'That was close.' Admonished Laurel Kell as she watched the operations leader tumble into the small compartment. She wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Taurus had always scolded anyone taking a task too lightly, yet he seemed to have forgotten the advice himself. She knew his cockiness would bite him in the rear one day.

She looked at him up and down. He was a mess of bruises and his mask was cracked in several places, though she was sure he was most wounded in his dignity.

'Where's your sword?'

'Gone,' Adam spat, bitterness evident,' Destroyed by some brat.'

'Shit, really?' That really surprised Laurel. She had yet to see anyone disarm Taurus in a fight as of yet...for it be destroyed in combat was unthinkable least to say.

'I would expect nothing less from Blake's friends, really,' Adam sighed as he flexed his sore muscles, 'She doesn't surround herself with weaklings.'

'Yet you tried to have some fun.'

'They are humans. I would have taken the both of them had the third one not show up,' He retorted, a bitter edge in his voice, 'Besides, we know where the package is.'

'If that is the case, then should be proceed?' Laurel shrugged. 'Your call, Adam. One word from you and we move into Phase B. Although….'

'Although what?'

Laurel hesitated. 'There were reported casualties by the new recruits. Two were apparently burnt alive in the firestorm outside.'

Adam simply nodded, his expression unchanged. It was as if Laurel had told him about the weather instead of the fact that two recruits had already perished. 'Did they serve their purpose, then?'

Laurel was sure she did a bad job of hiding her surprise at the utter dismissal of lives, but she continued anyway, 'They have failed to eliminate the team leaders. Snipers say they are circling around behind the train. We have no visual on them at all.'

She saw his jaw twitch slightly,and she swore the temperature of the room just dropped a few degrees. Laurel looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. He had been pretty clear on the elimination of team leaders, and it would have certainly taken out their biggest concern while putting a dent in opposition morale.

Adam was an angry Faunus, and in that moment Laurel did not want to be in the same room as him.

'Incompetent pieces of-' he breathed under his breath.

'They are inexperienced.' Laurel defended, 'I do not see you doing a bett-'

Smack!

Whatever she was about to say, it was cut off by smack. Her world spun as she felt the impact almost twist her neck. She steadied herself on the control panels, her cheeks stinging. Her ears rang from the impact, and though she did not see his eyes, her aura flared in warning. Tears of pain threatened to spill from her eyes, but she was determined not to show further signs of weakness. The only thing from stopping Adam from stabbing her this moment is the fact that she's a Faunus of the White Fang.

Laurel bowed her head and in a shaky voice, apologized, lest she incurs his wrath. 'Sorry.'

He ignored her, changing the subject. 'Has Kaa and Crim reported in?'

Laurel nodded, trying to maintain a steady voice, 'Kaa has. He is still holding off fine. He has 'died' once, useful semblance to have.'

'And Crim?'

'I evacuated him a while back, he should be getting transported off back to base as we speak.'

Adam seem to ponder this information for a few heartbeats, before speaking. 'Well that explains why the third person got through.'

Crim was supposed to guard and block off the compartment to the Adam. These hunters in training are definitely more competent than what they initially thought. Laurel had felt Crim's lifesigns flutter, and was lucky she even got him out, judging from the following explosions.

Laurel tilted her head slightly to the side in acknowledgement, 'If they took him out, then we should have brought more elites on this train.'

She knew Crim was no pushover. The guy was a monster of a Faunus, and nothing short of a rocket to the face could kill him. She guessed the semblance of Toughness, while boring and unimaginative when compared to others, is still quite damn useful. The chain detonations earlier might just have been what felled him.

These students are packing some serious heat.

'Kell.' Adam spoke.

'Yes?'

'Send the signal to the Bullheads, and start getting the reinforcements in here.'

Laurel nodded, and focused. Her she felt a familiar sensation of her Aura flickering inside her, like a weak fire in the wind. It always unnerved her, but it was of no consequence. Her mind clouded with static as she felt her mind fight to break free from its physical prison.

She closed her eyes and let go. Her mind soared into the skies above, whipping past red leaves and into the darkening skies. Laurel's mental eye was drawn towards the multiple dots of Aura that littered the red landscape.

Ethereal and free, she swooped down towards the raging firestorm that spread across the entire hill, into and through the thick smoke of burning trees. Straight ahead in the distance, she spied the walls of a minor settlement, teaming with Auras and emotions of men and women.

