Struggled to get this one uploaded, for some reason. Same process as I always use, but it refused to upload until I posted it as plain text. Not sure what triggered the error over and over, but glad I found a workaround.
My bone marrow biopsy got cancelled last second. We were about to leave the house when they called to tell us the doctor was out sick and we'd need to reschedule. So after a weekend of panic and concern, I get to worry again this weekend, since it'll now be this coming Monday instead. Let's see if Round 2 actually happens.
Also been having a ton of fun playing Helldivers 2 recently. Slowly getting better and have run into a few interesting characters along the way, but that just makes it better. Only played with randos so far, but I got a few friends who have it. We just need to coordinate schedules.
Adam had radioed ahead, so he wasn't surprised to see Sienna waiting for him when they landed. Not as surprised as she looked when he stormed off the airship the moment it landed and ordered her to follow him to her office. If she'd been thinking clearly, she might've remembered that she was the boss, not him. Instead, she silently followed him with a concerned expression, waving for Corsac and Fennec to catch up as soon as they could.
"What happened?" Sienna asked the moment they made it to her office. He hadn't told her any details on the radio, just in case anyone was listening in. In hindsight, it wouldn't have mattered. Not like their enemies wouldn't be able to guess what came next.
"Atlas," Adam answered. "They have a base in Anima."
"We know. We've been looking for where they've set up camp, but so far-"
Camp? She wasn't getting it. "Not a camp. A base. A real one."
Corsac was the first to respond. "How can you be certain?"
"Because they tried to shoot us down."
As far as answers went, that was pretty definitive. You didn't usually set up anti-air weaponry around a bunch of tents. They needed launchers, missiles, radar, storage, and a host of other things that would necessitate a full-blown military base to support. Anything less would be pointless. Not to mention they threatened to send mantas after them. Mantas. As in plural. Which meant a landing pad and a hangar as well.
"Mistral would never allow such a thing."
Adam didn't have time for Fennec's denials. "Well, I don't know what to tell you, but it's there."
"This could be a problem." Stating the obvious. Still, Adam let Sienna think it over, knowing what the obvious outcome would have to be. "A base like that in Anima…it could ruin our entire operation."
"How could Mistral allow something like this to be built in their Kingdom?"
"Perhaps Atlas did not ask for permission."
"And risk open warfare? I think not."
"Atlas has always been preparing for war. Perhaps they wish to test Mistral's resolve."
"Enough!" Sienna's mind was racing faster than the brothers' useless words. "Any idea where they might be hiding?"
Sienna's map projection came up with a quiet hum from the table. Adam pointed to the bay stretching upward into the center of Anima. "We were here when they contacted us. Told us to head west."
"They gave away their position?"
Unlikely. Atlas would know better than to do something that foolish. You didn't build a secret base and then tell the enemy where to find you. "There's a port town with a landing pad there. Probably planned to intercept us along the way."
"Which means they had to be close," Sienna hummed, leaning closer to study the map. "Close enough for their mantas to reach you, at any rate. What about the missiles they fired? Any idea where they came from?"
"Somewhere north of us." The radar pings had appeared somewhere behind them as they headed south.
"Directly north?"
Adam shrugged. "Not sure. Could've been off to either side, but it's definitely north of this line." Adam traced his finger through where they'd been flying, disrupting the hologram slightly along the way. It reformed behind him with a slight shudder.
"You didn't see the exact direction?"
"We were a little busy trying not to die," Adam growled in response. It was easy for the pair to criticize from the safety of Menagerie. "Maybe next time I'll ask the pilot to take some notes before saving our lives."
Sienna raised her hand before Fennec could dig the hole any deeper. "It's better than nothing."
"We should send out a scouting party here." Adam pointed north of the large island in the midst of the bay. Putting it there would make it harder to resupply. It made more sense to keep it on the main continent. "I can put together a team and search the area. We'll find their base and-"
"And what, Adam?" Sienna fixed him with the flattest stare imaginable. "Single handedly storm the castle and go out in a blaze of glory? Or maybe you can challenge their leader to a duel, like in the old days."
"This is serious! We can't just sit around and do nothing."
"Nor can we afford to rush in unprepared," Sienna shot back. "You'd be going in on a hunch, and we both know you'll try to do everything yourself if I let you. Or have you forgotten about Atlas?"
That was different…wasn't it? He hadn't had a choice then. Atlas had them cornered and someone had to do something. If not him, then who? Besides, it had all worked out in the end - aside from the whole blowing himself up to escape thing.
Sienna sighed, likely knowing exactly what was going through Adam's mind. "I'm not asking you to do nothing. I happen to agree that we need to take this place out sooner rather than later."
"Then let me-"
"No. We can't have you or anyone else running around on a wild goose chase." Then how were they supposed to find this place? It wasn't like Atlas would send them an invitation, and if they did, it would be strapped to more of those missiles. "Give me two weeks."
"Two weeks?!" That didn't sound like much normally, but right now every moment counted. Atlas would be shoring up their defenses in preparation for an assault.
"Two weeks," Sienna confirmed. She didn't sound like she'd accept any further argument. "By then, I'll have the location of this base and maybe even an idea of what we'll be going up against."
