Chapter 8: Story Time

The previous night:

The darkness had fallen, and Summer was about ready to freeze to death.

A chilly breeze rustled the trees around her, and she shivered, pulling her cloak around her body for warmth. She let out a gasp of warm breath onto her palms, sighing in relief as she began to feel her fingers once more.

"I'm starting to think this wasn't your best idea, Summer," came Latte's voice from beside her. The fashion guru was kneeling by the wall, a rare look of discomfort etched onto his handsome face, as he held onto his flamethrower for warmth. Summer wasn't quite sure how effective - or safe - that was.

"I know what I heard," she insisted. "One of the Fang mentioned something about 'the rabbit', and some offer they made. There's no way that could be anyone other than Harriet, and if she's offering the White Fang something, it can't be anything good."

Latte smiled weakly. "I trust your hearing, Summer, I do. But maybe she's just not coming tonight? Or they're meeting at some other location?" He nodded up at the sign displayed on the small building's front - WHITE FANG - More Than Animals. It had been vandalized by several layers of vulgar grafitti, and the group's blue-and-white logo had almost vanished under a smear of blood-red paint.

"Tell you what," he continued. "Let's head back for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we can continue pursuing your lead without the fear of hypothermia. And if it doesn't pan out, no sweat! We just get back to our original investigation."

"No," Summer said firmly. "I'm sure of it. Something's gonna happen here tonight. If Harriet's made some deal with the Fang, then she'll show up. That's the sort of person she is." She felt a slight pang of sorrow - and nostalgia, too. "She's been my enemy longer than she's been my friend...but I still feel like I know her. If nothing else, her devotion to the Faunus cause is real."

Her (temporary) partner frowned. "...Maybe. But even to the Faunus, I find it hard to consider her their ally. Remember, she once staged violent attacks against her own people, just to get them to rise up against the humans. And if any of her plans so far had succeeded, you can bet there'd have been just as many Faunus victims as humans." Latte glanced at Summer with a serious look. "A person like that...can you really count on them to keep their word?"

Summer opened her mouth to reply, but no answer came out. After all, was there even an answer to that? She knew that Latte had a point. What a fool she was, putting so much faith into one of their worst enemies, who had deceived and manipulated others for so long, and used their virtues against them. Maybe this really was nothing but a wild goose chase, born out of a futile hope that she would be able to face her once again.

At that moment, she heard a loud rumbling sound, coming from somewhere nearby. "What was that?" she gasped, turning to look.

"Quiet," Latte muttered, gently placing a hand over her mouth as he stealthily walked past her, sneaking a glance around the corner. "...Someone's here. Take a look - slowly."

Nodding, Summer obeyed, and through her limited vision she could make out the vague shape of a car pulling into the parking space of the office. There were no headlights on, and even the inside of the vehicle seemed to be pitch black.

"If they drove here in total darkness, then they're probably Faunus," Latte whispered to her. "Either that, or they didn't want anyone to see them."

"Or both," Summer whispered back, her eyes fixated on the vehicle's door as she heard the click sound of it opening.

A humanoid figure of medium height exited the car, holding a small suitcase in their hands. For just a second, the person's silhouette was illuminated by the glow of the moon, and in that moment Summer felt her breath catch in her throat.

That's her. There was no doubt about it, that was the face of Harriet Maroon, but her expression a little...different than before. She looked almost anxious - tense. While Summer was still staring at her old enemy, she almost failed to notice the other doors opening. Three more figures appeared, all of them significantly shorter than the rabbit Faunus.

"Looks like she didn't come alone," Latte muttered. "This is getting more suspicious by the second."

Summer squinted, trying to make out the three new arrivals. She was fairly certain that all of them were female, but from where they stood it was impossible to make out their features. As the four of them walked down the driveway, however, she got a better look at them. Two of them were of the exact same stature - twins, if she had to guess - and the last one besides Harriet had a fairly large sniper rifle strapped to her back.

