Back from vacation and already wishing for another. We've had one , yes, but what about second vacation?

Really did enjoy the time off, but coming back to the office after six weeks on travel and two weeks off, there were plenty of fires for me to put out, all while rushing to finish the big reports on the test event that's due on Monday. On top of that, I'm already in discussions with another group to take over their project, which is a lot larger than my current one. On the plus side, my performance review is also next week, so I'll have a lot of room to flex and push for a bigger raise.

Meanwhile, trying to get everything ready for my big stream next Saturday. Had my community spend a ton of points to crack open a golden egg that I've told them has a big announcement inside. They have no idea what it is (except my mod, who got an early reveal). Gonna do what I do best and ham it up before finally showing them what's coming to the channel. If ever there was a time to catch a stream live, that's the one.

Also, happy 150th chapter! We've now tripled the chapter count of my longest fic, and we're nowehere near the end.

"I…I can't…go any further…" Donavan panted as he completed another lap, his jog slowing to what could only generously be called a walk. He looked drunk, though Adam knew he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since they'd left Reyno. He still couldn't believe no one packed even a single bottle. Of all the things to forget.

"We're just getting warmed up." Or was this the cooldown? Honestly, Adam wasn't sure anymore. The days had started to blend together.

"I need…a break." Donavan slowed to a stop, leaning over with his hands on his knees. With little else to do, Adam had focused all his attention on whipping Donavan into shape. After all, that was his job. It wasn't because he was bored out of his skull, and it definitely had nothing to do with him catching Donovan checking out Blake's backside a week ago. He was just pushing Donavan to push his limits, and you couldn't know where those limits were without hitting them a few times.

Training was hardly new to Adam. Kaito may have laid the foundation for Blake, but Adam had been the one to craft her into the skilled warrior and second best fighter of the White Fang. Alpha Team thrived thanks to his direct attention, quickly rising to become the backbone of their operations. Adam knew how to get results, mainly because he'd seen what worked on him. Jean's old methods may have been cruel at times, but Adam had only survived this long thanks to the lessons he'd beaten into Adam so long ago. A true warrior had to train body and mind equally. Exercise. Tactics. And above all, practice. Not smacking a lifeless target practice, either. You only truly learned to fight by actually fighting, and you learned best by fighting someone stronger, which meant Donavan had a regularly scheduled beatdown with Adam at least once a day. Not only did it push Donavan to improve, but it gave Adam a great way to blow off some steam. Win-win.

Of course, simply pushing someone constantly wasn't enough. You could only force someone to improve so much. You had to make them want it. Had to get into their minds and figure out what their goals were, then show them the path to those goals through diligent training. For him, it'd been the promise of strength and the ability to protect those he cared about. For Blake, it'd been the chance to prove herself and finally emerge from her parents' shadows. All Adam needed to do was figure out what motivated Donavan and dangle it in front of him.

Not exactly a difficult task.

Raising his voice a little, Adam warned, "Don't look now, but I think Gossy's watching."

Donavan perked up so quick, Adam thought he'd give himself whiplash. Hearing her name, both thanks to her faunus ears and Adam's purposeful volume, Gossy had turned in their direction just in time to prove him right. Donavan's interest in the fairer sex was well known around the camp, but he had a particular weak spot for girls with rabbit ears. Gossy, a local from Vale and Kelly's niece, had caught his eye the moment she and the rest of the Vale White Fang branch had joined them in the forest. Much to Donavan's pleasure and Adam's annoyance, she didn't seem too upset at the sudden attention. Even now, she waved shyly at the two of them, brushing some loose strands of platinum blonde hair behind her ear - her human one. Donavan was back on his feet in a flash, finding new strength in the simple gesture.

Adam didn't have the heart to tell him she was still watching him instead of Donavan, hence his annoyance. Gossy may have been okay with Donavan's attention, but she clearly had her sights set on someone else. A very unavailable someone else.

The way Gossy tore her eyes away in a panic warned Adam who was coming. "Do I need to be worried about that?" Blake's question came with a sharp edge, all the better to threaten him with.

"I only have eyes for you," Adam promised. Good thing, too, because she'd probably claw them out if he let them wander. Gossy was attractive - only an idiot would deny that - but she had nothing on Blake.

"You'd better." Despite her tone, Blake tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "Kelly's asked to speak with you."

"Again?" Great. Just what he needed. "What is it this time?"

