Sienna narrowed her eyes and drew her red traveling cloak up and in front of her face as she disembarked from the ship and set foot into the sand. The vessel rocked and creaked in the high winds as it was battered by the burgeoning storm, and Sienna spared a glance back to the boat as droplets of rain beat gently upon her hood. She growled in annoyance as her two guards took position beside her and stood at attention, awaiting orders.
"This damnable island… where is Adam? I want this taken care of immediately, and then, we return home. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," the two masked men said in unison as they set out. The guard to her right stepped forward to take the lead, and kept his hand on the holster of his gun as he walked. "This way."
Sienna moved to follow, her sandals sinking into the dampened sand as she walked. A crack of lightning brought the gates of the island fortress into visibility, as well as the array of guards positioned outside. Ten faunus stood, each armed with high-caliber guns and wearing masks as they awaited the approaching party. Sienna's guard approached the gate and offered a respectful bow, which the two faunus at either side of the large portal returned.
"The High Leader has arrived to speak with Adam Taurus."
"You are expected," came the reply as the guards pulled the gate open. They struggled to move the giant wooden door against the unrelenting wind, and Sienna moved toward the partially open gate before the pair could finish their duty. With a curt nod to each of them, she slipped through into the encampment, and passed her guards as she headed directly for the tent at the center.
The massive structure stood in stark contrast to the rest of the seemingly run-down camp, and Sienna scowled as she regarded the opulence of the red leather flaps. Each bore Adam's own insignia, and each was far larger than necessary as an entranceway. Sienna huffed while she pushed her way inside, and pulled down her hood as she found Adam standing at the far side of the tent, along with Fennec Albain.
"What exactly is the meaning of this?" Sienna began as she folded her arms. Her guards made their way into the tent behind her and took up their positions at Sienna's sides as they stood at attention.
"…of what, High Leader?" Adam intoned politely with the ghost of a smirk.
"This!" she gestured outward in a rage, her hand sweeping the air around the tent. A large, black oak table embroidered with golden leaf and vine patterns stood in the center of the tent. Professionally-made maps of Mistral, Haven Academy, and Kuo Kuana lay atop the wood, as well as a pot of coffee, several cups, and an expensive-looking clock inlaid with gemstones upon the face.
"None of this was given to you, nor do you have permission to indulge in such extravagant lodgings while stationed just outside of Kuo Kuana… or at all! Your brothers and sisters are in standard issue tents, and you call me out here to behold this? I expect better of you, Adam!"
Adam bowed his head ever so slightly as he reached up to remove his mask. He kept his eyes on the dirt floor as he spoke, his tone oozing confidence. "High Leader, you misunderstand- these items were… gifted to me from the people of Kuo Kuana, for our assistance within the village. They now see that the efforts of our agents within Menagerie have come to benefit all faunus. In addition to these upgrades, we have even attracted a human to aid us, in our next step. He's provided some weaponry, maps, and technology for the future."
Sienna's ears flattened as she bared her teeth at Fennec, who stood in the corner, silent. "This is what you called me here, for? This was your 'breakthrough' that could deal with the supposed impending problem in Menagerie?"
"Actually… my human associate has joined us for an entirely different reason. He is an ally of the woman who assisted us in attacking Beacon Academy," Adam said coolly.
"Attacking Beacon Academy was a mistake," Sienna countered. "I trusted you at your word that we would receive support from your human benefactor, and I have received nothing. Not one shipment of supplies, not one offer of assistance…"
"You have not… but I have, High Leader." Adam placed his mask upon the desk and took a step forward as Sienna growled. "Finally, I am ready to continue to do what is best for our organization."
"You will do nothing without my permission. Your popularity and influence among your men does not give you the ability to do as you please with my resources," Sienna spat as she stepped forward to meet Adam. "You are beginning to overstep your b-"
Sienna choked on her words as the blade of Wilt found its way through her stomach. Dark blood began to ooze from the wound, and she reached a hand up for Adam's face as she sputtered. Without warning, the blade tore its way back out of the wound, and was drawn up and across her throat. Sienna crumpled immediately and her guards stepped back, unconcerned as their former leader fell to the dirt in a messy, undignified heap.