Hey, wait. She's short...and uses a sniper rifle… Summer frowned. It might be a coincidence, but...could that be her?

The four of them rang the doorbell, and the one who answered was the shark Faunus from the rally - Archibald was his name, if she remembered correctly. "Right on time," he rasped. "You and Miss Eyepatch can come in - we have much to discuss. But your human friends…" his voice lowered to a menacing growl. "...they must leave. Such primitives have no place on White Fang ground."

"I can promise you that they're not my 'friends'," Harriet said coolly. "But the Cion twins are both reliable help, and if I will it they'll do everything they can to help your cause. I'd advise against starting fights with people offering to be your allies, Mr. Tigre."

"Hmph. I never said I would." Archibald Tigre suddenly stiffened, taking in a deep breath as his gaze turned right, closer to where Summer and Latte were hiding. "...Curious. I seem to detect more human stench nearby. Any more of your human...allies…that I should worry about?"

Summer gulped. She slowly backed away from her position, her hand resting firmly on her bow. This situation could get ugly, fast.

"Enough with your accusations," Harriet snapped, her patience clearly tried. "If it eases your mind, I'll have the twins stand guard while we Faunus discuss the matter at hand. Is that alright with you?"

Archibald grinned, clearly amused by her frustration. "It certainly is. Now then, my brethren, let's talk business." He walked back into the office, followed by Harriet, and the girl Summer now recognized as Moss Creedo of Team PLSM. The twins remained outside, whispering to each other in hushed tones. Summer didn't have the courage to inch closer and eavesdrop.

"...So," she muttered, turning back to Latte. "You believe me now, right?"

"Never doubted you for a second," he replied unflinchingly. "But now there's a new problem...with those two girls guarding the front entrance, we have to find another way into the building - preferably one that won't alert everyone in it."

I hope walking through the front door was never the plan to begin with, Summer thought. "The chimney?" she suggested. "Or one of the windows?"

"Those are all good ideas, but...I have another idea." Latte glanced over the building skeptically, running his palm over the jagged concrete. "If my memory serves me correctly, the Fang bought this small office many years ago. In that case, they've had ample time to make a few adjustments to it." He began moving along the wall.

"What are you doing?" Summer whispered.

"...Just a hunch," he replied, carefully tracing the surface with his finger, Summer following him as he walked around the building's area. He paused at a certain spot. "Hmm...seems like there's a draft of wind coming through this spot. Could just be a construction flaw, or-" He gave it a light push. "No. Definitely not. Seems we've struck gold, Summer."

Summer still didn't quite understand. She watched in curious awe as Latte began pressing various spots on the wall in rapid succession. Sometimes he would touch the same place twice, sometimes he would try several patterns in a row before giving up. Eventually, as he knocked on the original spot three times, a faint rumbling could be heard. "Jackpot," he muttered.

A rectangular section of the wall slid back, revealing a hidden passageway. "Whoa…" Summer gasped, staring in surprise. She couldn't say she'd seen anything like this coming.

"Hey, you heard that?" Suddenly, she heard a young girl's voice from somewhere nearby. She tensed up - it seemed like they'd been heard. She locked eyes with Latte, and he nodded, making his way into the newly revealed tunnel.

"Yep, yep," the other twin replied. "C'mon, sis, let's teach some little gremlins a lesson." Two pairs of footsteps began approaching where Summer and Latte had been a moment ago, as they quickly sought refuge in the passageway. Finding a red button inside the room, Latte hastily pressed it, sealing the opening just as the girls turned the corner.

"Phew," he sighed. "Thank the gods that wasn't the fire alarm or something. It would seem we're in the clear for now."

Summer nodded, also sighing in relief. "So, a secret door, huh? Umm...how'd you know there'd be one here?"

"I didn't know," Latte admitted. "But I've been dispatched on infiltration missions in the past, and I've gotten somewhat experienced at finding secret entrances. And statistically, about eighty percent of those cases were some sort of Faunus hideouts."

