Chapter 42

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"So, how are you feeling today?"

Jaune winced. Ilia was the fifth person to ask that question in the last two hours, proof of just how surly Adam had been in his body. It still bothered him that someone had literally lived his life for a day without him noticing, but not as much as it did that Adam had done things with it. He was still working through the various new sets of orders and instructions, trying to find out if any were too violent or outright murderous.

So far, none had been. New training plans, advice for latter raids and notes on the various weaknesses of the organisation, such as their over-reliance on Lisa Lavender. Try as he might, he couldn't find reason to disagree with any of those.

"I'm better." Jaune said.

"Not going to bite my head off?"

"I wasn't that bad." He hesitated. "Was I...?"

"Well, you said I'd never have a chance with Blake." Ilia hopped up onto his desk, crossed her legs and then her arms. She stared down at him sullenly. "You said I was delusional for thinking she'll come to love me."

Well... Adam wasn't wrong, was he? Harsh as it sounded, Jaune was in full agreement on this one. Not that he had the guts to admit that to her face.

"Ah. Well. You know how it is. I was angry with Atlas and lashed out..."

"Yeah, so I heard. Angry enough to call off all co-operation with them."

"Yes. I..." What Ilia had just said filtered through his head. "Wait, I did what?"

"Cut them off," she said, making a snipping sign with her fingers. "Can't say I blame you for it – they were in it for themselves and put all the faunus at risk. I'm glad you decided to keep working with Beacon, though. They're better. We should work with them more."

And that idea surely had nothing to do with Blake. Nothing at all. At least Adam had only burned bridges with Atlas and not Beacon. He'd worked too hard for the latter. Was closing ties with Atlas really a good idea though? They were by far the biggest threat to the White Fang's continued existence. It was hard to tell if Adam had ended relations because he thought it the right choice, or if he'd done it just to spite the Kingdom he despised.

I could try and open them up again. Give Atlas another chance...

But what if Adam was right?

"You were snapping at Sienna yesterday as well." Ilia continued. "You might want to apologise to her. I bet the make-up se-" Ilia froze and looked behind her. Looked like she'd learned from her numerous foot-in-mouth situations. "I bet the make-up sex is amazing."

I really wouldn't know...

"Leave Sienna to me. No, not like that!" he growled when she made a whip-crack sound with her lips. "I mean that I'll talk to her. I actually need your help with something in the meantime. I want you to collate all the tips and information we've received from Lisa. I don't think she is yet, but if she ever betrays or turns on us, I want us to have some means of keeping her quiet. Call it blackmail if you like, but she has been breaking the law to help us so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Hmm. I don't know. After you were so mean to me..."

Jaune sighed. Life spent with sisters told him what this was. "What do you want?"

Ilia dropped the pretences immediately. "I want help with Blake."

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nooooooooo. Jaune had half a mind to walk up to the nearest wall and smash his head against it until Adam woke up. If that was how this whole thing worked at all. For crying out loud, Blake Belladonna wasn't even that hot. Sure, she was good looking in a broody, gothic kind of sense, but no one – no one – was good looking enough to warrant this level of devotion from not one but two red-headed terrorists.

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