The Burning Rose

by King of the unknowns

In an alternate universe, Summer lives and finds Cinder in Atlas. She decided to bring her back to Patch. Due to her traumatic past, Cinder is hesitant to trust the family, but after a close brush with death, she opens up to them and is eventually adopted by the loving family. After a few years of training, she heads off to Beacon to train to become a huntress!

65. The White Fang

Hey! How's it going?

So, I've got a bit of an announcement for this series and well, I'll cut right to the chase, I'm gonna need to replan a good chuck of the next three chapters. I won't go into the why, but long story short, it just came off as dry and uninteresting. This has made it very difficult to find motivation to continue writing this story and while I do want to finish it, it's going to be slow. So basically, I don't know when the next chapter will be posted.

Wish I could say more, but I honestly don't know what else to say. So thanks again for the continued support and for understanding. I hope you stick with this story, but if you don't, I understand. Either, I appreciate all the support you've given.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Now onto the show.

---

Cinder felt her eyebrow twitching as she stood in a small camp right at the main gates to the kingdom's wall. A space set aside for convoys getting ready to leave the kingdom by foot, rather than an airship. Here, people could finish sorting their supplies and get their vehicles ready for the rugged roads that made up the paths outside the safety of the walls.

Today was no different, sprawled out before her was multiplied groups of people moving boxes of soul to several large trucks, stuffing them into the back depending on the contents, each one looking military grade and painted with the familiar beast head on their side, indicating each one as property of the White Fang, an organization the dark haired girl still detested.

Honestly, Cinder knew she shouldn't have any gripe with the White Fang. She understood their cause was noble (on paper anyway.) and after her talk with Amber, she had forced herself to bite her tongue when Adam brought up the problem the Faunus faced. She understood the world wasn't fair to them and they were trying to change it.

However, that didn't change her first experience with them being a bomb they had planted in the basement of the Glass Unicorn that would have killed her had Rhodes not found and disarmed it during their training.

But while Cinder enthusiastically was drastically curved, one of her other teammates had found their on the far other end of the scale.

"Wow! I've never seen a real caravan up close before!" Amber cried joyfully, standing on her tippy toes, hand pressed above her eyes casting them into shade as she looked around at all the vehicles.

"You seem excited. You like traveling in slow moving trucks or something?" Eric remarked, shifting the massive strap he had slung over his shoulder. Attached to it were two heat seeking rockets for his shield mounted launcher held firmly to the leather. Something that even testing the strength of the straps made his teammates just a little uncomfortable to be around.

"Do I? Of course I do!" Amber replied almost immediately, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she turned to the knight, her own backpack covering her staff, several dust tips hanging around her person bouncing alongside the girl.

"Traveling by airship is faster, but so much less personal. When driving along the road, you can stop to check out all the historic monuments that lay dotted around the map! And even if you just pass by, the details you can see from that close are just stunning! Here! How about an example!"

Quickly pulling her backpack off her back, she rummaged around in it for a second before pulling out her Scroll, showing some pictures to her teammate.

"This is the Crystal Cave! Vale's largest, natural dust deposits and one of the assets Atlas fought the hardest to obtain." She said, her voice radiating excitement as Eric looked at the picture of a large cave opening that was leading up from the ground. "Apparently, there is so much dust in there, one of the walls is completely made of it! A feat that's got it named as a national monument, making mining it illegal. Oh and here's another great one!"

With a quick flick of her finger, Amber changed the picture of the mine to one of an old, heavily fortified building that was adorned with bars across every window, a large stone fence surrounding the entire building, and what looked like a whole factory in the back.

"This is Terra Prison." Amber explained, her eyes closed, voice carrying an air of pride that always came up whenever she talked about history. "It sits on the very edge of the kingdom's borders, hanging just outside with a trading route leading from Vacuo being the only way to easily access it. Back during the war, it housed several high value prisoners who would be used as political hostages and would be traded back in exchange for either slaves, or other prisoners of war. It is said that it was built right after the desert kingdom joined that war and in its long and storied history, nobody has ever either been able to escape from it, or bust someone out of it! While abandoned now, rumor says it's one of the most heavily fortified buildings in the entire kingdom! Going to show how much time and effort they put in. Not only were they completely self-sufficient, they-!"

"Hey, look over there."

Cinder cutting in quickly brought their leader's ramble to an end as the dark haired girl drew their attention away from history to one of the groups loading a nearby car. There, two Faunus were loading several boxes into a truck. And while that was normal enough, what drew the eyes of the three students was what they were wearing.

"What's up with those Grimm masks? They're kinda creepy." Cinder commented as she folded her arms as she scanned the rest of the caravan, noticing several others wearing them. "For a so-called peaceful protest group, they seemed to put a lot of energy into trying to look tough. What? Do they honestly think that's going to scare anyone?"

Cinder's question, while not unheard, went unmentioned by her teammates as they too looked out over the crowd, noticing not only the ones wearing masks, but the ones who weren't.

"Wonder why some of them don't wear them." Amber commented, resting her chin in her hand. "Is it a sign of rank or something? If so, how come I've only seen it now? I'd think if you were at that rank, you'd probably wear it pretty often. But I've only ever seen-."

"The masks are a symbol."

Looking up, the three found their fourth teammate approaching from inside the camp, a smug grin on his face and a small Grimm mask covering his eyes making his horns almost appear like a decoration rather than a part of his body.

"Oh look who's finally here." Cinder said immediately, rounding on the boy as she folded her arms upon greeting him. "You know, if you're gonna run off in the middle of the night, you could leave something more obvious than a sticky note on your pillow. We spent half an hour looking for your sorry ass. And I'm sorry, but it's gonna take a lot more than buying a stupid accessory to makeup for all the trouble we went through."

Adam, much to the surprise of his team, simply smirked in response to the dark haired girl, calmly reaching up and tapping the front of his mask.

"This is no simple accessory." He replied with a higher than thou tone. "It's a symbol and a message. See, humanity has long tried to make us into monsters, so we dawned the faces of monsters, giving the humans what they wanted. And while we originally only wore them when taking back what was ours, eventually, it caught on and now, those part of any of the combat units now wear them while on mission. A way of saying that even if you may not know who we are, you will never forget what we looked like."

Adam's speech was met with silence from his three teammates who simply stared blankly at him, wondering whether to tell him how backward/dark they found it as clearly, he hadn't noticed. Which they weren't sure was a bigger sign for concern or not.

Fortunately, they spare the decision as a new voice draws their attention.

"So, you're the infamous team AACE." A woman said as she approached. She was tall, dark skin, and short black hair, with a pair of beautiful dark amber eyes that carried a weight of experience and pain, a look many huntsmen and huntresses of her generation carried.

She was wearing a tight dark gray sleeveless top with white trim that had a large diamond cut out just above her breasts that, while they couldn't see it, was mirrored on the back. A similarly colored pair of form-fitting pants with a bit of white splashed in. Simple but practical, indicating despite the use of aura, she was still used to choosing smart over fashionable, something that was emphasized by the vambraces over each of her arms and a pouch on her hip on top of the leather corset that hugged her waist, acting as a form of armor.

Which even now was something she needed as wrapped around the hardened leather was a chain whip, one that had three different blades attached to the end that practically formed a sword with keyring like segments in between each, meaning they could probably detach to act as projectiles. And going by the colored dot on each one, release a burst of dust on impact.

As for her Faunus trait, an additional pair of tiger-like ears were positioned on the top of her head, right above her human ones, with the former bearing a single earring in the form of small, golden rings pierced into just her left ear. In addition to that, she also had several stripes tattoos covering her arms, giving her the appearance of having fur rather than skin. As well as a single red dot on the center of her forehead making her very recognizable even among the many other people gathered here.

"Ms. Sienna Khan I presume." Amber said, stepping towards the woman, opening up her Scroll showing their mission application. "I'm Amber Alsprings, the leader of team AACE. I was told to report to you upon arrival. Said you would be doing the briefing on the mission as well as formations and shifts between all the teams."

The woman, Sienna, laughed in response, calmly shifting her weight to one foot, resting her hand on her hip as she smiled good-naturedly at the girl.

"Just Sienna is fine. The Ms. part just makes me feel old." The woman assured the girl. "And yes, I'm running the show. While it's unusual for us to have to hire outsiders for what is exclusively a Faunus job, these times are strange and I've become pretty short staffed."

This statement caught Amber a bit off guard. Were the White Fang losing members? How come? She knew that at one point, many younger members had been leaving to join the more radical Seraphim, but surely after Adelaide's death, they had stopped flocking to what was basically a leaderless organization.

