XXI: Tell It Like It Is

Tai-Yang looked down at the last chore for the evening. The kitchen was hot, so he had taken the chance to cool off and finish up. Once he was done, he could relax and take it easy until supper was ready.

Standing around the dining table, he set three plates. Taking clean eating utensils out of the drawer, he set a spoon, fork, and knife around the plate. Standing up straight, he wiped his hand across his forehead in relief.

He could hear a faint bubbling sound from the other room. The pot where he was heating the green beans was at a healthy simmer. In a bit, he would need to add some crushed tomatoes for flavor. That combined with some of the soup from yesterday would make a fine enough meal, although he was lacking a serious protein.

"I'll need to go shopping soon." He muttered to himself.

It would be a struggle, but he needed to do it soon before he lost the will to keep going. His emotions had a bad habit of pulling him down at the worst of times. If he did manage to go out for groceries, it would be the first time he had left the house in months.

There was no physical reason he could not leave. He knew it was all in his head. This knowledge did little to help. The longest he had stayed out of his funk since Summer's passing was about six weeks. That was in the direct aftermath of his children almost having been eaten by Grimm while he was not paying attention. While he was wallowing in his self-pity.

He could not help it. All of it was too much. Most days, it took most of his energy to just get out of bed in the mornings. It was like being strapped to a gurney, only the restraints were invisible. The once proud huntsman lost all power to move and take care of himself. It made him feel pathetic.

Once he was in that mood, it took someone else to shake him out of it. Sometimes the shaking was literal. Usually, the job fell to Qrow. Other times it was Yang. Once it was Ruby. Only once. In his bitterness, he had snapped at her. The action had scared her off trying it again. The regret from doing that kept him bedridden. Regardless, having the external push would usually get him out of the general malaise, but he always had a relapse.

The triggers for this state were well known to him. They were all around. This house, the woods, and even his children brought about his condition. They all reminded him of the happy life they had for such a painfully brief time. They were mementos of every mistake he had ever made in his personal life.

The worst part was his feelings towards his kids. It honestly hurt when he looked at Yang and Ruby. They looked so much like their mothers. The pain fluctuated in intensity. Sometimes it was a throb. Others it was a full-on sledgehammer to the heart. It only became stronger as the two got older. Those feelings were unfair, but they existed.

He had started tying Yang's hair in pigtails just to distract from the similarities. Luckily, her hair color and personality were completely different from Raven. He could focus on the distinctions between the two to distract from the hurt in his chest. The man was not sure he could take it if she started acting as cold hearted as her mother.

Ruby was the real problem. She was the splitting image of her mother. He did not see any traces of himself in her. Sometimes, and he was not proud of it, he would flinch when she appeared suddenly. It was like being in the presence of a ghost.

Thinking of his girls, he noted something unsettling. He had sent Ruby after her sister a while ago, but they had not returned. The house was also hushed. There were no noises from up above. The telltale sound of giggling or barking was absent, so they were not playing. No loud explosions or yelling either, so they were not wrapped up in a video game.

What are they doing up there?

Moving away from the table, he made towards the stairs to check up on them. As he passed the entrance to the cabin, he caught a brief memory. This one was of Summer. She had one foot out the open front door while talking to him. Her white cape fluttered behind her as a cold wind blew in.

Tai could not remember the last words she said to him exactly. He had not taken the time to commit them to memory. They were something along the lines of how she would only be gone for a month and to take care of himself. She had lied.

It had been much longer than a month.

Before he could get caught up in the sensations, he turned away. He had to be stronger than that. Nothing good came from dwelling on the past he could not alter. He had to push forward no matter how much it hurt at times. Missing the first step, he stumbled as he climbed the stairs.

At the peak, he passed the bedroom that he had not slept in for a while. The door had been left open by Qrow. Looking in, he found more unkind memories. On the bed, he recalled a woman holding a baby with blonde hair. Everyone was congratulating her. The midwife was telling her that the child was healthy and strong.

There was no expression on the woman's face. Where one would have expected joy at the creation of new life, there was nothing. No love, happiness, or even disgust was present. Nothing. Raven just stared at the little girl in her arms, thinking whatever it was that separated her from everyone else.

Looking back, Tai-Yang should have known she would be leaving him. Qrow had warned him about their family values. Tai had no one to blame but himself. He had hoped having a family would change her. It did not. The girl just reminded Raven that she wanted more from life than to be tied down.