"We?" Did she mean…
She did. "I'll be coming with you." At Adam's surprised look, she merely smirked and added, "Like you said, this is serious, and I intend to take it seriously."
Sienna had practically lived in her office since taking command, so for her to come along would be a big deal. It would also significantly up their chances of actually surviving the attack. Their number of aura users was incredibly low. Thankfully, Atlas operated in similar fashion. The rank and file were just regular people. They couldn't rush headlong into a hail of bullets and shrug off deadly blows. They'd fall like chaff against someone like him, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. Having another skilled fighter with aura, like Sienna, would save time and lives.
You have another fighter like that. No. No way. Nuh uh. He wasn't about to take Blake with him. He'd already risked her life once today, and that pretty much exceeded his quota for the year. As ready as she thought she might be, raiding convoys and fighting Grimm was child's play compared to what they were planning. These would be trained soldiers of Atlas led by an uncompromising Specialist with a chip the size of an Ursa on her shoulder. Winter Schnee didn't strike him as the type to let her men slack off. She'd push them and mold them into well-trained killing machines, sworn to carry out the will of Atlas without so much as a second thought. Determination alone wasn't that dangerous, but they wouldn't be alone.
A single soldier was an annoyance. Ten soldiers would be a pain. But a hundred heavily armed, highly motivated men entrenched in a hardened base? Even Adam didn't love those odds. Add into that mix a very stubborn Specialist that had already beaten him once in direct combat? Yeah, there was no way he was letting Blake anywhere near that mission.
"Pick out a team," Sienna said, though he could tell her mind was already elsewhere. "A strike team. We'll get numbers from Reyno, but we'll need a team to disable the place before we leave." Explosives. Tech. Firepower. Everything Alpha Squad excelled at. "In the meantime, I'll see what I can find on this base."
"You think you'll find anything?" They'd been looking for months. What made her think now would be any different?
"I know someone who can."
"You can't be serious!" Fennec protested.
"I'm not sure we can trust her," echoed Corsac. "And what makes you think she'd even be willing to help us?"
"We have to try." They did, though it looked like Adam was the only one in the room who didn't know what they were talking about. Sienna noticed and quickly assured him, "It's nothing you need to worry about."
"The fact you're saying that kind of makes me more worried."
"It's not someone I trust, but someone who can get the job done." So no answers then. "If anyone can tell us what we need to know, it's her."
Adam didn't have time for these little games. "All right, then. Keep your secrets. I've got work to do." A lot of work. Having Reyno's men would help, but they'd be more for reinforcing than leading the charge. The real responsibility would fall on Adam and his squad. He'd take the front, of course, but they'd need to be close behind. That meant they needed to be ready to face off against an enemy with every advantage if any of them hoped to make it back alive.
"Two weeks." Maybe it didn't bear repeating, but Adam would leave nothing to chance. Sienna's promising nod would have to be good enough for now. "If we don't have answers by then, I'm taking over."
"As you wish." That easy? At least they had a plan now. "If I hear something sooner, I'll let you know."
"Then I'd better start preparing." Not just his team, but himself as well. They'd only just started going on real missions, and he was about to throw them in the deep end against Atlas.
They weren't ready. How could they be? Even he wasn't ready for something like this. An unknown battlefield through a complex maze of a facility filled to the brim with soldiers, robots, and whatever else Atlas could throw at them. Even if they made it through, they'd still have to contend with the Schnee again. This time, with Sienna beside him, maybe they could take her on, but even that might be a stretch. They'd need to be at their best.
Two weeks wasn't a long time to get there, but the longer they waited, the more time Atlas would have to prepare. Even now, he'd wager they were requesting more men and supplies, upping their training, and preparing for a siege. The moment they had the intel, Adam and his team would be on the move.
He just hoped they'd be ready.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
They didn't get two weeks.
Whoever Sienna's contact was, she proved as good as Sienna's word and better. Just over a week passed before Sienna came to break the good news. Or was it bad news, given their limited time to prepare? Whatever the kind, it was definitely news.
"We found it."
All of Alpha Squad turned at the sudden arrival of their leader, completely ignoring the training lecture Adam had been giving. All eyes were on Sienna. She savored the suspense, waiting for them to ask the inevitable question that she so wanted to answer.
"Found what?"
Not that question.
"Already?" If they were going to ignore him, then Adam would ignore his team's questioning looks in return. "I thought you said it would take two weeks."
"I thought it would," Sienna claimed defensively. "Turns out, we're not the only ones looking for their base."
"Base?"
"Where is it?" Adam questioned, a knot of anticipation forming in his stomach. He'd been fretting over this info all week, but now that it was here, he wasn't sure he really wanted it.
"West bank. Not far from the bay." Sienna walked to the front of the room, passing a dozen confused faces along the way.
"We have their location."
"More than that." Sienna handed him a folder, letting him flip through the intel inside while she explained, "Layout. Force strength. We even have their cafeteria menu. It's Tacco Tuesday, by the way."
"How?"
"I told you. She's someone who can get the job done." Apparently. Floor plans. Security features. Delivery schedules. He might as well have been given a full tour of the facility. It even included pictures from the outside, showing all four entrances and a massive, reinforced hangar door, both open and closed. Inside, he could see half a dozen mantas parked along the sides and ready to deploy at a moment's notice. "Last three pages are about recent movements. You were right. They've brought in more troops and robots."
