Still waiting on news about the promotion. Saw an announcement this morning, but it was for another position that they were doing a lateral move for. Was super disappointed at first, thinking they'd announced someone else for the spot, until I remembered that was a different code. End of the email promised an announcement on the other two positions before the end of the month, so there's still hope.
There were few things in the world that truly frightened Adam. Bullies were a thing of the past. Grimm had long ago lost their potency. Even Huntsmen evoked more wariness than fear. Most of his actual fears were more existential in nature. Failing to protect those he cared for. Letting his team down. Letting humanity triumph over the faunus. Things that would have long-term effects on others. Things that were beyond his control. Personal fears paled in comparison, leaving little on Remnant to truly scare him.
Except an angry Blake.
"Just one match. That's all I'm asking."
"No."
"It'd be easier to show them-"
"No."
"But I-"
"No."
Okay, maybe scared was too strong a word. Annoyed. That felt more like it.
She'd been pestering him for three weeks - no, that wasn't right. It just felt like weeks. Three days. Well, technically this was the third day. They sort of started to blend together when nearly every waking moment found her hounding his every move. The worst part was, he couldn't even avoid her, since the one time he'd left her on her own, he'd come back to find her challenging Ilia to a spar. That meant he pretty much had to let her be his constant shadow and endure the nagging, if only to make sure she didn't do something stupid.
Letting the team in on her restriction wasn't part of the plan. He'd figured she'd be embarrassed by the whole thing and kept quiet, only for her to try and take advantage. Now, with Alpha Squad fully aware of her special circumstances, he had plenty of eyes to watch over her, though he tried not to rely on them too much. They still needed to focus on their own training, and if Blake got desperate and pushed the issue, none of them would really be able to stop her like he could. Still, they made useful babysitters when he needed a break, like right now.
"Word of your deeds in Atlas is spreading," Sienna informed him after his brief report. "Morale is rising on your success and we expect an increase in recruitment, especially in our Atlas branch."
"Which will make the risk of infiltration even higher." After rooting out Sona in Nonemu, he'd been on high alert for even a whiff of betrayal. If they could get one spy in, what would stop them from sneaking in even more? Pushing someone in Anima would be risky, given they had to know Adam was based there, which meant Atlas would be a better target. Vale's branch was growing but still relatively quiet, so they might be safe for now. Then again, getting someone in early would almost guarantee them better access in the long run. Maybe they'd better look over those personnel files again, just to be safe.
"Felicia is aware of the risk," Sienna promised, making it clear they'd already considered the potential problem. "We have steps in place to watch for such occurrences, but we cannot simply turn everyone away on the chance they might betray us." Not when the fight was just starting to heat up. One of the major limitations on the White Fang right now was manpower, so they needed every hand they could get. "We're focusing on establishing splinter cells in outlying towns for now. Smaller operations focused on intel and support. That way, we expand our reach while limiting risk of exposure."
Presumably, once they were fully vetted and had proven themselves, they'd gain better access, but that could take time. Anyone pushing too hard for more would stand out, making it easier to keep an eye on potential moles. Far from perfect, but it was better than nothing.
"Any progress with Blake?" He wished he could believe she actually cared, but as his second-in-command and the best fighter they had in the field beside himself, her concern was based more upon capability than compassion.
"So you've heard?" Adam had put off reporting for the last few days, sending someone else in his place while he watched Blake like a hawk. Someone must've let it slip. Considering it'd only been a few days, the list of suspects was rather tiny. "Her condition has improved, if not her mood."
"She hungers for more." That was one way of putting it. "You cannot fault her for being so eager."
He absolutely could. "Better safe than sorry. Doctor says she should be clear to return to duty in a few days."
"What do you have her doing in the meantime? Don't tell me you've put her on bedrest."
Not unless he wanted to strap her to her bed. Hm. There's an idea.
"Teaching and assisting me." That way, he could keep an eye on her. "Other than that, we've pretty much just been researching anything we can find on Semblances and aura usage." Surprisingly, there wasn't much on the first subject. At least not much in their library. The library at Haven probably had whole sections on the topic, but they couldn't exactly stroll in and register for a library card.
"A good start, but we both know there's only so much to be gained from studying. Experience is the best teacher."
As if anyone needed to tell him that. Still, it provided the perfect segue to what he actually wanted to ask. "Speaking of which, I want Kaito to come to Reyno. He helped me with my Semblance, and I think he'd be a big help for Blake."
