Crazy how much a week off messed up my schedule, but we're back! Work meetings are done. I endured a sleep study. And now we're back to the fun of pre-canon Adam! Also, we've hit 90 chapters! No idea how many chapters there will be in the end, but there's still a lot of story to go, so it won't be wrapping up anytime soon. Funnily enough, this story has shown me there's character limits in Google Docs. Already had to start "Adam Fic Part 3" after maxing it out twice. Wonder how many files there'll be at the end.
Slaughtering Grimm. Fighting Atlas robots. Training new fighters. Yeah, he could do all that with ease.
Introductions, though?
"Blake, Ilia. Ilia, Blake."
Neither of the girls seemed to know what to do either, Ilia waving awkwardly despite being only a few feet away. Blake smiled back, half-hidden behind Adam like some sort of human shield. Gods, they were worse than him, and that was saying something!
Bane, thankfully, wasn't as useless as the rest of them. Adam hadn't been surprised to find him with Ilia. Or was Ilia with him? Either way, he seemed more than happy to break the ice for everyone. "Blake's part of the White Fang, just like us."
"Really?" Finally, words. Words he could work with.
"She's actually been part of it longer than we have," Adam added. How long had Blake been involved? With her parents being the leaders of the organization, she could've very literally been born into it. He'd never really given it much thought. "Haven't you, Blake?"
The obvious hinting for Blake to chime in worked. "Y-yeah. I'm training to fight, too."
"Like Adam?"
"He's the one training me," Blake replied. Somewhere, Adam could imagine Kaito grumbling about ungrateful students. "In fact, why don't we show you a little?"
No. Absolutely not. Blake wasn't about to use Ilia as an excuse for more training, especially right now. "I just got back. I'm a little tired."
"What? Afraid you'll lose?
The bait was so obvious she might as well have put up signs. "I've been cooped up on a ship for weeks." They really needed to find faster ways to get around. Bullheads and airships would be nice, but they couldn't exactly go down to the local store and order a fleet of them.
"Exactly. You had plenty of rest, unless you're saying you rowed that thing home."
Brat. He was halfway tempted to take her up on her offer, just to put her in her place, but he really didn't feel like it. "Actually, I need to talk to Sienna. I shouldn't keep her waiting."
"Don't rush on my account." Seriously? Was the whole world conspiring against him? Adam turned to find Sienna heading their way, a sly grin on her face. "I've got all the time in the world."
"See?" Blake sounded more eager than ever to get her butt handed to her. Or maybe he'd just forgotten how stubborn she could be. Either way, he was running low on excuses.
"Ghira asked me to talk to you," Adam tried, ignoring how much more interested Blake looked. "Alone. It's important." Throw me a bone here, he left out. They both knew it could wait, but the only hope Adam had of avoiding Blake's never ending demands relied on Sienna's help, and she knew it too.
Sienna dragged it out, considering his desperate plea with far too much satisfaction. Finally, she answered, "We'll talk in my office." Adam could've kissed her for the rescue. "Blake, why don't you show Ilia around? I'm sure she has lots of questions."
Blake wanted to follow and listen in. They all knew it. But she couldn't exactly spy on them with some random girl tagging along. Just to make sure she didn't slip away early, Adam added, "And maybe Bane can keep you two company." Or more importantly, keep an eye on Blake. The knowing nod he got from his larger friend confirmed the message was received. Bane proved reliable as ever.
"But what about training?" Blake whined.
There was no escaping her, was there? "Tomorrow," Adam reluctantly promised, knowing future Adam would hate him for it.
Ilia raised her hand shyly, reminding Adam just how young the girl really was. "Can I watch?"
Adam shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" Ilia brightened at the answer - as in, her skin and hair both changed tone to slightly more vivid shades. Her chameleon trait would take some getting used to.
"Tomorrow," Blake repeated, sealing his fate. "C'mon, Ilia. We can go grab something to eat first. Do you like tuna?"
Adam could only roll his eyes as the trio departed, both at Blake's stubbornness and her lifelong obsession with seafood. Faunus only had the one physical animalistic trait each, but Blake really lived up to the stereotype of faunus behaving like their animal counterparts. Then again, people would probably describe him as bullheaded. Was it something related to their biology or just a weird coincidence?
