Car's in the shop for repairs. Should get it back next week, but the other insurance is still not responding to me or my insurance. Glad I decided not to wait on them and filed with my own instead. Might have to pay the deductible if they don't accept soon, but I should get that back when they finally do their job and admit fault. Either that, or they'll get absolutely destroyed in a court case. Their call.
Meanwhile, one of our upper staff guys on the technical side at work got a promotion. As a result, one of our managers decided to swap to the technical side and take his old position, opening up a line management spot. Strangely enough, another manager switched to her position, despite it being a purely lateral move, but that opens up a spot in charge of the branch that hired me almost a decade ago. So I've already been working on updating my resume and let my boss know I plan to apply the moment they open it up. Also gonna go talk to the other managers to get some insight while we wait for interviews. Was planning to wait until my current project is at a better point to go for a manager position, but with it being my home branch and my project continuing to suffer delays (meaning it could be a while before we're at a good jumping off point, there's no time like the present! Fingers crossed!
Ignore the review that's just a self-promo. Talk about classless. Already reported it, but not sure if/when it'll be removed. Second time this has happened (last one was a DM). Really annoying. Also, have they actually read this story (I know they haven't from view numbers)? This absolutely should not be made into a comic.
Their meeting with Lil' Miss wrapped up pretty quickly after that, with their host saying they'd talk more once the White Fang took care of their spy problem. It was almost insulting to think she doubted them. Adam and Sienna had been hunting for their spy ever since Paulownia - longer in Sienna's case. They'd managed to narrow it down to Nonemu and even took out Orion's connection to Mistral, plugging the leak while they continued trying to zero in on the mole. Orion had already cost them dearly, with a third of his team missing and several men dead. Now that they knew Orion's identity, the White Fang would waste no time getting rid of them.
I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about you.
Getting rid of Orion wouldn't be a problem. But Sona? The pit in his stomach told him it wouldn't be so easy.
Lil' Miss sent them away with the info on Sona and a different location to meet once the matter was "dealt with." Some bar deeper in the lower city, where there'd be less eyes and ears to worry insisted the three of them be the ones to deliver the news before sending them on their way, trusting they could get out of the city as easily as they'd gotten in.
Turned out, getting out was a lot easier. Security was far more concerned with a dangerous terrorist sneaking into the city than one leaving peacefully. No one looked twice at the three figures leaving the walls late at night. Even if someone tried, it wasn't like anyone could stop the three of them getting away when all their forces were tied up inspecting vehicles. By the time they raised the alarm, he'd be long gone. After that, it was just a quick trip away from civilization until they reached the airship hidden in a small clearing and they were well on their way back to Reyno without a single incident.
They flew back home in silence, neither of the girls quite sure what to make of Adam's melancholy mood but smart enough to know that picture meant something. How could it not? Blake knew more than anyone about his past, but even she only knew bits and pieces. He'd probably mentioned Team SPVC before to her, but never in any real detail. Even if he had, he'd never be able to explain just how important Sona had been to him at the time. He'd never really known any other faunus, so seeing someone like her as the leader of a Huntsman team - pretty much the greatest achievement his young mind could imagine? She'd opened his eyes to the possibility of something greater than just surviving and living out his days in the middle of nowhere. For the first time, he'd honestly believed anything was possible. He'd made it his goal in life to someday be just like her. A Huntsman, fighting evil and saving people in need. Then, he'd track her down someday and let her know just how much she'd inspired him.
Instead, he had to find her and silence her.
Why did his past refuse to stay buried? First Alyssa, now Sona? Now that he thought of it, even Raven qualified. What next? Would the next caravan he attacked have Jean in charge of security? No matter how hard he fought for a better future, it felt like the past refused to let him go. His life was like some sort of sick, cosmic joke, and he was the punchline.
Sadly, no one was laughing now. Not him. Not Blake. Not Ilia.
And tomorrow, certainly not Sona.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Sienna completely misread the room when Adam contacted her with the news. "That's great! Now, we can finally put an end to our little spy problem."
"Yeah," Adam answered flatly, still coming to terms with what would be required of him. He knew what had to be done and exactly what hung in the balance - finding the rest of his team and getting them back safely - but that didn't make it any easier. Logic rarely helped in matters of the heart.
Overenthused bosses helped even less. "Contact Nonemu. Have them isolate Orion before you arrive. Guard duty or something. No telling what they might have hidden in their quarters."
"She's a Huntress."
"All the more reason to keep her on the back foot," Sienna replied. "I'm just surprised someone like that could stay hidden for so long. Yuma and Trifa are supposed to be on the lookout for promising fighters. Someone with aura and training could've risen through the ranks and gained access to more useful intel." Or even found their way into Alpha Squad in time. Someone of that caliber would've been a godsend to the White Fang. In time, she could've worked her way up the ladder and proved even more valuable to Mistral.
If not for a rather obvious risk.
Blake looked like she wanted to say something but kept quiet. Ilia had gone to gather the rest of the team, though he doubted they'd missed his return. As late as it was, they all knew why he'd gone to Mistral and would be eager to hear where their teammates were being held. While he didn't have all the answers, he could at least let them know everyone survived. Well, everyone from their squad. As callous as it sounded, those were the only ones who really mattered right now.
