Ashfall

Blake stepped out of the cab, breath fogging up the air in front of her. She turned and handed some lien to the driver before wishing him a good day. As the bright yellow vehicle drove off, Blake looked up at the building she stood in front of.

The Residential District Airfield, or the RDA as it was more often referred to, was not a very large establishment. Set on the outskirts of the Vale's Residential District, only two floors high, and spanning the length of a city block, it was a far cry from any real airfields. It was used primarily for recreational and private flights, and there was actually a limit of the size of vehicle that could utilize the facilities. It was never terribly busy for those very reasons, something that suited Blake just fine. Ozpin had offered her full and unconditional use of Beacon's airdock, but Blake hardly ever took him up on it. She tended to avoid that part of the school; there were too many awful memories tied to it.

Thus, the RDA had become her primary travel hub. It was here that her personal airship, the Shadowswift, was housed. Well, she said it was hers. Technically it belonged to Beacon, seeing as they paid for it and all of its maintenance, but for all intents and purposes, Blake owned it. She was fully in charge of it, at any rate, and the small crew obeyed her orders unswervingly.

Blake pushed open the glass door in front of her, sighing as a rush of warm air caressed her cheeks. The inside was much better looking than the outside. The ceiling above was constructed entirely out of glass, letting in what little light escaped from the gray, overcast skies above. The walls were an off white, and the floor was covered in a dark grey carpet. Set a third of the way along the wall opposite the entrance was a long desk, and sitting behind it was a middle-aged man and woman, each looking distinctly bored as they typed at the holographic displays in front of them.

There were red-painted doors set in the same wall as the desk, and a few sad-looking potted plants stuffed into the room's corners. Other than that and the benches that ran along the wall to her right and left, the large room was bare. Today was another dead day for the RDA, Blake noted as she crossed to the desk. The only other people she could see was a young couple sitting on the one of the benches. They seemed to be waiting for someone though, and were both engrossed in their scrolls. There was no sign of Yang, and Blake felt a small pit of worry form in her stomach. She glanced at the clock set high on the wall behind the desk. 9:07. What if she decided not to show?

The man behind the counter looked up as she approached, and a small smile slid onto his face.

"Good morning, Miss Belladonna." She was the closest thing this airfield had to a regular customer, and as such she had gotten on fairly good terms with most of the staff.

She returned his smile. "Good morning, Mike. And how many times must I tell you to call me Blake?" She inclined her head toward the woman, "Good morning, Sonya." Sonya gave her a half-hearted wave in response.

"You'll have to forgive her today, Miss- Blake. She didn't get a whole of sleep last night, apparently."

"That makes two of us then."

"Bad night?"

"You could say that." Nightmares full of blood and fire.

"Professor Ozpin called ahead. We've got the Swift all fueled up and ready to go. Where are ya off to this time?"

Blake shook her head. "Sorry, Mike. You know I can't discuss details."

He sighed through his smile. "It was worth a shot. Anyway, your crew's all onboard and ready for departure. We've got no flights coming in or out besides yourself, so you're clear for takeoff when you're ready."

"Thanks, Mike."

His face turned contemplative and he rested his chin in his head. "Gotta say, this is the first time in the two years you've been coming here that I've seen you traveling with someone."

Blake's ears perked up. "Yang? She's here?"

"I dunno what her name was," Mike said as he shook his head. "Didn't say. Just stormed in here awhile ago and demanded to know where you were going, as if we'd have any clue. She was rather…"

"Bitchy," Sonya provided whenever Mike failed to find the right words.

He shot her a look, but she didn't turn away from her screen. "I was gonna say surly."

The faunus took another look around the building, but still didn't see her partner. "So where is she?"

"I had to chase her outside," Sonya intoned, jerking a thumb over her shoulder toward the doors leading out to the field. "She had alcohol. What patrons do during the flight is none of our business, but you know we don't allow that stuff in here."