Either way, he had to remind himself of who he'd been left alone with. Sienna was every bit the cunning predator her ears belonged to. She'd followed him to the meeting with Ghira, inviting herself along to what…start a fight? He didn't believe for an instant that she'd tagged along to defend him. Did she want to cause a confrontation? But why in front of him? She could've waited until later and had the discussion without him. Instead, she'd given him a front row ticket to their latest spat. But why?
To force him to pick a side. He'd only dealt with Ghira and Sienna one on one so far, and he'd played both sides a bit in an effort to keep himself neutral. But Sienna didn't want neutrality. She wanted control. She wanted to lead, and for that, she needed Ghira out of the way. Ghira had warned him a war was coming, and Sienna looked to be preparing her side for the coming battles. Not physical fights, but an internal struggle waged behind closed doors by the current leader and Sienna, who actively wanted someone to take his place.
No surprise who she wanted that someone to be.
In the end, it would come down to who the White Fang supported more. Ghira had the edge for now, but only because he was already in power. Sienna had yet to openly challenge his position, but when that day came - and it felt closer than ever - whoever held the hearts of the White Fang would win.
No wonder Sienna wanted him so badly. Ghira, too. Like it or not, Adam's popularity had skyrocketed lately. Many saw him on the same or similar level as Sienna herself, but unlike her, he had zero interest in leading the White Fang. On top of that, he had a bit of a following of his own. Orostachys. Shidekobushi. Even the refugees from Atlas. They were all here thanks to him. At least, that's how they saw it. Chances were, whoever he threw his support behind, all three groups would follow almost unanimously. His vote counted for more than almost anyone else's right now.
"Go easy on her," Sienna hummed, interrupting his thoughts.
"Huh? Who?"
"Blake." Oh, her. He'd gotten so wrapped up in his own thoughts he'd almost forgotten. "She acts tough, but she was worried about you."
"Worried she'd lose her extra training." Kaito was good, but they both knew she'd grown much stronger under his brutal tutelage.
"No." The sharpness of Sienna's denial stopped him in his tracks. "She was worried about you. Ever since you left, she's done nothing but train and pester me for information." That sure sounded like Blake. "You should've seen her when they started broadcasting your attack. I thought she was going to storm Atlas herself to come get you. Probably would have if I hadn't assured her you made it out safe."
Safe was overselling it. He'd survived. Still, to hear that Blake had been so upset?
"Are you really that surprised?" Sienna had little trouble reading his thoughts. "She's grown rather attached to her teacher, it seems. Like it or not, you're probably the closest thing she has to a friend nowadays. Those that aren't scared off by her last name can't handle her drive, but you did. She looks up to you more than you realize."
"She shouldn't." Adam wasn't someone worthy of such praise.
"Well, she does," Sienna said without a hint of doubt. "She cares about you, and judging by how much you put up with her, I'd say the feeling's mutual."
"She's my student." Not just one of his students, though. He'd been training her long before starting a class.
"Is that all?" Sienna tilted her head in amusement. "Tell me, Adam. What would you do if someone wanted to hurt me?"
This time, it was Adam's turn to grin. "You're a big girl. I think you can handle yourself."
"How about Bane? Or Kaito? Even Jakob? Would you stand by and watch?"
"I'd help them," Adam answered easily. He'd help anyone in danger, especially his friends. "What's your point?"
"And what if someone wanted to hurt Blake?" Sienna's eyebrows rose a second later before a look of satisfaction eased across her face. She nodded once before turning to resume her walk. "That's my point." Her point? What point? Adam looked around before letting his eyes drift down.
Oh.
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. When had that happened? He knew, of course. Why else would Sienna be so smug? He hadn't even realized he'd reached for his weapon in that moment, but no matter how much he denied it, actions spoke louder than words.
Maybe he did care for Blake. Not in some lecherous way like Jakob once claimed or anything. Blake was…a friend? The word came easily enough. They talked. Trained together. Even lived in the same house. She was like a little sister in some ways. An absolute pain at times, but still someone important. Someone he'd protect at all costs, if only to make sure she had a better life than he'd been granted.
