Chapter 1: A Day's Work

Got it. We'll be there soon! Tai's message popped up on the surface of her Scroll. Make sure to leave some Grimm for us, alright?

Smiling, Summer Rose closed the device and put it back in her pocket, before peering out from behind the rock wall. Below her, a large complex, which had once been a thriving Dust factory, stood in the middle of a barren, waste-filled land. The gray concrete walls were obscured by layers of dying vines, covering the building like some infectious disease.

This place couldn't have looked have looked more sinister if it tried, Summer thought anxiously. She turned to her partner, who was surveying the area with a cautious scowl on his stubbled face. "They'll be here soon," she informed him.

"Define 'soon'," Qrow Branwen replied. His frown deepened as he glanced at the crowd of Grimm wandering through the wasteland, as if guarding the complex behind them. "Because there sure are a lot of these ugly bastards down there. And I'm willing to bet Merlot's already prepared a warm welcome for us inside."

"Yeah," Summer replied, recalling the details of their mission in her head. The inhabitants of the nearby town had reported an increase in Grimm sightings, which had been traced back to the old Dust complex that stood in what was now West Vale Forest. A scouting team had confirmed that the ancient facility was being occupied by Dr. Merlot, founder of the ill-fated Merlot Industries, who had long been presumed dead.

Summer and her team had had the misfortune of running into the old doctor several times during their second year at Beacon, and his monstrous creations had proven to be quite a nuisance. After his defeat, Merlot had declared that he was no longer cooperating with Salem, and had seemingly vanished off the radar. Now he had resurfaced, and it seemed his escapades were far from over.

As the Huntsmen most experienced with Merlot's schemes, Team STRQ had been chosen to mount the assault on his new base. Summer and Qrow had volunteered to survey the area ahead of time, and things were not looking good.

"The old man's really overdone it with his security," Qrow muttered as his gaze wandered around the scenery. "He's even got turrets lined up along the perimeter. It'll be hard to sneak in using my bird form...so I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." He turned to his partner. "As we planned, alright?"

"Right!" Summer nodded and turned away, walking in the opposite direction. Silently, she turned her head to glance nervously at Qrow, who was now occupied with sharpening Reaper's Gambit. She knew why he'd requested that the two of them split up during the ambush, but it didn't change the fact that she wanted to fight by his side. Taking position, she knelt down and readied her bow, aiming a round of arrows at the Grimm below.

"On three…" Qrow's voice came to her over her Scroll. "Two...one...go!"

Let's do this! Heart racing, Summer leapt up and released her bow, sending a flurry of explosive projectiles down at the dark creatures, sending their mangled limbs flying into the air as they faded. As she neared the ground, Summer pulled off her signature arrow-jump, before quickly launching a flurry of arrows, dispatching several more of them.

Suddenly, she heard a distinct mechanical whir from somewhere nearby. She ran to the side as a large sentry turret began to fire rounds of bullets in her direction. Moving quickly, Summer allowed the turret to track her movement as it continued to fire, causing it to mow down the nearby Grimm. After about a minute, the gunfire stopped as it ran out of ammo. Switching to blade forme, Summer leapt and sliced the turret in half.

She turned around to see Qrow some distance away, fighting off a horde of Grimm with his scythe. As much as Summer wanted to go aid him, she trusted that her partner could handle them on his own. Before she could second-guess herself, she blew open the nearby door with an explosive arrow, and made her way into the main building.

Unsurprisingly, the inside of the complex was little better. She instantly found herself in a wide-open laboratory filled with large pods of strange green fluid. About twenty Beowolves and Ursas lay as if in wait for her, and at the sight of Summer they began to crawl toward her, growling menacingly. "Uh-oh," Summer muttered. In a smaller space like this, she doubted she could take all of these beasts at once.