Honestly, Kaito belonged in Reyno, not hidden back in Kuo Kuana where his talents would be wasted. Anyone worth training called Reyno home. Those that couldn't fight were sent back to Menagerie. He should've asked for the old man to come along in the first place, since he could've lightened Adam's load tremendously. All of Alpha Squad could use his teaching, not to mention the basic training for all the regulars. Having him and Blake try to handle it all themselves left some obvious gaps, and when they could only choose between improving his elite squad and running basic drills for the cannon fodder, guess which one got left out.
"Not a permanent transfer," Adam added, aware that stealing even more resources from their main base wouldn't go over well, even if it made sense. Sienna didn't like the idea of putting all their eggs in one basket, so to speak. That was part of the reason she pushed so hard for Nonemu. They couldn't expect to stay hidden forever, and when their enemies found them, standing and fighting would be out of the question. The White Fang survived on guerilla tactics. Open warfare with the Kingdoms would be suicide. "Just for a few months. Long enough to help her learn the basics."
He expected she'd balk at the idea, but Sienna was a reasonable woman. With good reasons and some time to think it over, she'd realize the advantage of a temporary reassignment for Kaito and come around. That should only take a couple days, then factoring in a few weeks to convince Kaito, plan the trip, and make sure everything was covered back at home, he might be able to start Blake's training in a month or so. Things could only move so fast when you operated an organization that spanned most of Remnant.
"Very well. I'll bring him next week." Or things could move incredibly fast.
It took a moment for him to realize there was something far more important than Kaito's arrival in her answer. "Wait. What do you mean you'll bring him?" Sienna was coming to visit Reyno? He'd always known that would happen eventually, but eventually always seemed so far away. Faced with such a sudden visit, he'd need to make sure they straightened the place up a bit. Hope she didn't mind sharing her throne room with the men. They were still working on more housing for everyone displaced from Nonemu.
"Ghira is…rather displeased with recent developments." No surprise there. Unless they were bowing down and kissing the humans' boots, he'd find fault with their methods. "I felt it would be best if I gave him some space. Besides, I'd planned to come to Reyno regardless. This just hastened the timeline a little."
So this was his fault, then. His actions in Atlas had ruffled Ghira's feathers to the point Sienna decided to ditch town and crash at his place for a bit. At least Ghira didn't know he'd almost gotten Blake killed. If he did, then he'd probably be on his way to Reyno personally, both to kill Adam and drag Blake home. Hopefully, they could keep Blake's near death experience under wraps and spare Reyno her father's vengeful visit.
"How long are you staying?" Ghira could be stubborn at the best of times, so it would probably take a while for this to blow over. Having Sienna visit would be good for both her and the men. Seeing her would inspire more confidence among the ranks, while she could use a chance to see what life was like out here. A good leader needed to understand what her people went through on a day to day basis.
Sienna chuckled at his question, which was the only warning he received. "I think you misunderstand. I'm coming to Reyno, permanently."
Adam's eyes widened. "You're staying?" Having your boss popping in to check on things was manageable. Roll out the red carpet, show them around, and send them on their way happy that they were getting a good return for their investment. A little bit of wining and dining. Having them stick around felt more like a punishment. Adam didn't need her hovering over his shoulder, critiquing each and every decision. He'd constantly feel watched, as if he had to impress her with every little thing from how he spoke to the men to training and practically everything else. The men would hate it too. Reyno wasn't exactly an orderly place like back in Kuo Kuana. As long as they didn't do anything too stupid, he gave them a lot of leeway. Open drinking. Gambling. Mostly harmless stuff like that to let them enjoy their freetime and feel a little freedom inside the confining walls.
Sienna probably wouldn't approve. The White Fang base back in Menagerie had strict rules everyone had to follow. Mandatory meetings. Designated break areas. Dress codes. Meanwhile, Adam had passed half a dozen topless grunts on the way here, lazing about in the midday sun and cracking open a few beers between them. To be fair, they'd just gotten back from felling trees deeper in the forest and looked exhausted. He'd done nothing more than nod at their cheered greeting. Sienna would never allow something like that. She'd have probably confiscated their drinks, chased them back to their dorms for a shower, and ordered Cerco to assign them extra watch rotations as punishment. A demonstration to anyone else thinking of bucking her authority. In her eyes, the only way to maintain loyalty and respect was through an iron fist.
Adam ruled with a much different fist - one focused on crushing his enemies rather than pushing his allies in line. The men respected him because he led from the front rather than controlled from the back. They still had rules and punishments, but those were usually pretty few and far between. Most of the time, it just meant getting assigned extra tasks - the least desirable ones. They'd had a few exceptions, like the time two men got drunk and went around starting fights. And by starting fights, he meant attacking unsuspecting bystanders from behind. They'd hurt a few people before Adam found them and showed them what an unfair fight really looked like. The pair spent some time in a cell for that, but the worse punishment came from the bar refusing to ever serve them again.