Adam pushed the thoughts aside for now, hurrying to catch up with Sienna once more. The moment he did, Sienna was back to business. "The refugees have all been provided temporary housing here, at least until we can make arrangements for everyone. It looks like Kuo Kuana's population is growing again. So many new families."
"What about Ilia?" She didn't have any family. Not anymore
"Worried about her?" Naturally. An orphaned faunus abused by the very people entrusted with her care? Being locked in a dark room wasn't as bad as what he'd been through, but it still had him clenching his fist. "We'll make sure your daughter is taken care of."
"Daughter?!" Adam nearly choked on the word.
"Well, you did adopt her from that orphanage, didn't you?" Yes, but…just no. He wasn't exactly fatherly material.
"Rescued," he hurriedly clarified.
Sienna ignored him. "Paid a pretty hefty sum for her, too. But can one really put a price on family?"
She was screwing with him. He knew it. Still, the thought of adopting someone sent a chill down his spine. He wasn't that far removed from childhood himself - agewise, at least. But if she wanted to mess with him, then it was only fair he turn it back on her. "With your money." Well, the White Fang's money, but she'd given it to him. "All I did was bring her home. She's your kid now."
For the first time Adam could remember, Sienna laughed. As in a genuine laugh. Not some amused chuckle or snort, but honest to goodness happiness. It was a beautiful laugh, but one that didn't fit the cold, calculating woman he knew. "That's fair. Well, don't worry. I'll make sure our daughter is looked after." And just like that, the sly smile returned, hiding a sharpness that fit her better. Closing her office door behind them, she asked, "So what was it you needed to talk about? Or was that just some pathetic excuse to ditch your biggest fan?"
She'd caught that, had she? "A little of both," Adam said as he claimed a seat in front of her desk. "Ghira and I talked after you left."
"Oh? And what did our glorious leader have to say?" The sarcasm practically dripped off her title for Ghira. "No, wait. Let me guess. He hates what we did, thinks we're idiots for trying, and wants us to give the dust back as a show of good faith."
The first part, certainly. "He had a request."
"Is that so? Does he hope you'll convince me to abandon my ways and finally see the light? That the risks of combat are too great, so we should just roll over and submit?" Sienna's eyes slipped down further, making Adam tense uncomfortably. "Or maybe he's finally decided to take me out of the picture entirely."
Take her out…"What? No!" He caught himself as he lunged forward with his denial, realizing what it might look like, but Sienna didn't even flinch. "He didn't ask me to kill you."
"How disappointing." How could someone be so blasé about life and death like that, especially their own? "It would've been delightful to show him how much of a hypocrite he is."
"Even if it killed you?"
"So confident you could kill me, are you?" Well, yes. If it came down to it, he was pretty sure he'd be the last one standing. "Then again, after seeing your fight with the Schnee, maybe I should be more worried." Did she always have to be so difficult? "What does Ghira want, then?"
"He wants to go on a mission."
He'd never seen Sienna look so surprised before. "A mission?"
"A relief mission," Adam specified before Sienna could cook up something like Atlas. "In Sanus. He wants to get more involved. Even said you were right."
He'd known that last bit would get her attention, but the smile she wore practically reached her ears. "Did he now?"
"Well, partially right." He still didn't agree on her more violent tendencies. "He said he's been away from the White Fang too long. Too focused on the rest of the world to spend time with his own people." Or something like that. "I suggested he go on a mission with us."
Far from being upset, Sienna looked thrilled at his suggestion. "And the old man actually agreed?" Adam nodded. "About time he remembered his roots. He wants to go to Sanus?"
"Mistral and Atlas aren't exactly thrilled with us right now." Not after what he'd pulled. "We thought somewhere around Vale would be less hostile."
"True. And it would be a huge blow if they arrested Ghira in his first time back in the field." It would be the most televised and pointless trial in history. The leader of the White Fang, locked up or even executed for their crimes. "Hm. This could work." The wheels were turning so fast, Sienna had to start pacing to keep up. "It'll take time to find a suitable destination. Something further out near the coast. Atlas will be expecting us to lay low for a bit, so as long as we're quick, they won't have time to intervene."
