They had to leave, and it would be hell trying, Modriot was sure. But they needed to leave soon, before they developed a sense of complacency and contentment. It was also incredibly likely that Weiss would try to separate them and send them to their respective family homes. It would awkward explaining to the heiress why she would herself had no home to go back to. It would also be an incredible drag if she had to go and collect her teammates individually. Jacen would be sent back to Vale, Mallaithe to Northern Atlas, and Aiden to Southern Atlas.

It was nearing midnight, and the manor was still silent, still in grieving like their mistress. It was no surprise that Winter Schnee, Weiss' elder sister was with the Atlesian military and no doubt having to come up with a reason for the missing artillery, but where was the head of the household? Mr. Schnee had not put in an appearance, and that was all well and good, Modriot supposed. One less person to deal with while they made their escape. For now, it was time to get the team ready.

Mallaithe would be the easiest to wake, so Modriot went there first. The tiny girl was already in bed, almost disappearing into the large downy surface. Her tri-toned hair was spread like a fan across the white pillow, making the gray and black sections look darker and her pale skin look like porcelain. The red tattooed slashes across her eyes stood out in stark relief, making her look like a corpse, drained of all color. Reaching out her hand, Modriot grasped Mallaithe's shoulder and shook her lightly. Suddenly, Modriot found herself on the floor, looking up calmly into Mallaithe's snarling face, pale eyes narrowed in hatred. As soon as it had happened, she was gone, like she had teleported to the other side of the bed. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, and she made no motion to help as Modriot picked herself up off the floor. Before either of them could say anything, there was an abrupt laugh that startled them both. Jacen had opened the door that was separating the two rooms, and had seen the whole altercation.

Modriot's glare killed the laughter in his mouth, and he cleared his throat, a faint embarrassed blush rising on his face. "Get Aiden. Do it now." Her command was soft, but the bite in it was sharper than normal. The tone brooked no argument, and Jacen swallowed whatever words were on his tongue to turn and do as she said. Modriot turned to face Mallaithe, who was already half-dressed in her normal attire. She refused to make eye contact with Modriot, but Modriot didn't care.

"What was that about?"

There was no answer.

"Tell me. I want to know."

A heavy sigh escaped Mallaithe, rattling her small frame. She kept her back to Modriot as she pulled the black section of her hair up in a practiced motion. "You wouldn't understand. You're too tough."

Modriot sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her, the gesture seeming alien from her. Mallaithe looked uncomfortable, then came around and sat next to her, but a little distance away. Her coattails whispered against the bedsheets as they settled, and Mallaithe stared down at her hands clutching the hem of her dress.

"It happened when I was young. It'll be a cold day in hell when I forget it. My hair has always been these colors since I was born, and my eyes were always this pale. I thought I was normal, because growing up on my clan's land in northern Atlas told me I was. My family had to move because of my father's job, and we packed up and moved to Vale. Then, I learned I was not so normal. I was teased on the playground for my strange coloring, and even called Spook Monster, much like Aiden does to me now. I know he means nothing by it, but it still hurts, even now.

There were these four upperclassmen that always seemed to tease me the worst, but I never really thought anything of it. But one day. . ." Her voice cracked, and her eyes squeezed shut, the tattoos looking brighter against her pale skin. "One day, they followed me, and they attacked me. They didn't like how I looked, and they thought that it was best left in their hands to change me." Tears were starting to find their way out from her closed eyelids, and dripped down to create dark spots on her dress. "It all happened so fast, but it plays out so slowly in my mind. Two of them held me, one with either arm. One held my head, and the other held the lighter and shears. They decided that I needed to lose some of my hair, to make me "more normal." I struggled, and the one holding my head didn't have a firm enough grip. My head jostled loose, and the one leaning in to burn my hair missed."

Her hands went to her neck and ear, cradling them. "He burnt me. He burnt my skin." Pulling her hair back, she showed Modriot the right side of her neck and ear. There was a patchwork of faded scars. Modriot reached out to touch them, but dropped her hand as Mallaithe flinched away. "I don't know how much time passed before someone stopped them, but it felt like an eternity. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with bandages covering half of my head. I have never let anyone touch me since; I can't stand it. I don't know how can be around Aiden either, considering I developed a rather severe pyrophobia."