"Sienna is the head of the White Fang's every combat and military operation we undertake." Adam explained, answering what he believed was her question. "She's in charge of every single person who elects to join that part of the organization. Both in training, to firearms safety, and even huntsman training. I actually trained under her and actually never originally planned to go to Beacon. But after a bit of deliberation with some of the higher up members, I ultimately decided it was probably best to apply to not only help the organization, but also to let myself grow as a person."

"What a shame." Cinder commented, folding her arms as she looked over at the redhead, drowning out Amber's quiet comment about how she already knew who Sienna was. "Had you not listened, we'd have been spared all the endless spouting about inequality you won't shut up about. To bad someone actually cares about your education."

"Put a sock in it, you annoying jar of pickles." Adam shot back, glaring at her over his shoulder. "If I want lip from the girl who can't go two minutes without feeding her over inflated ego, I'll ask for it!"

As the two immediately engaged in one of their petty arguments behind Amber, the young woman felt her face heat up with embarrassment as she tried desperately not to acknowledge them. Brothers, would it kill them to behave like grown adults and professional huntsmen for once instead of giving the client a reason to believe them to be a bunch of incompetent imbeciles?

However, much to the surprise of the young woman, instead of reasonably calling her authority into question, the woman let out a loud laugh, immediately breaking the two up as they turned to look at her confused.

"Well, it's good to see you've made friends outside of our organization." Sienna said, addressing Adam with a smile. "I was honestly worried about your social skills for a while. Getting out of the echo chamber that is our youth group is important as it exposes you to a lot of people with varying ideologies, which you'll need to know how to counter if you want to be a good leader."

At this, Adam's face turned slightly red, making the boy turn away from his mentor as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Umm, thanks. Honestly, Beacon's been a really good source of experience for me and I hope to show everyone how much I've improved since I started attending. I…umm." He said, seemingly looking around for something else to talk about, his eyes landing on the many vehicles scattered around the area.

"That's a lot of trucks for a single mission." He commented quickly. "How much are we getting paid for this escort mission? I'd think we'd end up breaking even on gas alone. And that's not even mentioning previsions or ammunition we'd need to fend off Grimm attacks. Kinda overkill even for Mr. Naabhi."

Glancing over her shoulder, Sienna followed the boy's gaze, taking in all the vehicles that were parked in the area before turning back to Adam, an understanding smile on her face as she calmly replied.

"Actually, most of these aren't for the mission. They're just being kept here temporarily for safe keeping. The ones we'll be using for this mission are over there." She jerked her finger to three armored trucks sitting a good distance away from the others, with a few armed guards standing around them.

But after returning their gaze back to Sienna, the woman paused for a second, turning away as her ears flattened against her head, before continuing in a more hesitant tone.

"All these other vehicles are here because their being moved to a safer location after the original garage they were stored in was broken into with several stolen and despite reporting it to the police, they seemed to think there were other higher priority than a couple armored trucks. Though, I suppose in fairness, they weren't all that far off."

Shaking her head disapprovingly at the mention of the memorial hotel event, the woman turned back toward team AACE, clapping her hands as she wiped the serious expression off her face.

"But enough about that depressing topic. You're the leader, correct?" She said, addressing Amber, who nodded in response. "Perfect. In that case, can you and Adam accompany me to the leader's tent? I'll go into details about our formation, plan and everything else you need to know about the mission."

Acting immediately upon the suggestion, Adam took a step forward to follow the woman as she turned around and began walking back toward the caravan, eager to rejoin his organization. Amber however, was more hesitant to follow.

"What about the rest of my team?" She asked, not moving from her spot. "I'm sure they'll like to be part of the conversation as well. And besides, how are we supposed to coordinate if we're not all on the same page?"

At the question, Sienna came to a stop, turning around and resting one hand on her hip. But despite the posture, she didn't look annoyed or upset at all. In fact, she looked incredibly calm, like she had almost been expecting the question.

"Standard Vale protocol is to inform the team leader who then passes it down to their subordinates. That way, meetings don't become too loud or chaotic." She explained. "Besides, the more people who take part in a meeting, the harder it is to actually hear what's being said. As such, it's just easier to keep stuff like this to as few people as possible. But if they want to help out, they could help by loading trucks."

"Umm, excuse me. How about no? We're not exactly laborers here." Cinder replied irritatedly, placing both her hands on her hips. "The job said we'd be acting as guards and huntsmen, not a bunch of stinky minimum wage work-."

"Yes, that sound like a good idea." Amber cut in, stepping in front of her partner, speaking loudly to drown her out. "Since we're going to be working together for some time, we might as well get used to the monotonous everyday tasks early, right? Just point them in the direction of what needs to be loaded up and they'll get to work!"

At this, Sienna nodded towards a large stack of crates libeled as mission rations, ammunition and other supplies for the road.

Acting immediately, Amber glanced over her shoulder and signaled Cinder and Eric toward the creates before following the older huntress deeper into the camp before her partner could utter a single word of protest.

---

A short walk later, Amber found herself stepping into a small portable shelter that had been set up against the wall of the city. And while it wasn't exactly a tent, she could see a large table setup in the center of the room with a large resting map on it. A heavy, think looking briefcase resting against its leg

Gathered there were two other noticeable figures who were engaging in a conversation that they broke off as the three came in.

"Aww. Sienna. I see your back. And you brought Adam with you. Excellent, now we can begin mapping out our route and are security detailed." A large muscular Faunus with black hair, a thick beard and yellow eyes standing next to the table, a briefcase laying on the floor next to him.

He was wearing an open dark-violet coat with white fur trim, exposing a patch of black fur on his chest. Over his beige pants is a matching sash that wraps around his waist and is secured with a large, silver metal buckle. On the shoulder of his coat is a silver metal spaulder, which through a pair of curved strips across the chest attaches as a clasp on the opposite front panel of the coat. The white toes of his black leather boots have a shape reminiscent of paws with claws at the tips, with his physique is in general quite hairy, as what little can be seen of his bare arms and the backs of his wrists are shown to be covered in thick, black fur.

"Yup, the prodigal son has returned." She addressed the man. "Better hold your daughter back Ghira, otherwise you know she'll be all over him the first chance she gets."

"Blake's here?" Adam asked, his eyes immediately lighting up as he turned to Ghira, a hopeful smile spreading across his face making the older Faunus let out a low chuckle.

"Back for a total of five minutes and already can't wait to see Blake again, you know that being apart is a good thing for young couples, right?" Ghira joked before his expression changed to one of sympathetic humor. "Unfortunately, no. She failed her exam to join the scouting party and so Ilia got the spot. She'll be staying here with her mother helping secure our assets."

"Oh." Adam replied, head falling alongside his smile. "Right, that makes sense. I guess I was hoping we could do her first real mission together and was just kinda hoping to…well, you know."

With that, the redhead let out a sigh, shoulders slumping. He knew he could just swing by the organization's Vale headquarters and visit when he got back, but a part of him just thought how romantic it would have been if they could have gone on this mission together where he could finally show her the ropes of being a White Fang vanguard unit.

"Huh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Amber's voice broke Adam out of his thoughts, prompting him to turn to her and find her smiling up at him, clearly trying to make him feel better about the missed opportunity.

"Yeah, well. We haven't exactly been together long." He said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "She confessed to me a week before I left for Beacon and since I wasn't completely opposed to the idea, I agreed to go out with her."

Amber hummed in response, tucking her arms behind her back as she continued to smile at him in a way that made her face look like it was shining in the early morning light, something that was very noticeable different compared to when he had first met the girl. More genuine and sincere, nothing like the hollow ones she put on before.

Was this the radiant, beautiful smile Cinder wouldn't shut up about whenever the dark skinned girl wasn't in ear shot?

"Well, treat her right and I promise that even if you do eventually decide you weren't a good match, you'll still have a lifelong friend who'll always have your back. And bounds like that are something that will last a lifetime and beyond." Amber turned her head slightly to the side, that beautiful smile still on her face. And as he saw her face cast into a brilliant mix of light and shadows, Adam knew that this was definitely the smile Cinder was talking, and that next time she brought it up, he could actually say, she was actually right about something for once.

"What an incredibly true statement. Make sure you take it to heart, Mr. Taurus. This one clearly has knowledge far beyond her years."

A deep, calm, and soothing voice drew the two students' attention back to the other three in the room, this time to the third member and only one who didn't seem to have a didn't seem to be a member of the White Fang.