Reaching into the room, he grabbed the doorknob and closed the door to end the scene. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. Once again, he pressed on. He reminded himself he could not change anything. There was no fixing the past. He needed to focus on the present and find his daughters.

Outside their bedroom, he knocked lightly. His heart jumped in his throat when there was no reply. He only calmed down when there was a light woof from the other side. Ace was in there then. That was a good sign. Despite his ornery nature at times, he tended to stick by his charges. Tai-Yang's father had trained Ace well enough before he had died. The dog's unlocked Aura gave him the intelligence necessary to understand humans and the strength needed to defend Ruby and Yang from harm.

Twisting the door handle, the father of two pushed his way in. The room was dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly enough. The loyal mutt was seated at the foot of the bed. Ace lifted his head up to acknowledge his master before lowering down again.

On the bed were two small bodies huddled together in sleep. This brought about another recollection. This one was more pleasant than the others. It consisted of two women passed out after a night of partying in Vale. Even the positions were similar, with the taller girl burying her face into the shoulder of the shorter one. He was once again cast in the unfortunate role of having to be the one who woke them up.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he gently touched his youngest's shoulder. The girl stirred and yawned as he rubbed a circle. Looking over at him, they made eye contact. He repressed the urge to shiver. She looked like she was still half asleep as she asked for confirmation that it was not a dream.

"Daddy?"

"Sorry." He apologized for disturbing her. "I didn't want you to wake up hungry later."

She shook her head as she tried to sit up on the bed. Yang's grip appeared to tighten on Ruby's body, keeping her in place. To help the little girl out of the trap, Tai lifted his blonde daughters' arms up. This gave Ruby the chance to slip out while he took her place as the one being cuddled. On shaky legs, she stood and looked expectantly at him.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She squeaked. "It's just… Yang has been acting funny since school let out."

"Do you know why?"

"No."

"Okay. Why don't you go downstairs and turn the stove off? We will be down in a bit."

She gave a sign of agreement and made towards the door. Ace, having heard the conversation, rose to stretch before lumbering after her. He did turn to look at the man on the bed, but he must have decided Ruby needed watching more. Tai could hear the dog trotting down the hallway after the door closed.

Turning his attention back to his eldest child, he found that her breathing had quickened. There was light gasping and wheezing. It was a sound that was very familiar to him. A sob. She was awake and in distress.

"Sweetheart?" She did not look at him. Instead she buried her face further into his side. He began stroking rings between her shoulder blades. "What's wrong?"

"I-I messed up." She said as she raised her head to look at him.

Through the bloodshot eyes he could see real hurt. It broke his heart to see her in such pain. Once again, he had been ignoring his children instead of being a father. That was something that needed to change at once.

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

〇-〇-〇

"Keep up." Grunted the masked faunus to his followers.

"Sorry!" Roscoe promptly jogged up to be right behind him. Qrow groused but increased his pace to catch up within a few steps. The huntsman, having found a new place to explore, had been taking the time to analyze his surroundings.

When they had first approached Tocsin, he had been extremely interested in its defenses. The main gate was as high as anything he had seen in his travels. The natural rock barriers that enclosed the town created a boxed-in canyon that the township sat in. Militia members on top of the gate were there to handle any flying enemies. Altogether, the settlement had created a formidable obstacle to Grimm making it inside.

There were weak points, of course. All defensive positions had them. Judging by the discolored portions of the gate, the faunus did not have the engineering skills necessary to support the manufactured portions of their fortifications. Funding a maintenance project like that must have been expensive. Qrow knew from talking to Ozpin that Vale spent a third of their budget on their own walls. Tocsin was getting by, but it was clear that in another few decades they were going to have problems.

If a breach did happen, he wondered where these people would go. The surrounding hills that made it difficult for Grimm to cross into the town would also make it impossible to lead a retreat if the worst happened. Then again, he could say the same of Vale. The trick was to make sure the monsters stayed on the other side.

The inside of Tocsin was not what the huntsman had expected. Compared to Relay, it seemed to be lagging in terms of infrastructure. They had many of the trappings of a fully functioning settlement. There was a main road that led past buildings that offered standard services such as medicine, food, and water. However, the road consisted of packed dirt and the buildings were all made of flimsy wood. One match struck in the wrong place would turn everything to ash.

It was also very crowded. Inside they walked past more faunus. Far more than Qrow had seen in a long time. Outside of Menagerie, this had to be the largest faunus community in Remnant. There was a low hum that reverberated from the many voices that harmonized together in the air. Children played while stern looking adults chatted nearby. One squirt bumped into him and was quickly reprimanded by an elder.