Laurel focused, visualizing herself ethereal form floating atop the village, and within a heartbeat, she was there. Scanning the landscape, she soon pinpointed a particular house. Though she could not properly see it, she felt the presence of multiple men and women inside.

She dived down into the marked house, through the roofs, and walls, into the basement. There, a handful of White Fang members awaited their command.

With a flick of her mind, she tore open a portal in the fabric of reality. To the naked eye, the transparent rift shimmered and warped. She mentally braced herself, as her mind was sucked back into its physical shell, whipping past land and people alike. As she slammed back into her body, she bit down and gritted her teeth, bracing against the coming storm.

Then, it hit her. A frenzy of pain, that flooded her mind, drowning out the outside world. She was sure she screamed, she did every time as her Semblance boiled through her veins, firing off every nerve and muscle. But soon, it subsided.

Laurel's breath came out ragged and harsh, and she fought to clear her mind.

She heard boots hit the floor in heavy thuds, and brief exchange of words. Try as she might to make out the conversation, the white noise blanketing her mind was too loud to penetrate. Her semblance, while useful, wore her out, if only temporarily. As she sunk into the floor, her blurry vision registered a number of people step out of thin air. Laurel maintained the portal open, each second sucking her Aura one bit at a time. At this distance, it was definitely more draining.

'That's enough, Kell.'

She barely heard the voice of Adam, but she shut off her semblance. The white noise immediately cleared, to be replaced by distant alarms. She looked up to Adam weakly. The men were leaving the compartment, filing out with hurried steps and armed to the teeth. They were not elite, but they were not green either.

'What now?'

The last person exiting the room was different, evidently the leader of the new squad. Her alluring figure was clad in standard White Fang uniform, but the full Grimm mask denoted her rank. Her hair was red in colour, almost the same shade as Forever Fall itself, and the ears that extended atop her head were similar in fur colour. Her bushy tail indicated that she was a fox Faunus. She had a three melee weapons strapped on her, two by her waist and one on her back- a sword and two axes. They all shared one characteristic. They were thick, bulky, and entirely lined with teeth. He took off the long sword from his back, and offered it to Adam. It was similar to Adam's katana, if not a bit longer. Its hilt was massive and it was lined with a rows of teeth, shielded on both sides by metal plating. It was a big, ugly and unwieldy looking thing.

Adam took it casually, 'Thanks, Carmine.'

The woman hurried off, another Faunus holding the door open for her. Laurel flinched as the sword roared to life, the teeth spinning furiously as Adam activated the sword. Now she knew the large hilt in fact, contained an engine. She shuddered to think what kind of damage it would do to flesh.

'Now?' Adam replied, finally answering her. 'Continue securing the train. We either kill them all, or let the Grimm do it.'

'What about me?' Laurel asked.

'Look out for your comrades, like you always have been.' Adam said, his expression softened slightly, 'Keep up the good work.'

Her chest swelled in pride at his words, and she beamed at him as she stood up, back straight, pain and exhaustion vanishing in an instant.. 'Yes, sir!'

'I know your semblance is draining, so do not push yourself unnecessarily.' Adam added, though there was no trace of concern in his voice. It was an order, but Laurel knew it was the best thing she could get.

'Understood!'

'And shut off the damned alarms.' Adam added, before slamming the door.

…..

'Get down!' Ruby hissed. Her voice, seldom so forceful, even Cardin obeyed. The entire group dropped to ground.

Nothing happened, but they all felt it. A gnawing, impending sense of doom. Their Auras were reacting to something. It felt unnatural, unclean, and very hostile. It felt like they were being watched somewhere close, or at least somewhere hidden. As hunters, they knew this feeling well enough. Even the hostile intent of a living creature to another cannot be this intense, this…abominable. That only meant one thing.

Grimm.

'Grimm. They are coming.' Ruby breathed. It would make their jobs a lot more difficult if the Grimm were involved.

'Too much negative emotions, too much hate.' Weiss agreed, 'It was only a matter of time.'

'But this fast?' Cardin asked, nervously fidgeting with his weapon.

'You would be surprised.' Weiss said, casting a knowing glance at Ruby. After a all, it was not the first time they were on a train filled with White Fang. Now the Grimm are involved, and that gave them both an uncanny sense of déjà vu.

