Finally got dates for my travel. Can confidently say there won't be a chapter on February 10. The following week is still iffy, but I'm hoping I can only take off the one week.
The White Fang.
Such a strange name, Adam considered, especially for an apparently peaceful organization. Fangs didn't exactly conjure up images of peace and tranquility. It made Adam think of monsters and Grimm, though he guessed the connection to animals made sense. Maybe the fangs were white to show they hadn't been violent. Red fangs would be far more terrifying of an image.
The inspiration of the organization's name aside, Adam couldn't help his curiosity after he'd left the square and headed back to the hotel. He'd encountered a few racists before. Dorian and his pals. Pika's gang. Alyssa. They'd all judged him in some way for the horns on his head. In fact, pretty much everyone at the orphanage had. He'd hung out with Erik and Nila simply because they were the only two faunus there. Everyone else pretty much ignored them, forming their own cliques along the way. It made sense. People tended to stick with those that shared interests, goals, and desires. They grouped up with those most like them and avoided anyone too different.
And Adam was as different as they came.
But his friends now didn't judge him for how he was born. Soji chatted with him just like any other member of the caravan. More, really, given they shared a wagon and a room. Jean trained him just like anyone else. They all shared the same food and tea each night, and they even paid him for his work. It didn't matter to any of them whether he had horns, claws, a tail, or whatever other trait. As long as he contributed to the group, he was welcome among them.
"That's not the case in a lot of places," Soji said when Adam brought it up that evening before bed. "Faunus used to be treated far worse, but there's no denying that there are some today who still view faunus as…lesser beings."
"But why?"
"Why does anyone do what they do?" Soji countered with a shrug. "Most don't care, but all it takes is a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. People too focused on what makes us different to see how similar we truly are."
"That's not fair," Adam complained. He hadn't done anything to those people. Even if someone like him had done something bad, that didn't mean all faunus were evil. Judging a group by an individual hardly seemed fair.
"Life's rarely fair," Soji answered. "There are laws against discrimination in hiring, housing, service, and so much more, but you cannot mandate the heart. There are some who will hate you simply for the horns on your head, and though they are the minority nowadays, they tend to be louder than the majority."
"So what can we do?"
Soji smiled as he sat a little straighter. "Show them they're wrong. Rise above their petty assumptions. Be the better man and let the world see just how wrong they are. That's the only way to truly triumph."
Familiar words drifted into Adam's mind. "Turn the other cheek?"
"Precisely."
That sounded nice, but saying it and doing it were two very different matters. "So I'm just supposed to let them push me around and hope everyone else stops them?"
"I didn't say that," Soji hedged, thinking for a moment before trying to clarify. "A man cannot stand if he allows others to always beat him down. You simply cannot allow yourself to answer violence with violence. After all, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."
"So how do I push back?" If he couldn't fight and he couldn't just lay down and take it, then what did that leave?
Soji looked like he'd been waiting for the question. "You said your friends from before were protesting, correct?"
Adam wouldn't exactly call them friends. Corsac had been nice enough, but he didn't know enough about them to "There were a bunch of them with signs marching around and interrupting a speech. Some guy from the SDC."
"Ah, that would explain it." It really didn't, at least not to Adam. Soji must've caught his confusion. "The SDC is one of the biggest companies in all of Remnant, and they have more than double the number of faunus workers of any other company."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Faunus needed jobs just as much as anyone else.
"On its face, yes, but they mainly hire faunus for their mining jobs - the most dangerous work on Remnant." Oh. "But a mining company needs miners. Lots of them. And faunus need jobs. So it makes sense they'd get hired on as miners."
"Can't they work somewhere else?" If the SDC was so bad, then why did faunus keep applying? Couldn't they find better employers?
Soji nodded in agreement before picking the argument apart. "Some do, but you have to have somewhere for them to work, and most of those places want things like experience and job history. Tensions were high after the Faunus War, so many of the older faunus couldn't get work back then. It wasn't until the last couple decades that things really improved, and that leaves a pretty significant gap in employment. Why hire someone who's been out of the game for twenty years when you can get someone else with twenty years of experience?" In other words, the non-faunus that kept working while the faunus were being excluded. "Not to mention the ones who come from Menagerie."
"The faunus island." Adam recalled the history lessons of the Faunus War, including the establishment of Menagerie as a home for the faunus. It sounded like a magical place. Nothing but faunus. No one was different. Everyone was the same.
"Menagerie isn't a Kingdom yet, and they don't have the same industries as the larger continents. What use does a massive tech company have for someone who spent their whole life fishing and working at a market?" Someone with zero experience in the very field it would be needed in. "Instead, they get hired in stores, cafes, warehouses…the type of jobs that don't require as much expertise. The type of jobs that don't pay much."