"Then they know we're coming."
"Excuse me!"
Sienna and Adam stopped and turned as one. Jakob was standing now, waving his hand at them with a frustrated look on his face.
"Who knows we're coming?" he asked as several heads nodded along in support.
It took a second for Sienna to realize what was happening. When she did manage to connect the dots, they led her glare straight to Adam. "You haven't told them yet?"
"Told us what?"
"I was getting around to it," Adam insisted. To be fair, he still had a week until their original deadline. They knew there was a big mission coming, but not the specifics yet. Adam had left that part out.
"Getting around to what?" Oh boy. Now Blake was getting in on it. Not good.
With a resigned sigh, Adam set the folder down on the desk beside him and turned off the projector. The lights were back to full brightness a moment later. "The mission you've been preparing for…it's a big one."
"How big?"
"Big, big." That sounded a lot less silly in his head, for some reason. Still, eyes widened at what that could mean. "Blake, Ilia, you two remember your mission last week?"
"Watching for Grimm while everyone else did all the work?" Really? That was the part she remembered?
"Not that part. The whole almost getting blown out of the sky bit at the end." Ilia certainly remembered, if the concerned look she wore was any indication. "We're going after the base that tried to shoot us down."
The room exploded into a flurry of questions. When? Where? How many of them? Could they stop for ice cream after? That last one had Jakob written all over it. But above it all rose a simple question from Blake.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Because the mission wasn't ready yet? Because they weren't ready yet? Because it was easier to avoid dealing with them? Definitely one of those, though none of them would be received well. In times like these, he had only one option.
Lie and deflect.
"What were we just discussing before Sienna barged in?" Not a single person had an answer. "Really? None of you were paying attention?"
"We're tired from training," Yuma whined. "And it was super boring."
"Information security!" Adam yelled. If they survived this mission, he'd make them suffer for being so lackadaisical about his lessons. "Controlling the flow of information so your enemy doesn't learn your plans."
"Wait, does that make us the enemy?" Azure asked, completely missing the point.
Azul slapped the back of his head. "No, you idiot. He didn't want us to leak the info."
"So we're not enemies, just untrustworthy."
Adam's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists so hard. "Forget it. It doesn't matter." No one seemed to agree, but he had bigger fish to fry. They could complain later. Adam waved the folder in front of him. "All that matters is taking out this base." He tossed it to Nag, trusting her to be the sensible one right now. "What do you see?"
After a few seconds, Nag answered, "It's not gonna be easy. Lots of enemies and tight corridors. Perfect killzones." She handed the file off to Marcus.
"Looks like our training runs," Marcus summarized, glancing at the photos and layout. "We've run that dozens of times. I don't see the problem."
"The problem," Indie said, snatching the folder from him, "Is Atlas won't be using paintballs. This is the real deal."
"It is," Adam confirmed. "Atlas may try to take prisoners, but they'll likely shoot first and check for survivors afterwards. You can't take any chances here. We'll have reinforcements from Reyno, but there's a very real chance the airships won't be as full on the flight back." And a chance there wouldn't be a flight back at all. "Some of us might not be coming home."
He let the weight of those words hit them. It felt cruel to crush them like that, but they needed to understand the stakes. A single bullet, even a stray shot, could be the end of any of them. They'd been lucky so far on all their missions, but Adam fully expected to lose some men on this one. As callous as it sounded, he hoped none of them would come from the misfits before him. As annoying as they could be, they'd started to grow on him a little.
"This is an all or nothing mission," Adam carefully explained. "Once we go in, there's no going back. We can't risk letting this place stand. We fight until the base falls…or we do." There would be no second chance. "If any of you want out, now's the time to say so. I won't stop you, nor will I think any less of you. All you have to do is walk out that door."
Adam pointed to the door Sienna had come through, which still stood open ominously. Even Adam could feel the temptation to walk. Sure, the White Fang would likely collapse if they didn't succeed, and a lot of it hinged on him and Sienna leading the charge, but so what? Hadn't he done enough? He could settle down, live the rest of his life in a veritable island paradise, fall in love, start a family, and die an old man. Hadn't he earned his rest? He could still live a full life.
But not a life he could be proud of. If he abandoned them now, then he'd be abandoning them all to their deaths. Atlas might pull the trigger, but their blood would be on his hands. He'd have to live with the knowledge that he could've saved them, always haunted by the ghosts of those he let down. That was no way to live. He'd rather give his life doing something worthy than live a coward.
The rest of them, though? They didn't have to die for him. If he had to, he'd charge the base on his own and cut down anyone who tried to stop him. He'd find a way to succeed, if only so they could keep fighting afterwards. None of them needed to bear the same burden. They could go on to accomplish great things, even if only because of his sacrifice.
No one moved from their seats, though he saw a few glance at the door. He could see the wheels turning in their heads as they weighed the risks and studied each other to see if anyone would go first. No one ever wanted to be the first.
Finally, after what felt like hours to Adam. Someone rose.
Jakob, who'd stood beside him since Orostachys and probably understood him best, made his way toward the door. Every eye watched him as he passed. Adam couldn't really blame him. Like Adam, Jakob had been given a raw deal in life from an early age. Now, though? He'd finally carved out a tiny shred of happiness. Adam didn't make a move to stop him as he reached the door and paused, silently wishing his friend well.
