Shorter chapter this week. Looks even tinier next to last week's Goliath. Kind of the plan though. That, and I spent most of today hanging out with my brother's kids. They're sneaking up on teenage years now, but they still love seeing me and my wife (we're the cool aunt and uncle). Mostly played games with the boys all day and had a blast, but between that and work stuff this week, I'm glad last week was the longer chapter.
Also, my work trip this month got cancelled, but now I have one lurking a few months away. 2023 is gonna be a busy year by the looks of it. Glad to be home, though, since I would've gotten back from this month's trip and almost immediately turned around to go visit family for Christmas. Being home more than a week out of the month is much nicer.
Adam didn't know what he'd expected using aura to feel like. If it acted like a force field, would he even feel anything? Would his arm feel numb, muting any impact no matter how light? Maybe some sort of subtle pressure, like a heavy blanket draped over him against the cold.
He hadn't expected it to hurt.
When he mentioned it, Blaine chuckled and said, "You just got hit. Your body still feels the impact, but you won't suffer the same damage." For emphasis, Blaine twirled the knife that had delivered the blow. "Don't worry, though. It'll go away in a minute."
"How do I turn it off?" Adam asked with a hint of panic. His body continued to glisten with a red sheen.
"The same way you turned it on. Just backwards."
Blaine's joke didn't help. He hadn't turned it on. It turned itself on. The moment he jumped in front of-
Adam still knelt in front of Cammie, keeping himself between her and her would-be attacker. He couldn't help watching Blaine's weapons still, as if he expected another attack. His legs were tense, ready to throw himself back in harm's way in an instant. Adam took a deep breath as he mentally reminded himself this was just training. Cammie wasn't in any real danger. Not anymore, at least. It wasn't until Blaine sheathed his twin blades that Adam finally relaxed and saw the light fade.
"You weren't joking about that protection stuff," Blaine observed as Cammie placed a reassuring hand on Adam's arm before walking over to the sidelines where Jean watched with an almost bored expression. "C'mon. Get up. We're done for today."
Adam ignored Blaine's offered hand, pushing himself off the ground, even if the pressure on his arms made him wince a little. Aura or not, the existing cuts and soreness were still there. He wished he'd figured out his aura sooner, especially when he shifted to the side to favor a leg. Neither of them felt great, but one of the cuts definitely hurt more than the others.
"You okay?"
Like he cares. Adam couldn't exactly disagree this time. "I'll be fine, no thanks to-"
"Adam!" Jean was on him in a flash, knocking Cammie aside as he surged across the training field to his side. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Adam rolled his eyes. "I'm fine," he repeated. "Just a little banged up." Adam wiped some dirt off his arm, leaving red streaks in several spots. "And a little cut up, I guess."
"You." Jean growled the single word as he whirled on the Huntsman. Adam couldn't help the smug grin at seeing someone else take his torturer to task. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"
"Training." Blaine didn't look too concerned about the bomb ticking right in front of him. Huntsman or not, Adam hoped Jean would wipe the grin off the jerk's face.
"Is that what you call carving up a child?"
"I call it practical. Effective, too." Adam tensed instinctively as Blaine's hands came to rest on his daggers. "In case you missed it, he used his aura, just like I promised. You can't argue with the results."
"It's the method that I have a problem with."
"Like I told the kid, using your aura isn't something you sit around thinking about. Grimm don't give you time to think. You either use it, or you die." Blaine unsheathed one of his daggers, inspecting the cruel edge casually. "Faced with that choice, Adam chose to use it."
"You hurt him," Jean said, pointing to Adam, who was still rubbing his arm.
"He'll get over it. If anything, the pain's a lesson of what happens if you fail."
Jean didn't look impressed. "And what about Cammie? Did you have to hurt her, too?"
"Another part of the lesson," Blaine shrugged. "Sometimes, it's not just you that suffers when you fail."
