They reached the edge of town late in the afternoon. Adam led them off the main path and continued the rest of the way fighting through bushes, uneven ground, and hidden roots. They couldn't risk someone identifying Weiss before arriving at Azaleas.
They stopped shy of a barbed-wire fence separating the wildlife from the urban space.
The few buildings she could see were barely holding themselves upright, squishing against each other for support. Rotting wood apartments looked to be one bad storm away from collapsing. Brick buildings were completely bleached by sunlight and weather damage, leaving them sickly pale.
The streets weren't in any better condition. Cracks and gaping potholes riddled the roads. A fine layer of grime coated the streets, coughing up clouds of debris whenever someone dragged their feet across the concrete.
"Here's the plan." Adam beckoned her behind a tree. "I'm going to head out to the main road and see if anyone's willing to sell me extra clothes. Stay here and wait for me. If you hear someone run, even if you can beat them in a fight. The less attention you draw, the better."
"Wait!" She grabbed onto his hand. Blushing, she let him go and hid her offending hand behind her back.
"Don't you think we should try to go through here at night? It might conceal us better from the crowd," Weiss said.
"Trust me when I say it gets worse at night," he replied. "Our best bet is to get through here during daylight. The likelihood of getting jumped is lower."
"How's that supposed to make me feel better?"
"We went over this last night. You know what was going to happen today."
"It doesn't mean I have to like it..."
She'd spent most of last night coming up with alternative solutions. After hours of thinking in circles, she begrudgingly admitted they only had one course of action. As long as she was cut off from Ruby, this was a risk they needed to take. She hated that Adam had to put himself in danger for this to work.
"Come on, the faster we get through here the better," he said. "You're time worrying about how this will go wrong for you."
"It's not me I'm worried about," Weiss snapped before realizing what she said. She folded her arms and took a keen interest in the ground.
"Look, it's obvious the whole Sienna thing has you on edge. I could've kept it to myself, but I thought it'd work to our advantage-"
"I'm worried about you, okay?" The embarrassed flush on her face returned with a vengeance. "I know you can defend yourself, but it's still so risky to go alone. I want to help you, but I don't know how..."
Weiss expected him to brush off her comment as being silly or remind her he was only there because of their truce. He instead said nothing. It didn't make her feel any better.
"I'll come back," he assured her after an uncomfortably long stretch of silence. "You can help by staying hidden."
"Is that all I can do? Hide while you're out there by yourself?"
"It's not much, but it'll make our lives a lot easier." He turned his back on her. "I won't take long, Schnee."
"Before you go." She dug into her bag and handed him a roll of cash. "People might be more inclined to help you if they get something out of it."
"Smart." He accepted the roll of bills.
"Stay safe out there."
"Worry about yourself first."
The first half-hour being alone was unnerving. She jumped at every noise and readied to bolt whenever travellers passed to and from the nearby path.
After a while, she grew accustomed to the noise and rested beneath the shade. To pass the time, she checked the Dust left in her sword, then looked over their map before resigning herself to cloud watching – or what she could see between the branches.
An unusually large cluster of ashen clouds loomed in the distance. Though the sun was still shining overhead, it wouldn't be long before the storm was upon them. She hoped they'd be out of Azaleas before the rain fell. She didn't like the idea of staying any longer than necessary.
The subtle rustle of footsteps stalking through the grass made her jump to her feet. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his red hair. She collapsed back to the ground.
"How did it go?" she asked once Adam was in earshot.
"I managed to get a few things from a passing merchant." He threw a paper bag onto her lap.
She dug inside and found two brown robes, a red scarf with a white floral pattern on the ends, and most importantly, two wrapped sandwiches.
"You got lunch!" She beamed. Weiss never thought she'd ever be close to tears at the mere sight of a sandwich.
"It'll be faster than hunting." He dropped down beside her, taking one of the sandwiches. "Eat quickly."
He didn't need to tell her twice. Weiss ripped her sandwich out of its wrapping and took the biggest bite she could out of it. It tasted like heaven.
"I assume this means you're satisfied with lunch," Adam said after watching her wolf down half her meal in mere minutes.