A loud chuckle pervaded through the room. "Ah, well this is a surprise!" On the screens above her, the visage of a middle-aged man with graying hair, and a circular red device covering his right eye. "I didn't expect we'd reunite in a place like this, Summer Rose."

"Merlot," Summer grumbled, slowly backing away from the approaching Grimm as she readied her bow. "I thought you said you were done with Salem and her plans."

"And I was telling the truth," Dr. Merlot replied jovially. "Well, mostly. In any case, I serve no master but my desire for greater discoveries! This old Dust complex has provided extraordinary resources for my research, as you'll soon realize. Now then, come find me if you so desire - and rejoice, as you bear witness to the birth of a higher species!"

As the screen went blank, the Grimm began to twitch violently. A couple of them howled in agony, as their bodies spontaneously burst into puddles of black goo. Summer watched in astonishment as the beasts in front of her all began to die one by one, until only two of them were left. Two Beowolves, both large enough to be Alphas, screeched as glowing, lime-coloured spikes suddenly jutted out all across their bodies, and their eyes turned from molten red to the same shade of green.

Wh-what's this? Gulping, Summer fired an explosive arrow at the nearer of the two Beowolves, but when the blast cleared, the beast appeared unharmed. Howling, it brought its paws down onto the floor, causing the entire building to shake. Sinister green crystals flew from its arms, and Summer was barely able to avoid them.

The other beast was running at her now, with speeds far exceeding that of a normal Beowolf. Switching to blade forme, Summer leapt back and parried its strikes, but though she managed to land several hits on its body, her blades simply bounced off as if they were hitting diamonds. Changing strategy, she returned Phoenix Heart to a bow and fired an ice arrow at the creature's face. The altered Beowolf's head was encased in a block of ice, and it began to frantically hit itself in an attempt to break free.

Before it could do so, Summer drew another arrow and fired it into the monster's now-frozen head, shattering it into pieces. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she noticed the green spikes on its body were glowing more violently. And behind her, the other Beowolf was charging at her with its claws bared.

As Summer rolled out of the beast's path, she felt a loud explosion send her crashing into the nearby wall. "Ugh!" She glanced up, and saw that the Beowolf had spontaneously detonated, and had taken off half of the other beast's body with it. She watched as the two bodies dissolved into nothingness.

Shaken, she took out her Scroll and called Qrow. "Something wrong, Summer?" he responded. "You're in the complex now, right?"

"Yeah, and Merlot's definitely here. I also, um...ran into some strange Grimm. They've been...enhanced somehow, and it looks like they explode when they die. I don't know what the doctor's doing to them, but watch out for the ones with green spikes coming out of them, ok?"

"Dammit," her partner swore in reply. "Leave it to Merlot to make this a pain in the ass. Alright, thanks for the advice. I'm on the other side of this place now, lots of annoying droids everywhere. We'll meet up at th-"

Suddenly, Summer's ears perked up as she heard an unmistakable sound. A sniper! Desperately, she flung herself to the side, as the bullet struck her Scroll and sent the device sprawling across the floor, broken into pieces. She turned in the direction of the shot, and saw the perpetrator, a girl of short stature, perched in the rafters above.

"...I missed," she muttered blandly, glaring at Summer as she reloaded her rifle. She had a bandage wrapped over her left eye, and a green beret over her black bangs. "You...you're…" Summer blinked at her in confusion. The girl looked familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite figure out where she'd seen her before…

"Heh! Fancy meetin' you here!" From behind her, a young man came crashing down from the ceiling. Dust and debris fell around him as he landed, sparks flying from the metal gauntlets on his arms. He stood up and grinned cruelly at Summer, cracking his knuckles as his light-blonde hair stood up with electricity." Long time no see, silver-eyed girl! Guess who's back an' better than ever!"

"...You're from Team PLSM," Summer realized, her eyes darting between the two new arrivals. "Moss Creedo...and Storm Columbus. What...just what are the two of you doing? Working with a wanted criminal like Merlot?"