He already knows plenty about that, Alyssa's voice laughed, even if no one else could hear it. Just ask Nila.
"Let's be honest, here." Adam didn't really want to hear Blaine's honesty, but neither he nor Jean made to interrupt. "He wasn't getting it with your kid gloves approach. Sipping tea and singing kumbaya doesn't accomplish anything. Sometimes, you need a little less carrot and a lot more stick."
"What you did was cruel."
"Life is cruel," Blaine answered with far less amusement than before. "You know it. I know it. The sooner he learns that, the better."
Adam almost laughed at that. Cruelty? That was something Adam knew all too well. Compared to him, he wondered if Blaine even knew what it really meant. Living a cushy life in the capital. Only venturing out into the world to kill some Grimm - something he'd likely been trained in since he was a kid. He'd probably had everything handed to him all his life. What little Adam had, he'd clawed and scraped to earn, and he'd lost far more than he'd ever gotten.
Adam still hated Blaine for his methods, but his cuts were nothing compared to what he'd been through. He'd been hurt long before Blaine could do anything to him. Much worse, too. Alyssa had done more damage to him physically during some of her "playtime," not to mention the scars that hid beneath the surface.
Maybe Blaine had a point. His method sucked at the time, but he was right - Adam had finally used his aura properly. All his training with Jean had only let him barely activate it, and only in small bursts with tons of preparation. Blaine's cuts had accomplished more than all of Jean's lessons. Adam might not have enjoyed the experience, but like he said, there was no arguing with the results.
Jean still had plenty to argue with. "He isn't a Huntsman. He's just a kid."
"And as long as you treat him that way, that's all he'll ever be." Blaine looked over to Adam. "You did good, kid. A little slow, but I knew we'd get there eventually. Looks like all you needed was a better teacher."
Jean had had enough. With a frustrated roar, he charged, intending to challenge Blaine's words with his fists. Blaine smirked before hurling his dagger, but the blade twirled wide, easily missing Jean, who ignored the feinted attack and drove his fist into Blaine's face.
Or, he would have, if Blaine didn't suddenly vanish.
"For someone so against violence, you sure are quick to jump to it," Blaine laughed, having reappeared beyond even Adam despite not seeming to have moved a muscle. He twirled the single dagger dramatically, keeping it held loosely beside him. "Anyways, I think I'm done here. If you want to train more tomorrow, let me know."
Adam hated that he couldn't outright reject the offer, but he so badly wanted to know more. The small taste of success had only whetted his appetite. With Blaine's albeit awful style, how much more could he learn? If one fight was enough to let him fully manifest his aura, what would a second session accomplish?
"I'm beginning to see why Captain Zoster hates him so much," Jean said to no one in particular as Blaine walked off. Once he was gone, Jean returned to Adam. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I will be," Adam promised, holding out his arm to show off some of the cuts he'd received. "Wait, where'd they go?"
"Aura healing," Jean said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your aura can close up minor wounds like that in no time. Not that it should've had to."
Because Adam shouldn't have had any injury from training, he meant. Jean was always careful when it came to weapon handling in their spars. Sure, Adam still got hurt every now and then, but never on purpose. And never as much as he had against Blaine. Even now, he could still feel the phantom pain of his injuries. "They still hurt, though."
"That's because your body isn't used to that kind of healing. It'll get easier in time." Jean turned him this way and that, inspecting him like some piece of meat. "You sure you're alright?"
This was starting to get old. "I'm fine, alright?" Adam insisted, jerking himself free before adding in a quiet voice. "Not that you care."
He wasn't as quiet as he thought he'd been. "What?"
In for a penny, Adam supposed. "Don't act like you care now. You let him carve me up without saying a word." Jean may have tried to step in on the first injury, but what about the second? Or the third? Or the tenth? "You were more worried when Cammie got hurt."
"You didn't want to stop!"