"…simple," Adam commented as he took a rag from atop the desk and began to wipe clean the blade. He sheathed it in one clean motion, and chuckled softly. Fennec moved to Sienna's corpse and knelt low, studying her features as he watched the life drain from her eyes.
"…a necessary evil…"
"As I told you, she would never have allowed our forces to cooperate with Cinder again. Despite how… irritating her constant delays up until now may have been, she is our path to making Atlas fall. Besides… my time as High Leader is long overdue," Adam said as he moved behind the desk and began to look over the maps. After a moment of contemplating the map of Kuo Kuana, his eyes flicked up to meet the waiting guards and Fennec.
"We proceed as planned. Wait another five minutes, and then retrieve the cart. Place the body in the waiting trunk and wheel it back to her ship. Scuttle it off the coast as instructed, and then return to the main encampment. Spread the word that a human ship attacked our dear leader's vessel and managed to sink it. I will handle the rest, in a week's time."
Fennec's ears twitched and he furrowed his brows. "A week? Why wait so long, High Leader? Cinder finally sent word that we can move on the Academy as soon as we are ready," he asked as he folded his hands within the sleeves of his robes.
"Because when the storm breaks, we are going to Kuo Kuana to take care of our Belladonna problem, before making our move on Haven," he replied as the blade of Wilt scraped ever so slightly upward from its sheath. "Nothing will get in our way again."
Sheets of rain battered against the roof, lending a pulsating soundtrack to the otherwise silent bedroom. Blake leaned into Sun's arm and checked her nails, Sun remained still to prop her up as he looked at Ilia, and Ilia leaned against the wall by the door, keeping her distance as she occasionally spared Blake an uneasy glance. Ilia was the first to speak as she took a deep breath and let out a long, drawn-out exhale.
"So… Sun thought I should stay, since something came up with the Fang?" she inquired in a hopeful tone. "Maybe I can help, before I take these wires back and do some snooping?"
Blake lifted her gaze from her nails to Ilia and frowned, before turning her attention to Sun, instead. "Yes. I was at the marketplace, and Cinnamon stopped me. I don't know if she followed me back to the manor, or it was a chance encounter… but she filled me in on some things that are both troubling, and interesting."
Sun brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at his cheek with a groan. "Her again? I thought that after Kali scared her off, we'd be done for a while. What did she want?"
Blake shook her head and wrinkled her nose as she deepened her lean into Sun. "Unfortunately, no. The really, really bad news is that Adam is on his way here. He's apparently at a White Fang camp just off the coast of Kuo Kuana." Blake tensed as she spoke and then looked over to Ilia, whose face had gone ghost white. "Know anything about that?"
Ilia's eyes widened in horror at Blake's words, and her breathing quickened. "Blake… there is an island fortress, used as a staging area… and he said that if he ever personally set foot in Kuo Kuana, it would be to send a message. If he's coming here, it's a direct threat. He's going to enter the village looking for blood. There's nothing I can do to stop him, or convince him, or…"
"But you're going to stand with us and fight, right?" Sun asked with steely determination. "We're not backing down, and you'll have our backs, won't you…?"
Ilia squinted her eyes shut and held her elbow with her right arm. Even through the muddied vision of black and red provided by her eyelids, she knew that Blake was glaring straight through her as she awaited an answer.
"…Sun… you know that when I go back to that camp, I'll be expected to join whatever raiding party Adam sets up. He's going to want me involved in wreaking havoc in the village, and I'm going to have to play along. I can't just take him out with Corsac, Fennec, Cinnamon, and countless grunts watching from every an-"
"Answer the question, Ilia," Blake demanded. She seethed with rage as Ilia opened her eyes, only to find Sun rising from the edge of the bed and beginning to walk toward her.
"I have to keep up the façade. As soon as it's safe, I'll… I'll make it known that I'm standing with you. I'll need both of you to create a reasonable opening, and hopefully that's enough to catch him off guard…" Ilia trailed off as Sun scooped her into yet another hug, and she found her arms automatically wrapping around his back.