Blake shrugged. "Probably the same as usual." Safe bet. He'd sort of assumed that Sienna had warned Kelly that she was being replaced. Instead, he'd gotten to handle the awkward moment of telling her she was being demoted and replaced. That hadn't gone over well. Worse, she seemed to think that he'd been the one to make the decision and had been trying to convince him to change his mind ever since.

Maybe he needed to be a little more direct. He'd tried playing nice, and what did it get him? A bunch of annoying meetings with the newly deposed leader of the Vale branch. While he and Sienna both appreciated her willingness to get things started in Vale, she'd done little since. The rather pathetic number of recruits she'd brought from the city proved that, even if she claimed a few had stayed behind so as not to raise suspicion. Fair enough, but even if half stayed behind, she had barely anyone in a relatively friendly Kingdom. Felicia had a far larger operation in Mantle, right under the nose of their worst enemy. Compared to that, Kelly's numbers were nothing.

To be fair, the hostility of Atlas probably helped recruitment more than it hurt. So many faunus barely scraped by and had to deal with constant harassment and profiling at the hands of Atlas security forces. When society already treated you like a terrorist, it didn't take as much convincing to make you join. Meanwhile, Vale actually tried to help from time to time, even if their half-hearted measures rarely did much good. Sure, it sounded great to say they were providing for the poor or feeding the hungry, but government programs rarely did what they set out to do. For every lien that went toward actually helping, another nine found their way to the pockets of those running the programs. Getting the homeless off the streets usually meant housing them in temporary shelters that weren't much better than the rundown buildings they would've been squatting in. Worse, when those weren't available, some enterprising politician would remember they had space in more secure facilities that already provided shelter and food to hundreds every day. Why bother building shelters when the prisons still had empty bunks?

And they wondered why the faunus were still fighting for equality.

"I'll deal with her later." Again. It was too early for him to put up with her complaining right now. If anything, she ought to be grateful. The White Fang had propped up her grocery business for her, and now she could focus more on being a businesswoman. Being a local leader of the White Fang wasn't exactly a great deal. It wasn't like you could go around boasting of your position to impress your friends. Well, you could, but you wouldn't be in the position much longer. The higher up the chain you got, the bigger the risk you took. Felicia would probably be tortured for information and then executed if Atlas learned who she was. Vale might not be as harsh, but whoever was in charge would no doubt have a target on their back. Thanks to them, the target would now pass from Kelly to Donavan.

Speaking of Donavan, his renewed energy soon brought him back around for another lap, though he slowed a bit when he noticed Gossy had moved on. Adam wasted no time taking advantage of the lapse to immediately throw him to the wolves. One wolf in particular. "That's good enough for now. Time for aura training. Blake, you're up."

Donavan groaned, no doubt aware of the pain coming his way. He'd quickly learned that, much like Adam, Blake believed in learning by doing. The hands on approach was the best approach, and what better way to learn about using aura than to use it? Naturally, the best way to use it involved Donavan getting the crap beat out of him.

"Couldn't we try something different today?" Donavan practically begged as Blake stretched her arms a bit. "Like some theory work? Or maybe unarmed combat?" As if that would improve his odds. Blake could still wipe the floor with him, even without her weapon. She'd done it before without much effort.

Unfortunately for Donavan, the last time they'd done unarmed combat, his somewhat gropy grapples hadn't gone over well with his instructor. By the look on Blake's face, she remembered. "Armed combat. Go get your gear. Gambol Shroud and I will meet you in the ring in fifteen."

Man. Adam knew Blake was upset, but making him go two on one? Also…"Who?"

"Gambol Shroud." The who turned out to be a what, as Blake's eclectic mixture of a weapon - a variant ballistic chain scythe, as she kept calling it, which only made it sound more ridiculous - slipped into her hand. "I finally came up with a name."

This was the first he was hearing of it. Gambol Shroud, eh? That sounded fancy. Maybe a little too fancy, as he had no idea what that meant or why she'd chosen it. Not wanting to sound too ignorant, Adam elected to go for the second part. "Why Gambol Shroud?"

"Something about a dancing mystery," Donavan answered for her, instantly realizing he'd made a mistake by trying to steal her thunder.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Blake's harsh words chased Donavan away before she tried to explain a little better. "I just thought it fit, you know? A playful dance of mystery." He had no idea if that was actually what it meant or not but trusted her larger vocabulary. "Plus, a shroud on a ship is the rigging that supports the mast." At Adam's confused look, she dumbed it down a bit. "The rope ladders on the sides?"

