Sorry for the long time between updates, but I've recently gotten distracted by another Bumblebee project (not a fic), so I kinda lost the plot on this for a while. Anyway, enjoy.

Qrow accompanied the four girls out to the waiting Bullhead, giving last minute details on what they could expect upon arrival.

"Now, as far as we know, it would seem that most of the White Fang's presence in Vale is now centred around this base, so should you be discovered, you will, quite literally, be up against an army." Yang spoke up.

"So basically, don't get caught." Qrow smiled, an amused glint in his eye.

"Basically."

As they stepped into the ship, Qrow placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Please, whatever you do, be careful, and look after each-other. I would very much like to still have two intact nieces with girlfriends when this is over. Good luck."

As the ship flew out over Vale's northern wall, Ruby pulled out a holographic projection of the base on her scroll. "Alright, I've gone over the schematics, and it looks like there's two easy access points, one here," she indicated the south-eastern edge of the fence that surrounded the base, and they could see that the area was heavily wooded, and would provide cover, allowing them to slip in hopefully without anyone noticing. "And the other one's here." She pointed to the western side of the base. "There's an old access door that should be unguarded, mostly because it's now under water." She finished, glancing hesitantly at Blake.

"There's no way I'm getting wet voluntarily." The cat-Faunus said flatly, while Yang giggled and shot her a look that seemed to say "We'll see about that later, kitten." Blake cringed slightly, but before Yang could be afforded an opportunity to delve deeper into the subject, Weiss spoke up.

"I think it would be best if we split into partners. We could cover more ground faster, and we would be much less noticeable in groups of two." Ruby nodded in agreement.

Blake groaned. "As long as I'm going in by the northeast entrance."

A few minutes later, they were nearing the base, and the pilot called back to the four girls. "Alright, I can't get any closer than this, so whoever's goin' in first, this is your stop."

Yang grabbed her sister and nearly squeezed the life out of her with a forceful hug. "Good luck sis. Be safe okay?" Yang looked intently down into her sister's eyes.

Ruby nodded. "Of course, you too Yang. See you guys on the other side." She said before saluting jauntily and disappearing from view, with Weiss right behind her.

Blake sighed. "She's way too cheerful for her own good." The Faunus couldn't help but notice a small sense of forboding growing in her heart, but shook it off. It's just nerves.

"Alright ladies, here we are." The pilot called back once again as he lowered the bullhead into a clearing. "Good luck," he called as Blake and Yang leaped to the ground.

The blonde looking back and waving her thanks, before turning to Blake and smiling. "You ready kitten?"

Strangely, they were met with absolutely no resistance as they picked their way through the dense woods surrounding their objective. There were no guards, no Grimm, nothing at all to impede their progress as they slipped silently into the building through a maintenance door.

As the pair crept into a large room, they couldn't help but notice how strangely quiet it was. Almost as if...

"There's no one here!" Yang cried out, and it seemed that she was right. It was completely empty. No soldiers, no submarines, nothing to suggest that it had even been occupied in the first place.

"Shit, I knew something felt wrong about this place!" Blake exclaimed.

Either they were warned about our mission – which would mean the Qrow must have slipped up, or they truly were never here...Her train of thought was cut off sharply.

"Damn it Blake, I told you not to come snooping around, didn't I?" The two girls froze as a soft voice rang out from behind them, sending tremors through Blake's body at its haunting familiarity. They turned and were faced with the one man Blake feared as he slowly walked towards them, a hand resting threateningly on the hilt of his sword.

"You!" Yang growled, eyes immediately flashing red. "I swore that I would kill you for what you did to Blake, and for how much suffering you've caused her," she cracked her knuckles. "Looks like I'll be getting the chance a lot sooner than I was expecting."

With that, she dropped her shoulders and charged, arming Ember Celica as she recklessly threw herself at the man, all technique forgotten, all caution thrown to the wind, nothing left but rage.

Shit, Yang's never seen him fight, she doesn't know how dangerous he is!

