North Sanus, Gallia
One Month after the Vytal Attacks
- - -
Tracking down Adam had been difficult. He was good at concealing his movements, and in the chaos after Vytal, he had plenty of ways to hide.
However, he was the one who trained Blake how to track. And whatever else he was, he was a good teacher.
Blake was a good student.
The train station was an older one on an automated cargo rail line. It was nestled in a grove of pine trees, in the depths of a verdant valley. The station itself had been abandoned for a long time, rusty roof tiles and fading paint. She could see piles of cargo boxes arranged haphazardly, a few White Fang flunkies doing some work... And that familiar figure in black with red hair standing on the platform, staring out into space.
"ADAM!"
Adam slowly turned to face her, unhurried. He stared at her through that mask. She stood there, taking deep breaths in her anger and fear. The other White Fang members turned and began to draw their weapons, but Adam held up his hand and they backed down.
"Have you come to your senses?" Adam asked, calm and condescending, "Finally decided to return? Beg for forgiveness?"
"No," Blake growled, drawing Gambol Shroud, "I'm here to kill you."
Adam looked amused.
"For your human boytoy? For the scars I inflicted upon him?" Adam asked, "For all the human lives I've taken?"
Blake lunged, her cleaver nearly going through Adam's neck if he hadn't drawn Wilt in time to deflect her strike.
"For everything," Blake hissed, dashing forward while wildly swinging her weapon in flail mode.
Adam was initially driven back by her ferocity. She had a clone split off to charge him, while she flanked Adam and opened up in gun mode. Adam smoothly deflected her bullets and used Wilt's sheath to fire back. She dropped under the shotgun blast, sliding forward to swing her chain around his ankles. She leaped up, and Adam was sent crashing to the ground. She shifted her weapon to blade mode and charged, intent on thrusting the blade through his strernum!
He lashed out with a punch which she powered through, but it was enough to stall her momentum. She punched him back, knocking his head back before he lashed out with a powerful kick to her stomach. She pulled back, leaving a clone in her place, but he cut right through it and slapped her in the face with the flat of his blade.
"UNGH!"
He backhanded her and in the same motion, unleashed a blast from his shotgun at point blank range. Another kick and she was sent flying into the wall of the train station ticket booth. She slumped, tried to get back up... But Adam swung his blade, and unleashed Moonslices. Not powerful enough to cut her into pieces... But they burned scars across her flesh right through her Aura.
"UNGH! AAHHH!" She slumped, then Adam was upon her and seized her throat.
"Hurk!"
He lifted her up as she struggled, kicking and punching. He shook his head.
"You were never able to beat me, Blake," he stated smoothly, "This... Was inevitable. This is destiny."
"Nngh...!" Blake tried to cry out, but Adam tightened his grip on her throat as she clawed at his arm. It didn't seem to phase him a bit.
"Your dalliance with the human is something I'm willing to forgive, in time," Adam went on, "After all... I was your first."
"Y-You...!" Adam loosened his grip just a bit, and she gasped before she spat out, "He's... Better than you... In every way!"
"So why isn't he with you?" Adam taunted, tightening his grip again. She flailed and grit her teeth, glaring death back at him. Adam smirked.
"Oh... I see. You abandoned them too, huh? Like I said, inevitable."
He slammed her against the wall, making a dent in the rusting tin as she squirmed.
"You might have thought you loved that man... But in the end, I know you better than anyone," Adam continued, "Because only I know what you need. What you desire. All of mankind at our feet, and me by your side. You will be a queen, Blake. It is what you are meant to be. Why else would you have run off... And come back to me?"
Blake seethed, tears running down her cheeks. Despair welled up in her chest as she saw the other White Fang goons begin to surround them.
Is he right?
The image of Jaune lying in a hospital bed, covered in scars, assaulted her mind. Adam had targeted him specifically during the attack, had beaten him to near death. Had burned scars into his body.
He'd taken Yang's arm when she'd tried to protect Jaune. He'd had his forces keep Ruby and Weiss from getting to Pyrrha... Pyrrha...
And what had Blake done? Just run off on her own, again. Left her boyfriend in a coma at the hospital.
The distant sound of a train whistle couldn't break her despair. She'd run away and abandoned the people she loved. Like she always had... Like she always...
A massive golden Aura slash erupted from the trees, ripping apart half the train platform and scattering the White Fang goons. Adam let Blake drop to the floor, leaving her gasping for breath, as he pulled his sword to parry a strike from a familiar blade. Blake gaped in amazement and horror as Jaune stood there, in full armor, his sword and shield repaired as he crossed blades with Adam.
"Here to save your pet, human?" Adam asked mockingly. "You don't seem to understand-"
"You talk too damn much!" Jaune snarled, and he swung his blade. The two exchanged blows furiously, Adam's speed and power being countered by Jaune's strength and agility. Adam jumped back and unleashed a Moonslice, but Jaune powered up and swung Crocea Mors to unleash another Aura slash. Red met gold, and the two blasts exploded against one another.
"HURK!"
Blake covered her eyes against the brightness of the flash, but lowered them immediately when she heard Jaune's cry. She gaped in horror as she saw Jaune standing there, Wilt buried in his gut, Adam smirking as he drove the blade in deeper. Blood ran from the wound, as Jaune shuddered and dropped his sword and shield.