First, they needed to prove themselves to Lil' Miss. As much as she might pretend she was worried about her information being leaked and tying her to the operation, Adam knew what this was really all about. Sneaking into Mistral. Meeting in person. Sorting out the spy. They were all tests, both of him and the White Fang. She wanted them to do something for her - kill a specific prisoner in whatever secure facility his team was being held in. Who it was didn't matter. All that mattered was that they showed they could be trusted to get the job done and earn the information they so desperately needed. Infiltrating a city on high alert and fighting a Huntress would be a good way to gauge their abilities.
"I'll contact Yuma and Trifa with the plan." One he'd scraped together on the ride home. Just like Sienna, he wanted to make sure Sona was isolated first, though he'd go a little further than guard duty. Sona would be stuck on a patrol tomorrow to get her away from camp. That would give Adam and his team time to arrive and search her quarters for anything useful, including her weapon. A custom bow like that would stand out, but no Huntsman would venture out without their weapon. Odds were, she had it stashed somewhere in case she needed to escape. Once they'd secured her belongings, he and his team would set up an ambush for her patrol and take care of things away from the rest of Nonemu.
Unfortunately, that's where his plan ended. He'd have to figure out the last bit when the time came.
"Did Lil' Miss say why she wanted all three of you to come?" Sienna questioned.
"No, but she wants all three of us back when the job is done." His attendance made sense, but he still didn't know why she'd wanted Blake and Ilia. Sure, they were his best fighters, but it had to be more than that. Lil' Miss seemed the type to have a reason behind every decision. Maybe he'd find out during their next meeting.
"We'll humor her for now." Not like they had a choice. Lil' Miss held all the cards and both sides knew it. "As for this favor she wants…"
"It won't be a problem." Working for a human didn't thrill him, but it could've been worse. She said the target was a human criminal. In other words, the lowest of the low. Knowing Lil' Miss, she wouldn't waste a favor like this on some random nobody. Whoever the target was, he probably deserved worse than a quick death at Adam's hands. One criminal's death was a pretty easy trade for four of his friends' lives.
"Our people come first," Sienna said needlessly. As if Adam would risk any of them so foolishly. "If you can't do both-"
"It won't be a problem," Adam repeated. He didn't intend to leave any loose ends. This would be the second time Lil' Miss had come through for them, and he didn't like the idea of owing someone like that, not to mention the risk she could pose if they angered her. She could just as easily sell them out to the highest bidder. Atlas would love to learn where Reyno was hidden. She'd already known about their capturing of the listening post. What else did she have on them? Whatever it was, he'd rather not incentivize her to offer a discount to their enemies.
"I'll leave it in your hands." As always. Sometimes, he regretted having so much control. It would've been so much easier if she told him to take Sona alive or even execute her. At least then, it wouldn't be as personal.
The terminal in front of him quieted as Sienna disconnected, leaving him and Blake alone once more. Adam didn't bother turning as he sighed and quietly said, "Thank you, Blake."
"For what?"
A lot of things, but right now, "For not mentioning I know her." He didn't need Sienna second guessing him right now. All she needed to know was that they'd found the spy and Adam would deal with her. He had enough on his mind as it was. Trying to convince Sienna he had things under control wouldn't help.
Especially when he wasn't sure he did.
The call to Yuma and Trifa was brief. He didn't waste any time with them, relaying the identity and his plan to isolate her. He made sure to promise they'd be helping take her down before either of them tried anything stupid without him. All of them had a bone to pick with Sona now, but Adam was the only one who could beat her. Whatever Sona was to him, she was also a fully trained Huntress who had willingly infiltrated the White Fang alone despite knowing the risk if she was discovered. No one would be foolish enough to take a risk like that unless they honestly thought they had a chance of surviving. Against most of the White Fang, that was probably a safe bet.
He'd have to beat those odds.
The rest of Alpha Squad was already waiting for him when he reached their conference room. Ilia had already shared the good news, so spirits were high. They already wanted a piece of Sona for selling them out, but finding out she was the key to getting their team back only added to the eagerness. They wanted blood. Sona had sold them out to Atlas and nearly gotten their friends killed - a crime punishable by death in their eyes. Adam would've agreed only hours ago, if only he didn't know the perpetrator so personally.
Just like with Sienna, he left that part out. Blake knowing wasn't a huge deal. After Katai, he knew he could trust her with anything and would probably need her by his side. Ilia being in the loop wasn't as ideal, though she'd wisely kept her mouth shut. He'd let them all know afterwards, but for now, it would be better if they focused on the mission. Better for him, since he wouldn't have to deal with all their questions and comments.
"So when are we putting this dirtbag in the ground?" Azul asked once he'd gone over everything. With her brother among the missing, her rage was perhaps the most understandable.
Adam braced for the inevitable backlash. "We're taking her alive."
The room exploded into shouts almost instantly at Adam's instruction, but he weathered the storm as best he could, letting them shout over one another. He might as well have told them they were doing a recruitment drive for the SDC. To them, death would be the only suitable punishment for Sona. Anything less was unacceptable.
When they finally started running out of steam, a single question broke through. "Why?"
Why indeed. Sona had gotten some of their men killed. Because of her, four of their teammates were rotting in some Mistralian facility, likely being tortured for information. When they refused, or possibly when Mistral learned everything they found useful, they'd either be locked away for the rest of their lives or executed. Their only chance at freedom rested on the rest of the team risking their lives to break them out in an all or nothing gambit. For all of that, she deserved to suffer.