The largest congregation was in the center of the space, at a bazaar. As they walked by, Qrow let his eyes wander. Various stalls were gathered around a large brass bell that was held up by a log that spanned two buildings.

Each shop was staffed by a peddler who shouted out their wares while another was talking to customers. He did not see lien changing hands, but he had heard this was a commune. It looked like people bartered or exchanged favors for goods and services.

Eyes now back in front, he hurried along next to Roscoe.

Following the one called Colorado was a chore. He was clearly not used to being a glorified usher. The way he would weave in and out of foot traffic left the two shadowing him to brush against others who were traveling in the opposite direction. They tried to keep a wide berth, but it was almost impossible given the limited space.

"This place seems small. Do all of these people live here?" Qrow asked his companion, figuring she was more likely to answer his question than their tour guide.

"No." She answered. "Most live in homesteads or farms. The only ones that live behind the walls are new arrivals or those that cannot protect themselves. Y'know, like the elderly, children, and migrants. The militia is also stationed here."

It seemed to Qrow that Tocsin proper was more of a refuge than a town unto itself. That line of thought was supported by the lack of dwellings. The main living structures he saw were little more than a collection of barracks, shacks, and tents. Those clothed in military garb were crowded around one such tent, passing around cans of beer.

The one normal looking house that he spotted appeared to be their destination. It was a creamy blue wood paneled building. It was two stories high and wide. A white picket fence separated the building from the road that ran beside it. On that fence was a small sign referring to it as Lee's Home for Children.

Said children were nowhere to be seen at the orphanage. It could be they were the ones they passed on the way over. Qrow knew that he could not have been contained in one spot when he was that age. Running off to get up to no good was the pastime of all youngsters.

Colorado lifted the chain off the hook to open the fence's gate. It swung inward with a grinding clamor of metal against metal. Holding it open for them, he let them pass. Once they were inside, he let the gate swing back with a loud clash.

Qrow was wary of the other man. The mask he wore gave Branwen a bad case of déjà vu. That caution was not borne just because the mask was directly modeled on the bone faceplates of Grimm. Its style also reminded him of the attire that Mistralian bandits wore. A very specific tribe of bandits that Qrow knew very well.

"In there." The one who led them directed.

The Grimm face wearer walked up to the door and pulled on the handlebar. He held the door out for them again while waving them inside. Again, they passed him. Qrow was getting nervous with how much he had to keep turning his back to the other.

"Thank you." Roscoe bid him as they entered.

He grunted what sounded like a 'you're welcome," but it could have just as easily been a 'stuff it' with the amount of care put into the words. Without saying anything else, he let the door close and walked out back towards the road. Qrow watched him leave, only relaxing when he was on the other side of the fence. At least the sound of the gate opening would warn him if he came back.

Looking around the entryway, Qrow was astonished by the furnishings. There was a large reception area with several benches and chairs. One of the corners had a blue mat on the floor with several toys scattered about on top. It reminded him a bit of a hospital lobby with carpeting.

His deputy acquaintance had seized a seat at one of the benches facing the door. She had taken her hat off and was once again flipping it around in her hand. There was plenty of room, so he took a place next to her. They sat, letting the time comfortably slip by. His eyes started to close for a nap until she decided to ruin the peace and quiet by speaking.

"Please let me handle the talking this time."

"Yeah, alright."

"It's just... I've noticed you have a bad habit of needlessly making people upset."

"Okay."

"Ms. Lee has the pull around here to completely stonewall our investigation."

"Sure."

"We really need this to go well."

"Roscoe." He bumped his leg against hers. That got her to stop. Red and blue eyes met each other. "I'll stay quiet. Learn to take yes for an answer."

Qrow knew he could be abrasive, especially to those in places of authority. That Ozpin put up with him at all was a testimony to his infinite patience. The huntsman was perfectly okay with letting others play the role of diplomat. It gave him more time to do what he did best. Observe.

The slamming of the outdoor gate alerted them to the fact that someone was approaching the house. There was also the chattering of a dozen or so high-pitched voices. The deputy and the huntsman stood from the bench at the sounds. When the door finally opened, a wave of children came crashing in.

Several ran past Qrow and Roscoe's position to get to their toys from the play area. Others were pestering Colorado and the other masked man to play with them. They both took it with stone faces, occasionally slapping a few tiny hands away from their uniforms. By far, most of the kids were concentrated in the center around the woman Roscoe wanted to interview.

