Hello everyone! Short Author's note. So this chapter took longer than I expected with all the character development and planning, but I with a friend of mine who helps me edit finally got it to a place we were both happy with. Now that that is out of the way I have a really important announcement. I am changing my upload schedule again! So instead of every week on sunday, I will now upload every other sunday. Life has been what I like to call an organized shit storm lately, so with the extra week I feel it will give me the extra time I need to finish these chapters without rushing them and in my opinion keeping them from lowering in quality. I hope you understand, and thank you all so much for you reading. And as usual I'll see you guys in the next chapter. =D

POV: Jade Hunter

Chapter Twenty Eight: She's Dead Jim

The sun has finally set, while we sit on top of a roof across from a former White Fang safe house. Looking to my left I can see Blake intently staring at the door, waiting for any sign that the safe house is still in use. On my right is Lilith… At one time I loved her with my very being although now even though a small part of me still loves her a larger part hates her. I look back over to Blake and in a hush whisper. "Can you go over the plan one more time. The sooner we get this over with the sooner Lilith can return to her family."

Hopefully Lilith caught that hint…

Blake takes a short sidelong glance at me and nods before looking back toward the safe house. "Lilith is going to get the Eraser team's attention by breaking into that active safe house and stealing from them. They will assume that this is just her way of getting back at them however, it's really just to lure them out. Since their job is to hunt down any traitors, and do it quietly they'll likely follow. The fact that they have not come after her yet means they don't think she is a threat. But they probably aren't sure what she knows, meaning they may still come after her in the future. It's not uncommon for someone to leave but decide to return again after seeing fanus discrimination. Once Lilith makes trouble for them though, she will be labeled a problem and have to be dealt with."

"Blake," Lilith starts "are you sure about this, it's kinda insane." For the first time since we broke up I have to agree with Lilith but, I completely trust Blake so if she thinks we can do this I'm willing to try. "Lilith, Blake knows what she is doing, I don't know much but I do know that she was a member of the White Fang at one time so if she says this will work, it'll work."

Blake with a hint of sadness confesses, "Almost all of my life actually. I was born into the White Fang and was a part of them until a little over a year ago. As for the plan all you have to do is break in and attack the white fang members there, steal food and ammo from the safe house and get out. Make sure you don't knock them out and that they see your face, so they can tell the erasers who it was."

Lilith interrupts, starting to stand up looking as if she was about to turn and leave "Then I get a group of killers on my tail which is much worse than my current situation… I fail to see how this is better." Blake startles me by reaching out and grasping Lilith's hoodie sleeve and yanking her quietly back down into a crouched position. "I know you're scared and I know you want to go home, but this is the only way. If you fail to return they will hunt down your family and slaughter them, however if they see you 'die' then your family will be safe and you will be able to go home. This plan will work, trust me."

Lilith looks just as startled by Blake yanking her back down as I am, though the look of determination in Blake's eyes seemed to be calming to the both of us. Her plan is tricky but, this truly seems to be Lilith's only hope. Lilith gives in to Blake's persuasion and crouches down in her original place next to me, waiting for what comes next. The three of us wait in silence, staring down range into the darkness, the lone building silhouetted by the faint moonlight. I watch the time pass on my scroll as we wait, twenty minutes roll by, nothing moves, then thirty still nothing. Then just before the forty minute mark the lights inside the house come on, the illumination spilling through the windows. "That's your que Lilith, go give em hell." I whisper softly to my ex as she starts her descent from the roof, with the flash of one final thumbs up she drops out of our view.

I shift my attention back to the house and watch as the shadowed figure of Lilith approaches the hideout. From where Blake and I are positioned we can clearly see the window being smashed, followed closely by shouts of surprise and the sound of a loud struggle. The door suddenly swings open, slamming into the wall with a loud thud as Lilith runs through. She sprints out at full speed her arms filled with boxes of stolen supplies, a few even dropping to the ground as she goes. "Well if they didn't think of her as a problem before, they definitely do now." Blake mumbles half under her breath as she stands up, I do the same and together we follow the retreating Lilith. Using a nearby ladder the two of us make it down to ground level, breaking out into a sprint to catch up.

We can see Lilith a ways off in front of us and keep running, after we've gone far enough for it to be considered safe enough to stop for a moment to regroup the two of us call out to her and she stops to let us catch up. The two of us reach her pretty quickly and pause to catch our breath, preparing ourselves for the next part of the plan. "How'd it go in there, think you got their attention? It sounded like it got rough." I ask curious as to what exactly went on once she was out of our sight.

Even though we aren't together anymore, she was my first love. I could never hate her, regardless of how much I want to.

"It went fine, when I broke through the window there was a group of four of them sitting at a table playing cards. I caught them off guard and threw the table over, then the two who got up after that I put back down. I made sure they saw my face, and that they saw what I was taking. I figure that should be good enough to get their attention." I glance at Blake to see her reaction, and as usual her expression is near impossible to read. That is until she makes it obvious by looking at me and nodding, meaning that lilith did enough to be labeled a big enough problem to be eliminated. Even though Blake and I have been dating a for nearly a month now, I still can't read her. With how introverted she is I find it difficult to tell what's going on inside that pretty little head of hers. "let's get going, we need to get to the docks and start preparing for this inevitable fight." Blake speaks up, interrupting my train of thought and bringing me back into the moment.