And risk an international incident by sending their military onto foreign soil? Would they really do something so foolish, just to get to them. He had a feeling they would. After all, as the only Kingdom that even had a military, who would stop them?
Sienna's next detail caught him off guard. "We'll both need to go."
"Both of us?"
"Both of us," she repeated, already on the move to study the map against the wall. "Security. We can't risk something happening to Ghira. Better to be over prepared than under." Were Felicia and Sienna related or something? "I'll see what I can do, but you can tell Ghira I'm working on it." Good. Ghira would appreciate the answer, even if Adam was already tiring of his role as messenger. "And find Corsac and Fennec. Tell them I need to talk to them."
"I'll track them down," Adam promised, heading for the door.
"Good. We've got a lot of work to do."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
It was weird seeing both Ghira and Sienna excited about the same thing. As long as he'd known them, the two had constantly been sniping at each other. But that evening, when he gave Ghira Sienna's response, Adam had enjoyed a brief glimmer of hope that the two could actually work together for once. Could this be the first step toward them reuniting the White Fang? Adam certainly hoped so, though mainly because he hated always being caught in the middle.
Ghira had taken his dinner in his office that evening. Kali offered to let Adam dine with her, but he declined, instead eating in his room. They wouldn't have been alone, of course, given the ever-present guards, but he still felt weird about dining with a married woman like that. If Blake had joined them, he would've been okay, but she was predictably absent.
Eating in his room wasn't too bad. Plus, he could watch TV while he ate instead of dealing with small talk or friendly interrogations about what Sienna might be up to. He flipped through several news channels before giving up and resigning himself to the only thing anyone seemed to be interested in.
Him.
The airwaves were flooded with him. Pictures and video from the attack - apparently Omega had been wrong about the cameras. Then again, most of the images looked like they came from the Atlas robots. They especially enjoyed one that showed him charging forward, sword half-drawn and Grimm mask on full display. Which reminded him…he needed to replace his mask. The old one hadn't survived his escape. Either that, or Atlas found it in the rubble. Either way, he wouldn't be getting it back.
Even with how long it took him to get back, it seemed nothing else in the world mattered but Adam Taurus and his personal crusade against the SDC, Atlas, and by extension, all of humanity. They trotted out an army of commentators and experts to talk about him. Military officers promising to track him down. Council members proposing increased spending on security. They even had some teenager - apparently the one he'd swiped a jacket from - doing interviews. Adam doubted the kid had been lucid enough to even remember Adam stealing from him, but that didn't stop the media parading him out as some lucky survivor. After all, it made Adam look worse, claiming he'd threatened and robbed a child like that. Nevermind the guy was probably around Adam's age and hadn't so much as stirred when Adam relieved him of his jacket. If it furthered the narrative, you could bet on the media reporting it.
None of it surprised Adam. Not even when they brought Specialist Schnee on for an interview, praising her as a hero for defeating the vile Adam Taurus. They even captured the end of the fight, right up until the part where Adam blew the place up and escaped. Specialist Schnee roundly condemned him for such a callous display, as if he should've just accepted death instead. How dare he do whatever it takes to survive. He should've just turned himself in and trusted Atlas to make the best decisions for him.
Adam did his best to unbend the fork he'd crushed in his hand. He'd have to apologize to Kali for that one.
It wasn't until they brought out some overpaid and overweight SDC representative that Adam finally had enough. It wasn't so much who he worked for as his claims that had Adam switching off the display. Listening to that windbag proclaim how the White Fang attack actually hurt faunus workers was just too much, especially coming from the SDC. With a disgusted shake of his head, Adam gathered up his dishes and headed for the kitchen, realizing just how late it had gotten.
He felt bad dropping off his dirty dishes so late in the evening, but the short faunus woman that took his plate from him insisted it wasn't a problem, even refusing when he offered to help. What was she even doing in the kitchen so late? Had she been waiting for him all that time? He hoped not. She certainly wouldn't tell him.
After watching all that garbage, Adam didn't really feel like heading back to his room just yet. Instead, he wandered the mansion a bit, trying to get as lost in the hallways as he was in his mind. Sadly, after all his time living there, Adam knew the Belladonna household like the back of his hand.