Things might have to change before Sienna got here. He'd have to see if Cerco could speed up construction on the extra barracks. Sienna would probably want her throne room devoid of squatters. Not to mention they'd need to clean the place up for her. Those forced to live inside the large room weren't always the tidiest of individuals. They weren't crapping in the corners or anything like that, but that didn't mean you'd want to eat off the floor or anything.
He'd need all hands on deck if they were to finish before she arrived. "When should we expect you?"
"Six days." Ouch. That didn't leave a lot of time, but he'd have to make it work. "Ghira has allowed me time to get my affairs in order before departing. Such generosity." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Ghira's intolerance for the fight he'd once been so devoted to was beginning to cause problems. Big enough problems that Adam wondered why they hadn't replaced him yet. Apparently, he'd wondered a little too loud. "Removing Ghira would hurt our support in Kuo Kuana. He and his wife are still quite popular among those who do not wish to fight."
"I meant having someone run against him." Not…you know. As aggravating as Ghira could be, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on them, and not just for Blake's sake. They'd been the ones to take him in after Orostachys. Despite their disagreements, Ghira and Kali had always been kind to him. Even his banishment felt more political than personal. "Maybe it's time someone else rule Menagerie."
"Like me?"
"Why not? He held both positions not long ago." Admittedly, that had been part of his downfall. You could only wear so many hats. "He's not a king. There's got to be a way to challenge him."
"We have elections every four years," Sienna said. Adam had never really been interested in the management of Menagerie before. He wasn't corrupt enough to consider politics as a career. "It's more of a formality. There's been a few people try to run against him, but like I said, he's still quite popular here."
"He's won every time?"
"No one's even cracked ten percent against him." Talk about a mandate from the masses. They might do better if they could rally the White Fang to vote against Ghira, but they only made up a portion of Menagerie. Not to mention he couldn't guarantee everyone would fall in line. Reyno probably would, but not the older members back home. Wait, did he even get to vote? Technically, he lived in Anima. Did Ghira's ban remove protest votes?
Shaking off the conspiracy theories before they could take root, Adam tried to focus on the subject at hand. "So Ghira stays in power and kicks you out because he's angry we got into a fight." And, you know, murdered a couple wannabe Schnees. That might have pushed him over the edge a bit.
"Actually, I suggested the move." She did what? "This isn't the first time Ghira has come to me to express his disapproval. We both knew it was only a matter of time until he'd want me to leave, so I figured I'd save him having to ask and just get it over with. Let him have his win and spare us the alternative."
"What alternative?" Even if Sienna knew she'd have to leave eventually, what could hasten the decision like that? Was Ghira planning to publicly condemn them? Abolish the White Fang from Menagerie? Push for people to abandon the cause?
The real answer was far worse. "Ghira wanted to come to Reyno."
"Him? Here?" Worst case scenario. In his eyes, Adam was some charlatan that had led his daughter astray, luring her away from home into a life of violence and danger. It'd be even worse if he saw the two of them together. He'd probably rip Adam's head off, then drag Blake home and never let her out of his sight again. And that was before he found out Blake had nearly died. Reyno would be lucky to be left standing at that point.
Maybe having Sienna move to Reyno wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"I managed to convince him to stay in Menagerie, but that won't last forever. This isn't the first time he's considered the idea." Nor would it be the last. "Just the most forceful. We can't deny him forever."
"Can't we, though?"
"Not if we want any chance of maintaining relationships with Menagerie." Would Ghira really be so vindictive as to sever all ties with them? Who was he kidding? Of course he would. Reyno may have become the White Fang's most active location, but they needed Menagerie. Losing contact with their own people would crush morale and have a lot of faunus wondering if they could really support both sides. It wouldn't completely stop the White Fang, but it would certainly hamper their capabilities, especially in the short term. "I've kept him at bay for now, but make no mistake. Ghira will come to Reyno at some point, and I doubt he'll be thrilled to see you."
Adam doubted he'd be thrilled to be seen. "If he wants to come so bad, why doesn't he?" He had responsibilities in Kuo Kuana, but they came with plenty of power. Enough power that he could easily hop on an airship for the mainland whenever he wanted. It wouldn't take too long to reach Reyno.
"The location of Reyno is a matter of security. Only a handful of people outside of Reyno know its exact location." Presumably, Ghira didn't make the list. "More importantly, Ghira has chosen not to pursue the information. I believe he sees it as an olive branch of sorts, though that may soon change. All it would take is one slip from one of your men for him to find out."
