Author's Note: Okay, sorry about the wait; I'm kind of juggling more than one story at once. On the upside, we're coming back with some action (suggestive inflection optional) As always, please let me know what you think.

Mina felt the snowflakes melt upon her face. The air was cold, almost bitterly so, but dead still. One less observant may have found the silence deafening, but she knew better; silence was the best evidence that one was being hunted. It was upon this realization that they had halted and sent Blake to scout ahead, and her teammates were now fanned out in a defensive perimeter as the four of them awaited her return.

Take your time my dear Blake… best to take care and do things right the first time. Show your headmaster what you're capable of…

A slight smile tugged at Mina's lips, remembering how she and Blake would console one another in their failures when they'd been young, whether they had been in training or in operation.

Then again… practice makes perfect…

"She's taking a long time… I hope nothing happened…" Miss Rose fretted aloud.

"Peace, Miss Rose, surely headmaster Ozpin would not send us on a crusade beyond our abilities," Mina assured her, smile broadening, "and even if some harm were to befall her, I would have heard it,"

"Maybe," Miss Schnee allowed, "But what if you do? I don't like the idea of her being out on her own…"

"Your concern does you credit, Miss Schnee, but she is a big girl," And this isn't her first hunt.

As if summoned by Mina's assurance, Blake returned to deliver her report, "Beowolves, lots of them,"

Miss Xiao Long whistled, "Damn Mina, those ears of yours are sharp,"

Mina shrugged, drawing two of her stakes, "It's what I didn't hear, Miss Xiao Long; no birds, no insects, all clear evidence of Grimm in the vicinity,"

Blake cleared her throat, "East northeast, at about six hundred yards away, just over that hill,"

"That close?" There was a suppressed note of panic in Miss Schnee's voice, "Shouldn't they be after us by now then?"

"They're stalking us," Mina answered, as though simply commenting upon the weather, "Consider who is predator and who the prey; we are here to hut the Grimm, yes, but the hunt is all they know," There was a light rustling of cloth as several heads no doubt turned to scrutinize her, but nonetheless she went on, "They will wait until either we appear vulnerable or it dawns on them that we are aware of their presence."

There was a brief silence before her dearest spoke, voice enticing in its reluctance, "She's right… I… and probably Mina could get the drop on them, but if we all move on them, we can forget about surprise,"

Mina turned around, orienting herself based on the proximity of the other's voices so as to face the group as opposed to the outside, "I concur with Blake's judgment, what say you Miss Rose?"

"Um…" Ruby's voice betrayed her nervousness in much the same vein as Miss Schnee's concerns, clearly uncomfortably sending two of her teammates into danger while she stood by and waited, "You're sure we can't-,"

"Let us provide you with an advantage in this battle Miss Rose," Mina urged her, ensuring that her own speech betrayed nothing resembling an ulterior motive, "We can retreat back over the rise if it becomes too much, at which point you and Miss Schnee can cover our withdrawal,"

"You're sure you'll be okay Blake?" Miss Rose asked, the sound of her hood shifting signaling her having cocked her head, "Promise you'll be okay…"

"Sure Ruby, no stupid risks,"

"Alrighty then, go get 'em," Miss Xiao Long said approvingly, though the barely perceptible suggestion of envy laced between her words provided Mina a measure of satisfaction.

"Right," Blake confirmed, and the two of them set off, quickly and quietly.

"Are you satisfied?" anyone else would barely have heard Blake speak, let alone what she said, barely audible murmur that it was. Mina Carfax however, was not most people, and Blake knew that she was heard, "You've got your alone time; a pity that it's on assignment,"

"You seem to be avoiding me since Saturday night, my dear Blake," Mina's response was slightly louder than Blake's question had been, but not having quite such acute hearing, Blake had to strain to hear, "I'd thought for certain that you'd changed you mind but…" she sighed with only partial sincerity, "again I am forced to what opportunities present themselves,"

"Stay focused Mina,"

"But of course,"

Blake got the at once frustrating and… distracting impression that Mina was teasing her, as though humoring an errant child, "I mean it Mina; no one gets hurt today,"

"Of course not," Mina responded, adjusting her heading to avoid a bare tree, "I'm hut that you'd eve suggest such… unpleasantness…"

Like hell you are!