"I miss not having to eat random animals in the wild - not that your cooking isn't good. This is just different."
"If I'd known you were this hungry, I would've bought more," he muttered under his breath.
Weiss wasn't sure if he intended her to hear that. She took another big bite of her sandwich before she could blurt something she'd regret. An angry current of wind swept through the forest once they finished lunch, leaving her chilled.
"Perfect time to wear these." Adam tossed her one of the robes along with the scarf. "The scarf will help hide your hair. I'd pull up the hood to be safe."
"Won't we stand out if we try to disguise ourselves too much?" she asked, fixing her ponytail into a messy bun to better hide it beneath the scarf.
"We'll be fine." He donned the brown robe and pulled his hood up. Though he looked like a Human traveller from a certain angle, his mask practically screamed his true identity.
"Don't you think you should take off your mask?"
"No. I'll keep my head down."
"But if this place is crawling with White Fang supporters—"
"I said leave it." He brushed past her with a huff. "Hurry up. It's getting late."
"But–" She snapped her mouth shut when he kept walking back to the main road.
What was his deal with the stupid mask? She thought he'd have some common sense not to leave it on. It wasn't like she was asking him to throw it out, even if she did think it was an awful fashion choice. If someone recognized them, it was going to be his fault.
She wrapped the scarf around her head before slipping on the robe. It was way too big for her, hanging off her frame like a potato sack. She caught up with him, nearly tripping when her feet snagged the front of the robe. They didn't say another word as they followed the trail into Azaleas.
As they entered the town, Adam's hand slipped beneath her oversized sleeve and grasped onto hers. The sudden contact sent a jolt up her arm.
"Thieves here are less likely to target us if they see we're together," he explained without missing a beat. "Bear with me for a bit."
Weiss nodded, her tongue completely tied and her pulse spiking. This wasn't the first time she's ever held a guy's hand, and it wasn't like they had never held hands in the past, but it did little to calm her heart.
The fabric of his glove was gentle and smooth, and she felt the warmth of his hand beneath it. Her skin tingled from his touch. His hold on her was firm but also wasn't so tight that she couldn't pull away.
Weiss wasn't the only one drawn to their joined hands. The people they passed always eyed her curiously before looking down at her and Adam's hand. That usually earned them a scowl before the strangers turned their backs on them. Still, she couldn't stop feeling as if someone was watching their every move. She peeked over her shoulders to catch who was leaving her so unnerved, but she found no one. She shrugged it off as paranoia on her part. The rough crowd surrounding them didn't help to ease her mind.
Adam was right when he said they'd be fine with their disguises. Almost everyone dressed as if they were trying to hide their identities. Weiss couldn't tell the difference between locals and visitors as they all looked like they would rob her if given the chance. Even the mismatched products sold by street vendors on either side of them looked to be stolen goods.
"Is the rest of Anima like this?" she whispered to him.
"Only the poorer parts. But even the rich bastards are slimy in these parts."
Weiss squealed when a loud pop roared in the middle of the streets. A few curious heads looked for the source of the disturbance while others went about their business without blinking an eye.
"You better change your fucking attitude or I'll shoot your fucking brains out!" An enraged voice ripped through the murmurs of the crowd.
"Stay close and don't engage," Adam whispered to her.
Weiss nodded but kept her eyes peeled regardless.
"I-I'm sorry, but I can't lower these prices anymore! Rent–"
"I saw you selling these for a discount to a Human! Don't fuck with me, bitch!"
Weiss finally saw the source of the disturbance as they approached the noise. Two women were engaged in a dangerously escalating argument. The Human woman, whom Weiss assumed was the street seller, was on her knees while the Faunus woman had her at gunpoint.
"I-I swear this has nothing to do with you–"
The gun fired, shattering one of the vases on display.
"Stop with your excuses and give me the same discount!"
Someone was going to get hurt if they kept up. Adam, as if sensing her distress, tightened his hold on her hand.
"Adam–"
"Shut up and keep walking." He dragged her away, despite her quiet protests.