The man was tall, with dark chocolate skin and tattoos of three animals that covered his entire shaved head. A lone black, embroidered robe loosely tied around his body was the only keeping him decent, exposing a large back shell that covered his whole backside, with a much softer looking front that had the same animals tattooed onto it. A Red bird, a white tiger, and a Green dragon, all gathered in a circle around what looked like a tree with branches that reached out all the way up to his arms and neck, stretching far past the animals that encircled it.

"So, you're Amber Alsprings. The girl that's been all over the news." The tortoise Faunus said, addressing the dark skinned girl as he offered his hand. "I must say, for all the research those reports claim to have done, not once did they report on your maturity or wisdom. I must say, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Pleasure's mine." Amber replied, reaching up and gripping his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Mr. Naabhi, I assume. I've read about your work. The impact you've had on the human/Faunus relationship is revolutionary. It's an honor."

The man, Mr. Naabhi laughed in response, his hand moving to his chest where he pressed his fist into his palm, bowing slightly to the younger girl.

"My, my. To have my work heard by one as young as you is an achievement I never dreamed of." He said as he straightened up, looking Amber in the eyes as his tone took a more somber note. "But alas, I fear I haven't done enough. To this day, people are still treated as slaves, as mere belongings to others, all the while, my voice seems to fade more and more into the backdrop as people let their emotions be fanned into a flame by others. I am truly terrified for the future of this kind of fear-mongering should continue. No kingdom can survive on its own, yet the people of Vale seem to not understand this. Or what the consequences of their actions could potentially bring."

At his words, Amber bit her lip nervously, her gaze shifting to the ground as the memory of Howard drifted unwantedly across her mind. Reminding her that had she died that day, she could have pinned him for murder instead of possible assault, effectively stopping all this madness at the small cost of her own life. A very worthwhile cause, depression or not.

But for better or worse, she hadn't and now had to live with the consequences of her choice, one she was powerless to change. And even if she wasn't, there was a part of her that didn't want to. The part that selfishly wanted to live.

"Well, that's why we're going to do something about it."

Breaking out of her thoughts, Amber looked up to see Sienna beckoning her over to the table that the others had already gathered around, a map spread across its surface. And upon approaching, she saw it was one that detailed the entire borders of the kingdom.

"Now that everyone's here, let's start planning." Sienna said, looking up at Amber and Adam as they stood across from the table the White Fang's two leaders and their client. "Team AACE. As you well know, you have been hired to provide extra security. As I said before, we are shorthanded. As such, I want your team station at Mr. Naabhi's side at all times alongside Ghira. With you acting as the last line of defense. Is that acceptable?"

Amber gave a nod prompting the tigress to pull several plastic pieces out from under the table, setting them up forming a small diagram on the table above the main parts of the kingdom.

"I want to go over our route, formation, and what to do in case of an emergency. So let's start with the route." The woman said, drawing their attention to the map. "Our first stop is going to be a small cattle town called Blackjack. It's not technically a place we're planning on giving a speech, but it is on the way to our actual destination, so we'll be using it as a supply stop. And it was the only place where we could get a reservation to spend the night before hitting no man's land, even if it is at a church of the Weaver of Fate. It's better than nothing. Anyway, once we've filled up for the rest of the trip , and support local businesses and all that good stuff, we head to the railroad city Airmist. The central hub that connects all the major cities and was used as a supply depot during the war, shipping out to every front it could during the war. After that, we reach our actual destination."

Pointing to a large area on the northernmost edge of the kingdom, a place that they all knew housed the largest city of the entire kingdom save Vale itself.

"This is our main goal." Sienna said, tapping the city again. "Narnu is opening a war shelter station, or in less technical terms, housing for anyone who was displaced because of the war. We have arranged to have Mr. Naabhi speak at the event, sighting the experience of both Faunus and humans and how we must come together or whatever the message is. That script isn't available yet from what I understand."

"There's a lot of material. There's quite a bit to go over and well, I might have dozed off last night when entering the pre-planning stage" The tortoise replied somewhat sheepishly, earning a quick, good natured, laugh from the others.

Despite the speech not being done, they all understood what it was supposed to symbolize. Narnu had been the hub for all military action against Atlas during the war, as well as controlling direct access to the kingdom. Even after the war ended, they still maintained a strong military presence to keep Grimm away. Nothing compared to the main kingdom, but still an impressive display given that the only thing like it was Argus in Mistral.

"We'll be staying there for a few days while we wait for a ship." Sienna explained. "From there, Mr. Naabhi and myself will be taken back to Menagerie with any of the other members who want to go and a team of my elites. That will be the end of your mission." She added the last bit by nodding at Amber. "From there, the rest of everyone else will return to Vale by Airships. Leaving the trucks there the branch office stationed there, effectively letting you get back to school with minimal loss of time. Any questions?"

Adam and Amber exchanged a look, before the former turned back to the woman, shaking her head no.

"Good, now here's the formation we will be using. Pay close attention and memorize it. It'll tell you your roles and what to do under any situation." She said, making Amber, Adam and even Mr. Naabhi lean in closer to get a good look.

"There will be a total of three cars in the convoy." The woman explained, pointing to three large pieces at the center of the formation. "The center car will house Mr. Naabhi, who'll be guarded by Ghira and one of your team. Preferably someone who specializes in defense and healing. Which according to the files I got from your school will be more available."

At this suggestion, Amber's head shot up in surprise. She had been thinking the exact same thing! And to hear someone actually beat her to the punch on saying it was surprisingly comforting. She was so used to working with clients who didn't understand strategy she had actually forgotten Sienna Khan used to be a huntress. One who, while never attending Beacon or any other academy, had made a name for herself during the war as someone you really didn't want to cross on a bad day. Or a good one for that matter!

"Next, let's talk about the scouting party." Sienna said, indicating a different set of pieces set way ahead of the one representing the trucks. "This team is responsible for ensuring the way is clear by leaving distinct markings that the main group will pick up. The team will be small and fast, consisting of only three members, myself, Ilia, our newest member, and of course, Adam. As for the rest of you, you'll be stationed either around or in the vehicle, ensuring that neither Mr. Naabhi or his cargo come to no harm, is that understood? Good, next-."

"Umm. Actually, I was hoping to get a bit of clarification on that little detail right there."

At the dark skinned girl's interruption, both Sienna and Ghira looked up at her, confused. They both had thought the explanation had been pretty self-explanatory and were caught off guard by the team leader's confusion.

"I-. Umm? Sure. What point were you wanting to clarify?" Sienna asked, her voice carrying a slight note of both confusion and irritation. Clearly she had wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

But despite this, Amber pretended not to notice and pressed on with her questions.

"So, in both the notice and again just now, you used the term cargo. And seeing that briefcase over there, I want confirmation that's what you mean as well as what's inside. That way, we can ensure we can protect it more efficiently, assuming it's something we should even protect."

Amber's words drew Adam attention, causing him to glance over at his leader and her unexpected direction approaching.

Back at the Tucson's, when she had seemed a bit on the fence about working with the White Fang, he had told her how they had sent aid to the Seraphim for their attack. Saying that he'd like to look into it personally as to avoid any more negativity if the media got a hold of that info. A sentiment she had agreed too.

And while Sienna had given it a passive wave away with her news of equipment being stolen, much as he hated to admit it, he had a hard time believing the police not only would ignore military grade vehicles being stolen, or at the very least, not make a public statement warning the public that those things were on the prowl.

However, despite his reservations about practically putting his mentor on the spot with her line of questioning, Adam said nothing, simply folding his arms and nodding in agreement with his team leader.

Seeing this, Sienna raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised by him siding with Amber. But not pressing the topic, simply placing her hand in her hips as she shifted her weight to one foot.

"Right. That's a fair question." She said, calmly walking over and picking up the case, setting it on the table, spinning it around to show the top to Amber.

Attached to it were two locked number pads as well as two fingerprint scanners attached to it, with some kind of mechanical system that locked the numbers from being used until the scanners had picked up the correct fingerprints.

What's more, upon closer examination, the dark skinned girl noticed that the case was reinforced, made with a hard yet pliable, material that could take either a bullet or blade, material that was used only by either rich businessmen when they wanted something completely secured. Or politicians when transferring classified documents.

"This contains invaluable resources that could help us reshape Menagerie's wilderness into something usable. As such, it's of critical that this gets to the island safe and sound." Sienna explained, tapping the case with her finger. "Originally, we wanted to take it straight there, but we didn't have the manpower to both protect Mr. Naabhi and ensure its safety. So instead, we decided to form a unit with twice as much manpower to protect both. And since we can't afford any mistakes, we decided to put out a request for some additional support as my main huntsmen team is out of commission."

