The curse is real. The less time I have to write, the longer the chapter becomes.
Been a crazy week. There was some incident with the water main for our area, so they shut the water off for repairs. When it came back, we got notices on our doors telling us the water had been contaminated and that we shouldn't drink it without boiling first. We've been boiling and bottling water all week, which got old pretty fast. Meanwhile, work has me supporting a test event to test part of my system against temperature, humidity, etc. Even though I'm just there to support and observe, somehow I'm now trying to fix everything since nothing's working and we're a week behind already. So far, we've found several internal wires that were connected incorrectly. Really wish we could just take the whole thing down to the artillery range and offer it up as a target.
Anyways, chapter is a little longer than I expected, but that's fine. Part 3 of what was meant to be a single chapter incoming!
My, my, isn't this a pretty sight. No home. No job. Face it, Adam, you're back where you started. You're nothing. You've spent so long leaning on others, you never bothered to learn how to stand on your own.
"Adam?"
"Huh? What?" Adam shook himself free of his spiraling for a moment, coming back to reality as Aiden waited for an answer. "Sorry. Got lost there for a second. What were you saying?"
"I asked how you were getting on," Aiden repeated.
Adam vaguely remembered hearing his words, but they'd been buried by a much crueler voice that seemed to enjoy his current predicament. "Oh! I'm okay. Found a place to stay for now while I look for a job." Technically, he wasn't lying, though Aiden probably wouldn't love hearing the details. So Adam didn't bother sharing them.
He still hadn't found work yet, and the hotel couldn't put him up for free forever. Adam had been on his own for almost a month now. The first few nights, he found some secluded corners of quiet parks to camp out in. Sleeping under the stars didn't bother him too much. Not that Mistral had any stars. The bright lights of the city made it impossible to pick out the pinpricks of light dotting the night sky.
On his fourth night, a pair of officers had stumbled upon his sleeping spot and chased him off, thinking him just some local kid staying out too late. He'd chosen his spots more carefully after that before finally deciding to try something new. The warehouse district was guarded pretty well, but only outside the buildings. Picking out one particularly old one, he'd found a window that didn't latch and claimed an abandoned office as his own. It doubled as storage, allowing him to stash his small assortment of belongings in the ceiling during the day for safe keeping. He kept the lights out, not needing the light and knowing better than to draw the attention of the patrolling security. Being a faunus had its advantages.
Disadvantages, too, as it turned out. He'd practically given up hope of ever finding a job at this rate. No one seemed interested in some faunus boy from nowhere. You could only see so many places hire new employees after saying they weren't hiring before catching on to what they really meant. It wasn't that they weren't hiring. They just weren't hiring him.
Who can blame them? I certainly wouldn't hire you. If you ask me, you're better off going to the lower levels where you belong.
Adam hadn't asked. He was desperate, but there were certain lines he wouldn't cross, no matter how bad things got. He'd find something. He had to. Until then, he'd do what he had to to get by.
"Any leads on a job yet?"
"None," Adam complained. "Convinced a few places to pay me for one-time jobs, but that's about it."
Those had been lifesavers, as few as they were. Extra muscle to help move some furniture. Help clearing some rubble from a collapsed building. Unloading a caravan down by the warehouses. Little things that didn't pay much but sure beat nothing. It wasn't enough to get by on, but it slowed the steady vanishing act his lien had been pulling.
"Speaking of which…"
"Nothing today," Aiden admitted. He'd been able to supply a few odd jobs as well, usually when someone called out at the last minute. Adam dropped by the hotel every day to check for any opportunities, just to be safe. "Boss hired a new kid yesterday. Doubt he'll be asking for time off so early."
"Dang." Looked like he'd be going hungry tonight. Not only did Aiden always make sure he got paid for his work, but Adam usually got access to the kitchen along the way, filling both his stomach and his pockets. When you didn't know when your next meal might be, stocking up became critical.
Adam ignored the gnawing pain in his stomach for now. He'd already skipped lunch today, so missing another meal wouldn't bode well. Maybe he needed to stop by some of the restaurants again. People left food on their table all the time. Must be nice to be so well-fed that they could waste food like that. The outdoor seating areas were the best targets. The indoor seating would always take priority, so food sat there a little longer, giving him a window to snatch a quick bite and disappear into the passing crowds before anyone noticed. Scavenging like that sucked, but his wounded pride hurt less than his empty stomach.