"...Right." Summer had to remind herself that Latte Adel was in fact one of Atlas' most promising Huntsmen, and that he'd been on professional missions for almost two years now. But then she thought about the Faunus, who no doubt were forced to hide due to fear of persecution, or because they were fleeing from slavery…

No. That's not what matters right now. Summer steeled herself. "Let's get to work," she said, and her partner nodded.

Thankfully, the office was almost entirely empty. As Summer walked behind Latte, the two of them crouching with ears perked, they began to hear familiar voices coming from one of the rooms. "I thought I agreed to negotiate with the Fang's leader," Harriet said, still sounding very annoyed.

"We told him you'd called it off," came a woman's voice - the tiger Faunus from the rally, Sienna. "He's sleeping peacefully at the nearby inn. At least his tiny room won't be crowded with us here."

"Believe us, we're doing you a favour," Archibald growled. "Ghira is as soft as they come - he'd never agree to this, and we of the true Fang know it. Don't you worry...the old fool won't suspect a thing."

Real team players, these guys, Summer thought, following Latte up a set of stairs, careful not to make a sound. She knew what he was looking for - some sort of data room, or computer, where they might find the White Fang's files and plans. And hopefully it would be close enough for them to listen in on the conversation that was taking place below.

"I'd prefer it if you told me your exact arrangements before we met," the rabbit said coldly. "It helps to build trust, you know."

Sienna let out an almost feline laugh. "If half the stories we've heard are true, then you're the last person who should be talking about trust. But that's irrelevant. So - you say you have something we want?"

"No. I have something you need. You want fair treatment and equality, but what you need is justice. And I can give you that justice, as long as you're willing to fight for it."

"Fighting is what we've done our whole lives," Sienna growled in response. "It's the only reason we've survived this long."

Meanwhile, the Huntsmen had reached the top. "Here," Latte muttered, guiding Summer toward a large office, where a large computer sat on the table. "Keep watch and listen to them; I'll see if they've got any good data on hand. They're clearly up to no good, so let's find out exactly what they're up to."

Summer nodded, and turned her back to the door. Hearing the sounds of Latte's fingers dancing across the keyboard, she tiptoed back the way they came. She heard their voices again, and it seemed like someone was now yelling.

"Cooperate with humans?" Sienna hissed, every ounce of her voice oozing contempt and disbelief. "And not just any humans, but the worst kind! Bandits - murderers, barbarians who have slaughtered our kind by the dozens! If it's a war you want, I will gladly shed blood for my people, but I would never fight alongside primitives!"

"I concur," Archibald growled. "Pardon my rudeness, rabbit, but between this and your little entourage, I would argue you're a little too...comfortable with the human species."

"You said you wanted a fight, and I promised you one," Harriet replied. Now that other two were agitated, it was her turn to be eerily calm. "You can say the term 'use' instead of 'cooperate' if that suits you better. It makes no difference to me. And believe me, I know how frustrating it is to work with them - one of my helpers has run off, with his nonexistent tail between his legs."

The shark Faunus cackled, which was somehow more disturbing than all of his other sounds. "How tragic. Let's hear the rest of this farce, rabbit - at the very least, it's sure to be entertaining!"

Before Summer could hear any more, a sharp noise behind her caught her attention. She was all too familiar with that distinctive sound - it was the sound of a rifle being cocked. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Moss Creedo, her gun aimed square between her eyes.

...Crap, she thought. I completely forgot she was here, too.

"Stay where you are," Moss whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. "Move an inch, or alert your friend, and I'll shoot you."

Summer nodded, slowly putting up her hands. Her mind swirled as she tried to think of some way to get out of this. Even if she doesn't kill me, she'll alert everyone in the building. Right now, the best option seemed to be going along with her demands.

"...Wow. These guys have been busy - there's a lot in here," Latte called out from inside the room. "Hold on, Summer. This might take a bit longer than expected."

"Uh-huh," she said in response, hoping she sounded calm.