Looking with a smile, Sienna looked straight up at Adam, her eyes alight as she smiled uncontrollably, ignoring the ever deepening frown on Ghira's face. "I know it's going to be difficult, but I promise, once we get this thing up and running, it's only going to be a matter of time before Menagerie becomes the fifth kingdom of Remnant. A kingdom that exists for Faunus instead of humans. A kingdom where we'll finally be safe."

"Menagerie, Its own kingdom?" Adam echoe, his breath leaving his body. He remembered back when they had been given the island. Back then, he had been so young that he believed that this was a chance at a fresh start, at building a paradise free from humans who ruined everything they touched. That finally, the Faunus would have their own place in the world to call their own.

But then, upon reaching it and seeing how little was habitable, it had killed any hope he had carried in his heart. A wound that only grew deeper when councilman Anodeser had demanded that they forfeit any means of travel between the mainland and the island, effectively stranding them. And even when he had been forced to back off, he had still manipulated the law to make it legal to price gouge within the shipping industry, effectively cutting them off from all kinds of lifesaving medicines and even basic necessities like food or clean water, resulting in them practically becoming reliant on Howard shipping, the only company that didn't take advantage of them.

But with this, they wouldn't need to rely on the charity of humans! They could grow their own food, purify their own water, and create their own factories for manufacturing! With all that, they'd never have to be abused by their employers again, making their own products at fair market value! In fact, with this, it changed everything! With this-.

"Our problems are all but solved." Adam breathed out, his eyes widening as he stared back at Sienna. "With this, we'll finally have all the resources that we'll need! We won't be dependent on the mainland anymore. And that means-!"

"No human will be able to take advantage of that again." Sienna finished with a nod. "Our days of licking the boots of humans are nearing their end. Soon, Menagerie will become a self-dependent nation, one that will be able to rival the other kingdoms in power. From there, the other kingdoms will be forced to recognize us as an equal, acknowledge us as an independent kingdom! And when we've finally been given the freedom we've been denied, we can-!"

"That's all great, but what is it?"

Immediately both Faunus were broken out of their conversation, turning towards the speaker who stood at the table staring at both of them with a hard look in her eyes.

"I understand your excitement, but that doesn't explain what's inside that thing." Amber pushed, gesturing toward the briefcase on the table. "As happy as I am for you, if I don't know what kind of device or plan, or whatever else it is, then for all I know we're transferring a Grimm you've crammed in there or something equally ridiculous."

Folding her arms, Amber gave Sienna a hard look, not breaking eye-contact as she steeled her resolve against the equally hard glare the Faunus was giving her as the tension in the room skyrocketed.

"That's on a need to know basis." She replied shortly, slowly pulling the case back toward her. "I'm sorry, but if word got out about this, Menagerie would be beset by saboteurs trying to keep us from becoming independent. Far too many powerful people rely on our abuse to make their profit to simply sit idly by as we escape their clutches. As such, the less information you have, the bet-."

"No, I'm sorry that's not going to fly." Amber cut in, slamming her hand down on the case, pressing it against the table as she now glared at Sienna. "The last time I brushed off a suspicious claws in a mission statement, my team was nearly wiped out by a rich, ex-huntsman, the most powerful, violent gang in the kingdom, and a homicidal madman that nearly killed us all twice at least! So I'm sorry but either you tell me what's inside or I'm going to have to call off the entire mission."

Immediately Amber saw Sienna's eyes narrow, becoming slits as she glared at the girl, her teeth bared as her hand twitched open, a pair of razor sharp claws extending from her hand.

But even knowing the gap between herself and one of the highest ranking members of the White Fang, Amber held her ground, not back down or breaking eye contact as she continued to glare at the woman, her breath becoming deafening in the heavy silence that filled the room.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. Until finally, the tension was broken as a large hand came down onto the Faunus' shoulder.

"She's right, Sienna." Ghira said firmly, giving her shoulder a squeeze, making her take her eyes off Amber and look up at the High leader. "You've been so cagey about what's inside that case, not even letting me or Mr. Naabhi see. But now is not the time to be keeping secrets. As much as I want to see Menagerie become an independent kingdom, if it's through some unethical means, then it's not worth it."

At this point, all eyes were on the tigress, waiting to see her reaction, expecting answers. She was noticeably tense about this, her eyes flitting from one face to another, as if looking for a literal way out of the situation.

But upon seeing no escape, the woman let out a sigh, her body relaxing and her shoulders slumping.

"Alright then, have it your way." She said, glancing at Ghira as she let go of the case, letting her place both thumbs into the fingerprint scanners, where they let out a low green glow before making a beeping sound followed by a click from the combination lock, indicating she could now start unlocking the case.

"So, before I start explaining, how many of you have heard of the chemical PG-8173? Or more commonly known as Witches' growth?" She asked as she spun the one of the six dials on each side into the right numbers.

"Witches growth? Isn't that the stuff some tribes use in Vacuo?" Adam asked. "They use it to temporarily turn parts of the desert into pliable farmlands. Giving them enough time to grow a crop before the effects fade, turning the soil back into sand."

"Correct." Sienna replied, smiling up at the Faunus as she continued to unlock the case. "PG-8173 is a way to grow food temporarily, giving food to a tribe that would have otherwise starved. And while its effects aren't permanent, some of our scientists think that they have found a way to make it more permanent."

Sienna paused for a moment, a clicking sound coming from the case indicating it was unlocked.

"Basically, by growing increasingly resilient plants instead of crops, our scientists believe it's possible to make parts of the desert fertile for certain plants. A theory that's been presented for some years now." The tiger Faunus further explained, slowly opening the case and reaching her hand in, being careful not to damage the contents inside. "The only problem is that the amount needed was too expensive to buy, effectively costing more than the White Fang makes in a year, effectively cutting us off from this life changing chemical. But recently, the Mistral branch got a lucky break."

Opening the case, Sienna spun it around to show off several vials about the size of a large bullet, with various colored liquids, each one labeled with two letters indicating the chemical inside.

"Not sure why, but the prices on chemicals suddenly plummeted in that kingdom. With dealers practically giving them away after one big bust by the government. Must have caused some kind of scare or something, I'm not entirely sure. But thanks to that, we now have everything we need to synthesize our own Witches' growth."

Coming to a stop, the tiger Faunus picked up a vial, holding it up for the others to see as she explained the rest of her plan.

"See, the current plan is to grow the crops we need to make more Witches' growth. Basically reinvesting to make sure we can synthesize our own." She explained. "From there, the plan is to slowly but surely move out, growing more and more while replanting the rest of the soil with grass and trees to hold the ground together. And then, eventually, well, I've already explained what happens next."

Calmly, Sienna set the vial back into the case, sealing it shut before letting out a sigh before turning her attention to the room at large.

"Now, while I'm sure you've been able to piece this together, but this is going to take time, as such, I'd like to keep what was said between us a secret for right now. Not only because I'm afraid of sabotage, but also to have some of the younger members getting their hopes up. As I'm sure you know, while this is our best chance to become an independent kingdom-,"

"There's also a high likelihood of failure." Naabhi chimed in, folding his arms with a nod, an action Amber found herself close to mirroring. She now understood Sienna's hesitation to open up about her plan. Because if it fell apart, the following disappointment would bring Grimm flocking to the small island. Something they couldn't afford as unlike the main kingdoms, Menagerie didn't have the same military power to defend themselves. Resulting in the potential annihilation of their sanctuary.

Aww. So that was it. Now the dark skinned girl understood why the Faunus had felt such a need for secrecy

Amber, having watched her own village fall to Grimm, knew all too well that even if the military did reclaim it, resettlement would be a near impossibility as those returning would be haunted by the loved ones they've lost. So should a much larger population like Menagerie be destroyed, well, it didn't take a genius to figure out the difficulties around both retaking it and repairing it.

Great, now she was starting to feel guilty for pushing so hard. Sure, she knew she had the right to know and ask questions, but after hearing the woman out and seeing how much her own hope rested on this plan that realistically would probably fail, she couldn't help but feel like the villain here.

"I'm sorr-."

"Wait. Hold on a second here."

The sudden harsh voice interrupting Amber immediately drew all eyes to its speaker, making said girl do a double take in surprise. She hadn't expected him of all people to take an adversarial approach to something like this.