"Classified," Moss said simply.

"Who said we were workin' with Merlot?" Storm replied gleefully. "We heard the old doctor was stashin' a whole treasure trove of dangerous weapons and Dust, and we figured we'd just help ourselves! I bet it'll make the Grandmaster real happy with us, too!" He raised his arm to fire another bolt of lightning. "But, y'know...Psycha's never forgiven you for beatin' her in the tournament...so consider this an act of revenge! Eheheheheh!"

Summer had heard enough from the two of them. She turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, down the hallway. Grabbing an arrow infused with earth Dust from her pouch, she fired at the floor in front of her, erecting a tall stone barrier. "Goddammit!" She heard Storm's annoyed yell from behind as he pounded the wall with bolt strikes, to no avail.

As she turned the corner, she saw someone approaching out of the corner of her eye. Panicking, she readied Phoenix Heart, but quickly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Qrow. "Hey! You're alright!" he called out to her as he, too, lowered his weapon at the sight of her. "What happened? You suddenly got cut off, and it scared the shit out of me!"

"Storm and Moss," She replied, panting as she paused to take a breath. "They're here, and it looks like they're working for Salem now! We have to hurry!"

Qrow looked at her like she was crazy. "W-w-wait, what? You mean those idiots from Team PLSM? Why would they be...ah, whatever. If they're really the worst we've got to face, then this should be a piece of-"

Suddenly, an earth-shattering explosion resonated from somewhere behind them, and Summer could hear the sound of the barrier crumbling. "Hehehe - stupid walls can't hold me!" came Storm's yell. "Time to taste the thunder, losers!"

There was a sharp crackling of electricity, and as Summer and Qrow looked back, they saw a rush of electric energy barreling toward them, frying the walls as it got closer. "Run!" Qrow yelled, and the two of them began charging toward the end of the hallway as fast as they could, trying to outrun the blast. Summer could feel the heat of the energy singing her back, and she didn't dare look behind her.

They reached the door, and The two Huntsmen entered the room and jumped to the side with all their might, barely avoiding the blast as it burst through the doorframe and tore down the wall around it. The blast impacted the large engine in the middle of the room, causing steam to rise from the machine.

"Th-that was close," Summer muttered. "...Ack!" Panicking, she realized that her cloak had been set ablaze, and frantically removed the article before throwing it to the side. She and Qrow drew their weapons and stood facing the hall they had just emerged from, waiting for Storm's attack.

"Damn...I sure don't remember him being that strong," Qrow grumbled. His eyes widened. "Shit, look out!" He leapt in front of his partner, blocking a bullet with the edge of his greatsword. Moss stood silently atop the wrecked engine with her smoking gun, a hand held over her bandaged eye.

The sniper scowled at the Huntsmen. "Two shots missed," she muttered, looking downward. "Serious measures will have to be taken now." Grimacing, Moss pulled off her bandage, blinking furiously as she turned her gaze back to her targets. With a start, Summer saw that her left eye was a bizarre shade of green, composed of tiny individual units. Light seemed to reflect off of their surface, giving it an eerie glow.

Compound eyes, Summer realized. She's a Faunus!

Moss raised her gun, prompting Summer and Qrow to run. Several shots rang out, and Summer felt a sharp jolt of pain in her back, and she collided painfully with the wall. Moss fired off two more bullets in quick succession, hitting Qrow in the chest with the first, and tripping Summer as she tried to get up with the second shot. She continued to fire, not leaving her foes a second of rest.

Summer fired back with several arrows, but Moss easily shot them out of the air. The last of them was an explosive projectile, and the detonation propelled her small body off the engine. She fired a shot at the floor below, breaking her fall with the recoil as she landed. Qrow immediately engaged her in combat, and she changed her rifle into a blade to keep up with him.

