Had my root canal Tuesday. Miserable procedure with my mouth hanging open for over an hour, but the recovery was a lot easier than expected. Pretty much back to normal the next day, though the gum is little irritated. Going back in next week to get a temporary crown, then a few more weeks for the permanent one. Meanwhile, I'm getting ready for a very busy May. Gonna be down in Florida in two weeks for a graduation (no chapter on May 10 as a result). When I get back, I'll have less than a week before work sends me on travel for a month. Should be able to write in the evenings, so shouldn't impact this story, but not looking forward to being away from home so much.
Even though I hope no one gets confused, I just have to say that any thoughts Adam expresses are his own. I in no way condone his rationalities or actions, including in this chapter. Just gonna throw this here before I get any weird messages with people trying to insinuate that I agree with him in any way, shape, or form.
Adam couldn't imagine ever wanting to go back to Vale. The weather had been nice enough, except for that one night where it wouldn't stop raining and they'd been stuck huddling together under a tree. It was a miracle they hadn't all gotten sick, drenched to the bone as they were and caked in mud. He'd always considered himself an outdoors kind of person, but after a night like that, he could really go for some modern conveniences.
No, the real problem with Vale had just been the boredom. Maybe it would've been better in the city. Even Ostia looked lively enough. Too bad he'd been stuck on the outskirts. Being the most wanted man on Remnant wasn't all it was cracked up to be. For being so wanted, no one really wanted him around.
He'd even heard good things about Vale overall. They weren't perfect, but they treated faunus a lot better than Atlas and Mistral did. Only Vacuo had less discrimination, and that was more out of a lack of care than any real effort. When the very land itself wanted you dead, it was hard to care who had what kind of ears. Then again, Atlas wasn't exactly a tropical paradise, and they still found time to belittle and oppress faunus at every turn.
It must've been the SDC. That was the only real common factor. Vacuo's dust deposits were practically non-existent nowadays, and whatever lay in the deserts of that Kingdom wasn't worth searching for anymore. Vale held some promise, but their anti discrimination laws and sporadic deposits made Mistral a much more tempting ally.
Still, SDC aside, Adam could at least respect what little effort Vale had made for faunus. It helped that they'd fought against Atlas and Mistral in the Great War. Sticking it to Atlas would always win points in his book. Despite that, all he'd remember Vale for was how pointless and boring his time there proved. He couldn't imagine ever wanting to go back there.
Until he'd been stuck on a ship with Marcus.
"I spy…with my little eye…something…blue."
"I swear, if you do that one more time, I'll use you as bait for a Grimm shark." Not that he knew if such things existed, though he'd be shocked if they didn't. What would they even be called? And other than their more aggressive nature, would they even be that different from regular sharks?
Marcus shook his head. "Wrong! The ocean."
Sensing the impending death of her teammate, Nag recommended, "Why don't we play the quiet game for a bit?"
"Nah. We played that yesterday." And what a glorious half hour that had been. "It's Adam's turn." Unamused, Adam began picturing just how they'd tie Marcus up before tossing him overboard. "Here, I'll get you started. I spy, with my little eye, something…"
"Dead."
"Quiet game it is!" A wise choice.
Maybe coming up for fresh air had been a mistake, but he could only take being cooped up below decks for so long. Maybe he'd go back down and see if Blake and Ilia were still playing cards. Things had gotten pretty bad if he was willing to put himself through that embarrassment so willingly. Ilia still struggled to understand the different hands and strategies, always asking Blake to teach her again. They'd spent a good chunk of the last few days playing every game Blake knew together. Adam had joined in a few times, finding he much preferred spades and hearts to the suffering of poker and blackjack.
Exploring the ship's cargo had lost its appeal all too quickly. He'd half-expected - and half-hoped - the SDC would try to smuggle in weapons or even Knights, but sending armed robots to an ally's capital city sounded like a great way to start a war. They apparently had enough tension with Mistral to dare risk angering their next closest friend. Instead, most of the containers were either dust or general goods like clothing, tools, and toys. They'd probably rented out space on deck for smaller businesses to send their wares rather than paying for separate shipping. Some of the supplies would find their way to a few villages the White Fang helped support, as well as charitable donations to poor faunus in Mistral. If the Council found out and tried to confiscate the stolen goods, they'd only alienate more faunus and push them right into the White Fang's waiting arms.
