Back from my brief hiatus for Scarred Steps! It was nice having some time to step away from a heavier fic and get a breather, not to mention we now have a new one-shot up entitled Team RWBY and the Quest for Normal Knees. First ever crossover for me. Had a lot of fun writing it and am now just waiting for the Potheads...sorry, Potterheads to come tell me all the ways I messed up. Just kidding. I did a lot of research and ran most of it by MrsTheGoose, who's my local HP expert, so I think I kept it relatively faithful to both fandoms. Also ended on what I felt was an incredibly poignant moment that almost felt out of place but that I couldn't help but keep. If nothing else, go read the last couple paragraphs and see if it helps you with the lingering RWBY hiatus.

Getting back into the swing of writing this fic definitely took some time, especially after doing a humor fic during the break. I've also come to realize there's a new, annoying thing going around where digital artists send you unsolicited offers to turn your fics into comics. Already had a few on this fic (pretty sure this story is not comic material) and even my first review for the one-shot. Oh, and a couple DMs, all following the same basic format. For any digital artist who actually reads beyond the title of the fic to tell me that my characters really inspired their creativity or whatever other copy + paste nonsense they want to send me, I have zero interest in your offer. Bad enough I have to deal with them during my livestreams. Never thought they'd follow me here.

Anyways, salty goose rant over. On with the show!

Prisoners fled in every direction, eager to distance themselves from the cruel confines of Kesseki. A few tried going down the cliffs, but after half of them fell to their deaths and the others froze, unsure if they should risk going further or climb back up, the rest took to scaling up and over the mountain to the easier descent beyond. Those with aura led the way, more because they could push themselves harder and faster than their regular counterparts than out of any kindness. The rest followed in clusters, chasing after their freedom without stopping.

None of them dared challenge the lone faunus slowly marching out of the prison, carrying the limp form of his friend in solemn silence. He never bothered looking up from the cold, dead face below, oblivious to the world around him as the consequences of his choices weighed on him far heavier than the body in his arms. The newly freed mob began to dwindle, rushing past his purposeful gait as he headed for the airships docked nearby, guarded by his remaining friends and their reinforcements.

Most of them were already aboard, but Blake waited for him, hesitating just out of reach as he passed. She looked like she wanted to say something but had no words for such a tragic moment. Instead, she watched helplessly as Bane stopped Adam and spoke something quietly, all but forcing Adam to surrender Nag's body to him so that he could take her to an airship. They would leave no one behind - not even the fallen.

Kesseki had taken too much from him. He'd see it reduced to rubble when they took off, unloading every piece of ordinance their airships carried into the cruel structure. Even when the walls fell, he'd keep firing, intent on erasing Kesseki from the face of Remnant and burying the horrors within for all time - a vault of misery that none should dare open.

Blake eventually retreated to the airships, leaving Adam alone on the platform. His fists tightened in hatred at all that humanity had taken from him. Slowly, he turned to glare back at Kesseki one last time, his lip raised in a snarl as he plotted his revenge.

"Stop it right there," Winter ordered as she watched the monitor over her tech specialist's shoulder. Her shuttle was docked outside the smoldering wreckage that had once been the most secure prison facility in all of Anima. They'd managed to tap into the systems of Kesseki and pull footage from the once vaunted prison, but it was even worse than she'd imagined.

Adam Taurus had been here. She'd obviously known that, but seeing him stood defiantly outside Kesseki after pulling off what would undoubtedly be labeled the most daring prison break of all time, she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. He was just one man, she kept reminding herself, but the creature staring directly into the security camera - as if he was staring directly at her - was no mere man. He was the embodiment of hate. A vengeful monster driven mad by mankind.

A monster of their making.

"Have we gotten an identity on the prisoner he killed?" Winter had tracked Taurus' every step through Kesseki, from the moment he landed to the distorted frames of a crumbling facility as the White Fang's airship departed. He'd infiltrated the facility with a captive, taken over the upper levels, then stormed the underground where he and his team had shown ruthless efficiency and cunning in dismantling the defenses. He'd obviously come for his team, but on finding one dead - a victim of cruel mistreatment that had cost the perpetrators their lives - he'd turned the inmates loose upon their captors, resulting in the death of every employee of Kesseki, from the warden all the way down to the janitors and kitchen staff. None had been spared the uprising, and while Taurus hadn't killed many of them himself, their blood was still on his hands.