Whatever it takes. That had been Jean's advice. So he'd do whatever he needed to in order to survive. Stolen food sounded bad, but they were just gonna throw the scraps away. Why shouldn't he polish off a plate here and there? It would do more in his stomach than in the garbage. He'd seen people rooting through dumpsters here and there, desperate for the refuse of the city. He only hoped he'd never have to stoop that low himself.
Adam spotted the middle-aged couple lingering nearby. They kept a decent distance, but Adam didn't miss the woman's eyes straying to them periodically as they tried to be polite and not rush him. He appreciated the gesture and all, but no one got very far in the world by waiting around. He debated taking his time, just to test the limits of their patience, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the effort. Besides, his best chance of finding food would be during the dinner rush. After that, he'd find somewhere quiet to relax while he waited for the cover of dark to sneak into his warehouse. He knew the security patrols like the back of his hand already, but it never hurt to be careful. Thankfully, there weren't any faunus guards - probably too untrustworthy in the eyes of the city - so he had a distinct advantage once the sun went down.
"I'd better get going," Adam announced loud enough for the nearby couple to hear. "Dinner's calling."
"If I hear anything, I'll let you know." Adam appreciated the discretion. Nobody else needed to know he was desperately searching for work. Not unless they had something for him. As far as anyone in the lobby knew, he was just another visitor asking for directions around the city. "Goodnight, Adam."
"Night, Aiden."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Living in the city was pretty easy.
Surviving in it wasn't.
Adam hated Mistral. The high costs. The lack of employment. But most of all, he hated the people. After only a few months of being surrounded by the hordes of mindless morons, he was no closer to making it than when he started out. Further, in fact, given the utter lack of money he had left. The rare job from Aiden, coupled with his own efforts to make ends meet, found him with almost nothing in his pocket and barely anything to call his own.
And that was about to lessen even more.
"I'll give you two hundred lien for the lot."
"Two hundred?" That was pathetic! It didn't take Adam's merchant training to know a rip-off when he heard one.
"Best I can do," the pawn shop owner lied. Adam debated the number, knowing his books were worth more than that but wondering if anyone else would offer him better. Sadly, he doubted it. Of the few stores that would even consider buying from him, this place was the only one that even sold books. Then again, they sold practically everything.
Still, two hundred was way less than he'd hoped for. "Five hundred."
The burly man behind the counter laughed at his number. "Five? For a couple used books? I can see the binding coming apart on this one." So what? It still read the same, as long as you ignored the tea stain on page seventy.
"It's a selling point," Adam insisted, channeling his inner Soji. "The wear and tear shows how good the book is."
"No, it shows how used it is," the man countered. "Look, kid, I've gotta close up shop soon. You've got guts demanding that much, so I'll throw you a bone here. Two fifty."
Better, but Adam knew not to give in so easily. "Three."
"Two seventy-five."
"Two eighty."
Far from being upset, the man seemed more lively with their rapid-fire back and forth. Adam had a feeling most people didn't haggle so much. They'd either accept his lowball offer or walk. Some might try to haggle and squeeze out a few more lien, praising themselves for making such a great deal when they'd actually been played. Adam wasn't some pathetic city-dweller, though. He was a threat. Training and desperation mixed to create the perfect blend of business. Soji would've been proud.
The man reached a greasy hand out. Adam took it without flinching, knowing his were probably just as dirty. "Deal," his temporary sparring partner announced as he scooped the books up and stashed them under the counter. "You see anything you like?"
"Lien," Adam answered bluntly. He wasn't about to waste his earnings on whatever junk this guy had laying around. Anyone who would buy a bunch of worn-out books probably didn't put much stock in quality. Quantity was the game, all with a decent markup.
The smirk on the shop owner's face only widened as he fished Adam's lien out of the register and placed it on the counter. "Fair enough. Not your first rodeo, is it?"
Adam made sure to count out the lien before stashing the small stack in his pocket. "You could say that." Lien made the world go round, but it sure was hard to come by. The little he earned didn't last long, despite his best efforts to stretch it out. He'd sold practically everything he had already, leaving only a few possessions to his name. "Thanks."
"Anything else I can help you with?" It was amazing how much politeness a little business could bring.
"Actually…" Adam watched as the man's eyes lit up at the prospect of a sale. It didn't last long. "I'm looking for a job. Think you could use an experienced haggler in your store?"