Ruby Rose's ears pricked up, and she listened as hard as she can. With the alarms sort of muffled, she thought she could make out sounds of distant staccato'ed shots echoing through the metal vehicle. The cracking fires not so far from their current position was only drowned out by the hiss of winds. But within that, Ruby Rose heard not just the howl of winds, but the howl of Beowolves.

There was a growl, a deep throaty rumble of an angered animal. Much closer than they all anticipated. Ruby could feel the tension grip the group almost immediately.

Dead ahead, she spied black moving against red. A lone beowolf, stalked ahead, it's lifeless eyes scanning the area, as if detecting the source of all the hostile intent. It turned its head away from the group, and with a hungry growl, scampered down along the train away from them.

Oh, they were coming alright. Perhaps an entire pack of Grimm. While she was sure everyone of them had no qualms with fighting Grimm, they would rather much do it without people shooting at them.

'W-we need to get this train moving,' Jaune breathed, slightly stuttering. He was not the only one finding the prospect of facing off a horde of Grimm appealing.

Ruby nodded. They needed to reach the front, and fast. She hoped the snipers have displaced by now, and they really could use the element of speed at this point in time. Ruby cast Weiss a glance. She might not like her plan, but if all else fails she would pull her status as leader on Weiss. They needed speed. Caution went out the window long ago.

'Weiss?'

'What is it?'

'I need you to use your semblance on all of us, we need to jump all the way to the front.'

Weiss reacted as expected, looking at her incredulously. 'Are you out of your mind? What if they see you?'

'We were seen long before, Weiss. I need you to trust me on this.'

'I…' Ruby fixed her with a long hard stare. It was almost alien to see Weiss so worried and unsure. Perhaps their experience in Mountain Glenn really changed them.

Weiss finally nodded, and readied her weapon. She waved her arms and Ruby could feel a slight plunge in temperature as circular glyphs formed. No matter how many times she did it, Ruby was always enchanted by how graceful she looked. A side long glance to the boys reflected the same thoughts.

'I can only do two people at a time maximum, thought I cannot guarantee we all land in the same area.' Weiss turned to look at Jaune, 'I hope you have been working on your landing strategy, Jaune.'

Jaune laughed nervously, scratching his head as he nodded, 'Yeah, landing strategy.'

'I'll go first with Jaune,' Cardin said, patting Jaune on the back. It may have been a little bit too hard as Jaune stumbled forwards, 'You two are in a team, are you not?'

'We do work better together, yes.' Ruby confirmed. She turned to Weiss and gestured to the boys, 'Weiss?'

Jaune grumbled, and for a moment, it looked like he was about to puke.

'Oh stop whimpering. It's just a little bit if height.' Cardin groaned disdainfully at Jaune.

'Motion sickness, you do not have it.' Jaune shot back.

'Ready, guys?' Ruby asked. Jaune's nervousness always seem to bring a smile to her face.

Jaune grumbled under his breath, and readied his shield. 'Here goes nothing. Do it.'

…..

Kaa backed away, frantically dodging and deflecting against Blake's furious onslaught. Blake took satisfaction in the concentration of his features, despite it being obscured by a mask.

He was taking her seriously, and that meant Blake was a larger threat than he originally anticipated. Blake ducked under a swipe to her face, and immediately hacked at his wide open flank. She got one hit in before he disengaged.

Blake did not allow him much time to recuperate before pressing in once again. The man had one weapon, albeit a cruel and distasteful one. She assumed that in his arrogance, he could leave the other hand free. Now she was punishing him hard for his arrogance. Kaa was on the defensive while Blake, armed in both hands, whittled his Aura away one cut at a time.

She blinked back, a storm of razor blades tearing her shadow copy before jumping in for an overhead strike. Kaa blocked it in time, his gauntlet shedding bits of metal as it stopped Gambol Shroud's vicious bite. Twisting her body before she landed, she felt her feet connect with Kaa's chin as she somersaulted back. To his credit, he recovered before Blake could make a proper landing.

Snarling with rage, he threw himself forwards, barreling into Blake and toppling her over. Blake gasped as he tore his claws into her abdomen, swiping again and again, tearing away chunks of flesh and- she vanished. Like a poof of smoke, Blake's clone winked out of existence.

An impact to the side if his head tore Kaa out of his confusion, sending him flying head first into the walls. Blake -unhurt and unscathed- spun forwards, and hissed in dismay as her blades gouged out massive chunks of metal where Kaa had been. Kaa slithered back, his body moving in unnatural ways.