"Sienna, care to explain to me why you spent valuable White Fang funding on chemicals to change your personal dream?" Ghira said harshly, advancing towards the woman, his eyes narrowed as he did. "This is the first time I've heard about this. Did you have your team deliberately keep this from me? You know next year there's going to be another election and that funding was supposed to go to a candidate who supports Faunus' rights, not gambling them on a risky investment like this! What on Remnant were you-?!"

"Because your way doesn't work!" Sienna snapped immediately, rounding on him as she slammed the case shut. "We go through this every election! You fund someone you think will improve Faunus living, they get into office, then they immediately drop that form their agenda! Renouncing their heritage and even cutting off their animal traits! Can't you see that all we're doing is pouring money down the drain by doing that?! We can't change a world that doesn't want to change by following the rules! We need to force them to change or risk becoming irrelevant! That's the only way we can truly make humans accept us!"

"And your big plan is to pull us away from all other forms of society?" The cat Faunus snapped back. "That won't help our cause, it'll hurt it! I understand your frustration, but if we can't change the world through legal means, then the change won't matter at all. And if you think creating a nation for only Faunus is going to make people treat us as equals, you're wrong. All it'll do is put further rift between us and humanity, make us seem like a hostile invading force. We have to bring about change throughout the kingdoms first before even thinking about starting a nation!"

"And how long will that take?!" Sienna and Ghira were now only feet apart, each one glaring at the other with a hard, set look. "How many of us will be abused before then?! How many will be taken advantage of?! Be killed in their homes? Be robbed, beaten, raped?! How long until people see the errors in their ways and change?! This, this is the exact reason we've been losing members to the Seraphim! Because your pacifism has proven ineffective and you refuse to change! Why can't you see we need to try something new! Your methods have carried us this far, but they've reached their limit! And without a new approach, we'll never get beyond this point!"

"You don't know that!" Ghira roared. "And even if it was, what's your path lead to?! Our complete succession from society?! If we do that, then we might as well not be people at all! What's the point of all this if we simply choose to isolate ourselves from-!"

"It would give us hope."

Immediately both adults froze mid sentence at the new voice joining the conversation. Slowly, they turned to face the speaker, eyes wide as they stared at him.

"We can't succeed from society. But we also cannot continue the way we've been trying." Adam said, his gaze fixed on the ground as he spoke. "Then what we need to do is find a middle ground. One where we can both have the leverage to ensure people are safe while still being a part of the world. So why not try both?"

Slowly looking up, Adam looked his two mentors in their eyes, Ghira on his left, Sienna on his right, his gaze unflinching.

"I say we try to make Menagerie fertile while still pushing for improvements in the laws of other kingdoms. That way, our people will have a choice on how they wish to live, either on the island with their kind, or among humans. A choice each individual can be free to make. And while I'm sure most will choose to go with their kin," Reaching this point, a small smile on Adam's face as his eyes flicked over to Amber with an unusually softness in them. Something that enforced the strength in them as he turned back to his mentors.

"Living with humans has its benefits too."

A long, heavy silence fell between the members gathered in the tent, each one taking his words differently.

Ghira stared wide eyed for several seconds before a soft gentle smile spread across his face, his body relaxing as he stared at the boy, looking as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. Something that was mirrored by Mr. Naabhi, who had closed his eyes, nodding at the red head.

Sienna, after getting over her shock, lowered her head and shook it, a small, playful smile on her face. "Well, well, would you look at that?" She chucked, looking up at Adam. "And I remember you saying going to Beacon would be a waste of your time. Glad to see after such a short time, you've already improved so much. And here I thought I couldn't be any prouder."

Placing her hands on the table, she calmly set the case back on the ground, turning back to the map as she addressed the room at large.

"Adam's right. We can do both." She said. "And we are doing both right now. So let's get back to the plan, escorting Mr. Naabhi so he can spread the message of peace and equality while ensuring these chemicals make it to Menagerie. Then, I'll start looking into fundraising to repay the money spent to ensure we can still support a political candidate we approve of. That way, there's still a slight chance that Mistral will see some improvement to her people."

And as the room joined in with agreement, Amber found herself unable to contain her smile. Things were finally starting to look up.

---

"Move the crates Cinder, make it organized Cinder, help the terrorists Cinder. Bla, bla, bla! I thought these missions were supposed to help us grow as huntsmen, not work boring ass jobs that anyone can do?" Cinder whined as she slammed one of the boxes into the trunk of the truck, letting a volley of curse words under her breath as she used her hands to push against her lower back, letting her arch her stomach skyward in a long, good stretch that caused her spine to pop.

"Right, because complaining is going to make everything so much better." Eric retorted as he carried two more boxes over, setting them into the truck next to Cinder's. "You know, not every mission is going to be glamorous or what not. Sometimes, before even getting started, you need to prepare with a bit of mundane little tasks. Didn't you learn your lesson after the last mission?"

Rolling her eyes in response, Cinder turned to her teammate, placing one hand on her hip.

"Yeah, I know that." She said dismissively. "But back during Music Fest, we weren't supposed to have our hands full, ever. I don't get why the White Fang can just tell us to do stuff like this when we're basically doing the same thing as back then, protecting some big peace spokesperson."

"The difference is that unlike back then, we aren't the main bodyguards this time. That would be the White Fang. We're just contracted to help fill up their ranks." Eric explained as the two went back to the crates, the knight picking up two more. "Besides, over half of this stuff has already been moved before they left us to get the rest. So technically, we could have had it a lot worse."

"Humph, good talk. Always nice to know someone has my back when I need to vent." Cinder grumbled as she picked up another box and began carrying it over. "How does Adam stand you? You do know that something people just like to complain and could use another voice telling them their opinions are valid. You always shut people down when they do that?"

Setting the two crates down in the truck, Eric turned toward Cinder with a grin.

"Just over work like this." He replied walking over and taking the other side of the box. "Back where I come from, every month we'd have to unload an entire train's worth of supplies and then attach them to snowmobiles for a few hours drive before taking them all off again once we got home. Compared to that, this is nothing."

As the two neared the truck, Cinder's playful irritation turned to genuine curiosity as she stared across the crate at the green knight. Out of everyone on her team, she knew the least about Eric, despite the fact he was technically the most approachable.

"So, you grow up in Gaius, right?" Cinder asked. "It's that small town in the mountains east of Vale, right? If memory serves, it was made by Atheians refugees who fled their kingdom after the war. After years of wandering around, at the request of Professor Ozpin, a small community was given to them in a similar environment to what they were used to. A gesture of goodwill and all that."

"Correct! Well look who's been paying attention in history class." Eric snipped, his grin barely visible to the shorter girl from behind the box. "Yes, after the war, a small area of the mountain range was given to refugees to start a new life. It was supposed to allow somewhere that those who felt threatened by the current government of Atlas could go while still feeling at home. Unfortunately, that's not the only reason behind why we were given that mountain."

Reaching the truck, Cinder and Eric both had to step up on the lip of the vehicle as they raised the box over their heads, positioning it over the bed so they could drop it quickly once in place.

"See, back after Atlas tried to invade Vacuo to shut off Vale's dust supply, the kingdom quickly realized that they needed to be self-sufficient in order to stand a chance. So, they used techniques they copied from Atlas to make their own mines, even trying to mimic the geography location to ensure success. As a result, they turned those mountains into a vast and bountiful mine that they used to fund the prolonged war. And it worked, for a time."

Dropping the box onto the top of the others, Cinder and Eric turned to the last crate, the two of them working together to lift it up by the bottom and carry it towards the truck.

"Let me guess, things didn't last." The dark haired girl said, jostling the crate a bit. This one was noticeably lighter than the other and whatever was inside hadn't been secured properly, meaning it was challenging in its own regard as whatever was inside could be felt slipping and sliding around inside. Though the lack of having to lift something that felt like Eric's entire body weight, made it considerably easier in comparison.

"The fall of the Vale mines can be summed up in one word. Permafrost." The knight said with a nod. "See, the cold kingdom of Solitas is covered in a type of ice that never melts, even in the summer. As such, they have not only a vast understanding of it, but all their equipment is made to ensure if any of that ice does melt, it's only a small portion. The mountains of Vale on the other hand, while they do have permafrost, it's nowhere near as thick, so when they tried copying the tech from Atlas, they accidentally destabilized the structure, turning what was severely layers of mines into a giant death trap. So when they needed to find housing for hundreds of refugees-."