Adam knew the answer before he even formed the words. "Sorry, kid." He'd lost count of how many times people said that. "You're good, but I'm all staffed up. Don't need another mouth to feed right now. Have you tried the SD-"
"Thanks anyways," Adam cut in as he turned for the door. If one more person told him about the SDC, he might scream. Just because he was a faunus didn't mean he was destined for the dust mines. He could do better. Plus, as much as he hated Mistral, he wanted to stick around for when the caravan returned. Though at the rate he was going, he might not make it.
His hand instinctively sought out his pocket once he left the store, reassuring himself of his lien with a sigh. Two eighty wouldn't last long, but he'd make it work. At least the guy had been willing to work with him a little. He'd been turned away too many times from people who openly accused him of selling stolen goods. One even called the cops on him. They'd questioned him for far longer than necessary and even put him in a cell for the night, hoping the extra pressure would make him crack.
Adam laughed at the memory. Did they really think a small room and dusty mattress were enough to break him? He'd slept on far worse. Heck, he hadn't even had a real bed since leaving the hotel. That cell had been a luxury! Part of him wondered if getting arrested more often might actually be a good thing. Food and shelter weren't easy to come by, but they gave it out for free!
But he wasn't made for a cell. Even the tightly packed streets of the city were too confining for him. He longed for the open road once more. Fresh air. Freedom. Such luxuries didn't exist in a place like this. He'd tried signing on to a few caravans, always making sure they'd be going west so he'd eventually run into the Yamas again, but each and every one turned him down. At this point, Adam didn't know what he'd do if someone actually offered him a job.
Like that'll ever happen. And just like that, his night soured once more. No one wants a sniveling little faunus brat snooping around for lien. Might as well take your chances in the lower levels.
No. He'd promised not to go down that route, no matter what. A life of crime wasn't the answer. Desperate or not, he still had his standards. Like stealing food. Okay, so that wasn't technically legal, but they were just gonna throw it out! And trespassing? It was a mostly abandoned warehouse, and he hadn't broken anything. If they didn't want him there, then they should've fixed the window latch.
Rationalize it all you want. You're still a criminal.
"No I'm not," Adam growled as he pushed his way into his warehouse and snuck upstairs to his office.
You've been arrested, haven't you?
"That was one time."
Twice. Or have you forgotten about Katai?
That didn't count. He hadn't done anything. She'd been the one to get him in trouble. She should've been the one arrested, not him. Maybe someday, she'd get what's coming to her. Someone would finally hold her accountable for the lives she'd ruined and make her pay.
Don't bet on it.
"Shut up." Adam knew there was no one there, but it didn't stop him from making demands. Alyssa's voice had been growing steadily more annoying since coming to Mistral. In fact, it almost seemed to enjoy his suffering, which made sense given whose voice echoed in his head.
Adam sat down and turned on the tiny stove he'd added to his space only a few weeks ago. It was a little portable thing that people used for camping. Why they couldn't just start a fire, Adam would never understand. He'd spotted one near the entrance of a store one evening. The manager had been particularly nasty to him, so when he saw no one was looking, he helped himself. What little food he managed to come across tasted so much better heated on his new appliance.
See? Stolen goods. Okay, she had him there. But so what? They wouldn't miss it. Besides, they deserved it for the things they'd said. He wasn't some dumb animal looking to cause trouble. He just wanted a chance at life like everyone else. Was that too much to ask? They could've just said no. There was no need to be so rude about it.
Adam made sure to keep his stove under an old desk, hiding its faint glow from the large windows nearby. He doubted anyone would even notice, but better safe than sorry. In the dim light, he surveyed the small room he'd come to call home. There was no bed. Just a quiet corner he could curl up in. His supplies were getting low now that he'd pawned almost everything. Other than a few small things he'd liberated, like his stove and a large bottle for water, all he really had left was his scroll and his sword. The first served him well in the city, giving potential employers a way to contact him. Not that any had yet, other than to tell him no, but it could happen.
His sword leaned against an empty filing cabinet. He knew he could get a decent price for it. A custom blade and scabbard like that could net him quite a nice pile of lien, but he didn't dare part with something so important. The cold blade served as a reminder for him to keep fighting. Staring at it kept him from giving up. He'd earned both the sword and his training by refusing to back down against impossible odds. If he could do it then, he could do it now.
He also didn't want to be left helpless. He wasn't the only one to take advantage of the warehouses sometimes. He'd run into another homeless person once, but he'd just let the guy claim a spot downstairs for the night. Not everyone was so friendly, though. Some of the gangs used the warehouse district from time to time. He'd spotted a few drug deals in the shadows but always kept himself hidden. As long as he kept clear, they left him be. But if they ever found out he was watching, they might turn on him rather than risk a witness. If that ever happened, he'd want to have his weapon handy, not hung up in some trashy pawn shop.