Or so they thought. As eager as he'd been to put Orion down, Sona was a different story. Try as he might, he couldn't help but remember all she'd done for him. Killing the Alpha. Protecting him from Dorian. Making him believe he could be so much more. She was one of the few people who had ever been kind to him back then. She'd done all that out of the kindness of her heart, embodying the best of the world and inspiring him to be like her. She'd given birth to his dream of becoming strong and protecting people, and while his original goal of being a Huntsman clearly hadn't worked out, he was still defending those in need in his own way. The hopeful, optimistic child may have died, but the seed she'd planted in his heart never had.
She needed to be stopped, but killing her felt wrong. He'd capture her, keep her safe, and maybe even see if he could help her see his side of things. She believed she was doing what was best by working against the White Fang, but if she could just understand what they were fighting for, then maybe he could convince her to join them. At the very least, they might gain an ally. Huntsmen and Huntresses were idolized by society, so if he could convince one to speak up for them - show the world that they were fighting for good - then maybe they could finally make some progress.
Unfortunately, he couldn't explain that to his team. They'd never understand. How could they? They only knew her as a traitor, not the cheerful Huntress he'd met so long ago. Trying to explain it to them would take too long, and in the end, he doubted they'd agree. He couldn't really blame them, either. Had it been anyone other than Sona, he would've been leading the charge to kill Orion. But Sona was different, at least to him.
His team still needed an answer. He scrambled to come up with something, latching onto the first reasonable excuse he could conjure up. "She could have valuable information." Possibly, but he doubted they could use much of it. She might be able to give a few names of people she worked with, but there was just as good a chance they'd only used codenames or just made something up. People who worked in intelligence for a living were rarely dumb enough to make those kinds of mistakes. On top of that, they'd pretty much all be in Mistral and hard to track, not to mention the security someone like that would warrant. And that was assuming she even told them anything. Still, the chance was there, so he'd take it. "Our mission is to capture her for questioning." Adam waited with bated breath to see if they would buy his excuse.
He didn't have to wait long.
"Let's see how she likes being interrogated." Phew. They'd gone for it, though he made a mental note not to let any of them help with the questioning. He had a feeling it would devolve into torture all too quickly. In fact, maybe he'd insist on being present, just to be safe.
Ilia raised her hand, waiting for him to call on her and rain on his parade. "How're we doing this?"
Once again, all eyes were on Adam. Did he have to do everything? He wished he could open the floor to suggestions, but contrary to the implied orders from on high, this was his mission, which meant it had to be his plan. Capturing someone with aura wasn't as easy as in the movies. The classic tranquilizer dart trope wouldn't work if they got their aura up in time. Normal traps were out most of the time, since Huntsmen weren't normal people. Drop them in a pit? A skilled Huntsman could jump much higher than a normal person, even before you factored in the crazy agility that would have them parkouring off the sides like a manic pinball. A weighted rope? Super strength. Even a cage would have to be heavily reinforced to avoid having its bars bent or even broken. Basically all of the favorite media methods were useless against Huntsmen, even before Semblances came into play.
Thankfully, they already knew Sona's Semblance. "The target has a healing Semblance, so that shouldn't be an issue."
"We sure about the Semblance?"
"A hundred percent." Adam waved the file from Lil' Miss as proof, and while it did in fact have all that and more within, likely stolen from Haven's archives or even the Huntsman registry, he had a more reliable source.
He could still remember her using it on him back in Shizukana, wiping away his minor injury without him even knowing. According to the file, she'd gotten a lot better at healing, mostly in speed and severity along with drastically increasing her own recovery, but it was still a non-combat Semblance at the end of the day.
"As for how we'll capture her…" While he didn't have a concrete plan for capturing her, he did have some ideas. Well, one idea mostly. Something they'd toyed around with before but had never actually tried outside of training. It wasn't foolproof, but at the very least, it ought to give them the advantage. Without her weapon, outnumbered, and unaware of what was coming, that should be enough. "I may have an idea."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Living in Nonemu could be a pain sometimes. All the training was fine, even if they pushed it a bit far every now and then. The food was passable. The cramped sleeping arrangements weren't ideal, but with rotating schedules, the bunks were never completely filled. It was like permanent camping, which some people actually seemed to like, but everyone else just learned to live with.
The one part they all hated, though, was the task assignments. Weekly rotations of chores and jobs that dictated a good chunk of their schedule. Kitchen duty could be a pain, but cleaning pots and pans was better than cleaning out the latrines. The pump did most of the work, but no amount of protective gear could fully block out the stench. Guard duty wasn't bad except for the boredom. Most of the time, seeing your name missing from the week's assignments was a relief.
The one exception was patrol duty. People fought over that job before Yuma and Trifa stopped asking for volunteers and instead put in the rotation. Usually, you had to go through the worst jobs first, and only those that maintained high marks in training were allowed to go. Officially, it was for their own protection, since there were still Grimm in the area and every patrol needed to be able to defend themselves.