Either way, the White Fang won.
Traveling all the way to Menagerie would've taken a long time. Too long. Thankfully, they only had to endure the first half. Adam never thought he'd be grateful for his banishment from his last home. Even so, when the shores of Anima graced the horizon, Adam nearly cheered. It still took another two days from there to reach their rendezvous, where a fresh crew from Menagerie had flown in and awaited them. He'd made sure he caught the first ride back to shore, ostensibly so he could help guard against Grimm while they ferried more men out, but really just so he could get his feet on solid ground sooner.
The ride to the new White Fang camp only took an extra day, and before long, the five of them were welcomed back as heroes to the camp. After much debate - and by that, he meant Yuma coming up with a million names that Trifa shot down until she finally agreed to one - they'd finally settled on a name. Camp Nonemu. Adam could only shake his head in dismay at Yuma's knowing grin.
"It's an obscure word for feminine," Trifa explained, somehow missing that Yuma would never have suggested something like that.
"Feminine," Adam repeated.
"Uh huh. I already reported it to Sienna, so it's official." She beamed with pride at what she probably saw as her first real act of leadership. That glow faded a little when she noticed how unimpressed Adam looked. "What? Did I do something wrong?" Panic. "Crap. Was I supposed to wait for you to okay it first? We can tell Sienna-"
"It's your camp," Adam reminded her. "Its name is up to you. Camp…Nonemu."
Trifa didn't miss how he had to force the word out. "What's wrong with the name? I think it sounds nice."
"You want to tell her, or should I?"
"Tell me what?"
They both turned to Yuma, face bright red with both a hand desperately clasped over his mouth to hold back the laughter. Trifa's confusion proved the last straw. "Phbbbt!" Good thing his hand was in the way. Trifa would not have appreciated the sudden shower.
Huh. Adam didn't think Trifa could get any paler, yet what little color she had drained from her face. "What did you do?"
Fighting his laughter back as best he could, Yuma managed to wheeze out, "No, what did you do?"
"It means No Name." Adam figured he'd go ahead and spoil the ending a bit. "So congratulations. You two are now in charge of Camp Nonemu." The dawning horror on Trifa's face did little to stop him driving the point home. "Camp No Name."
"I'll kill you!"
Combat lesson number one. Never let your guard down around an opponent. Especially when that opponent was a ticked off woman. He'd have to see about updating that entry and drilling it into their heads. Luckily, Yuma had a head start, judging by how Trifa was beating the lesson into him.
Words flew from Trifa that would make a sailor blush as she tackled Yuma to the ground and tried to, in her own words, "claw your stupid face off!" Okay, not her exact words. He'd edited out some of the more colorful adjectives. In the midst of the newest camp of the most feared terrorist group on Remnant, Yuma cackled as he guarded his face and made no effort to fight back, all while the rest of Alpha Squad and most of the camp gathered to watch, laugh, and hurl encouragement and insults in equal measure. The two fighters were meant to be leaders of this deadly group, yet here they were, acting like children with their schoolyard brawl.
It was stupid. Silly. Crass. Unprofessional.
It was exactly what Adam needed.
He watched the pair tussle, little glimpses of aura flashing under Trifa's blows. Looked like Yuma had started to get the hang of moderating his aura while they were gone. Even if Trifa swore and promised nothing but death to Yuma, Adam didn't miss the smile that stubbornly wormed its way onto her face. She knew they could change the name at any time. It was nothing more than a convenience - a way to set the camps apart while giving them a little personality. Could've called it anything. Still could. But he had a feeling the name Nonemu would stick. Trifa would mutter and complain whenever someone said it, but the silly name would be just another game between them.
If only everyone in Mistral could see them now. The monsters of the White Fang, responsible for untold pain and suffering with blood-soaked hands and bent on destruction, laughing and playing like anyone else. He doubted they'd believe it, even if it happened right in front of them. He and his team weren't just some two-dimensional villains out to burn down all of humanity. They were just normal people pushed to the brink who'd chosen to finally stand up for themselves. At the end of the day, the only thing that separated them from everyone else is that they chose to fight for what they believed in.