"So I noticed." Modriot stood, and looked towards the door. Jacen and Aiden were standing there, and both of them looked sad. It was obvious that they had heard all of it. Mallaithe held their gazes, pale eyes narrowed. They entered the room and gathered around. Modriot looked all of them over, and then smiled. It was a cold smile, one devoid of anything human.

"We need to leave. We won't be able to do so quietly. I hope you are all prepared to follow my orders with no argument." Silence followed, and Modriot took that as an affirmative. "We will be splitting up to do our assigned jobs. Aiden, you will be creating a distraction. I don't think I need to tell you how to do that. Mallaithe, you will be responsible for some. . . beneficial thefts. Money, food, medical supplies, anything you know we will need. Don't get caught. Jacen, you and I will be commandeering a means of transportation. A Bullhead is too big and too loud, so that's out. We need something smaller, but speedy."

"Alright. You have your assignments. Mallaithe and Aiden, leave at the same time. I don't trust this place, so keep a watch for cameras. I know it's a manor, but these are the Schnees we are talking about. I wouldn't put it past it them. Now, go."

The entire manor was quiet and dark, and that was perfect. That meant that he had to move swiftly and silently, and Aiden knew just what to do. He and Mallaithe snuck along the hall, moving with barely a whisper of a sound. They would be going down a few levels, with her to the kitchens and him to the basement. He was banking on there being a wine cellar, what with this being the home of a very wealthy family. "So, where are you heading first?" He asked, turning back to face Mallaithe. She stopped, standing in a panel of moonlight that the windows let in. The light reflected in her eyes, turning them almost translucent, like they were lit from within. She blinked, and gave a small smile. "Kitchens first. Those are easier."

They split up after that, Mallaithe deviating down a separate side staircase, and Aiden continuing to the furthest level. It was easily sometime after one in the morning, after an hour had been chewed up developing a plan. Aiden was the key point to this plan, as it was his responsibility to keep the staff of the manor busy while the rest of the team snuck out. He knew that this was the Schnee Manor and that there was probably loads of Dust he could easily ignite, but that was too easy and would not cause the slow burn he wanted. Burn Dust ignited too easily and burned out too quickly, so it wouldn't afford the team the time it needed. On the other hand, he knew that there would be one thing that every ridiculously wealthy family had, and that was always kept in the basement.

A wine cellar, or an expansive liquor cabinet.

As he progressed lower, he could feel it getting colder. When holding wines, he knew that certain types had to be held at a certain temperature to preserve them. Unfortunately, wine didn't really ignite; it didn't have a high enough alcohol content to really burn. If he was lucky, he would find something with a higher proof, like tequila or sambuca. He came up on a door marked with a Schnee crest, and he knew that he found what he was looking for. Opening the door, he was greeted with a wave of oaky and dusty smells. Entering, he passed racks of barrels and bottles, until he found what he was looking for. It was an innocuous bottle, small and clear, holding a dark liquid. Cracking open the lid, Aiden took a small mouthful before spitting it out onto the floor. Chuckling lowly, he turned the bottle around to inspect the label. "Well, Mr. Schnee definitely has some things to hide, doesn't he?" The bottle he held in his hand was rum, and not just any rum. It was a 151 proof rum that was banned in certain areas, and it certainly was banned in this part of Atlas. The best part about this liquor was that it is very very flammable.

Tilting the bottle, he poured its contents all over the floor and over the other bottles in the racks. There were some bottles of tequila and brandy around, and they would make for some nice poppers in the flames. He made a trail to the door, then knelt down and channeled a bit of his Semblance to his fingertip. A little flame erupted there, and he directed his hand down, touching the flame to the puddle of liquid. Almost instantaneously, like it was gasoline, the liquor ignited, weaving its way to the other liquids in the room. Soon, the room was ablaze, flames crackling around the oak barrels and licking at the glass bottles. There was a loud cracking noise as some of the glass bottles shattered under the heat, and the flames roared even higher. Suddenly, there were loud shrieking sounds as some hidden fire alarms started blaring, intent on waking up the house. Freezing for a second, Aiden then rose and made his exit. He could hear hurried steps running towards the cellar, and he made it up to another level and dashed into a study so he wouldn't be seen as the staff came down. The air was filling with panicked shouts as the fire grew, and suddenly there were screams as there was a loud whooshing noise. Flames started licking at the door of the study, and it startled Aiden. Some idiot must have tried to put out the alcohol fire using water, and that wouldn't work, it would only make it worse.