Her relentless assault was starting to take effect, and definitely showed in the ripped fabric of the man's uniform. She was a shadow, liquid in her movements and strikes, only solidifying when Gambol shroud bites deep.

Adam had taught her well, and Beacon refined get skills.

He was bleeding now, a dozen shallow cuts adorned his body, only clotting through Aura assisted means. Blake knew she was going to win, but she did not let her guard down. She could see the realization in Kaa's posture, and he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

Kaa backed out and did not reengage Blake, opting to fire at her with his storm of iron. Blake had the luxury and skill to wield two weapons, and collapsed Gambol shroud into it's ranges form while she batted away the projectiles. Numerous as the blades were, they lacked the stopping power and penetration of a real bullet.

Kaa learnt this when Blake returned with a storm of her own.

The bullets smashed into Kaa's body, spinning him around and throwing him on the ground. She heard him scream, mostly out of surprise than pain as he was sent tumbling into the wall. Blake kept on firing, her bullets only stopped by a strong projection of Aura that Kaa had hastily erected, but even then it was enough to shallowly embed itself into his flesh.

Her gun clicked dry, and Blake charged, her blades drawn, ready to avenge Sky Lark and wipe this sick man off the face of Remnant.

Then, he did something that Blake did by expect. He propelled himself forwards, mouth unhinged in an unnaturally wide angle. His fangs were extended, and unknown liquids glistened off it as he sprang forwards.

His speed took Blake by surprise. She tried to pull back, but his size belied his speed. She felt Kaa's fangs sink into her arm, parting through Aura and flesh. Blake howled, pulling back from the bite. With the hilt of Gambol shroud, she cracked it across the temple of the man. He relinquished his bite and drew back, his guard completely open. Blake lunged forwards, her blades flashing. Kaa howled as he stumbled back, a deep cut almost disemboweling him from the side.

He reached out with his unarmed hand, in a futile gesture to stop the onslaught of blades, but Blake smashed it aside with her weapon, taking a few fingers with it. Blake spun into his guard, and Gambol shroud attacked, searing into his outstretched arm. Each strike severed a major blood vessel, each strike was cold and calculated. Her mentor had taught her where to strike, to bleed someone out.

It came in really handy here.

Reversing her grip on her weapon, and plunged the sword back, and into the stomach of Kaa. She ignored his screams, and -with her entire body- lifted him up by the blade and over her head. Gravity took care of the rest, slamming her screaming enemy into the ground.

With a final swipe, she silenced the Faunus. His throat parted as her black blade tore through the jugular and through his windpipe.

Blood splatted and sprayed the interior of the train, covering the three Hunters in training with gore. Kaa was still kicking and thrashing, desperate for air, but soon his movements became sluggish, and eventually completely ceased.

Blake stared down into his lifeless eyes, and felt...nothing. There was still a fight going on. She drew her attention up to the grunts locked in combat with Dove and Sky. Surprisingly, the White Fang were holding off on their own, and the duo were merely keeping them occupied.

'Boo.'

Blake spun around, and was met with a crushing blow her to her face. She felt the flesh of her cheeks part as her world shook violently as she landed in the pool of blood next to Kaa's corpse.

She rolled back, to face her new opponent.

To her horror, Kaa stood in front of her. Alive and unscathed. Confused, she looked at the person she had just obliterated. Her mind had not been playing tricks, and Kaa was lying in a pool of his own blood, his body eviscerated from combat. Only now, Blake realized he was slowly flaking away. His muscles dried up, his wounds peeled back and his skin flaked off in a sped up process of decomposition, soon leaving nothing but dried bones. Blake's stomach lurched at the sight.

What the fu-?

She did not get to finish the thought. Blake brought her weapon up, blocking a swipe for her neck. She needed to fight this one too, it has to be a form of Semblance. If she killed this one, then maybe...

Then maybe...

Blake felt numb. Her limbs suddenly felt dead and heavy. Her vision wavered as she felt all the strength leave her body. What was happening?

She opened her mouth, to try to speak, to scream. But her vocal chords were unresponsive, and she only managed a croak. It was as if someone severed her motor functions completely. Like a puppet with it strings snipped, Blake collapsed onto the floor, her body paralyzed

Blake tried to scream a warning to Dove and Russel, who had their backs turned to Blake as they fended off the squad of White Fang soldiers.

She heard Dove scream her name as she collapsed onto the floor, his voice strained with emotion. To them, it looked like she had been killed outright.