Moss inched closer to her, never lowering the rifle. "It's always you," she murmured softly. "It's your fault we lost the tournament, and Psycha went crazy. Then you got in our way at Merlot's lab. And now you're here again. Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"I don't know much about you or your teammates," Summer whispered back, her gaze unflinching despite her fear. "But we can't 'leave you alone', because you're the bad guys. Even if you're a Faunus, it's my job as a Huntress to stop you - innocent people will die if I don't."

The shorter girl shook her head. "...Innocent? No, that's not the word I would use," she said quietly. "But you wouldn't understand."

"Just another minute, Summer!" Latte said. "How's it going on your end?"

...Urk. "Everything's fine," she replied through gritted teeth.

"I know what the people of Mistral are capable of," Moss continued. "It's never been just about humans and Faunus. It's about anyone who doesn't look the way they're supposed to." She removed her eyepatch, revealing the compound eye beneath. "Here, people care about beauty more than anything. If our traits make us ugly, then even other Faunus cast us aside like we're freaks."

"And that's a wrong that we need to correct," Summer agreed, waiting for Latte to finish. C'mon, just a few more seconds… "But you're looking for help in the wrong places, Moss. And I think deep down, you know that."

She slowly held out her hand. "Right now you have a chance. They're not watching you. I can't promise answers or solutions right away, but we really want to do all we can to help people like you. Please, just give us a chance."

A look of doubt filled the Faunus' eye, and for a moment Summer thought it had worked. But then Moss' gaze hardened, and she could see her grip tightening on the trigger, and she realized that the opposite was true. She'd just set off a fuse.

"And that's the file!" Latte called out triumphantly. "Okay Summer, let's get out of-"

BANG! Summer dodged out of the way as Moss fired, crashing into the office where her partner stood, a flash drive held in his hands. "Yeah, let's go!" she yelled. "Things are about to get chaotic in here!" Stumbling to her feet, she pulled out Phoenix Heart.

Latte didn't bat an eye. He simply nodded without a word, putting the drive away, and readied his own weapon. His expression unchanging, he dashed out of the room and quickly fired a single shot, blasting Moss away into the wall behind her. "So much for being sneaky," he muttered.

Sure enough, Summer heard voices coming from below. "What was that?" Sienna was yelling.

"A measly fly on the wall, it seems," Archibald replied. "Looks like your guards weren't as efficient as you claimed, rabbit. Fine - we'll take of things ourselves."

"No time to waste!" Latte yelled, driving his cannon's butt end into a nearby window, shattering the glass. "Come on!"

Summer paused to glance at Moss Creedo's vaguely twitching form, feeling a brief pang of sorrow for the young woman. I can't worry about her - she made her choice. Right now the only one I can worry about is myself. Without hesitation, she leapt out of the open window.

She rolled as she landed in the grass, feeling her Aura take a small hit as pain rushed through her body. "That's gonna leave some bruises," she muttered, pulling herself back up. She hadn't quite mastered the superhero landing yet.

Latte jumped out after her, using his weapon's weight to steady his fall. Moments later, Summer looked up to the White Fang's office covered in flames, quickly consuming everything. "What the hell?!" she shouted, backing away from the blaze.

"Those crazy bastards," Latte muttered. "They'd burn down their own buildings just to destroy the evidence. That's fine though, we've got all the intel we need."

Suddenly, his head jerked backwards, and he fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Shocked, Summer turned to see a small dagger, made of fire Dust, land next to Latte with a drop of his blood. Before she could comprehend it, the blade was retracted on its chain, back towards the flaming building.

"Human vermin," Sienna snarled, twirling the Dust whip around her finger. Next to her, Archibald stood with an enormous harpoon gun in his hands, grinning maniacally. "I should have known you could never just mind your own business!"

Panicking, Summer pulled up a dazed Latte, and the two of them ran away from the building as fast as they could. Looking back, she saw Archibald fire an electric net that barely missed them, followed by an exploding harpoon that lit the sky on fire. In retaliation, she pulled back her bow and fired off several arrows made of steam Dust, obscuring the Faunus' view.

