Got my bone marrow results back. Might be a slight mast cell disorder, but not conclusive. Still possible, but low risk and not worth medicating beyond carrying an epi pen and taking over the counter allergy meds as needed. So basically, no change. Grateful all these tests are coming back negative lately, but kind of hate still having questions that will inevitably lead to more tests. At least the worst options are off the table.
Crazy week at work. We've also got a new guy starting on Monday. Poor guy's jumping in right as everything hits the fan, but to be fair, I told him that would happen during his interview. Also had my bi-annual performance review this week. Coming up on 9 years of glowing reviews. Looking forward to seeing what "knocking it out of the park" translates to monetarily when raises come around this year.
In other good news, I got tickets this weekend for me and MrsTheGoose to go see Owl City in concert! She introduced me to his music back in college when we first started dating. Looking forward to taking her to her first ever concert and just enjoying a fun evening together to undo all the stress lately.
Adam couldn't remember a more uncomfortable flight than the one back to Menagerie. And not just because of how everyone pressed themselves against the walls to avoid him and refused to make a sound. He hadn't exactly brought a fresh change of clothes with him. He tried to ignore how his clothing clung to him, but as it started to dry, the dark flakes served as a reminder of what exactly soaked through his clothes.
He must've looked a mess. Felt it, too. He scratched at his cheek, watching the reddened motes float into the air. Licking his dry lips wasn't an option - the taste just wouldn't go away. All he could do was endure the unpleasantness and stare out the window, watching the sea below rush by as they made their way home.
Landing didn't bring quite the relief he'd hoped for. The fresh air was nice, but his airship landed last, giving him a perfect view of the dead and injured being unloaded. He tried to tear his eyes away, but it was too late.
There was no unseeing Jakob.
Those that had gathered stood in silence, torn between the parade of suffering and the macabre man who'd been responsible for their safety. Someone called his name, but Adam ignored them, hurrying through a crowd that parted well before he reached them. No one dared stand in his way.
He slammed his apartment door behind him, fumbling with the lock before rushing to the bathroom. Blood encrusted clothing hit the tile floor a second later. The monster in the mirror snarled at him as he ripped his mask off and tossed it in the sink. Slamming the shower on fully, all Adam could do was hold himself up against the wall as the burning stream did its best to wash away the filth. He relished in the pain as the blood slowly faded from his skin, only to pool at his feet in a sickly pink puddle.
How did he let that happen? Jakob…Jakob was gone. One moment, everything was fine, and the next…
Adam's knuckles cracked the tiled wall, instincts bringing his aura up before the blow to leave his hand unscathed. It only made him angrier.
Why did he have to go and do something so stupid? Jakob knew he had aura. Sure, he'd taken a beating from that huntsman, but it wasn't like he was running on empty. He could've survived a single shot from a pistol. Heck, he'd taken a hit or two afterwards with no problem. But Jakob…that absolute moron! He should've known better than to do something like that! Idiot!
Insulting the dead only made him feel worse. Jakob was dead. The closest thing he'd had to a best friend ripped away from him by the same people that gave him his scar. As far as he was concerned, Atlas and the SDC were one and the same. One couldn't exist without the other. The SDC got away with their barbarity thanks to the protection of their corrupt Kingdom, while Atlas was propped up by the Schnees and their ill-gotten gains. A vile marriage of Remnant's largest corporation and its only military.
And both were out to get him.
Hadn't they already taken enough from him? They'd enslaved him. Tortured him. Scarred him. Not content just to make him suffer, they'd come for those around him. Jakob was just the latest in a long line of deaths. Omega. Colton. Duncan. Monti. Not to mention all the faunus that gave their lives taking the base. Or those that died overthrowing the corrupt leadership of Orostachys. Faunus had been dying at the hands of the SDC long before Adam ever crossed their path. There was no telling how many Atlas and their financiers had killed. Countless lives snuffed out for being born different and daring to challenge the status quo of a society that saw them as less than human.
Less than human? Faunus were anything but that! If anything, he could argue that faunus were better. Superior. The next evolution of humanity. They had everything humans had and more. Most faunus had night vision, but beyond that, some of their animal traits gave them a huge advantage. Yuma could fly. Ilia had color changing skin. Trifa could even shoot webs out of her hands - something that sort of creeped him out still. He'd seen faunus that could swim as well as fish, had hardened skin, or could even regrow limbs like Axol had done. So why did humanity hate them?