"Oh! Those." She should've led with that. Clearly, she'd put some thought into her name. Her weapon certainly was mysterious with its multiple forms, and while she didn't use rope, the reference sort of worked with her lengthy ribbon.

"You don't like it?" Blake looked crestfallen at his hesitant acceptance of the name.

"I do," he tried to assure her. "I just…I've never heard of a weapon name like that." Then again, he'd never seen a weapon like hers, either, so maybe it fit better than he realized.

"What would you have called it?" she asked, eyes narrowed challengingly.

She'd probably spent weeks debating names, but now he had to come up with something on the spot. He racked his brain for anything half-way decent, only to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. A shame his first attempt wasn't a good one. "Blake's Bladed Boomerang?"

Blake stared at him for a good five seconds in disbelief. "That's it. I'm in charge of naming your weapons."

No fair! "I'll have you know I named my last sword myself." Actually, he'd named the sword before that and just reused the name on the upgrade, but it still counted.

"What'd you call it? Taurus' Terrible Tip?" Ouch. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt inadequate.

"No." He'd come up with a much better name. "I called it Thorn."

Blake considered the name for a moment, and while she didn't seem to love it, it must've sounded better than what she expected. "Really embracing the rose theme."

"This was before my emblem." Which now that he thought about it, she'd made that too. On top of that, their new flag came from Blake. Maybe he should put her in charge of the creative decisions. "Thorns protect roses, and I wanted to protect people. It just sort of fit."

"It's not bad." By saying that, she made it sound terrible. "Really. I just think we can do better."

"Can we?"

"Okay, I can do better," she corrected. Just like that, he'd dumped the responsibility on her shoulders. "And no, you can't just reuse Thorn?"

"Why not?" She said herself, it wasn't a bad name.

Blake shook her head. "It's too basic. Someone in your position needs a weapon name that stands out better. Besides, this isn't the same weapon, so you can't just copy over the name."

He very much could and would have, except he hadn't really bothered to think about it until now. "Fine. So what sort of name were you thinking?"

"Give me a few days." Oh, so she got time to think while he had to give immediate answers? That hardly seemed fair.

"Just don't make it anything too…"

"Fru fru-y?" Blake guessed, hitting the nail right on the head. "Have a little faith. Besides, they're just suggestions. If you don't like it, then don't use it." Good point. He'd only agreed to let her come up with a name. He'd never said he had to use it. Regardless, she grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "I'd better go get ready for the spar. Kiss for good luck?"

"Like you need it." She could trounce a dozen Donavans without breaking a sweat, and everyone knew it. Still, he knew better than to pass up an opportunity like that. Their lips met for far too short a time, but he could always make up for that later. "Knock him dead."

"Don't tempt me," she chided as she hurried off, leaving him free for the next few hours.

Sadly, that meant he was out of excuses for avoiding Kelly and her latest complaint. "Guess I'd better go get this over with." Last he checked, he was the head of field operations for the White Fang, not the HR rep for Vale. Sadly, dealing with people like Kelly came with the territory. Not every problem could be solved with a sword. Rather, they shouldn't be. His unnamed blade could certainly put an end to the complaining, but Sienna might not be pleased with his method.

Putting such macabre thoughts aside, Adam headed for the cluster of tents they now called home and braced himself for another round of aggravation

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

"Did I do something wrong?" Kelly asked after he explained the situation for what felt like the hundredth time.

The obvious answer was yes, she had. More accurately, it wasn't that she'd done anything wrong but that she hadn't done enough right, which was basically the same thing. No one wanted to hear that, least of all Kelly. As much as he wanted to just slap her in the face with reality, he couldn't help but try and smooth things out despite his earlier plans to be less merciful. "It's not that. We have plans for Vale. Plans that might pose a danger to those in charge. We need someone who can handle themselves in a fight." Something Kelly definitely couldn't do.

She didn't bother disputing that. How could she? She spent her life in the city, growing up in the shadow of the walls that kept the rest of the world at bay. Whatever hardships she'd faced were nothing compared to what those beyond the walls endured almost daily. She spent her days worrying about rent, taxes, and profit margins. He'd grown up with an ear toward the alarm bell in case the Grimm attacked. He'd killed his first Grimm in his early teens. She'd probably never even thrown a punch.