Unofficially, patrols were an incentive to give their all in training - a reward for those that went above and beyond. The more you put in, the better your chance of getting to leave camp for a few hours and do nothing but walk most of the time. Patrols always took their time, both to save energy and ensure thoroughness. At least, that was the excuse every patrol clung to since Nonemu was founded. In reality, they just didn't want to hurry back to the boredom and monotony of life in the tent city.
So when Yuma and Trifa announced an extra patrol that morning, there was no shortage of volunteers. Trifa had to shout over them to finish the announcement, specifying that the names were drawn at random already and calling out a short list. Everyone waited anxiously for each name, the excitement building until the final winner was called and ordered to report to operations for their assignment.
By the time midday rolled around, they were well outside the bounds of Nonemu, scouring the area for a possible Grimm sighting. They were usually false alarms, but better safe than sorry. So far, they'd seen a grand total of nothing, not that anyone complained. Finding a Grimm sounded exciting until you locked eyes with one of those hulking monstrosities. A pleasant hike without the life or death struggle was pretty much the ideal day.
"Alright, that's far enough," the patrol leader ordered, slowing their march to a halt in a pleasant meadow. "Good a place as any to break for lunch. Spread out and secure the perimeter first. "Mallos!" A dark-haired woman hurried over for her orders. "Water duty. Should be a stream nearby. Take two of the men with you as lookouts."
"I'm on it." She'd kinda figured she'd be stuck on water, seeing as she'd been the one hauling the empty jug around. While everyone else spread out and checked the area for any hidden surprises, she pulled a folded map out of her pocket and looked it over, spotting a thin, blue line weaving through their quadrant. It only took a moment for her to pinpoint their location and figure out the quickest route to the stream. Luckily, they'd stopped pretty close to the supply and soon, she and two of her friends were on their way, chatting quietly as they walked.
Filling the jug didn't take too long. The stream was deep enough to nearly submerge the plastic container. She asked one of her lookouts, Cress, to help her haul it out, now with the added weight of a few gallons of water. She pulled out a small tube, held it over the spout, and cracked it in half to sprinkle the specialized dust inside. Another marvel of Atlas engineering, the tiniest bit could purify far larger containers in a matter of seconds. She had no idea what was in it and probably didn't want to know. All she knew was that by the time they returned to the others, she'd have enough purified water for the entire squad to refill from.
Before she could pick it back up, Cress swiped it, offering to carry it for her. Such a gentleman. In truth, she knew Cress had a major crush on her. Only an idiot would've missed the signs. She wasn't really looking for anything right now, but Cress seemed like a nice guy and was clearly willing to put in the work, so she humored him for the most part. And if it meant that she didn't have to haul that thing back to camp by herself, then even better.
She led the way back to the clearing. They made it before everyone had finished checking the area, meaning the three of them would get to eat first, claiming the best spot for themselves. While she went to stake their claim, Cress and his buddy split off to deposit the new water supply for everyone to use. In the meantime, she found a nice spot near the center of the area where the ground was flat and mostly dry before ditching her pack and digging through for her lunch. It wasn't anything special - just a sandwich and some fried potatoes that would've tasted a lot better warm - but missing out on a hot meal was a small price to pay for snagging a coveted spot on the extra patrol.
She was already halfway through her sandwich when she finally heard footsteps behind her. Cress sure took his time. She polished off the last of her canteen before holding it up, shaking it slightly and asking, "Mind grabbing me a refill while you're up?"
What? She was just…letting him prove himself. He wanted to show his feelings, and right now, her love language mostly consisted of acts of service. She waited for him to take it, fully expecting his hand to "accidentally" brush hers in the process.
Nothing.
Rude. He could've at least said something instead of lurking there awkwardly. So much for impressing her. "Alright. Guess I'll get it myself." She stowed the uneaten half sandwich in her bag and pushed off the ground, turning with a slight annoyance at her potential lover's ignorance.
Only to find he wasn't ignoring her at all.
"Cress?"
"Don't move," Cress responded, gun aimed at her the entire time. His friend mirrored him a few feet away.
"What's going on?" She looked around, quickly noticing they weren't so alone anymore. The rest of the squad was slowly closing from one side, each with a weapon pointed in her direction. She looked behind her, wondering if maybe they'd spotted something and this was all just a big misunderstanding.
There was something behind her, alright. Something far too dangerous for any of them to handle.
"Hello, Sona."
"Adam." The name slipped out, more a gasp than a word. Adam Taurus, the most wanted man on Remnant and the person she'd been spying on since infiltrating the White Fang, walked slowly from the edge of the meadow. She looked down at her pack and the rifle she'd leaned against it, weighing her chances of grabbing the weapon and squeezing off a few shots before he could close the distance.
Not that it would do much good. Like her, a few bullets would be little more than an annoyance. On top of that, she had a veritable firing squad behind her who would almost certainly open fire on her in return. Despite the danger, he hadn't technically made any aggressive moves yet, so she held off on jumping straight to violence, especially when she knew just how much of an advantage he held.
"Or should I say Orion?" How did he know that? "Or is it Mallos now? It must be tough to juggle so many identities like that."
Sona cursed under her breath. This was literally the worst case scenario. If she had her bow, she might have stood a chance, even outnumbered as she was. Sadly, just like her emergency beacon, she'd left it in her footlocker back at Nonemu.