"So faunus get stuck in minimum wage jobs?"
"Or they find someone who will pay more. Someone like the SDC." Adam cocked his head to the side. "Hazard pay. The more dangerous the job, the more lien you have to offer for someone to sign up. The starting pay for a miner is much higher than a stock boy or a fry cook. You'd be hard pressed to find a better offer."
"So who's wrong?" Would it be better if the SDC hired less faunus? Then they'd just have no jobs in the end. Should they pay more? Probably, but how much? And if the workers were voluntarily agreeing to the terms, then was it really the company's fault?
Soji didn't have the answer Adam was looking for. "Neither? Maybe both. It's hard to tell. In the end, both sides are looking out for their own best interests. Hopefully, they can find a middle ground that works for both. Until then, groups like this White Fang will continue to argue for more, and employers like the SDC will continue to fight for less. As long as both sides do so within the law and with a genuine goal of improvement, I believe things will work out in the end."
That sounded a little naive to Adam. If the two sides were fighting against one another, then the stronger side would win in the end. Did anyone truly believe a few dozen protestors stood a chance against an international company like the SDC? And what about everyone else? Weren't other companies partially responsible if they refused to help? If faunus mainly turned to mining jobs because nothing else was available, like Soji said, then why not push for others to make jobs available to faunus? Wouldn't that help fix the problem?
The more Adam contemplated it, the more complicated it sounded. Too complicated for a teenager in a merchant caravan to figure out overnight. Thankfully, there were others who knew better. Like Corsac had said, the White Fang would fight for them. Best to leave it to those with more knowledge and experience.
Besides, he had more exciting things planned for tomorrow.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Hurry up!"
"Hold your horses, Adam," Jean tried in vain, knowing there would be no calming Adam down today. Not with the promise of Haven's open house dangling in front of him. "We still have plenty of time."
Adam knew that. The event ran practically all day, with the main attractions in the afternoon. But Adam had a plan. They'd knock out the tour early and see if they could sit in on a class or two before lunch, that way all the boring stuff would be done before the sparring showcase. While all the late arrivals were torn on what to do in the afternoon, they could get better seats for when the show started.
Jean seemed less in a rush, but he at least picked up the pace a little to humor Adam. Aiden had given him two tickets, and Jean seemed like the obvious choice. Jean had offered to let someone else go, but there weren't any takers. Soji and Rikyu had business, and Jesse simply told them to have a good time, leaving Jean no way out.
"The first tour starts in half an hour," Adam whined, hoping to elicit some haste from his reluctant tag along.
It didn't work. "Yes. The first one. There will be plenty more afterwards."
As if that was an excuse. Adam wanted to be first to see the campus. Waiting on a bunch of slowpokes who were too busy taking pictures of the architecture or asking questions about the bedding would be the death of him. The last thing he wanted was to endure asinine questions from boring locals. He was here to learn more about Huntsman, not explore how taxpayer funds were being spent. And if he could pick up some ideas for his own training, then even better.
Adam pressed on ahead, annoyed at the handful of people heading the same direction, albeit at a much slower pace. He wove past each with ease, all while Jean followed and whispered apologies to anyone Adam cut too close to.
The path rose higher and higher, scaling the mountain upon which Mistral was built until it finally crested the final rise and emptied out into a wide clearing. The broad path led to a wide building with an impressive archway, across which a massive banner flapped lazily in the morning breeze, bidding them welcome to Haven. Adam marveled at the buildings rising behind the entrance, claiming new heights on the already impressive altitude. His eyes drifted down to his feet, where the cobblestone path gave way to smooth pavement as it approached the crowning jewel of Mistral.
"Wow." The word felt like an understatement. The grandeur of Haven's entrance stopped him in his tracks, but only for a moment. As Jean finally caught up to him, Adam took on a slower pace, admiring his surroundings as the pair entered the main gardens of Haven Academy. The path forked outward to matching buildings on either side, with students in matching black and white uniforms milling about lazily. In the midst of the fork in the path, the walkway was stamped with a massive emblem of the Kingdom - the infamous winged lantern that shone as bright as the towers of Haven against the darkness of the world. Ahead, wide steps led to the entrance of a massive building.
And at the top of those steps stood an imposing figure with a broad smile. Though his hair was a little grayer than in the pictures Adam had seen, he recognized the man right away. Hard not to recognize the most famous faunus in all of Remnant.
"Welcome to Haven Academy," the man's voice boomed, echoing across the courtyard as he walked down the steps with his arms wide. "I am Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of this institution, and it is my privilege to invite the citizens of Mistral into our grounds to see the next generation of Remnant's protectors."