"Hey," Sun began. "That's realistically all we can ask. It takes a lot of heart to even consider helping us out, and I know it's a big risk. So long as you promise to keep your word, I trust you." Sun finished by giving her a gentle squeeze, which Ilia returned. Gingerly, she peeked around Sun's arm and looked over to Blake.
"…do you trust me?"
Sun released his grip and turned to stand beside Ilia as Blake rose and began to approach. Neither faunus felt comfortable breathing as Blake made her way across the room, her ears back and eyes blazing. Upon reaching the duo, Blake shook her head, and looked down at the floor.
"…Ilia. This is your one, final chance to prove to me that we can move forward as anything more than enemies. If you remain at his side when we need you most… I will hunt you. I will make you hurt worse than you ever have in your life, both physically, and emotionally. I will find a way to make you regret every breath you've taken since you joined the White Fang, and I will feel nothing. Swear to me," Blake commanded.
"I swear," Ilia said with an immediate nod.
"Swear to me by your parents' graves, and mean it," Blake replied as she narrowed her eyes. Ilia's own broke their hold on Blake's as her facial scales streaked with blue, and Sun put a heavy hand on Blake's shoulder. He grit his teeth as he felt how tense she was, and started in on admonishing her.
"Blake! Come on, ease up! Don't bring them in-"
"…I swear. On my parents' graves," Ilia interrupted as she kept her eyes on the door. Her voice cracked slightly as she continued. "Is that enough for you, or do you want to bring up something else equally painful?"
Blake's ears shifted from straight back to drooped as she, too, looked off to the side. She closed her eyes as she felt Sun's hand begin to rub on her shoulder, though her level of tension remained. Begrudgingly, she offered her hand along with a ragged whisper. "I'm… sorry, okay? I'm on edge right now, and everything's happened so fast that it's all starting to become too much."
Ilia took the hand and finally looked back to Blake, her cheek scales still a powder blue. "I know. I can live with it. I'm used to worse treatment."
Sun gave Blake a worried look. "Alright, girls, let's not turn this into something even more terrible than it already is. Sure, maybe things aren't great right now, but this is step one, right? We're making progress."
"Progress…" Blake repeated as she lightly shook Ilia's hand. The smaller girl offered a hesitant smile to Blake, and then Sun as she nodded. Ilia's scales kept the soft cornflower tint, and Sun couldn't help but frown at the sight.
"See? There we go. Now, how about we all just sit down on the bed, and hang out for a bit? I mean, once the business side of everything is sorted," Sun suggested. He led the way to the bed and Ilia followed, before Blake brought up the rear and the two sat down beside him. As the pair made it to the mattress, Sun's stomach let out a low growl. He flopped backward onto the mattress with a groan, and put his hands on his abdomen. "…sorry."
Blake raised a brow at the noise, and stood up from the bed once again. "Come to think of it, neither of us has eaten anything since this morning."
"I can go and grab us all something from the kitchen," Ilia offered. "I… haven't exactly been keeping up, either…"
"The less you're out and around the halls with Dad here, the better," Blake countered. "I'll go."
"Alright. I really am going to have to talk to him at some point, though," Ilia added as she watched Blake make her way to the door.
"Wait until after all of this business with Adam blows over. He'll be more accepting once there's concrete proof that you're with us," Blake finished as she slid back the door, and disappeared into the hallway. Ilia sighed and Sun sat up to place an arm around her shoulders.
"Sorry she's so… touchy. We're both reaching our limits. It's just bad timing."
Ilia shook her head, and looked over at Sun. "No, it's not just bad timing. Like I told you before, I deserve all of this. I saw this coming. Blake doesn't just let grudges go. So… watch yourself," she added with a weak smile. Sun dropped his arm, and returned the gesture.
"I had a feeling. How'd it go with Kali?"
"Good," Ilia replied. "It's… in a way, it's almost like I never left this place. She still treats me like I'm her second daughter, the towels are in the same hall closet… even this bed is just like I remember it. But… something's missing."
"A sense of family, I'd imagine? Safety?" Sun tried as he shifted to cross his legs beneath himself.
"Something like that, yes… but maybe I'm finding it somewhere else. Thanks for not dropping 'little sis' in front of Blake, by the way," Ilia said with an appreciative tone.