As her partner kept Moss distracted, Summer turned her attention to Storm, who finally emerged with lightning crackling all around his body. She fired at him, but all her arrows were vaporized before they could reach him. Close-range it is, she decided, and charged at Storm with her blades, dodging several blasts of lightning as she approached. Parrying several of the larger Huntsman's punches, she winced as the sparks around him stung her skin.

A stray bolt from Storm's gauntlet caused the engine behind them to rupture, spilling out gallons of water onto the floor. Cackling, the rogue Huntsman fired a series of lightning strikes that electrified the entire area around them. On the other side of the room, Moss leapt back onto the engine to avoid the now-electrified floor, while Qrow changed into his bird form to avoid her bullets.

Feeling herself going numb from the electricity right under her feet, Summer quickly fired an earth Dust arrow at the floor, creating a safe platform for her to stand on as she continued their battle.

Eventually, Storm reeled back, and his gauntlets began to glow with a greater intensity. "Qrow!" Summer called out as she leapt backwards, readying her bow midair. As Storm fired a powerful blast of energy from his gauntlets, Qrow landed in front of her, raising his sword to absorb the strike. Summer, landing behind him, fired off some arrows in Moss' direction, forcing her to retreat.

"Hmmph!" Qrow sidestepped Storm's punch, and transformed Reaper's Gambit into its scythe forme before swinging it with all his might. Still crackling with the absorbed electricity, the blade slammed into Storm, launching him upward into the air.

Moss, meanwhile, landed on a small ledge near the ceiling. As she looked up, her eyes widened as she saw her partner flying toward her. "Ah-"

She was cut off as the two of them collided and were sent flying through the ceiling with a loud crash, screaming indignantly. A long silence followed, broken only by the sounds of leaking water, cascading from the ruined engine. Summer sighed, glancing anxiously at the Storm-shaped hole that had been formed in the ceiling. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

"Who cares?" Qrow grumbled. "Forget those idiots - let's just hurry up and find Merlot."

The water was already up to Summer and Qrow's knees. Hurriedly, they made their way out of the engine room and up the staircase leading to the top floor of the complex. Cutting down several more Grimm and androids on their way up, they soon found themselves outside a large steel door, with lights outside giving off an ominous red glow.

"This might just be the most obvious 'entrance to evil lair' that I've ever seen in my life," Summer admitted as she glanced at it. "Well, I guess I can't say the the old doctor has no taste in aesthetics."

"Aesthetics is one word for it," Qrow agreed. "So is 'garish'." He raised his weapon, firing several cannon shots into the bolts holding the frame together. Satisfied, he followed up with a powerful kick, knocking the door down. He and Summer entered the room with their weapons drawn, glancing around for any threats that might approach, but everything seemed to be quiet.

The silence was broken by the sound of applause, and a single light turned on to illuminate the center of the room. Dr. Merlot stood there in his white lab coat, smiling as he walked toward them while clapping slowly. Several large contraptions and pods of green fluid were visible all around him. "Congratulations," he said cheerfully. "I knew you would make it all the way here."

Glaring at Merlot, Summer noticed that the doctor had a robotic arm with red highlights, replacing the one that Raven had cut off during their last confrontation. "What's your secret weapon this time?" she asked cautiously, still waiting for him to inevitable drop some over-the-top trap on them. "A Griffon-Goliath hybrid? A robot Deathstalker?"

"Quite an imagination you have!" Merlot grinned. "That's good to see. Sadly, no - you were a bit too quick this time, I'm afraid. Just a few more days and my latest masterpiece would have been completed...but sometimes, inconveniences happen. Between those two foolish thieves trying to barge in, and now you two, it seems I must alter my plans once more."

"Well, that makes things a hell of a lot easier," Qrow replied, aiming his sword at the doctor. "Ready to surrender quietly, Merlot?"

"Now, now, I didn't say that," he said with a hearty laugh. "I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve, after all." With a flourish, Merlot drew a double-edged spear from his belt. "After all, I was once a student at Beacon, just like the two of you. Allow me to show you why I was one of their top alumni!" Without warning, Merlot leapt at the Huntsmen.