And then there'd been the less criminal element. Some teens out late with drinks and drugs, making a ruckus and drawing the attention of security. Thankfully, they'd left after dispersing the teens rather than check for others. Worse, he'd had a few run-ins with some druggies. He'd found needles on the lower level more than a few times as people chose to escape their dreary existence in the dark corners of the city. One had wandered upstairs and tried to break down his door, mindlessly raging against the barrier until Adam was forced to wrench it open and confront the man. He'd still been sane enough to recognize an armed opponent and quickly fled, tumbling down the metal stairs before bolting away into the night. As far as Adam could tell, the guy had been too high to remember him anyways, but that hadn't stopped him from worrying for the rest of the week.
Tolerating the addicts had been the easier route at first, but they kept coming back when no one bothered them. Adam had been getting sick of putting up with it after a while. Dodging discarded needles and piles of feces wasn't his ideal start to a day, so he usually went down and chased them out. Most ran when they heard someone coming, seeking out a more secluded spot for their next trip. As a result, his domain had become much more livable.
Now if only they'd tell their friends to stay out.
"Again?" Adam groused as he heard movement downstairs. Through the dingy windows overlooking the warehouse floor below, he could see a faint glow. Probably someone using a flashlight or their scroll to line up a needle. Turning the light on would probably scare them away, but Adam didn't want to risk being spotted so easily. Instead, his best bet was to stomp his way downstairs and chase them off himself.
And he did mean stomp. Confronting someone in the midst of getting high wasn't a great plan. Sure, they might be completely out of it when he got there. He'd rolled a few people out before when they were too out of it to even notice him. But they could just as easily be hopped up on something a little more violent. He could take them if push came to shove, but they were just as likely to run away if they knew someone was coming, saving him the confrontation. People that snuck into abandoned warehouses usually didn't want to be seen.
The metal steps down to the main floor echoed his approach. He waited at the bottom of the stairs, hoping they'd take the hint and leave, but the light ahead didn't budge. A few rusty shipping containers near the corner hid them from view, as usual, but the dim glow sort of gave them away. Not from outside, thankfully. With a labored sigh, Adam goose stepped his way over to see what sort of guest he had tonight.
Adam slowed as he got near, carefully dodging the telltale signs of recent visits. The last thing he needed was one of those needles jabbing him. He slunk forward the rest of the way, rounding the far end of the containers to get the drop on the intruders. Steeling himself for whatever pathetic excuse for humanity awaited him, Adam peeked around the corner.
The space sat empty. Well, not entirely empty. A small lantern continued to light the dirty surroundings. Whoever had been here must've cleared out and left their light behind in a panic. Adam rolled his eyes as he made his way forward, mentally reminding himself that he needed to clean the area up a bit tomorrow. He'd never planned on being a janitor for druggies, but such was life. He just wished they paid for his services.
"At least they left something useful." He didn't really need the lantern that much. Faunus vision sure did come in handy. Still, there were times he needed a little light. Then again, he might be able to clean it up a bit and sell it. It wouldn't be worth a whole lot, but every bit helped. Adam knelt to shut off the light.
His senses screamed at him the moment his knee hit the ground.
"Well, what do we have here?"
The sound of the voice behind him didn't make him freeze as much as the metallic click that followed. Adam's aura had already slammed into place the moment he sensed the threat, but nothing happened. Good. His mysterious assailant didn't just shoot first and ask questions later. Adam slowly raised his hands, keeping his back to the new arrival the entire time. "I'm just a homeless kid." Play the pity card. He doubted it would work, but he had to try.
Sure enough, it failed. "Doesn't matter. Turn around." Adam did as ordered, turning slowly to find a gaunt figure with slightly sunken cheeks and a cruel glint to his eyes smiling at him. Adam's attention focused on the revolver aimed for his chest instead. The hammer was cocked, ready to fire if he did anything stupid. "So the rumors were true. You've been squatting on our turf and scaring off clients, haven't you?"
Clients? He must've meant the druggies. So he was some sort of drug dealer or something. By the looks of his face, he'd sampled his own supply a few too many times. Had some of his so-called clients complained about Adam? "I don't want any trouble."
"A little late for that." The man waved his gun, directing Adam to step to the side and away from the lantern. "No one uses our territory without paying. I'm here to collect."