Just when she thought they were in the clear, she felt a shadow come over them as they ran. A second later, a sharp pain cut through her backside, causing her to collapse on the ground in shock. "Urgh!" Summer groaned, feeling her cloak flying up and cover her head. Pulling it off, she felt the claw marks that had not been there moments ago.

"I didn't think I'd run into you here of all places," Harriet Maroon said, standing in front of the two Huntsmen with her claw gauntlets drawn. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised - you've made it a habit of getting in my way every. Single. Time."

Summer didn't hesitate. She charged at the rabbit Faunus with Phoenix Heart's dual blades, striking nothing but the air as Harriet phased through her attacks, landing a swift flurry of blows on her back as she dodged. Summer struggled to keep up with the other girl's movements, unable to see clearly in the darkness.

Suddenly, her vision was filled with a bright, orange light. Latte had gotten up and, turning on his flamethrower, was now blasting a cyclone of fire in Harriet's direction. The rabbit Faunus tried to teleport out of danger, but the flames caught her mid-phasing, and she let out a cry of pain, leaving herself exposed for just a second.

Taking her chance, Summer pulled back an arrow and fired at Harriet, aiming between her eyes. The rabbit Faunus caught the projectile before it could graze her skin, tossing it away as it detonated from the sudden impact. "That was close," she muttered. "Remember the first time we fought, Summer? You've gotten a lot faster since then, I'll give you that."

"Why are you here in Mistral?" Summer asked her, readying another arrow. "Just what exactly is Salem ordering you to do?"

"Getting right to the point, are we?" Harriet smiled. "I'll correct you on one thing, though. My role in this kingdom has nothing to do with Salem - it's my own invention this time. This is what I've been preparing for my entire life."

Latte fired a rocket at the Faunus, but Harriet simply phased through it, and the projectile exploded harmlessly behind her. "Faunus liberation and all that, right?" he asked. "Looks like the Huntsman board were right...the White Fang really are up to no good."

Harriet laughed. "You'll see soon enough. Pore over that precious data all you want - I can promise you, it won't do you any good. Now if you'll excuse me…" Suddenly, the girl teleported away without a trace, and Summer could tell that Harriet was gone from the area. Damn it...she got away again.

"Where'd she go?" Latte muttered. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he crouched, pulling Summer down with him. Several gunshots rang out through the night. "Hmmm, actually, never mind that right now! Just run, run, run, until we lose them!"

Summer was all too eager to oblige. Holding onto Phoenix Heart, she and Latte fled as fast as their legs could take them, until the fire faded from their view and all they could see was darkness once more.

"...Phew," Summer muttered, sprawled out on the bed. It was the first thing she had said since their escape from the White Fang hideout.

That had been about two hours ago. Now she'd had time to relax, eat some Pumpkin Pete's Granola Bars, and wait for Latte to finish decrypting the files they'd retrieved. When she took the life-or-death variable out of the situation, it was actually kind of cool - like something out of a spy movie.

So her suspicions had been confirmed. Once again, Harriet was up to no good, and if her track record was anything to go by, she would have to stop the rabbit Faunus from unleashing chaos onto the world of Remnant yet again. Summer supposed she was supposed to feel validated, or excited at the chance to fight her again. But instead, she just felt empty...sad, even.

How many times was she going to do this, fighting people when she really just wanted to understand them? Harriet was an enemy, but Summer knew she was fighting for what she believed in - the safety of her people. To give the Faunus justice for all the suffering they'd endured over the eons.

To protect people who can't protect themselves. That was the role of Huntsmen and Huntresses - at least, that was what it should be. So in a way, Summer and Harriet should have been fighting towards the same goal. But the two had their allegiances - one to Ozpin, and the other to Salem. They were like pieces on a chessboard, and as long as they served their respective kings, there was no way to prevent them from crossing blades, again and again…

"Hey, Summer." Latte walked into the room, interrupting her thoughts. "Data's ready. Let's take a look at what we've got, shall we?"