"She's going to get hurt," Weiss hissed.
"If she's street smart, she'll give in," he said, not letting her go. "It's pointless to intervene. This is how things work around here."
"It's normal to threaten innocent people to get what you want?"
"That's how we get equal access to services and prices Humans do."
"It seems more like blackmail to me."
"Do you want to argue with me right now?"
Several curious heads observed their hushed spat. She eyed the swords, rifles, and axes attached to the onlookers' hips and backs. Weiss held back a heated remark and shook her head. Once again, that unseen tension wedged between them like a wall.
Without saying another word, they proceeded further into the town. He kept a firm grip on her as he led her down a maze of walkways. They didn't slow down until he guided her to a small electronics shop.
"Hurry up and buy your Scroll. I want to get out of here soon," he ordered once they were inside.
"Thanks…" she murmured, still too upset to appreciate their small detour.
Adam lingered by the store entrance while Weiss went further inside. They had almost every old Scroll model, along with antique electronics Weiss had only seen in pictures, crammed into scratched display cases. She picked the newest Scroll model she could find.
"Wait," Weiss said as the owner was packaging her new Scroll. "Can I buy another one?"
"If you have the money, little lady." The owner shrugged.
She was counting her bills when the front entrance whipped open. The bells attached to the door screamed as they smashed against the wood. The store owner cursed under his breath.
"I need a set of new intercoms." A Faunus woman dropped a bag of what Weiss assumed to be cash on the counter. "Now!"
"Y-yes, ma'am."
The store manager sent Weiss an apologetic look before hurrying to the backroom. Had the poor man been subject to the same abuse as the woman she'd seen earlier? Was that why he was compliant with the woman's rude demands?
"That's quite a purchase you're making, girlie."
Weiss jumped when the stranger addressed her. The woman was an entire head taller than Weiss. Tiger marking tattoos snaked around both her arms, complementing the tiger ears on her head. Her sharp amber eyes inspected the cash in her hands curiously.
"You don't look like you're from around here."
Weiss shifted uncomfortably, hoping the store owner would come back soon.
"Don't you know it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you, girlie?" The woman took a close step toward Weiss. The chained blade on the woman's hip clanged from the small movement.
Weiss held back the urge to draw her sword and tell her to back off.
"Sorry, I'm a bit tired from travelling," Weiss answered calmly.
"What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here all alone?"
Weiss froze when the woman's arms coiled around her shoulders. She lowered her head when the woman tried to peer under her hood. Adam silently joined her by the counter, sandwiching her between them. The stranger scowled at his silent interference.
"I'm not travelling alone," Weiss answered shortly.
"Your friend seems quiet." The woman suddenly leaned forward to look beneath Adam's hood. He turned his head away, murmuring a soft curse.
The woman's expression hardened. For a horrifying second, Weiss was certain their cover was completely blown.
"Y-your order." The store owner emerged from the back room with a stack of boxes. The stranger sent a cold glare at the man before accepting the boxes.
"I'd watch my back if I were you, little girl. Where I'm from, we don't take kindly to…outsiders." Something about the woman's voice set off all the alarms in Weiss' head.
The tension in the shop lingered even after the woman left. This time, Adam remained by her side.
"Y-you wanted a second Scroll?" The store owner forced on a smile.
"O-oh! Yes, please."
After paying and stuffing the Scrolls in her bag, they left the store to find the sky completely shadowed by storm clouds. Weiss searched the streets, half-expecting to see that woman waiting for her somewhere. She relaxed when she saw no signs of the stranger.
"Do you think we'll make it out of here before it starts raining?" Weiss asked Adam in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"We don't have a choice either way." He sounded tenser than before.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked quietly.
"I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine."
"You're imagining it."
She grabbed onto her hood as a burst of wind blew right into her face. Adam cursed as the gale tore his hood off. Weiss helped him pull it back up and surveyed the surrounding area. The foul weather emptied the streets, leaving only them and a few stragglers rushing to find shelter. No one batted them a second glance; at least, that's what she hoped.
"Let's hurry," she whispered.