The door slammed a second later.
"As if any of us are gonna chicken out now," Jakob said as he made his way back to his seat. "Nice try, but you can't get rid of us that easily."
"We're coming with you," Bane promised, nodding to Jakob.
"It'd be a shame to waste all that training."
"About time we took the fight to Atlas."
"We've got your back."
"Blowing things up? Sounds like a blast."
"Alpha Squad!" Marcus cheered.
"Alpha Squad!" the room answered in a garbled mess of sound.
"It seems the mission is a go," Sienna added, just to drive the final nail in the coffin. "We leave in two days. We'll rendezvous with Cerco and his men, then march on the target together. Take tonight and tomorrow to prepare. Spend time with loved ones and those important to you.. Remind yourself what - and who - you're fighting for."
"This is really happening, then?" Adam nodded, robbing Jakob of a little of his bravado. "Right. In that case, drinks are on me tonight!"
"I thought she said to spend time with important people."
"Bite me!" Jakob hollered back. The oppressive weight of their impending doom still hung in the air, but right now, they could somehow ignore that and laugh like nothing had changed.
"It seems you have your team, Adam."
Adam could hear the hint in Sienna's voice plain as day. They both knew he needed to clarify something. Their plan only involved most of Alpha Squad. He'd made it clear to Sienna already that there would be two staying behind, whether they liked it or not.
He had a feeling one of them wouldn't like it at all.
"About the mission-"
The door burst open as Kaito rushed in, slamming the door behind him as he took in the room at a glance. Spotting Adam, he hurriedly walked forward to explain himself. "Adam! I tried to tell him not to, but he insisted."
"What? Who?"
"Where is he?!"
Adam knew that voice anywhere. Whatever mirth had filled the room died an ugly death. No one dared move a muscle, scared they'd give away their position to the man hunting their leader.
It didn't matter. He found them anyway.
The door burst open yet again, making Adam wonder if anyone knew how to knock anymore. In fact, why even have doors at all?
"Where is he?" Ghira demanded, zeroing in on his target almost immediately. Not hard, considering Adam was standing at the front of the room, not to mention Marcus had instinctively pointed to him. Some loyalty. "You!"
"Me." He really didn't have time for this right now, though it was interesting to see Ghira actually show some emotion for once.
If only that emotion wasn't rage aimed directly at Adam. "You," the former leader of the White Fang repeated, stomping his way forward to grab Adam by the shirt. There was a moment where Ghira looked ready to clock him, but the fist never left his side. "You have some nerve."
Did he? Adam knew better than to ask, instead doing his best to look like the most bored person to ever face off against a man contemplating murder. He didn't feel calm at all, but the mask over his eyes helped cover that up.
"What's all this about, Ghira?" Sienna asked, sparing Adam from having to say anything.
"Dad!"
"Quiet down, sweetheart. I just want to have a word with your friend." Ghira's clipped tone and refusal to look away from his possible victim didn't inspire confidence. "First you take my daughter on a dangerous mission without even telling me. Then, you nearly get her killed." Oh, come on. How was he supposed to know Atlas would try and shoot them down like that? "Kali told me I was overreacting." Note to self. Send a thank you card to Kali for being the reasonable one. "But now I hear you're getting ready to attack Atlas directly."
"How did you-"
"You're not the only one with spies, Sienna," Ghira growled in response. "Though I'd appreciate it if you kept them out of my house." And just like that, the focus was back on Adam. "So it's true, then. You intend to start a war with Atlas."
Atlas shot first, but no one seemed to care about that. Then again, it was nice to see Ghira actually give a crap about the White Fang for once. Enough to fight for it, even if he'd picked a fight with the wrong person. If only he'd shown some of this passion before, Sienna might never have taken his place. Maybe getting ousted had been the wakeup call Ghira needed.
"And you intend to throw my daughter at them."
Nevermind. Adam should've known better. Ghira still didn't care about the White Fang. His worldview ended at the walls of his cozy mansion. Anyone outside of it didn't matter in the slightest.
The silence dragged on well beyond the point of awkwardness. No one else looked willing to turn Ghira's fury on themselves, while Ghira seemed content to wait for Adam to respond, even if he wouldn't like the answer. Which meant it fell to Adam to move things along.
"Are you done?"
In hindsight, it probably wasn't his best response. Even as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd regret them. "You son of a-"
"Ghira." Sienna spared Adam and his mask a deserved beating, grabbing Ghira's wrist before he could carry through on the punch he'd been holding back on. He could've broken free easily enough, but the contact made him pause for a moment.
"Stay out of this."
"I will not." Sienna got herself added to the list of thank you cards as she stepped around the larger man to put herself next to Adam. "If you're here to complain about the mission, then as leader of the White Fang, your argument is with me." Reminding him of her victory must've stung a little, but right now, he deserved every bit of Sienna's bite. Reluctantly, Ghira let go of his death grip on Adam's shirt. "Better."
"You can't start a war with Atlas," Ghira lectured, unsure which of the pair he wanted to attack first. Indecision had him glancing between his two least favorite people on Remnant instead.
"War is already upon us," Sienna answered. "They have fired the first shot. I intend to answer."