She heard Kaa laugh, and felt his hands run through her hair. Her skin crawled as she tried to shudder, but it was impossible to move. Whatever the previous Kaa did, she was incapacitated, yet she could see and feel everything around her.

His fangs! Kaa had bitten her, and must have injected her with some form poison. Her increased blood flow only sped up the effects. She cursed herself for letting her guard down. The fight had seemed a little bit too easy.

She saw the shadow of Dove as he leapt over her prone form, his sword wildly slashing. Russel shouted something, but she did not hear him. There were still screams and grunts of pain coming from behind her as he held off the men and women.

A clash, and a grunt. A few gunshots and another clash. This time, a scream. Blake felt warm liquids splatter across her body,and her blood ran cold. The metallic tang of blood was sharp on her enhanced senses.

Blake wanted to scream, to tell the suicidal fools to run. She wanted them to flee, out numbered and out matched, they were sure to die. Yet the pair stood their ground, fighting a losing battle on both sides. A body fell heavily beside her, but she could not tell who. Whoever it was, he was bleeding profusely, so much so she felt the warm blood lap against her body as it steadily seeped out. The stench was overwhelming, yet she could not gag.

She briefly thought back to the scene of Sky, how it she woke in a puddle of his blood. Blake did not dare turn around, fearing she would see the sight of either Russel or Dove in a similar state.

Dust, no. Please no.

The sounds of metal against metal grew ever louder, increasing in ferocity and desperation. Whoever was left standing did not have the luxury of a scream or a grunt.

The floor shook with another thud, but the sounds of combat continued. There was a sudden wave of heat, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

She heard a blood curdling scream, and she recognized the voice of Russel. A roar of anger followed, and the attacks doubled. That only meant that Dove was still fighting, and Russel was injured.

Blake tried to move again, to will her body into motion, but her limbs felt sluggish and heavy, as if she had an Ursa Major sitting on her body. She tried to at least wiggle her fingers, and to her dismay, only felt them twitch sightly. How long will this effect last? Long enough to get Dove and Russel killed, and for Kaa to do whatever he wanted.

She grimaced at the thought. If Kaa brought her back to the White Fang in this state, she can't even bite off her own tongue.

A sudden loud gong shook the train, vibrating through metal and ringing across the carriage. She heard muffled cursing, followed by another gong.

The sounds of combat stopped momentarily, and Blake assumes both sides were equally confused. She heard muffle shouting and cursing, and realized she knew the voice. She just could not place a finger on it. Was it White Fang? A massive crash interrupted her thoughts, the sound crisp and deafening. The entire carriage shook with the force of the blow, and she felt a sudden gust of wind enter. She heard Kaa scream in surprise and frustration, and Dove eliciting a shriek two pitches higher than his usual voice.

A new voice filled entered her ears, in the form if a thunderous roar, immediately followed by sounds of objects smashing and breaking.

'Russel! Dove!'

Wait, that voice! She would recognize the voice anywhere. After all it had been the source of Weiss's woes for a semester. It was responsible for horrendous poetry, singing and the occasional girly scream opposite team RWBY's dorm room. The clumsy team leader, Jaune Arc.

'Oh Dust, Blake!' His voice was laced with concern, and she felt arms wrap around her shoulders.

She winced at the sight as she was turned around. She looked up, and almost did not recognize Jaune. So alien, was the look of anxiousness, that she had thought him to be a different man. Or maybe it was the nose, it looked a little bit broken and he was bleeding from it. She must have looked horrendous, covered in blood. Jaune clearly gagged at the sight, or maybe it was the smell.

She was able to move her eyes, at least.

'Blake?' Jaune asked, bewildered.

Blake tried to speak, but only managed to croak. She directed her eyes down towards two deep holes in her arm, hoping Jaune follows her gaze. He did, but merely frowned at the wound.

Blake caught a glimpse of the scene unfolding over Jaune's shoulder. The squad that Dove and Russel had been fighting with, lay dead on the floor. She mentally kicked herself. Dove and Russel were merely holding them off, not willing to kill, even after seeing Sky. No wonder it was taking them so long. It was only after they thought that Kaa and slain her, did they truly realize what needed to be done.

Blake had been long desensitized to the notion of dissing out death. She did not know if this was a good thing or not.