And then, he'd done something unexpected. Freeing his team had been the ultimate goal, of course. Reclaiming the body of his fallen member made sense as well. But instead of heading straight for the morgue, he'd made a sudden detour through the heart of the facility, seeking out a specific cell and the prisoner within.

A soldier nearby held his hand to his helmet for a second. "I think we have something, ma'am." Winter waited for him to continue. "Kesseki's records identify him as Paul Parrot, former leader of the Parrot gang in Mistral." Parrot gang? A little on the nose there, don't you think? "He was chased from Mistral after a gang war, during which he set a Capivara Grimm loose in the city." Keeping a creature of Grimm in custody was no small feat, but she had a feeling he wasn't doing it out of scientific curiosity. More likely, he used it to dispose of enemies. The question was, did he release it to cover his escape, or had it broken free during an attack on his gang? Then again, given his current state, that hardly mattered. "Authorities picked him up a few weeks later in Shion."

"More likely he turned himself in to avoid being targeted by his enemies." A disgraced gang leader wouldn't last long on their own, especially at the end of a gang war. His rivals would want to make an example of him, but more than that, all the major crime families would be on the prowl, eager to take out a potential competitor or just punish him for making waves. Kesseki might very well have been the safest place for him, though in the end, it wasn't safe enough. "Run a search on this Parrot gang. I want to know who he was fighting with before he was captured."

"You think he angered the White Fang?"

Unlikely. The White Fang were still mostly peaceful back then and didn't do much more than protest the SDC inside Mistral's walls. The idea that they were a big player in the Mistral underground was absolutely absurd. Still, someone wanted him dead, and the way Adam showed off the kill at the end reeked of something worse. "I think there's a third player involved."

"Friends of the White Fang?"

"Allies of convenience," Winter guessed. "Someone wanted Parrot dead, and they were willing to throw in with the White Fang to do it. More importantly, they knew where the White Fang captives were being kept and how to get to them." Meaning whoever this third party was, they knew more about Mistral's inner workings than she did. That alone warranted cause for concern. If they could see through Mistral's deception and find the real location in a few days, then what else were they capable of?

This is what Mistral got for refusing to deal with their criminal underbelly for so long. The major families wielded far too much power in Mistral's affairs. They'd tried driving them out long ago, only to flinch when the families pushed back, killing a team of Huntsmen and hanging their bodies for all to see. The populace had run scared, terrified that a war would break out in their streets. It would've been a bloodbath.

Instead, Mistral had made peace, letting the criminal cancer fester and grow so long as they kept it quiet. Well, quiet enough that those in power could cover it up and pretend nothing was wrong. In return, the families only grew more powerful, and it looked like war might be on the horizon once more.

"Contact Mistral. Tell them we've secured Kesseki but there are no survivors." The search and rescue efforts would continue, but she knew they'd be in vain. No one would be making it out of there alive. "Inform them that Orion's in danger and that we need a location for immediate extract."

The soldier saluted and hurried away to relay her message, leaving her alone with her tech team once more. "You really think they know about Orion?"

"I think it's time we stop underestimating Taurus," Winter replied. Orion's intel on the attack had been wrong, which meant either they were feeding him bad information or they were keeping things quiet. Both indicated the White Fang at least knew something was up and were securing their information better, which meant they likely suspected a leak. It would only be a matter of time until they located Orion and made an example of him.

More than that, Orion would be in the White Fang's forward camp. Mistral wanted to play the long game and monitor the base for now, but the risk was too great. Better to strike now while the White Fang was reeling from their recent loss. With any luck, she could catch Taurus in the middle of it all and finally put an end to this.

One thing was for certain - Mistral was in danger. They'd been slow to respond to Kesseki thanks to a coordinated but bloodless attack on the capital. Not only had no one died, but not a single shot had been fired. However, every airship near Mistral had been targeted with anti-air weaponry just as Kesseki fell under attack, grounding all flights while security searched for the emplacements unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, Winter's own team had been stranded thanks to their own plan and a local jammer, meaning neither she nor Mistral could respond in time to stop the White Fang attack. By the time anyone arrived, Kesseki had been abandoned.