If only the world had listened to their cries. If only they'd stood up to protect the weak. Instead, humanity had sat by, watching the faunus suffer but not caring. Oh, they'd get upset at news of the SDC underpaying their workers and getting faunus hurt and killed in their unsafe mines. They'd tut tut when a faunus was unfairly sentenced by a biased judge. When they saw faunus protesting for more protection or calling out those that oppressed them, those same humans would silently support them and hope things worked out.
And that's all they'd do.
No one ever came to their aid. They might not be the ones who threw rocks at protestors, but they sure as hell didn't bother stopping them either. Holding the SDC accountable sounded nice until they realized they might have to pay a little more for dust as a result. In the end, their care ended the moment they actually had to do something themselves.
Which meant the faunus had to stand up for themselves. Really, were they so different from Atlas' soldiers? Those men and women were willing to fight and die for their Kingdom. Adam and the White Fang were prepared to do the same for their entire race. Yet one received praise and admiration while the other got nothing but condemnation. It was almost funny, especially since Atlas had the best weapons and technology, along with a massive numbers advantage. The White Fang had next to nothing. Even though they'd won the Faunus Rights Revolution, the faunus ended up losing everything in the aftermath. They'd been reduced from the greatest fighting force in history to a source of cheap labor.
Perhaps the world needed reminding who the superior species was.
"Break it up, you two." Adam finally intervened, separating the pair before Trifa's fists got too sore. Oh, and to save Yuma. "Debrief in twenty. I want all of you there."
"Do we have to?"
"Yes," Adam responded flatly. "We've been gone for a while." Too long. "I want to know the status of Camp Nonemu. Then Blake and I will give you the rundown on our time in Vale." Nothing perked them up quite like a good story, and it didn't get much better than a successful mission. Fools. They had no idea just how boring it'd been. "After that, the mission team has the night off. I'll make my report to Sienna tonight after dinner."
His stomach heartily approved of that plan.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"So your mission was a success?"
"Completely," Adam answered, pleased Sienna agreed. "All objectives were accomplished and we left evidence pointing to our involvement in Ostia."
A dangerous gambit, but a necessary one. The White Fang had been quiet since Euryale. Enough so that people might've started wondering if they'd overreached against Atlas and couldn't recover. They needed to be seen. More than that, they needed to spread their enemies thin. Atlas had committed far more resources to Anima than expected, even going so far as to set up a fortified base within another Kingdom's borders. The White Fang had done next to nothing outside of Anima since his first trip to Atlas, which meant their enemies could focus all their attention on one area, content that they had the White Fang on the ropes. A final push to crush them once and for all.
Now, they'd struck at a completely different target, hitting the shores of Vale though still hurting the SDC. Already, some in Vale were calling for Atlas to reinforce them, which would split Ironwood's gaze and allow them more breathing room. At the same time, some would see their arrival as another overreach, similar to what happened to Mistral. Stirring up the citizenry against Atlas gave them plenty of cover for their own protests and would help improve recruitment in their new branch. It would also bolster morale as the White Fang could claim victory alongside their sudden surge in supplies.
Adam loved it when a plan came together.
"I'm pleased to hear this, Adam," Sienna all but purred. A lesser man would've blushed at the sound, but Adam knew her excitement came not from him but from the progress he'd made for their organization. "I've spoken with Kelly since you left. They've already had a dozen new members."
"Already?" A dozen newbies wouldn't exactly be enough to change a Kingdom, but it was a heck of a start. Considering they'd left Kelly with only a few trained men and the promise of support, getting that kind of early momentum was promising.
Maybe a little too promising. Remnant was finally taking them seriously, so he wouldn't put it past them to be watching for a chance to infiltrate the White Fang with agents loyal to the Kingdoms. Race traitors. The type of faunus who were so scared of changing the status quo that they'd betray their own kind to protect themselves. All it would take is one spy getting into an elevated position to undermine their entire operation.
Adam said as much. "Don't worry. We've already taken that into account." They had? How? She must've guessed his unspoken question. "Let us worry about that. For now, I want you to prepare to restart operations in Anima."
"Actually," Adam interjected, "I had another idea."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Camp Nonemu needs more time to finish setting up, and splitting manpower between here and Reyno is bound to cause problems." Their numbers had already dipped after Euryale, both from serious injuries and deserters who didn't like their new direction. Not to mention the men who'd died taking the base.