A muffled sound caught his attention as he made his way back to his room. He followed it to the den, easing the door open quietly and slipping inside. The room looked empty other than a quietly droning screen across the room. Then he spotted it.
Or rather, he spotted her ears peeking above the couch.
"Isn't it past your bedtime," Adam joked as he headed over.
"I don't have a bedtime," Blake defiantly answered.
"Why're you hanging out in here?" Adam frowned as he recognized what was playing - that gods awful documentary on his life before the White Fang. "Don't you have a bigger screen in your room?"
"It's date night," Blake answered, as if that somehow explained it. "Mom and Dad are the next room over," she added. That clued him in more. Enough that he didn't need to- "Mom can be a little loud."
Adam shivered at the unnecessary detail. He was glad he'd avoided that hallway. The last thing he needed to hear was Ghira and Kali in the throes of-
"What's that?" Adam practically shouted, hoping to drown out whatever horrible, scarring thoughts were next.
Blake slammed her notebook shut in an instant, ears flattening as she stammered an answer. "N-nothing. It's nothing."
"Looked like drawings," Adam said, having caught sight of a page before she could hide it.
Blake sighed and opened it back up. "Sketches," she specified, though Adam didn't really know the difference. "I…I like to draw." She scooted over to one side of the couch, as clear an invitation as he'd get. Hesitantly, she handed over her book for him to look at.
Adam couldn't believe what he saw. "These are good." Better than good. He flipped through a few pages, marveling at the detailed images on each page, sometimes with little notes beside them. He stopped when one image caught his eye. A simple building that he'd recognize anywhere. "Is…is that?"
Blake nodded. "The church in Shi…Shizu…"
"Shizukana," Adam helped, though his eyes were still locked on the page in front of him. His home, or where he used to call home. She hadn't just done the building, either. He could see the garden outside and even the fence in the distance. The page was dominated by the detailed image. "How did you…"
Blake pointed to the TV. "They showed it…on the news. Said it's where you grew up. I thought it looked nice. Peaceful."
"It was." Until it was all torn away from him. Those had been the happiest years of his life. Some of the only happy years. Adam shook off the melancholy memories and handed the notebook back. "You got all that from some documentary?" Leaving aside how absurd it would be to trace that from the quick glances they gave, the angles were all wrong. Blake's drawing came from a completely different perspective than the images on screen.
"I looked up some references online," Blake admitted, not quite meeting his eyes. "I like sketching. It helped while…while you were gone."
She cares about you. Sienna's words echoed in his head, reminding him that Blake was still just a young girl. He'd left to go halfway across the world and nearly died. Sienna said she'd seen all the news reports. She'd sat there, watching what could've been her friend's last moments, with no one to comfort her. Adam felt a tightness in his chest at the thought.
"You're really talented, Blake."
"Thanks." She sat the notebook down on the coffee table. "Mom taught me. She paints, by the way. Watercolors, mostly. I never really got the hang of that one, though."
"I wish I could draw like that." Or have any talent outside of swinging a sword, really. It sounded silly, but there was a part of him that yearned to create for once, rather than always destroy.
"It's not that hard," Blake lied. Clearly she hadn't seen his stick figures. Before Adam could protest, Blake turned to a fresh page and shoved the book into his lap, forcing a pencil into his hand as she paused the TV - something Adam didn't even realize they could do. "I'll show you."
What followed had to be the most embarrassing lesson of Adam's life as he tried and failed to make anything even remotely artistic. He gave up on drawing people almost immediately. He just couldn't get any sense of depth in his pictures. The faces all looked too flat and out of proportion, but the hands were the worst. Big, blobby monstrosities that looked like some poor soul had been stung repeatedly by the meanest bee in existence. Blake tried her best not to laugh, but there was no hiding her amusement at his repeated abominations.
An hour flew by without him making even the tiniest bit of progress, but despite the abject failure on his part, he could admit to having a little fun. Blake assured him he could get it in time, but he'd need years to get anywhere near her skill level. Maybe even decades. Watching how quickly and easily she recreated the White Fang emblem only added to his shame. His had looked more like someone combined a crocodile with a dog, then smashed its snout with a hammer.