"Nothing to say?" Adam asked as he slowed to a stop. He'd left a good sized gap, but she knew he could cover that in no time if he needed to. She'd gone over his file a million times, praying that they were wrong. The dangerous killer she'd seen in the news couldn't possibly be the Adam she remembered from her first mission at Haven. It just couldn't be.
It was. "What are you doing here?"
"Already fishing for information? They trained you well, I see." She hadn't meant it like that. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out?"
No. She'd just hoped it would take longer. It looked like the jig was up. "How'd you find out?"
This time, Adam seemed much more willing to share, which only worried her more. "We've known for a while." She doubted that. They wouldn't have lost four of their officers if they'd known. "Rigel says hello, by the way."
Rigel? Who was- wait, wasn't that the name of- "What have you done to them?"
"Nothing yet." That didn't fill her with confidence. "Unlike your friends, I don't kill for sport."
She couldn't help herself. "Is that what you tell yourself?" His lip twitched into a snarl, proving her words a poor choice. "Adam…the things they've said about you…"
"The lies they've spread?"
Lies? She'd seen the footage. "You…you killed all those people in Atlas. At the mine."
"Oh, that. I did." No denial. Just a flat acceptance of committing a mass murder. "They deserved it for what they did to Jakob."
"Jakob?"
"My friend," Adam immediately shot back. "The one Atlas killed at Euryale." Now that name she recognized. She knew there were casualties on both sides, but he seemed to have taken one a bit personally. "And not just at Euryale. Orostachys. Kobu. Humanity has been oppressing faunus longer than any of us have been alive, but we're done being their victims."
"So you'll just create victims of your own?" Sona couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How is that fair?"
"All's fair in love and war."
"We're not at war."
"Of course we are!" Adam shouted back. "Humans have always seen us as lesser beings. Unworthy. Expendable beasts of burden. And if we dare to fight back, they do everything in their power to hunt us down and kill us." Just like how they'd been trying to kill him ever since he dared oppose them at Orostachys. "Open your eyes, Sona. We've always been at war. The only question is, whose side are you on?"
Sona knew a rhetorical question when she heard one. Here she was, spying on the White Fang for Mistral and helping them track him down. Her intel had almost gotten him captured, only for four of his officers to be rounded up instead with several others dying in the fight. In Adam's eyes, she'd thrown her lot in with the humans.
Adam's voice sounded softer, almost exhausted, as he offered, "Join us, Sona."
"What?"
"Join us," he repeated. "Forget about the humans and come see the truth for yourself. The people we've saved. The good we're doing. Help us fight for something better."
He sounded so convinced of his own words, reaching out a hand of friendship as if it wasn't dripping with the blood of innocents. Something better? She could admit some of the faunus they'd rescued had been through hell, but that didn't justify everything he'd done in return. Bombs in Mistral. Blowing up that refinery in Atlas. All the deaths at Euryale and Paulownia. "I can't."
Adam sighed in disappointment as his hand retreated to his sword. "As I thought. I'm sorry it has to be this way."
Finally, something they agreed on. "Me too." More than he knew.
When Mistral approached her about going undercover, she'd leapt at the opportunity. Not because she wanted to help them take down Adam Taurus. She knew that was what they were asking, but honestly, she'd agreed because she just couldn't believe everything they said about him. The sweet, innocent kid she'd met so long ago couldn't possibly be the same man she'd read about. She wanted to prove them wrong. Find the good in him. Maybe even figure out a way to convince him to change and bring back the old Adam. How, she didn't know. But the more time she spent in the White Fang, the more she'd come to realize how wrong she'd been.
Adam wasn't the same. The stories the White Fang shared painted him as even more violent and deadly than she'd been told. Worse, he was actively training others to become like him. Part of her still clung to the hope that the younger Adam was still in there somewhere, but if he was, he was so buried and forgotten that he'd probably never see the light of day again. Her dream of saving him had turned into one of stopping him from hurting anyone else. Maybe once he saw just how much death and destruction he'd caused, he'd finally realize he was wrong, but that would only happen if they got him away from the White Fang. She'd fought for him to be taken alive, just so she'd have the chance to save him from himself. Mistral and Atlas had been quick to agree, though they likely wanted to make an example of him rather than redeem him.
A shadow came over her without warning, instincts screaming for her to move, but it was too late as a pair of feet crashed into her back, knocking her to her knees. Before she could move, a sickeningly sticky net sprung to life and wrapped her in a tight hug, pinning her arms to her sides. She squirmed and tried to break free but couldn't find any leverage. She knew all too well what had happened even before she turned to spot Trifa. Yuma landed next to her a second later, the two of them glaring angrily at their captive.
Idiot! She should've seen it coming. She wanted to believe so badly that there was still good in him - that the Adam she'd met back in that tiny village had survived - that she'd lowered her guard. Her few options were gone now, leaving her helpless before a cold-blooded killer.
"Adam, you don't have to do this," she tried, knowing her fate rested in his hands. "You don't have to kill me."
"I already told you, I don't kill for sport." The rest of Alpha Squad - what was left of it - joined Yuma and Trifa, meaning if she'd tried to make a break for it, she would've been running right into his team. He'd come prepared. "You'll live, but I can't have you warning Mistral we're coming."
Mistral? "You're going to attack the city?"
"Mistral. Argus. Wherever they have my friends." So, he didn't know where yet.