"And you didn't want to try!" Adam shouted back. He just stood there and watched it all happen. Probably glad you have aura. Now he doesn't have to explain to the others how he didn't bother to help. "You even let Cammie get hurt. At least I tried to stop him."
"You-" Whatever words Jean wanted to hurl back never came as he bit them back with gritted teeth. "You know what? Fine! I'm the bad guy, not the psychopath who cut you up. No, it's me. It's always me. And as for you," Jean turned his head to fix his gaze on Cammie, "don't you ever do something like that without permission again, or I'll show you the true meaning of fear." And with that final threat hanging in the air, Jean stormed off, snarling insults and comments that Adam could only assume were directed at him.
"You shouldn't blame him," Cammie tried, breaking the silence after a few seconds. "It's not his fault."
But Adam didn't really feel in the forgiving mood. "He just stood there and watched. He's acting all concerned afterwards, but where was he during the fight? If he was so worried, then why didn't he say anything?"
"He did," Cammie reminded him. "Twice, in fact, before…he wanted to help."
"Yeah? Well, he didn't." It didn't matter what someone wanted. Only what they did. And Jean did nothing.
"He couldn't," she insisted.
Adam was growing irritated at Cammie's attempts to excuse Jean's apathy. "Why not?"
"For the same reason you want to hit me."
Hit her? What made her think-
Adam looked down to see his fists balled tightly at his sides. He'd already marched a few paces forward without even noticing, closing the gap between them. Heaving breaths snorted from his nostrils until he forced his fingers to uncurl, stretching them out as he fought for control once more. Getting mad at Jean made sense, but why was he so angry with Cammie? He'd been so focused on defending her earlier, but now he had to fight the urge to swing.
Cammie reached a hand for him, her face racked with concern. "You need to calm down, Adam."
But it wasn't just her reaching out. You're so tense. You need to relax a bit, Adam. A ghostly figure seemed to float behind Cammie, ethereal hands reaching out to grasp him. Adam froze under Alyssa's vindictive eyes, his feet rooted in fear as he begged them to run. Just take her hand, Adam. Let me out again. We'll have so much fun together.
Her hands! Adam lurched back, his eyes widened with fear. Cammie's Semblance had done terrible things, but none so vile as giving form to the voice in his head.
Giving her power.
C'mon, Adam. You know you want to. The cruel specter suddenly appeared behind him, its damp breath hot on his neck. And who knows? Maybe she just wants to thank her protector properly. The fair maiden overcome with gratitude for her young savior. I'd bet she'd do anything for you. Anything.
"Keep away from me!" Adam slapped Cammie's hand away, unwilling to risk whatever Cammie had planned. He doubted she was another Alyssa in disguise, but her Semblance had already proven too much for him. He really didn't like the idea of another dose of negativity.
Cammie rubbed her hand, sad eyes watching him. "I…I understand."
She looked genuinely hurt, and it took a moment for Adam to realize why. She just wanted to help, but at the same time, he didn't want her touching him again. He stayed out of reach, his legs tensing instinctively to run if she tried anything. "Sorry. It's not you, it's-"
"My Semblance," Cammie finished for him with a sad smile. "Trust me, I get it. No one ever wants to try it a second time. Most won't even let me do it once."
"It was horrible," Adam explained, recalling all the fear and anger he'd felt. "I started seeing things. Things that weren't even there." Adam had to remind himself of that fact as Alyssa faded away once more. "I couldn't control it." And that terrified him the most. He'd let his life be controlled by others before and swore he'd never do it again, but in that moment, he'd been a prisoner in his own mind, only able to react to what others were doing. He wanted to drive his own life, not cling on in desperation as life dragged him along.
"Fear does that to people," Cammie said, staring at her hand for a moment. "It shuts out the world around us, leaving us only the things we're most afraid of. Loss. Pain. Death." Cammie shut her eyes tight, pushing away some dark thought. "What did you see?"