To her surprise, the man battling Kaa was Cardin Winchester, his mace tearing holes in the walls and floors with every missed strike. Dove was weaving through Cardin's reckless assault, and taking stabs at Kaa as he retreated frantically. Then, just like that, he vanished. Both Cardin and Dove looked around, confused at what had transpired. Blake was similarly bewildered. Was that another semblance? She cursed. That fellow is a slippery bastard.

Where was Russel? Oh Dust, please let him be alive. It would weigh on her soul to know someone died because of her failure.

Her heart lifted when Russel poked his head from behind Jaune, his face coated in the blood pouring from his scalp. He did not seem to care, and was fully focused on Blake. She could see he was equally relieved when she blinked.

'She's alive!' Jaune called out to Dove, his shoulders visibly relaxed at the announcement, 'But I don't think she can move.'

'Why is that?' Dove asked as he jogged to her.

'Don't know.' Jaune replied.

'What?' Dove spat, 'What do you mean you don't know?'

'That Faunus, he did something to her,' Russel called back, 'she can't move her body at all.'

Dove crouched down beside her, panting and sweating profusely. 'You are not going to believe what just happened.'

He looked up, and Blake followed his gaze. If she could laugh, she would. Instead she settled for breathing in and out at a quicker pace. There was a massive hole, in the middle of the roof. Red leaves sifted down the hole as light spilled in, lighting up the gloomy interior. But what really caught her cracked her up was the two human shaped dents around the point of entry, the smaller dent evidently the outline of Jaune. No wonder his nose looked a bit broken. It probably broke when he landed face first into the train roof.

That was one dynamic entry, and they obviously did not get to the roof via walking. Blake wagered they were either shot through, or just simply fell, neither of which made any god damn sense.

Cardin stomped back towards the group, stepping over the dead or unconscious form of White Fang grunts to the group. He seemed very disappointed in having his enemy escape. 'He is gone.'

'Won't be the first time, boss,' Russel grinned 'Dust, it's good to see you.'

The leader if team CDRL let out a small smile, before turning his attention to Blake. His smile dropped, to be replaced by a look of contempt.

Oh she knew exactly what he saw. Russel and Dove may have overlooked her car ears for the sake of survival, but she could not say the same for Cardin. Hopefully the man would not be so thick skilled as to bring his personal conflict into this situation.

'Cardin,' Russel started, placing himself between the two, 'We might be watched.'

His attention shifted to Russel, and Blake was thankful for that. She did not felt entirely comfortable when she is currently unable to defend herself. She watched as they discussed something in hushed tones. Blake was content not to find out at the moment.

Now, where was the rest of her team? She tried to speak, to ask Jaune where Ruby, Weiss and Yang were, and was surprised when she can manage a few more words. Perhaps her Aura is finally kicking in, purging whatever venom Kaa had injected her with.

'R-r….rw…by…' She croaked, drawing the blond's attention back to her.

'They should be flying over now.' Jaune answered, looking expectantly up through the hole and into the skies.

He frowned, 'What is taking them so long.'

Blake's heart sank. Did they run into trouble? And what did Jaune mean 'flying over?'

'Oh shit.' She heard Cardin groan. Jaune looked at Cardin inquisitively.

Cardin shook his head, 'We might be watched.'

'What?'

'Russsel senses something, his Aura is going all over the place.'

'But I don't sense anything,' Jaune said, bewildered and suddenly on guard.

Russel stepped in, and shrugged, 'It is hard to explain. A gut feeling, that is all.'

'A Spook, as you call it, 'Dove grinned. 'Spook. What kind of feeling is that?'

The mohawked man flushed red, 'Shut your shit eating face, Dove.'

'Larks always said you were imaginative.' Cardin grinned too, but his grin turned into a sad smile when he remembered Sky.

He clutched his head and ran his hand over his head, blinking faster than usual. He pursed his lips and sighed, 'Sky. You massive moron.'

It the struck Blake that what she saw in front of her was what is left if team CDRL. She realized things would never be the same for them ever again. Despite what she had thought about them in the past, she genuinely wished it could have been different. While she technically did have blood on her hands after the incident at Mountain Glenn, she was once again reminded that every kill had a consequence.

The men and women of the White Fang that lay dead in this carriage had family too, but she found it hard to find sympathy in heart.

What a vicious cycle, she thought, as she tried to move her fingers once again.

….

Yang groaned as her muscles spasmed and screamed in protest. Her legs would not work at all, the after effects of her semblance taking a huge toll on her body. The extra fight at the end, she had pushed herself to the limit and over. If she needed two, she can still fight, but damn if it won't hurt like a bitch.