Taken aback, Summer raised her weapon to defend herself. Merlot moved with surprising agility for his age, and every move seemed perfectly aimed to strike at her vital points. With seemingly no effort, he put Summer and Qrow on the defense with lightning-fast attacks, not giving either of them a chance to retaliate.

"What the hell?" Qrow snarled, recoiling back as he struggled to fend off the doctor's strikes. "How are you this strong? I thought you were good at science, not fighting!"

"It seems you didn't do your research, boy," Merlot replied calmly, as he continued his assault on the Huntsmen without a hint of hesitation. "Combat was always my forte, since before I enrolled in the Academy. No matter how hard my peers tried, they could never hold a candle to my natural gifts. My skills were perfect, even without training. Everyone, my family included, believed I was destined to be one of the finest Huntsmen to ever live, perhaps even an S-rank, given time."

"But then...why the career change?" Summer responded through gritted teeth, starting to lose her balance. "Why are you enhancing the Grimm instead of hunting them? You wouldn't have had any problem as a Huntsman!"

"Precisely," replied the doctor, his eyes narrowing in anger. "Can you imagine a worse fate than being born talented? To be doomed to an existence without challenge, without barriers to overcome? There is no value in something that is without flaws - no room for innovation, examination or any form of critical thinking! In the world of science, perfection is nothing but a dead end. I chose the path of a scientist because it had limitless potential, and opportunities that few had the courage to explore! I never felt more alive than those sleepless nights when I was at my wit's end, trying to solve a seemingly impossible problem; when it seemed like one error would doom me to a lifetime of failures! The farther that victory escaped from my grasp, the sweeter the sensation when I finally achieved it. I would never have reaped such satisfaction - or such achievements - had I continued on the easier path!

"And that is why Grimm are such a fascinating species," he continued, a wide grin forming across his face. "They're fundamentally flawed, feral, and lack the natural intelligence of humans, but within them lies infinite possibilities! That is the challenge I have chosen to undertake - to elevate them to their fullest potential!"

With a sudden movement, a miniature cannon emerged from the bottom of Merlot's lance. He fired a single grenade, propelling himself backward with the recoil of the blast as Summer and Qrow were sent flying down onto the floor. "A-augh," Summer muttered, feeling the sudden pain all over her body as her Aura began to flicker.

"You did reasonably well, but not quite enough to hit the mark," Merlot said calmly, walking back over to the now-helpless Huntsmen. His elderly face was twisted into an unpleasant smirk. "I do think you'll have your uses, however...perhaps in a future experiment of mine?" He raised his lance with a menacing leer.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a figure fell through the ceiling above, a scarlet blade in hand. As they collided with the floor, a blast of energy resonated through the room, knocking Merlot over with a surprised yell. "Seems like you needed my help," they said, smiling as they extended a hand to Summer.

"...Raven!" Summer gasped, relief filling her as she took the dark Huntress' hand. "Hmph. It sure took you long enough," Qrow muttered angrily as he pulled himself off the floor, shooting an irritated glare at his twin sister.

"Well, better late than never, right?" came another voice. It was Tai, leaping down from the hole formed in the ceiling. He grinned sheepishly at his teammates, stretching out his arms. "Aww...looks like you guys already took care of everything, huh?"

"Maybe you should actually show up earlier next time," Qrow retorted, wincing in pain as he limped over to Merlot's unmoving form. "Alright, now let's get this asshole out of here and into a jail cell."

Suddenly, Merlot raised his head. "Hah...not yet…" he chuckled, reaching into his coat pocket and retrieving a small red switch. "You still...have to pass the final test! Good luck, Huntsmen!" He flicked the switch, and alarms began blaring all around the room. "Ack!" Panicking, Tai swung his fist at the doctor's head, knocking him unconscious.