Adam didn't like the way he kept talking about himself as a group. This wasn't some lone dealer flexing on a kid. He had to be connected to a larger gang. Maybe even one of the crime families. Adam didn't need that kind of attention. "I…I didn't know."
"Well now you do. So why don't we get down to business, hm?" Business? More like extortion. He barely had enough to get by on. Paying off some idiot with a gun just to live in an old warehouse wouldn't help. The whole reason he'd come here was a lack of lien.
Adam slowly reached for his pocket and fished out the lien he'd gotten today, tossing it on the ground near the man's feet. "That's all I've got."
The thief bent down to gather up his ill-gotten gains, all while keeping his eye and his gun trained on Adam. "Good start, but we both know this isn't enough." Dang it. What else could he do? Adam didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Upstairs. Let's see what sort of goodies you've ferreted away."
"I don't have anything," Adam lied. With no lien left, Adam couldn't afford to lose everything else, too.
"I'll be the judge of that. Now move."
Adam marched ahead, leading the way to his hideout as his mind raced furiously. He couldn't give up so easily. He needed to find a way to stop what was happening. Maybe if he led the man to a different spot, he could keep his stuff safe. Adam turned at the top of the stairs and headed for the only real option besides the office - the bathrooms.
His ploy failed spectacularly. "Wrong way." So this guy knew exactly where he'd set up camp, then. Not too difficult, given the few options available. He'd probably watched from downstairs when Adam came out, just to make sure. When they reached the office, Adam's captor ordered, "Open it."
Adam stepped inside, desperately trying to make a plan. He doubted the guy would let him keep anything. He might even force Adam to work for him, stealing to pay off his debt. He'd take all the risk and get none of the reward. Adam had a sneaking suspicion he'd never break free at that rate.
He needed to escape. That much was obvious. He also needed to grab his sword on the way. Losing the rest of his belongings wouldn't be the end of the world, but he refused to let this scumbag have his most precious possession. Maybe he could snatch it and break through one of the windows. The fall would hurt, but his aura could handle it.
Or you could just kill him. What? Kill him. He can't bother you anymore if he's dead. Probably has plenty of money on him, too. But he has a gun. And you have aura. You can take him. Just grab his gun and unload it on his worthless face. You'd be doing Remnant a favor.
Would he? The man behind him wasn't exactly a pillar of society. How many lives had he ruined with his drugs? How many others had he stolen from and hurt for his own amusement? Mistral would be better off without another drug dealer. He'd be doing the community a service.
No. That was a slippery slope if he'd ever heard one. Adam wasn't about to don a mask and become some vigilante dispensing justice as he saw fit. That kind of stuff was best left for the comic books. Besides, someone might come looking if they heard gunshots. He needed to keep it quiet. Maybe knock the gun away and strangle him to death. Or push him back out and over the railing, letting gravity and concrete do the rest for him.
Wait a second! Why was he even considering that? Because he needs to die. Adam stubbornly shook off the idea, along with the gruesome image of the criminal nosediving off the second floor and decorating the warehouse with his brain matter. He needed a less lethal option. Criminal or not, people would start asking questions if they found an armed faunus over a dead body.
"Step aside," came the order as Adam was shoved further into the room. It took only seconds for his stove to be uncovered. Thankfully, his sword hadn't been noticed yet. That wouldn't last. If he could just- "This it?"
"I told you, I don't have anything." What did the guy expect? Adam wasn't some sort of dragon faunus or something, hoarding some pile of treasure in his lair. He was just a kid with no money, no job, and no luck.
"This won't do." Adam kind of figured as much. Adam's worst nightmare came true. "Guess you'll have to make it up to me, then."
"How?" The word slipped out before Adam could stop it.
"I'll figure something out." The man's sickly smile told Adam he wouldn't like the new arrangement. Thievery. Delivering drugs. Heck, he'd probably end up having to take the fall for the guy at some point. Going to jail for something he didn't do sounded awfully familiar.
Seems we've come full circle. This guy was just like Alyssa. He wanted to use him, only to throw him away later. The thought had Adam's blood boiling. His days of servitude were over. He wouldn't let himself be put in that situation again.
A rough plan slammed into place without warning. Adam needed to get his sword. He needed to protect himself. Adam shuffled to the side, making just enough noise to be noticed. "What're you hiding over there?"
"N-nothing," Adam frantically insisted. "I told you. That's everything. I don't have anything else."
