Chapter 12: Oasis

Team STRQ's Dormitory, Beacon Academy

The day of their departure had arrived, and as always, Summer made sure to wake up early.

Qrow and Tai were still fast asleep. Hearing the muffled sound of rushing water as she shook off her grogginess, Summer looked out of the window to see if it was raining, but the skies were clear, and the sun was only just coming up. She saw that Raven's bed was empty; the dark-haired Huntress was likely in the shower. Summer dropped down to the floor, letting out a silent yawn as she stretched her aching body.

She and Qrow had withdrawn to their dormitory an hour before Tai and Raven, but it had still been past midnight, and Summer had been stuffed full with all the food she'd eaten at the dance. Despite that, she now found, waking up, that she was starving. The caf should already be open, Summer thought, deciding that she'd grab an early breakfast before her team's departure for Vacuo.

It was about five minutes later that she left the cafeteria, a carton of chocolate milk in one hand and a breakfast sandwich in the other. The taste of crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and toasted bread filled her mouth, sapping away the last of her drowsiness along with her hunger. Finishing her meal, she tossed the wrapper into a nearby garbage can.

As she walked down the empty corridors, attempting to get back to her room, she suddenly overheard a noise behind the corner. With a start, she realized that it was someone talking. Curious as to who else could be up so early, she she made her way toward it, as the person spoke again. "You're wasting your breath, old man. I'll handle things how I want to, ok?" Who's that? The voice sounded familiar to her.

"You will, but I must warn you nonetheless." Another person was speaking now. "There is no room for error - particularly during the tournament. One moment of carelessness, and the enemy will find out." Though it was quiet enough that Summer had to focus all her effort to hear it, it was unmistakably Headmaster Ozpin's voice.

"Ok, ok. I'll make sure to be careful and all that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back before anyone noti-" The owner of the other voice turned the corner, only to found themselves face to face with Summer. "Ack!"

"...Herman." Summer was surprised.

Herman Whitehead's look of panic quickly faded, as he promptly leaned back and let out a large, sleepy yawn, his usual lazy expression returning to his face. "O-oh...hey Summer. Fancy seeing you here, huh?"

"I've got to admit, you're the last person I'd expect to be up before seven," said Summer, smiling. "So, uh, what were you talking to the headmaster about?" She walked past him and looked down the hallway, but to her surprise, Ozpin was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, that? Ummm…" Herman scratched his messy light-blond hair. "Oz was, uh, kinda mad that I haven't kept up with my training and all that. Said I wouldn't be able to graduate 'nless I step it up. S-scary, huh?" He laughed nervously.

Summer frowned. "But...that doesn't sound like what he was sayi - "

"Oh geez, look at the time!" Interrupting her, Herman abruptly turned and began walking in the opposite direction. "Well, I guess it was nice seeing you, huh? I mean, we won't get to say bye before you guys head out, so, uh...good luck out there, alright?"

"Um, thanks, but...hey, wait!" Summer reached out to him, but Herman turned a corner and was quickly out of sight. What was that all about?

As she stood there in the corridor, confused, a loud beep emanated from the nearby speakers, causing her to jump. The noise was followed by the voice of Professor Goodwitch: "Would all third and fourth year students bound for their missions in Vacuo head for the courtyard immediately. Your transportation will be arriving shortly."

"Uh oh," Summer muttered. Shaking her head, she turned and ran back in the direction of Team STRQ's dormitory.

The Wasteland, Kingdom of Vacuo

"Whoa…" Fascinated, Summer pressed her face to the aircraft's window. High in the sky, the Atlesian Carrier had entered Vacuo's airspace. She had never seen such an enormous desert, such vast expanses of red and golden sand. Though they were in the central territory of the kingdom, there were very few tall, noteworthy buildings compared to Atlas or even Vale. It wasn't hard to see why many collectively referred to Vacuo's territory as the 'Wasteland'.

"You really find that interesting? Just looking out at some boring-ass desert?" Qrow asked from behind her.

Tai shrugged. "Ah, well. To each their own, right?"