The fire was encroaching into the study, and that meant that it was time to make his exit. Luckily, the window on the other side of the room was a latch frame, so he didn't have to shatter the glass. Crossing the room, he opened it, and felt a cool breeze sweep across his face. Wasting no time, he climbed out the window, and made onto the expansive lawns. He crossed the lawns, heading the direction of the large garage, hoping that his other teammates had managed to complete their tasks.

Mallaithe crept along the hallway, keeping her back to the wall and sliding along it. She had let her hair down, letting the black obscure the gray, and hid her hat within her coat. If she were to be seen, she was going to put on a show to the best of her abilities. Might as well live up to the Spook Monster reputation I've been given.

Provisions were easy enough to come by, but where would she find spare Lien just lying around? It was likely that there was a safe or a strongbox in one of the studies, but she didn't have the tools or the knowhow to crack it. Surely there must be some pocket change left around? Maybe she would be better off looking in the kitchens first.

Going down some stairs and turning into a long windowed hall, she suddenly pressed herself into a shadowed corner as a pair of maids rushed past her. There were chattering worriedly, not sure if they should help with the effort to quell the fire. One of the stopped talking and looked around uneasily.

"Is there someone there?"

Shit.

"Hello?" The maid was getting closer, and it was unnerving Mallaithe. Quickly, she shook her hair in front of her face, obscuring most of it and hiding her telltale tattoos. Stepping out into the darkness, she once again entered into a panel of silvery moonlight. Both maids gasped as they saw her, and pressed closer together, seeking some comfort from the the other. Peering up from the veil of her hair, one of Mallaithe's eyes flashed in the light, making it seem like she had pale fire in place of an iris. She pitched her voice lower and made it gravelly, and slowly swayed her hip forward, making the ribbon tails of her coat seem to come alive.

"Do you dare challenge the Spook Monster?"

Both of the maids clung to each other and gave rent to piercing screams. Turning, they both ran down the halls, their voices echoing in the empty halls. Pushing her hair back, Mallaithe hurried down the hall, knowing that it was only a matter of time before someone came to investigate what they were screaming about. While it was likely that it would be chalked to the fire, if they told someone that they had encountered the Spook Monster, it was possible that someone might come looking for her.

Following her nose to the smell of baking bread, she found the kitchens, and luckily, found them abandoned. Looking around, she found a decently sized bag tucked into a cupboard, and she started filling it with all kinds of things. Bread, apples, dried meat, aged semi-hard cheese; she knew these things to be good traveling food, as they would keep for quite a while. Filling her bag full, she tied it off, then left it on the counter as she started snooping around. It was very likely, in a large household staff such as this, that there was someone, most likely the housekeeper, was in charge of kitchen finances. That means that there must be some secret place that the monetary allowance was hidden, that only the kitchen and the housekeeper would have access to. On the flat countertop, she rapped her knuckles along the flat wooden surface, listening for a hollow sound. On the third rap, the hollowness she was listening for rang true. Using her fingers to prise up the slat of wood hiding the compartment, she was rewarded with a nice little cache of Lien chits. This was no doubt the money used to pay for groceries and cookware. Surely they could afford to miss this? Swiping them up, she stuffed them into her coat, and froze as a light landed on her.

"What are you doing, miss?" That voice belonged to Genoveva, the seamstress. She looked at Mallaithe from across the counter curiously, and then her eyes found the gap in the countertop. "Are you. . . stealing from Miss Schnee?"

"I'm so sorry."

Mallaithe moved faster than Genoveva could counter. She vaulted over the counter, grabbing the loose plank during the motion over. Swinging it, she cracked Genoveva across the head and laid her out, the seamstress crumpling into a pile like a wad of paper. Dropping the plank, Mallaithe grabbed the bag and rushed out the servant's door on the far side of the room, sprinting like mad for the garage.

"This job is going to take two hands, or else I would do it. As it stands, do me a favor and don't electrocute yourself like an idiot." Modriot stood against the surprisingly utilitarian Jeep in the Schnee garage. She was going to keep an eye out for Aiden and Mallaithe, and anyone who would possibly try to stop them while Jacen hotwired the car. She would instruct him how to do it, but it was up to him not to hurt himself.