The two of them went into Latte's room, where the Huntsman's computer sat with several strange files displayed on the screen. "Looks like this wasn't their first encounter with Miss Maroon," he muttered, clicking on one of them. A few pictures popped up - a forest, an ominous clearing, and a photo of a masked man dressed all in black and red.

"The bandit camp," Latte said quietly. "She must have been telling them the truth...to think Salem's forces have even infiltrated the Birds of Gwen. Just when you thought they couldn't possibly sink to new lows…"

Summer glanced at another photo in the folder - an enormous, burly man with dark hair and red eyes, with a menacing grin that sent a sharp chill down her spine. Thoron Branwen, was the name displayed on the file. "...Branwen?" she muttered.

Latte scrolled through the rest of the information. "...Most of this is just planning for future meetings, and profiles for important members." He smiled wearily at Summer. "There might be some more interesting tidbits in here, but I can look over it myself. You should go get some rest; you've earned it."

Normally, Summer would have protested and said that it was only fair she helped him out as much as possible, and that whatever Harriet was planning was her fight too. But right now, she was completely exhausted, so she could only yawn out a weak goodbye as she staggered back to her own room.

Branwen...she thought groggily as she collapsed back onto her bed. Yeah, that's right. Qrow's here in Mistral, too. I wonder what he's doing right now. She fell asleep, hoping she might dream of him, but found nothing but darkness.

Back to the present:

"...So," Tai said, finally breaking what had felt like an eternity of silence. "I guess that's everything."

"Seems like it," Summer replied. Both parties had now finished catching each other up to speed, and she could practically hear the gears in her head malfunctioning as they tried to piece everything together. "When we headed out towards the camp this morning, we sure didn't expect to find a body - especially not you of all people."

Latte crossed his arms. "Well...clearly I'm out of the loop here, on a lot of things. I believe I understand the gist of it, though."

"Sorry, man." Tai smiled apologetically. "Turns out our team's a lot more...complicated than we look. Especially Rae and Birdy. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only normal guy of the crew - and that's not an easy role!"

"Well, Summer's pretty down to earth too, isn't she?" Latte asked with a frown. "Warrior candidate aside, there's nothing really complicated about her - and that's a positive thing, believe me."

"Hm? O-oh yeah, that's right. I'm just simple old me," Summer said, chuckling nervously. No one else, outside from her teammates and Ozpin's group, knew what her silver eyes could do - her abilities as a Chevalier, as the headmaster had put it. And quite frankly, she was content with keeping it that way. She'd tried several times to recreate that phenomenon, but to no avail.

Raven had suggested she hadn't truly been trying to activate her ability, and maybe the dark Huntress was right. Summer still remembered vividly how it had felt, being in that state. She had never felt so hollow, so cold, so cruel in her life. And in that state, she had sent an arrow straight into the head of her good friend's father - without a moment's hesitation.

She had no desire to repeat anything like that experience. If her powers never manifested again, Summer wouldn't mind at all.

"I...didn't imagine Qrow and Raven's father would be here in Mistral," she said quickly, changing the subject. "Hell, for the longest time we all thought he was dead! Just what is going on here?"

Latte scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Those other Huntsmen you mentioned...I remember seeing them around old Ozpin once or twice. And the professor himself was the one who gave me that tip on Mistral to begin with." His frown deepened. "Strange...this whole affair and the serial incidents across Remnant seem unrelated - but there's no way it's all a coincidence."

Tai shrugged, and immediately winced as his left shoulder howled in a spark of agony. "One thing's for sure - something's brewing in this kingdom. Something really, really bad. We need to get in touch with Rae and Birdy, fast. With all four of us together, I'm sure we'll solve all these problems in a flash!" He smiled despite his pain. "...Just like we always do."