Human nature dictated that if she couldn't prove herself good enough, then she had to drag everyone else down to her level. "And you think that Donavan guy's ready?" Not really, but between the two of them, he'd take the one that didn't drag him into daily complaint sessions. "You say you want someone who can fight, but I've seen his fights. He hasn't won one yet. Not even close."

True, but he was going up against the two best fighters in the White Fang, whereas he'd only recently unlocked his aura. It would be pretty insane to expect him to stand a chance, even if Adam and Blake tended to hold back a bit. Getting eviscerated in two seconds flat wouldn't teach him that much. Nor would it be as cathartic for his trainers.

Donavan's preparedness was Adam's responsibility, so a slight against that was a slight against him. He wouldn't, couldn't, let that stand. "And you think you'd fare any better?"

Her eyes widened in panic. "No, I-"

"In that case, I'll arrange a spar for you two." Adam spoke over her protests, ignoring any objections just as she'd ignored his explanations for days on end. "You want the job so bad, then earn it in the ring. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Beat Donavan, and the job is yours." Sienna would have an absolute fit, but he felt pretty confident that wouldn't be a problem.

"I…I can't…"

"That's my point." Adam had run out of patience with the teary-eyed woman. "This isn't a game. This is a fight, and if you're not up to it, then make room for someone who is." Because despite his complaints about Donavan, and there were a lot, he was at least putting in the effort. He'd never be as good as Alpha Squad, but they didn't need him to be. Kelly might not like it, but this was war. Results were the only thing that mattered, and she couldn't deliver.

Kelly wiped her eyes, sniffing as she said, "You want me to leave the White Fang?"

Gods grant him patience. "No. We aren't kicking you out." As if they could afford to. They didn't exactly have a lot of people to rely on in Vale yet, which was ironically one of the reasons she was being replaced. Her downfall had become her salvation. That and the fact that they didn't want her turning on them, since she knew too much. "We're just asking you to take on a different role."

"That's all?" Had she really thought they were getting rid of her?

"That's all," Adam promised, annoyed that he had to explain it at all. "We all have our part to play. You're not cut out for combat, just like I couldn't hope to run a business." Or even show his face in the city, but that was beside the point. "You'll still be helping us fight, just not as directly."

Kelly looked conflicted at the idea, but he'd take conflicted over combative. With a little luck, this might even be the last time he had to put up with her whining. He could certainly use the break.

Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" Adam really hoped the answer was no. He'd had more than his fill of her for a lifetime.

Kelly shook her head. "That was it." Thank the gods. "I…I guess I was worried about nothing." Finally, something they agreed on.

"Let me know if there's anything else." He hated the words even as he said them, but he wasn't quite as heartless as the humans claimed, even if he really hoped she wouldn't take him up on his offer. Just to be safe, he guided her toward the tent flap, all but shoving her out before she could come up with any new complaints.

Blessed silence reigned once more now that she was gone. If only she knew how annoying being in charge could be, she would've kissed his feet in gratitude for letting her off the hook. There were definitely days he wished someone like Blake could pass him up, just so he could foist the job onto them, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Not unless they could find some super powerful Huntsman or something to join their cause, but most Huntsmen were pretty much brainwashed to serve the Kingdoms. Their years of prep school and Academy did more than just develop combat skills. If that's all they were about, then why would they even bother with half of the other classes? It'd be way more effective to devote that time to actual training, but schools weren't meant to just develop minds. They shaped them, too. Formed them into compliant vassals in service of the Kingdoms and their corrupt leaders.

Sona had been a perfect example of that. She thought she was doing the right thing, yet she'd turned on her own kind and gotten faunus killed and tortured, all in the name of her so-called justice. He almost wished they'd dragged her to Kesseki to see what her actions did to people like Indie and Nag. Lives ruined and ended all because Sona did the bidding of her human masters. He doubted a single Huntsman would've batted an eye when they put a brand to his face. After all, if their masters said it was okay, then who were they to argue?

Such sheep. Maybe he should be glad he never got to go to their vaunted schools. Instead, he'd had a much harder curriculum in the realities of life. The Grimm and monsters far worse had taught him everything he needed to know.

Maybe it was time to continue that tradition.

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

A week later, Adam made his way into the comms tent, a little sore but far more satisfied than usual as he waited for Sienna to answer his call. His trip had taken a little longer than planned, but that was fine. It wasn't like Sienna had anything better to do than wait for his call.