"From a certain perspective, there is some beauty to be found in it," Raven conceded, sitting cross-leggedly in her seat while reading her book. "Particularly when faced with an entirely new experience. It find it understandable for Summer to feel the way she does."

"C'mon, Rae, do you always have to talk like you're doing some scientific investigation?" Tai laughed good-naturedly. Teasingly, he leaned in closer to her, grasping her hand lightly. Next to him, Qrow let out a heavily audible sigh.

"If it's really so pretty, it'll probably look a hell of a lot better close up," he muttered, clutching his stomach in pain. "Ughh...anything to get off this nightmare of a ride."

Summer looked away from the window. Her teammates were sitting in the back corner of the airship. Team JADE sat all the way on the other end, with multiple rows of seats between the two teams. Neither JADE nor STRQ had spoken to the other for their entire flight.

"Ahh, this is so tiring," David Stone sighed, stretching out his arms. "C'mon Ed, let me lie down just for a moment, pleease?"

"Absolutely not," growled his partner, Edward Crown, who shared a seat with him. He was a tall, brown-haired young man, wearing a dark blue sash over his scarlet robe. "Find your own seat, lazy bum."

Sticking out his tongue, David tackled his partner out of their seat and promptly fell over on his back, stretching out his short body while breaking out into laughter. Cursing, Edward walked back over to him and forcefully sat on David's legs. The blonde boy yelped and flew off the seat like a bullet, crashing into the wall, before sliding down and landing spread-eagled on the floor. .

"Can you idiots stop making complete asses of yourselves for once?" Jin snapped at them. Beside him, his partner Augustus, a stocky, serious-looking boy wearing a plate of silver armour, suddenly looked up. "Looks like we're here," he announced.

"Hmm?" Summer turned back to the window, and for a moment she thought she must be dreaming. The vast expanse of desert had completely vanished, and in its place was a beautiful, pristine metropolis, and even from up above she could make out gorgeous, lush gardens, pristine buildings, and an enormous, fancy water fountain in what appeared to be a city square. And above it all, far above, the Amity Coliseum was hovering majestically in the sky.

"Wh-what the...?" She took a step back in surprise. "Um..where are we?"

"Uh, still in Vacuo?" Qrow said dryly.

"Well, to be more specific, we've now entered the oasis in the desert - quite literally," Raven added, walking over to her teammate. "The Oasis...the most technologically advanced city in all of Sanus...it's truly a marvel to view with your own eyes."

"It...sure is…" Summer vaguely recalled Heather mentioning an 'Oasis district' in the Kingdom of Vacuo.

The aircraft was beginning its descent now. As the tall buildings and beautiful scenery of the Oasis grew closer and closer, Summer found herself becoming even more fascinated than before. She certainly hadn't expected that such a remarkable city could exist in the middle of a barren desert.

Several minutes later, they landed at the airport. The two teams made their way out of the Carrier, upon which Qrow immediately made a beeline for the nearest trash can, hand over his mouth. "Whoa…" Summer murmured, taking in the sights of the city. It really was even more gorgeous up close; it was like she'd stepped into paradise itself. "I can't believe something like this exists in Vacuo."

"Well, to be perfectly fair, the people of Vacuo didn't build it," Raven said, briefly glancing at where her brother was currently disposing of his breakfast. "The construction of the Oasis was a joint effort between Mistral and Atlas - which was still called Mantle back then - as an apology to Vacuo for the Great War. That certainly explains why the city appears both so futuristic and so artistic at the same time."

Tai nodded. "Right, I remember now...it was somewhere in this area where the last battle of the War was fought, right? Where Vale and Vacuo teamed up and beat the crap out of the Mistral-Mantle Alliance once and for all. Hmm..." He stared at the great, expansive structures of the Oasis,a small frown forming on his face. "Kinda hard to look at all this and think about something as awful as war, huh? Well, beside all that, this place really is gorgeous."

"I think it's just an eyesore," Jin spoke up all of a sudden. He and his team walked past Summer and her friends without flashing a look at them. "C'mon, let's ditch these guys. Those bandit losers aren't gonna beat themselves up." The four of them broke out into a run for the city's downtown.

