Happy Hundredth Chapter!

If you'd told me we'd hit triple digits when this all started...well, actually, I would've believed you. But if you said we'd still be early in the White Fang arc? That would've been a bit much. Still, here we are, fresh off Adam's first kill of an innocent, ready for some fallout. Before we get to it, though, I just want to not-so-subtly remind everyone that this is not the Adam we see in canon. Not yet, anyway. He still hasn't hit his murder hobo phase yet. Only specifying that so I don't get messages claiming I've made him OoC here, since he's not the same character that attacks Beacon. That will come in time.

Little late on posting today as I've been tied up in lab all day for work. Strangely enough, the hardest part has been getting a text file onto a CD for the system, as none of our work computers have CD drives anymore. Have to have tech support (basically) do it for me, which requires paperwork and everything. Ain't modern technology great?

They didn't stay long at Reyno, which suited Adam just fine. Their celebrations and well-wishes went ignored by Adam, who just wanted to get back to Menagerie and put the mission behind him. Jakob did his best to ward people off, knowing the mood Adam was in. As aggravating as his friend could be, Adam appreciated him running interference. He really didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now.

Except Bane, not that Jakob or Adam could've stopped the man. He'd taken one look at Adam and knew something was up. Even before they boarded an airship back to Menagerie, Bane had latched onto Adam and refused to let him out of his sight. He didn't speak a single word, but his mere presence helped more than Adam expected.

The flight home had to be a little awkward for his two friends. Jakob tried his absolute best to distract them, but even his lamest jokes failed to get much of a reaction from Adam. It wasn't Jakob's fault, though. He just couldn't be heard over another, far more annoying voice.

You killed her.

He had. Worse, he could still see the look on the dead woman's face, questioning why he'd killed her. He still didn't have an answer. Not a good one, anyway. He couldn't risk her raising the alarm. She surprised him. He panicked. It was an accident.

All pointless excuses that did little for the woman he'd murdered.

Poor girl. I wonder if she even felt you kill her. All because she decided to work late on a holiday. That'll teach her. He really didn't appreciate the sarcasm, but he had a feeling the voice didn't care. Serves her right. Putting in extra hours like that. That's what she gets for working so hard for a place like the SDC. Poor girl didn't have a life.

She certainly didn't now.

Adam didn't miss the old days of sailing back to Menagerie. The less time he had to spend cooped up in an airship with his thoughts, the better. He needed to distract himself. Maybe someone would agree to a spar. As tired as he was, a good fight might be just what he needed. Blake was always up for training. That could work. Just a quick spar to burn off some steam and help him forget everything.

Adam, w-why? Adam shuddered, shaking away the terrifying image of Blake transfixed on his sword. Okay, maybe not a fight then. He'd had enough violence for one night.

Or morning, as it now stood. The sun had risen over Menagerie by the time they landed. Seeing the peaceful island below helped relax him a little.

The door opening to Sienna and the Albains did not.

"Welcome home, Adam," Sienna greeted, waiting patiently as he, Jakob, and Bane disembarked.

"Brother Taurus."

"So good to see you."

He could do without the bowing brothers right now. In fact, he could do without Sienna as well. She'd already gotten the report from Cerco by now, no doubt. That she'd be waiting for him to land meant she wanted to debrief him. Honestly, right now, he'd rather be debriefed in another sense, even by her.

Sadly - or thankfully, considering the mess sleeping with his boss might lead to - their meeting proved a lot less physical. A good thing too, considering Jakob, Bane, and both of the Albain brothers were in the room with them. "I've already heard the details of your mission."

"From Cerco?"

"And the news." Oh yeah, that. The morning news cycle was probably dominated by what he'd done. Heck, they'd probably been running live coverage all night. "You made quite the impression on the capital."

As proof, Sienna picked up a remote and pressed a button. A television set - a new addition, as Adam had never noticed it before - came to life against the far wall. All eyes turned to see a building burning in the Mistralian night.

"-a violent attack on our capital last night during the annual Concordia Day parade. Six buildings were destroyed by what appears to be dust-based explosive devices set off in what can only be described as a coordinated attack. Authorities have confirmed the presence of White Fang graffiti at the sites. So far, one casualty has been located, though officials have not released the identity of the victim and warn there may be others as they sort through the rubble."