At least the damn alarm has stopped.

Her heart rate was already normal, and her neck was painfully tight from the drawback of adrenaline. She was sure both Ren and herself have concussions. The Faunus –Adam, was it?- Had shown her how painfully out of their league the students are. When-IF- she got out of this, she was going to train her backside off.

On the bright side, together with Ren and Nora, they did drive him off, albeit barely. Ren is still alive -though missing an eye-, Nora is now with them, and Yang did not get any of her hair lopped off. It's a win in her book, despite being kicked around like a damned ball for a long while.

Least I didn't lose an eye, she grimaced as she eyed the male Hunter. Yang mentally kicked herself at the horrendously inappropriate use of words. But dammit there is so much potential for a pun, and she had to make them hear it one way or another. Ren is not easily offended anyway!

Ren was checking the magazine if Stormflower, both his green pistols were dull under the artificial light. She found that odd, considering he was known to polish it to a obsessive extent.

Nora sat beside Yang, her constant vigil never wavering. She took notice of Yang's discomfort, and asked. 'You alright?'

Yang nodded, then gestured towards the door, 'I will be fine, just keep watch.'

Nora mock saluted and returns to her post. She had restocked her explosives and is more than ready to blast anyone that came through the door. She now sported Ruby's massive Beacon schoolbag, stuffed with Dust, ammunition and explosives taken from each member's ammunition supply. While Ren had protested her carrying it, citing her injured shoulder, Nora would not listen.

They sat in silence, listening to the distant alarms and keeping their weapons trained on both ends of the doorway. They were more than ready to eviscerate whoever dared walk through with hostile intent.

Now? They were waiting for Yang's Aura to replenish to a reasonable amount, at least enough to last her a few hits. Yang was grateful for her semblance, as it allowed her to recover much faster than the average Aura user. She could already feel her muscles being repaired, her pain and soreness ebbing away at each passing second. Though as that happened, she felt the power gained through her semblance seep away as well, and Yang could feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Dammit she needed to stay awake, but honestly a few seconds of shut eye did not sound so bad right now.

Ren, while having limited Aura and stamina, was efficient in his usage, while Nora just is a damned powerhouse. What marveled Yang was that it turned out that Nora had more than a few broken ribs when she reached here, the girl's pain tolerance is through the roof.

'Nora?.' Ren called out, his voice still a little bit strained from the previous encounter, 'Is your scroll working?'

Oh yea, her scroll. She had completely forgotten about it, which is odd, considering that she usually checks it every five minutes during class, lunch, or generally whenever possible.

Combat is one hell of a drug, Yang thought, as she pulled it out.

Yang flicked in her password, and her scroll unlocked. She frowned at the reception bars. Nora did likewise.

'I got nothing, Ren.' She called back.

'Yang?'

'Nope, utterly no reception whatsoever.' Yang frowned, 'Odd. I was able to use it a while back.'

'My thoughts exactly, Yang. I cannot even access my own Aura meter.'

'Someone is jamming it?' Yang asked, looking up to Ren. Ren did not look back at her, but instead maintained his watch on the door.

'Who knows? Probably.'

'Damn, they thought of everything, didn't they?'

'Devious bastards!' Nora shouted dramatically. That brought a smile to Yang's face. Nothing seems to be able to keep the hyperactive girl down.

But this is odd. They evidently went through extreme planning in this assault, this raid. Yang eyed the package suspiciously. What could possibly be in that package to grab the attention of the White Fang?

Not that it mattered, as far as she knows, they were not getting it whatsoever.

'So…' Yang said, desperate to keep herself from sleeping, 'what happens now?'

Nora simply shrugged. Yea, real helpful, Nora.

'Now, we wait.' Ren said, 'we wait for our team members to come to us.'

'And if they don't?' The words were out of her mouth before she can stop them.

Ren sighed, but did not answer. Nora started humming, as if they were out on a school trip instead of a mission going down as quick as a headless Nevermore.

Yang did not press for an answer. Instead she said, 'I think, I'm going to catch a bit of shut eye.'

'Go on ahead,' chirped Nora, 'If anything goes South, I'm sure you will hear it.'

'Just be prepared for anything.' Ren said. But Yang was already asleep.

...

AN: Whelp, that was a thing. Any input is appreciated. Throw ideas at me if you want, because I'm still thinking of how they are going to get out!

Or who to kill.

I jokes.