The way Stella Lee stood there, surrounded by bundles of energy, made Qrow glad that he only had two little ones to deal with. Her patient, but bored, expression highlighted how over it she was.

Finding a suitable distraction, she leaned over to an older, red-headed boy with horns, and whispered into his ear. The young teenager took charge by grabbing the hands of a few of the younger kids and leading them further into the building. The others followed him, not wanting to be left behind.

The woman's entourage similarly backed out of the building after a brief exchange with her. That left only three people in the room. The matron strode up to stand before them. By the way Roscoe talked about Stella Lee, he assumed she would be some flashy bat who put on airs for those around her. A kind of aristocrat among the downtrodden faunus.

Instead, he found a plain looking lady in a sundress. No flashy clothes or jewelry hung from her body. What did stand out about her was the wicked scar around her throat that she seemed to emphasize with a turquoise scarf. Her height was also noteworthy. She could literally look down her nose at Qrow. He could now believe she was physically related to Cora.

With a lean pointer finger, she beckoned them to follow her into a smaller office attached to the lobby. Qrow could not help but notice that she had a similar scar around that inviting digit at the joint. They must have been made at the same time. He waved off the musings to follow her into the work room.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us." Roscoe began after they had all found places to be seated.

The visitors had taken a couch while Stella leaned on a desk in front of them. It must have been her administrative office, from the look of the papers on the table. A few motivational posters were plastered on the vanilla walls. Each had a worse tag line than the last. Hang in there kitty was pure cringe, considering whose office it was.

"Of course. Although, considering current circumstances, maybe it would have been better if I hadn't." She took a moment to pause and let that sink in. "I take it that the investigation is not into the threatening behavior towards our militia by the Relay Sheriff's department?"

"No ma'am. Although I would like to offer my apologies for the misunderstanding."

"Then, I thank you."

"However," Roscoe continued. "There were extenuating circumstances. Many of them were initiated by the Tocsin militia when they refused to respect our borders or our citizens."

"I will agree that they may have been… overzealous with their actions, but they honestly believed they were on the path of a dangerous monster. This monster has already taken the life of one of our own children. A child that I knew personally."

"That is actually what we would like to discuss." The deputy steered the conversation back. Qrow was glad for it. If she had not, they were going to be there for a while arguing over who started what. "You knew Cobalt. We were hoping you could answer a few questions we have."

"What kinds of questions?"

"Mostly about his movements the day he died. We checked with Signal, and the last they saw him was that afternoon. He was on a boat back to Tocsin, but his body was only found later that evening. That means there are a few hours missing where something happened."

"Let us not waste each other's time. What do you want to know?" There was no anger in her voice, but there was impatience.

"The agreement that you brokered as his legal guardian, according to Signal's records, was that someone was supposed to meet Cobalt and escort him after school. His teacher told us that no one met him at the ferry on Patch. Who was supposed to be there?"

"It sounds like you are accusing us of negligence." The other woman refuted with indignation. Her forehead crinkled in anger.

"No. There is no accusation." Roscoe shook her head. "I am trying to establish a timeline. It could help narrow down the places for our huntsman here to scour for the beast."

The woman was quiet for a while. She leaned back on the desk with her eyes closed, deep in thought. Her fingers rapped upon the edge of the table. There was something going on, but Qrow could not discern what. At last, she had an answer.

"What happened this morning has thrown a wrench into our affairs. A lot of people are not in the mood for any cooperation with Relay, even if it is in our interests. Why, if they find out I helped you, they might see that as a sign of me aiding the enemy."

"Now wait a minute." The deputy protested. Those comments seemed to rattle her. "I have always been supportive of the community out here. There has to be some way we can calm things down."

"Perhaps." The older woman leaned forward, eagerly. The comment had been a classic shaming tactic that Roscoe had just walked into. "There is a matter the two of you could help us with. It might smooth things over if I could point to how a Sheriff's deputy has helped us recently."

"I'm not comfortable trading favors." Roscoe pushed back instantly, sensing danger. Qrow personally did not mind. Favors were how the world worked. However, he decided to follow her lead. There was no point in stepping on toes.

"Then don't think of this as a favor." The older woman looked over at him. Some odd sensation overtook his senses for a moment. He felt the urge to move the conversation along. "Think of it as proving your intent, won't you?"

"We can prove our intent." Qrow found himself saying. Roscoe gave him a dirty look. "Let's hear what it is first and then we can decide."