There wouldn't be. The only death last night had been from his blade..

"Footage from a nearby security camera appears to show wanted terrorist Adam Taurus leaving the scene shortly before the explosion." The image they showed wasn't the best quality, but it was enough to distinguish his telltale mask as he led his squad out of the building. It must've been a camera from a nearby building. He hadn't thought to look for those. Then again, they wanted everyone to know the White Fang were involved. Kind of hard to deny now. "The Council has increased the reward for any information leading to his capture but urges everyone to avoid confronting this dangerous killer. Authorities have also urged caution but assure us that the ones responsible for this attack fled the city. If you have any information-"

The voice went quiet as Sienna muted the screen. "In case you're wondering, they've doubled the reward." He wasn't wondering, but double? That was insane! Sienna could see the surprise on his face. "Don't look so shocked. Attacking SDC camps is one thing, but you infiltrated the capital, not to mention Mantle." And strangely enough, blown up buildings both times. That had to be a worrisome pattern. "If your reach extends that far, then nowhere is safe. They'll be jumping at shadows for months."

"Not like I'm going back there anytime soon." One attack was brazen. A second would be reckless.

"But they can't afford to assume that," Sienna said. With an amused quirk of her lips, she added, "The reward increase wasn't the only change. They've also promised amnesty for anyone that turns you in."

Jakob connected the dots quicker than he did. "They want us to turn on him?"

"They do. Forgiveness of their crimes and a large sum of lien certainly makes a compelling argument." Great, so now he had to watch out for his own allies turning on him? Could this day get any worse?

Somehow, Jakob found the whole thing amusing, nudging Adam with his elbow. "Hey, what if you turned yourself in?" Adam didn't bother with a response, giving his idiotic friend the flattest glare of his life. "No, think about it! They promised amnesty, right? You could walk in, demand the reward, then walk out a free man! If you're the one to turn yourself in, then you'd get the amnesty, right? They can't arrest you if they pardon you, can they?"

"Somehow, I think they'll find an excuse." At least Sienna still had a functioning brain. As funny as it sounded, Adam had to agree that Mistral wouldn't let him collect on that offer. "Now, about this victim they're claiming…"

"I killed her," Adam confirmed, though Sienna didn't appear too bothered by it.

"What happened?"

"The manager was there and discovered us," Jakob answered for him. "Caught us by surprise. She would've raised the alarm and spoiled the whole operation."

Would she have? In hindsight, even if she yelled, it probably wouldn't have changed anything. Her office was near the middle of the building, meaning only someone nearby would've heard, and the street was pretty much empty at that point. Did she really need to die?

Sienna counted it as an acceptable loss. "I'll make sure word gets out, then. Ghira's already on his way over." Oh great. Adam had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't to congratulate them on a job well done. "He won't be happy."

"He never is," Jakob snarked.

"True, but hearing the reason might calm him slightly." Adam sincerely doubted that. Whatever reason she gave, Adam had still killed someone and blown up half a dozen buildings, marking what the news chyron on the screen dubbed the worst attack in Mistral's history. One death and some property damage? That was the worst? Life in the cities sure sounded nice. Their worst day sounded like a Tuesday in the outer villages. Grimm attacks were rarely that merciful.

"Mind if I'm not here for that?" The last thing he needed was to be lectured by their former leader. With little sleep and plenty else on his mind, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't snap.

Sienna understood. "Of course. Take the day off. You've earned it."

Leaving aside the fact that a day off looked a lot like a day on for him - at least when he wasn't on a mission - Adam appreciated the dismissal and left without another word, followed closely by his two shadows. He needed some fresh air, preferably well out of earshot of whatever argument Ghira and Sienna would be having. Jakob and Bane were only too happy to follow him down toward the water, with Jakob steering him to a small building a little off the beaten path.

It was a bar, because of course it was. Adam had never been in here, but it looked like Jakob was a bit of a regular. He even knew the bartender by name. "Hey Lucy!" She looked familiar, but Adam couldn't place her.

"Hey Jakob!" she hollered back, cleaning a glass. It was pretty dead in there, but then again, most people didn't come for drinks before the day even got started. "A little early, isn't it?"