"They picked somewhere they could not only dump and let the public forget about, but also somewhere they might be able to get cheap labor." Cinder finished, climbing up onto the truck with Eric, raising the crate above their heads, lining it up with the others. "Man what a bunch of selfish assholes. You'd think these people would find something to care about literally beyond their public rating and political pow-!"

"Ow!"

Cinder was cut off as she slammed the crate down, causing it to hit the others with a loud thunk, one that, while definitely noticeable, didn't drown out the cry of pain that came from within, causing the two to stop in their tracks, turning to look at the crate they had just manhandled.

"Did you-?" Eric began, but stopped when Cinder held up her hand to silence him, calmly drawing her sword while using her free hand to signal to him, indicating to go left, which he did without question as she crept to the right.

Slowly, they two circled the crate, making sure to be as quiet as possible as they closed in, their weapons drawn. They both knew what they had heard, and while they might not know who it was hiding in there, they both knew whoever didn't end up in there by accident. As for what they wanted, well, that was anyone's guess.

And as they got their answer not a second letter.

Suddenly, the top of the crate was thrown off as a lone figure shot out, jumping out to use the rising sun in an attempt to blind them. Their small body perfectly silhouetted showing them raising what looked like a strangely shaped firearm at them, a clicking sound coming from the thing as they cocked it.

But even then, they were too slow as before they could fire the weapon, Eric had focused all his aura into his free hand and driven it right into their stomach, completely knocking the wind out from them and shattering their aura in one punch! So when the following cry of pain and surprise did ring out, it was so quiet, even the two huntsmen barely heard it.

---

Meanwhile,

"So, that's our normal emergency plan." Sienna said, taping the diagram she had used to illustrate. "Make sure your team remembers it, otherwise we risk complete chaos in a dangerous situation. As such, we need to-."

The sound of heavy footsteps outside drew the leaders out of their discussion. Looking up, they saw Eric and Cinder making their way over toward them, holding a squirming black bundle by the scruff of its neck as it clawed at him. An act that was utterly pointless as not only was he holding it at arm's length, its weak strikes bounced harmlessly off his armor.

"Now what?" Ghira said tiredly, rising from his seat and making his way towards the huntsman, the others following close behind. And as they got closer, they got a better look at the figure, eventually being able to make them out, resulting in different actions from each member of the group.

First, Sienna let out a groan, followed by an exasperated, "are you kidding me?" Resting her face in her palm.

Beside her, Ghira let out a long sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples as if he had just gotten a headache, though Amber wasn't sure why. Sure, they looked a little young to be using the like a bladed handgun that Eric was carrying in his other hand, but besides that, she didn't see much of a problem.

Was she not supposed to be here or something? If so, why not just send her home with a slap on the wrist? It didn't seem like that big of a deal to her.

However, before she could ask, Adam stepped forward, his mouth falling open in shock as he looked at the approaching figures, eyes fixed on the person Eric was carrying.

"Blake?"

---

"Blake, I thought I told you to stay home with your mother." Ghira scolded the young girl, who sat on the ground, cheeks puffed out, arms folded as she made a point to look anywhere but at her father.

"I know you wanted to come, but remember, you didn't pass Sienna's test. As such, you weren't cleared to work with the scouting party. Besides that, we already choose Ilia to fill that role. You can't just sneak on board and assume there won't be conseq-."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to stay stuck in Vale while you all go to Menagerie?!" The girl snapped, rounding on her father. "That's not fair! I'm way stronger than Ilia! I just tripped up once on the exam! Everyone knows it was a fluke! I could totally pass it if given another chance!"

"Well, too bad." Ghira said immediately, folding his arms and looking sternly down at his daughter. "I'm not gonna argue with you about this. You had plenty of chances to retake the exam, but didn't until yesterday when you heard Adam was joining us. And even before that, you've been causing all sorts of problems. I know you miss Adam, but with that kind of selfish attitude-."

"But that's not fair!" The girl whined, leaping to her feet and stomping angrily. "He's been gone for months and now that I have a chance to spend time with him, you ground me! We've been shorthanded since forever! And this is an important mission you need fire power for! I've awoke an aura and a semblance before I was eleven! That's way more than most of the other members or the nameless goons you've paid to help with the mission!"

"Watch it, brat." Cinder snarled, folding her arms to stop herself from punching the child in the nose, something that she almost chose to do to a certain knight when she heard him snicker on her right.

"Blake, no one is questioning your skill." Sienna said, hands tightly sealed around the sword and scabbard the young girl had used to attack Eric with. "The problem is that these missions are planned out long in advance. Including one more person would throw our ration dispersal right out the window, not to mention our formations which we just finished confirming. And besides, even ignoring all those problems, need I remind you that changing plans or mission assessments at the drop of a hat is strictly forbidden within the White Fang. Remember, we have very few combat ready members, and even few huntsmen. As such, we can't afford to shuffle our men around and come off as unprofessional. That's something I can't make an exception, even for you."

Immediately, the girl rounded on the military leader, her eyes tearing up in frustration. "But-!"

"Sienna's right, Blake." Ghira cut in, drawing his daughter's attention. "If we bend the rules for you, then everyone will think we're playing favorites. And with the current situation in the kingdom, we can't afford any more distrust or infighting. So please, go back home before you make things worse for-."

"No!" Blake screamed, stomping her foot again before running to Adam and hiding behind him, peaking out to glare at the two leaders.

"I want to go! I have every right to go! You said I was your first pick. Well, now I want to go! I don't need to be in the scouting party! I can help in other ways!" The girl's screams were getting noticeably more desperate, now tears were starting to spill out of her narrowed eyes as she clutched onto Adam like a shield, making the redheaded Faunus flinch slightly as guilt filled his stomach.

He knew he should have contacted Blake more during his time at Beacon. The last time they had spoken was right before Music Fest when he had called to tell them about his first mission. After that, when everything had gone crazy, he had been so busy with school and his community service, he hadn't had time to call.

Now Blake, who must have been dying to talk with him, was desperately trying to find an excuse to come on this mission. A mission that, had he applied normally, would have given her ample time to not only apply, but also pass that test.

"Blake, stop acting like a child." Ghira said, resting his head in his hands as he made his way over. "I understand your upset, but sometimes things happen. I know you're more mature than this. You'll get a chance to spend time with Adam after we get back from the mission, but as it stands, I don't have any open positions for-."

Before he could finish, Adam stepped in front of Ghira, standing between him and his daughter.

"Actually, if it's okay with you both, I think Blake should come." Adam said, immediately making the two leaders' eyes widened and their mouths drop open.

"I beg your pardon." Sienna said after regaining her bearing. "Adam, please tell me you're not serious. Relationship or not, I cannot have someone who didn't pass my exam into the scouting-."

"Look, I know she didn't pass her exam, but that only bars her from being in the scouting party, right?" He cut in, gesturing toward the table which still had their formation on display. "If she's assigned to another position, like say the rearguard, one that rarely sees any real combat, I doubt anyone would bat an eye. I mean, she is the best of her year. It makes sense that she's getting some special treatment."

Letting out a long sigh, Ghira reached up, rubbing his temples as he lowered his head.

"Adam-." He began, but was cut off by the said Faunus taking a short step forward, pushing his point.

"Look, I trained her. I'll vouch for her skill." He pressed. "Besides, you said it yourself. This group has nearly twice the amount of manpower we'd normally need for this kind of job. That means we have enough leeway for a couple mistakes. Why not let Blake tag along as a training exercise? I mean, everyone knows she'll be made into a captain in another two years or so. Why not let her get a look at real combat during a real mission? I'll even hang back and watch her back personally. So no harm in letting her come with me, right?"

At this suggestion, Sienna saw her turn to step in and try to shut down the idea.

"You? On the rearguard?" She asked. "Surely you must be joking. I need you in the scouting party or else we'll lack the manpower needed to deal with any hostels on route. Remember, my semblance is useless against Grimm and Ilia hasn't awoken her's yet. You can't just-."

"Please." Adam cut in, lowering his head in a bow to his superiors, catching them both off guard on top of his teammates. "I know Blake is in the wrong, but it's partly my fault for driving her to this point. Let me take responsibility for this by allowing her to accompany us where I'll watch her personally, as a way to make this right for my failures."

A shocked silence fell as all eyes were fixed upon Adam. They knew how close he and Blake were, but none of them expected to hear him verbally admit to wrongdoing in such a direct way. After all, this wasn't like asking to go to an amusement park or something, there were real stakes to this, real lives on the line. Yet he was still sticking by his guns and asking to let her come along. Something that, while had benefits, still held a fair amount of cons.