"You think I've overextended us." Not we. I. Her. The blame would land squarely at Sienna's feet. Saying so would be a slap to her face.
Adam had never been one to pull punches. "I do."
Sienna chuckled softly at his blunt honesty. "You're not wrong. Our numbers are low. That's part of the reason I was so eager to start the Vale branch."
"But that does nothing for Reyno and Nonemu." Less than nothing, since they'd had to temporarily send away a third of their leadership and permanently displace a handful of experienced men. A long-term investment, but one that did little for their current conundrum.
"It does not," Sienna agreed after a moment's pause. "We may have dealt Atlas a blow at Euryale, but we didn't escape unscathed ourselves. So tell me, Adam. What would you have me do?"
"Recruitment." It was the first thing that came to mind. "Atlas sentiment is at an all-time low in Anima. We need to use that. The faunus have seen that we can fight…that we can win."
"They've also seen the price of victory." Sienna played Grimm's advocate far too well. "They weren't willing to join us when we were rallying in the streets. When the biggest risk was an arrest, they sat in their homes and watched. What makes you think they'll help us now, when death is on the line?"
As always, fear was a powerful enemy. Atlas had made sure to share numbers of dead and wounded on both sides, but not because they really cared about faunus lives. They wanted everyone to recognize the price of opposing them. Faunus everywhere watched as their own kind fought and died in that attack. Blood had been shed, and the common man feared shedding his own.
But fear could also be a powerful motivator. After all, what was courage but the fear of the consequences of inaction? Brave heroes were simply those who couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if they didn't intervene. The death of a loved one. A loss of reputation. Even something as simple as people talking about them behind their back. Fear could cripple a man as easily as it could raise him up.
And people had reason to fear Atlas. "They've seen what Atlas would do if left unchecked," Adam pointed out. "They'd bring war to the Kingdoms, then use it as an excuse to take power for themselves. We need to remind them that Atlas isn't just some foreign power hiding in the snow. They want more. They want Anima." And Sanus. They wanted it all. They'd tried once, fighting the Great War and trying to seize control of the world. Vale and Vacuo opposed them then and brought about the ruin of Mantle. "But we'll be the ones to stop them."
Atlas and the SDC had lived too long without fear. The only military and the almost exclusive provider of dust for all of Remnant. They were untouchable. Most of them probably never even considered the possibility of failure. The world ran on the power of the SDC and the mercy of Atlas. Should either of those run out, the other Kingdoms would surely fall. No one dared challenge them, and as a result, they feared no one.
Until now.
"Atlas may have spilled our blood, but we proved they can bleed. They can be fought. They can be killed. They can be beaten. They're not as invincible as they want us to think." And that was the greatest loss Atlas had suffered. Their reputation. Because if a bunch of faunus from the middle of nowhere could take on Atlas and win, then they weren't really as indomitable as they pretended. Their teeth had been dulled by decades of peace and yellowed by complacency.
But his fangs were sharp and white.
"They shouldn't fear what they'll lose if they fight, but what they'll lose if they don't."
Was that…clapping?
"Bravo, Brother Taurus."
"Truly inspiring words."
"Hello, Corsac. Hello, Fennec." Sienna hadn't told him they were on speaker. A little warning would've been nice.
"Brother Taurus speaks true. We must-"
"I know what must be done." Sienna sounded exasperated, though he could hardly blame her. The brothers were good at what they did. Recruitment. Morale. Planning. Getting on people's nerves. Was the whole tag team talking something they practiced, or did it just come naturally? Maybe some sort of shared brain Semblance or something. "Very well. We shall increase recruitment efforts in Anima, but we need more. Action is important."
They certainly agreed on that. As miserable as the long days of boredom had been, they'd given him plenty of time to think. And in that time, he'd come up with a few ideas.
"I may have a plan for that."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Something was up. He could tell the moment he walked in. Everyone was gathered around Yuma, watching something until he entered. Suddenly, all eyes were on him.
"They can be fought. They can be killed. They can be beaten."
The voice- his voice - chirped from the scroll. Adam marched over, snatching the scroll from Yuma's hand to see flashes of reports from their attack dubbed over with his words from yesterday. It ended with the White Fang logo.