Still, the reinforcements had already located quite a few escaped prisoners. Some were injured getting down the mountain and left behind, while others were located by sweeps of the surrounding wilderness. They'd even found almost twenty of them floating on a crudely constructed raft across Lake Matsu. All in all, just over ten percent of the escapees were already back in custody with searches continuing in the surrounding areas. Some would never be found, but they could at least mitigate the damage and assure the public that their Kingdom would protect them.

Dangerous criminals, some with aura, scattering across Anima. The White Fang wreaking havoc wherever they chose. An unknown criminal element allying itself with terrorists against a disgraced rival. So much for keeping the people safe.

Winter took another long look at the image of Taurus on the screen before her, studying the beast that she'd been tasked with hunting down. Taurus continued to prove an elusive prey, but he couldn't run forever. She'd find him and put him down, even if she had to turn all of Anima upside down in the process. Especially now that Mistral had given him the one thing he needed.

A martyr.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Nonemu was in a state of chaos when the airships landed. Tents and temporary structures were torn down left and right as a small army of masked workers rushed to disassemble their home. Equipment was packed and loaded into crates, waiting in large piles for transport back to Reyno. Adam had radioed the orders ahead, intent on abandoning Nonemu and pulling their forces back before Mistral could strike. That meant every set of hands was needed to wipe the nameless base from existence.

All that activity came to a sudden stop as Adam arrived. His appearance sucked the life out of the camp as he marched to the center, flanked by the remainder of Alpha Squad without a word as he carried Nag's body to the small platform they used for morning announcements. The ranks closed in behind him, forming a funeral march until he laid her body across the platform and stood silently before it.

Nag was dead, stolen from them by the vile corruption of humanity. Indie still refused to speak, her eyes locked on the woman who had tried to save her and died for it. Not that Adam knew what to say to her if she did want to talk.

He did, however, need to address the crowd behind him.

"Brothers and sisters of the White Fang," he began, standing in front of the platform rather than atop it. Only one person deserved to be honored right now, and it wasn't him. "Nag has been slain."

They could all see that, yet the words sent a ripple through the camp. Some gasped in horror. Others demanded to know who'd killed her. Some called for revenge.

He could relate to the last one. "She died protecting one of our own. Humans took her from us, abused her, and then slaughtered her for defying them when they came for more than just her life." Just as they'd tried to do to him, because the one thing humanity could not abide was a faunus fighting back. "She died a hero. She died for those she cared about - for all of us.

"Nag was one of the most devoted people I've ever met. She was always focused on the mission and the betterment of faunus everywhere. The White Fang was her family, and she fought for it until the very end."

An end that she didn't deserve. Then again, neither had Jakob. None of them did. They were just innocent people who'd been pushed too far and decided enough was enough. No matter what humanity claimed, the White Fang weren't a mob of bloodthirsty murderers out to kill all humans. They were just simple faunus with hopes and dreams. He could see their hearts breaking at the death of Nag. Some had known her well. Others had lost people close to them at Euryale. Still more had those close to them ripped away even before the White Fang came along. They all had one thing in common - they'd all suffered for being different. And once more, humanity had declared that difference worthy of death, condemning them all for refusing to accept a lower place in life. They'd put all their hopes in him to lead them to a better future.

And he'd failed them.

Kesseki. Paulownia. Euryale. Orostachys. Everywhere he went, people died. Every choice he made led to more suffering. When humanity came for him, he'd fled and hid behind the White Fang, condemning them to share his fate. Then, he'd let some of them get close to him. Called them friends. For that, they'd suffered the most. Jakob was dead. Nag had been slain. Indie was broken. How long until the others suffered similar fates? What kind of leader - what kind of friend - would allow them to share in his curse?

It was too late to turn back. All he could do was fight to protect them. And if fate wanted to punish those close to him for his sins, then perhaps it was time he paid for them himself.

"Build a pyre." Nag wouldn't want some grand funeral. Even this would've been too much to her. She probably would've just told them to bury her at sea. Quick, cheap, and effective. It was so Nag that he almost wanted to give in, but she deserved better than that. She deserved a warrior's funeral. More than that, she deserved to be honored and remembered by those she'd fought to protect. "The rest of you, continue dismantling the camp. We're leaving."

Murmurs spread through the assembled troops, but he didn't bother with them. Nonemu was compromised. Mistral knew where they were and would undoubtedly be coming after what happened at Kesseki. They'd want revenge, despite them not being the true victims. While staying there to make a last stand would be a fitting end, especially since they'd almost certainly be sending the Schnee for him, he still had things to do first. If he were to die, he'd make sure his death helped the White Fang. Throwing it away to defend an empty camp would mean nothing. Instead, Nonemu would have to be left behind, all because one of their own had betrayed them.