"How did you do that so fast?"
"Practice," Blake said with a shrug. "I used to help Mom with protest signs when I was younger. I've drawn that logo more times than I can count." To prove it, Blake flipped to the front of her notebook. Two whole pages were filled with White Fang sketches of varying size and shape. Some matched the true design perfectly, but others showed some alterations. Different angles. More teeth. Scarring. Little artistic flairs that showed the familiar image in at least a dozen different styles.
"You don't help with the drawings anymore?" It seemed a shame not to use her talents.
"Not much need lately," she answered. "I haven't been to a protest in years."
"Why not?"
"No protests on the island." Blake sat back, shoulders drooped as she continued. "We haven't left Menagerie in years. Not since they tried to arrest Dad back in Mistral. He says it's not safe for us out there anymore."
"He's right." Especially in Mistral and Atlas. Ghira and his family would be prime targets outside of Menagerie. "It's not safe."
"It's not safe for anyone," Blake shot back, though he had a feeling her words were aimed at a much different male. "There are others in danger, like in Shidekobushi. What gives us the right to hide in safety while they suffer out there? Why do I have to stay while y-" Adam caught her stumble but didn't say anything, "while everyone else risks their lives? I can help. I know I can. That's why you have to train me."
What? "How do I factor into all this?"
"I have to get stronger. I'll prove I can protect myself…that I can protect others."
I want to protect people. He had to blink away the image of a young bull faunus staring down at his feet, only to find Blake in the same position. Was that why she trained so hard? Did she feel she needed to prove herself? But to whom? Her father? No matter how strong she got, he'd always worry about her. Sienna? Did she want to be sent out on missions like Adam someday, trusted to rescue people from any and all threats, be they Grimm or human. He doubted she wanted to prove herself to him. As flattering as that would be, he didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Plus, he was already impressed by her. So then who did she need to prove herself to?
Herself. Adam knew who she meant because he'd been in her position. She wanted to make a difference - to help those in need. But the world was a terrifying place. Hordes of Grimm bent on destruction. Atlas and their armies. The SDC. Watching Adam die had probably driven the point home just how outmatched they were. They were fighting a losing battle against a seemingly unstoppable foe. Even just surviving would be a monumental effort.
Blake wasn't the only one who needed to get stronger. If Adam couldn't handle one Specialist by herself, how could he hope to protect everyone from what was coming? How could he save other faunus from people like Atlas and the SDC?
How could he keep Blake safe?
"We'll get stronger together," Adam promised.
"You mean it?"
"Would I lie?" He and Blake shared a laugh that echoed around the quiet room. "You'll see. We'll change the world. Make it a better place for everyone. Be the light that shines on a better tomorrow."
"Do you really think we can?"
After everything he'd been through? Probably not. But that didn't mean he shouldn't try. "Somebody has to. Why not us?"
Blake sat quietly, staring off into the distance for several seconds. Whatever debate she was having ended with a resolute nod. "We'll do it."
"Not if we don't get some sleep first." A quick glance at the nearby clock reminded him just how late it had gotten. Exhaustion hit him a moment later. He tried and failed to stifle a yawn as he stood up. "See you tomorrow, Blake."
"For training?" Was that all she ever thought about?
"I promised, didn't I?" Only to get rid of her earlier, but that didn't excuse him from following through. "And maybe later you can show me some more of your sketches."
"Deal." Blake snatched her notebook, clutching it to her chest as she hurried past him. She paused at the door for a moment. "Good night, Adam."
"Good night, Blake."
Relatively short chapter to keep things moving, but really enjoyed having some interactions with Blake and Adam at the end. Really embracing the big brother role for now. Gotta enjoy it while it lasts.
This cooldown period after the Atlas mission is mainly to get some things moving in the right directions. Not exactly the most intense or plot heavy chapters, but we'll get back to that soon enough. Also love sneaking in a bit of a future Adam/Blake reference. See if you can spot it. As a hint, it's a bit of a play on a later quote in canon.
Next chapter: Adam and Blake work on getting stronger.