They halted just shy of the crest of the hill, at which point Blake approached Mina. They were too close to chance speech at this point, and so hand signals were the only option, and shrewd as she was, Blake knew Mina wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip by using her semblance to sense Blake's motions. Blake took one of Mina's hands in her own, pressing it back to Mina's chest, and then stretching it out to the right by way of instruction, and then pulled the hands to her own chest and forced them both to gesture in the other direction to indicate that she'd be moving the other way so as to catch the pack in a pincer between them. Mina nodded her understanding, then, to Blake's shocked surprise, pulled her close, stroking her from her breast down to her hip as though Blake were actually a pet kitten, and stole a kiss.

"For luck," was all she whispered, despite their proximity before moving off to get in position.

Blake stood there frozen for a moment, occasionally twitching as she went from startled surprise to pleasure to impotent fury at yet another act casual violation and finally the begrudging realization that she had enjoyed it.

I… I still want… No Blake, focus!

Shaking her head and pushing the insidious thought aside, she took a deep breath and sprang into action herself, quietly drawing the Gambol Shroud.

Mina slid three of her stakes home into the steel rings at the end of three of the spools of razor wire wound within her left gauntlet as she stood, her back to one of the bare trees that was all that separated her from the pack of snarling, slavering beasts that prowled the snowy clearing, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

Now then my dearest, just like we used to…

Mina took another deep breath closed her useless eyes, and activated her semblance. Suddenly she was perfectly aware of everything that mattered; absolutely everything within thirty meters was in realm of second sight. Thirty Beowolves, twenty-six leafless trees, and not so much as a moth otherwise; She smiled, running her fingers over the stakes and arming the driving charges on the head of the stakes as she readied to throw them.

Show me how you've grown… A sly smile, aside from the obvious…

Taking hold of a low branch, Mina vaulted up to an elevated position on an upper bough and hurling first one, then two, and finally all three of the stakes, thusly impaling the nearest three Beowolves, letting them collapse as she reclaimed the missiles by flicking her wrist and activating the reels. She caught all three of them in her left hand and licked her lips, baring her fangs as the pack turned its gaze upon her.

Come and get me.

The first slavering monstrosity bounded up to her tree, clawing its way up the trunk in a blood-frenzy. As it's gaping maw drew level with her chest however, Mina took two of the stakes in her right hand, taking firm grip on the third in her left, and rammed the sharpened end through the beast's eye, shattering it's skull and staining the trunk of the tree red. Teasing out the necessary slack as the second Beowulf drew near, she slung it downwards with a sweep of her arm, causing the wire to catch on the monster's throat. She then dropped backward off of the branch once the stake began to swing upward and wrap about its neck, and as she landed she heaved back with her left arm, rapidly tightening the wire around the Beowulf's neck until it so tightened that it's head was hewn off by the constricting razor wire. Catching the retracting stake, Mina took an instant to sense the status of the charging pack afresh as the less hasty members of the pack closed in.

Three more in the lead, followed by… Her smile broadened still further, Oh my dear Blake… this is for you…

In short order the leading three Beowolves were stumbling at the impact of the sharpened steel protruding from their ribcages, save the one positioned in the middle, which had caught the weapon instead in the flesh of its forearm. Mina waited for only an instant for the next wave of the pack to catch up, then moved her right hand over her left wrist, fingers playing over three buttons sending an electrical signal up the biting garrote wires and igniting the Dust-operated charges affixed to the stakes. In a spray of red mist her three immediate targets erupted in in bones and blood, slumping down into the shallow snow in bloodily mangled heaps to reveal the next four victims having been thoroughly impaled, two of which by a single stake.

She yanked the weapons back and withdrew into the trees a few dozen paces, embedding one of her stakes in the trunk of each of the nearest three trees. The frenzied predators failed to spot the trap however, as they continued to charge and Mina let out more and more slack whilst she continued to backpedal, until she finally locked the reels, pulled her left arm back and simultaneously twisting her gauntlet as much as possible. Her efforts were rewarded in spades as the bloody wires wound together in utter disregard for the seven Beowolves charging between, causing the ill-fated beasts to go to pieces in possibly the most gorily literal fashion.

… Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen… She took stock of the remaining enemies within the scope of her awareness, they certainly are eager, ah well…

Mina ran forward again, pulling the nearest two embedded stakes from the trees in which they were embedded, then drew the final cord taut as the next two of the growling hunters broke the tree line, thus allowing them to rather efficiently separate their own legs from their torsos. Stepping over the still-writhing bodies, Mina pulled the last stake from its resting place and in one graceful movement drew all three out of their housings at the end of the wires, stowing them in her hip pouch, and then threaded her fingers into the loops instead, drawing out a length of the cords in time to garrote and decapitate the next pouncing monstrosity.