"It's five o'clock somewhere." Yeah, but they were closer to 5 a.m. than p.m. "Just got back from a mission."

The set over the bar had the news running, so Lucy made the obvious connection. "That your doing?"

"You bet!"

"Sure it was."

"It was!" Jakob insisted. Adam and I blew up the SDC building in Mistral last night. Promise!"

"Wait…Adam? Is that…Adam Taurus?" Now he recognized her. She was one of Saph's friends. The ones who had fangirls written all over them.

"Told you I was friends with him."

"Is that true?"

Jakob silently begged him to answer. Reluctantly, Adam confirmed, "Since Orostachys."

"See? Told you." Did she really not know? Saph could've confirmed it for her, seeing as she'd seen them together. He chalked it up to banter and let it go.

Coming around the bar with a trio of filled glasses, Lucy nodded to a table. "Well in that case, drinks are on the house."

"Aw, Lucy, you're the best."

"Sure am." This Lucy girl certainly didn't lack in confidence. "Who's the big guy?"

Bane looked between Adam and Jakob, as if he honestly thought she meant one of them. Jakob laughed, slapping Bane's broad shoulder. "Oh! My bad. This is Bane. He was with us back at the mining camp, too. Don't let his size fool you, though. He's a big, old softie who's great with kids." Leaning closer to her, Jakob whispered far too loudly, "Single, too."

Bane's face glowed brighter than the neon sign over the bar. Lucy's eyes roved over him for a moment, drinking him in without a hint of embarrassment. "Is that so? Well maybe we'll see if we can fix that." And he thought Saph was bad. For someone who worked with drinks all day, Lucy sure looked thirsty. Poor Bane didn't know what to do, especially when she came back with a napkin and slid it across the table. "Call me sometime."

"Attaboy, Bane!" Jakob cheered as she sauntered away. Did no one believe in subtlety anymore? "You could learn a thing or two from him, Adam."

"All he did was sit there."

"And it worked!" Adam didn't see the lesson but knew better than to push any further. Instead, he tilted the glass back and braced for impact.

Maybe he'd been scarred by his first experiences with alcohol. Or he'd just gotten used to the overpowering bite of the Orostachys brew. Either way, he wasn't prepared for the smoother, richer taste of whatever Menagerie had on tap. After braving the first sip, Adam downed half the glass in one go.

"Good, eh?" Jakob was watching, probably expecting as much. "Better than the swill back in Orostachys."

It was, but that felt like setting the bar pretty low. Bane downed the whole thing, then sat with a contemplative look for a few seconds. "I prefer the Watering Hole."

"You would. Stuff hit like a truck." And Bane regularly knocked several of them back without much trouble. Maybe it had something to do with his size. Or years of overpowering booze had dulled his senses to the point regular beer just didn't do it for him anymore. Either way, if Bane wanted the stronger stuff, he could have it all to himself.

Lucy came by with another round. "You boys like it?"

"Great as always."

"Better than the crap I've had before."

"It's good." Jakob and Adam turned to Bane in unison. Good, huh? That's not what he said a few seconds ago. Maybe Lucy wasn't the only one interested after all.

"Oh yeah. Bane was just telling us how much he loved it. Isn't that right, Bane? Nice and smooth." The table, and Jakob, jumped suddenly. Jakob winced as he added, "It's got a great kick, too."

"Glad to hear it. Family recipe."

Jakob did his best to hold it together as she left, then bent over to rub his shin. "Not cool, man."

"I think you were asking for it," Adam pointed out, earning a grateful nod from Bane.

They took their next drinks slower, with Jakob mindlessly chatting about his weekend plans with Saph, upcoming training, and even the weather. He seemed to hate silence and did his best to fill it any chance he got.

Eventually, though, he ran out of topics. With a long swig to finish off his glass and a wave for another round, Jakob asked, "So, you ready to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"No," Adam answered, leaving Bane lost in the mix. "I'm not."

To his credit, Jakob didn't push. As oblivious as he could be, he knew certain lines weren't meant to be crossed. "Alright, then I propose a toast."

"To what?"

"To Adam Taurus!" Jakob loudly boasted to the empty room, rising to his feet. "Hero of Orostachys, champion of the White Fang, and the best friend a guy could ask for."