"Someone's a killjoy," Tai muttered.

Summer nodded, though she felt that in a way, Jin did have a point. The dazzling extravagance of the Oasis definitely stood out like a sore thumb in comparison to the dry, barren desert that comprised most of the Wasteland. It was so beautiful one could argue that it didn't really 'belong' in Vacuo.

"Well then," she said to her teammates. "Let's go have a look around."

Oasis, Kingdom of Vacuo

"Hmm-hmm-hmmm…" Summer hummed to herself as she looked over a map of the area on her Scroll. Team STRQ's work - helping with maintenance of the Soulcage- wouldn't begin until later in the day, so they'd decided to tour the city in the meantime. The team had split into pairs - given what had happened the last time she'd gone out alone, Summer had decided to have someone accompany her this time.

"...Anyfing elsh good?" Qrow asked, his mouth full of strawberry & mint ice cream. In one hand he held his ice cream cone, and in the other he was clutching a shopping bag containing a brand new gaming console and an exclusive, early-release copy of the latest Remnant Fantasy. He'd volunteered to go with Summer before Tai could get the opportunity to ask if he and Raven could be alone.

"I'm looking," Summer said, feeling annoyed. "And please don't talk with your mouth full...and don't spend all our Lien on expensive junk," she finished firmly.

Qrow shook his head in disappointment. "C'mon, it's not junk - it's a collector's item. Besides, you got any idea how hard it is to get into this place? I hear only the richest of the rich are allowed to live in the Oasis - it costs, like, five million Lien just to get a damn apartment! Once the Vytal Festival's over, we'll never get to come back again."

"...Sure." Summer wasn't convinced. If anything, what Qrow had just said meant that he most certainly should not be blowing his savings on absurdly overpriced merchandise. As she was internally expressing her disapproval, the two of them passed by a large fashion store, the Mocha Monroe. Casting a brief glance at it, Summer wrinkled her nose in disgust at the sight of the expensive-looking clothes.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that-" Without finishing, he quickly made her way into the store. "H-hey, what the hell?" Qrow yelled, following after her.

Summer burst through the doors, and ran over to the nightgown aisle near the window, where a familiar figure was looking through the wares. "Latte!" Summer called out to him. "It is you! Long time no see!"

"Hmm?" Latte Adel turned around, his brown eyes widening in pleasant surprise at the sight of his old friends. "Qrow! Summer!" he grinned, exchanging a high-five with Qrow as he approached them. "Well, this is a nice surprise! Didn't expect to see either of you here! You both decided to show up early for the festival?"

"Kinda," replied Qrow. He explained to Latte that Team STRQ had taken an assignment in Vacuo so they could visit the festival grounds ahead of time.

Latte laughed. "Nice, nice! The ladies and I had the same idea. It sure was nice of Professor Thane to have the Vytal Festival take place in the Oasis this year, even if the residents weren't so happy about normal folk being allowed in their special space."

"Well, I sure can't imagine they like having peasants like us just wandering around the streets like this," Qrow grinned, glancing around the store, which contains racks upon racks of an enormous variety of every kind of fancy suits and dresses imaginable. "And what are you doin' out here by yourself, Latte?"

"Same as you guys." Latte gestured meaningfully at Qrow's bag. "Shopping. Though don't get me wrong, I wouldn't say I'm a 'peasant', considering my family practically owns this little store chain. That's why I get exclusive discounts - and why I'll be able to give Isa that dress she wanted on our next date."

Summer was surprised. "Oh, are you two a couple now? I mean, I guess you did seem kind of close…"

"Haha, that's right! Isa's great, especially when you really get to know her...hmm. Where's the other half of your team, by the way?" Latte's eyes widened, and he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, hey. Could it be that they're also t-"

"No!" Summer and Qrow responded simultaneously, with more than a little indignation.

Latte threw his hands up and sighed. "Touchy subject for you guys, huh? Alright, I guess I won't pry. Hmm, although…" Leaning in, he glanced over both of them in turn, a fascinated look in his eyes. He began to nod slowly. "Hmmm. Actually, yeah...This could work out…"

"What the hell is goin' on in that mind of yours, Latte Adel?" Qrow grumbled.