"JAUNE!" Blake screamed.
Jaune shakily lifted his hands up to grab onto Adam's shoulders. The bull Faunus chuckled softly, as deadly as his blade, as he twisted Wilt inside to make Jaune groan in pain.
"You seem to forget," Adam gloated, "I'm the hero of this story. You are merely a side character, a distraction. Blake will eventually forget her dalliance with you. She will be mine, Remnant will be ours... And you will not even be a memory. You pathetic fraud. Loser. Weakling."
A train whistle sounded in the distance, and the roar of Dust powered engines began to get louder.
Jaune gritted his teeth in a savage grin. Adam scowled as Jaune's grip tightened on his shoulders.
"What's that stupid smile for, moron?"
"You can't see what my hands are doing, can you?"
Two small explosives slid out of Jaune's gauntlets, and he pressed them to Adam's shoulderblades. The bull Faunus's jaw dropped, he pulled away, let go of his sword and tried to remove his coat-
The twin explosions again forced Blake to shut her eyes. When she opened them, blinking the afterimages away, Adam stood there as a bloody wreck. His arms hung limp, bloody, ruined. He gaped in rage and horror at Jaune... Who lifted up his foot and kicked him in the gut towards the tracks.
"YOU-!"
The automated train roared by, covering Adam's scream with its loud horn and rush of the wind as it passed by. It headed off into the distance, not a trace of Adam left behind.
Jaune's knees wobbled, buckled, and finally bent as he fell to the rotting platform. Blake dragged herself over to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Jaune... Jaune," Blake sobbed. "I... I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."
Jaune wrapped an arm around her tightly, and pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay," Jaune whispered, "It's okay..."
They fell back onto the wooden platform together, blood loss and exhaustion forcing them both into unconsciousness.
- - -
When Blake awoke, it was to a well furnished hospital room. The beeping of medical machines and smell of disinfectant assaulted her senses. She looked around frantically from her bed.
"Jaune?! JAUNE?!"
He was laying in a bed next to her, groaning. His torsoe was heavily bandaged. Blake felt a strong but gentle hand take hold of her shoulder, and push her back down. She looked up: A familiar woman was pushing her back down.
"If you don't mind, I don't want either of you hurt yourself more than you already have," Isabel Arc stated flatly. Blake blinked.
"Wh... Where are we?"
"Radian. Arc-En-Ciel hospital," Isabel stated, "My son, for once, remembered to call in back up and aid. The rest of your teams are here too. My husband got you both out of there with his team and a hospital Bullhead."
Blake stared, and slowly nodded.
"I... I see," she whispered.
Isabel scowled at her deeply, and Blake shrank back.
"My son risked his life to save you-Twice," Isabel stated firmly, "You obviously mean a lot to him."
"... I know," Blake whispered, looking back at him.
"So, the least you could do is try not get him killed in the future," Isabel stated angrily. Blake winced, and bowed her head.
"... I know."
Isabel sighed slowly. She reached out and pulled Blake into a hug. Blake tensed up, but relaxed into the gentle warmth of her embrace.
"I can understand how hard it can be to face your true feelings," Isabel murmured, "But it's better than running away from them. Believe me."
She let Blake go. She turned and left, leaving Blake and Jaune alone in the quiet room of beeping machines.
She glanced at a small mirror by the side of her bed. She took it up, and stared at her reflection. Faint scars crisscrossed her flesh. She slid a hand underneath her hospital gown, tracing the lines left behind.
"Hey," Jaune murmured. Blake dropped the mirror, and struggled out of the bed. She became lightheaded with the first step, but she managed to get to the bed and Jaune's arms. He pulled her into his embrace, and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Jaune," Blake whispered, looking up into his eyes, "I... How are you feeling?"
"Terrible," Jaune admitted. Blake nodded.
"Same," she murmured. She looked up at him slowly. She reached up to touch his cheek, the whisker-like scars carved into his cheeks still dark and obvious. Scars Adam had left.
Jaune reached down to trace her own scars with his rough hands. She shivered softly, and leaned into him. His hands slid up and down her body, one going to scratch behind her ears while the other stroked up and down her back. They stayed like that in silence for a time.
"... I'm sorry," Blake murmured. "It... It's all my fault-"
"Blake," Jaune whispered, "Enough, okay? That's not helping. I wasn't... I wasn't going to let the woman I love face that monster alone."
Blake looked up into his eyes. She licked her lips.
"But you're scarred, and injured, all because of-"
"So are you," Jaune whispered. He cupped her cheek tenderly. "Because that's what you do for people you love."
Tears boiled at the corners of her eyes, warmth filling her soul. She slid up and kissed him deeply, a kiss he returned.
"... I love you too," she whispered against his lips. Jaune smiled, and nuzzled her.
"Just... Promise me one thing?" He asked. Blake nodded.
"Anything," she murmured, "I'll do the most depraved, debauched things in my books with you, I'll-!"
"Uh," Jaune blushed, "I-I mean, I'm glad and... Yeah, we'll do that... But what I want more than that? Just promise me... No more running away." He squeezed her hand. "Whatever comes in the future? We... We face it together."
Blake stared back at him. She bit her lower lip and slowly nodded. She squeezed his hand back.
"... I promise."