"...Yep." Summer smiled back. "Though I can't say I expected we'd all reunite so soon, and in a place like this. A Huntsman's life sure is full of surprises, huh?"

"You can say that again," Tai laughed.

"I'm fully in agreement, but that's going to be difficult right now," Latte said, waving his Scroll. "I can't get into contact with either of them - even tracing their signals just brings up a complete blank. I don't think we have much choice but to wait for them to find us."

Tai sighed, collapsing back onto the hospital bed. "Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere...speaking of which, this injury's total bullshit." Growling, he rubbed his bandaged chest. "My body still hurts, but my heart's already pumped up and ready to get back at those no-good bandits! So, when do you think I can get back into the fight?"

The room went silent, and Tai watched as Summer and Latte exchanged a quick, nervous glance. "Huh?" He muttered. "What'd I say?"

"Um, well…" Summer stammered, her face suddenly crestfallen. "You should probably rest for now, Tai. You're not gonna be doing any more fighting...not for a while, I mean. You were hurt pretty bad."

"Bad is one way to put it," Latte agreed. "Another is 'shouldn't even be alive right now'. Most people would have been permanently paralyzed from taking even a fraction of the hit you took. The fact that you can move at all is...well, I suppose that's another reason you guys are among the best."

Tai blinked. "I don't really follow. And you didn't answer my question, either."

The older Huntsman sighed. "I'm sure you've noticed, but you didn't just get punched really hard to end up in your current state. With how much Dust you-"

"Wait, Latte." Summer shook her head, gently pushing him aside so she could lean in closer to her teammate. "It's okay, I can say it. Plus, we're on the same team, so it should be me anyway."

"Say...what, exactly?" Tai asked.

"Tai. When your opponent deflected your Blackstorm Dust strike against you, it caused an...an explosive chain reaction inside your body. By some miracle, most of your vitals were spared, but there was still massive damage to your internal organs. Even your Aura took a permanent hit. The doctors managed to save you…" She bit her lip. "Th-they said they did their best, and I believe them. But they also said...your wounds will heal eventually, but the damage might be irreversible…"

"...Hey, Summer?" Tai said quietly, after a full ten seconds of utter silence. He felt the pain in his left side again, this time worse than ever before. "So...when can I get back into the fight?" He repeated his original question, not knowing anything else he could say.

They didn't answer. They didn't really need to, either. Tai already understood. Maybe he'd understood the whole time, from the moment Thoron had countered his Blackstorm strike with his bare fist, and he'd felt as though his entire body was being ripped apart. Somehow, that experience no longer seemed to bad, compared to what he was feeling right now.

Suddenly, without any warning, Summer leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him. She had started crying again, tears cascading down her cheeks and onto his bandaged shoulders. Tai didn't realize at the time, but he had started crying too.

"I'm sorry, Tai," she said, her words choking out through the tears. "I'm so sorry..."

"So it's official," Qrow finally said. "I have no idea what the fuck is going on anymore."

"...Yeah, this is all a bit weird," Crowley Cloake muttered. "I mean, upside-down floating tents? Seriously? You two wouldn't have found out about anything like that while I was gone, would you?" He raised his eyebrows at Flare and Winona, both of whom silently shook their heads.

Raven stood against the counter, her arms folded. After finishing her and Tai's side of the story, she had gone completely silent for a whole minute. That was understandable - talking for so long, especially for someone as stoic as her, tended to take a lot of energy.

Frankly, Qrow was grateful for the silence - he had plenty to think about right now. The bizarre phenomenon Raven and Tai had witnessed in Mantle was one thing, but their encounter with Fenrir was even more puzzling. Ragna...what the hell is that bastard planning? He scowled as he imagined his cousin's twisted, cruelly amused grin. And what does Uncle Luka have to do with all this? Despite himself, he felt a brief pang of sadness, realizing he hadn't seen his uncle since their encounter in the Ruins of Solomon.

He had tried calling Tai to let him know they were safe, but couldn't get any signal on his Scroll. Apparently, the area they were in had disabled all but a few very specific frequencies. That didn't seem very good for business, if they were indeed in a commercial district like he'd assumed.