"Forget it," he smiled. "Anyway, I got an idea. I've been in the city for a few days already, and I visited Vacuo last year too, so how about I give you guys a little tour?" Seeing no problem with Latte's suggestion, Summer and Qrow gladly accepted.

For the next hour or so, the three of them made their way around the Oasis, taking in all the various landmarks and sites. There was a twenty-story hotel constructed entirely out of stained glass, which looked gorgeous and lovingly crafted but made Summer question how anyone could be insane enough to want to stay there. They took a brief tour of a bizarre laboratory that was entirely suspended in the air by a single small elevator shaft, and served as an enormous air conditioner that spared the city from the scorching heat of the desert. And though Qrow seemed indifferent to them, Summer found the giant palm trees with artificial, mechanical trunks that were still able to grow organic leaves and coconuts to be especially beautiful.

Eventually, Latte stopped leading them around in a circle and brought the tour straight to the central square of the city. In the centre of it all stood a large water fountain, with a statue depicting a tall, imposing figure carved out in marble. On his person he carried a cape, a sword, a staff and a royal crown. "This is...the Warrior King?" Summer murmured, staring at it in awe.

"Yep," said Latte. "This is the exact place where the last battle of the Great War was fought, right over where the old Dust mines used to be. Onyx always loves to rattle on about the War, so most of the people at Atlas have gotten the entire history course memorized, bless the old man."

"Oh yeah, your headmaster fought in the Great War, right? I always forget how old that guy is," Qrow said.

"Well if you believe him, Headmaster Onyx didn't just 'fight' in the War," Latte replied, "He was the general for Mantle's army, and he fought the Warrior King one-on-one during the final battle. He lost, but the Warrior was so impressed by his skills that he spared him and the rest of his army. Onyx prefers to emphasize the latter part, of course."

This was the first that Summer had heard about that. "That's pretty amazing if it's true," she admitted. "Though I'm not very well-versed in war stories."

"Hey, I understand," Latte smiled. "It's all really morbid stuff when you actually think about again, if nothing else, learning about all this really makes you glad that we live in a time of pe-"

He was cut off by the sound of an explosion from somewhere nearby. Multiple people could be heard screaming in the distance. "What was that?" he yelled.

Summer gripped her bow, a feeling of panic rising in her. "Let's go see what's wrong!" she said, and she, along with Qrow and Latte, ran in the direction of the sound.

They found the source of the explosion at the main Huntsman guild on the edge of the city. The building was heavily damaged, with plumes of smoke rising from the top floor. Several black-clad men wielding rifles stepped out the door, yelling obscenities at nearby civilians, who were fleeing.

"Oh no," Latte muttered. "Those guys are from the Brotherhood. Can't they stop causing trouble for everyone, just for once?" Gritting his teeth, he aimed Pyroburst Cannon at the gunmen, firing an explosive shell that blew them back into the guildhouse. "Come on," he yelled at Qrow and Summer, before running in with the two of them close behind.

The three Huntsmen made their way through the smoking building, encountering hordes of gunmen wearing the Brotherhood of Gehenna's uniform. Summer shot them down with arrows while Qrow incapacitated several of them at once with strikes from his sword. Luckily, none of them put up much of a fight, since the Huntsmen had to be careful not to destroy what was left of the guild in the process.

Eventually, they reached the top floor. The desks had been overturned, and various forms of machinery lay in ruins around the room. David, Augustus and Edward lay unconscious on the floor, by the feet of an unfamiliar figure. A giant of a man, clad from head-to-toe in obsidian-black armour, was exchanging blows with Jin, who was wielding his beam sword. The young Huntsman was clearly outmatched, and as Summer entered the room, the giant swatted away Jin's weapon like a fly. He raised his fist to deal the final blow.

"No!" Summer quickly fired an arrow, which bounced harmlessly off the giant's armour, but caught his attention nonetheless. "...Oh?" The giant turned to look at the three new arrivals. Under the armour, his voice was gravelly, almost demonic. "A girl with silver eyes...you must be the one Brother mentioned."