Her. The vile woman who haunted his nightmares. Who lurked in the shadows of his mind, taunting him and promising nothing but pain and suffering. But with a simple touch of Cammie's hand, she'd been given form. She'd stood right in front of him, and he'd been unable to do a thing about it.
In that moment, she'd wrested control from him again. Even now, he shivered at her presence, those cold, uncaring eyes staring through him as if he meant nothing. Didn't I tell you? I own you, Adam. And I always will.
No. He'd find a way to break himself free of her hold. Her voice echoed in his head less nowadays. Life had started to finally move on. Traveling. Making trades. Training to fight. Even the Grimm had provided distraction, putting distance between him and the horrors of Katai. He'd started to feel alive again at last, as if he'd finally clawed his way out of the pit and started to feel sunlight on his skin for the first time in ages.
And now she was back.
But he didn't dare admit any of that to Cammie. "I saw…Blaine. But not just Blaine. He looked like…like some kind of Grimm monster." Not that Grimm weren't already monsters, but a human-looking Grimm? One who could think and talk and scheme? That sounded even worse, somehow.
"Soji mentioned you ran into some Grimm on the way here." The Ursai. It hadn't been that long ago, yet with everything going on, it felt a lot longer. "We fear most the things we've encountered before. People living in the city don't really fear the Grimm, because they've never seen one in person. They get spooked by spiders. Or public speaking. Because that's what they know."
Alyssa. The Grimm. Failure. He knew those all too well.
"Everyone fears different things. Some might even seem silly to another person. They might even seem silly to you, but that doesn't make them any less terrifying." Like a fear of clowns. Adam had seen pictures of circuses and the brightly clothed and painted figures that danced around and did silly stunts. Adam couldn't understand what made them so scary to people, but then again, he'd never seen one in person either. "And it doesn't even have to be something physical. You might be scared of heights. Or being alone."
"Or losing someone." Adam regretted the words even as they slipped past his lips.
"Or that," Cammie agreed quietly. It didn't take a genius to know he'd hit a sore spot. Cammie talked a lot about her dad, but never mentioned her mom. Soji had met with Captain Zoster and Cammie personally, but there hadn't been anyone else. Out here, death was just another part of life, but that didn't make it hurt any less when it claimed someone you loved.
"Sorry," Adam tried, knowing he'd effectively killed the mood. "I've…I've lost people, too. Important people. In fact, I've lost almost everyone who cared about me." Was he cursed or something? It seemed like anyone that got close to him just got hurt.
"Not everyone."
"Huh?"
"Jean." Cammie smiled sadly as she spoke his name. "Jean cares about you."
"No he doesn't." Jean barely noticed him for the longest time. Adam had to fight every step of the way just to get him to pay any attention, practically dragging him into training him even a little. "Jean doesn't care about anyone but himself."
"You really think that?" Cammie snorted in amusement. "With how he acts around you, I thought he might be your dad or something."
Adam rolled his eyes "Real Dad of the Year material there. "He refused to train me at first, then made me fight him to earn my lessons. And he didn't go easy on me, either. Our first time, he knocked me out and dumped me back at the hotel. Every day, I fought him again. And every day, he beat me down until I could barely move. He's only training me now because I forced him to."
Because he'd found a clever loophole and exploited the heck out of it. Otherwise, Jean would've tossed him aside in an instant.
"So he made you earn it instead of giving it to you?"
"Exa-" Adam bit back on the word as Cammie started to smile. "It's not like that. I had to force it."
"And yet, he agreed in the end."
"So?" Jean just didn't want to admit defeat by going back on his word. It would've hurt his pride. "He made a promise, and I forced him to keep it."
"He doesn't look like the type to be forced into anything," Cammie pointed out. "He made you earn it, and now it's yours. My dad did the same thing when I was a teenager. Asked him to buy me a bike. Instead, he made me work for it, even if I was too young to get a real job. I scrubbed the floors of the barracks. Cleaned weapons. Cooked for the men. Anything I could do to earn a little extra money until I could finally buy it myself."