Adam rolled his eyes, even if his mask hid the motion. "Not exactly a lot of competition for the title. No offense, Bane."

"He's all yours," Bane promised with a grin.

"To Adam! And to the White Fang!"

"To Adam!" Bane thundered along, echoed by a bemused Lucy across the room.

"I think you've had one too many," Adam chuckled, grateful for the lack of an audience. "Maybe you should sit down, drunkie."

"You haven't seen me drunk," Jakob insisted, even if the slight stumble as he sat down didn't really help his case. "Not yet."

Adam had a feeling that wouldn't take long.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Adam stumbled back to his apartment, a six pack of bottles in hand. He wasn't as bad off as Jakob, who they'd nearly had to carry home until Lucy said she had a room in the back he could use. Apparently he'd been a regular guest there. She called Saph to let her know, waving Adam off when he tried to pay before mouthing "call me" to Bane as she pointed to her scroll and chatted with Saph some more.

Bane had walked him all the way back to his apartment. If Jakob had been there, he probably would've made some joke about a kiss at the doorstep or something. Instead, with a reassuring squeeze of Adam's shoulder, he'd left in silence, no worse for wear after their binge.

Adam fumbled for his keys, grumbling about never being able to find the things before remembering the door had an electronic lock. He practically slammed his scroll against the pad, then barged through the door the moment it clicked. He padded through the room, handing his beer to his confused roommate before collapsing on the couch.

Wait. Roommate?

Adam bolted up into a seated position, whipping his head to spot a very uninvited guest. "What do you want?"

"Good to see you too," Blake replied, looking down at his drinks before setting them on the table.

"Why are you in my apartment?" And how? Didn't this place have a lock?

"Sienna asked me to house-sit while you were gone." Which meant Blake now had a key to his apartment. Great. There would be no escaping her now.

Looking around, Adam could notice the telltale signs of someone else having been in his home. A dirty plate on the coffee table. Trash in the trash can. One of her books tossed on a chair. Oh, and the purple blanket and pillow on his couch. Wait, had she slept there? Why not just use the bed? Then again, the thought of someone else using his bed felt a little weird, even someone as familiar as Blake.

Nodding to the six pack, Blake asked the obvious question. "You been with Jakob?"

"How could you tell?" Amused at the joke, Adam took a deep breath and pushed himself off the couch, ambling his way to collect the drinks and put them in the fridge but keeping one out for himself. Jokingly, he held one out to Blake. "Want one?"

She didn't laugh. "Really?"

"Sure. Why not?" Looking around at the dirty dishes and discarded food, he added, "What's mine is yours, apparently."

"Sorry. I didn't realize you'd be back yet. I was going to clean up before you got here." Whatever. Adam rustled through a kitchen drawer, slamming it shut as he opened the next one down and finally found a bottle opener. Popping the caps off both bottles, he practically shoved one into Blake's hands and made his way back to the couch. She followed him hesitantly, eyeing the bottle in her hands like Adam would take it back. "Are you sure?"

Adam ignored her as he took a swig from his own bottle. Ghira would have a fit if he found out, but what else was new? Nothing Adam did ever pleased the man. Besides, this was Adam's house, which meant he made the rules. So far, he didn't have any. He could worry about those later.

His drink wasn't quite as smooth as he remembered it being. Must've had something to do with the tap. Or maybe the stuff at the bar was fresher. But even if this more bitter brew didn't stack up against the bar's supply, he was too tipsy and tired to care. Right now, all he wanted was to relax and forget last night for a bit.

That, and to see how Blake handled her drink.

He'd hoped for a show, much like Jean and Flanagan had with him years ago. He'd make sure to give her a hard time about wasting his drink and force her to clean up the mess, along with the rest of his apartment. Not that it was that dirty. He left more stuff lying around all the time, but it was his place. He could trash it if he wanted. Blake, on the other hand, would need to clean up after herself, especially considering the mess she'd be making any second now.

She sniffed the bottle, nose scrunching at the odor, but he knew she could resist a challenge. Sure enough, she went for it, ignoring the common sense approach of a small sip in a foolhardy display of youthful ambition.