Still half dazed I look to Blake and nod, which she acknowledges and turns back to Lilith. "Make sure you leave a decent trail, nothing too obvious but enough for them to know where you went. Some scattered supplies, a knocked over trash can, if you really want to commit you could even make them think you were injured and leave some blood around." She pauses, seeing the uncomfortable look on Lilith's face. "But just make sure it's noticeable." Lilith grabs a few boxes of assorted supplies and chucks them out over the road. "Can do boss, i'll be sure to scatter as we go." Black stares blankly at Lilith but says nothing before giving a slight nod and turning to walk down the road towards the docks.

Something's bothering her…

Lilith turns to look at me, her expression a mixture of confusion and what I suspect to be fear. "Whats up with her?" She questions as we walk after Blake, I shake my head. "I don't know, but I plan to find out." I increase my pace so that I can catch up to Blake and walk at her side, she's still walking but quick enough to where I have to jog slightly to keep up. "What's wrong Blake? I mean I know Lilith is a pain but even I wouldn't say she's that bad." I joke, trying to lighten the mood a bit but it seems to miss it's mark. "Jade this isn't the time to be making jokes, Lilith is in serious trouble here!" She snaps at me with a harshness I haven't heard from her before, she's obviously angered by my failed joke. The glare of her amber eyes cuts through me, making me feel like an ass for joking around. Ashamed, I look away from her and stare straight forward while I speak. "I know i'm sorry… It was in bad taste, I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Something's obviously bothering you, do you wanna talk about it?"

I sneak a timid glance back at Blake and notice her looking back to Lilith, who seems to be hanging back to give us our privacy. Being careful to avoid Blake's gaze I go back to looking straight ahead and listen for her reply. After a long pause and a loud sigh Blake finally speaks. "I'm sorry too Jade, it isn't your fault. I'm just on edge right now is all, my plan could go horribly wrong and if Lilith got hurt because of me i'd feel awful. That puts a lot of pressure on me… and well there's a reason I haven't told you about a lot of my past. I used be a part of the White Fang Jade, for most of my life actually. I managed to get away from that life and get into Beacon, but now that i'm dealing with them again… It's really hitting me hard emotionally." I had my own thoughts of what Blake's life may have been before I had met her, but the reality is so much different than even that most outlandish thoughts I had.

Silence hangs in the air as the two of us walk side by side, avoiding each other eyes. "I can't say I guessed the White Fang, but I figured there was a good reason you didn't want to talk about your past. But now that I know… it makes sense, and i'm sorry for dragging you into a situation that brings up bad memories from your past. Especially considering how hard you had to work to get away from that life in the first place." Much to my surprise Blake grabs me and pulls me in for a tight hug. "It wasn't your fault Jade, if anything it's mine for not telling you. I was scared of what you might think if you knew what I used to be...I…I was afraid of losing you Jade." Blake rests her head on my shoulder and I can feel her trembling in my arms. Seeing Blake show her emotions openly like this is strange, but I could definitely get used to it. "I hate to interrupt your moment but you know, the squad of killers hunting me kinda has me on edge."

Damnit Lilith…

Blake shoots up and separates herself from me, obviously embarrassed by Lilith seeing her so vulnerable. "Lilith's right we should get going. We aren't far from the docks now it's just up ahead." I try to take Blake's hand, to comfort her, to pull her back to me and show her how much I care about her, but I can't and she breaks away and leaves me standing alone with Lilith. I shoot a look to Lilith showing my annoyance before I start to follow after Blake, trying my best to keep up with her now increased pace. After another five or so minutes of jogging we reach the docks. The area laid out in front of us is a large open rectangle shaped loading area with storage containers stacked in precise configurations off to our right, forming a makeshift wall that blocks the other half of the loading dock from having access to the water.

To our left is a two story office building that somewhat resembles the dorms at Beacon with a zigzagging staircase leading up the side to provide access to the roof. The whole compound is surrounded by a chainlink fence leaving only one entrance, the one were standing in. I look to Blake who's standing just past the gate examining the office building, Gambol Shroud in her hands. "Jade you get on top of that building and stay hidden. Don't reveal yourself unless you absolutely have to. Lilith and I are going to stay down here and wait for the eraser team." I nod and unsling Jaded Sarcasm, the bow variation of my weapon from my shoulder. I make a quick dash for the staircase, channeling my semblance into my weapon as I do. Which creates the bowstring and automatically notches a spectral arrow onto it. I reach the roof and find myself a place to hide, hunkering down behind an AC unit that gives me enough cover so that i'm completely hidden but I can still peek over and keep an eye on things. I settle into my cover and wait, watching Blake and Lilith while I do.