"Couldn't he just have gotten it for you?" Weren't parents supposed to spoil their kids?
"But then it wouldn't really be mine, would it? I'd still ride it and have fun, but now, every time I pedal down the street, I know I earned it myself." Cammie took a deep breath, eyes closed as if she could feel the wind against her face as she soared down the roads of Tsubaki. "I hated all the chores. I even hated him for making me do them. But looking back, it wouldn't have meant as much to me if I didn't earn it myself."
Is that what she meant? That Jean was really doing him a favor by not agreeing to train him at first? That was dumb.
And yet…
Adam couldn't think of many times he'd been proud of himself. Learning to ride Eve. Fighting off the Beowolf. Killing the Ursa. They were all things he'd done himself. But the one that stuck out the most to him was fighting Jean. It had hurt like heck along the way, but Adam was proud of himself for never backing down. The first fight was brutal, but it was their second match that he remembered the most. It would've been so easy to give up then. Instead, Adam had defied Jean in every way, even hurting himself against Jean's sword to show how serious he was. Looking back, that was the moment he'd truly won. That was the moment Jean had been defeated. Not by strength or cunning, but by sheer stubbornness.
He'd earned his training by never backing down. He'd earned his aura by killing that Ursa. He'd earned everything he had in life, and no one could take that away from him.
"But it's not just that," Cammie continued. "Did you know I feel every emotion I take from someone? Especially the ones that are strongest at that moment. Usually, it's bored or annoyed people within the walls, but the number of them makes it awful. For Jean, it was the intensity that made it so bad."
Jean had been pretty upset at that moment. Blaine had just hurt Cammie, leading Jean to stomp across the field and demand an end to the violence. He'd been just about ready to rip Blaine's head off for hurting an innocent like that. "He was angry. So what? He didn't like seeing you get hurt." A sentiment Adam could agree with.
"He wasn't angry," Cammie corrected. "I mean, he was, but there was more. What did you feel when I gave it to you?"
Rage. Terror. Things that Jean didn't seem capable of feeling past those muscles of his. "I was afraid…of Blaine." And Alyssa, but he doubted that was from Jean. "I mean, he was attacking us and all. Are you saying Jean was afraid of Blaine?" Sure, Blaine was definitely stronger than Jean. In a one-on-one fight, Adam would bet every lien he had on the trained Huntsman over a caravan guard. But Blaine hadn't been fighting Jean. In fact, he was the only one not being attacked.
"You felt fear." Cammie was clearly going somewhere. "Jean was afraid, but not of Blaine."
"Then what was he so afraid of?"
"Of you getting hurt." The words gave him pause. "He was angry at Blaine for attacking you. Scared you'd get hurt from the training. You say he doesn't care, but those aren't the sort of things someone feels for a person they don't care about."
Jean…cared? It sounded so weird to Adam. Jean didn't care about anything but himself. Or did he? He'd definitely felt a flood of fear and anger from Cammie, but he'd just assumed that was how it worked. According to her, though, that was just what Jean had been feeling at the time. Had he really been so afraid? "But why?"
Adam hadn't even realized he'd said the last part out loud until Cammie answered. "Maybe there's more to your friend than you think."
"Like what?" Jean was just an arrogant jerk who was really good at keeping them safe.
Wasn't he?
Cammie shrugged. "I think you're asking the wrong person." In other words, if he wanted to know, he should go straight to the source. "Anyways, congrats on using your aura, I guess. When are you all hitting the trail?"
"In two days." He'd probably need to help with packing things up tomorrow so they could leave early the next day. "Oh, and thanks."
Cammie waved as she walked away. "Don't thank me. You did it all on your own."