"Ew. Do people actually like this?" No spray. No vomit. Not even so much as a gag. Blake set the bottle down on the coffee table, distancing herself from the potent potable and ruining Adam's fun.

"You're no fun," Adam grumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing." Talk about a letdown. Who'd have guessed Bane being flirted with would be the best entertainment of the day?

Blake sat through the awkward silence of Adam sipping his beer. The bottle emptied far too soon, as Adam held it up for inspection, convinced the thing was holding out on him. Blake pushed her mostly full bottle over to him. Seeing no reason to let it go to waste, Adam decided to finish it off for her. As he drank, Blake cleared her throat and asked, "So how did the mission go?"

Wiping his lips, Adam kept his response short. Very short. "It went."

"You…wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" No way was he going to make this easy. Hopefully she'd take the hint and leave it alone.

She didn't. "About the mission." When Adam ignored her attempt, she continued, "I heard what happened."

"Did you?" Then why bother asking him about it? They went, blew up a few buildings, and someone died. Case closed. What more did she want from him?

"Kinda hard not to. Dad was yelling about it all morning." Big surprise. No wonder Blake was hiding out in his apartment. Probably just wanted to get away from an angry Ghira. "Did…was it one of ours?"

"Huh?"

"The body," Blake clarified. "Did one of ours die on the mission?"

"No."

"That's good."

"Is it?" Blake didn't have an answer for that one. "Why is it good, Blake? Why does it matter whether the dead person was a faunus or not? Hm? Do you think that makes them any less dead?"

"N-no, I-"

Adam was on his feet before he knew it. "At the end of the day, we all die the same. Human. Faunus. Is one life worth more than another? They both have families. Friends. Loved ones. Will they be less missed just because they were human?"

"I just-"

"Just what? Worried you might know them? That you might actually care about them? Is that it?" Adam knew it wasn't fair to lump this all on Blake, but she'd made the mistake of pushing. She'd have to deal with the consequences. "She's dead, Blake. An innocent woman is dead because of me. I killed her. She did nothing wrong and I killed her! I didn't even hesitate. I-" Adam's voice pinched off for a second, giving him a chance to catch his breath. "She's dead, and…and it's all my fault."

The admission sapped the energy from him in a flash, leaving him to fall back on the couch again. Blake didn't move at first, too shocked at the sudden outburst to react. Finally, when it was clear Adam wouldn't say more, Blake asked, "What happened?"

Adam told her everything. Every little detail from the moment they entered Mistral all the way to their explosive exit. Most importantly, he told her about the woman. How he'd killed her rather than risk her raising the alarm. She didn't have a weapon. She couldn't stop them. She posed absolutely no threat beyond the possibility of her screaming, and for that he'd cut her down.

"It's not your fault, Adam."

"How can you say that?" he demanded of her, though he lacked any of the force from a few minutes ago. "I killed her."

"You did what you had to do to protect everyone," Blake reasoned. "If she'd alerted someone-"

"She didn't." She'd barely even made a sound. He'd made sure of that.

"If she had," Blake continued, "your team would've been in danger. Someone might've gotten hurt." Ha. So better to kill someone than risk a little danger to others? Talk about messed up logic. Did saving his own skin really justify killing some random woman? He had a feeling she wouldn't agree. "You shouldn't feel bad about what happened."

"That's the problem."

Adam's quiet words almost seemed to echo in the suddenly silent room. Everyone assumed Adam was struggling with the guilt of killing an innocent woman. That the sight of someone dying by his hand had somehow broken him. That couldn't be any further from the truth.

"I don't feel bad. Why don't I feel bad, Blake?" His eyes begged her for an answer, but the cold Grimm mask denied his plea. Fitting, given the monster that lay behind it. "I killed her. Stabbed her without even a second thought. I watched her life fade away in front of me. Hopes and dreams shattered in an instant. A whole future stolen by my hand. And you know what I felt in that moment?" She didn't dare answer. "Nothing. I was too busy worrying what her death might mean for the mission. What the news reports would say. Whether Sienna would be upset. But when it came to her? Nothing."