His men. The people that lived in Reyno. Some of them might not know the exact coordinates, but they'd know enough for someone to figure it out. He sent them back to Menagerie all the time for rest and recovery, and while he trusted his men to keep their mouths shut normally, Ghira wasn't someone most people wanted to tangle with. Someone would break eventually.
"When the time comes, I will arrange a trip for him, but that is for me to worry about, not you." Easy for her to say. She wasn't one of the main reasons Ghira wanted to visit, not to mention dating his number one reason. "For now, just focus on training and recovery. Once I arrive, we'll discuss plans for the future."
More missions. He wondered if he could get a mission when Ghira came for a visit. Maybe one far away, like in Atlas. He'd probably find less hostility there.
Six days wasn't a huge amount of time to prepare, so he figured he'd better give her a little warning. "Housing space is a little limited right now. It might take us some time to get you and the Albains any sort of private quarters."
"The Albain brothers will not be coming with me." Thank the gods. They were great at…whatever they did, but he could only handle them in small doses. "They will remain in Menagerie to oversee operations here." And deal with Ghira, presumably. Was that part of her plan to keep him away? Using those two as a firewall sounded ingenious. "As for myself, I understand resources and facilities in the field are limited, but I will make do." She said that now, but he'd see if she changed her tune once she got to Reyno.
There really wasn't much else to discuss, so they wrapped up before he shut down the communicator and headed back out. Alpha Squad should still be running drills with Blake watching over them, meaning he got to enjoy a few, brief moments without her hounding his every step. Not that he normally minded having her around, but she normally wasn't so hellbent on driving him up a wall. It left him in sort of an odd situation of wanting to be near her, but not wanting her to be near him.
Obviously, he still hadn't told her about his feelings. How could he? She wasn't really in the mood. Sure, it would cheer her up, but he didn't really want to use his love as a distraction. That felt cheap. He wanted it to be special. Something they could remember for years to come. Something even better than her confession. Not that they were in competition or anything, but if they were, he'd make sure he won. She needed to know just how important this was to him. How important she was.
If he wanted her in a better mood, that meant waiting until after her recovery. He could use the extra days to plan something suitable. Of course, he'd probably want to do it before Sienna arrived. That left a disturbingly small window of opportunity, but he'd make it work. Anything later would have him in and out of meetings while she would almost certainly be spending every waking moment focused on her Semblance.
At least he'd have Kaito around to help with Blake. She'd be itching for training, and while he knew a little bit about Semblances, most of that came from Kaito. He still remembered a good deal of it. Well, some of it. Kind of. Not everyone could have a memory Semblance like the old man. He could at least start her on the theory as sort of a head start, and since that wouldn't require any actual training, it might help calm her down until they could get back to normal.
Normal. Such a strange word. When had life ever been normal for him?
Ignoring such depressing thoughts, Adam headed for the training fields. As nice as the break was, he had information to pass along. He'd considered telling Cerco next, but he could wait until after. He'd bring Blake, giving her some BS about coordination and management training for her. In reality, he just knew his team could use a break from her. It didn't surprise him to see them worn down and starting to drop off by the time he reached them. Blake tended to take her frustrations out on them through the very thing she was denied - training.
"Adam's back!" Yuma tried to cheer, practically collapsing at the return of his savior.
Blake was on him in a flash, which was probably part of Yuma's plan all along. "So, what did Sienna say? Can I go back to training?"
"She agreed with the doctor." Not exactly, but why not give Blake a new target for her ire? There had to be a limit, so the more directed elsewhere, the less directed at him. "But you can ask her yourself next week."
Good to see they shared his initial shock. "Sienna's coming here?"
"Six days," Adam responded as the team came closer to hear the news. "And she's staying."
"How long?"
"Forever." Adam's answer certainly caught them off guard. For Sienna's sake, Adam decided to pad their conversation a little. "She's spent too long stuck behind a desk and wants to get more involved with the front line. The real fight is out here, not in some office back in Menagerie. A good leader leads from the front."
"Does that mean she'll be going on missions with us?"
He hadn't really thought about that. Risking their leader in the field sounded a little, well, risky, but Sienna could hold her own in combat. Maybe having her go on a few smaller missions would be a good idea. Even if his reason for her visit was made up, having her get involved directly like that would certainly raise her reputation in the eyes of everyone at Reyno. Leaders led from the font, not just to inspire those behind, but to better understand the needs of those alongside. He'd have to find some low risk missions to make sure they didn't run into any trouble.