However, before either of the White Fang leaders could deny his request, another voice jumped into the conversation.

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't see a problem with it." Mr. Naabhi chimed in, taking a step forward to stand next to the other two adults, drawing their attention.

"Sir, you cannot be serious." Sienna said, gesturing exasperatedly toward the car Faunus. "Blake's-!"

"Had huntsman training." Naabhi calmly added. "That alone makes up for her lack of age and experience. But even more so, she has heart. That is something truly rare for one as young as she. So why not let her join? After all, weren't you the one complaining about the lack of manpower within your ranks? The way I see it, this will be a perfect opportunity to let her gain valuable experience in a reasonably safe way. I mean, the savory of the Faunus is volunteering to personally look after her. Can you think of a safer place for her than by his side?"

Smiling gently at the woman, Naabhi calmly walked over to stand next to Adam and Blake, his eyes soft and gentle as he stared back at the two leaders.

"The next generation of Huntsmen and huntresses is right here, ready and eager to learn. Opportunities like this are few and far between. I say it's a risk worth taking, especially during these troubled times."

The old man's words made the two leaders exchange a look, then, return their gaze back to the girl who was now peaking out from behind Adam. Both adults seemed noticeably relaxed by the speaker's calming tone and soft manner, something reflected in their tone when they spoke again.

"Very well, Blake can come." Sienna relented, shrugging her shoulders as the two younger Faunus exchanged smiles at their success. Before their celebration was cut short.

"However! She'll be your responsibility, young man." Sienna said, jabbing Adam in the chest as she glared daggers at him. "So if anything happens to her, or she chooses to disobey an order, it'll be your responsibility to either clean it up, and keep her safe. Remember, no free rides in the White Fang. Everyone has to pull their weight, got it?"

Closing their feet together, hands flying to their foreheads in a salute, the sound of the two younger Faunus' voices chanting, "yes ma'am!" echoed through the tent, making the woman lose her more serious expression in favor of a softer one as she withdrew, turning back to the table that still held the diagram of their formation.

"Now, with Adam pulled from our scouting team, I'm gonna need someone to replace him." She said without missing a beat. "What's more, this person will have to be comparable in ability to him otherwise our entire team composition will fall apart. So, where do we start pulling-?"

"Actually, if I may." Amber said, walking over to the table, picking up one of the pieces and spinning it in her hand. "It's not…conventional. But I think it'll still work, ensuring both the scouting unit and the vanguard are as balanced as we could get it."

Looking up, Sienna locked eyes with Amber, a smile on her face as she gestured to the remaining pieces on the map.

"Alright, I'll bite." She said, eyes fixed on the dark skinned girl. "Amber, right? I hear you're supposed to be quite the little tactician. How about we put that to the test. Let's see how skilled you are."

---

A few minutes later.

The sound of scrapping metal against the ground filled the air, sending birds scattering as the gates to the kingdom swung open, revealing a convoy of three armored trucks beginning to pull out.

They drove in single file, ensuring that while the procession was slow, it would be difficult for anyone to get at the vehicle in the center of the formation. With the additional deterrent of the many armed guards visible in each truck.

Together, they moved as one, each acting with the coordination of a well trained military unit. Pulling out of the city limits before coming to a stop right outside the gate, letting it swing shut behind them as they waited in the light of the early morning sun, waiting for the order to begin.

And the wait wasn't long.

"Scouting team, engage!"

No sooner than the words left Ghira's mouth, the three huntsmen shot over the vehicles, sailing right into the trees that covered either side of the road, moving at lightning fast speeds that made some of the ones on the ground dizzying just from looking.

"Alright, try to keep up, rookie!" Sienna yelled from the front of the formation, effortlessly using her whip chain to grapple from one branch to another, pulling herself in or swinging like a monkey as she kicked off the trunks to pick up momentum.

Behind her, the much younger girl, Ilia, followed her example, using her whip as a grapple or kicking off trees, quickly following the designated path the tigress had laid out, allowing her to keep pace despite being much smaller and younger.

"Freerunning, the art of moving at high speeds through difficult terrain. A speciality of the White Fang and a momentous skill for anyone who lived in the wilds." Sienna thought to herself as she and Ilia raced through the trees at incredible speeds, their eyes scanning the shrubbery for any signs of hostility. "It's similar to landing strategy, but a much more advanced version. One requiring that the user build and maintain their momentum instead of relying on gravity. Something many huntsmen never learn to do in their entire lives. So, let's see if the little tactician's word is worth anything."

Glancing behind her, Sienna gaze fell to Ilia, who was keeping up as well as leaving the markers indicating the level of threat they surmised. Low, which was unsurprising given how close to the kingdom they were.

However, what she didn't see was the students they had taken under their wing, making the women let out a soft chuckle. Fallen behind already? Seems she might need to shuffle around the teams after all. Honestly, probably for the best given how much she wanted to have personal conversations with Adam. Conversations that she knew Ghira couldn't listen in on."

"Ilia, let's slow our pace." She called as she raced through the trees. "We seem to have already lost our Temp, let's slow down and-."

"Not yet, you haven't!"

Looking up at the sudden shout, both Faunus were immediately taken aback at the sight they saw behind them.

There was Cinder, racing through the trees by hocking her curve blades into the trunk and branches, using them like a gymnasium bar to swing around on before propelling herself forward, flying through the air after them, but following her own line instead of just following Sienna's.

"You asses haven't lost me yet!" The dark haired girl screamed, her face alight with a smug grin. "Don't count me out just yet! Adam is strong, I'm not gonna deny that. But if you think I can't keep pace with him you're dead wrong! I can do anything he can, no sweat!"

Caught completely off guard, Sienna found herself simply staring dumbly at the young girl, flying toward her at shocking speed, something that no one, not even Adam himself had been able to pull off on his first try!

Had she had prior training? No, the way she was swinging was incredibly dangerous. One misstep and she'd cut right through her anchor and be sent crashing to the ground. No one who taught even basic parkour would ever let someone do something that reckless!

So it was all impressive? That seemed to be the most likely answer. Yet to be able to keep up with her and Ilia, who had spent years training since their youth, was completely unheard of! No way any normal human could do something like that!

And as that realization hit, a smile spread across the woman's face.

"Interesting." She murmured to herself, her eyes lighting up with a competitive fire. "Alright, if you insist. Ilia! Let's pick up the pace! She wants a challenge, let's give her one!"

Immediately the young girl's head shot up. "Wha-?!" Was all she could before the woman shot forward, moving even faster than before, releasing her chain not a second after she had used to redirect herself, flying through the trees so fast, she became nothing but a blur amongst the leaves.

"Hey!" Cinder yelled, watching the older woman disappear into the trees, her own ego immediately flaring up. Professional huntress or not, older, more experienced fighter or not, none of it didn't matter. Every bone in her body absolutely refused to lose to this painted bitch!

Immediately, Cinder activated her semblance, creating explosions to propel herself forward, giving chase to the woman as she left the younger girl in the dust, a fierce determination burning in her eyes. No way was she losing, she was done with that. Starting right now, she was striving ahead with full force and full strength. Never losing focus or faltering again.

From now on, she was going to push forward, no matter what it took!

---

As the sounds of explosions reached all vanguard unit, the two Faunus in charge raised their heads, one listening with concern, the other with a knowing smirk as he knew what had happened.

"Typical Cinder. Can't accept defeat no matter who she's up against." Adam thought, rubbing the top of his head. "Oh well, knowing Sienna, she probably provoked her into a race or something. Given how close we are to the kingdom, I doubt there'll be any Grimm nearby, but even so, with those two tearing through the tree line, that could change real quick."

Turning from the front passenger seat, he came to face the back of the truck, he saw his team of six other Faunus, one of which, including Blake.

"Okay, listen up!" He yelled, drawing his team's attention. "Our mission as the vanguard unit is to punch through any Grimm that makes it past the scouting party! Remember, our rule is the tip of the spear that keeps all danger at bay! It's up to us to ensure the safety of the main guard and rearguard! So no matter what happens, nobody is to take a single step past us. Is that clear?!"

"Yes sir!" His teammates replied, saluting him as they held their weapons to their chest. They were looking to him to lead them, to him to protect them. And while he himself was no Amber, he knew he wouldn't let them down! He had already let too many of his friends, and he wasn't letting anyone down again!

And with that pledge, the young Faunus turned his attention to the windshield, eyes darting to the shadowy corner looking for danger as he placed his mask over his eyes. His resolve affirmed and hardened by his past Failures. Starting today, he wasn't going to be a burden to his team anymore!