When had killing become so easy? Even Gideon's death had shaken him, and Adam couldn't think of someone who deserved it more. He hadn't even meant to kill Gideon. But this random woman? Instinctual or not, he'd gone straight for the kill. The moment she appeared in that doorway, her life ended.

He'd killed before, but only when he had to. Every person he'd killed had tried to kill him or someone close to him first. The thief in the warehouse. Geryon as he tried to execute Axol. Gideon for beating Maurice half to death and refusing to stop. Even the Branwen bandit. Sure, he didn't deliver the finishing blow, but he'd practically killed the man to save himself and his friends.

Not this time, though. What threat did an unarmed civilian really pose against him? He could've threatened her. Grabbed her. Knocked her unconscious. Anything! Instead, he'd gone straight to a more permanent solution.

"What if she had a family? People that loved her?" People that would never see her again. "Did she have a son? Is some kid waking up an orphan, wondering why his mom never came home last night?" Like he had when Mazarin never came back for him? He'd promised to protect people - to make sure no one suffered like he had. Instead, he'd become the instrument of suffering. "None of that mattered to me. All I cared about was completing the mission, no matter what happened. I killed her, and do you know what I felt? Nothing. It was as easy as stomping on a bug."

"Adam-"

"I wanted to kill her. The moment I saw her, I knew she had to die. And do you know what worried me most about it?" Blake knew a rhetorical question when she heard one. "I worried how it might affect the mission. The stupid mission!" In one move, Adam snatched the beer bottle and hurled it across the room, shattering it against the wall. "I'm a monster, Blake."

He'd always been one. Part of him had hoped that he'd redeemed himself at his suffering had atoned for his past sins. But he knew now that he'd never erase that darkness. He'd done things that could never be forgiven, and this was just one more on the growing list. He was as bad as the Grimm. Worse. At least they were mindless. He'd chosen this path And no matter how hard he tried, there was no going back.

"You're not a monster."

Adam's breath caught as he turned to Blake.

"You're not a monster, Adam," she assured him.

"How can you say that? You don't even know some of the things I've done." If she did, she might run screaming from his apartment. He wouldn't even blame her. That was the natural response to seeing a monster.

"No, but I know some of what you've done." Even that could be bad. He hadn't exactly kept his hands clean since coming to Menagerie. "You saved those men at Orostachys."

"They saved themselves." He spent most of the fight secured in a stockade, writhing in pain from his lost eye.

"That's not how Jakob and Bane tell it." As if those two could be trusted. In their eyes, Adam could do no wrong. "Or how about Shidekobushi? Or Shobu? What about all those innocent faunus you rescued in Mantle? Ilia owes you her life for that." One of the few things he could admit to being proud of, but that didn't make up for all he'd done. "Face it, Adam. You're the only one who sees yourself as a monster."

"What about that woman?" He'd seen the look in her eyes, even as they darkened. It was the same look you'd give a Grimm as it tore your home apart.

Blake chose her words carefully. "I'm not saying she deserved to die." Good, because they could only afford one monster in this room, and Adam already had dibs. "But sometimes, there aren't any good choices. You did what you thought was best for your men, and at the end of the day, they all made it home safely."

"She didn't."

"She didn't," Blake agreed, reaching over to lay a hand on his arm, "but that doesn't make you a monster. If you were, you wouldn't care about her dying, which you do," she hastened to add before he could deny it. "Maybe you didn't at the time, but you do now. If you were really a monster, you'd be out celebrating, not hiding in your apartment wishing you could fix things."

Was he? "So you're saying it's okay I killed her because I regret it later?" Even to him, that sounded messed up.

"I'm saying you can't change the past, so why live in it?" That sounded like it came straight from Kaito. He'd be proud to hear she actually paid attention, even if only to weaponize it against others. "You did what you thought was best for the people you were protecting. Maybe it wasn't the best choice, but I'd rather have you here than not."

Selfish. Then again, most people were. "Even if I didn't feel bad about it?"

"Even then," Blake promised. "But you feel bad about not feeling bad, don't you? That's kind of the same thing."

"It really isn't."

"We'll agree to disagree." Blake managed a smile despite the weight in the air. "Besides, I agreed to keep an eye on you, didn't I? That means I get to say when you're wrong."

"It really doesn't."

"Like right now. You're wrong."