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose, letting a sigh escape her lips as she felt relief and dread sink in her stomach in equal parts. This was going to be a long mission. She opened her eyes. "Thank you both. I'll be sure to talk to her about it." She turned and made her way to the large doors that opened onto the tarmac.

Mike waved at her and shot her a cheery smile. "Have a safe trip, Blake."

Blake raised her hand in farewell before shouldering open the double-doors. "A safe trip," she breathed. "Not likely." The cold immediately cut through her trench coat, prompting her to pull it just a bit tighter around herself. Her eyes scanned the airfield. On the far side were three massive hangers, their towering metal doors shut against the cold. There were no strips of blacktop to be found here, since airships didn't require them for either liftoff or landing. Instead, there were six large, paved circles arrayed in a square, scoured smooth and scorched black from engine exhaust. Only one was occupied right now, and that was where Blake started walking.

She couldn't help but admire her ship as she got closer. The Shadowswift was not especially large, only 50 meters from end to end and just two decks high. Blake supposed that was to her advantage though, the small size required only a minimal crew, and it meant the vessel ran quiet and fast, which was exactly how she preferred to operate. The model was similar to the one used by Roman to escape from the Siege of Beacon, though hers was sleeker and featured a whole slew of hidden weaponry. The hull was painted matte black with gray trim, and the windows of the bridge, nestled on the very top of the airship, were dark-tinted. Blake smiled warmly. This ship had gotten her out of plenty of tight situations over the past two years.

There was a man in a black uniform waiting beside the cargo ramp at the back of the ship, a faintly glowing tablet resting in the crook of his arm. Whenever he heard the clacking of her approaching heels, he looked up and immediately snapped to attention with a salute.

"Agent Belladonna."

She nodded at him, and he relaxed. "Good morning, Captain Reynolds. How's the Swift today?"

Reynolds was young, not yet even thirty, but according to Ozpin, he was the best airship captain out there. Blake had to admit, she could find nothing to contradict that statement. The man towered over her by a whole head, but he never seemed to be looking down at her. That, coupled with his ability to swiftly and accurately follow orders had quickly seen him on Blake's good side. His small, handpicked crew adored him, and the synergy they all had as a team insured that Blake's missions went as smoothly as possible. He even had a sense of humor, something her life had been sorely missing since the Siege.

"Humming like an angel. She's as ready to go as we are." He ran a hand through well-kept, dark hair with a sigh before continuing. "Your guest, though, not so much."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "What did she do?"

"She appeared out of nowhere as we were loading the last of the supplies and barraged us with questions about the mission."

Blake felt her chest clench. "What'd you tell her?"

He gave her a wry smile. "It's been two years, Blake. You think you would've learned to trust us by now."

She deflated a bit. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I was kidding, Blake." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I understand, it's alright." He retracted his arm before turning and starting up the ramp, Blake following after him. "We told her that she would have to wait for you to arrive to get the mission details." She breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Started getting awful angry when we wouldn't give her any information too. Looked like she was about to put Rudgers in the infirmary whenever I showed up."

"Glad it didn't come to that. Good weapon specialists are hard to come by these days."

"You're telling me. Anyway, she's waiting up on deck for you."

Blake nodded. "Alright. Go ahead and get us in the air. You already know our destination. I'll meet you on the bridge once I've talked with her."

The captain gave her one more salute before climbing into the lift at the back of the cargo bay. Blake continued out the door at the rear, which led her into the prep room and supply storage. After that was the infirmary, which took up the front belly of the Shadowswift. She cut up the stairs to the right entrance though, taking her to the second floor. To her left was the common area, and beyond that, the crew quarters. To her right was the fully furnished dining area, stocked to the brim with all the essential foodstuffs. Sometimes her missions could run for months, and she didn't believe in such a thing as being too prepared.