A camera flashed nearby, alerting Adam to a small cluster he hadn't noticed before. A large video camera focused on the Headmaster, tracing his every movement. No doubt, the footage would be replayed a dozen times on news broadcasts today. Headmaster Lionheart beamed all the brighter for the attention but kept his focus away from the small gathering of the media to instead address the early arrivals.
"It's always encouraging to see such interest in our work here," Lionheart continued, not even flinching against a trio of bright flashes as he neared Adam's group. "I hope you'll enjoy your visit. Feel free to stick around. Lunch will be provided free of charge in our cafeteria, and you won't want to miss the sparring event this afternoon."
No way would Adam miss that.
"Are you giving the tour?" someone in the group asked.
As cool as that would've been, no one was shocked by the answer. "Sadly, I must tend to my other duties today. A Headmaster's work is never truly over." His easy laugh helped alleviate the disappointment. "Instead, I'll be leaving you in the capable hands of one of our fourth-years. Besides, who better to tell you all about our school than someone who's getting ready to graduate? Pyke?"
"Right here, Mister Lionheart, sir." A taller boy rushed down the stairs two at a time, waving his hand wildly in the air. He screeched to a halt beside the Headmaster with a goofy smile plastered on his face. "Did you need me for something?"
"I believe your first tour group is ready for you," Headmaster Lionheart said, his smile looking just a hair forced as he pointed to the assortment of visitors.
"Right. The tour. I'll get right on that."
"I'm sure you will," Lionheart answered before turning back to the group. "Well, that's all the time I have for now. I hope to see you all at the spar this afternoon. So long!"
"Don't worry, Mister Lionheart, sir. I'll take good care of them." Lionheart simply waved a hand over his shoulder in response, already heading back up the stairs and away. "Welcome to Haven, everyone. I'm Pyke Rite, and I'll be showing you around my home today."
"You're a student here?" He may have looked the part physically, but his face spoke of someone too young for even a first-year, let alone someone soon to be a licensed Huntsman. Unlike his peers, he seemed to be wearing his combat outfit, which was relatively simple compared to what normally passed for Huntsman attire. He wore green cargo pants tucked into a pair of brown boots, with a pair of bright yellow knee pads fastened tightly in place. His black shirt with a large, yellow stripe down the middle was the weirdest part, but only because it had a long sleeve on one side and no sleeve on the other, revealing a heavily muscled right arm. It took Adam a minute to realize why it looked so off-balanced. Pyke's right arm was noticeably larger than his left. Nearly twice as large, in fact. Adam really hoped that was the result of a heavy weapon, only to shudder at the connotation.
"Only for a few more months," Pyke replied, his smile never faltering as he held the gaze of his questioner just a little longer than was comfortable.
Mercifully, someone else drew his attention away with another question. "So are you from Mistral, then?"
Pike shook his head. "I actually transferred from Shade Academy after my first year."
"How does that work?" Adam wondered aloud. All eyes turned to him, catching him off guard. Once he realized they were all waiting for him to continue, he pressed on. "Aren't people put on teams their first year? Wouldn't that throw everything off to suddenly have an extra student?"
A few people began mumbling their agreement, taking some of the pressure off Adam. "Mister Lionheart worked it all out." Pyke's answer explained nothing, but before Adam could point that out, he suddenly started walking away. "Let's get this show on the road then, shall we?" After exchanging a few confused looks, the group hurried to follow. "Haven Academy was founded after the Great War to train Huntsmen and Huntresses, just like the other three academies. But Haven's the best one out there."
It was incredible to listen to Pyke talk, but not because he was some great orator or anything. The man rambled on and on, barely pausing to take a quick breath before diving into the next sentence as he detailed the history of the school, then suddenly shifted over to a description of the nearby buildings, interwoven with stories of past Huntsmen, recent construction, and his own experiences. Adam wondered if the man's Semblance was the ability to talk people to death. Pyke sounded more in awe of the school than the tour group, despite having been there for four…no, three years.
Adam did his best to keep up, sharing in Pyke's excitement as he managed to describe anything and everything as they passed, racing them through the large building Headmaster Lionheart had disappeared through and out the back to a larger courtyard. "And here we have the Quad," Pyke continued without missing a beat. The flat, open expanse somehow made the school seem even more opulent. After all, space in the crowded city of Mistral was at a premium, so the land alone for the Quad must've cost a fortune. "I like to hang out here in my free time. Enjoy the scenery. Talk to the ladies. Maybe someday one of them will see me as Mister Right."