Sensing that she was outnumbered, the deputy sighed and gave the go ahead for the lady to continue. Stella Lee did not need to be told twice.

"There is a human who has been making a nuisance of himself. He moved in around one of our water pumps in the east. Whenever anyone goes by to fill up, he cusses them out and threatens all kinds of violence. It is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt."

"Why not talk to him yourself?" the deputy pushed back. "This sounds like a matter for the militia."

"The pump is close enough to Relay that it would be a problem if we were to do anything about it. Having a neutral party act as the mediator could help decrease tensions."

"Having two humans with arresting powers do the mediating also probably helps." Qrow surmised. "Lets you keep your hands clean of whatever happens."

"I wouldn't go that far." Stella Lee smirked at Roscoe. The deputy looked put off by the comment.

"Do you have a name?" Qrow urged.

"He goes by Aard. Not sure if that is a first name or a family name." She pulled out her scroll and performed a few swipes before she showed it to them. On the screen was a map. She pointed to an area near the coastline. "I trust you know where this is?"

Roscoe nodded while Qrow stewed in his notions. He was not sure, but that moniker sounded familiar. There was a soft tingle in the back of his head. He doubted that Aard was a common name, but he could not discount the possibility that it was a coincidence.

"We'll take it." He declared. Roscoe sent another glare his way. The matron smiled at the result. "Now, can you tell us who the escort for the kid was supposed to be? Or do you not trust our word we will talk to Aard?"

"I believe you. Cyan is a proven commodity to us and huntsmen are known for getting results. I trust the matter will be handled appropriately."

"So?"

"You will need to speak with Augustus Schaffer. The two were practically attached at the hip, so he was the one I assigned to pick up Cobalt. He will be able to tell you more."

"Great." Roscoe perked up at the new information. "Do you happen to know where he is?"

"No. But if you give me some time, I can have him brought to you." Stella Lee pushed off the desk to her feet. "You can wait for him in Cobalt's room. It is on the second floor, third door on the left."

Thank you, Miss Lee." Roscoe stood and reached over to pull Qrow's collar to follow. He got to his feet before he could be strangled. "We really appreciate your help."

"Not a problem." She called while letting her eyes slide over the retreating figures. "Don't be a stranger now."

Once outside the room, Roscoe scowled at him. He led the way to the stairs while refusing to acknowledge her. The chattering noise from before grew as they made their way further into the building. The children must not have been far off.

"I thought you were going to let me do the talking." She finally said.

"Things change." He told a half truth. Qrow had intended to let her speak but something had compelled him to voice his opinion. He must have been more tired than he originally thought. "Besides, it wasn't too much of an ask. Keeping the peace seems like something you would be in favor of."

"I am." She sighed. "I just don't like feeling like I am being used to carry out a political hit job."

"It's fine. We will just have a small chat with this Aard guy. It shouldn't be too hard to find him." She did not seem convinced, so he moved on to the next item. "So, our next chat is with Augustus Schaffer. You know him at all?"

"Yes. He is a private in the militia. Knowing that he was supposed to meet Cobalt does make me uneasy."

"Why?"

"Private Schaffer was the one who found Cobalt that night while out on patrol. That no longer looks like a coincidence, does it?" The severe frown she carried told him that she did not think so.

〇-〇-〇

Harsh and unforgiving was the golden chariot in the sky.

Kahlua was not one for poetry normally, but the heat had fried her weary brain. Squishing noises followed her steps. The socks she wore were completely sweated through. Her undershirt was in a similar state of disarray. It was soaked through and clung tightly to her frame. The smell of onions from her pits made her cringe. Only the over jacket she wore hid her embarrassment.

She was too proud to admit that the squeaky voiced lummox had a point about her suit being uncomfortable to be in. To be fair, she had underestimated how much time she was going to spend outdoors. There had been a miscalculation, but where the fault lie was with the sun. Time at the hotel had made her forget how awful it was outside.

Squeaky strides brought the thief to her destination. The town square was a grand testament to beautiful architecture. It would not have been out of place as a screensaver for a scroll or terminal. White and gray tiles lined the ground with a checkerboard design that led up to a crimson clock tower. A majestic fountain sat in the very center of the plaza. In the water stood angelic figures that looked out onto the city as crystal clean water flowed over their heads.

This was the area that Kahlua was told a special gathering would take place. Every evening, as told by Betty the waitress, the plaza would fill with people who were looking to have a good time. She was going to sneak into that group to find the answers she was looking for and to have a little fun on the side while she was at it. She needed some pleasure after her last relationship ended so spectacularly with a bang.