Simple. They feared being replaced. Faunus were still a minority in Remnant, but that could change. Sienna had once told him that mixed couples tended to have faunus children, meaning faunus were a type of dominant trait. The vast majority of humans came from human parents, while faunus couples or even most human and faunus couples - like his parents, though he hated giving the deadbeat who'd abandoned him any credit - would birth more faunus children. Given enough time, the faunus percentage would grow until humanity found themselves on the verge of extinction.
No wonder humans hated them so much! Even if it wouldn't happen for many generations, the thought of their kind being slowly wiped out and replaced must've terrified them, so they'd done everything they could to keep themselves on top. Even Menagerie was part of that plan. Less space, limited resources, and the lack of protection from the Kingdoms would keep them busy, but more than that, the lack of humans in menagerie meant no mixed families to sully their precious, recessive bloodlines. Faunus settlements in the Kingdoms - often formed because of prejudice and oppression in the larger villages - had the same result. Meanwhile, the SDC sent as many faunus as they could to mining camps, isolating them from the rest of humanity and keeping their numbers in check through dangerous work conditions and the occasional "accidents" the SDC was famous for.
Most people might not care about the eventual shift in genetics, but those in power could clearly see the writing on the wall. The age of man couldn't last forever, but they refused to go gentle into that good night, fighting tooth and nail to stave off the inevitable. They'd do whatever they could to avoid seeing themselves replaced as the dominant species, uncaring for the innocent faunus they killed along the way.
Faunus like Jakob.
There'd be a funeral, but outside of Menagerie, he doubted anyone would shed a tear for the loss of his friend. People would wake in the morning to reports of an attack and tut-tut at the loss of life. Human life. Soldiers from a foreign Kingdom had established a secret base in their lands, yet the people of Mistral would almost certainly condemn the White Fang for fighting back. The deaths of Jakob and the other faunus would be ignored at best, while the man who'd murdered Jakob and gotten his own comrades killed would be called a hero for trying to kill him. Their Huntsman would almost certainly be paraded around for his bravery in taking on the White Fang, valiantly holding off the vile Adam Taurus to buy time for the reinforcements to arrive and save everyone.
It sickened him, but wasn't at all surprising. Jakob had always gotten the short end of the stick. He'd spent his whole life under the boot of humanity, only to be crushed by it in the end. His sacrifice, as foolish as it had been, would be buried by the media in a flurry of negative coverage. They'd paint Adam and the White Fang as monsters bent on destruction rather than the victims of humanity's cruelty finally fighting back.
The water started to turn cold as Adam shut off the tap and forced himself out of the shower. The mirror had fogged from all the steam, hiding his reflection from view, just as the world covered up their suffering.
Adam wiped his hand across the glass, driving away the obscurance to reveal his face once more. The eyes that looked back were tired and worn, aged well beyond his years by things no person should have to endure. Life had done its best to beat him down at every turn, yet here he still stood, stubbornly refusing to bend the knee. He was the most hated man in the world, and it wasn't hard to guess why.
Adam wasn't just a man - he'd become a symbol. Someone who had survived the horrors of the SDC and made them pay for their misdeeds. For that he'd earned the ire of Atlas and their jackbooted thugs, yet even then he'd refused to fall. No wonder Sienna had wanted him to stand alongside her. She wanted him visible for the same reason Atlas wanted him dead. His very existence flew in the face of their supremacy, encapsulating the one thing the humans feared the most. He was proof to faunus everywhere that they didn't have to just lie down and accept their fate. That they could fight back and earn their place as equals. Adam stood as a beacon of rebellion against the elites and their schemes.
No. Not Adam, the scared little boy who'd lost everything he ever loved. That Adam had been a coward, too afraid to ever truly fight back. The White Fang had no need of someone so weak and pathetic.
They needed Adam Taurus, the hero of Orostachys.
Adam picked up his mask, holding it up to his face. The old Adam had died long ago, burned away by the hatred of humanity, only for the figure in the mirror to rise from his ashes. The world wanted him to hide his face, covering up the scar they'd left behind. Fine. He'd give them something worse to fear. He'd make them pay for everything they'd taken from him.
But first, he needed to make sure they couldn't take anything- or anyone - from him ever again.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"You want to unlock everyone's aura?"
"Not everyone," Adam assured Sienna as she sat in her office looking exhausted. They'd only been back a day, and Adam had a feeling Sienna hadn't gotten much sleep last night. "Everyone in Alpha Squad."