"Come on!" Summer shouted. "Let's get out of here - now!"

Qrow hoisted Merlot's body over his shoulder. The four of them ran for the exit, explosions ringing out all around them as the complex began to collapse in on itself. The various pods scattered around the building had all been opened, and hordes of Grimm were being released. Drawing their weapons, Team STRQ fought their way through the masses of creatures as they made their way to the front entrance.

They had barely left the building when it finally crumbled, and when Summer looked back, she saw the last fragments of debris fall to the ground around them. Thick pillars of smoke were rising into the sky, and it seemed unlikely that anything would be salvaged from the wreckage. It finally hit her that she was exhausted, and she fell to her knees, panting.

"Hell yeah," Tai grinned. "That was like the big escape scene in an action movie! Enemies coming from every direction, the heroes kicking ass as they make their way to safety, big explosion at the end...classic!"

"I'd call that a job well done," Qrow said with a nod. "And the smoke should lead an airship to us soon."

He was proven correct when, less than five minutes later, a small Carrier came flying from over the horizon, landing as the pilot caught sight of the four Huntsmen signaling to him from the ground. Summer introduced themselves as Team STRQ, explaining that they had come on a mission, and were allowed entry on the aircraft - along with their prisoner, who was unceremoniously stashed away in the back trunk, his hands tied.

Tai reclined in his seat, sighing contentedly. "So, who's up for lunch at A Simple Wok? Personally, I'm starving."

"Sounds good," Summer agreed. She felt her Scroll vibrate in her pocket, and she retrieved it. Seeing the image that had been sent to her, she smiled and showed it to her team. "Take a look!" she said. "Seems like Latte's finally picked the baby's name."

Everyone leaned over to glance at the picture of the smiling Huntsman, their friend Latte Adel, holding his newborn child in his arms. The message below the image read, Hey guys! Check out little Coco - isn't she adorable? Hope you'll come visit when you get a break!

"Phew...thank God it went well," Qrow muttered, wiping his brow.

"Coco Adel - it's got a nice ring to it," Tai added with a warm smile.

Summer gave a weak laugh. "I'm happy things seem to be working out for the two of them. Still...just my personal opinion, but I think people should wait a few years before having kids. I mean, I'd rather at least make sure I can make enough Lien to get by first."

Raven shrugged. "Back in my hometown, couples were encouraged to procreate as quickly and frequently as possible," she said bluntly. "The greater our numbers, the greater our collective chances of survival."

Everyone was awkwardly silent. Qrow glared at Tai for a full minute before the blonde Huntsman winced in mild embarrassment. Summer looked down at her feet, hiding her beet-red face. Finally, they all burst out into awkward laughter as the Carrier soared off toward the city. Relieved that their mission had been completed successfully, Summer allowed herself to relax for the day. During work, Team STRQ were her team - but off the battlefield, they were her friends, and right now she was just happy to spend time with them.

She couldn't have known it then, but that would be the last time they ever fought together as a team.

Time had lost meaning for Autumn.

The days came and went, but the passage of minutes, hours, and eventually weeks and months had become a foreign concept to the lost girl. Here in this bizarre new world, those words referred to things that simply didn't exist - at least, not in the way they once had. For all she knew, she could blink and years of her life would pass before her eyes.

At first, this strange phenomenon had been a mind-bending experience for Autumn. But that was then. Time was a curious anomaly indeed - even in a world without it, it could still change all things.

In truth, Autumn was now having the time of her life. Every day, she would awaken in her lavish silk bed, and a plate of delicious, hot food would be waiting on the table beside her. She had plenty of toys to keep her company, and she would often spend most of her days playing with her dolls or drawing pictures.

When she got bored of being stuck in her room, she would skip through the halls of the castle, laughing and stretching out her arms. The labyrinthian corridors seemed to be without end, and more often than not she would end up hopelessly lost. Some days, there would be people patrolling the area, and promptly escort the rowdy girl back to her chambers as she wailed and pouted.