Stupid Albains. Using his words from yesterday as a rallying cry without telling him. He'd say he was surprised, but at this point, he probably should've expected as much. Even reports weren't safe from their schemes.
"I liked it," Indie offered.
"You woul- ow!"
"Thanks, Trifa," Adam said as Yuma rubbed the back of his head. "I take it you all know what's coming?" A rallying video like that was meant to bolster morale for the fight ahead, especially for new recruits. That meant recruitment would be the order of the day. Surely they could connect the dots.
Or not. "They want us to give speeches?"
Gods save him from such ignorance. "No. Recruitment." They still didn't get it. "We're about to become a lot more active, but our numbers are still low. Running two camps and starting up operations in Vale has us split in too many directions with our current forces." He left out the impact of the Euryale attack, but they had to know that was implied. "For now, the focus in Anima is to be on recruiting new members to bolster our ranks. Our Mistral contacts are already meeting with some potential recruits, but we need to spread the word in the outskirts."
A hand shot up, proving yet again that he couldn't purge that stupid habit. "You want us to do sign-ups in the villages? How does that work?"
"Quietly." They didn't need villages reporting their whereabouts back to Mistral and Atlas. Adam rolled out a map of the area. "Sienna's identified a few villages for us to start with. We'll send small teams in to observe for a few days and see how they're treated. Talk with some of the locals and get a feel for potential recruitment."
Discrimination. Anti-Atlas sentiment. Even Grimm activity. Grimm were drawn to negativity, so increased attacks might mean the locals were upset. Plus, if the Grimm were that active, then wouldn't it be safer with the White Fang? They could offer to get the faunus out to the safety of Menagerie, then work on pressuring them to join from there. Indebted to the White Fang for their protection and surrounded by the group, more than a few would feel obligated to join.
"Cerco will be leading efforts near Reyno, but I want Yuma and Trifa to lead the charge here." Not a mission, per se, but as close as they'd get until numbers rose. It would also be a good chance for them to take the reins in low-risk situations. "From there, we'll start putting together some missions to break them in." Simple things like hitting convoys or Grimm clearance near faunus villages. No reason to throw them into the deep end and scare them off.
This time, it was Blake's hand in the air. At least she waited for him to call on her. "You said the focus for Anima." Adam nodded. "Is there something else going on?"
Finally, someone with a brain. "There is," Adam confirmed. It was like tossing a match onto a pile of fire dust. He had to wait several seconds for the excited chatter to die down. "Our actions in Vale were just the first step. Atlas is worried we're about to become active in Sanus, but they haven't forgotten about Anima. We've split their attention, but not enough." Not enough to get the Schnee to leave Anima, at any rate. She remained determined to find their base and wipe it off the face of Remnant. Eye for an eye, as it were.
"You want us to attack Atlas."
"I do." No point denying it. "Atlas is too busy worrying about everyone else to keep an eye on themselves." Fools. He'd already hit them once, and while it had been a close call, he'd still pulled it off. Their noses were so far in everyone else's business, leaving them blind to what was right behind them. "It's time they remember to mind their own business."
It wouldn't be easy, but nothing in life worth having ever was. After his last visit, they'd beefed up security in Mantle, according to Felicia and her spies. Cameras were installed at practically every corner, keeping a close watch on the populace. They'd even started deploying security drones across the city - small, hovering cameras that gave them a closer look at suspected hotspots and made it harder to avoid Atlas' gaze. The citizens of Mantle had balked at them at first, but after being promised it was for their own protection, they'd gotten used to the intrusion.
Those who sacrificed their liberty for a little safety deserved neither, or so the saying went. Atlas had turned the lower city into a veritable prison for their citizens, and those idiots had accepted it with barely any complaint. They might as well shackle themselves and line up for the mines. Unfortunately, their blind faith meant Mantle would be a tough nut to crack, though not impossible.
Good thing he wasn't targeting Mantle this time.
"Atlas is preparing to open a new dust mine in the east," Adam reported, rolling out a new map over the previous. This one showed Atlas and their surrounding territory. A few villages dotted the snowy wasteland, but there was plenty of unused space. He pointed to a small cluster of mountains far away from the city. "Actually, it's a reopening."
"What happened?"