Just like he always did.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Jean didn't take long to find. After all, they didn't exactly know many places in Tsubaki yet. He wasn't downing food and flirting with his new friend Julia. Soji hadn't gotten back from his visit with Captain Zoster and the mayor yet, either. Or maybe he'd found someone else to make a deal with. Either way, Adam didn't see anyone around he could ask for help in his search. Jean might have found some local bar to drink at, but since Adam was already at the inn, he figured he might as well check the rooms.
He hesitated outside Jean's room, hand hovering in front of the wooden door as he listened. He didn't hear much, but the light was on. Adam took a breath and gently tapped on the door.
The only answer was the slight creak of a bed.
It would've been easy to give up then and there. He'd tried. Jean didn't want to talk right now. Someone was definitely in there, and unless someone thought it worth angering Jean for a handful of lien, Adam had a feeling his target was inside.
But Adam wasn't one to quit. He'd proven that time and time again. If Jean thought he'd just give up and go away, then he clearly hadn't learned anything about his new mentee. Steeling himself, Adam tried the handle, pushing through before anyone could stop him.
Jean didn't speak, just giving him a "really?" look from his bed. Adam hadn't really planned beyond this point. Finding Jean was the easy part. Talking to him would be a lot harder.
When it became obvious Jean wouldn't be the one to start, Adam decided to just wing it. "So…you okay?"
"Never better," Jean answered sarcastically.
"Anything you want to talk about?" Adam tried again.
"Of course. That's why I'm sitting in my room alone. To have a conversation."
So that was how it was gonna be? Adam hadn't come this far just to back down at the first sign of resistance. "I'm sorry…about earlier." This time, Jean actually listened. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was just…I was so angry."
"Cammie's Semblance."
"No. She removed whatever she did after the fight." And thank goodness she could do that. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if she couldn't. Even if it faded over time, he'd hate to endure it any longer than he had to.
"She didn't tell you then, did she?" Adam cocked his head in confusion. "She can't remove it all. Some will linger afterwards, meaning you still had negativity lite pumping through your veins."
Did he? Looking back, he'd been a little irrational, even turning on Cammie for no real reason. But blaming her felt too much like a copout. "It doesn't matter. Semblance or not, I still acted like an idiot back there."
"Fair enough." Jean stood up and stretched until a dull crack sounded from his back. "Is that all?"
Part of Adam wanted to take the easy out. He'd made things a little better. Mission accomplished, right? Except he knew there was more. "I talked to Cammie afterwards. She…told me some things." Jean leaned against the wall, waiting for Adam to continue. Adam wished he'd join the conversation more. Especially now, since the next part was hard for him to ask. "Do you…do you like me?"
Jean shrugged. "Eh, you're okay. You work hard and earn your keep, so I can't complain."
That wasn't what he meant. "Not as a worker. As a person."
"You're kinda pushy. Stubborn, too. But it could be worse." Jean's answers weren't going the way Adam had hoped. "What's all this about?"
Fine. If he wanted to get straight to the point, then Adam would just go for it. "Cammie said you were worried about me earlier. Worried that I'd get hurt."
"Of course I was worried. Who wouldn't be?"
"You know what I mean." By the look on Jean's face, maybe he didn't. "Look, I don't have a lot of people who care about me, okay? And with how you didn't want to train me, the runaround you gave me, and…well, I didn't think you even liked me."
Because who in their right mind would? Adam knew himself too well. He knew what terrible things lay in his past. He was broken. Used. Ruined. Even he didn't like himself, so why would anyone else? Especially someone like Jean. Adam was a liability. A kid he'd agreed to keep an eye on as a favor to a friend. An extra mouth to feed for the caravan. An inconvenience thrust upon the group without any warning. As a leader in the group and the one in charge of protecting them all, Jean had every reason to hate having Adam aboard.
So why would he like him?