"Brat." How is it that she could actually make him laugh at a time like this? "Thanks, Blake. This - talking to you - actually helped a little." Despite the fact it started out as a train wreck.

"I do what I can," she boasted. "Then again, I might be able to help more if I came on a mission with you…"

"No."

"Worth a shot," she said, grinning impishly. And just like that, the moment was ruined.

"I must be pretty bad if I need help from some preteen."

"Teenager," she vehemently corrected, standing up and walking toward the door. "And I've been told I'm very mature for my age."

"Yeah. Sure." He doubted that. She had a good head on her shoulders and all, but all it took was someone making fun of her or for her to go anywhere near the training fields, and she'd remind you just how young she really was. "Anyways, I should probably get some sleep. Don't worry about the-"

The sound of another bottle opening cut him off. Blake came back, pushing a cold beer into his hand. He noticed she didn't bring one for herself this time.

"You don't have to-"

"I'm staying," Blake insisted, settling down in her chair and opening her book. The fact that he acknowledged that seat as hers showed just how much he'd let his guard down around her. "We can talk more if you want, or we can just sit here. Whatever you need."

"I think I need a better role model. You're a bad influence," Adam joked as he took another drink.

"You know you love me."

"And now you're starting to sound like Jakob."

Blake bristled. "Just for that, you can get your own drink next time."

Adam made it through the rest of his bottle before deciding to turn in. Blake helped him to his room, muttering something about his weight before unceremoniously dropping him on his mattress. She promised to clean up before she left, then turned off the light and shut his door. He could vaguely hear the sound of her washing dishes, but with how comfortable his bed felt at the moment, he soon drifted off to sleep. The last thing he heard was the sound of the kettle whistling as Blake made herself some tea and settled in, cementing her claim to his home. He had no idea how long she stayed, only that she was gone before he woke up. He checked before taking a shower, just to be safe. No need to risk her walking in on him accidentally. The apartment felt strangely empty with only him there. Even worse since he'd been gone so much recently. She'd even restocked his pantry and fridge for him, letting him grab a quick bite to eat before deciding he didn't feel like facing anyone else and holed up in his living room.

Maybe she was right. He wished he could go back and figure out a way to not kill that woman, but if it came down to choosing between her and his squad, he'd choose them every time. It was easy to judge in hindsight - see the other ways around a problem when there wasn't any pressure. In the moment, you had to do the best with what you had, even if the best wasn't very good.

Either way, he couldn't just give up because of one bad mission, no matter how he felt. He'd done a lot of good since joining the White Fang. He shouldn't throw that all away just because he'd messed up. If anything, it just meant he'd need to work harder to make things right. He'd make sure next time there weren't any mistakes. Whatever happened, he'd do his best to prevent situations like Mistral again and be better prepared if he faced that choice again.

And if worse came to worst, Blake would be there to help remind him of what was important.

Blake should really be more careful about what she's dong. I'm sure she means well, but she might regret some of her decisions later on.

I know there'll be some people confused as to why he's so upset at not being upset when he's clearly upset about the lack of upsettedness. Heck, I got confused halfway through writing that sentence. In his mind, her death at the time didn't seem all that important compared to more pressing matters, and that's what scares him. The idea of what he's become. Good thing Blake's there to get rid of those concerns for him. Definitely won't lead to him justifying things later.

Always worry about pacing, but it can be hard to keep track of it in the moment. Was still worried I was dragging things out and needed more action when I went back to check something in an earlier chapter, only to see it happened pretty recently. Got me thinking a bit and noticed that in the span of less than 10 chapters, we've had 3 missions and Sienna taking over the White Fang. Not to mention we had the big Atlas mission and an evolution of Adam's Semblance right before that. Guess I wasn't joking about upping the pace a bit. May slow down a tad and possibly start time skipping slightly in the near future, as I've got some pretty important plans that won't happen for another year or two in the timeline. Stay tuned for more!

On a brighter note, we got to sneak in a Celebrity Jeopardy reference from back when SNL was actually funny. Ah, the good old days of Sean Connery mispronouncing categories. I can never read the words Let It Snow with a straight face thanks to that skit.

Next chapter: Honestly, I haven't fully decided yet. We'll all find out together.