Unfortunately, neither did she. "I can't help you find them."
"I don't need your help," he shot back. She winced at the vitriol in his voice. "I really am sorry it had to come to this. After I met you, I actually wanted to become a Huntsman." She remembered. It'd been a little weird having some random kid fangirling over her so hard, but she could still remember all the letters they'd sent back and forth, until they suddenly stopped. "I dreamed of going to Haven, leading a team just like you, and someday being the greatest hero this world has ever seen."
Childish goals, but he'd been a child at the time. She could remember thinking similar things when she was a kid. She'd never dreamed she'd be used to spy on her own kind instead. "What happened?"
"Life happened," Adam answered, all traces of optimism vanishing. "I realized just how little I meant to humans. They sent me away the first chance they got. Imprisoned me in that orphanage. Left me to suffer at her hands, then condemned me for daring to say no." His voice came out strained and harsh, growing louder with each accusation. "Then they sent me to those blasted mines and tried to kill me. They took everything from me. But the thing about taking everything from someone is, you leave them with nothing to lose."
Orostachys. She'd seen the report. He'd led a revolt, massacring much of the workforce and leaving the rest trapped in the mines. Mistral lost track of him after that, but the assumption was he sailed to Menagerie and joined the White Fang, since the next time anyone saw him, he was attacking some local sheriff and threatening a Huntsman in Mistral who came to arrest him. Since then, he'd been a royal terror to Mistral, even taking a few shots at Atlas along the way, not to mention stealing a ship from Vale. He'd gone from violent employee to international terrorist rather quickly.
"In the end, though, I found people who actually needed my help. My people. Faunus." He looked around at the men and women under his command, many of which he'd personally rescued. "I realized that Huntsmen are just another tool of the humans, more interested in doing the Kingdoms' bidding than actually saving those in need."
She couldn't let an accusation like that stand. "That's not true."
"Then where were you when I needed help?" That shut her up. "Where were you when Shidekobushi was in danger? Or when Novus called for aid? Why weren't you there to free the workers of Shobu?" He could think of dozens of other examples. Villages on the brink of starvation or death. Faunus being used as slaves and killed when they stopped being profitable. "Think, Sona. Out of all your missions, how often did you actually help faunus instead of humans?" Even through her mask, he could tell she was thinking, trying to come up with anything to fight his argument. That she didn't have an answer was telling. "Figures. Guess the faunus villages just weren't worth the effort…or the lien."
Huntsmen claimed to help everyone, but more often than not, they followed the money. The bigger paying jobs made the mission boards, while pro bono requests often went ignored. Faunus villages rarely had the resources to offer much, meaning they almost never made the list of missions. He'd learned that lesson back in Shizukana, funnily enough when he'd first met Sona. Haven sent a whole team, all because Mazarin had gotten them a large bounty. Flash enough lien, and the Academies themselves would rush to your aid.
"The Kingdoms refused to help us, so we had to learn to help ourselves. And what was Mistral's response? They sent a Huntsman to stop us delivering supplies. Invited Atlas to invade their shores to find us. Set traps for us when we tried to survive." Anything to push them back down lest they realize they deserved more. "So we learned to fight back."
"You've killed innocents."
"And how many innocent faunus have they killed?" Adam demanded. "We're sick of being the world's footstool. We'll earn our freedom, no matter who stands in our way. We'll make them pay for everything they've done to us."
So this was all about revenge. "You don't have to keep doing this." Someone had hurt Adam, so he intended to make everyone else pay for it. "What happened to you was wrong, but that doesn't justify everything you've done, either. It has to stop somewhere, Adam." Preferably before it claimed any more lives. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
Adam laughed at her words. Not a short chuckle or snicker, but a loud, boisterous laugh that no one else joined in on. When he finally calmed down again, all he could say was, "Funny you should mention that."
His mask came off, revealing a thin, black ribbon beneath that covered both his eyes. Slowly, he slipped that free as well, showing his face and the horrible scar across one eye.
"After all, I'm already halfway there." The reddened mess that sat in the middle of the three letters seemed to stare right through her. She couldn't imagine what that must've felt like. "I only truly started seeing after they took my eye. Ironic, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, Adam."
"No, you're not." Adam put the ribbon back, followed by his mask once more. "Take her back to camp. We'll deal with her later." Right now, he needed to contact Lil' Miss, though he suspected she'd somehow already know their success. Hopefully, this would be enough to earn them their answers.
Trifa pulled on her webbing, nearly knocking Sona over as she tugged the Huntress to her feet. Before they began the slow march back, Sona asked aloud, "Whatever happened to that innocent boy I met in Shizukana?"
"He died," Adam spat back as he walked past her. "He died, just like his parents." Father Bernard's passing had doomed him to Katai, while Mazarin's robbed him of his final bit of hope. The two people who'd loved him more than anything stolen from him far too soon. They were the only ones to truly care, and the moment they were gone, the rest of the world turned on him.
"They'd be disappointed in you."
Adam froze in his tracks at the words. "What did you say?"
Like him, Sona had little to lose. "I said they'd be disappointed in you."
Adam couldn't stop himself from whirling on the spot, striking her across the face. She held her ground, refusing to give him the satisfaction of her falling. "You know nothing of my family!"