Blake shredded what had to be the fifteenth Beowulf she'd killed with both the blade and sharpened sheath of the Gambol shroud when she judged that it was time to withdraw. She hadn't been expecting the sound of explosives from Mina's side of the clearing, that must have been new, but what certainly wasn't was the unnerving sound of shrieking and gurgling… There was generally plenty of that when Mina fought her battles… However efficiently they mowed down the Beowolves, there were always two more for each that fell. It was time to pull out.

"Mina! Time to go!"

Blake winced at the thunderous noise as another cloud of blood and fire bloomed across the way, but Mina had clearly heard, as she could be seen sprinting for the hill, leading a trail of dazed Beowolves in her wake.

Right, time for me to move too.

Blake found herself drawing nearer and nearer to Mina as they ran nearly in arm's reach by the time they reached the near base of the hill, "Any injuries?" she asked breathlessly as they started the panicked ascent, howling Grimm snapping at their heels.

"None dearest, you?"

"Don't call me that!"

"You love it," Mina teased, seemingly unfazed by the slavering horde pursuing them, "Nineteen,"

"What?"
"Nineteen kills, you?"

"I didn't keep-,"

"Don't give me that,"

Blake rolled her eyes, This is not the time… "Fifteen, maybe sixteen,"

"Then I win," Mina licked her lips as they reached the crest of the hill, "We can discuss my prize later,"

"Mina-!"

Blake's objection was silenced as a slug from Crescent Rose hurtled between them, shattering the head of the closest Beowulf. As the two of them started down the hill again, their flank was hammered by shafts of bright blue light, blooming into jagged mounds of ice as they collided with the horde. About halfway down the hill, a streak of blonde hair rushed past them, up the hill, tailing a battle cry. Looking up from the base of the hill now, Blake saw Yang holding back the center of the horde in a flurry of fists and flame, her flanks covered by the recently solidified Beowolves who'd fallen victim to Weiss's first volley. There were still too many for her to hold back at the front though, and a few of the smarter beasts poured over the rise off in either direction. Back to back, Blake and Mina readied themselves for another fight, but as they drew near, red and white surged to their aid, Weiss impaling the closest Beowulf on the left and Ruby liberating a beast's head from it shoulders on the right.

"We've got your back," Weiss assured.

"Take a minute to catch your breath," Ruby agreed, "We've got this!"

"Much obliged Miss Rose," Mina let her stance relax, opening her eyes, "We'll only need a moment,"

As Weiss and Ruby nodded their acknowledgement and got back into the fight, Blake turned back to Mina, "Did you overdo it?'

"Perish the thought," Mina smiled, resuming her fighting stance, "I was just getting a feel for the new surroundings,"

"That was quick,"

"The surroundings are simple ones," Mina shrugged, "My ears should suffice from here,"

What followed was a storm of steel, Dust, fire, and petals. What had once been a daunting horde gradually crumbled until only a handful remained, snapping and barking from their surrounded position on the hillside. Another moment and even they were no more, as Miss Rose hewed them down. All that remained now was quiet and the enticing scent of blood.

"Mission accomplished!" Miss Rose cheered over the sound of the Crescent Rose folding up.

"That was… a… thing," Miss Xiao Long nodded, speaking between gasping breaths and shaking the soreness out of her arms.

There was a slight clicking sound, Miss Schnee opening her scroll, no doubt, "I'll inform Professor Ozpin and call for an airship,"

"No objections here Princess,"

"Awesome job everybody!" Miss Rose's cheerfulness was cute, but perhaps a touch grating as well, "And Mina… Wow… It was awesome to actually see you fight this time!"

"Why thank you Miss Rose, I am flattered,"

"So it's stakes and wire and bombs?" The eager girl pressed, "you weapon, I mean,"

Mina could practically hear the awed expression on the young leader's face, "So it is, Miss Rose, but for now, I think we could all do with a break… and perhaps a shower…."

Blake heart rate accelerated as Weiss, Ruby, and Yang filed out of the shower room and back to the dorm, leaving her and Mina alone. The soothing heat of the water flowing over her was little comfort as her blood ran cold, fighting her conflicting instincts. She knew that she should leave while she still could but… she didn't want to…

Mina was facing away, not that it mattered; an hourglass was an hourglass regardless of which direction one viewed it from. There was silence but for the driving torrent from the showerheads as Mina rinsed the last of the shampoo from her silken hair and ran the bar of soap over the perfect skin of her shoulders…

No! No no no no NO!