The speaker finally came to life as Sienna's voice asked, "How'd your little field trip go?" They were still getting things set up in Forever Fall, so transmitting video would have to come later. "I assume everyone made it back in one piece?"

"They'll be fine." Eventually. There hadn't been any major injuries, at least. Mostly just exhaustion and some minor cuts and bruises. Nothing they couldn't handle. A few miles of hiking through Forever Fall wasn't that bad. Okay, maybe it was more than a few, but so what? People paid handsomely for the chance to visit the forest.

Admittedly, they didn't usually go as deep into the forest as his trip had taken them. Nor did they actively seek out Grimm along the way, even if he personally felt those in the city would benefit from such an experience. A chance to see what those in the outskirts faced might help them realize just how good they had it inside the walls.

"Any issues with the locals?" Out here, that meant Grimm. No one else bothered venturing this far.

"We had a few run-ins." More than he'd expected, admittedly, but nothing he couldn't handle. "Donavan even killed a few."

"That's good to hear." It was a sign of how much progress he'd made. Adam had been lurking nearby in case things went wrong, but taking down a Grimm would do wonders for Donavan's confidence. It also helped that the people who'd be working under him got to see their new leader prove himself. Kelly's comments about watching Donavan lose constantly had got him thinking. How could anyone have faith in a leader who never won? Letting him take on a couple lesser Grimm would help cement his status, not to mention he'd get a much needed boost of confidence as well. Watching people like Kelly nearly pass out at the very sight of a Beowolf only highlighted how unsuited most of them were to life on the outside. Hopefully, they'd take it as a challenge to improve a little. None of them would be taking on an Ursa by themselves anytime soon, but even if it just meant they got in shape a little, he'd call it a win.

"I'm thinking of making it a weekly thing," Adam reported. "Donavan and I will take teams out to scout the area and thin the herd a bit."

"Not Blake?"

"Someone has to stay and guard the camp." And that meant either him or Blake. Between a tussle with some Grimm and the boredom of guarding a bunch of tents, he'd take the bloodthirsty monsters any day.

"And what of the city?" Sienna asked, content to let him do as he would. "Have we made any progress there?"

Not much, but more than none. "We sent a few men in yesterday. They were able to reach the contact without issue." They probably could have walked right through the front gate, but the White Fang needed to test other methods. Vale's security was pretty lax compared to Mistral and Atlas, but then again, they hadn't started a war with the White Fang like their fellow Kingdoms. "We should be clear to send the rest in once they're ready."

"And how long will that be?"

"Within the month." It sounded like a long time, but it really wasn't. They'd maintain the Forever Fall camp, of course, but Donavan and his team would need to get things moving within the walls. As much as Donavan had improved, Adam looked forward to putting some distance between them. "I've already given him his orders for when he arrives. I'll inform you once he starts acting."

Not that he'd need to. All Sienna needed to do was watch the news. As much as they wanted to up recruitment efforts, they'd have an easier time getting faunus to join the cause if they had a good reason to. Kelly had organized a few protests before they arrived, but Adam and Sienna wanted more. Protests would get attention, but not as much as a violent one. All they needed to do was get a big enough group chanting and waving signs, then have a few agents stir things up and cause trouble. Some broken windows here. A couple fights there. The police would be forced to intervene, but sorting out the bad apples from the bunch wouldn't be easy. Instead, they'd just force the crowd to disperse and detain anyone who refused. Word would spread - aided by Donavan and his team, not to mention a news media eager for stories about violent faunus - fanning the flames even further. Then, they just had to rinse and repeat until Vale made a fatal mistake.

One violent protest was a fluke. Several became a pattern, and the Council would be forced to act. Soon, they'd start cracking down on faunus protests. Even smaller gatherings would have police on standby, which would stir up the locals as they noticed the growing pressure. News coverage would start to paint them all as violent, sacrificing common sense in the name of ratings, fanning the small sparks into a growing flame. The spiral would continue until faunus throughout the city felt they were no longer being treated fairly and would be eager to push back.

Most people weren't willing to fight, but they rarely had a problem fighting back.

It sounded a little hypocritical to stir up trouble just to give people a reason to fight, but that was how the world worked. The powers that be had always been against the faunus. They'd just found ways to hide it. One little push, and their racism would shine through for everyone to see. He wasn't making things worse for the faunus so much as showing them how the ruling class really saw them.