"Yang, wait!" Blake cried out too late, as Yang had already drawn her fist back, aura sparking as her rage fuelled the coming blow. But it never landed, as a red blade flashed into view.

"YANG!"

Adam leaped over the charging blonde, twisting through the air and bringing his sword down between her shoulder blades as she passed, and Yang screamed as Wilt cut a deep gash along her spine. Landing softly, Adam spun and thrust his sword into her lower back and through her abdomen, before sheathing his weapon in a flash, his work done.

"NO!" Blake screamed as her girlfriend was cut down before her eyes, and blood poured forth from open wounds as her body lay motionless on the ground.

Adam turned to her, and she thought she could make out a somewhat regretful look on his face, even as her eyes became blinded by tears that now poured down her cheeks. "I told you not to interfere, Blake. You knew this would happen if you brought her here." He motioned down to the lifeless form of her teammate.

Blake snarled, drawing her blade. "She came here because she loves me, because she wanted to help me." She wiped the tears away, steadying herself as her resolve hardened. "I know that she would die for me, but I'll never let that happen! I won't let you take her from me!"

She instantly hurled Gambol Shroud's sheath across the room, hoping to distract Adam while she charged in for the kill.

Her plan worked, if only for a second. Adam had to roll out of the way as the sheath flew by and embedded itself in the far wall, but he recovered in time to counter Blake's initial strikes, before sweeping her legs and ramming Blush into her abdomen as she fell.

She hadn't even had time to send out a shadow clone, so she felt the full force of her back slamming into the floor, of her spine nearly cracking. Pushing the pain away, she leaped to her feet and released a clone to take the punch aimed at her head, materializing behind her opponent and slashing wildly at his back.

"Blake please, don't make me hurt you, you know that I don't want to." His actions contradicted the sincerity in his voice, loyalty to the White Fang overriding every impulse.

"No." Blake growled. "You tried to kill her, and if I let you go now, neither of us would forgive it." She lashed out at the man, who shook his head sadly.

"If it's a fight you want, I won't deny you, just know that I never wanted this for you." Adam spoke as he deflected her strike effortlessly, and readied himself for the next. "I have to do this."

His blade danced in unison with her's as he countered every swing, anticipated every move, and slowly, Blake's strength began to leave her. Hoping to end it here and now she thrust her blade forward, praying that it would find its way through Adam's defence, but he sidestepped the attack, and brought Wilt down on her sword, snapping Gambol Shroud in two.

The world seemed to slow as Blake watched in the shattered remnants of her trusted weapon slide listlessly across the floor, as if some part of her had broken along with it. But she was brought back to the world brutally as a foot slammed down on her knee joint, and she screamed as she felt her leg snap.

The cat-Faunus landed heavily on her side, air rapidly escaping her battered lungs and refusing to return as her entire body cried out in pain.

"Blake?" A soft voice called out from somewhere behind her, and she turned to see Yang stirring slightly. "Blake, are you alright?"

The raven-haired girl burst into tears at the combination of the pain and the relief of hearing her partner's voice, agonized as it may be. "Yang, just please, try not to move, okay-"

She was cut off as a boot connected with the side of her head, and her eyes began to darken. "Just stay down Blake. Don't make me kill you."

Yang cried out as loud as her lungs would allow. "Get away from her you son of a bitch!" She tried to move, but gasped as a fresh flare of pain shot through her body.

"No Yang, stop, you'll only make your injuries worse!" Blake barely managed a croak as she fought to retain consciousness, the pale face of her partner the only anchor she had left.

Suddenly, a high-pitched laugh echoed through the room, the malice and contempt that it held boring into Blake's skull as she frantically searched for the source.

She painfully rolled onto her stomach, and her heart stopped as a woman in red slowly strode into view from across the room, smiling maliciously. "Very impressive, Adam, now hurry up and finish them off."