Blake crossed the hallway, climbing a few more steps before the staircase cut sharply to the right, climbing up to a metal trapdoor. She took a deep breath, internally steeling herself for what was sure to be another painful conversation, and opened the hatch. On either side of the ship, two engines fired up with faint whines as she stepped onto the deck. The bridge rose to her right, dwarfing half of the open space by itself. There was still plenty of moving room in front of it though.

It was there that Blake spotted Yang. She was leaning back against the waist-high railing that ran around the deck's perimeter, a flask in hand and hair blowing gently as the Shadowswift lifted off from its landing pad. As Blake walked to her, she watched Yang take a swig from her flask, then screw it shut and tuck it away in a pouch on her hip, presumably empty.

"I didn't bring you on this mission for you to get drunk. I need you sober." Yang crossed her arms, mouth pressed in a line. Blake gritted her teeth. This was off to a great start. "While you're onboard the Shadowswift, no more drinking, Yang. Clear?" The blonde shrugged. That was probably the best Blake was going to get. She stepped forward and rested her elbows on the railing, watching as the landscape became a blur beneath them. The faunus turned to Yang. "I think it's about time we talk, now that we're underway."

Lilac eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh, don't give me that look. You think I wouldn't notice that you asked both the airfield staff and my crew about where we were going? I had to wait until we were in the air, otherwise you'd have taken that information and jetted off on your own again. I'm not an idiot, Yang."

"Do you want a gold star?" Yang growled. "Fucking get on with it."

Blake bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a retort. Patience, Blake. Patience. "Ashfall."

That single word had a resounding effect on Yang, and Blake watched as some of the anger in her eyes faded away to be replaced by apprehension and fear. "What?"

"We're heading to Ashfall. I believe you're familiar with it?"

Yang's lip pulled back in a snarl. "You know damn well I am."

Blake nodded. "It was known by a different name in the past. I wanted to be sure we were on the same page."

"Ashwood…" Yang breathed.

Blake turned to the horizon. "A week ago, a team of Beacon operatives infiltrated and destroyed an enemy base hidden on Patch. It was a small, probably just an outpost, but we couldn't have been more lucky. We recovered a message sent from Roman, and after tracing it, we found it originated in northern Vacuo, from Ashfall. It's the only hard lead we've had on him since the Siege."

Yang felt her stomach roiling, and this time she knew it was from more than the anticipation of finding Roman. She wasn't sure if was a horrible coincidence or some sick, twisted sort of providence that Roman had holed himself up in Ashfall. She had never been there herself, but she familiar with it the same way Blake was, through Ruby. They had all heard her story, they knew what had happened. Ever since that tragedy, the ruins of the town had been renamed Ashfall because the fires that broken out that night had rained down nothing but ash for days. She gripped the railing tightly as her heartbeat increased.

Ruby's face appeared in her mind, and Yang once more felt a yawning abyss open in her chest. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered her sister engulfed in flame, a huge hole through her torso. She swallowed it down, though, forcing the faint trembling in her limbs to cease. This was not the time to fall apart. Once this was all over, once Roman had paid for what he had done, then she could let go. After all, when this was finished, whatever meaning left to her existence would be finished as well.

Yes, just as long as she got to Roman.

"I'll kill him," she said quietly, causing Blake to turn her head to look at her. Yang's right hand clenched the red scarf around her neck so hard her knuckles turned white. "I will kill him the same way I did Cinder."

A shiver traveled up Blake's spine at the sheer bloodlust that dripped off of every syllable in those words. She had to pick her next words carefully if she didn't want that rage directed at her. "I…can't let you do that, Yang." Crimson eyes snapped up to meet golden ones, and Yang's mouth was halfway open before Blake continued, "We need information from him. Information about the organization he works for. The group behind the Siege."

Yang froze. "The group…?"

The brunette sighed and ran a hand through raven locks. "It wasn't just Roman and Cinder behind the attack on Beacon, we've discovered. There is some larger group behind them pulling all of the strings. We don't know who they are or what they're after. We've got next to nothing on them. The only lead we've got is Roman, and we've only got that through lucky timing." Blake crossed her arms and tilted her head up. "If we lose him, then we lose any and all hope of getting these guys." She fixed her with a hard stare. "And the ones responsible for Ruby's death get away."