"I know plenty," Sona replied. "I know Father Bernard was a good man. The kind that believed in forgiveness, not vengeance. Do you really think he would approve of what you've done? What you've become?" Adam trembled with rage at the words, but she wasn't done. "And what about Mazarin? You think she'd want anything to do with you now? Maybe it's better they're dead. That way, you can't hurt them."
"I would never hurt them." Never. The very thought of it burned him up inside.
"Why not? They're just humans." They were so much more than that. More than she could possibly understand.
She'd gone too far.
Sona winced as Adam's blade sliced through the air, flooding her aura to counter the blow, only for nothing to hit. Instead, he cut through the web, sheering it off close to where it reached her body. Before anyone could respond, he stomped over to the Belladonna girl, snatching a weapon from her and tossing it at Sona's feet. It took her only a second to recognize her bow and quiver.
Sona wasn't the only one to stare at it in confusion.
"Pick it up." Adam demanded.
"What am I-"
"Pick. It. Up." He growled each word, making it clear he'd accept nothing less. Sona did as ordered, slinging the quiver over her shoulder as she tested her bow, tightening the drawstring slightly. It hadn't seen use in so long but still felt natural in her hands. Adam marched away from her, heading back where he'd come from as the rest of the White Fang watched in silence. "Everyone else back up. No one is to fire unless I say so."
They all hurried to comply, terrified of their leader. Sona shared that fear at the moment.
"Time to complete your mission, Sona." Adam stood with his arms out wide. "They sent you here to kill me, so do it. End me. Be the hero. Rid the world of another monster. It's what they trained you to do, isn't it?"
"Adam, I-"
"We're done talking," Adam interrupted. "Kill me. Be the Kingdom's pet and put me down. That's why they sent you. That's why it had to be you. Someone I could trust to plunge the knife in my back. So do it. Save the world from the horrors of Adam Taurus."
Sona didn't know what to do. She hadn't come here to kill him. She wanted to save him.
So why did Mistral pick her? It wasn't like she was the only faunus they had. In fact, she had to be the worst choice possible, since Adam might recognize her. Still, they'd chosen her specifically, insisting it had to be her but never really giving a good reason. Had they really planned to have her deliver the killing blow if it came to it? Did they even plan on honoring their deal at all, or were they always planning to kill him?
Adam held no doubts. "Here's your chance. I'll even turn around." And he did, exposing his back to her. "Take your shot, Sona. Be the good Huntress they want you to be."
No, this wasn't right. She was meant to save people, not kill them. Part of her argued that they could be one and the same. Killing Adam might save countless lives down the line. He couldn't hurt anyone if he was dead. The White Fang would struggle without their de facto leader. She'd be a hero in Mistral. In all the Kingdoms. They'd probably throw her a parade. Give her the key to the city. Even Atlas might join in. Specialist Schnee would be there. Maybe even General Ironwood himself would make an appearance and declare her a hero. She'd go down in history as the one to put an end to the White Fang.
But she could never live with herself afterward.
"I can't."
"Sure you can," Adam replied without turning. "Tell you what, if you win, my men will let you go free. You can walk out of here unharmed. I give you my word."
Even more reason to go through with it. A free ticket out sounded a lot nicer than whatever torture and interrogation awaited her. If she refused, her best bet would be getting ransomed back to Mistral. Would they even pay for her, or would they refuse to negotiate with terrorists, knowing she wouldn't be useful anymore.
All she had to do was kill Adam.
Her finger slowly pressed the button on her bow, sending instructions to her quiver. A specialized arrow was ready in a flash. Carefully, she notched it on her drawstring and pulled it back, taking aim at the figure in the distance. This close, she knew she'd hit her mark. She also knew there'd be no going back. Once she let go, the fight was on, and he considered it to the death.
Sona released.
Adam whirled at the last, slicing through the metal net that sprung from her arrowhead just before contact. It fell on either side of him. "I said kill me!"
She let another arrow fly, her quiver already humming as it spat out a small arsenal for her to use. He caught the ice arrow on his blade, freezing it solid for a moment before the sword glowed red and shattered the ice. Smoke blossomed all around him a moment later as another arrow landed at his feet. He cut through it in one motion, dispelling the cover in time to bat a shock arrow away. Each attack proved as ineffective as the last, leaving her few nonlethal options to work with.
"Stop playing and kill me!" He sidestepped the ice arrow aimed at his knees. "This is your last chance."
"I can't!" Sona admitted, failing to hold back the tears at last.
"Do as you're told. Abandon your own for your new human masters. After all, you're good at that. Just ask Carina." She hesitated a moment at the name. "Well, we could, if she weren't…you know."
The next arrow that Adam blocked exploded in his face, bathing him in a fireball. When it parted, Adam was still there, a little worse for wear but unwilling to let up as he took a step forward.
"Poor Velma. I can't imagine how it must've felt knowing you let her sister, your own cousin, die just to save Pyxie." Another explosion tried to silence him, but he kept coming, walking through the inferno like he'd been birthed from the fires of hell itself. "You chose some human over your own flesh and blood. No wonder Velma wants nothing to do with you." She fired again, recycling the non-lethals she'd already spun up to add more firepower, but he wouldn't go down. "Pyxie thinks you should've let her die instead. We could always arrange that. Correct the record a bit."