"You intend to escalate." As someone who had been fighting with nothing but words as long as Adam had known him, Ghira was always ready with a comeback.
"What else would you have me do?" Sienna's own anger rose to match Ghira's. It had been a while since they'd fought. At least, since Adam had seen them fight. He did his best to make himself scarce anytime the two crossed paths. "They tried to kill your daughter!"
"And she never should've been there in the first place. She isn't ready!"
"Everything we do is for the future of the faunus. She deserves the right to fight for that."
"She is right here, you know."
No one paid any attention to Blake's complaint. Least of all, her father. "This isn't the way to-"
"This isn't your way!" Sienna had had enough. "We tried your way. Years of speeches and press statements while our brothers and sisters outside Menagerie continued to suffer. And what did it get us? Nothing! We did nothing but sit here and wait, content to survive on this pathetic peace offering of an island while our enemies grew stronger. Our ancestors fought and died for our freedom, but things are as bad now as they were back then. The only difference is that some of us are too scared to fight back."
'You're too young to remember what it was like."
"And you're too old to care about our future." Ghira wasn't that old, but if he wanted to bring age into the argument, then he had to be ready for it to be thrown back in his face.
"Things were different then."
"You're right. Back then, we were willing to fight for what we believed in." As entertaining as their fights could be, Adam really wished he'd been sitting down when it started. He didn't dare move now as Sienna continued tearing into her rival. "Atlas has built a fully armed base on Mistralian soil. How many faunus have to die before you're willing to actually stand with us?"
"I don't want-"
"I don't care what you want." Sienna refused to yield any of her momentum to his interjections. "The world stood by while we raised our voices. No one listened when we pointed out the atrocities of the SDC. Well, actions speak louder than words, and I intend to make so much noise that they can't ignore us any longer."
This was getting nowhere fast. He knew he'd regret it, but Adam felt the need to jump into the fray. "Sienna's right. We can't afford to ignore this. We have to act."
"And how many lives will you throw away with your action?"
"None." At least, he hoped not. "Sienna and I will be leading the charge. If anyone dies, I'd rather it be me." Ghira would probably prefer that too. Him and Sienna both. It would certainly make his life a lot easier.
"You can't guarantee everyone's safety." Ghira had a knack for stating the obvious. "If you want to risk your own life, that's one thing, but something this reckless will get other people killed. Are you saying you're okay with that?"
How was he meant to answer that? Of course he wasn't okay with people dying - on either side. But like Ghira said, there was a good chance some wouldn't make it out alive. Both Atlas and the White Fang would likely suffer losses on this mission. He'd do his best to keep those numbers low, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. As leader of the mission, every death was on him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have any better options. Ignore it, and Atlas would effectively end the White Fang. Attack alone, and he'd probably fail and be either killed or captured - which was as good as death, as Atlas would likely execute him. That only left a full-scale assault, which would likely get people killed.
Was he okay with people dying? Not at all. But the alternative was even worse in his mind. As harsh as it sounded, they would have to be acceptable losses. Necessary sacrifices for their continued survival. Not that Ghira would agree.
He never got the chance.
"Coward."
The single word, as quiet as it was, cut like a knife. Not so much what was said as the one who said it.
"Blake?"
"You're a coward," she repeated, refusing to meet her father's eyes. "You and mom both."
"Blake, you don't understand."
"I understand enough. It's okay for them to fight for what they believe in, but not me. Not us. What makes us so special?" Ghira didn't have an answer for that one. "All my life, you talked about wanting the best for faunus everywhere, but you're never willing to do anything about it. And as soon as someone tries to do anything, you try to stop them. How is that helping the faunus?"
"It's too dangerous."
"So what, we're supposed to just sit back and do nothing? Just give up and say we tried?"
Whatever fight Ghira had with Adam and Sienna had to wait. "I'm not saying we should give up-"
"No. You've already given up." Ghira looked physically hurt by her direct condemnation, despite hearing the same from Sienna a dozen times before. "Well I haven't, and neither have the rest of us. We'll do whatever it takes to make people listen. After all, anything worth having is worth fighting for."
Did she have to use Adam's words against Ghira? If he found out, Adam would have yet another problem to deal with.
Ghira tried to calm her down, despite even Adam knowing it wouldn't work. "I just don't want you getting hurt."
"But it's okay if everyone else does?" To Ghira, probably, but saying that out loud would only prove Blake's point. "I can fight. I want to fight." She stopped short of saying she needed to, but they all heard the unspoken plea. "I'm not just some little girl anymore."
"But you're still my daughter." Which meant she had more value to him than anyone else on Remnant. Adam could respect that, but to Blake, his love felt like a cage.
"Well maybe I don't want to be." Blake was gone in a flash, but Adam could see the tears forming in her eyes before she escaped. Ghira looked like he'd just taken a knife to the stomach. No one could hurt you quite like those you loved.
Ghira was the one to eventually break the silence Blake left behind. "Look what you've done." Everyone knew it wasn't Adam's fault, but Ghira wasn't exactly in a rational mood at the moment. He'd realize who'd really caused Blake's outburst later when he looked in a mirror, but right now, he was lashing out at anyone and anything. "This isn't over. You're still making a terrible mistake, and I won't let you drag Blake down with you."