Yang's brain was whirring, trying to process this new information. There was an entire group responsible for the Siege? It wasn't just Cinder and Roman? What did this mean for her? The only thing it means is that you've got more targets now, a voice sounded in her head. Kill them all.

She glanced up to find Blake studying her. "What do you know about them?"

"Like I said, not a whole lot. A few of us have been operating under Ozpin's personal command to try and root out and dismantle the organization, but so far we've only scratched the surface."

Yang made a noise in the back of her throat at the mention of Beacon's headmaster. "Why are you still taking orders from that bastard?" she spat. As far as she was concerned, Ozpin was just as responsible for Ruby's death as Roman. "I'm actually amazed he let you bring me along."

"He didn't. I decided to bring you on by myself. There's no one else on Remnant who is more motivated to bring Roman down, nor anyone who deserves a shot at him more than you. And," she added in a quiet voice, "there's no one else I trust to have my back." The blonde didn't react, but Blake pushed on regardless. "We need that information from Roman. After we get it, though…I really don't care what happens to him." That did get a reaction, as Yang's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Ruby was my friend as much as she was your sister," Blake explained quietly. "You're not the only one who wants to see him pay for what he's done, and if promising you his life ensures your support, then it's a small price to pay."

She had once been a girl with a firm belief in the value of life, but that had changed. The world had twice stripped her of hope and happiness. There was no way in hell she was letting it happen a third time, even if that meant sacrificing some of her morals.

Yang stared at her in silence before giving her a slight nod, and internally Blake sighed in relief. She had been so afraid that she wouldn't be able to convince Yang to spare Roman, but it appeared as though she had managed that, at least. Maybe she was getting through to her partner.

Blake wasn't sure what prompted her next words. Maybe it was some demented hope, or a desperate desire to see her Yang again. Whatever the reason, her thoughts were spilling from her lips before she could even think to stop them.

"Yang, when this is done, do you want to come back to Beacon with me?" The blonde stiffened, lilac eyes widening with surprise.

Yang bowed her head and spoke in a low voice, "Why?"

Blake swallowed, deciding at this point that she might as well press on. "You could become an operative like me. We could go after them toge-"

"No. I mean, why?"

"I…I want to help you, Yang." Blake's voice cracked slightly, and she silently cursed herself for it. "I can't stand seeing you like this anymore."

She was silent for a moment, and Yang gripped the scarf around her neck with two fingers, pulling it further up her face. When her voice came again, there was a sharp anger lying underneath. "Then stop looking."

"Yang-"

"Can you bring back my sister?"

Her voice was so cold and emotionless, so dead, that Blake felt part of herself break. She answered quietly as her eyes fell to the deck, "No."

"Then the only thing you can do for me is take me to Roman."

Yang levered herself off of the railing and walked across the deck without sparing Blake a second glance. She disappeared into the ship whenever she reached the hatch.

Blake was left alone, shivering in the cold wind, Yang's final words echoing bitingly in her head.

A/N: Hello hello, my friends, what'd we all think of chapter 3? This one felt a little weird for me, but I hope it came out okay

Sorry this one was a bit late. I had hoped to put it up no later than Wednesday, but the past week was unbelievably busy, and I ended up having to do a bunch of overtime, which, as you can imagine, cuts into my writing time.

Anyway, the first reveal! Cinder's fate! Betcha didn't see that one coming, did ya? Cinder is dead (very), and if you're wondering how/what happened with her and Yang and everything, that'll be coming along in the not so distant future.

I love all of you, seriously. The amount of support and reviews and stuff I'm getting for this story makes me really happy. You guys make this story one of the things I look forward to the most :)

Next chapter we're gonna be getting some more action, so get yourselves pumped for that. (and some heartbreak too, for those sadists out there)

Until next time, my friends!