Everyone close to him. They would be the ones most in danger.
"Is this about Jakob?"
She already knew the answer. "It's about making sure everyone comes back alive." Unlike Jakob. He wouldn't risk any more lives if he could help it. "If I'd unlocked-"
"None of that," Sienna ordered, holding a finger up to silence him. "You can't blame yourself for what happened."
"But if he'd had aura, he would've-"
"He might've survived, yes, but he could've just as easily died on another mission. Or someone else." Sienna didn't have the patience for him today. "The more aura users we have, the more Grimm we'll attract, which puts everyone at risk."
Adam knew that, but wasn't suggesting they march an army of new aura users out into the wilderness. "But not having any aura users means no one to fight off the Grimm." Or survive a shot from a deranged soldier. "And you want Alpha Squad to lead more missions, which means they need to protect themselves. Can't really have them on the front line otherwise."
Not if Atlas planned to keep pushing them. Adam and Sienna could only do so much themselves. Ilia and Blake would help in time, but that still left them with very few options against an overwhelming number of enemies. If the two of them struggled against a single Huntsman, then what happened when Atlas sent a full team?
They'd fall, obviously. Atlas would win. He and Sienna would be captured and either executed or left to rot in a cell somewhere. The White Fang would flounder without leadership, either returning to Ghira or falling to infighting. Atlas would use that momentum to push them back and make sure the White Fang never rose again. All their work would be undone in an instant.
Thankfully, Sienna could already see where he was going. "Alright. I get it. But only Alpha Squad." That was fine. As long as his team was safe, it would do. "And only those that want it and are willing to train."
"Of course." He wouldn't force it on anyone, but he had a feeling none of them would turn him down. Not after they'd just lost Jakob. Unfortunately, there was just one problem. "Actually…can you unlock it for them?"
Sienna smirked at the request. "What. Afraid to put your hands on Indie?"
Yes, though he had a feeling she'd enjoy it. But that wasn't the real reason. "I, uh…I don't know how."
"Really?" What did she mean, really? No one taught him to unlock aura. Jean made it sound difficult and hadn't bothered training him. Ghira obviously knew how, but Adam was pretty sure that bridge had been burned. But Sienna knew how. She'd unlocked Ilia's for her, which meant she could do the others, too.
Come to think of it, how did she know? She wasn't that much older than him and couldn't be too much more experienced. Actually, come to think of it, he didn't really know anything about Sienna's past. Had she gone to a Huntsman prep school? Read about the technique in a book and mastered it herself? Or maybe she'd studied under some retired Huntsman who'd taught her everything he knew, only to tragically die protecting her.
Okay, now he was sounding like one of those crappy young adult books Blake liked to read. Then again, she had risen to power over a revolutionary group against a repressive government in charge of a dystopian society. All she needed now was for him and Yuma to both fall madly in love with her and fight for her attention and they'd have a bestseller and movie deals within the week.
Luckily, Sienna couldn't hear his ridiculous thoughts. "It's not too hard. Perhaps Kaito can teach you." Not her. Then again, Kaito had more experience and she had an entire organization to run, so maybe her delegation was more logical than lazy. "In the meantime, I'll see what I can do. Anyone you want me to start with?"
"Bane." He didn't even have to think about it. As the largest target and someone who had been by his side as long as Jakob, Adam wanted his unlocked as soon as possible. He might've said Blake, if she didn't have hers unlocked already. He couldn't imagine risking her or Ilia without it.
"I'll talk to him this afternoon."
"Thank you." That helped him relax a little. After Bane, she could do whatever order she pleased. As long as they all got done, he'd rest easier at night.
Sienna had something else on her mind, but didn't look eager to broach the topic. He could tell. While he didn't know what she was thinking, he could hazard a guess. After all, there was a pile of bodies that needed dealing with.
Burying them would be nice, but Menagerie didn't really have a graveyard. Most places didn't. Grimm were attracted to negativity, and a designated plot of land where people went to mourn the death of their loved ones would be an unavoidable lure for them. Add onto that how valuable any space was when it had to be claimed and defended from the Grimm, and wasting real estate on rows of graves just didn't make much sense. Most people that got buried were rich, important, or religious like Father Bernard. Burials at sea were pretty common as well, though there was always another old custom people still used.
"A funeral pyre." If she wasn't going to ask, then he'd get the ball rolling for her. "The bodies. You were going to ask what we should do with them."
