucked it as hard as she could against the wall. It did little to please the frustration building up her new revelation about Blake.

Adam cut Yang's arm off and attacked Beacon unprovoked.

Blake killed an innocent woman in cold blood and never bothered to tell them about it.

Adam was once her closest friend, and Blake was still her friend.

They both have blood on their hands.

It was difficult not to hurl her innocent plate into the wall next. She hated that Adam was right to call her a hypocrite. She hated that it was impossible to completely despise Blake.

Most of all, she hated that she still couldn't forget how he's helped her. She couldn't erase the fact that he's saved her life. No matter how much he claimed to hate her, the memory of his heroic deed pestered her like an untreated splinter. What was wrong with her?

What was wrong with him? What was the point of going out of his way to save her life? She wouldn't – couldn't delude herself into believing he did it for her sake. He wasn't the boy she once knew, no matter how much she wanted him to be.

So why did he have to protect her?

"I hate you." She collapsed onto her bed, glaring up at the ceiling as her throat tightened. "I fucking hate you."

The wrenching pain in her chest blurred her vision with tears. Weiss furiously wiped her eyes dry and buried her face into her pillow.

Why couldn't she hate him?

Her headache grew worse with each thought. Weiss didn't want to think anymore. With a roof finally over her head, all she wanted was to sleep off the rest of the day and forget about Adam and Blake.

Weiss returned her dish downstairs before burying herself into bed. It took her seconds to fall into a dreamless slumber.

Weiss jolted awake in a dark room with her heart racing. She shot up, scanning her room for signs of danger.

"I swear to gods that Human is still up here," a deep voice said on the other side of her door.

The napkin's warning barreled into the forefront of her mind. Weiss quietly slipped out of her bed.

"We just need to break open one of these doors and drag the bitch out!" another man added.

Weiss held her breath and gently eased her sword off the wall.

"I told you two already, I've been up here for hours and haven't seen signs of her." Adam's voice made her freeze.

At this point, it shouldn't shock her that he followed her to the village. She glared furiously at the locked door as if that alone would burn him.

"I saw her check in with my own eyes! She's here!"

"With your shouting, I'm sure she would've woken up and left already," Adam countered coolly. One of the men cursed in response. "Go downstairs before the owners find out you're here. I'll take a look around up here."

"Are you sure that's okay, sir?" The man sounded apprehensive. "Sienna's given us strict orders to keep you from making contact with the Schnee girl. She wants you back at headquarters for a…um…D-Dust related mission."

Her heart dropped at the mention of Sienna's name. Weiss didn't expect to get on the radar of the White Fang's leader. How long had Sienna known about her whereabouts?

"These are special circumstances," Adam said, sounding a bit exasperated. "Go. You're wasting time."

"But Sienna—"

"I'll deal with Sienna on my own."

"Okay…but be careful, sir. She's...not in the best of mood lately."

"I will, thank you. Don't tell her you saw me. It'll save you trouble."

"Yes, sir. Stay safe."

Heavy footsteps stomped away from her door. She didn't dare make a sound until the hallway went silent.

"Let me in," Adam whispered.

Weiss tightened her hold on her sword. Would he leave her alone if she pretended to be asleep?

"I know you're awake. Unless you want me to force my way in, I suggest you open the door."

Had it not been for the White Fang goons looking for her downstairs, she would've kept him locked outside. Weiss cursed him under her breath and cracked open her door. She was half-expecting to see a dozen White Fang members waiting for her on the other side, but she only saw Adam.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to thank him for protecting her again or punch him in the face for all the things he said to her last night. Or both.

"Get dressed. We're leaving." He barreled into her room.

"We?"

"Did I stutter, Princess? Or are you too stupid to understand when people are after you?"

Her cheeks burned with anger. She refrained from slamming the door shut behind her.

"So you're not going to deny helping me?" she blurted, snapping the lock in place with more force than needed.

Even in the darkness, she saw him tense.

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"No. But-"

"Then don't ask questions."

"How do I know this isn't some trap? You haven't exactly been civil towards me."

"I could've broken down your door and dragged you out with my men, Schnee. It would've saved me trouble."

Why didn't he turn her in? Why go through all this trouble to help her escape? Even now she couldn't wrap her mind around his true motive.

"You're free to try and slip past the Faunus without me. Good luck running out there in the dark. They aren't going to stop until they find you, Schnee."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. As much as she'd like to spend her night away from him, he had a point. Outrunning the Faunus in the middle of the night was a death sentence without his help.