Sometimes, you had to light a few fires to help people see.

"Is everyone on board, then?" The jump from quiet activism to a more direct approach didn't always sit well with people, as they both knew. Ghira had been a prime example.

"Everyone that needs to be," Adam confirmed. Some of the lower levels would be left in the dark, unaware of what was coming, but that was fine. Most of them didn't need to know. That way, if they did end up turning, there'd be little for them to give up. "I'm working to have a few more of Kelly's men slip out for training. We'll rotate them through, along with any new recruits that show promise."

The current members would take priority, as they were the bigger risks of leaking information. Being the first ones to join, they must've known what they were signing up for, but he'd rather make sure they were loyal. They also needed to be prepared, as they'd make up the majority of local leadership starting out. People that knew enough to be dangerous but were also well situated to help in the days to come. A foreman at the docks who might aid them in infiltration someday. A janitor at Beacon to keep an eye on activity levels to avoid clashes with students and faculty. A bookstore owner that could help gather and distribute information. Each a useful cog in the machine that needed to be tuned properly if the White Fang wanted to really establish themselves in Vale.

Their discussion soon steered into more mundane topics, like base supplies and personnel rotations. Adam found himself missing the Grimm as things dragged on and on. His next batch of reinforcements had gained an extra member. A pregnant one. They'd only recently found out, but the father-to-be was moving to the Vale branch and it didn't make sense to split them up. Plus, they'd have better access to hospitals in Vale, so the two of them would be moved up the schedule for infiltrating the city.

It never ceased to amaze him the weird situations the two of them had to deal with. It was easy to forget that any organization was made up of people - people with all sorts of messy and complicated lives that they had to account for. It was a wonder they could get anything done sometimes.

Adam was about tapped out when Sienna finally got to something that caught his attention. "Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I wanted to talk to you about the mission."

It took him a second to remember what she was talking about. It'd been a while since she'd brought up this mysterious plan she and the Albains had been working on. After the monotony of this drawn-out camping trip, a little action sounded like just what the doctor ordered. He hoped he didn't sound too desperate as he asked, "What is it?"

"We're not quite ready yet." Bummer. "But we're close. There's still one piece we're worried might not work out."

"Just one part?" That didn't sound too bad. Worst case, they could work around it and-

"The first part." Ah. That would be a problem. "We're pretty sure it'll work, but we haven't tried before."

Something new? She certainly knew how to keep a man interested. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." Sienna's words were music to his ears. He'd do anything to get back into the fight. "We want you to hit a train in Atlas."

"Explosives?" That didn't sound too hard, and the twins would have a field day.

He had a sneaking suspicion there'd be more. "We can't just blow it up. We need you to take it over."

Commandeering a train. He didn't know how to drive a train - or even if that was the right term for something that followed a prepaid track - but surely he could just force the engineer to do it for him. A little threatening went a long way. "That sounds doable. We'll just sneak a team onboard and-"

Sienna cut him off before he could continue. "We can't. This isn't a normal passenger train. Security will be too tight at the station." Okay, that was a problem.

"How am I supposed to steal a train if we can't get on it?"

"Simple." It didn't sound simple. "You'll board it in transit."

Now she was talking.

Always tough starting a new section, since I've got to set up things for later, but this one wasn't so bad. We're not gonna waste much time getting things moving on the Vale arc, as I have a tendency to drag things out if I don't hit the gas quick enough. Adam's in Vale's outskirts now, the leadership change is about to usher in a new era of operations there, and Sienna's next big mission is gearing up. More about that one next week.

Blake wants to name Adam's weapons. I wonder what she'll pick? Honestly, I kept putting this part off when I had time, then regretting it whenever I got to an action scene and had to keep using things like sword, blade, sheath, and scabbard. Will be nice to just use weapon names soon.

As for Gossy, despite the temptation of using her name for a goose faunus, her actual name is Gosselynne. Like Jocelynne, but weird. She just goes by gossy, which ties in nicely to the gossypium plant (cotton plant). Because, you know, cotton-tailed rabbit (though this one has ears instead). Also, I got tired of looking at female rabbit names in literature and media after realizing most of them didn't have actual names. Was tempted to go Space Jam with Lola, but my sleep-deprived brain couldn't come up with a good way to justify a color reference, so I'll save that for another time.

Next chapter: Adam prepares to test Sienna's new plan.