"That's something we're looking into." Or they would, now that they'd suggested it. "I need to talk to Cerco about arrangements, but I figured I'd let you all know first." Always good to make them feel important. Then again, they were high ranking officers of the White Fang. It only made sense they get early access to information. "Blake, why don't you come with me?" He didn't have to ask twice. "The rest of you, take a break. This could take a while."
Relief crashed into his team, along with the excitement of news. Even as he and Blake peeled away from them, he could hear them talking about Sienna's arrival and what it would mean for Reyno and Alpha Squad. He waited until they were a good ways away from the group before bringing up the other part of his update.
Blake beat him to it. "So what else did Sienna say?"
Was he really that predictable? "Kaito's coming with her."
"He is?!" Blake knew what that meant.
Adam nodded. "Once he's settled in, we'll have him work with you on your Semblance." Because at this point, he was fully on board with the theory she'd unlocked it at Deleo. "I still expect you to participate in some of our team trainings, but I'll make sure you have plenty of time for Kaito's lessons."
"What's it like?"
"Hm?"
"What's Semblance training like?" Blake specified, the future training already perking her up quite a bit. He knew it wouldn't last, but he'd milk it for all it was worth.
"You saw some of it." She looked confused, trying to recall. "You don't remember using me for target practice?" Charging up his Semblance had been necessary, but he had a feeling Kaito enjoyed screwing with him a little on that one.
The prospect of being shot over and over didn't bother her as much as he felt it should. "Not that. You already knew about your Semblance by then. I mean the early stages. Discovering your Semblance and learning to use it." Situations more applicable to her level.
He'd better prepare her for the slog she'd have to face. "It was a lot more theory work than I expected." Especially at the start. Lots of questions and storytelling. Not exactly the pulse pounding experimentation he'd expected, but he was living proof it worked. "Just trust that he knows what he's doing, even if he asks you a million questions."
Blake tilted her head in curiosity. "What kind of questions."
All of the questions. So many, Adam could hardly recall most of them. A few did stand out, though. "Things like your purpose. Why you want to fight, or maybe what you're fighting for. Stuff like that."
"My purpose…" Blake trailed off for a moment, lost in thought.
"Kaito says our Semblances are deeply linked to our soul. That they often have a lot to do with who we are. Like how I want to protect people, so my Semblance requires me to block attacks to charge up." Which was super annoying. Others got to use their Semblance willy nilly while he had to already be in the middle of a fight. Maybe if he'd been more vengeful and bloodthirsty, his Semblance would've come without strings attached. Stupid morals. "Oh, and he'll also want you to explain what happened when it unlocked. Every little detail."
"But I barely remember what happened."
"Just tell him what you do remember, then." Kaito was great, but he couldn't work with nothing. "Just be honest with him and he'll make it work."
Easy to say. Harder to obey. "But what if it doesn't?"
"Then I guess you'll just be a Semblance-less freak for the rest of your life."
Adam let her shove stumble him a little. "That's not funny."
"I thought it was." And so did she, judging by the grin she tried to smother. "It'll be fine, Blake. I promise. For now, just focus on resting up. You're gonna need it when Kaito gets here." The man was relentless. He almost pitied Reyno for having to deal with his grueling training regiments. If they thought Adam was demanding, they had another thing coming. "And try to think about those questions. The more prepared you are, the better he can help."
"I'll work on it," Blake promised. He knew she would. Motivating people wasn't really that hard if you knew what you were doing. All you needed to do was dangle what they wanted in front of them. Blake wanted nothing more than to learn about her Semblance, so as long as any task led her in that direction, she'd throw herself into it with all her might. "Was that all you two talked about?"
"There was one more thing." If she wanted to poke and prod, then she'd better be ready for the consequences. "Your dad wants to visit Reyno." As nervous as he felt at the prospect, it paled in comparison to the fear that washed over Blake. Good. Maybe next time she'd remember not to pry. "Nearly took the first flight over. Sienna managed to talk him down…for now."
"L-let's hurry and talk to Cerco," Blake urged, all but dragging him along as if they could somehow flee the uncomfortable subject on foot. Her hand clasped tightly around his own, forcing him to pick up the pace.
He didn't complain.
You better watch out. You better not cry. Better not pout, I'm telling you why. Sienna Khan is comin' to town!
Still in a bit of a transitionary phase in the story. Necessary evil and all that. Got a whole bunch of moving parts to juggle before we get into any action. Don't worry, though. This is only temporary. We'll get back to terrorizing all of humanity in due time.
Next chapter: Sienna and Kaito arrive in Reyno.