Just like he'd hoped, the rapid denials only earned him more attention. Adam watched the man's eyes lock onto the closet Adam had stepped in front of. "Is that so?" He strode forward, keeping his gun aimed at Adam the whole time. "Move."
"No!" Adam kept himself in front of the closet door, protecting it with his life. As expected, that only made it more enticing. Anything worth dying over had to be valuable.
"I said…move!" The revolver slammed into the side of Adam's head for emphasis, sending him sprawling. Adam kept his aura down, taking the punishment fully rather than reveal his secret too early.
A smarter man would've paid more attention to his victim, but his lust for loot would be his undoing. The squeal of pain Adam let out was just a little too forced. He tumbled forward, not at all in the direction he should've fallen. Still, those little details went unnoticed as the man greedily yanked the closet door open to reveal…an empty closet.
"Hey! What gives? Where's the- what the hell?"
In the time it took him to realize he'd been duped, Adam rolled across the floor to where his sword waited eagerly for him. He slid it free of its scabbard, wheeling around to face a very confused target with his weapon ready. Once more he faced down the revolver, but this time he was ready. "Leave."
The thief's head cocked to the side a little, studying the sudden shift. Despite the new threat, he started to laugh. "Nice one, kid. You got balls. I'll give you that. But you brought a knife to a gun fight."
He'd brought more than that. His aura was itching for a fight. Not that this moron knew it. Adam had taken Commander Barca's words to heart. Better to have it in his back pocket. He'd let the first blow through, but nothing else would be getting past his aura now. Playtime was over.
"Leave," Adam repeated.
"Do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Give me back my money and go." They'd call it even. Adam would leave with his money, and this guy would leave with his health. A win win.
"Kid, I don't know who you think you are, but let me give you some advice." The man adjusted his aim, raising the gun just a hair. "The guy with the gun wins. Always."
Adam tensed as the shot rang out, just before it slammed into his chest. Adam stumbled a little, taking the blow on his aura with nothing more than a grunt. The glow that rippled across his upper body for a moment had the desired effect. Whatever cocky confidence the man had quickly vanished, replaced by a sudden fear.
"I said, leave."
Sure, a gun could beat a sword, but aura trumped them both. Revolvers packed a serious punch, but their biggest problem was ammo. Adam felt confident he could tank the remaining five shots and still keep fighting, not that he intended to play target practice.
A smart man would've taken the easy out and gotten as far away as possible. Aura wasn't something to mess around with, much less someone who knew how to use it properly. Adam knew he'd won. Unfortunately, his opponent hadn't figured that out yet. "Aura? What are you?"
Rather than wait for an answer, he squeezed off two more shots. Adam blocked the first with his sword - something Jean had started training him on. The second missed. Adam didn't wait for more.
He rushed forward, snarling like the animal the thief had tried to put down. He saw the gun track him. Felt the heat as the muzzle flashed in his face, nearly blinding him for a second. The bullet hit hard, but Adam pushed through, swinging for the weapon to disarm his attacker in one hit.
It worked, but not as intended.
A cry echoed through the room, dying in a gurgle as Adam's blade missed the arm and went high. It connected with a far more important target, tearing through the man's throat with pitiful ease. Adam watched in horror as the man clutched at his throat, fighting to breathe through the torrent of blood that spurted through his fingers. His mouth moved, but nothing came out. No sound, at least. Blood bubbled up and out past his sagging jaw, adding to the reddened waterfall below. He stumbled forward a step, reaching for Adam before his legs gave out, dropping him to the ground. Adam watched as a dark tide slowly creeped from the fresh corpse, staining the room as it ebbed closer.
Outside, the world paused for a second to take in what had happened before the night shattered into chaos.
The surrounding area lit up suddenly as shouts sounded from different directions. They were coming. Of course they were coming. There was no way they'd missed the sound of gunshots in the night. They'd be here soon to find a faunus with a sword in an abandoned warehouse standing over a corpse. He had a feeling they'd draw the wrong conclusions.
"What have I done?"
You killed him, came the unhelpful answer. He tried to kill you and paid for it. He's dead. You're alive. That's all that matters. Tires screeched somewhere nearby. Might want to get moving. I don't think they're here to congratulate you.
Adam gulped, acknowledging the wisdom in those words. He had to get out. He had to get far away from this place. He sheathed his sword and started for the window. The lien! What? What lien? Take his lien! You'll need it. Right. Adam rolled the body over, wincing at the pale face that stared up at him with lifeless eyes. He rifled through the man's pockets, finding not only his money, but a stack of much larger notes in the man's wallet. He tossed it back down, trying to ignore the picture of the man with a smiling woman and a sleeping baby between them. He had a family. People that cared about him. What would they think when he didn't come home in the morning?