"No one's forcing Blake to do anything," Sienna replied, though she might as well have added an "except for you."
"Blake isn't going."
There. He'd said it. Admittedly, he probably should've done that before Blake left, but he had no intention of bringing Blake along.
"Blake and Ilia will be staying behind," Adam specified, glancing over to see Ilia's reaction. She actually looked a little disappointed at the announcement, though not as much as Blake would be. Hopefully she'd still be too mad at Ghira to blame him much. "They've already been endangered by Atlas once. I won't risk them again."
Not when they weren't even adults yet. Losing two aura-enhanced fighters would be a pain, but he and Sienna would have to be enough.
"Thank you." Never had those words sounded more forced to Adam, but at least Ghira was man enough to say them. "I still think this is wrong, but for what it's worth, I hope you all make it home safe." If only so he could deliver an "I told you so" in person. Better to say it to someone's face than their grave.
"We will." Whatever it took, he'd get them all back in one piece. Blake would kill him if he died.
Ghira left, presumably to hunt down Blake and patch things up sooner rather than later. Adam had a feeling Ghira wouldn't find her. If Blake didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. He'd have to make sure he bought some extra food before he left. He had a feeling his apartment would be in use while he was gone.
"Well, that was a thing." If it wasn't for Jakob not having his aura unlocked, Adam would've sworn his Semblance involved being able to say the wrong thing at any given moment. "You all still want to go grab a drink?"
"After that, I feel like I could use one."
"Make it drinks," Trifa insisted.
"I'm in!"
"Adam?"
He didn't really feel like being in a noisy bar listening to a drunken Jakob share too much about his love life, not to mention the inevitable hangover the morning would bring. But tonight wasn't about him. The team needed him. The least he could do is spend some time with them before they all ran off to risk their lives together.
"Why not?" His answer helped alleviate the pall that had settled in the room, proving he'd already made the right decision. Whether he'd still feel that way in the morning was tomorrow Adam's problem.
"You all have fun," Sienna said, excusing herself before anyone could even ask. She knew this was more of a team outing. "I've got work to do. Make sure Adam has a few for me."
Traitor.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam wasn't sure which had the heavier impact - the booze or the looming mission - but whatever the case, Alpha Squad had celebrated practically all night. It was a good thing Jakob knew the owner or they'd have probably been kicked out at least a dozen times with how rowdy they'd gotten. Drinks. Karaoke. Drinks. Dancing. More drinks. Adam wasn't sure if the hours had flown or dragged by. All he knew is that Jakob would be paying for that pool table once he sobered up.
Sprawled out on the floor of his living room - his couch had treacherously moved when he tried to lay down - Adam debated how well he could sleep there. The rug wasn't overly soft, but right now, it still felt good enough. He kicked his leg out, knocking the coffee table further away to make more space. Yeah, this could work. He shook his foot, desperately trying to dislodge his shoe. Where the other one had gone, he had no idea. He could worry about that tomorrow. Or today, as he could vaguely remember doing a shot at midnight. Or was it three? Shots, that was. Not the time.
Whatever the case, Adam settled into his new bed, flailing his arm for a blanket across the back of his couch before giving up, muttering that he'd neither forgive nor forget the treachery of his furniture. The light was still on, but that was fine. He turned his head, keeping his good eye pointed at the ground. It wasn't perfect, but right now, it was good enough. Now all he had to do was wait for the sweet embrace of unconsciousness to take him. Now if only the pounding in his head would stop.
It took Adam a good minute to realize the pounding was actually on his door, and only because he heard someone shout his name. He debated ignoring it. Maybe they'd think they had the wrong apartment. Or they'd assume he wasn't there. Yeah, that could work. Except his light was still on and he was pretty sure he'd yelled something rude back at some point. Still the banging continued sporadically. He had no idea when or if it would stop, which meant if he wanted quiet, he'd have to deal with whoever was on the other side.
Talk to them, he reminded himself. Stabbing through the door might work, but it would make a mess. And then he'd need a new door. It all sounded like too much of a hassle compared to just opening the door and telling someone to piss off.
The words never quite made it out as he saw who was waiting for him.
"Indie?"
She looked a wreck, but he doubted he'd fared much better. Like him, she hadn't bothered to change since the bar, though it looked like she'd somehow missed a couple buttons on her top. Her fist sailed through the open air where the door had been, causing her to stumble forward and crash into his chest face first. It took her a second to figure out what she'd hit, her hand patting his chest before she looked up with a strange smile. "Adam. There you are."
"Are you okay?"
"Better now," she promised, still leaning against him for balance. "Can I come in?"
Stood a few feet past the entryway, it was a little late to say no. "You're already in."
"Thanks." She finally pushed herself off of him, though she didn't move out of the way, making him have to reach around her to close the door. "Nice place."
"It does the job." Food. A place to sleep. Chairs. What more could he ask for?
"Just you?" What kind of question was that? Of course it was just him. He didn't exactly have a secret family hiding in the closet or anything. "Must get lonely sometimes."
Not really. He liked his privacy. "Don't you live by yourself?"
"Yep. And it gets lonely sometimes."
Fair enough. Some people were social like that. He'd never understand extroverts, but to each their own. "Can I get you anything?" Water? Some food? A ride home?