"Aren't you alrea-"
"We actually have two CCT towers on campus," Pyke continued, drowning out Adam's question mid-sentence. "They both work the same, but it's a lot less cramped with the extra tower. I like the left one the most." Adam looked back and forth between the two, but they looked identical. "And up ahead, we have the Grand Hall, the crowning jewel of Haven. Most of the staff offices are there, including Mister Lionheart's. It's also where we have any school meetings. C'mon. I'll show you!"
Pyke took off at a jog, which might as well have been a sprint for some of the…less athletic people in the group. Adam did his best to keep up, grateful they were heading for an obvious destination. The massive doors of the Grand Hall stood open, and even before Adam entered, he could see plenty of activity inside.
"But today, we've set it up as a sort of display fair for you all." Just like Pyke said, the massive space was lined with booths and screens, with students and what looked like some staff members waiting nearby to assist. "Feel free to take a look around for a bit. I've got to go get the next group. Catch you all later!"
And just like that, Pyke took off, dodging past the confused remnants of their group who had only just arrived. Thankfully, one of the teachers rounded them up before anyone could try to follow the bundle of energy that had led them on a whirlwind overview of the campus.
"Welcome to the Grand Hall," the older woman before them announced. "Please take a look around. If you have any questions, our staff will be happy to assist. And make sure to grab a pamphlet while you're here." She pointed to a table nearby with stacks of pamphlets spread out on a blue tablecloth adorned with the Kingdom's emblem. "It has a schedule of all our events for the day and where to find them, along with a map of the school grounds."
That proved signal enough for the group to disperse amongst the displays, most of them snagging a pamphlet before milling about. Adam naturally gravitated toward a series of monitors playing a loop of information about the Vytal Tournament. Adam had read about the tournament before. Teams from all four academies competed each year in televised spars, with the winner being crowned champion in a one on one match at the end. If the clips being shown were anything to go by, the fights were fantastic. Randomized battlefields. Epic clashes. Shields to protect the massive audience. Aura meters. Instant replays. Adam wished he could see something like that in person, but he dreaded to imagine what the ticket prices were like. It only occurred every other year, rotating Kingdoms each time to make things fair. It would be years before it was Mistral's turn again. Maybe by then he could afford to go.
The highlights continued playing, all while the center monitor showed the bracket that updated with each victory, tracing the path as team after team fell, each knocked out in amazing displays. Some were absolute dominations. Others proved to be nail biters that came down to the wire. But little by little, the teams were narrowed down until only half remained. The doubles round took it down to eight representatives. Shade had been fully eliminated. Atlas and Beacon each had three left, while Haven had only two. The first match saw Haven's chances cut even further, leaving only a third-year to represent the Kingdom alone, but Adam already knew the outcome.
The massive trophy in front of him kind of spoiled the ending.
Still, it was insane to see actual Huntsmen skills on display. Well, Huntsmen-in-training. Complex weaponry. Terrifying Semblances. Vicious tactics. Adam's recent improvements looked like a joke against such raw talent. Not that it surprised him. These kids had a lifetime of training and experience. They'd been raised with a single goal in mind - to be the strongest fighters in the world.
All he had was a sword and some practice with a Huntsman reject.
Adam jumped as Jean suddenly joined him before reminding himself that Jean couldn't hear his thoughts. "Watching the last Tournament?"
Adam nodded. "I can't believe how strong some of them were. I really thought Atlas would win that last fight."
A man standing nearby perked up, inviting himself to their conversation. "Atlas? Those pompous military freaks? Like they could hope to beat Haven. We're the best!"
"Doesn't Beacon have the most wins?" a woman piped up, further turning their private conversation into an open forum.
"Overall," the man admitted, though the word seemed to hurt to admit. "But Haven has the most recent wins. Beacon was good in the early years, but we're catching up."
"I'm just glad we've got so many strong Huntsmen protecting the Kingdom," his new counterpart said. Adam's conversation had a surprising lack of Adam all of the sudden. "Makes me feel safer knowing we're protected."
"I'm sure everyone in the Yuris felt safe, too," a third person interjected, pushing past Adam to join the fray. And a fray it soon became, given the bomb he'd just dropped. The trio quickly fell to arguing, debating everything from the training of Huntsmen to the allocation of tax dollars. Tempers flared, and Adam half-expected it to come to blows before the teacher from earlier arrived to help defuse the situation. It did little good, but at least the looming threat of a trained Huntress intervening made them back off a little.
Jean wisely moved them away from the fight before anything could escalate further. "What pleasant folk."
"Why are they even fighting?" Adam questioned once they were out of hearing range. Not that it would've mattered. No one could've heard him over the shouting match anyways. "Not like any of them were there."