"Yeah, I just…I wasn't sure…"
"It's fine." Not really, but they couldn't just leave a bunch of bodies rotting while they mourned. Their fallen deserved a proper memorial. A fitting end for warriors slain in battle. Most cremations in the cities were done in oversized ovens, but the outer villages still used pyres from time to time, usually after a Grimm attack. Easier to throw a bunch of bodies on a fire than to bury them, especially when more Grimm might be lurking in the area.
"A pyre…" Sienna chewed on the idea, finding it more to her liking with each passing second. "That could work. We already have an area cleared for it." From the bonfire, she meant. This would be a little bigger, but he could let her worry about the specifics. "But do you think it'll work? For their loved ones, I mean."
Considering his best friend was among the dead? "Yeah. I think it'll be okay." Better than leaving them in that horrible base they'd fought and died in. "You should probably say something at the funeral."
"Naturally. Hm…maybe something about their sacrifice lighting the fires of revolution? Or maybe them lighting the way to a brighter future."
Adam stopped her before she could spiral any deeper. The last thing they needed was the crowd envying the dead. "How about we just focus on their lives instead." Even if he had a feeling Jakob would love to have puns and bad jokes at his funeral.
"Good point. I assume you'll want to say a few words as well?"
Not really, but he'd never forgive himself if he didn't. If nothing else, he'd do it for Saph. He'd forced himself to find her last night to break the news, but she'd already heard. Or seen. She'd been waiting for everyone to get back, only to not see her boyfriend among the survivors. Bane had actually been the one to tell her, and while his story of Jakob's heroic final moments might ease the pain someday, it didn't help her grief right now. He'd found her drowning her sorrows in their favorite bar, only for her to scream and lash out at the sight of him. She blamed him for not bringing Jakob back.
He couldn't exactly disagree.
"I will." It wouldn't bring Jakob back, but it might help him find some small modicum of closure. If nothing else, he could try to focus on the rare bright spots of Jakob's life. He'd want them to remember those moments.
"In that case, I'll have the Albains spread the word. Tomorrow night. I'll make sure to have the kitchens prepare food for anyone who comes." Good, because those suffering from loss needed to be looked after. Simple things like cooking and cleaning could become monstrous tasks when you had the weight of the world crushing you. And as much as it might hurt, getting them out and around people that cared about them would help.
Not that it did much for him when Father Bernard died. Probably because no one there actually cared. Not for him, at least. Plenty of people showed up for the funeral, but barely any of them ever bothered to get to know the man before he died. They were just there out of obligation. In a small village like that, everyone came out for a funeral. Village solidarity, or some other such nonsense. The moment the service ended, they all went back to their own little worlds, uncaring for the young boy whose world had just shattered.
He'd make sure that didn't happen tomorrow.
"I want the names of everyone who died and what squad they were on." That way he could track down the leader of each squad and ask how they died. Maybe see if they knew anything about their squadmates that he could mention at the funeral. Little things that would mark them as more than just a name. Flesh and bone would burn, but the memories of the fallen would live on forever.
Sienna nodded, silently promising to see it done. That same silence claimed the room, hanging above their heads as neither of them really knew what to do. The adrenaline of the fight had long since fled, leaving them drained. Not physically - aura ensured their injuries healed and had them ready for another fight. But emotionally? They'd known people would die. Accepted it. Or so they'd thought. Acknowledging the risks and seeing people die were two very different things. Every death, he laid at his own feet. If he'd just been faster. Stronger. Maybe he could've saved them. If Atlas hadn't come after him, then they'd never built a base in Anima. They were only there because of him. In their hunt for Adam Taurus, others had lost their lives. His personal war had claimed its first casualties, but he wasn't among them.
Dying was easy. Surviving was the real torture.
"Now what?"
The words escaped his lips without thinking, but the question had to be on both their minds. They'd scored a major victory yesterday, taking out a fully operational base and driving Atlas back before they could tighten their grip on Anima. Nothing of that scale had been seen since the Faunus War. They'd given Atlas a black eye and shown the world they shouldn't be taken lightly.
So why did it feel so empty? Winning was supposed to feel better than this. They'd won. Tricked the Schnee, taken down a Huntsman, and destroyed a heavily guarded base all in one fell swoop. They even had more equipment and airships to add to their growing arsenal.
But their victory came at a cost.