"Such a gentleman," she hummed, looking around until her eyes settled on the fridge. "A drink?"
"Sure." He made his way to the cabinets, pulling out two glasses and filling them halfway. He didn't trust either of them not to spill a full glass right now. "Here."
"Thanks." She downed it in one go, wincing at the end. "Your drinks are really weak."
"That's because they're water." They'd had enough alcohol tonight. Neither of them needed more. Taking the empty glass from her, he decided to cut to the chase. "So what's up? Did you want to talk about the mission or something?" He didn't know how much help he'd be right now, but he did his best to straighten up and prepare himself mentally.
"Not exactly."
Whatever he'd prepared himself for, it wasn't a pair of lips slamming into his face. His chin took the brunt of it, but before he could say anything, Indie adjusted her aim. The whole thing was an awkward mess. Their noses were crushed as she refused to let up, aided by her lack of balance as she clung to him. It wasn't so much a kiss as two faces pressed together.
Adam pushed her back, only to grab her shoulder when he realized she would probably fall over on her own. "Indie?"
"Shhh," she dragged out, placing a finger over his lips. The moment was sort of ruined as it dragged down, flapping his bottom lip unceremoniously. "I want to kiss you."
"You already kissed me." If anyone could call it that.
"I did?" How drunk was she? Enough to forget what happened two seconds ago. "I want to kiss you again."
And she did, though she'd apparently learned from her earlier mistake. This one felt a lot nicer. Nice enough that Adam's mind forgot to tell him to stop it at first. His hands slipped from her shoulders to her back as she pulled him closer, practically climbing up him to deepen the kiss. He felt her lips part a second later, finally snapping his brain into action.
"Indie, stop." Part of him complained at the interruption. Stupid hormones. "You're drunk."
"And you're cute." Further proof she was off her rocker right now. "Do you think I'm cute?"
Talk about a loaded question. "Let's get you home."
"You don't think I'm cute?"
What had he done to deserve this? She looked like a wounded puppy, and not just because of the tail. So he did what any sane person would've done. "Yes. You're cute."
Her mood swung so fast he worried she'd get emotional whiplash. "I'm cute? I'm cute!" No good deed went unpunished as she excitedly shouted her victory in his face. "He said that I'm cute!"
Adam just had time to get a hand up in front of his mouth before she struck again. Confused, she still kissed his hand for a full three seconds before realizing his palm didn't contain a pair of lips. "Bwah?"
"I also said you're drunk."
"So are you," she tried.
"That doesn't make it any better." If anything, it made it worse. Not just because neither of them were in their right mind, either. Bad enough he wasn't thinking straight, but it seemed his over imbibing had come at a hefty price.
Why not? You know she wants it. Shutting out the taunting voice was a lot harder when he had to focus just to walk a straight line. Just because she's a little tipsy doesn't mean you two can't have some fun. Tipsy? Indie was lucky she could still stand at this point. It's just helping her loosen up. Release her inhibitions. She's just too shy when she's sober. I bet she prefers doggy style.
There was so much wrong with everything she'd said that he didn't know where to start. "Come on. Let's get you to bed. You'll feel better in the morning."
Taking her to bed? Atta boy! Not like that! He'd get her settled in, then go for a rematch with the couch. Or you could just share the bed. Probably get her out of those nasty clothes first. Yeah, he wasn't falling for that. She could sleep fully clothed and by herself. He planned to do the same, though on a much less comfortable couch.
The two of them stumbled into his bedroom in the dark, the only light coming from the living room. He shifted her against his shoulder as best he could, trying to pull the covers down while holding her up. Leant over the bed and trying to multitask like that, he didn't notice Indie make her move until it was too late. She didn't so much tackle him as just throw herself against his side, toppling them both onto the bed with her bodily pinning him to the mattress.
"Indie…"
"Stay?"
Oh, commands! See if she knows beg. "No!" Adam didn't mean to yell in Indie's ear like that. "No. I'll be on the couch, okay?"
"But I want you to stay."
"That's just the alcohol talking." Maybe not just the alcohol. Indie liked him. That wasn't a secret. But she deserved better than him. Even if she was sober, he'd probably still turn her down. Adam tried to get up, but the way she'd fallen on him gave him no leverage. He wriggled himself into a better spot. "Indie, you need to let me get up."
"But ish comfor'ble."
It really wasn't. "It'll be even more comfortable once you let me go." His mattress was surprisingly nice. One of the few perks of his position that he actually got to enjoy - when he wasn't away on a mission. "I'm getting up now."
He expected her to either fight him or relent and roll off, but she did neither.
"You have to move."
Still nothing.
"C'mon, Indie. I told you, I'm not going to-"
For being such a small woman, she could snore like a freight train. Whatever her intentions had been, she hadn't stayed awake to see them through. Instead, she'd passed out on top of him, the two of them lying almost sideways on the mattress with his legs dangling off the end.
Sighing, Adam gave up the fight and pulled the covers around as best he could. Escaping might wake her up and have her trying to drunkenly seduce him again - something he'd rather not repeat. If having her snore and drool on his shirt meant he actually got a few hours of sleep, then he'd endure the embarrassment for now.