There were other children there, too. Almost all of them were older than Autumn, and that had intimidated her at first, but she had eventually come to bond with some of them. They would spend some time talking about their favourite toys, what they had eaten for lunch, and where they had come from. Many of them had no recollection of their life outside the castle, and looked at Autumn in bewildered awe when she described Vale, Patch, and the rest of the 'outside world.'

In her new life, she felt like a princess from one of her favourite fairy tales - it was truly her dream come true.

There here were times, however, when she missed the days of training with her bow and arrow. Some days, she would cry herself to sleep as she thought of how much she missed Summer, the woman who had loved her like a mother for four precious years. She wondered where she was right now, and if she'd ever see her again.

Today was one of those days, as she found herself sitting up in bed sadly, holding her pillow in her arms as she buried her head in the soft cotton. It's not the same without her smell, Autumn thought glumly, fighting back tears. Back in the old days, Summer would have noticed the girl crying, and given a comforting hug as she read her a fairy tale.

But Summer was no longer there.

The door opened, and a dark-skinned youth peered in with a light scowl at the sight of her. "Hmph," he muttered. "You there, girl. Her Grace would like a word with you." Autumn did not respond, or move from her spot. The tears were now falling freely from her cheeks, soaking her blankets.

"Are you deaf?" The young man growled. "Ugh...fine, I suppose I'll just have to take you there myself." Reluctantly, he closed the Scroll he was holding and put it in his pocket, before walking over to Autumn and hoisting the girl over his shoulder. The upside of her current melancholy was that she did not protest as he escorted her out of the room.

He carried Autumn to the castle's main chamber, located at the top of the highest tower. "Your Grace, I've brought the girl," he announced, and the grand doors slowly creaked open before them. The enormous room was illuminated by the violet, otherworldly sky that lay beyond the window. A grand table lay ahead, and sitting at the front of it was the dark queen herself.

If there was ever a being that fit the description of a demon, Salem would be it. With her pale, white visage, molten red eyes as terrifying as any Grimm, and deathly black veins covering her skin like parasites, the ruler of this bizarre realm commanded both respect and terror in equal measure.

At the dark queen's side stood a young Faunus, with long brown hair and sharp claw gauntlets strapped around her arms. Autumn recognized her as Harriet Maroon, whom she had seen several times before, but had never had a chance to speak to. She and her master appeared to be discussing something.

"The two members of PLSM returned empty-handed today," Harriet said disdainfully. "This is the last failure from those fools that I'm willing to overlook. While it pains me to harm the insect Faunus, next time I will have them punished accordingly."

"That is indeed disappointing," Salem agreed. "Ah, but it seems we have guests. Shall we greet them?" She looked up as the two of them entered, and a benevolent smile formed on her face as she saw Autumn.

"Mmm-hmmm...very good," she said softly, her voice a low murmur. "Thank you very much, Arthur. You may go now; I will call for you at another time." She raised her hand with a silent authority, and the youth named Arthur lowered Autumn onto the floor before leaving without a word. He began flipping through his Scroll again as the doors closed behind him.

"Umm…" Autumn looked up at Salem, her eyes red from all the crying. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am." She referred to the dark queen with the 'respectful pronoun' that Summer had taught her to use for older women. "You're, um, not mad at me, are you?"

Salem smiled as she stood up from her seat, walking across the floor with nary a sound. Harriet remained where she stood, not even glancing at Autumn. "Do not fear, child - you have behaved yourself wonderfully. I would not dream of being displeased with you. Quite the opposite in fact." She paused. "How the time flies...already a year has passed since you first came to join me in my humble abode."

"A year?" Autumn tilted her head in confusion. "It feels a lot shorter than that."