"Probably never been outside the city," Jean scoffed. "That's the luxury of living in safety. You get to judge everyone else for being in danger. Wouldn't last two minutes on the trail."
Somehow, that helped. As pompous as these people were for thinking they were better for living in the city, knowing how useless they'd be outside of it cheered him up a little. Besides, what did their opinions matter? All they did was sit around and complain. If they really cared about the safety of the Kingdom, let them take up a weapon and defend it. Instead, they sat upon their perch in Mistral, looking down on the rest of the Kingdom for daring to choose to truly live rather than just being alive.
Their arrogance started to fade as Jean flagged down one of the nearby students. "Any chance we could see some of the other buildings on campus? It's a little loud in here for my taste."
The student - a short girl with curly, purple hair that ringed around her face - peeked around them and gave a disapproving look at the argumentative trio. "Sorry about that. Where would you like to go? The dorms are off-limits for visitors, as well as the Headmaster's office, but pretty much everything else is open."
"Adam? Any place catch your eye?" Jean handed over his map, but Adam already had some ideas.
The training rooms would be cool, but those were across campus and could wait. He already planned to sit in on a class or two, but the ones he was interested in were later in the morning. That left an obvious answer. "The library."
His answer must've been a surprising one, both for Jean and their guide, but she recovered quickly with a soft smile. "The library it is, then. It's not far away. Should be a lot quieter, too."
Adam had heard about Haven's library before. A whole building filled with row upon row of books from all over Remnant. Lionheart had even expanded it in his early years as Headmaster, being an especially studious man himself. No other place in the world housed as much knowledge as Haven. They even opened it up to visitors in the evening, inviting the citizens of Mistral to share in the wealth of information within.
But the stories didn't do it justice. Adam gasped as they entered the massive room, awed by the sheer volume of volumes stretching in all directions. As large as the building was, it seemed incapable of holding it all, necessitating a balcony of more shelves wrapping all the way around the room. When that failed to complete the collection, a smaller, secondary balcony created another whole story. The open center had row upon row of tables, and at the end, dozens of cubicles, each with their own glowing terminal, stretched to the back wall. Even that wasn't the end, as a series of windowed doors led to several small rooms, promising a nice, quiet workspace for any that sought it out.
And despite all that room, there were less than a dozen people around.
"Most of the students are either in classes or helping with the open house," their guide explained. "Feel free to take a look around. If you need help finding anything specific, you can use your scroll to search our entire collection. Just download the Haven app and you should be good to go."
Adam felt a little awkward pointing out the flaw in her plan. "I…I don't have a scroll."
Scrolls were pretty commonplace nowadays. It served as a phone, an ID, a search engine, a location tracker, and pretty much anything else you could imagine. There were apps for everything, not to mention countless scroll versions from different companies. You wouldn't get far in the city without one nowadays.
But outside the cities was a little different. Sure, it would've been nice to have, especially on those long, boring days of travel, but the prices made most scrolls unreasonable, especially given the limited use someone in the outskirts would have. The CCTs meant there was coverage across the entire world, but that signal got weaker the further away you were. Signal towers would be installed in larger settlements, but that hardly mattered on the trail. Most people in the outskirts just went without, relying on nearby relay stations if they needed to send word out.
Even if the surprise was evident on her face, their guide recovered well. "Don't worry about it. All of our terminals here are hardwired into the system, so you can use those to look up books, too! You can also browse the internet, watch the news, check your messa-" She realized too late the mistake there. "You can use it for anything you need. I'll stick around, too, in case you need any help."
Because a country bumpkin like him would need it. Adam was sure she didn't mean it like that, but it still came across that way. Rather than bother pointing that out, Adam thanked her for the help and began aimlessly walking down one of the aisles of fiction. He spotted one or two books he had ready before, but there were just so many! Even the fiction section had to be subdivided into genres. Fantasy. Historical fiction. Science Fiction. Drama. Adventure. He hadn't realized there were so many books about made up lands and people in all of Remnant, yet here they all were under one roof! He could spend a lifetime reading and probably never finish every book in the library.
"Anything in particular you're looking for?" Jean asked. Honestly, Adam wasn't sure. Checking out a book would be foolish. It could be months before he came back, and he doubted they'd just let him hold onto it that long. And what if it got damaged? The trail wasn't exactly a kind place. He didn't want to bring it back damaged or anything.
No. He needed to focus on things he could view in his short time there. Maybe he could come back tomorrow evening and sit down with a good story. He hadn't had a chance to go cover to cover on a novel since the orphanage. For now, though, he had no idea what to do.
Until a thought hit him. "Excuse me?" Their guide rushed over, eager to help. "Do you have any books on Haven?"