But her voice wouldn't obey her mind, "H-hey Mina…"

Mina tilted her head in token of acknowledgement, though she didn't speak, and went on to scrub her other shoulder.

"C-can I… wash your back?"

Wordlessly Mina held out the bar of soap by way of invitation, and Blake found herself shutting off her own showerhead and moving over, despite the screaming warnings inside her head. She took the bar from Mina with one hand and laid the other on Mina's shoulder as she gingerly lathered her back. Her flesh was firm but her skin was smooth as her fingers brushed over it, recoiling initially at the unintended contact over and above the soap, but as her hand moved down to Mina's hip, Blake let her fingers fall back into contact with the velvet skin around the edges of the bar. Her heart beat so loud that she could barely hear the shower running even as it continued to beat down on them.

Mina let her head loll backward to rest on Blake's shoulder, her hair draping down over it, "It's alright my dear Blake, feel free to touch,"

Blake's heart stopped.

"You know how I feel dearest; I do believe I've made my… position very clear…"

"Was t-this what you had in mind-," she swallowed, "for y-your prize?"

Mina chuckled, reaching up with one had to stoke Blake's cat ears, "It might be… but then…"

She stepped away, and Blake couldn't fight the urge to reach for her as they separated, "Wh-?"

Mina turned to face her, a smug smile baring her fangs and narrowing her pale blue eyes, "That is much better,"

"What-, Why?"

"You misunderstand, my dear," Mina came close again, wrapping her arms around Blake's neck, pressing their bodies together and whispered seductively into Blake's ear, "You know you want me now,"

The bar of soap slipped from Blake's fingers and clattered to the floor, "I-, I-, No, I can't,"

"Of course you can," Mina wouldn't hear it, "If you didn't want it, you'd have left with the others…"

Blake swallowed, tilting her neck to the side, stretching out her neck to Mina, giving in, "Please…"

Mina chortled as she licked up the side of Blake's jugular, causing her to shiver, "I remember when I had to beg…"

"Please just do it!"

Blake winced as she was obliged and sank her fangs into the base of her neck, just above the collarbone. Blake's breathing grew heavy and labored as the pain sent a surge of adrenaline through her body, and she raised a hand to hold Mina's head close, fingers weaving into her hair, the other sliding about Mina's hip and coming to rest on base of Mina's hourglass. Blake pulled Mina closer still as she gave herself over to the rush; the superficial pain was a small price to pay… she'd missed this so much…

Mina drew her teeth from Blake's flesh and pulled her into a long, slow kiss as the blood welled up at the two little wounds. Blake found herself in a satisfied daze as Mina forced her tongue past her lips and explored the inside of her mouth. The taste of her own blood was… exhilarating.

As Mina continued to assert herself, the two stumbled towards the wall, legs entangling and slipping to their knees on the slick, wet floor. Mina broke the kiss off as Blake's back was pressed against the cold tiles, instead returning her lips to the streaks of blood running down from Blake's neck. She let out an involuntary moan as she felt Mina's tongue lapping up her blood from where it flowed down her breast and working her way back up to the bleeding wound, and then back up to her lips as they pressed ever tighter together. Her hands moved of their own accord from the back of Mina's knees up to her rear, the small of her back, around to her well-defined stomach, and finally to her lover's heaving chest, even as Mina held her head in place, forbidding her from parting their lips with one hand and teasing Blake's inner thigh with the other.

"I… I don't want…" Blake pathetically lied as Mina withdrew her tongue for the first time in nearly a minute, "I can't…"

"Shhh…" Mina silenced her with two fingers pressed to her lips, "We both know that is not true, the sole difference between us is that I accept what I want, but you…" Mina leaned back, mulling over her words with a look of frustrated impatience on her face, "I've made it so easy Blake… but if you desire something… dearest, you must needs take it,"

Blake stared dumbstruck, desperately wanting more as she admired Mina's body, glistening with streams and droplets of warm water but…

"Blake…" Mina leaned in again, but this time it was to whisper into her ear again, "I want your body, yes, but I want more than that… I want you along with it… However you may let me have my way with your flesh, that is something that you must give me; I can't take it myself… Therefore, I need you to take what you want from me…. Show me how much you still love me…"