Sona.

"Bring out the traitor," Adam ordered. They knew exactly who he meant. Sona, the faunus who wished to be human. They'd questioned her endlessly, but so far, she hadn't given them a thing. While he normally would've respected that, he refused to honor her loyalty to the same people who wanted to crush them. She'd become a footstool for their oppressors, abandoning her own kind to serve the enemy. Devotion to humans deserved nothing but revilement.

It took a couple minutes, but eventually, Sona was led from her holding cell to stand before him. Her arms and legs were shackled and she squinted against the bright daylight. Her cage had been a fitting one, reminiscent of the punishments of Orostachys as they kept her in a covered pit where she rarely saw daylight, only being granted brief glimpses when they lowered food to her. Her aura had healed the multitude of bruises she'd received for her refusal to answer their questions, but nothing could hide the shame of her missing horns. She'd bear that mark until the end of her days, just as he bore the mark of the humans she served.

Sona was pushed to her knees before him. Pathetic. She didn't even have the will to fight anymore. The humans had well and truly broken her, turning a once proud Huntress into a domesticated house pet. Looking at her now, he couldn't remember what he'd ever seen in her.

"Secure her," Adam instructed. Heavy, metal stakes were driven into the ground on either side. From there, they brought out chains to lock her in place, knelt before the platform for all to see. He wished he'd brought one of Kesseki's collars with him, if only to complete the look. "Look at me." She stared at the ground, refusing to obey. Adam grabbed her jaw in one hand and forced her to face him. "I said, look at me, Sona."

There was no spark in her eyes. No fire. Just the silent surrender of humanity's slave. An exhausted voice managed to ask, "Are you going to kill me, Adam?"

He could admit to considering it. "No. You don't deserve to share her fate." Adam pointed his free hand to the dead woman on the platform. A true faunus. Not some worthless traitor. "You failed, Sona. We're leaving. How do you think your new masters will treat your failure?" When she was no longer useful to them, they'd throw her away like so many before her. That was humanity's way. "Do you see her? She died because of you. You betrayed her to the humans, and they killed her. Her blood is on your hands."

No comeback. No spiteful remark about the blood he'd shed. He almost wished she'd try, just so he could regain a tiny bit of respect for the girl he'd once aspired to be like.

"Unlike you, I won't betray one of my own, no matter how little that means to you." He'd taken her horns, but he'd let her keep her life. It wasn't mercy that stayed his hand. He wanted her to live with the shame of what she'd done. More than that, as human as she tried to be, she was still a faunus. He was fighting for all of faunus kind, even the ones who refused him. That included Sona. Killing one of his own would only make them as bad as the humans. "We'll activate your beacon before we leave, but I want you front and center for the woman you betrayed. I want you to remember the life that was lost because of your treachery. A woman who gave her life protecting someone close to her." Adam flung her face to the side, as if the feel of her repulsed him. "Maybe then, you'll realize who the real enemy is."

The funeral pyre took time to build. He had it erected in front of the platform, directly before where Sona knelt. Meanwhile, Nonemu seemed to collapse on itself as they prepared to leave. Once all of the supplies were loaded, Adam ordered everyone to gather in the center of camp, which now stood as an empty clearing. They'd left almost nothing behind. Nag's body was placed on top of the pyre before Adam asked if anyone wanted to say a few words.

Azul was the only one to step forward. Her eyes fought to hold back tears as she searched for the right words. "Nag was…Nag was a friend. One of my only friends." Azul shook her head. "No. She was more than that. Nag was like a sister to me. She was always there for me, even when I didn't deserve it. Especially when I didn't. No matter how angry or worked up I got, she was always there to help calm me down again. I probably would've killed Azure by now if it wasn't for her."

A smattering of laughter rose and died off.

"But more than that, she was a fighter, right up until the end." The last bit came out a little choked. "I never understood how she did it…how she could keep on fighting…until now."

Azure was there in a flash, a comforting hand on her shoulder as she finished. She was right. "Nag's fight is over," Adam said, "but ours is only beginning. We will make them pay for what they did to her. We honor her memory by committing ourselves once again to the freedom of faunus everywhere, so no one else has to endure the injustice she went through." With that, Adam took a lit torch and stood before the pyre. "Let this flame spark the fires of revolution across Remnant."