"What do we do about Atlas?" Adam pressed, knowing their enemy wouldn't take this loss lying down. They'd wounded Atlas' pride, and they valued little more than that. Atlas would almost certainly spin the story against the White Fang, but that wouldn't be enough. They'd recover and look to seize the momentum back before the White Fang could capitalize on their win. They had to. Anything less would make them look weak and vulnerable.
They both knew this wasn't over. "It depends on what Mistral decides."
"Mistral?" They weren't part of this fight, even if it took place on their land. They'd let Atlas march in and run rampant across their Kingdom, even building a military base on their own soil unopposed. Either they were incompetent or subservient to Atlas. In either case, they weren't exactly the biggest concern right now.
Or so he thought. "The Council has called an emergency session to discuss what happened. That could go one of two ways."
"I'm guessing neither of them are good for us?"
"Not necessarily." Sienna clasped her hands atop her desk as she explained, "On the one hand, they could support Atlas and join the fight. Mistral doesn't have a military, but they could call up Huntsmen across the Kingdom to help hunt us down."
"Don't they already have a bounty on our head?"
"On your head," Sienna reminded him. "They could raise the reward and expand it to anyone in the White Fang. Every Huntsman in the Kingdom would be out looking for us. Atlas may have struggled to find Reyno, but they don't know the land." Not like the locals. Surveys and intelligence were nothing compared to people that had lived their whole lives in Anima. On top of that, Atlas had to travel slow and in large groups. Huntsmen didn't have such limitations. Sensing Adam's concern, Sienna hastened to add, "But I doubt they'll go that route."
"Why not?" It would strengthen their relationship with their closest ally, even if said ally had all but invaded Anima at this point. It would also help them get rid of the White Fang - something Mistral was eager to do ever since the Concordia Day attack.
Sienna snorted as she gave the usual reason. "Politics. The Council will look weak for letting Atlas have so much control. People will start to wonder who's really in charge. The nationalists would turn on them and whip the Kingdom into a frenzy." And at the end of the day, politicians cared more about perception and vote counts than actually doing the right thing. Otherwise, they would've stood up to the SDC a long time ago. "Beyond that, targeting all of us runs the risk of people accusing every faunus they encounter. Won't look good when Huntsmen start bringing in innocent faunus and demanding a reward."
Not good for Mistral, but a boon to the White Fang. Every faunus in the Kingdom would be in danger, and who would they turn to when their own government was the one threatening them?
"You think they'll oppose Atlas, then?"
"I think they'll do a bunch of posturing and speeches to look like they're angry at Atlas. Just enough to make the people see them as pushing back. Atlas took a hit, and Mistral will want to distance themselves from that for a bit." That sounded more like the Council. Fairweather friends and nothing more. Their loyalty was to themselves first, their poll numbers second, and if there was time, their voters. "I've also heard the crime families aren't happy about how active Atlas has become. We're not the only ones who'd like to get rid of the white coats."
And everyone knew who pulled the strings in Mistral. The dark underbelly of the city had their fingers in everything. With Atlas bloodied, there'd be no better time to demand they leave. A few greased palms and blackmail would ensure any votes went the way the families wanted. For now, their interests and the White Fang's were aligned.
"Atlas won't like that."
"I suspect they know it's coming." Which meant they'd determined the risk worth it when they built their base and likely already had plans in place for what to do next. The average Atlesian probably assumed their forces unstoppable, but those in charge wouldn't be so oblivious. If they were, they wouldn't be in charge much longer. "In the meantime, I need you in Reyno."
"Already?" Couldn't he have a moment to catch his breath? "You think Atlas knows where it is?"
"If they did, they would've attacked it already." Fair point. Just as the White Fang wanted to get rid of Atlas' base, Atlas had been looking to find and crush Reyno. "Most of our forces came from Reyno. So did almost all our losses."
They'd pulled almost everyone from Reyno for the attack, leaving the base with a skeleton crew to keep an eye on things. Cerco and his men had come back to menagerie with them, but only temporarily. They'd be heading back sometime after the funeral, though their numbers would be a little lighter.
Their morale would be in shambles, too. The thrill of victory would wear off quick enough, but getting back to Reyno would only remind them of what they'd lost. There'd be no ignoring the empty bunks and missing friends in such a familiar setting, which would bring a new problem.
'You want me to watch for Grimm." The sudden return of so many in low spirits was bound to draw the monsters, especially when they informed those left behind of their losses. If ever Reyno was in danger from the Grimm, it would be now.