"You stay away from her!" She started firing faster, already reaching for a new arrow the moment the previous one was released. Her aim became a little erratic as a result, but this close, she didn't have to be that accurate. Adam leaned out of the way of one, finally opting not to tank the damage for once. Her attacks were working.
Not fast enough.
"You never told her why, did you?" Adam rolled away from an arrow, only to have the next one detonate in front of him. Still, his steady rehashing of the past refused to stop. "Would've been pretty awkward after she went and got engaged to a human. Wouldn't want to be some homewrecking faunus. Better if you know your place."
"Shut up!" Arrow after arrow. None of them were direct hits now with his quick movement, but explosive arrows sort of made up for that, not to mention how many she shot his way. Accuracy by volume. "You don't know anything about me!" She reached for another arrow.
There weren't any.
"I know everything about you," Adam said as the last explosion diminished. His aura still held, but she could see a slight flicker from time to time. She was close, but not close enough. "Because you're me with a kinder life."
"I'm nothing like you."
"You're right. You're a coward," Adam gloated. "Too scared to confess your feelings for Pyxie. Too weak to save Carina. Too much a traitor to your own kind. Privilege has made you soft. Worthless." Adam came to a stop at last, much closer than before but still out of reach. "You're not worthy of being a faunus."
Sona may have been out of arrows, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight. Her aura was practically full, while his was flagging at best. She wasn't the greatest melee fighter, but it wouldn't take much at this point. Besides, she hadn't put that bladed edge on her bow for nothing.
Sona charged, the drawstring on her bow loosening as the curved face began to straighten. Ranged fighters always needed a backup, both for enemies that got to close and when ammo ran low. Both qualified right now. The quiver had cost her quite a bit, so she'd had to save up to upgrade her bow. She and Pyxie had trained for months to improve her melee abilities, and while she'd never measure up to a pure melee fighter, she could still hold her own.
The world flashed red before her, leaving her holding two halves of her mecha-shifted bow.
Adam's blade pressed against her throat, her aura flaring against the pressure ominously. She held her hands up, dropping the broken weapon in defeat as he slowly forced her back down to her knees. "Tie her up." Trifa's webs wrapped around her once more as Adam withdrew his sword and looked down at her. "Now who's disappointing?"
She'd lost. She knew he was strong, but how could she have lost? More importantly, how did he know so much? He'd picked her apart so easily, dredging up a past she'd hoped to keep buried. Pyxie and her husband were always friendly and inviting, but it hurt to see them together, knowing she'd missed the shot she never took. Velma had completely cut her off after Carina died, blaming her for abandoning Carina to save her partner instead. The worst part was, he was right.
She was a failure.
"You'll be coming back with us," Adam ordered. "You'll tell us what we want to know, and then we'll see if Mistral wants you back."
Why would they? She'd failed again.
"I gave you the chance to join us, but you'd rather serve your new masters than stand with us. You chose the humans over the faunus. You're a traitor to your own kind. You don't deserve to wear those horns." Adam stopped for a second, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "If you're not with us, then you're against us. You may have rejected your faunus nature, but now it's the faunus who have rejected you."
Red light flashed as Sona screamed in agony.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Lil' Miss knew he was coming. She'd heard all about the White Fang catching their spy. Personally, she would've killed her to send a message, but she had to remind herself that not everyone knew how to play the game. Enemies needed to fear consequences. She hadn't risen to the top by letting people live. If they were valuable, she used them. If not, they died and warned anyone else against crossing her. No one was immune to that rule of life.
She had eyes throughout the city, watching as three hooded faunus made it through security and slipped deeper into the city, following the directions she'd laid out. Not the most direct path, of course. She wanted them to be seen - not by the authorities, of course, but by the other families. The White Fang was coming to see her. While she knew that would ruffle some feathers, that was sort of the idea.
Adam Taurus pushed into her tavern confidently. He didn't bat an eye at the dozen or so men who reached for weapons at the unannounced arrival. Interesting. Even with his mask and hood, she could tell she'd been right to push him.
A bag landed on her table and would've knocked over her drink if she didn't see it coming. Good thing she had, or she'd take it out of his hide. He just stood there silently, waiting for something. Lil' Miss nodded to Brick, who picked up the bag and dumped the contents out for her to see.
A pair of ram horns rattled in front of her.
Lil' Miss smiled. "Very good." She did love a good show. "Now, down to business."
Poor Sona. I mean, she was kinda asking for it by bringing up his parents, but still. By the way, those horns don't grow back. I made sure to check. Ram horns are permanent, as in any damage or loss stays like that.
Little bit of a dark moment for Adam, naturally, but it's just another step on a long journey. He didn't kill Sona, but this is the first time he's actively, purposefully hurt a faunus. More than that, he's completely lost any faith in Huntsmen after realizing they're just soldiers for the Kingdoms when it comes to him. No system is perfect, and it's easy to pick out flaws when you're on the losing side. Still, the idea of Huntsmen is great, but the world is never so ideal.
For funsies, Sona's latest name (Mallos) is a reference to the Golden Fleece (winged ram named Chrysomallos), while Cress is a reference to Creusa, who Jason married in that story despite professing his love for Medea previously, who helped him through the trials. Not to spoil things, but it doesn't work out for pretty much anyone in that story.
Next chapter: Adam learns where his team is being kept.