Jaune slid down the tent wall, panting heavily as the blood pooled from the twitching body tied to the pole that had been the center of the tent. The knife he had been wielding slipped from his numb hands to clatter loudly on the floor. He began to retch as the copper scent of blood filled his nostrils and his furry ears flattened against his skull.
"You finally did it." Adam's voice echoed out of the shadows, "Good job."
Jaune curled into a ball, eyes wide with numb horror, "How can you say that? How can that be good?"
"You did what had to be done." Adam said, walking forward,"It's the only way that The White Fang will ever get equality."
Blake - face pale - followed a beat behind him, eyes filled with sympathetic sorrow. She crouched down next to the distraught wolf faunus and gripped his shoulder. He lunged at her and wrapped her in a hug, choking and struggling to breath. She ran her hands through his hair and whispered comforts in his ears.
Blake's eyes narrowed at the dispassionate air Adam displayed.
"I'll take him to the housing tent." She said.
Adam nodded, more intent on the body that was motionless in its slumped position, "We need to clean up anyway, I have a meeting."
"Blake... What have I done?" He whimpered into her shoulder as he shook.
"I'm sorry Jaune." She replied, "You shouldn't have been forced to do that."
"I can't... He was pleading with me to not do it... God... How do I live with what I did?" He whispered.
Blake shook her head, unable to give a response.
She never really found an answer herself.
Jaune was strong, he could kill grimm, schnee bots, and knew multiple ways to subdue a live opponent. But never kill. He had never been able to kill.
He'd never been forced to.
Blake had overheard that Adam was going to 'take care' of Jaune if he was incapable of doing that last requirement. Blake had sprinted as quietly and quickly as she could to Jaune's tent and relayed Adam's intent. Jaune eyes widened and he began to shake. An orphan in Mantle when he was found he didn't know anything but his first name. Blake's family found him shivering in the rain under an outcropping of their roof and took him in. He was integrated into the White Fang at Blake's side and they had come to become Adam's right and left hands. However, for all his skill and abilities, Jaune was gentle, kind, willing to give the shirt off his back rather than let a person suffer from the cold.
"I can't stay here." He said quietly.
"What?" Blake whispered, voice shaking.
"He's seen me kill... He'll think I can." Jaune quietly whispered, voice filled with grim resolve, "I'm sorry Blake... I can't... I won't kill like that again. I don't think I'll survive if I do. I'll sneak out, see if I can get to the shore and hitch a boat to Mantle. If I go now, they won't expect it, maybe they won't kill me before I get out of range."
Blake eyes narrowed, "You aren't going anywhere without me."
Jaune turned to her, "Adam will kill you if you leave!"
"You think he'll just give you a slap on the wrist?" She demanded, "I've been thinking about quitting too. I have a plan."
"You do?" Jaune inquired.
"After Adam's meeting," She said quickly, "Adam and I are supposed to hit a train full of dust. I'll convince him to bring you along..."