---

In the center truck, Amber jerked as she felt the vehicle spring to life, indicating the convoy had started and the mission had begun. Tightening her hands into fists, she took a deep breath as her second major mission official began.

Shakily, she pressed one of her hands against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart as she stared at her client who was sitting next to Ghira, the briefcase handcuffed to the high leader, making her even more nervous than before.

Sure, she had Adam in the vanguard and Eric in the rearguard, but that did little to calm her. And quite frankly, this time she felt justified in that.

This was no ordinary mission. The future of the Faunus and Menagerie was on the line, and it was up to her to lead her team to success. Something she didn't really have a great track record of.

Between the disaster of Music Fest and her literal burning her own village to the ground, to say she was a tad scared to face the coming responsibility of looking after not only a well known public speaker and the fragile chemicals held within that case!

Carefully, she turned to look behind her, over the driver's shoulder and at the vehicle in front of them. She knew there were armed guards waiting in the truck, ready to jump out and help them if something happened. But with how things had been going so far, she was still a bit skeptical about-.

"Nervous?"

The calm voice broke Amber out of her thoughts. Turning back around, she found herself face-to-face with Mr. Naabhi, who smiled gently at her.

"You know, it's okay to be scared." He said calmly, holding the young woman's gaze. "Fear is a natural response to pressure, to the unknown. It's okay to feel fear or be afraid, as long as you don't let that fear overtake you. After all, a wise man once said, fear itself is not worthy of concern, it is who we become while in its clutches."

"Odia, the traveling scholar." Amber said immediately, letting out a quiet chuckle. "Shouldn't be surprised you've read his works. It was his argument of unity and freedom that was the first time huntsmen creed was established. And even after evolving over the years, his philosophy is still at the heart of our principles."

Shaking her head, Amber looked up, her eyes now fixing on the older man, her trembling arms now visible as she fought to stop them.

"How do you do it?" She asked. "How do you fight against that fear? Or rise above it, or whatever you do to keep pushing forward? Whenever I try to move away from my past, it always somehow catches up and pulls me back. Chains me down. How do you escape that kind of bondage?"

At her question, Mr. Naabhi leaned forward, his eyes locking with Amber with a kind, gentle, yet hard look.

"Ms. Alsprings." He said in a dead serious tone. "If you want my honest answer to your question, then I'm sorry to say that what you're doing is pointless. There is no way to escape your past, no way to outrun it. The more you try to escape, the harder it'll hit when it catches up to you. Running from it is utterly pointless."

At this news, Amber felt her heart drop as she sat in stunned silence, staring blankly at the man. Was that it? Just except she could never be free of her pain? That everything she had done was meaningless and there would be no escape from the pitch black hell she had fallen into?

If so, why not just end everything right now? Why suffer and toil for a chance at a life that would always be haunted by her past? Why even try to heal if all that awaited her was more chains to pull her back into the dark pit? Why even bother fighting at all? If she was just supposed to accept that she was forever ruined by a single mistake from years ago, why even look to that bright future that seemed to be getting further and further away with every passing day?

Why not just accept the fact she should never have been born?

Lowering her head silently, Amber let out a dry chuckle.

"So, that's it, huh?" She asked more to herself than anyone else. "There's no escaping my past and my future will forever be trapped in its shadow? Hehe, that sucks."

"That it does." Mr. Naabhi said, nodding along with her as she raised her head, her forced smile stretched across her face.

"Welp, thanks for not sugarcoating it." She said in a chipper voice, pounding her chest as she forced that stupid grin across her face. "I must say, as depressing as that sounds, I do appreciate your honesty. Painful as it can be, I'd much rather talk with someone who is brutally honest that lies to my face. Though I must say, I am a bit curious how you would define-."

"The past cannot be escaped, that is true. However, that does not mean we must let it control our future."

His words silenced Amber immediately, her fake happy-go-lucky attitude dropping immediately as she stared at him wide eyed, mouth hanging open as he continued.

"I know how it feels to want to run away from your mistakes, but doing that will stop you from learning from them. And if you don't learn from them, you'll simply repeat them." He said, pausing here to take a good look at the young woman's face, gently reaching a hand out to grip her shoulder.

"I know it's hard, but the best way to overcome one's past is to face it head on. Accept it, learn from it, then move on. I know how it feels to want to blame yourself as punishment, to bang your head in front of their grave for the rest of your life. But remember, it won't bring back the dead, or let you relive that moment to do things right. Instead, take that lesson to make sure the next time you find yourself in that situation, you do the right thing then, instead of wishing you had done the right thing back then. That, is not only the best way to honor our fallen brethren, but an ample way to make amends to the ones you couldn't save in the past."

With that, Naabhi ran his hand up, wiping away a tear that had leaked from the girl's eyes without her even noticing. Quickly prompting her to turn away as she furiously tried to hide them.

She didn't know why, but the way he spoke, it made her feel like he could see into her soul, no semblance required. His words had resonated with her, struck a chord that she didn't even know existed, letting her lift a weight from her chest that had been slowly descending upon her since Howard's death.

"T-thank you." She stammered out, still looking away as she wiped her eyes. "I don't-. That was-. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Smiling, Naabhi leaned back, saying nothing as he waited for the young woman to compose herself, letting her finish wiping her eyes and letting her turn to face him on her own time, instead of forcing her.

"Thank you." She murmured again, looking straight up at him. "I don't know what to say. Your words, they…they were just what I needed. So, thank you."

And with that, she gave him a small, yet radiant smile, one that outshone the sun itself.

Returning her smile, Mr. Naabhi decided to call it. As while he appreciated her openness with him, he knew the pure sight before was something not meant for him.

"Well, now that you're feeling better, how about you help me formulate my speech?" He said, clapping his hands. "After all, they say words are just another form of weapon. And if so, speeches are another form of warfare. I'm certain you could learn a little bit about planning and emotional connection from this experience."

"Yes sir!"

And so, team AACE set about facing the trails they now faced. Learning and growing as they pushed themselves to their limit, seeking more strength moved forward into the future. All the while preparing for the trials and tribulations they knew they would one day have to face.

A day that was closer than they realized. For as they rode out of the kingdom safety, an ancient evil that had stayed dormant for years started to open its eyes, casting a vengeful gaze toward their kingdom as it prepared to swallow the entire world whole.

---

?

Slowly a pail woman walked onto a balcony overlooking a desolate wasteland under a blood red sky. Her pure white skin marred with dark black lines running up and down her limbs, adding an unnatural color to her that highlighted the red inlining of her black dress.

Above her, several flying Grimm could be spotted, circling the area not looking for prey, but waiting obediently. Same as the many foul creatures below her, looking up to the woman with an almost reverential awe as they shriek and howled in delight and terror, making their loyalty known so as to not be torn apart by a flick of her wrist.

But despite the noise, the woman paid no mind to them, simply walking forward unto she came to a stop before the lone creature allowed to exist in her palace.

It was a Grimm of her own creation, with a spherical head that had no opening save a mouth that hung on its bottom, lined with rows of razor sharp teeth and eight tentacles dangling out, each one of those carrying a sharp barb that once implied into a human's flesh, wouldn't come out without taking a chunk of the victim's skin with it. More than enough to mortally wound anyone save an elite huntsman. And even then, there was guarantee they wouldn't bleed before they could find help.

But despite its appearance, combat wasn't its main function. And as she lay her hand on its surface, an imitation of a man in a dark cave appeared before her eyes as the thing fed information from its counterpart directly into her body.

"Tyrian," she said calmly, making the man on the other end look up, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. Something she ignored.

"I am ready. Begin testing of project Chimera-4. And remember, this time, I want no witnesses left alive."

---

So, while I don't like doing this, if you could leave some constructive criticism on this chapter, I'd really appreciate it. Especially on my portal of Sienna.

Not gonna lie, she's the reason I'm having to do so much rewriting as I personally found my depiction bland and no the kind of character I wanted her to come off as.

Oh, and please don't say anything about Blake. I know she's out of character and am taking steps to rectify it. Personally, she's actually really difficult to write, which is ironic as I have the most in common with her out of the 4 leads. Though I will say she is supposed to be slightly less mature as she is both younger, and hasn't been abused by Adam. So I think her being a bit more bratty fits. Just not as much as I she is in this chapter. Again, noted and working on a fix.

Either way, this chapter sets up some important points for later in the arc, and I can't wait to get to write them.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and to see you next chapter, bye!