Sienna nodded. "Yes, but I also want you there to help morale. The men look up to you. Keep them focused. Up their training. Form some patrols. Whatever it takes to keep their minds on the future." And off their recent losses. "We'll let things die down a little, but I don't want them getting complacent. This will buy us time, but only some."
"I'll see if Cerco has room on his new airships for me."
"You'll be returning by ship." Ship? But they'd just taken out Atlas' eyes in the area. Now would be the perfect time to move the Mantas to Reyno. Sienna seemed to think otherwise. "Atlas and Mistral will expect us to go by air. A fleet of Mantas in the middle of nowhere is bound to draw attention. We'll smuggle those in later.
"More than that, if there's any retaliation against Reyno, I'd rather they find an empty base than the bulk of our forces," Sienna continued. "I doubt anything will happen, but attacking us while we're licking our wounds would be exactly what Atlas needs. They still have a sizable force in the area."
Specialist Schnee and her strike force, not to mention all the soldiers they'd left behind at the base. If they even knew a general area, the Schnee might have them rushing to find Reyno before the Council could demand they withdraw. As callous as it sounded, risking the leftover guards of Reyno would be better than everyone. By the time they got there by ship, Mistral would likely have made their decision. Hopefully, that would mean no more Atlas for them to worry about.
Things were so much simpler when they were just raiding SDC camps and freeing workers, but that couldn't last forever. They'd escalated the fight - a necessary response to Atlas and their increased presence - and there would be no going back.
"Take the day off," Sienna insisted, her eyes softening for a brief moment. Even if he pretended otherwise, Adam had his limits. The assignment to Reyno would be a pain, but the focus on training was probably just as much for him as the men. Better than sitting around in menagerie with nothing but his thoughts. "I'll talk to your team and explain everything. You just…let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you." They both knew he wouldn't ask, but he appreciated the offer. Loss was nothing new to Adam, but that didn't make it any easier. He wasn't really ready to face them yet, but they deserved to hear from him before he left. Maybe at the funeral. Or after. He could pull them all aside and make sure they were okay before he left if nothing else.
"Think nothing of it. We're all in this together, Adam. Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Adam shook his head. He and Sienna were on good terms, but they weren't exactly close personally. Not close enough for him to open up to like that. Few were. "In that case, leave everything to me. I'll see you tomorrow."
Adam rose without a word. With nothing to do and no real desire to be around other people right now, he figured he'd just head back to his apartment for the day. He just felt so…tired. Even meeting with Sienna felt exhausting. He didn't really feel like facing anyone else today.
Which made the tall, imposing figure blocking the door he'd just opened less than welcome.
"Good. You're both here."
Adam sighed as Ghira stomped into Sienna's office, stepping aside to let the larger man pass. He was tempted to ignore the arrival and leave, but running from his problems wouldn't fix them and it would just anger Ghira even more. Might as well get it over with.
By the time Adam closed the door and turned back, Ghira had already reached Sienna's desk, looming over her as she sat with an annoyed expression on her face. "Ghira. Come in. Make yourself at home."
Her sarcasm did little for the frustrated storm across from her. "Care to explain yourself?"
"Not really." Her flat refusal caught him off guard. "Last I checked, you're no longer the leader of the White Fang. I am."
"And you're leading them straight to their deaths!" Ghira's fist slammed down on her desk, but she didn't so much as flinch. "I warned you this would happen, but you wouldn't listen. You just charged in and hoped for the best. And what have you got to show for it? A pile of dead bodies."
"They knew the risks," Sienna replied, though she had to know that wouldn't mean anything to Ghira. "No one was forced to go. They all volunteered. They died fighting for what they believed in."
"Tell that to their loved ones," Ghira growled. "And what happens when Atlas retaliates?"
"Atlas started this-"
"I don't care who started it!" Ghira's voice boomed over her complaint. "People are dead because of you. Atlas won't just roll over and accept that. You'd bring war to our shores and endanger the lives of everyone in Menagerie."
"Atlas wouldn't dare invade here." Adam regretted speaking up almost immediately as the attention shifted his way.
"And are you going to stop them? If they wanted, they could burn Menagerie to the ground a hundred times over. You'd doom us all for your petty revenge."
"This isn't about revenge." He was fighting for faunus everywhere. Couldn't Ghira understand that? Someone had to stand up for them.
"You can lie to yourself all you want, but we both know the truth." Ghira's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Adam. How many more of your so-called friends will you throw away before you realize enough is enough?"
