Thank you to all who noticed the problem . sorry, I ought to have checked before posting! Anyway, as I had two chapters prewritten, here's the next bit :)

The woman's claws slashed too close for comfort. Blake barely managed to keep out of her reach.

Gambit Shroud was out but she didn't get a chance to strike back. Whoever this was, she was one of the fastest fighters she'd ever encountered. She rivalled Yang on the hand-to-hand combat—she was probably even better.

Blake hissed as a claw sliced her shoulder, drawing blood and with it, pain. She winced. Her aura hadn't protected her.

Blake slashed back with Gambit Shroud and propelled herself into the air. She landed on a low branch, catching her breath. The woman below her was different from her. Blake fought Grimm, and other forces of evil in self defense.

This woman fought with the intention to kill.

The 'faunus' spun around, lips peeling back into a grin. "Quick, little kitty," she laughed, clicking her claws together. A drop of Blake's blood ran down her fingers. "Say, my name's Leone. I don't believe we've met."

She prowled closer, eyes gleaming. Blake readied herself to jump the moment she attacked her. She knew it was coming. She was more feral than human at this point.

"I'd think I'd have heard of someone of your skill," Leone continued. "Especially with a weapon like yours… I thought they were all handed out or broken… but it seems not..."

"What are you talking about?" Blake snapped. "Why... why would you know about me?" She raised Gambit Shroud in gun form and the woman's eyes widened. "I don't want to fight you."

"It changes!" Leone said excitedly. "Oh, that's new!" Her tail lashed impatiently behind her.

"What do you mean?!" Blake was getting more and more confused. Losing Yang and the rest of her team didn't help. "Have you never seen a weapon like this?"

Her ear twitched. "I've seen weapons like it, just not of that kind. I think Akame would like to check it out once I'm through with you!"

The words had barely left her mouth before she was leaping in the air towards. Razor sharp nails sliced at her.

Blake fired off two shots before using Gambit Shroud to swing to the nearest tree. Leone followed. It descended into a game of cat-and-mouse; Blake was the mouse for the first time in her life.

Whenever she got the chance, she fired at Leone but most of them missed. A few grazed her skin which she hardly noticed.

However, one got her right in the arm.

Leone slipped from a branch, crashing to the one beneath. Blake thought maybe she'd gotten her but that wasn't the case.

Leone just shook it off like it was a scratch and came leaping for her again. From the amount of scars on her, she'd obviously suffered through much worse than a bullet wound. What sort of life had she led?

"Nice shot!" she laughed, snagging Blake's ankle.

Pain shot up Blake's leg as she faltered, failing to get away quick enough. The two of them fell from the canopy to the forest floor beneath. Blake cried out, leg buckling beneath her.

Her aura really wasn't working. Blake scrambled backwards, firing Gambit Shroud in an attempt to ward her off. But Leone ducked and weaved expertly.

"Shame… you seem like a nice person," Leone sighed, leaning over her.

Blake kicked out with her other foot but she just batted it away. Leone's hand curled around her neck.

"Blake!" Suddenly a voice echoed through the forest.

Leone paused, ears pricking. "Hmm?"

"Blake!" It was definitely Yang. Blake thanked Oum her partner had chosen that moment to scream for her.

Because she shot Leone right through the stomach.

She'd been distracted for only a second but it was all Blake needed. Leone cried out in pain, doubling over where she stood. She backed away, tail lashing frantically.

"Sneaky… I like it," Leone panted, paws rapidly turning red. "All's fair in love and war, as they say."

"Blake!"

"Yang!" she cried out.

Yang emerged from the forest with a very angry, dark haired woman wielding a very long and scary looking sword.

"Yang!"

Something about the woman's sword screamed danger. She couldn't let it touch her.

Which was easier said than done.

Her opponent was one of the most skilled fighters she'd ever fought. Yang had never seen someone so agile yet calculated. Her eyes were hardened with determination, glowing a deep red almost similar to her mother's.

Yang was fighting her very hardest to stay alive. The blade scraped her gauntlets, her only defense against its razor edge. She tried shooting fire at her but she just weaved around it.

Whoever she was, she was very used to fighting. It was second nature to her.

A bead of sweat rolled down Yang's forehead. She needed to escape. There was no way she'd win like this.

When she stabbed for chest, Yang saw her opening. With an open palm, she blocked the edge of the blade and directed it into the tree next to her. Her momentum meant it really sliced into it.

Yang bolted the moment she had the chance. She tore into the trees like her ass was on fire. She needed to put as much distance between them.

"Get back here!" Her sharp voice echoed behind her. Her attacker was struggling with her sword but Yang knew she didn't have long before she came after her.

"Blake!" Where was she?

"Blake!" She heard footsteps start behind, quick ones. She was giving chase. Yang swore under her breath.

"Blake!" she cried desperately. She was just running to nowhere.

"Yang!"

Yang spun her course in the direction of Blake's cry. She was close enough, surprisingly. Luckily, she'd been running in the right direction.

She exploded out into a clearing, chest heaving as she skidded to a halt. She looked around.

Blake lay on the ground, ears flat against her head. She was bleeding from several wounds, the most noticeable being her left leg. She'd been grounded.

A blonde woman was crouched by a tree, bleeding viciously through a stomach wound. When Yang emerged she swore she was looking into a mirror.

"Yang!"

Yang jumped to the side just in time. A sword sliced down right where she'd been. She ran over to Blake.

"You shot her, you little-" Pure fury came out of her mouth as her red eyes latched onto Blake. "Just you wait! I'll carve you up for daring to hurt her!"

Yang readied herself while Blake raised Gambit Shroud. If they were going to go down, they'd go down fighting.

"No, calm down," the 'faunus' said, grabbing the woman's arm. "We can talk. We can talk this out, yeah?"

Yang knew she wouldn't be able to carry Blake out fast enough. The woman with the sword slowly lowered her weapon but the sharpness in her gaze didn't dull. Yang didn't really have a choice.

She nodded, helping Blake to her feet. "Yes. We can talk."