"I'll need a minute to get changed." She grabbed her backpack and rushed into the bathroom.

After changing into her extra combat skirt and fixing her ponytail, she hurried out to find him lingering by her window.

"You just had to choose a village full of White Fang supporters," Adam chided lowly.

"I didn't think the White Fang would be an issue here," she snapped, joining him by the window. "It's a village of Humans and Faunus. I thought everyone would be more accepting."

"You need to get out more."

The two of them went quiet when a small knock rapped against her door.

"M-Miss?"

Weiss recognized the voice. Against Adam's quiet protests, she cracked open the door. The Faunus employee who helped her out earlier was on the other side. It surprised Weiss he could stay standing with how badly he was trembling.

"M-Miss, you need to go."

"I know," she whispered. "Do you know if it's safe outside?"

"T-the White Fang have the exits guarded. They're patrolling around the side of the building now."

Adam swore.

"I have a…friend with me," she explained when the man paled at the sound of Adam's voice. "Is there any way to distract the patrols?"

"I-I can distract them for a bit. B-but you need to go quickly."

"Thank you. I appreciate what you did earlier as well." Weiss held out her hand to him. "I'm Weiss."

"Flint." He shakily took her hand. "You're different for a Schnee."

"I'm only doing what's right." She smiled. "Be careful, Flint. Don't take unnecessary risks."

"You're too kind, Miss Weiss. Safe travels." With that, he stumbled back down the stairs.

"You're always this civil towards the Faunus?" Adam asked when she closed the door. The lack of hostility in his voice caught her off guard. She waited for him to throw another insult at her, but none came.

"Only recently," she admitted honestly, joining him by the window again. A Faunus man and woman lingered below their room. They both scanned the parameters frantically, no doubt looking for her outside.

"What changed?"

"I learned to listen."

They both retreated from the window when the man looked up. Weiss mentally counted up to thirty before peeking out, relieved to see the man had lost interest in her room.

"Is Sienna coming after me?"

"I don't know." He studied the figures with her. "Next time, try to put in some effort to disguise yourself. You might as well be asking the White Fang to kidnap you walking around like this."

"If there is a next time..." She played with her sword as more people joined the man and woman. "What happens if she catches up to me?"

"That's none of your concern." The tightness in his voice didn't make her feel any better.

Their conversation ended when they saw Flint running up to the group, pointing adamantly to the other side of the town. The group followed Flint away.

"Let's move." Adam cracked open the window, letting in a blast of cold air.

"Let me help." She summoned a line of black glyphs from the window and towards the ground. "It'll cushion our fall."

She hoisted up her bag and leapt out first, followed shortly by Adam.

"I need to get to Magnolia City," she whispered to him once they both landed.

He nodded and gestured for her to follow. They kept themselves low, ducking beneath windows and behind buildings whenever they heard someone nearby.

When they finally reached the forest, he took her by the wrist and ran. It was terrifying to run into the darkness with no sense of direction. The only thing she could see was his red hair and the crimson rose on the back of his jacket.

He came to an abrupt halt, making her crash right into his back. A low growl resonated in front of them. She peered over his shoulder, looking into two glowing red eyes.

"Dammit." He let go of her hand and unsheathed his sword.

"What kind of Grimm is it?"

"Bear."

The Grimm was on them within seconds. Adam, being the only one who could see what was happening, took to the offensive. Weiss stayed back, only using the occasional Dust-powered attack when she had a clear shot of the Grimm's position.

It was tempting to use Red Dust to help light up the battlefield, but the risk of catching the White Fang's attention kept her from going through with it.

At some point during the frenzy, she hit the Grimm square in the skull with a well-aimed ice shard. Her attack irritated the monster. It changed gears and charged towards her, snarling furiously.

Weiss panicked. She shot more icicles right at the Grimm, her projectiles slowed the beast but did little to deter it from getting closer.

She backed away, gasping as the back of her foot caught a tree root, throwing her flat on her back. The Grimm was close enough for her to see its paw raised above its head. She braced herself for the hit, but it never came.

Adam leapt in front of her, taking the brunt of the attack. The Grimm's punch threw him somewhere into the depths of the shadows.

"No!" she cried when his Aura flickered.

His hair and sword burst to life in blazing red light. He shot forward, cutting the Grimm cleanly in half. The ferocity of his attack left an angry torrent of wind ruffling through her hair. She heard him collapse once the threat was eliminated.

"Adam!" She dropped to his side, patting his chest for signs of blood.

"I'll be fine," he grunted.