"First things first, you need to remove the panels that cover the top and bottom of the steering column. Don't damage them, because you need to put them back." Jacen had found a flat-bladed screwdriver, and gently tried to lever them off. The plastic gave some resistance, but came off with a sharp snap. They weren't broken, just loud. Placing the panels on the seat next to him, he picked up the gloves he found and pulled them over his fingerless gauntlets. The last thing he needed was to be electrocuted.

"So, there's a bunch of wires here. What ones do I use?"

"Try to look for the wires that lead to the battery and the starter. You will be stripping those and connecting those."

"How in the fuck am I supposed to tell what is what?"

Modriot sighed. "They aren't really color-coded, but generally, the red wires send power to the car, and the brown ones handle the starter."

Jacen didn't have a wire stripper, but necessity was the mother of invention. Using the edge of the screwdriver blade, he pressed it against the dashboard and scraped the blade against the wire, trying to remove its insulated cover. With some pressure and some hard horizontal swipes, he had them stripped, their metallic insides glistening. With a quick motion, he twisted the power wires together, and was rewarded with the dashboard lights coming on. Swallowing, he then stripped the cover of the starter wires.

"Now what?"

"Freeze!"

Jacen froze, the live wires in his gloved hands. A group of seven men in tactical gear had stormed the garage, with guns trained on him and Modriot. Still standing calmly, Modriot gave the a cursory glance before she answered "Carefully touch those wires together. If you did it right, you should see a spark." A thin smile crossed Modriot's face, and she advanced forward, body swaying like a snake.

"I said don't move!" A harsh male voice barked at her, and the tension in the air was palpable.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement as she streaked forward like a bolt of blue lightning. Shots split the air as they hit the air where she used to be. Jacen cursed loudly and ducked down, trying not to zap himself with the crackling wires in his hands. He could hear the sounds of exertion and of hard blows being dealt. He brought the wires together and suddenly, they sparked, sending a pulse of life roaring into the engine. "Yes!" He exulted, as he hurriedly tried to recover the exposed wires with insulation. They would still prove a hazard if they weren't covered up, and he didn't need to catch himself while he was driving. Tucking the wires back, he replaced the steering wheel columns as fast as he could, then stripped off the insulated gloves. Tossing them behind him, he threw the manual Jeep into gear and hit the gas. It rocketed forward, smashing into one of the guards and knocking him sideways. Modriot took a running leap and landed in the passenger seat, her gray hair flying wildly.

They plowed through the garage doors and onto the lawn, tearing up the manicured greenery. A distant shout alerted them to Aiden, who was running at them full tilt in a perpendicular line. At the point of crossing, he grabbed the chassis and flung himself up and inwards, landing in a sprawl in the backseat. He righted himself with enough time to see Mallaithe chasing the car, a large bag held in her hands. Her arm arced forward, and there was a thunk as one of her dueling daggers hit the chassis. There was a silvery line attached to it, and it extended to her hand. Suddenly, the line thickened and shortened, pulling Mallaithe forward with an intense speed. She was using the water like a rope, and her Semblance was holding it together tightly enough for it to behave as it was solid. As she approached the car, she landed boot first on the chassis, then hopped into the car. She funneled her water away into its vial around her neck, and then pulled her dagger from the car.

Jacen floored the gas pedal, and they streaked into the night, a current of electricity sparking through each of them as they sped away from Schnee Manor. WInd whipped around each of them, ruffling hair and burning the eyes. No one cared much, as a triumphant howl rose from the car and echoed along the expansive road in front of them. Further out, they could barely see the reflection of the shattered moon on the breaking ocean waves. The ocean was their destination, and their passage back to Vale and into the hell that it had become.

Author's Note:

Just for fun, I will start including a list of songs were played during the writing of a chapter. Sometimes, they won't make any sense, but I will include them anyway. So, the playlist for Jailbreak includes:

Bruises and Bitemarks by Good With Grenades

Heart Heart Head by Meg Myers

Move Your Body by My Darkest Days

Nihilli Mambo by Block B

Pompeii by Bastille

Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix) by Lana Del Rey

Youth by Daughter