Evidently, they did. Lots of them. "What kind of books? The school's history? Textbooks? Biographies of the Headmasters? Picture boo-"
"Books about the students," Adam cut in before the list could grow any longer. "Like maybe some of the recent graduates and stuff?"
"Oh, you mean our yearbooks," she filled in, scanning the room with her finger until she spotted something on the far end. "We have a section for those over here. Every yearbook all the way back to the founding of the academy."
"Thanks," Adam offered before hastening away. And he meant it. There was no way he'd have found it on his own, and he didn't really want to take a stab at the row she pointed to actually had a lot more than yearbooks. In fact, the yearbooks didn't even take up a whole bookcase. They had multiple copies of most years, but even then, the schools were less than a hundred years old, and the yearbooks weren't exactly the thickest things around.
Adam carefully scanned through the years listed on each binding, counting in his head until he found the number he was searching for. The graduating class came first, which is what he was looking for. Each team had an entire page with their individual pictures and even some group photos below. He scanned through page by page, grateful they were organized by team rather than just name. When he reached the S section, though, he didn't see them.
They didn't graduate? That had to be wrong. They were awesome! No way did they fail to make it in the end. Unless…no. Surely not. They couldn't have. Right? He knew people died on missions, but in school? And a whole team? Adam felt his throat tighten. He'd never even considered the option before. But if they weren't there…
As Adam felt himself spiraling, his mind finally pointed out what year he was looking at. He double-checked his math, adding four years since they'd met. Yep. It matched.
A disappointed voice whispered in his mind, proving helpful for the first time ever. Plus three, Adam. I know I taught you better than that. Right. Three years. He met them during their first year, so they graduated three years after. That made sense. He quickly swapped books and flipped to the graduating class.
There, near the end of the list, was a familiar set of girls from what felt like a lifetime ago. Team SPVC. He breathed a sigh of relief at their smiling photos, especially Sona, her ram horns still proudly on display. He could still remember all their antics when they visited Shizukana so long ago. Back then, life had been simpler, and he'd only begun to dream of what the future might hold. Would his younger self be proud of what he'd become? Would Sona? She and her team had been so encouraging back then. Would they even remember him now?
"Friends of yours?" Jean asked, peeking over Adam's shoulder before he instinctively slammed the book shut. "Didn't know you knew any Huntsmen."
"Huntresses," Adam corrected, opening back up to their team photo. "They came to my village when I was younger. Hunted down an Alpha for us. It was their first mission. They probably don't even remember it now, but I sure do."
"They probably do too," Jean offered. "Something like a first mission is hard to forget. I still remember my first solo hunt. I bet Soji remembers his first sale. You've probably got some firsts, too. First time holding a sword." Adam could still hear the captain's voice lecturing him. "First horse ride." Eve. Another memory from so long ago, yet he could remember it as if it were yesterday. "First kiss."
Adam paled. He remembered that, alright, just as clearly as his second. After all, they happened so close together, even if they came from different girls. That made him sound like a player, but the truth was far worse. One had come from the person who would go on to abuse him. The other was from the person he would eventually abuse himself. Neither of them were particularly fond memories.
Jean took his silence for embarrassment. "I knew it. Had yourself a sweetheart back before we met, didn't you?" He did, until Alyssa ruined it for him. No…he ruined it. He bore as much responsibility as she did. More, really. "Or maybe you've been getting friendly in some of the towns we travel through. Anyone I know?"
"No," Adam answered flatly. "There's no one."
Jean took the obvious hint and moved on. "Well, I bet this Team…Space?" Team names didn't always make much sense. They played pretty loose with the rules if a V could magically become an A. "I bet Team Space remembers that first mission of theirs. And you."
"You really think so?"
"Of course." Jean pointed to a small photo tucked within the assortment on Team SPVC's page. "Like I said, you never forget your first."
The picture showed Team SPVC posing in front of an all-too-familiar building - one he hadn't seen in years. The small church stood in the background, and off to the side, Adam could even see the edge of the stable. Jai, the first real Huntsman Adam had ever met, smirked beside the team of girls.
And in the middle, flanked by Sona and the pink-haired Pyxie, stood Adam. A much younger Adam. A different Adam. He smiled brighter than anyone else in the photo, thrilled to be included. Adam could faintly remember the moment. He could still see Father Bernard's confused look as he tried to take the photo, somehow struggling with the single button after being shown how three different times.
It was the last time he'd ever seen the team. They'd taken the photo just before leaving on their bullhead after finishing their mission. Alpha slain, town saved, and they were gone. It seemed like such a small first step on their journey, but it had a huge impact on Adam. He may not have been able to follow the path they set him on, but it had shaped many of his decisions moving forward. It felt good to know they'd made their dreams come true in the end. Hopefully, they were out there right now saving more people and inspiring others like him to chase their dreams. Others who would actually have a chance at making them a reality.