"Sit down, Adam." Adam hurried to a nearby chair, turning it to face Jean as he spoke. "Believe it or not, I actually do like you. Sure, you're a pain in the butt sometimes. I may have even enjoyed whooping you a few times." I knew it! "But I like you. No. I respect you. You've made the best of a crappy situation. Most people would've sat down and cried by now. Woe is me! Everyone hates me! But you didn't. Instead of a pity party, you chose to act. Even when I made it impossible, you kept pushing. If you hadn't, I would've gotten rid of you a long time ago. You've got the sort of drive most people can only dream of, and I respect that."
"Then why not train me?" If he'd impressed Jean so much, then didn't he deserve to be rewarded? Wouldn't he be the ideal student?
"Because you're not the first person I've met like that. Or the first one I trained." Jean bit his lip for a moment before pressing on. "First there was Dearg. Stubborn. Hard headed. Used to follow me around all the time, pestering me for attention." He wasn't that bad, was he? "Taught him everything I know. Years later, his brother Harkin wanted the same treatment. Half as big but twice as stubborn. You think your training was bad? I put those two through hell. And you know where it got them?" Adam had a guess. "Dearg decided to chase after some bandits one day and got ambushed. They cut his throat ear to ear and dumped his body in a ditch. Harkin…well, he decided to join some idiots and go Grimm hunting recently. Probably ran into whatever took out the Yuris.
"They weren't the only one's, either. I trained half a dozen of those kids to hunt and fight, and every one of them got hurt in the end. Most died. And nothing I do can save them." Jean drew in a long breath, releasing it slowly before pressing on. "I gave them the tools and the confidence to fight, but nothing I did was enough to prepare them. I've helped too many kids march off to their deaths, and I didn't want you to join them."
"But I'm not them," Adam protested. "And with or without you, I'm gonna learn to fight."
"I know, which is the reason I agreed. Because of all my stubborn idiots, you're the worst." Jean snorted at his little joke. "Just don't go rushing off into danger yet, kid. You've still got a lot more learning to do."
"Then stop holding back on me, old man," Adam fired back. "Stop treating me like some kid and train me how to really fight. At least Blaine didn't hold back." If anything, Adam wished he'd been a little less forceful, but it worked. "You say you're scared I'll get hurt? That I'll push too hard and get in over my head? Then teach me my limits. Push me until I can't be pushed further. Otherwise, I'll just keep trying on my own until I go too far."
Adam knew he was being manipulative, playing on Jean's concerns for his own purposes. But like Blaine had said, life was cruel. So he'd fight for what he wanted, just like Jean had taught him. He'd learn everything he could, then go even further. He'd break Jean's stream of bad endings and show him just how strong his new student could be.
"You really are a moron, aren't you?" Jean walked across the room, opening the door for Adam to leave. "Fine. You want me to take the kid gloves off? Then buckle up. Because as soon as we head out, I'm gonna make you regret those words."
"Why wait? I'm free tomorrow."
"Because I don't want so many witnesses," Jean jokingly threatened. At least, Adam hoped it was a joke. "Plus, those two need me to help with a few deals in the evening." And by those two, Jean meant Rikyu and Soji. They must have had some final plans before they left Tsubaki. Either that, or Jean just wanted to ditch him for an evening. "Get some sleep. You're gonna need it."
"Sure thing, old timer," Adam said as he exited into the hall, smiling at the muttered insult before the door closed behind him.
He'd get his training. He'd learn to fight. Learn to use his aura. Learn to protect people. And someday, he'd make Jean proud.
More of a fallout chapter from last week than anything else, so notes won't be very long. Blaine is an absolute a-hole, but his methods are effective. Meanwhile, Jean isn't the uncaring jerk he pretends to be. Alyssa is still lurking as well, having actually taken form at one point thanks to Cammie's Semblance.
Most of this is just transitionary as we prepare to wrap up our time in Tsubaki - a town that was never even in my planning. As a reminder, I'll be taking the Friday before Christmas off, as I won't be writing while I visit family. Probably still post one the following Friday, though.
Next chapter: The caravan wraps up business in Tsubaki.