"This whole 'Emerald Order' business is a bit overwhelming too," Raven finally said. "We suspected Ozpin was hiding secrets from the start, but I never imagined the rabbit hole would go so deep...and now you're one of their members?"

Qrow grinned. "Heh, I guess so - well, no, unless-" He frowned at the other Huntsmen. "Officially? Is it an official thing yet, or…?"

"Hmm? Yeah, whatever - your name's in the records now," Crowley said, not sounding very interested.

"Badass. Then yeah, I sure am, sis."

"Why was I not invited?" Raven asked. Qrow was caught off guard by her sudden burst of indignation.

"Uhh…because..." He looked to Crowley and his comrades for support. "I got nothing."

"Strength isn't everything," the archer said bluntly. "That's what the boss always says. Don't get me wrong, Ozpin recognizes your abilities, but he's got his reasons for being wary of you. Not least of all is your connection to the Branwen tribe."

Raven glanced between the other Huntsmen, looking more and more irritated by the second. There was something else in her gaze, too - she seemed genuinely hurt. "So that's it? Because Professor Ozpin doesn't trust me?" she snapped. "That's hardly fair - after all, Qrow and I are twins. He has just as much ties to our bloodline as I do."

"Haha, are you serious?" Crowley laughed. "Did you see how he flipped off Chief Thoron back there at the camp? Can you really say that he's got any connection to the tribe after seeing that? 'Cause I don't think there's any love there left."

"Hey, hey," Qrow muttered angrily. "You don't have to say it like that, asshole."

Raven had gone silent again, and now she was no longer meeting anyone's gazes. The atmosphere in the room had gone from awkward to a more sinister affair. Qrow could almost smell the hostility that was rising in the air.

"...Ahem," came a new voice, cutting the tension like a knife. Qrow turned to look at the doorway, where a tall, cloaked figure in a strange mask stood. It depicted the face of a demon - not Grimm, but the spiritual evils that some Mistralians believed in. What the hell? He thought, surprised by the sudden newcomer, but also relieved. That voice was kinda familiar, too…

"Who are you?" Raven narrowed her eyes, her blade already halfway out of its sheath. "I recognize that mask - it's the mark of a major crime group in Mistral. The Oni syndicate. I hear they deal in weapons trafficking, money laundering and even assassinations."

"...A criminal, huh?" Qrow muttered, readying his sword. "You looking for a fight? 'Cause you picked the wrong one."

To his surprise, Crowley and his companions didn't look frightened at all. Instead, the archer let out another laugh, and motioned for Qrow and Raven to lower their weapons. "Well, about time you showed up, ma'am," he chuckled. "Did you wear that just to frighten our guests? You really never change."

"Hmph. Don't be silly, boy." The cloaked figure removed their mask, and Qrow very nearly let out a yell of shock. Under the porcelain image of a demon, he saw the proud face of Headmaster Carnelia Stein. "I can't exactly wander the streets in my usual apparel, now can I?"

"The...headmaster of Haven?" Raven seemed just as taken aback. "What is she doing in a place like this? And why the disguise…?"

Carnelia laughed. "Oh, I assure you, this is no disguise. I'm the leader of one of the four great institutions that protect the world of Remnant...and I'm also the leader of the Oni, an underground black market operation here in Mistral's red light district." She gestured around the store, at the various wares stacked on the shelves. "You might call this my base of operations. It's an excellent place to keep watch over the real criminals. Quite comfortable too, wouldn't you say?"

As Qrow and Raven stared at her in stunned silence, Poirpeau emerged from the storage room behind them. "All the boxes are now in proper order," he announced triumphantly.

That last scene was originally going to last quite a bit longer, as you can probably tell. But considering how long the chapter was getting, I decided I'd save it for the next one. Speaking of which, I got this chapter done faster than I was expecting, so there might be one more coming out before university starts again.