With a final, longing look at the bright-eyed youth in the photo that Adam hardly recognized now, he put the book away and exited the library. The past was behind him now. Whatever hopes and dreams he once held never stood a chance against the ravages of reality. Now, he could only make the best of the hand he'd been dealt.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
The day practically flew by. Adam and Jean sat in on a Grimm studies class for first-years. When the teacher asked if anyone in the audience had seen certain types of Grimm before, Adam wasn't surprised to see he and Jean were basically the only ones to raise their hands. The residents of Mistral had never come closer to a Grimm than pictures in a book. Adam found the lecture fascinating as the instructor went into details on pack mentalities, weaknesses, and effective countermeasures. The students looked bored with the whole thing, though. Adam had a feeling the lecture was more for the audience than the class.
After that, a tour of the weapons lab provided some useful insight. Most of the visitors to the school had no interest in weapons beyond seeing them used, so Adam got a lot of one-on-one time with the instructor. They looked over Adam's current sword, which Jean had brought with them, going over the strengths and weaknesses versus the style that the smith in Tsubaki was making for him. He even sharpened Adam's sword for him and added a better wrapping around the hilt to improve his grip.
Lunch proved a grand affair. The tables were piled high with more food than Adam had ever seen, and it all tasted so good! He tried as much as he could, even some foods he couldn't quite identify. A few students took interest in his appetite and kept picking out things for him, amazed at how much he could put away compared to the other visitors. It paled in comparison to how much each of them tore through without even slowing down, but such was the life of a Huntsman. Daily training. Workouts. Spars. They burned through calories at a frightening pace, which meant their intake was way higher than a normal person as well.
But the day really culminated with the sparring event. It started with team on team combat in an open arena. The two sides gave and took with practiced ease, both sides seeming to gain and then surrender the lead over and over again as they continuously adapted to the other side until someone finally dropped into the yellow on the meters above and was disqualified. The three on four setup didn't last long after that, with the outnumbered team fighting valiantly but being unable to overcome their loss. After that, a few individual fights in a smaller space really highlighted the skill and tenacity of the students, not to mention the unique weapons. Even Pyke got involved, wielding a massive drill on his hand that looked almost comical in how unwieldy it should've been, even though he ended up proving victorious in the end.
That all looked like childsplay in the end, as the sparring instructor took to the ring alongside one of the other faculty members. This time, there was no show. They didn't have the same dramatic flare or flashy moves of their students. Instead, the whole thing was like a blur, the two clashing again and again with frightening ferocity. Attacks rarely hit fully, but when they did, aura vanished in large chunks until the sparring instructor managed to disarm and launch her opponent out of the ring in an impressive display of agility and strength. It was a stark reminder to both the audience and the students of just how much of a gap there was between them.
With the main attraction concluded and classes already over, there wasn't much reason to stick around Haven any longer. Other than a few people lingering on, most of the crowd flowed back down the mountain to return to their everyday lives. Passing through the archway on the way out felt like leaving behind a completely different world, but he couldn't stay in fantasyland forever.
Jean headed for the pub, jokingly asking if Adam wanted to be his drinking buddy again. After their little misadventure in Kuchinashi, a pub was the last place Adam wanted to go. Instead, he decided to head back to the hotel and relax for the evening.
Or that was his plan, at least.
Instead, Adam found himself caught in a crowd of people halfway back. He did his best to push through, already feeling the urge to collapse in bed after a busy day of sitting and talking. With each twist and shove, he gained ground through the thick mass of people, muttering half-hearted apologies whenever someone complained.
Until he broke through the lines suddenly into an open square and saw a familiar sight.
"They're at it again, are they?" The White Fang. He recognized Corsac from the day before, as well as a few other faces he'd briefly spotted during yesterday's protest. This time, they didn't seem to notice him, too busy chanting and shouting at a larger man ahead. He did his best to keep his composure, interjecting whenever there was a lull as he stood flanked by several men armed with rifles.
Adam jumped at the words that came from his right. "Filthy faunus!"
Another followed suit. "Go back to Menagerie!"
"This is why we need leash laws!" Several people laughed, even as the speaker ahead asked for calm.
"Everyone, please quiet down." His voice grew louder until an electronic squeal tore through the crowd from the nearby speakers. Whoever had cranked up the audio dialed it back, even as several of the faunus protestors cringed and held their ears. Mostly those with an extra set atop their head. Whether they meant to or not, the move silenced the White Fang protestors. "There is no need for this. We are all citizens of Mistral."