"H-huh?" Summer stammered, terrified of this mysterious new enemy. Who is this?

Latte raised his weapon. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I guess you must be the leader of those Brotherhood folks we beat up on our way here. Just surrender and let us take you into custody, and it'll be easier for all of us."

The giant ignored him, and turned his gaze to Qrow. "So...you're here too? It's good to finally meet you, Qrow - though I had hoped I would be able to see Raven as well." Before Qrow could respond, a sinister dark aura began to surround the giant. "Just knowing that you two are in Vacuo has made staying in this Kingdom worth it. I am certain that fate will bring us together again."

"Looks like you're not going to surrender nicely." Latte fired his weapon. Three explosive shells impacted the giant's armour, and when the dust settled, he was still standing there, completely unmoved. The dark aura enveloped him completely, and he was gone. "Damn! He escaped."

Jin was staggering to his feet. "Urghh…" he muttered, glancing reluctantly at Summer. "I didn't need your he-" he stopped himself. "...Thanks," he spat, as if he were uttering the worst profanity imaginable.

"Who the hell was that?" Qrow growled. "And how'd he know my name?"

Latte lowered Pyroburst Cannon. "Well, we can worry about that problem later. Let's just take care of all the unconscious henchmen we left back there - just in time for your shift, too."

Sure enough, a squad of police, clad in Atlesian military armour, soon arrived and took the men from the Brotherhood into custody. After making sure Jin and his team were alright, Summer, Qrow and Latte boarded an airship that took them to the Soulcage.

"These arrests sure are becoming a lot more frequent," Latte noted, reclining in his seat. "I'm sure the people working on the Soulcage are happy about that, but at the same time no one wants to deal with criminals when the Vytal Festival's coming right up. We all know how that feels, don't we?"

"Tell me about it," Qrow muttered, crossing his arms. "Speaking of the festival, I bet you guys are in the tournament again, aren't you?"

Latte grinned. "You bet we are. And this time, Team LIME's not gonna go down so easily! Especially if we go up against you again! ...Although," he muttered. "There is one thing I'm a tad worried about. That Team PLSM group. That 'ace in the hole' of Shade Academy."

"You've heard of them, too?" Summer asked.

"I met one of them on a mission last year," he explained. "She's...well, she was definitely a strange kind of person. I actually don't know anything else about their team or why so many people seem to think they're such a threat, but...that's sort of the scary part, you know? It seems like no one knows anything about these guys."

"That is pretty weird," Qrow admitted. "Hey Latte, if you're stayin' in Vacuo until the festival, you can count on us to help you deal with the Brotherhood - when we're on break, that is. I think Team JADE need all the help they can get."

"Sounds good," said Latte. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for that guy in the armour, too. In the meantime, let's all just enjoy our time here, eh? Good times like these don't last forever, after all…"

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

Amity Coliseum

"With all that out of the way...welcome, one and all, to the Vytal Festival Tournament!"

The first day of the tournament had finally arrived. Standing on the arena, Summer took a deep breath as she desperately attempted to appear calm and composed. Beside her, Raven was staring ahead intently, hand on the end of her katana. Tai was waving at the cheering crowd, a big grin on his face. Qrow had his arms crossed, trying to look indifferent while clearly being tense.

As Summer looked through the crowds in the distance, trying to see where her friends were sitting, the voice of Shade Academy's Professor Aran Lawrence rang through the speakers once more. "I hope you're all ready for the first of many exciting matches that we'll be seeing over the course of the next few days! Now let's begin the battle between Team STRQ of Beacon and Team AZRE of Haven!"

More cheers. With the cries of encouragement from the crowd ringing in her ears, Summer grabbed her bow, staring down the opposing team. "Okay," she said. "Let's do this, team."

"This'll be a piece of cake," Qrow grinned. "Time to show everyone what we're made of!" Tai whooped.

"Three...two...one...GO!" With that, the match had begun.

Next Chapter: Ace in the Hole