"Raven?" Adam spun around, jaw set and eyes flashing. "I don't take orders from you," he waved a hand dismissively. "Now run along, lap dog, I'm sure she has much more important work for you to do. I can handle this." However, through the aggressive facade he tried so desperately to maintain, his voice conveyed something else entirely, almost as if he was pleading with her, begging the woman to leave.

Raven laughed coldly. "Oh Adam, I would have thought you'd figure this out by now." Adam growled at the mocking tone she had taken on. "There is no her, there never was a her. There is only me."

The silence that followed consumed all else in the world, working its way into the dusty recesses of Blake's brain and throwing her into tumultuous darkness. Raven, no it can't be...but, maybe? How did I not see this?

The woman in question smirked, delighting in the power she now held over the room and its occupants, speaking with fresh authority. "Adam, darling. Kill the intruders please."

Blake groaned, laboriously propping herself up on her elbows as her eyes found Yang once again. The blonde still hadn't moved from where she'd fallen after Adam's attack, and blood was flowing liberally from the dark line down her back, as well as the small hole in her midsection. Despite all of this, she still managed to give Blake a rather wobbly smile, refusing to let the pain to shine through as she offered what little support she could to her girlfriend.

Don't be afraid, kitten. I love you.

We're going to make it out of this, Yang. I promise.

Blake whimpered as she tried to force herself to her feet – well, the one foot that was usable. She was desperate to do something, anything other than lie there like a helpless child, but the pain from her injuries was too much, and she collapsed back to the floor. Raising her head slightly, she was met by the blood-red eyes of her former partner as they stared down at her, with something resembling...is that pity?

"Adam." Raven's voice rang out again, harsh, cold and expectant. "You wouldn't betray your family would you? You wouldn't betray the White Fang." It was a statement, a challenge. "Kill her."

Silence descended once again, and Blake could practically see the war taking place in the man's head. After an eternity, he spoke.

"She's my family." Adam said resolutely as he stared down at the barely-conscious Faunus at his feet."She may have left me long ago, and I may have hurt her in more ways than I can count, but she was always – and still is – more of a family to me than you have ever been."

With that, he turned from Blake and tossed Wilt to the side. From where she lay bruised and battered, Blake realized that Adam had finally come back to her, back to himself, after years of being lost in the dark.

"I see." Raven's voice was calm, but the fury that hid beneath its surface was enough to send shivers down Blake's spine. "You truly believe that she is more important than the cause that you've fought for your whole life? More important than your people?"

Adam's nostrils flared. "Our cause, is to protect the best interests of Faunus everywhere, but if that means being forced to kill someone that once I loved as a sister...I'd rather find my own way."

Raven shook her head in mock disappointment at his words. "Such a shame, I truly thought you were one of us Adam. I hate to lose one of my best soldiers, but disloyalty is something I will not stand for." And with that, she lunged, and the blood sprang forth.

"ADAM!" Blake screamed as the man collapse to his knees in front of her, Raven's blade sticking through his chest. His eyes desperately sought out hers, and upon finding them, he offered a faint smile, enough to bring fresh tears to Blake's eyes. But suddenly the light was gone, and Adam slumped over into a pool of his own blood.

"YOU BITCH!" Blake screamed up at Adam's murderer. "He was defenceless, how could you do that to one of your own?" Grief mixed with fury as all thought of her injuries left her, and all that remained was the desire to kill the person responsible for taking what had so recently been recovered.

Raven scoffed. "One of my own? I have no use for people who are so easily swayed in their convictions." She sighed dramatically as she wipied her blade of blood and sheathed it, until an evil grin climbed its way to her lips.

She approached the spot where Blake lay, helpless on the ground, and crouched down. "Now cat, time to sleep. Though, looks like dear Yang doesn't have much time left, does it?" Blake wrenched her head around to find Yang once again motionless, her skin stark-white as the blood loss was taking its toll.

"Yang, please." Blake managed to croak before a fist connected with her jaw, and the world spun into darkness.

Soooooo, what did ya think? Let me know.

Peace out.