"Traitors!" came the response from an older woman. "My husband fought and died against these animals! He was a true citizen of Mistral, not these rabid dogs!"
"Send them back!"
Some of the crowd took up the chant. "Send them back! Send them back!"
"Please!" The man on the stage pleaded. "We must have order!"
"What about safety?" Someone shouted back. "They fought us once before. I bet they'll do it again!"
The shouting continued, complaints and accusations blending together as the crowd continued to grow. Most just stood there and watched, but the vocal few near the front continued to grow in ferocity. Others nodded along, lending their silent approval as the politician caught between them struggled to put a stop to it.
"Down with the White Fang!"
"Down with the faunus!"
"Take this!"
Adam didn't see where it came from, but everyone saw the stone that struck the young faunus girl up front, knocking her to the ground. Somewhere, hidden within the crowd, a coward had struck the first blow. SIlence hung over the square for a moment.
Only for a moment.
"Send them back!" Another rock skittered across the ground in front of the faunus.
"Yeah! Get rid of these traitors!" Corsac managed to smack a projectile out of the air before it found its mark.
"No more faunus! Filthy- hey!"
Adam moved before he could think as the man beside him tried to add to the barrage. Adam snagged his wrist, halting the launch as he angrily squeezed tight. The would-be attacker looked over, then down to meet Adam's eyes. His own widened at what he saw, then trailed down to Adam's side.
"He's got a weapon!" Huh? Adam looked down to see the sword on his hip, He'd forgotten about it in all the excitement. Not that it mattered. He wasn't about to pull it on some idiot for throwing a rock, even if he wanted to
"Terrorist!"
"Police!"
The crowd parted around Adam. He let go of the man's arm in a flash. "No. Wait! I just-"
"Arrest him!"
"He tried to attack that man!"
"See! They're dangerous!"
"Someone do something!"
Someone did. A large man pushed forward and caught Adam before he could run. "I've got him! Someone-"
He never got to finish his sentence as a fist buried itself into his gut. As strong as the man might've been, it doubled him over. Adam felt himself be snatched away at the last second and shoved away from the crowd as a figure blocked his view.
"Back off!" Jean roared. Adam had no idea how he'd gotten there or when, but he'd never been so grateful to see his mentor as at that moment. "Adam, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Adam promised.
"We're leaving." Jean never looked his way, standing as a human barrier between him and an angry mob that had already shown a willingness for violence. A rock struck Jean in the shoulder, pinging off his aura. The brief shimmer of light caused most of them to hesitate, suddenly faced with a potential Huntsman who didn't look thrilled to be there.
"He attacked that man!" Someone accused from within the crowd. "You're protecting a criminal!"
"I'm protecting a child!" Jean yelled back, actually taking a step forward against the throng. "You have a problem with that? Then say it to my face."
No one took up his offer, but they didn't leave, either.
"Get ready to run," Jean hissed. Adam couldn't tell if he planned to follow or not, but he hoped so. Even if Jean was stronger than a dozen of the men facing him, there were too many for him to deal with alone.
"Jean…"
"Adam, go!"
"Stop right there!" Everyone froze at the order as a squad of heavily armed police officers pushed down from the stage, which had been vacated at the first sign of danger. "By order of the Council of Mistral, this has been declared an unlawful assembly. Anyone who does not disperse will be arrested."
"What about that criminal?"
"Leave. Now." The officer's order was punctuated by a trio of riot shields being slammed against the pavement, forming a wall and promising punishment for those who resisted. "This is your final warning."
Thankfully, no one seemed interested in testing him further. With muttered complaints and a few threats, the crowd backed off, splitting off into the evening with looks fit to kill. The White Fang were ushered away as well by another squad, putting up far less of a fight than their counterparts.
"Officer, that man-"
"Return to your home," the officer interrupted before Jean could continue. "Like I said, this is your final warning."
"We didn't do anyth-"
"Let's go, Adam," Jean instructed, pulling him down the street before they could get in any more trouble. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day."
Adam obeyed, but he didn't release his sword's hilt until they were far away from the square.
Busy chapter is busy, mostly with unplanned things sneaking in. An unplanned discussion on racism. An unplanned appearance by Pike Ryte (one of the main characters from The Grimm Campaign). Even some unplanned reminiscing on Adam's forgotten childhood. Who needs plans, anyways?
And in the end, we start to see some of the failed protests that Blake talks about in the White Fang's early days. Won't say too much here, since the fallout is next chapter. It'll also likely be our departure from Mistral and the start of our journey forward in time. You might also see some early signs of where Adam will be later in life. Who knows?
Next chapter: Adam sees the response of the public to the violence of the protest.