They seemed to appear out of nowhere, almost materializing in front of Blake and Lilith. The three man eraser team stand in front of my friends with their weapons drawn, but make no attempt to advance towards them. The three of them stand side by side with a few feet distance between each. The man in the middle (which I assume to be the leader.) Stands about a foot taller and is more muscular when compared to the other two. From my lookout on the roof I can faintly make out a conversation between the two sides, and based on the hand movements and body languages the leader of the Eraser team is the one doing the talking. "So Belladonna, you're behind this. Figures as much, I doubt Lilith of all people would be able to pull this off on her own." He shifts his weight and points at Blake accusingly, his voice raising with his anger. "I'm gonna make you pay for your betrayal, but only after you've watched your little friend here suffer for hers." He raises his weapon which appears to be a great sword above his head and charges at Blake, he's lackeys close behind.

Blake easily parries the barbaric attack, forcing the tip of his weapon into the ground before delivering a hard kick to the chest. The first kick is followed up immediately with another roundhouse to the head, leaving the would be attacker staggered but still standing. Blake rolls backwards leaving a shadow clone in her place, which the two henchmen fall for, slashing savagely only to hit nothing but air. Their mistake costs them as Blake attacks again, unloading a few dust rounds into the closest enemy's chest sending him flying. Even with aura protecting him, he won't be getting up for a while. Which leaves the two of them with one less enemy to deal with. Though unfortunately the bit of breathing room Blake earned is short lived, the squad leader being already back on the offensive.

Only this time Blake doesn't have time to parry and she is knocked off balance, leaving her exposed. I watch helplessly as the attack connects, the blunt side of his sword smashing into her ribs. It takes all the self control I can muster to stay down and not give myself away, only being able to watch helplessly as my girlfriend fights. The blow leaves Blake stunned, most likely from the pain of the impact but thankfully Lilith comes to the rescue. She dashes forward striking quickly with her tomahawk, landing a direct hit on the enemy leader's shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon and cry out in pain. Blake and Lilith both retreat away from their wounded foes, with Blake still holding her ribs. After they gain a bit of ground Blake stops and yells to Lilith. "Lilith run, i'll take care of them from here." Lilith hesitates but keeps running, following Blake's commands.

That's my que...

I stand up from my hiding spot and draw back my bow string, watching as the spectral arrow glows red from the dust infused inside it. Taking careful aim before I let it fly, sending it soaring across the compound before it connects with its target, a set of oil drums a few feet behind Lilith. The oil ignites creating a massive fireball that engulfs the area in flames and smoke, surprising the White Fang thugs as they try to gather themselves. Going along with the plan Blake turns to look at the flames, screaming Lilith's name. When there is no response I can hear her crying, her performance is quite convincing. With their target seemingly eliminated the eraser squad's leader gains his confident tone back, despite his team's condition. "In the end all it took was a little oil and a spark to take that weak bitch out, could have saved ourselves some trouble… You'll have to deal with the fact that her death was your fault Belladonna, it's not quite the suffering I wanted but it'll do till I can kill you myself. Next time you won't be so lucky, even with Ozpin at your back." And with that the leader and his injured team retreat, disappearing into the darkness.

As the sun starts to rise and burn away the darkness, Blake, Lilith and I stand at the Vale airship dock waiting for Lilith's ship to arrive. After the fight last night was said and done the three of us got together and made the trip back into the main district of Vale, Blake's ribs are injured but to what extent we aren't sure. Lilith got some minor burns as well from the explosion but considering what could have happened she got off easy. The airship comes into view and slowly starts to dock.

This should be the easiest goodbye, but somehow it's still the hardest….

"I'll give you guys a moment." Blake says as she slowly walks away with what could only be a tear in her eye. "Lilith," I start. "It's time for you to go home." "Wait!" Lilith interrupts. I put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. "No Lilith, you have to go home. What we had is over. I never truly got over you until I met Blake. I'm glad you came to me for help, and that we were able to help you but this needs to be the end. I'm also sorry if what I'm saying hurts you but…" I take a breath and collect my thoughts as Lilith starts to cry. "Lilith, I'll always love you. You were my first love, but after what you did we could never go back to what we were. I don't hate you anymore and you owe Blake for that. If not for her I wouldn't have helped you, I was angry and I didn't want to look past that. I couldn't bring myself to forgive you because it hurt me to much, but she helped me overcome that, and see what that anger was doing to me. After all this the best thing for you is to go home and be with your family, and maybe one day we can become friends again. I hope you understand." The hurt is evident on her face but she wipes her tears away as she replies.

"Your right and I'll forever regret what I did to you. Thank you for everything." Lilith goes to turn around when I toss a bag of candies, my sister's favorite candy, Zours at her. "Could you give those to Lucy for me and tell her that I'm sorry for not making it home." She cracks a thin smile. "Sure, no problem." She answers offering a half smirk and a wave as she turns and walks onto the airship.

I rush to catch up to Blake, and as I come alongside her I wrap an arm around her waist and use my free hand to wipe her tears away. "Don't worry I'm not going anywhere except to the medical ward on campus with you, we need to get your ribs checked out." Blake surprises me with a huge smile and a kiss on the cheeks as she lays her head on my shoulder. "I like the sound of that."