Maybe they'll think about their terrible taste in men. That wasn't what Adam meant. No, he could worry about that later. Right now, he needed to get away from the crime scene as fast as possible. His first step splashed, drawing Adam's eyes to the ground.
Crap! He'd already forgotten about the pool of blood he'd just stomped through. He jumped away, only to gasp as he saw the bloody footprints he left behind. Evidence! They'd know someone else was here. Not hard to guess, given the sword wound on a man with a gun. Bloody footprints wouldn't exactly point the finger at him, but they might find other ways to track him. He'd lived in this room too long not to have some sort of evidence hiding here.
He needed to cover his tracks. A banging on the metal door downstairs added to the list. He needed to slow them down, too. Adam's eyes darted around the room, falling on the small stove he'd used earlier.
Perfect! Adam cranked it up to full heat, then snatched it off the table, ignoring the pain as his thumb touched the burner. Piles of paper and trash dotted the room. He shoved it into a larger pile from where he'd cleared an area near the door, his foot nervously tapping as he watched and waited.
He didn't have to wait long. Some old forms caught first, burning brightly before spreading its new gift to the rest of the pile. Adam hoped it would be enough. He didn't have time to stick around and make sure it spread. A popping from the stove reminded him exactly what fueled such a device. He ran for the window, throwing it open to meet the night air before diving blindly out, just as a small explosion sounded in the room he'd been in. Hopefully, that would buy him some time and maybe even cover up some of the evidence. Adam didn't bother to look back, chased into the night by cries of alarm as the fire took hold.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Sirens blared, piercing the night as crews rushed to the warehouses. People on the sidewalk watched the vehicles speed by with nothing more than curious glances, content that it didn't involve them in any way. Some guessed at what the cause might be. The growing glow from the warehouse district made things easier for their pondering. Some debated the cause while others questioned the potential for dust explosions, but most didn't waste time on such questions, uninterested in something so far removed from their lives. After all, who cared as long as it didn't affect them directly?
Adam was different. Every siren had him tensing up. He ducked into alleys anytime one of them drew too close, terrified that they were coming for him. He knew they weren't. Not yet, at least. The fire would buy him time and cover his tracks. It had to! He clung to that belief desperately, striving to convince himself that everything would be fine.
It wasn't working.
You killed him. And then there was that. You killed a man, Adam. Cut his throat and burned the body. How cruel.
He didn't have a choice! It was self-defense. He'd attacked first. Besides, Adam didn't mean to kill him. He'd aimed for the gun. It wasn't his fault the guy panicked and fired at the last second. The muzzle flash had blinded him, making him miss. It wasn't his fault.
You wanted to kill him.
He…he couldn't be left alive. If Adam had let him go, he would've just called the sops. Or worse, he would've come back with help next time. He had to be stopped.
And you took care of him.
It had been so easy. Comically so. One hit. One hit, and he'd ended that miserable cretin's life. He'd forced Adam to choose between him and a criminal, and he'd chosen himself, plain and simple.
No, that wasn't right. Adam had plenty of chances before to end it. Overpowering him in that dark warehouse would've been easy. But Adam hadn't attacked. He'd been fully prepared to let the man rob him. His entire plan revolved around running away. Escaping to survive another day. So what changed?
Guess you'll have to make it up to me. Those words had set something off in him. He'd gone from plotting his escape to suddenly taking the offensive. Why, though? Serving some lunatic criminal would be bad, but was it bad enough to warrant killing so callously? What had set him off?
He reminded you of me. Adam shivered. He wanted to control you. Use you. He thought he was strong enough to master a beast and paid the ultimate price for it.
That was it, wasn't it? Adam remembered thinking something like that. Even now, he snarled at the very thought of being forced to serve some drug dealer. And not because of the drugs. He hated those too for much the same reason.
Control. He hated the idea of giving that up again. He'd seen what happened when he let someone else control him. He could still feel Alyssa's cruel clutches. Could still remember the things she'd done to him. The things she'd made him do. No one would ever do that to him again. His life was his own. If someone tried to control it, then he'd fight it with everything he had. He'd gone through too much to do anything less. Life had beaten him down time and time again, but he'd always gotten back up, even if it meant someone else had to be put down.
The man's last words rang in his head. What are you?
A monster. That's what he was.