What always happens? "Three years ago, a cave in sealed the tunnels." Burying much of their workforce alive. "A Grimm attack delayed rescue efforts. It was declared a total loss and abandoned. Looks like they've decided to go back."
"Did they clear the Grimm?" Marcus asked.
"Yes, but only after waiting for their numbers to drop." Negativity drew them in, but there was only so much to go around when everyone died. Some stayed, but not in the numbers seen before. The SDC just had to wait for the mass grave to become old news, then swoop in and finish off the lingering threats. "They've already unsealed some of the tunnels and are finishing rebuilding the facility outside. New workers are expected to start arriving next month."
A fresh batch of faunus, forced to work in the same mine that had claimed the lives of dozens of their kind. There was a good chance they'd find the remains of the last workers as they dug - a grim reminder of how many of them would likely meet their end. Buried and abandoned, waiting in the dark for a rescue that would never come. One by one, their friends would pass, leaving them surrounded by nothing but corpses in a tomb lined with riches they'd worked to claim but never partaken of. As far as endings went, Adam couldn't think of a much crueler one.
Which is why he couldn't let it happen. "What's the plan?"
"We reseal the tomb," Adam answered. "The SDC plans to host a big opening ceremony to commemorate their newest mine before the workers arrive." Wouldn't want those filthy faunus in the background of their triumphant moment. "They want the world to watch as they reclaim another piece of Remnant from the Grimm and turn it into profit. I say we crash their party and remind everyone that the past should stay buried."
"Security?"
"High, but they're mostly there to watch for Grimm." Even with the area cleared, there was always the chance of a resurgence. They wouldn't risk their VIPs to a random attack like that. "Mostly stationary positions. They won't be a problem."
"Not for Adam," Azure cheered. "He could take them out with one arm tied behind his back."
No, he couldn't. Grimm defense meant they had more than just a few mounted weapons in place. The SDC had hired Huntsmen to clear the area and would have a few on site for the ceremony, both for added security and image. From what he could tell, they planned to opt for overkill, making sure everyone knew it was safe.
Which only made it a more tempting target.
"They won't be a problem because we're not going to attack."
"Hey, but you said-"
"I said we were going to bury it, and that's exactly what we're going to do." His grin turned deadly as he pointed to the mountains overlooking the mine, driving home his point. "We leave in one week. Bring only what you need. Speed is of the essence. If we pull this off, Atlas will be hot on our heels."
They'd have to be. Adam didn't just plan to take out a mine; he intended to show the whole world just how weak Atlas had become. All of Remnant would have a front row seat to the show, thanks to the news crews coming for the big unveiling. Instead, he'd broadcast their failure live. He'd love to see them try to spin that. Meanwhile, Adam would prove his words by striking their enemy directly.
It was time to make Atlas bleed again.
Fresh off a Vale visit, Adam is on his way to Atlas. This guy sure gets around.
After jokingly calling it Camp No Name in the chapter title two weeks ago, I decided to make it the official name. For anyone wondering, the alternate version Yuma offered is Hungarian, while the actual one is Japanese. Very different pronunciations, but if you remove the marks, the spelling is the same. Also, since I didn't mention it last week, Ostia comes from the ancient port city of Ostia, Rome. Like the idea of Roman and Latin influences in Vale, personally. And yes, I know that's not the actual Ben Franklin quote. Paraphrased a little, but the meaning is still the same. Considering we know what Atlas looks like in Volume 7, I'd say they embodied his words perfectly.
The White Fang needed time to lick their wounds, but staying quiet isn't really an option. Groups like that need to stay in the limelight if they want to survive. No one's going to support or join an illegal organization if they aren't front and center. A big attack on Atlas is just what they need.
Lastly, as I said before the chapter, just want to reiterate that I do not agree with Adam's thoughts. Just to be safe, I do not see terrorists as being equivalent to soldiers. Please do not waste your time trying to ascribe anything that a character thinks, says, or does as being evidence of my own opinions and beliefs. Needless to say, I would not support a group like the White Fang in real life attacking civilians and spreading chaos for their own purposes. Adam Taurus and I would not be friends in real life. Hate that I have to say that, but I've seen it happen to other writers too many times to not want to cover my own butt.
Next chapter: Adam goes back to Atlas!