Droplets of rain dotted the pavement when the tree lines came into view. She didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief when they crossed the threshold of the forest. The familiar scent of wildflowers eased the knot in her gut, but she couldn't relax until the horrible town was out of sight.
They'd only managed a few steps into the forest when Adam suddenly froze in place. Weiss mirrored his reaction, with one hand reaching into her robe for her sword. The tinker of chains made her draw her sword in time to block a blade from slicing her face.
She cursed, backing into Adam when two masked White Fang agents leapt out from the foliage. The woman from the electronics store jumped into the scene between them. Weiss looked over her shoulder, noticing three more White Fang agents confronting Adam.
Adam was unusually quiet for his part. He faced the group with a hand ready in his blade but he made no move to attack.
"You've got quite a lovely travelling companion, Adam." The woman trailed her eyes over Weiss. "I never thought you'd make a Schnee your whore."
The group of White Fang agents closed in like the impending storm overhead.
"Even with your hair covered, I'll never forget those ugly eyes, Schnee." The woman sneered.
Weiss looked nervously over at Adam. His unusual calmness did little to make her feel better about their situation.
"You have some nerve to go off on your own after getting us wrapped up with that Cinder woman," the woman continued. "And for what? A Schnee? You're a disappointment, Adam."
Weiss felt him tense behind her.
"Sienna," he spoke her name quietly, turning to face her.
"This is Sienna?!" Weiss couldn't stop herself from gawking.
This was the feared leader of the White Fang? The woman who planned the senseless murder of her relatives – who was heartless enough to mutilate a child?
She'd always imagined the leader to be someone large and fearsome. Even the scars she heard about were nothing more than tiger markings. The woman standing before her didn't exactly fit the image of an evil monster. She looked so…normal.
Weiss swallowed the lump at the back of her throat and met Sienna's gaze. This was the same woman who helped shape Adam into who he is today. This was the woman who killed Lavender in cold blood.
It took every ounce of self-restraint to keep herself from charging headfirst at Sienna.
"So she knows me!" Sienna beamed. "Colour me surprised, the bitch isn't as stupid as she looks."
"You're the one who killed my cousin."
"And it was a pleasure," Sienna answered with a wink. It made Weiss sick. "Want to see what I did with her, Princess?"
This time it was Adam who unsheathed his sword. He stepped right in front of Weiss, completely wiping the grin off Sienna's face.
"I won't let you do that," he said.
"You'll turn your blade against us for a Schnee? I taught you better than that."
"I don't care what you do to the Schnees, but I can't let you hurt her."
"Adam," Sienna spoke to him like a disappointed parent. "I'm shocked you want to spit on your parents' grave like this."
Weiss shivered, and it wasn't because of the large droplets of rain pelting down on her.
"She's different." That was all he said in response. "Let her go. I don't want to fight you."
Sienna didn't seem the slightest bit moved by his response.
"I think you need a little reminder of what she's done to you."
Sienna's moved so fast that Weiss almost missed it. Adam matched her speed, knocking her chained weapon aside before it could reach Weiss. Within a single breath, Adam and Sienna were exchanging blow after blow.
Their fight took them further into the forest. Weiss tried to follow but stopped when a bullet zipped past her right ear. Weiss darted to the side when another bullet fired.
"You're not going anywhere, Human whore," one of the White Fang agents said.
"You need to watch your mouth." With the rain growing in force, she activated her Light Blue Dust and attacked.
The rainwater made the effects of her Dust more potent, instantaneously freezing anything her blade touched. She disarmed the first two gunmen by freezing their weapons before the rest of their bodies.
The last three caught on to her plan and sprang back from reach. Like many weapons in Remnant, their swords were also guns. The men used this to their advantage, keeping her at bay with bullets.
She dodged, stumbling as her foot caught her robe. Weiss shrugged off the annoying robe, her body feeling lighter once it dropped by her feet.
Her Glyphs allowed her to dodge the bullets easier. She fired ice projectiles at them once their rifles ran out of ammo. Her opponents ducked at the sudden onslaught of icicles. She took that momentary distraction to charge forward, freezing the last of her foes in place.