Adam wasn't sure what disgusted him more: killing that man or knowing Alyssa was right. He was a monster. He could spend all day trying to justify what he'd done, but it didn't matter. He'd killed a man. Someone was dead because of him. From a logical standpoint, he'd done what he had to do. The moment that man pulled the trigger, he'd made it clear one of them would have to die. In that moment, he'd unknowingly signed his own death warrant.
Adam hated it, but he didn't regret it. Faced with the choice again, he pick himself every time.
Unfortunately, he'd have to live with the consequences. The fire wouldn't burn forever. They'd get in the room eventually and find the body. An investigation would be launched. Police would sweep the building for evidence, and even if they didn't find something to link him to the killing, there were plenty of people who had seen him there before. All it took is a single person remembering a bull faunus chasing them out of the warehouse. Adam doubted there were many of those in Mistral. They'd find him eventually, and he'd have to answer for what he'd done.
Then again, who said the police would get to him first? He'd hinted at being part of a larger group. The killing of one of their own might spur them to hunt him down and make an example of him. The police might lock him up. A gang would string him up.
It wasn't fair! That guy was at fault, not him. Adam hadn't sought out trouble. It had come looking for him and forced his hand. Still, he'd be the one on the hook for everything in the end. He'd be stuck looking over his shoulder from now on, watching to see who found him first.
Mistral wasn't safe anymore. Maybe they'd never find him, but he couldn't guarantee that. If he lowered his guard for even a second, they might catch him. Even if they gave up looking, he wouldn't know. He needed to disappear. Sticking around to see Soji, Jean, and the rest wasn't worth the risk.
But how could he get out? Even with the lien he'd claimed from his kill, he wasn't sure he could afford a ticket anywhere. Nowhere far enough away, at least. The trade caravans would be a better idea. No one would check them, he had plenty of experience, and he'd earn some extra lien along the way – something he'd desperately need. The only problem was, the best place to find them was next to his own crime scene. Going back to the warehouses after killing a man and setting the place on fire was asking for trouble.
So where could he go?
You already know the answer.
He did, but he kept hoping to stumble on something else. It would get him out of the city and solve his money problems in one fell swoop. Honestly, the answer was obvious. That didn't make it any easier to pick, though.
All night, he tried to come up with new plans, but he always came back to the same conclusion. He found an abandoned building on the other side of the city and hid inside. Three other people were already there, huddled around a small fire for the night, but he avoided them. They left him alone in return. He snuck upstairs and found a space for himself, leaning the remains of a broken door against the opening to make sure no one else could sneak in.
Not that he needed to worry about that. Adam sat up all night, bouncing between planning, worrying and planning. Sleep eluded him. By the time the sun rose, he was a wreck. The sirens had quieted down hours ago, but that hardly filled him with confidence. He waited in his room a few hours longer, only venturing out once his downstairs neighbors had left for the day. The city was bustling as always. He stuck to the crowds for once, hiding himself as he made his way to a place he'd purposefully avoided for so long.
The bell above the door announced his arrival, sounding like the laughter of fate as he forced himself into the small lobby. He couldn't believe it had come to this, but he was out of options. They had everything he needed. Work. A place to live. Travel out of the city. It sounded like the perfect plan.
Perfect. Like the flawless snowflake emblem glittering on the wall. Adam walked up to the counter. This wasn't right, but it was the best he had. A tap of the small bell on the counter summoned a far too cheery woman who sealed his fate with four damning words.
"Welcome to the SDC."
And there we have it, friends! 61 chapters in, and Adam has his first kill! Now he can go on a murderous rampage and up that body count to a respectable number.
I kid, of course. It's another important step. One that I honestly hadn't planned to do for quite a few chapters, but I like it here more. He's still torn up about it in a way, but most would probably agree he was justified here. Doesn't make it any easier to take a life, though. You still have to live with the fact that someone is dead by your hand. Obviously, he won't be as concerned with such things later in the story, but we haven't reached that level of Adam yet.
I'm sure plenty of you knew the SDC would be his next stop. He kinda has to go there eventually. Naturally, as part of the application process, they'll brand his face. Little did we realize that all Mistralian applicants had matching brands. Ignoring that foolishness, Adam doesn't have many options here and turns to the one place he knows will take him in. He'll have to go through the whole process of signing up and everything next week and a lot will be revealed about how his time with the SDC will go, but you might be able to guess how it ends.
Poorly. It ends poorly.
Next chapter: Adam gets a job!