And not the fun kind.

Betty had not lied. A few people had massed around the fountain. They were an eclectic bunch in casual clothing that ranged from jumpers to overalls. The only common denominator was that they were young and human. Scoping out the female talent, she felt like she would have no problem moving on from Layla.

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under another.

Unfortunately, the cute waitress from before was not around. The robber decided not to dwell on that fact too much. She had a role to play and a huntsman to find. Slinking into the sparse crowd, she sat on the lip of the concrete basin. No one seemed to notice her presence. The spray from arched water shooting from the mouth of one of the sculptures helped her cool down.

The stone on the ground was lighter than the asphalt she previously traveled on. While it was cooler on her feet, it posed different problems. It reflected light up into her face, causing her to squint. She tried tipping down her sunglasses to catch the rays, but it was not too helpful. The aviators, while stylish, were not very functional.

Looking up at the tower closely, she believed she could see a reddish-gold bell peeking out from the alcove at the top. The sound that came out a few seconds later to signal the top of the hour confirmed her thoughts. It briefly drowned out the conversations, causing everyone to increase the volume of their voices. This allowed her to listen in to snippets of conversation.

"How was your patrol of Zone 3?"

"Same old same old. Maggie was riding us hard all day. I don't think I have been this tired since my last-"

"We tried to talk her into going out tonight to unwind, but she did not want to leave his side."

"He did get shot."

"He's fine! They are only keeping him to make sure there are not any-"

"Anyone else having problems with their radios? These weird noises keep coming through every now and then when I try to send a burst transmission."

"Nah. Maybe it's your scroll acting up. You should get a new one."

"Can't be. Mine is doing the same thing."

They quieted down after a few seconds when the bell completed its toll. This allowed everyone to bring down their voices to more acceptable levels. The thief was confused by this chatter. Trying to follow the different lines of conversation caused her head to spin.

Rotation? Zones? Someone got shot? She was completely lost. What did these people do for a living?

In the corner of her eyes, she saw something that had her blood run cold. One of the gabbers shifted from foot to foot, allowing their long sleeve shirt to open at the front. She caught sight of a bronze shield on a necklace. Looking around, she saw similar bumps in their clothing.

Cops! I am surrounded by cops!

Kahlua tried to stay calm. She cursed herself out for not noticing before. Surrounded by police officers was not a great position for a criminal to be in. She remembered Mead going on about how nosy small-town fuzz could be. This was the reason she had been warned away from hanging around the Sheriff's Office. Now she wished she had listened.

She tried to chill herself emotionally. Pushing up her sunglasses, she attempted to make herself as small as possible. Attention at this point could be bad. When the time came, she would just slip away. Maybe there were other groups she could blend in with.

There was a loud whistle. A man stood in the middle of the group. With a clipboard in hand, he seemed to be the organizer. The burglar relaxed a bit. It was easier to fade in when someone else took to being the center of attention.

"Guys! No more shop talk!" He bellowed. "They don't pay us enough to do that off the clock."

"They don't pay us at all!" Another retorted.

There were quite a few laughs at that remark. Kahlua felt the need to chuckle as well, even though it was not that funny. She wondered why they would not be compensated. Lien was the whole point of doing anything. The notion of hustling for free was a completely foreign concept to her.

What kind of lamebrains would do anything for nothing?

She wanted to slap herself. It was clear now why she had not noticed she was surrounded despite her experience. The reason they were not giving off cop vibes was because they were not cops.

They were little helper bees. Busy bodies with nothing better to do with their time than to be narcs. The badges were probably given to them to make them feel important. They were not professionals constantly on the lookout for suspicious looking people.

Kahlua smiled. She could work with this.

"Hey. It's still a few hours until the Acres opens up. Why don't we pregame over at Slappy's?"

An expression of good spirits went up at the suggestion. The gathering of people was quite restless and ready to get out there. This seemed like the perfect compromise. A round of drinking before the real party started.

She stood and pursued the group as they moved down the street as a unit. One last conversation caught her interest at this time of transition. A sure sign that it was going to be an enlightening evening.

"I heard he punked out Mal."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Disarmed him despite being at the end of the barrel."

"Geez. Huntsmen are scary."

This talk got her senses buzzing with anticipation. After all, how many huntsmen could there be around these parts? She grinned as she followed the crowd.

Chapter Next: Lost and Found (9/11/20)