Her heart quickened at the voices echoing in the distance.

"Keep running straight, Schnee. I'll catch up."

"No, I'm not leaving you behind!" She swung his arm around her shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. He was heavier than she expected, his weight nearly dragged them back down on the ground.

"I'm going to slow you down, idiot."

"I can't see a thing in front of me. I'll be good as dead if I run off like this," she retorted. "Shut up and move."

It was the longest night of her life. No matter how far they walked it didn't seem like they were going anywhere. If it weren't for Adam, she would've sworn they'd been walking in circles. They only stopped to catch their breaths, but as soon as they felt rested they were on the move again. Even when the angry voices had long faded, neither of them dropped their guards.

They collapsed beneath an old mossy tree at the first hint of sunlight, sitting side by side with their arms almost touching. Weiss felt even more exhausted than the previous night. Her shoulders ached from having to support Adam's weight and her feet throbbed from the long journey.

Though Adam's mask shielded the fatigue on his face, she could tell from the way he slumped against the tree he felt as miserable as her.

"We should catch up on sleep," he said curtly.

"Yeah," she agreed. She was physically too exhausted to muster up the energy to stay angry at him. "Are you sure those two White Fang guys won't rat you out?"

"They won't."

"You never know." She frowned. Even the closest friends aren't always trustworthy.

"I saved their lives in Beacon. They owe me."

She waited for him to elaborate, but he had nothing more to add.

"Why did you help me?" she asked in a whisper.

"I thought we agreed to not ask questions."

"We're not running from anyone anymore."

"If you value your life you'll keep your mouth shut."

"I'll take my chances."

He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, but she made no move to draw her weapon. His sword clicked out of its sheath yet his arm remained still. Weiss kept her eyes trained on his face. He sighed and let his hand fall from his sword.

"I hate you, Schnee. I hate everything about you. I hate all the pain your family inflicted on us. I took a vow to kill your family when I joined the White Fang."

"Oh." That was the only thing she could manage to say.

Her exhaustion clouded her anger and hurt towards his statement. All she wanted was to curl up on the grass and forget about the world even for a minute.

"I can't blame you for hating us." She closed her eyes. Almost immediately she felt the pull of unconsciousness.

"I could've killed you in Beacon when you lost your sword. I should've killed you when I ran into you in the forest. I should kill you right now when your guard is down," he added quietly. "But I can't. No matter how hard I try, I can't do it. And I hate you even more for that."

She laughed out loud at the familiarity of his words. It was unnerving how much she understood where he was coming from.

"You know, I sort of understand how you feel," she said.

She felt him shift closer to her. Weiss didn't think he was aware he did that. If he was fully awake he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her.

"How so?" he asked after a long pause.

"Because I can never really hate you, no matter how hard I try. You were my first real friend. You were the first person who cared for me outside of my sister, and I can never forget that."

Her head slumped to one side, falling right onto his shoulder.

"In a weird way, it also makes me hate you a lot. I hate you for giving me so many good memories to lean back on," she confessed.

She hated him for making her care so much.

"I thought I told you we don't have anything in common," he argued tiredly.

"If that's the game you want to play."

She should've pulled her head away from him, but he was so much more comfortable than the ground.

"Well, so much for not hating me," he said half-jokingly. "Glad one of us can hate the other freely."

"I wasn't completely truthful last night. I hate you for what you did. I hate you for all the innocent people you've hurt," she clarified. "But I don't hate you. I've tried, but I can't, and it's frustrating."

That was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep. For the few hours she managed to sleep, Weiss dreamt of travelling through a maze of pine trees. When she woke up, her head was still resting on his shoulder.

Thank you to Yeet, Gleaming Onyx, MadZigness, StarStream2005, Able and Table, M8BIT, EmperorCookies, and two Guest readers for the reviews!

I want to thank EmperorCookies again for such an in-depth review! I really appreciate the honest critique as well! Pacing is one of my big weak points as a new writer, so I'll definitely give it more thought if I ever write another longfic. In hindsight, I 100% committed a bit too close to the fast pace of the original fic in parts of this story. It's honestly tempting to remaster the rewrite (because I'm a perfectionist at heart) but I'm not paid enough for this lol. Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review the story 3

To one of my Guest readers: please don't be shy about pointing out potential typos in the future! I'd rather have false alarms than leave a glaring typo in the story. I appreciate the help :)

To answer StarStream2005's question about chapter numbers: I'm going to keep that to myself BUT the word count (without author's notes or content warnings) is over 200,000 words!