"No way. That's just for us, for now. Maybe later, once Blake isn't so… catty," Sun joked as he swished his tail behind himself.
"Stop. No faunus puns, or I will shock you again, and I won't even feel bad about it."
"The scale of this situation is pretty big," Sun continued.
"Sun."
"What? I'm not monkeying around, i-"
"Sun."
"Oh, fine. You're no fun," Sun accused as he jabbed her in the side with the tip of his tail. Ilia squirmed and balked at the accusation, before batting the fuzzy appendage away.
"Puns are the worst, and I'm really not in the mood. Speaking of 'in the mood', did she really just flash her tits to you, earlier?" Ilia asked with a sly smirk.
Sun's face flushed scarlet as the tip of his tail spasmed, and he shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "…uh. Yeah."
"What, not impressed? You're lucky," Ilia added as she punched him in the shoulder. Sun looked over to her and clasped the back of his neck, conflicted.
"No, it's not that, it's just… isn't it a little weird? She was in panic mode when she got back to the house over Adam, and now, she's swinging between moods like it's her job," Sun explained.
"Yeah, it is weird. If I had to guess, she's trying to divert your attention from the situation, and make you think about her situations, instead. Probably some kind of avoidance tactic. Be careful," Ilia said as the door slid back once again to reveal Blake. The smug expression disappeared from Ilia's face immediately as she pushed herself slightly away from Sun with an awkward cough.
"Stop cuddling up to my boyfriend," Blake commanded in a deadpan as she rolled her eyes.
Ilia's scales finally shifted from blue to red as she smiled, and folded her arms beneath her chest. "At least I'm not a threat, right?"
"Ugh, whatever," Blake shot back as she rolled her eyes.
Blake approached the bed with a tray held aloft and three glasses of water clasped together by the lips in the other hand. Sun slid backward to make room as the large plastic circle was placed upon the mattress, and Blake hopped up to form a triangle around the bounty of food and utensils atop it. She placed the glasses on the nightstand, and cracked her neck as the trio looked over the platter. A spread of crackers, fancy cheese logs, deli meats, sushi, and various condiments and toppings made up the offerings of food, and Sun rubbed his hands together in a cartoonish manner as he leaned over the assortment, his face still red.
"Wow, this is… how'd you throw all of this together so fast?" he asked as he picked up a cracker and examined it with a little too much interest. Blake hiked a brow at his crimson cheeks, but said nothing of them as she shrugged.
"Oh, Mom keeps a few of these pretty much ready to go in storage, in case important guests stop by. Dad always said that food buys time in awkward conversations, and it's a useful tool," Blake explained.
"…a useful tool?" Ilia asked, halfway through spreading some cheese atop a cracker of her own.
Blake turned toward Sun and shot him a sultry gaze as he was in the middle of chewing. "So, you've seen me topless. When, exactly, are you returning the favor with your shorts?"
Sun immediately began to choke and reached for the water, before taking a long swallow. Ilia snorted with laughter as his cheeks burned, and he finally set the glass down, unamused.
"A: Not even close to being on the same level, and B: Not cool, Blake. I could've died!"
"See what I mean? Pin people in uncomfortable positions while they're eating, and gain the upper hand. Mom's a master at it," Blake stated with pride. Ilia tilted her head as she watched Blake's face twitch in an odd manner, and shot a worried look to Sun. He avoided her eyes as he took another long drink.
"I'm not at all surprised. Speaking of uncomfortable conversations… you said Cinnamon told you something interesting?" Ilia asked as she began to pile another cracker with cheese and meat.
"Right," Blake agreed as she began to pick at the sushi. "Cinnamon pulled that same routine that she did when we confronted her at her house, Sun. She reminded me again that she doesn't like hurting faunus, and when I tried to call her on attacking Haven… not only did she not deny it, but she said that she wouldn't build explosives, or anything else if they were going to hurt our kind."
"Huh," Sun considered as he ate. "Well, at least she's consistent."
"Very consistent," Ilia affirmed. "I've personally watched her torture humans, and even kill a few… but the second a faunus gets in her way, she folds. She'll let others do the job for her, but she definitely doesn't like it when that happens."
