RWBY: The Bumblebee in the Rosegarden

Chapter 36 Not Him!

Oscar's POV:

It had been a couple of days since Ruby and I went public with our relationship, and things were...well, a little weird. Her dad and Qrow had mixed feelings about this, especially since Ruby and I often slept together. Yang wasn't speaking to me and Nora; let's just say she became our autobiographer. Now that things were going how they were, I felt a sense of relief, but not too much. Blake had already returned to see Adam again, and she looked worse than before.

The secret about Adam we were hiding was getting bigger and bigger, and I knew we had to say something soon. Blake was getting scared by all this, and I can't blame her.

"OK, Blake," I said after her most recent visit to Adam, "what'd you learn this time? Also, do you need any medicine or something?"

"OK," sighed Blake, "I couldn't learn much of anything new, but Scratchclaw is definitely working with Salem. But I'm not sure what she will give him in return."

"OK, I'm sure he only wants revenge against me, but he could do it anytime. Salem must be offering him something else if he's working for her. Power, maybe?"

"But what could a monster like Scratchclaw possibly need power for? After he kills me, will he just murder people like before, or does he have another agenda?"

"I'm not sure. I saw Scratchclaw in the hideout but didn't get a chance to speak with him. Though I'm not sure if I can."

"Don't worry, you don't have to do it. We'll find out soon enough, although did you learn anything else from Adam? Like why he's working for Salem again or what the master plan is?"

"Adam doesn't seem to know what the plan is," Blake rubbed her stomach, "but as far as I know, I think he believes he can have me after Salem is done with her palm."

"But that doesn't mean she needs you personally for this, right?" I asked, "It could've been anyone as her victim! The only reason she would have picked you is because of Adam!"

"Maybe that's why she chose me!" gasped Blake, "she used me as an incentive to get Adam to cooperate with her because she knew that with his skills and our history, he'd be a perfect tool to use!"

"That makes sense, but it's not like Adam will just stick around for stabbing you. There has to be more to it than that!"

"Yea, maybe he-ow!"

Blake collapsed on the ground in pain. Her aura shimmered, but something didn't look right about it.

"Blake, are you alright?" I asked worriedly.

"This Grimm fluid is really messing with my aura; look," Blake winced, clutching her sides.

Blake showed me her aura, which was flickering on and off. Black veins appeared in it, showing how it was coursing through her.

"I can barely use my semblance now. If I go into battle, they're gonna know something."

"Then maybe we should tell them! I'm worried about this situation and even more scared for you!"

"No, Oscar, I'll be fine. If I tell anyone, Salem will kill me!"

"But if we don't, this poison might kill you first!"

"I know, I know, and I feel terrible for hiding this. Adam said there were only two more times left, and then he was done. After that, we can tell them."

"But why not tell them now? It's about to get serious for you, I can tell! Please, Blake, I'm scared for you."

"I'm scared, too!" Blake started crying, "I'm lying to Yang. You are lying to Ruby because of me, and we're both lying to our friends and family. I'm scared of Adam, but I will deal with it to keep them safe."