The pyre lit in no time thanks to the fire dust mixed into the base. Everyone stood in silent respect for the woman atop it all, watching as the fires grew and began to consume her. This was the second time he'd had to watch a friend's life end before his own. Adam glanced over the remainder of Alpha Squad and promised himself she'd be the last.

"Adam, we have to go," Trifa said, approaching hesitantly. "Everything's ready."

"Get everyone else out of here," Adam instructed, eyes still on the flames. "Begin the evacuation."

It didn't take long to get the airships loaded, even if it took Yuma and Trifa a few minutes to get everyone moving. Soon, the first airships were on their way to Reyno. One by one, more of the camp vanished, until only Alpha Squad and Sona remained. The fire still burned brightly in the center of the now empty clearing, though Nag's body could no longer be seen. A gentle breeze stirred up, wafting the smoke toward where Sone knelt. She squirmed as it burned at her eyes and throat, but there was no escaping it. It seemed fate had a cruel sense of justice - one Adam could support for once.

"It's time to go." This time, it was Blake that whispered the words, but even she couldn't move him.

"Activate the beacon." Sona had an emergency transmitter in her belongings, in case she was ever found out. It would send a distress call straight to Mistral. They'd no doubt have a strike force on the way within minutes, probably led by the Schnee herself coming to claim his head and shut down Nonemu for good.

Instead, all they'd find is an empty clearing and their disgraced spy. The White Fang would be long gone by the time anyone arrived.

Mistral would pay for this. He'd make sure of it. Not just for Nag, but for every faunus that suffered under their oppression. He'd dismantle their cruel control piece by piece, even if it killed him. Part of him hoped he'd get to see her again after that in whatever afterlife awaited, but what hope did he have of entering a hero's rest? Monsters like him didn't get a happily ever after. All he could do was ensure everyone else did.

Blake's arms wrapped around his own as she stood beside him, watching the flames climb higher together. Neither of them spoke another word. They didn't have to. Blake clung to him for support, which was almost funny to Adam.

Because right now, she was the one holding him up.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Winter's shuttle tore its way over the treetops, her pilot pushing the machine to its limits and beyond. They were coming in low, just in case the White Fang was waiting for them. She and her team of Huntsmen were already at the back of the ship, read to deploy at a moment's notice. Reinforcements weren't far behind, but right now, every second counted. She hadn't done a tactical insertion like this in a long time, but she couldn't risk having her shuttle slow down for a landing. She needed to be on the ground before Taurus could do anything to Orion.

They'd gotten the call from Mistral that Orion's emergency beacon had gone active. Just as she'd feared, Taurus knew there was a mole and planned to deal with it personally. After what she'd seen at Kesseki, she knew Orion wouldn't last long. According to Mistral, Orion had Huntsman training, so at least she wouldn't go down easy, but Taurus was no ordinary foe. Especially not right now. One of the main things she'd come to learn about her prey was how emotional he could be. Usually that would be a weakness, but he seemed to grow more dangerous when he was angry.

And they'd just pushed him over the edge.

"Mistral says to wait for reinforcement," her pilot reported over the speakers.

Imbeciles. Didn't they realize there wasn't time for that? "Ignore them." Waiting would only ensure Orion's demise. She could hold off Taurus and his forces until backup arrived. Her goal wasn't to win, but merely to delay. Once she had proper support, she could finally clean up Mistral's mess. "How much longer?"

"Two minutes." Not long, yet too long in her book. She knew they were doing their best, but their best might not be good enough. "When we hit the ground, I want you four to focus on locating Orion. Leave Taurus to me."

"How will we know what she looks like?" A fair question, since Mistral still wanted to keep things quiet. The most she'd gotten was that Orion was a female ram faunus, which normally would've been more than enough intel. Problem was, they were going into a camp full of faunus. Hostile faunus. She didn't have time to stop and question everyone's features.

"She'll be the one not trying to kill you," Winter answered. Orion would know someone was coming, after all. Not to mention she might already be captured and unable to fight. "Codeword is Scorpius. Anyone who knows that should be considered friendly." Or non-hostile at the very least. There was a chance Orion had recruited others to her side or that Mistral had more than one spy and wasn't sharing. Whatever the case, Winter didn't want to turn this into a friendly fire incident. "Focus on disarming and capture. If anyone runs, let them go. Our focus is on recovery of the asset and neutralization of their leadership." They could round up the leftovers later.