Sienna told them to spend time with loved ones. That she had, though he'd sort of hoped that wouldn't include him. If nothing else, at least he'd get to enjoy watching Indie die inside when she woke up in the morning using him as a body pillow. Maybe that would make up for the hangover and soreness. If nothing else, it would help take her mind off the mission for a bit. And really, that was all any of them could ask for right now.
"Goodnight, Indie." He eventually drifted off to sleep himself, the unplanned teddy bear of a woman who deserved better. They all deserved better than what life had given them. Instead, here they were, carving out whatever slim bit of happiness they could manage before risking their lives against an unfair world.
He'd do what he could to fix that. He'd make a better future for everyone, even if it killed him.
No matter who stood in his way.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Winter had grown accustomed to being disappointed by people. If you wanted something done right, you did it yourself. She was loath to use one of Jacques' lessons like that, but regardless of her feelings - or lack thereof - for the man who had contributed to giving her life and nothing more, he wasn't wrong. Jacques was many things, but a fool wasn't on that list.
Still, she wasn't as used to being disappointed by the men and women under her command. Their orders were to track any possible White Fang activity, not contact them and open fire on an unconfirmed target. Heads had rolled after that. They'd not only risked shooting down a civilian craft, but given away the secrecy of Fort Euryale at the same time.
Since then, her base of operations had become a flurry of activity. Stealth was no longer the name of the game. They'd been so cautious bringing in supplies and men, always changing up routes and sticking to small enough quantities to not raise suspicions. It took time, but anything worth doing was worth doing properly. While the premature engagement hadn't ruined their plans, they'd certainly escalated the timetable a bit.
The White Fang knew they were there. They had to. Say what you want about Sienna Khan and her right hand Adam Taurus, but the two weren't so incompetent not to put the pieces together. The only reason they hadn't already attacked was likely a lack of intel, but that couldn't last forever. It would only be a matter of time until the White Fang learned of her base's location and made a desperate gamble.
A fool's gamble, but one they would have to make. With this base, not to mention the planned sister base that was underway in the east, Atlas could finally plug the gap in surveillance over the Kingdom closest to their enemy. If they could cut off air travel, they could starve the White Fang out of Anima once and for all. Not to mention the tactical importance of a forward base like this. Mistral and Atlas were on good terms currently, but that could change in time. Argus provided a solid foothold, but with the sheer size of Anima, additional posts would be useful should war ever come between them.
Always prepare for tomorrow's war. Such was the strategy that guided General Ironwood and Atlas as a whole.
Winter had taken that lesson to heart and kicked preparations into high gear. Now that the cat was out of the bag, strength took priority over stealth. A fresh batch of Knights had arrived only that morning and were already going through a fresh series of field tests. Like her soldiers, they were under orders to take prisoners where possible, rather than shoot to kill as their base anti-Grimm programming dictated.
For every drill the automated units ran, her soldiers ran two. When Taurus and his forces arrived, she intended to see them crushed against the relentless walls of Euryale. She'd deliver him personally to the general and prove herself worthy of everything he'd given her.
"Ma'am."
Winter returned the salute, pleased to see decorum had not fallen off. "What is it, sergeant?"
He handed her a printed message, summarizing it at the same time. "We've received a message."
"General Ironwood?"
The sergeant looked nervous as he answered, "No, ma'am. It's from…Ghira Belladonna." What? The page she'd planned to skim through later suddenly had her full attention. "He says the White Fang is planning an assault."
"We already know that." Useless information, but the fact the former leader of their enemy had reached out to warn them was far more important. Assuming they could verify the information, of course. This could just as easily be an attempt to distract and divert their attention. The man certainly was wordy. "Anything else?"
"Sienna Khan will be among the assault team." Now that was news. The two heads of the beast were going to be in one place, and outside the safety of their little island home for once? This could be a perfect opportunity to deal a major blow to the White Fang. "He also gave us their location."
"He did, did he?" She had to keep it professional, but inside, it was like every birthday had come at once. Finally, she located the important passage. Staging location. Force numbers. Leaders. Several names she recognized from recent reports. This was an intelligence gold mine! "Thank you, sergeant. This is good news. Good news, indeed."
She'd need to tear this report apart for veracity, but if it proved accurate, then the White Fang had served themselves up on a silver platter. She'd be an idiot to ignore this chance. And Winter was no idiot.
"Your days are numbered, Taurus," Winter whispered to herself, reading through the message as plans began to form. "Bring your army. Atlas stands ready."
Busy chapter this week. An assault is planned. Blake has daddy issues. Adam almost gets some action but shuts it down. And even Winter makes an appearance with a traitorous message. All while working in some movie and song references for those eagle-eyed readers.
Actually had to split this chapter in two, as we were going to just jump straight to the mission next chapter, but kept coming up with more little things to add. Next thing I know, we're 9k words in and still not ready for the attack to begin.
Also, before anyone comes after me for some of the more questionable things in Adam's mind, remember that this is basically Alyssa talking. To Adam, she's the embodiment of thirst and racism combined, so her little voice has a lot of those tendencies. In the end, he chooses not to take advantage of a drunk woman, even if he's almost certain she likes him in that way. Just want to head off any angry messages about that whole scene if I can. And I did not misspell tacos. Check the Grimm Campaign.
Next chapter: The White Fang is on the move.