"So, we at least know she's not lying, in terms of that," Blake began. "What I am curious about, though, is that she hinted at having some sort of plan, for the future. She said that once things reach their 'inevitable conclusion', Adam would make a good martyr, and she would lead the faunus to something greater. Also, they're dating, apparently."
"What!?" Sun asked as he began to choke for the second time.
"…which part?" Blake asked.
"Dating! Who would date him?" Sun replied before he caught himself, and coughed even more. "I-I mean! Knowing who he is now, and what he did to you, and…"
"…smooth," Ilia added helpfully as Blake shook her head and raised a hand for silence. Her fingers shook ever so slightly, and she clasped them into a fist, hoping that the others hadn't noticed.
"I know what you meant, Sun," Blake reassured, though she didn't look amused. "Apparently the entire thing is a sham, and she's using it to get close to him."
Ilia raised a brow as she chewed. "That… doesn't seem right. She acts like she's completely loyal to him, as far as I can tell."
"And Adam acted like he was madly in love with me and our relationship was perfect, when you were watching," Blake reminded her. Ilia's shoulders sank as she stared at the platter.
"…that's… true…"
"Don't feel too bad, Ilia," Sun consoled as he reached for his glass. "Adam sounds like a master bullshit artist, especially given that he's popular among the White Fang."
"Popular enough that he… may do something to Sienna. He may have both the will, and the means for a cover up, according to Cinnamon," Blake added. Ilia put down her food and folded her hands in her lap, looking upset.
"Ilia?" Sun asked.
"…Sienna is a good person. I know she's done some things that are questionable, and she's occasionally violent… but her heart's in the right place. Her methods work, and she only endorses violence when it's really needed," Ilia said in a melancholy tone.
"…Beacon Academy," Blake stated icily as she narrowed her eyes.
"Was Adam's idea," Ilia replied as she gave Blake a sidelong glance. "He… managed to convince her to go with it and trust a human, just that once. She's regretted it ever since."
Sun reached for a different glass of water and offered it to Ilia, who accepted it with a small nod. "Are you close with Sienna?"
"Not… not like 'friends' or anything, no. Ever since she became High Leader, she's distanced herself from the grunts and lower-ranked members of the Fang. I look up to her, but… Cinnamon's smart, and she's good at reading people. If she thinks an opening is there for Adam to seize power, it might come from that. A lot of people think she's cold, distant, and doesn't care about the individuals of the Fang. I know that isn't true, but… Adam wears his passion on his sleeve. Even if it's… deceptive."
"You have no idea," Blake said as she gripped her glass, knuckles white. Sun looked at her with a great deal of worry, and Ilia closed her eyes as she considered her words carefully.
"…no. I don't," Ilia admitted. She paused, seemingly searching for something to say, before she brought her gaze to the wall and offered the glass back to Sun. "I… really have to pee."
Without another word, Ilia gave Sun her glass as she slipped off the bed and headed to the attached bathroom. Sun set the cup down as Ilia disappeared through the door, and Blake couldn't help but smirk sadly to herself as she watched her former friend disappear.
"…wow. You're not the only one who uses that lame excuse."
"Guess not. But hey, who knows? Maybe she really does have to pee." Sun slid across the sheets and cradled Blake in a tight hug as his inflection changed from joking to deeply concerned. "Blake, you're acting kinda… strange, right now. Are you gonna be alright?"
The only reply that Sun received was a small shake of her head 'no' as Blake let out a pitiful sniffle and shut her eyes.
Author's Note:
Blake's flirtatious behavior is intentionally weird, and I'm honestly glad that it's off-putting. There are definite reasons for her acting the way that she has been, but I'll let the story speak for itself in the near future.
This chapter took the most time, revisions, and edits thus far out of any of them, and it was honestly exhausting to try to get right. It always struck me as way too convenient that Sienna could be murdered in her own camp with such a flimsy coverup, regardless of Adam's 'popularity', so I tried to give her something a little more realistic in her short time in this story. She'll get much more than one scene in a future story, but that's something for another time.
Next update on Thursday, the 28th.
-RD