"Approaching target," the speakers advised. "Door opening." The rush of air as the ramp dropped threatened to pull them out. Anima flashed by at terrifying speed below. Winter kept a hand on her weapon and prepared to charge straight into the fray. "In three…two…one…"

Winter was the first out the door, plummeting straight down like a meteor before a glyph sprang to life in her path. She flipped and kicked off the glowing surface, diverting her deployment off to the side so she could land in a run. The moment her feet touched the ground, her Beowolf summon sprung to life beside her, roaring a warning to any who would dare oppose her as she drew her sword on-

Nothing.

The team of Huntsmen landed behind her, ready for a fight but just as confused when none came. And it wasn't just the army of angry faunus that were missing. The clearing was practically empty save for a single person knelt before a large bonfire. Winter looked around once more, making doubly sure they weren't walking into an ambush, but there was absolutely nothing.

"Where are they?" the leader of her support team asked.

Good question. Winter inspected the suspiciously empty clearing a little closer. She could see clear signs of use. The grass was torn up and worn down in many places. A few metal stakes were still driven into the ground, as if a tent had been there recently. Campers, possibly, but the sheer size of the area spoke of something more.

She checked her scroll. Sure enough, they were right on top of the designated coordinates. They were here, but the White Fang wasn't. "They left," Winter reported with disappointment. They'd been quick, but the White Fang was quicker. Moving an entire camp like that was no small task, which meant Taurus must've known they were coming well in advance. "Check the perimeter. I don't want any surprises."

While they spread out to look, Winter focused on the lone figure in the clearing. She had a feeling she knew who it was. She was down on her knees, shackled hand and foot before the massive fire. Had they planned to burn her alive? Then why hadn't they? In fact, why leave her at all?

Unless Taurus wanted her to live. After all, dead spies made terrible messengers.

"Orion?" Winter asked as she approached, her weapon still drawn on the lone form. She wasn't about to lower her guard until she had confirmation.

She didn't have to wait long. The woman before her coughed out a single word in response. "Sc-scorpius."

"I've got her!" Winter called out, slicing through the chains keeping Orion down. She must've been there a while. Tears poured from her bloodshot eyes as she scrambled away from the fire, gasping for fresh air. Her face was bright red from the heat. On top of that, she looked frail and malnourished, clear signs of torture across her body even if the outer damage had healed. "We received your signal. You're safe now."

"Safe? No one's safe," Orion muttered, still unable to stand.

Ominous as that was, Winter had only one thing on her mind now. "Where's Taurus?"

"Gone." She knew that. "They left."

"Where did they go?"

Orion shook her head. "I don't know." A fit of coughing took over before Winter handed over her own canteen. Orion guzzled greedily from it. "But I know where he's going."

So did she. One look at the bonfire told her all she needed to know. Even if she couldn't see it now, she knew they'd burned the body of their fallen comrade from Kesseki here. They'd forced Orion to watch her burn as punishment. She also couldn't help but notice the two rigid spots in her hair where a pair of horns had likely been before. Taurus had taken them from her, removing her faunus trait in a message so clear he might as well have carved it on her face.

"Mistral," Winter said, receiving a confirming nod from Orion.

Taurus wanted revenge, and he really only had two options. He could blame Winter for capturing his team, or he could go after the Kingdom that let her die in their custody. The fact that he wasn't here waiting for her made it clear who would bear the brunt of his wrath.

Taurus was going to war with Mistral.

Had planned for a bigger chapter but decided to split it up given the slow start I had this week. Obviously, Adam is angry at Nag's death and is lashing out a bit. We'll deal with that more next week, as well as the fact that he still owes someone a meeting. There's a few other threads to pull as well to the point this would've been a rather large chapter if I included it all. Probably works better split up, and not just because I've got to get back into the swing of things.

Sona is back with Mistral, but lacking her horns and probably a bit broken. Don't expect to see much more of her moving forward. She's also clued Winter in even further as to how Adam is likely to respond. As the random fun fact this week, the codeword Scorpius refers to the giant scorpion that killed Orion (depending on what version of the mythology you ascribe to). Figured it would be a fitting end reference for our little spy.

Next chapter: Adam plots his revenge.