"Ghira!"
Sienna's reprimand couldn't take back the words. So-called friends? What right did Ghira have to cast such judgment. He and Jakob had gone through hell together. They'd suffered the cruelties of humans long before they met, only to watch as the SDC took what little they had left and even tried to kill them. Adam and Bane had dug Jakob out of a stone tomb, rescuing him when their masters decided they were no longer worth keeping alive. They'd stood against impossible odds, only to rise and lead their fellow faunus out of bondage to a better life.
Jakob wasn't just his friend. He was a brother.
Ghira must've finally realized what he'd just said, lips tightened into a thin line as he remembered that the target of his hatred was human too. There were lines that shouldn't be crossed, and using the death of a loved one to prove a point crossed all of them.
"I'm…I'm sorry." Ghira sounded a lot less antagonistic all of the sudden. "That was out of line."
"It certainly was," Sienna agreed.
"But I cannot stand by and watch you endanger us all with your actions." Ghira let out a beleaguered sigh, as if he had any right to be worn down while hiding from the world in his mansion. "Atlas is demanding that I turn Adam over to them. If I don't, they've threatened to attack Menagerie."
"What?!" Sienna's jaw dropped. "They'd risk all-out war over one man?"
"In their eyes, the war's already begun." All the smugness and arrogance of earlier had gone. "I've seen the video of what you did, Adam. There's no coming back from that."
He had no idea how right he was.
"So you're just going to hand him over?" Sienna was around her desk in a flash, standing between the two men. "I won't allow it. I'm in charge of the White Fang."
"And I'm chieftain of Menagerie," Ghira countered. "Which means I have to make decisions for the good of my people." To his credit, Ghira actually looked upset as he looked Adam in the eye. "Even if it means making the tough choices."
It wasn't that tough of a choice. Despite Sienna's complaints, Ghira was right. Atlas could rain death and destruction on Menagerie with the press of a button. No one would survive the wrath of the militaristic Kingdom. They'd all die protecting him. Given the choice between one man and an entire island, including Ghira's family, and the choice was obvious.
"It's a bluff," Sienna tried, refusing to accept reality. "They're desperate. If you give in to their demands, things will just get worse."
"I have no choice."
"You always have a choice!" Adam used to believe that, but there really was no way out of this one. "Atlas will kill him. Then they'll turn around and demand more. Can't you see? If you turn Adam over, then they've won."
"Adam Taurus…"
"You can't!"
"...as chieftain of Menagerie…"
Sienna's whip flung free, slapping across the floor in a clear threat. Ghira didn't even bother looking at it.
"...I hereby banish you."
"You'll do no such-" Sienna froze, hand halfway raised to attack her former leader as both she and Adam took a moment to process his words. "B-banish?"
"Menagerie can no longer protect you," Ghira continued, still ignoring Sienna entirely. "I cannot stand by and watch you endanger those whose lives have been entrusted to me, but neither will I willingly send a man to his death. I once welcomed you to call Menagerie home. Now, I am afraid I must rescind that offer."
A mercy, then. Ghira had every right to demand he surrender himself to Atlas. It would be so much easier for him. But for all his faults, Ghira was a man of honor. He could not risk everyone to protect Adam, but he knew what would happen if he gave into their demands. Instead, he'd found a third option.
"I cannot condone your actions, but neither will I be a part of theirs."
"What happens when Atlas finds out you refused?" They weren't exactly the forgiving type in his experience.
"I'll tell them the truth," Ghira shrugged. "I'll tell them you aren't here." And if Adam wasn't there, then how could he turn him over?
"Atlas won't believe you."
"I doubt they will," Ghira said, glancing over to Sienna. "Especially since I seem to have a history of lying to them."
"How long?" Atlas wouldn't wait forever.
"Four days," Ghira answered. "That's as long as I can give you to get your affairs in order."
"That'll be enough." It would have to be. It looked like his trip to Reyno would be a little more permanent than he'd planned. But if staying away would protect everyone, then he'd gladly accept the inconvenience. "We're having a funeral tomorrow evening…if you want to come."
He wasn't part of the attack, nor even an active part of the White Fang anymore, but many of the people in attendance called Menagerie home. They were hurting because of Adam. He'd be the one to tend the fire, watching over the final moments of all those that died under his command. Someone ought to be there to pick up the pieces he left behind.