"Next time, watch your filthy language," she chided the frozen men.
Weiss rewrapped the red scarf around her neck and ran in the direction where Adam and Sienna had gone. The rain grew heavier by the second. She strained her ears to listen for sounds of clashing metal, but there was nothing beyond the roar of rainwater.
"Adam!" There was no response.
Her teeth clattered from the chill soaking right to her bones. It would be a miracle if she got out of this without a cold.
She cried out in pain when something hard knocked into her back, sending her falling flat on her stomach. She scrambled to her feet, cursing when a chained weapon coiled around her arm.
"Attacking someone from behind is a coward's move," Weiss snapped.
"And torturing innocent Faunus children isn't any better," Sienna shot back.
"It wasn't me!" She lunged forward with her sword, throwing Sienna off her. "And you're one to talk. You killed an innocent child!"
"Her guilt was sealed the moment she was born, Princess. As for you," Sienna lowered her voice to a chilling whisper. "I'll make you pay for the lives your species destroyed."
Weiss pivoted to the side before Sienna could plunge her weapon into her chest.
"Where's Adam?!"
Sienna closed in on her. Weiss raised her sword to defend herself, only to have her blade tangled with chains. Sienna tackled her to the ground. A hand clamped around her throat.
"Don't worry, Princess. He'll be here soon." Sienna jerked her head to the side.
Weiss looked in the direction Sienna indicated. Adam emerged from the tree lines breathless and, most importantly, unharmed.
"Leave her out of this!" he demanded. "She's not here to bother us."
"Don't you remember what she did to your family? Because I sure do. This bitch took everything from you."
Weiss winced as the hand around her neck tightened.
"Sienna, please." Adam took a step towards them. "I'll do whatever you want if you let her go."
"If you want her so badly, then come get her." Nails sank into her flesh. Weiss gasped involuntarily in pain. "If you're smart, you'll let me finish what you couldn't."
He charged forward. Sienna untangled herself from Weiss, thrusting the chained blade toward him. One of the three blades detached from the main body of the chain, sending a jolt of purple electricity through Adam as it hit his leg. He cursed, backing away as he struggled to even hold onto his weapon.
Weiss was on her feet when Sienna was no longer pinning her down. She circled the parameters of the fight, looking for an opening to jump in. She could hardly keep track of them, let alone try to intervene without accidentally hurting Adam.
Sienna moved faster than Weiss had ever seen, her blade screaming from each violent collision with Adam's. The electrical charge from earlier slowed Adam down. It didn't take long for Sienna to finally break his Aura with a well-aimed hit to his chest.
When his Aura shattered, Sienna's attacks grew more aggressive. Shockwaves erupted from every hit she landed. She moved like lightning, and her heightened agility let her hit him at different angles within seconds. It was a sharp punch to the face that sent him flying back, crashing into a tree. Sienna flicked her chained weapon, dislodging another blade at him.
Weiss created a protective wall of ice between him and Sienna.
The ice barrier shattered as Sienna's weapon made contact, but it gave Weiss enough time to summon a Boarbatusk to charge at Sienna.
Weiss threw herself between Sienna and Adam right when Sienna disposed of her Boarbatusk. Sienna glared at Weiss before bursting out in hysterical laughter. The fact that she made no move to raise her weapon or try to attack only unnerved Weiss even more.
"This is sad," Sienna said between fits of giggles. "This is what I meant, Adam! This is the result of the girl's hard work!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Weiss demanded.
"Don't pretend like you don't know, Princess. Stop manipulating him any more than you have already."
"Adam—" She almost dropped her sword when she glanced over her shoulder.
It was the first time she saw him unmasked.
I wasn't about to give bonus content without a bit of pain LMAO. See you laterrrrrr~!
Thanks to StarStream2005, and Gleaming Onyx for the reviews!
To answer some of Gleaming Onyx's points, the biggest reason why it's bad to extend the journey (at least rn) is not knowing where Ruby will go after she's done with Haven. And yeah, the reason why the original felt so long is because the later chapters had a massive word count lol