"Mmm, that is an understandable reaction - time certainly feels far different here than in the land you came from. But regardless of circumstances, I believe the moment is approaching...for your training to begin." Suddenly, she moved her gaze upward. "...Ah, but it seems I have yet another visitor today."

The door creaked open, and another person entered. A young girl, about thirteen to fourteen years of age, with teal-coloured eyes and short green hair tied up in a ponytail. Eyes lighting up in recognition, Autumn leapt gleefully into her arms.

"Corey!" She yelled happily, feeling the girl ruffle her hair affectionately. Suddenly she frowned, and narrowed her eyes slightly as she stared into her face. "Ummm, wait. Are you really Corrine? Or are you Caroline?"

"Nah," Corrine chuckled, gently putting Autumn down. "You got it right the first time." From behind, another girl, who looked almost identical to her right down to the same dark vest and skirt, entered with a large greatsword floating in the air beside her. "Hiya, Autumn," she said with a smile. "You doing ok?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Autumn nodded enthusiastically. "I'm glad to see you again, Carey."

From the table, Harriet Maroon finally seemed to show interest, turning to the new arrivals with a wary interest. "The Cion twins - Caroline and Corrine," she said quietly. "I take it your mission was completed successfully?"

"You bet," said Corrine with a smug grin, patting the blade's edge. "That washed-up Huntsman didn't stand a chance against my sis and I working together. Not only that, but he even fell for the oldest trick in the book - the poor little girl in distress. It was almost too easy!"

"Stupid old man," Caroline giggled.

"Now, now," Salem said with a smile. "You can't fault a Huntsman for doing as his duty compels him. But I extend my congratulations to the both of you - the loss of one of his Knights will be quite a severe blow to dear Ozpin. And as for the divine blade...the Nine Lives...I will allow you two to use it as you see fit. Leave it as a keepsake, or melt it down for a new weapon if you so wish."

"Know that this success means you will both be given more difficult tasks from now on," Harriet added. "You've earned your rest for now, but I will be calling on you again very soon, I can assure you of that."

"Booo, more work," Caroline sighed. She was playing with Nine Lives, twirling her fingers and making the floating blade rotate in response to her movements. "C'mon, sis...let's go play musical chairs outside with the boys."

"Good idea," Corrine agreed. She gave Autumn a loving pat on the head. "See you around, Autumn! Come play with us later, okay?" With that, the two girls exited the room, waving to their friend.

Waving back, Autumn turned to Salem, an excited gleam in her eyes. "You mentioned Huntsmen...and someone named Ozpin," she said with awe. "Mommy used to tell me all about them! They're the good guys who fight to save the day! Do you really know them?"

Harriet shifted uncomfortably. Salem merely chuckled in amusement. "There is much you do not know, child. About the Huntsmen, and the rest of the world. But that is why you are here - so that I may train you, teach you the way things truly are. And Harriet, I am sure, will be glad to assist." She turned to her follower. "How are preparations coming along?"

"Well enough," Harriet replied. "I promise I will not fail you, Grandmaster."

Her master's eyes darkened for a moment. "...And I would hope not," she murmured. "With the loss of the relic, any further setbacks could potentially prove fatal. I have entrusted this next phase to you, Harriet, because you are the most devoted and capable among my disciples. I trust that you will not cause me to change that opinion."

"...I promise I will give you no reason to worry," Harriet smiled. "I have my own reasons for wanting this to succeed, after all...and I've been awaiting this moment for a long time." She bowed respectfully to her master, and quietly walked out of the room.

It was only Autumn and the queen who remained. "You keep talking about my 'training'," Autumn said nervously. "Mommy always liked to train me in archery...is this something like that?"

"...Perhaps," Salem replied, gently grasping the girl's chin with her pale, veined hand. While she might have once recoiled in fear, now her touch was as comforting as a parent to Autumn. "You have a grand destiny ahead of you, girl. I will be here with you, guiding you every step of the day. And I promise that one day, you will accomplish incredible things…."