"I'll be there."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Do I have to be there?" Winter asked. Not that she'd refuse an order from General Ironwood, but meeting with the Council of Mistral sounded like a waste of time. She hated politicians, especially corrupt ones who spent more time appeasing criminals than defending their people.
"You do," the display answered, showing a very stern, familiar face.
"But they already told us their decision." Rather, they'd told General Ironwood, who had passed it on to her. "My time would be better spent searching for Taurus and bringing him to justice."
"I am well aware." At least someone had some common sense around here. The Council wouldn't have dared demand the general come before them, but they'd jumped at the chance to drag an underling in and lecture her to make themselves feel important.
She'd make them regret that decision.
"They merely wish to remind us who's in charge." More like who thought they were in charge. They both knew Mistral wouldn't risk their alliance with Atlas. It was a sign of just how embarrassing their defeat had been that the Council would make any demands at all. "We've already agreed to their terms. All you have to do is show up and endure a few lectures. No worse than an afternoon with Jacques, I imagine."
If he'd hoped to put her at ease, then the general was doing an awful job. "I still think their demands are unreasonable."
A full retreat. Atlas would have to withdraw their forces immediately and return home, leaving Mistral to handle -or not handle, as it were - the White Fang problem in Anima. While they could continue their presence in Argus - that had never been in question - any activity outside the city would require Council approval and oversight. They'd have to work alongside law enforcement from Mistral moving forward, meaning she'd be stuck on babysitting duty if she wanted to hunt for Taurus.
And she did. More than anything at the moment. After what he'd done…
She could still hear the screams.
Unfortunately, General Ironwood knew how badly she wanted to hunt down Taurus and ordered her to return with Captain Tertia and the rest of her men. She'd receive an official reprimand for her failure to protect Fort Euryale, but that was just a formality. General Ironwood assured her she'd done her best and would not be punished for what happened.
Her best. How pathetic. Her best had a base overrun by terrorists and many of her men killed. Worse than that, it had frayed the relationship between Kingdoms and caused no end of headaches for her superior. It was only that that would get her through the torture ahead.
"You are not required to respond to any of their accusations or questions," General Ironwood reminded her. That was good, since she had a feeling she'd sever what little good faith they had left if she had to respond in any way. "They just want to look like they're in control. Bring you in, talk at you, and tell the voters they're holding us accountable."
A photo op. Not in the Council chambers, of course. They wouldn't risk the public seeing what happened in there. She'd bet a year's salary that the media would be out in force when she arrived, snapping photos and looking for something unflattering to make Atlas look bad.
Winter would not give them the satisfaction.
"Good luck, Winter. And try to make a good impression." She had a feeling she didn't mean a boot-shaped one to their face.
This meeting would just be another thing Taurus would pay for someday.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam stood at the railing, watching Menagerie slowly sink below the horizon as he sailed away to Reyno. He should've felt sadder, bidding farewell to yet another home, but he'd said goodbye to so many that it almost felt familiar. Shizukana. Katai. The caravan. Mistral. Orostachys. Many of them weren't exactly fond memories, but he'd long ago learned that home wasn't a place, but the people around you.
And he had some good ones around him.
"You sure about this?" Adam asked, not even bothering to look as someone stepped up beside him. "It's not too late to go back."
Blake smirked, though her eyes were on the slowly vanishing island she'd grown up on.. "You can't get rid of me that easily."
"We're with you to the end, Adam," Bane added as he followed Ilia to the railing.
The four of them stood in silence as the ship slipped through the evening, carrying them away to a new chapter in life. True to her word, Sienna had unlocked Bane's aura before they left, promising the rest of his squad would come in time. None of them wanted to stay in Menagerie. They'd sworn to follow him, even if that meant venturing into enemy territory to carve out an existence for themselves.
As the sky turned to a beautiful mix of red and orange, Adam felt a hand slip into his own. He gave a light squeeze, promising without words that he'd protect her.
Just as he'd promised Ghira so long ago.
And just like that, another story arc sails into the sunset. Meanwhile, Blake is leaving home to join Adam and the more violent White Fang.
Atlas is making demands, and Ghira can't exactly refuse them, though he can find a way around them. He's also found out that he apparently betrayed the White Fang and has his suspicions who sent information in his name - information that turned out to be fake and likely burned some bridges there. Better not tell Kali. Next thing you know, she'll come storming in to slap Sienna across the face yelling, "Keep my husband's name out your dang mouth!"
Next chapter: Adam arrives in Reyno