Music Choices: Get Your Riot Gear by Five Iron Frenzy
Eclipse
Chapter 22
The Raid Part III: Mirror-ways
Regalia took a moment to inhale deeply, steadying herself, before swinging the doors open with a brisk shove; she briefly noticed the Semblance wards placed upon the stone floor and door frame flashing, before fading once again. His Majesty, Chrysós Loptormr the Third, the ruling King of Vale and Golden Cloak of the Saunus territories, was an intimidating man during the best of times.
This wasn't due to him performing intimidating mannerisms, nor was it simply the nature of his station; the man simply exuded authority and noblesse no matter what he was doing, like a physical force similar to aura. Regalia had never become immune to it, despite her years in the Service. The King was the King for a reason, though whether the crown imbued him with authority, or he it, was an argument for another time.
His Majesty Chrysós was currently seated at the end of the hall, head bent in swift conversation with Verdant as they spoke across the table. Verdant Crom Cruach, her mentor and senior in rank, was a man of a very different cut altogether and seeing the pair side by side was always an odd contrast.
Chrysós was a man approaching his fifties, who looked like a man approaching his forties. He dressed modestly but still had the bearing of someone who'd walked straight out of a 6th century painting of the Valish noblesse. It wasn't simply his mannerisms, features or how he spoke; it was his everything. Naturally, his demeanor never failed to infuriate the Council, who had over the centuries dedicated themselves to the task of defanging and domesticating the Kings and Queens of Vale in the name of 'progress'.
However, where Chrysós was all bright golds, browns and greens, Verdant was the forest floor at night. One could not help but look at Chrysós when they entered a room, it was an impossible task to avoid. However, Verdant could stand next to you and you might not notice, if he didn't want you to; if the skinchanger grew still enough at times, Regalia swore he could nearly disappear.
He was a lean, vaguely middle aged man, with rust colored eyes and pale skin; but instead of highlighting these attributes, where he might stand out, he subdued them. Verdant never dressed impractically, or in a way that would stand out beyond the average person on the street. He could walk into a crowd of civilians and utterly disappear, and that was without using a Semblance. It was a feat that few other members of the Service could fully pull off so naturally.
Verdant was the first to glance her way when she entered, sending her his familiarly amused, but tired smile. His Majesty waved her on before she had a chance to succumb to much pageantry, clearly already irritated by whatever conversation they were having. She had noted that even His Majesty's ever-present bodyguards were not hiding in the eves. Her curiosity was piqued.
"Lieutenant," His Majesty nodded once, turning his attention back to Verdant. "Good, have a seat please. Perhaps you can help me convince this fool that tangling with Ozpin right now is not actually in our best interests?"
Regalia pulled herself out of a quick bow, glancing quickly between the two as she took up besides Verdant.
"Your Majesty, I wouldn't claim to be able to convince Verdant of anything," she admitted, wanting no part of the argument.
"What? I'm not reasonable?" Verdant drawled, amusement flickering across his nearly gaunt features. Regalia made the wise decision to hold her tongue.
"No, you are not reasonable," the King insisted. His voice was coated in some humor, however.
"How hurtful," Verdant sighed, shaking his head. "Regalia, I'm gonna take a wild guess that you're here with bad news?"
She paused for a moment.
"It's bad, yes. But-"
"Buuut?" Verdant's brow rose a fraction.
"But I believe we can still succeed," Regalia stated firmly.
"Ah, see? If the Lieutenant believes we can succeed, then so do I," Verdant smiled.
The King looked deeply bemused by his servants, and Regalia fought the urge to smooth her overcoat.
"Lieutenant," the King exhaled, clearly having his patience tested. "Please report."
She cleared her throat ever so slightly before diving in.
"An Anima Settlement called Chiang Mai is currently under siege from Branwen raiders," Regalia started, her voice becoming rapidly more confident as she fell into the familiar. "And Nwyfre Donovan has been sighted, in person and by camera, physically leading the raid. It is unlikely at this point that she is interested in mounting a rescue attempt, nor is capable, considering she'd be leaving the majority of her people in the lurch. We're still trying to get more intel on what inspired their raid, but all normal channels coming out of Chiang Mai have been delayed in reporting."
Verdant's eyes narrowed at this, but he did not interrupt her.
"We still have the faux prisoner move scheduled for tomorrow night, and we have the manning to lay the bait without leaving our actual assets exposed," Regalia continued coolly, keeping her feverish desire for the hunt out of her voice. "I'm still not fully convinced they won't show up, considering what we know of them from other bureaus. However, whether Nwyfre Donovan or any of her miscreants decide to show face tomorrow is irrelevant. Right now, it is my genuine belief that our most pressing threat is her two skin-changer agents who are already within our walls."
The faint lines around the King's eyes crinkled, as if at some private joke.
"I see. But isn't it also true that they aren't within our walls currently?" the King asked lightly, his emerald eyes focused on her. "Adria sent me the same report you received. It seems Ozpin has decided to send his students outside of our reach for now, while slapping you and me both with more busy work. And, apparently, blackmail. At this point, I'm not surprised, but I am almost impressed."
Only years of practice kept Regalia from physically wincing. Adria had, once again, jumped the chain of command by forwarding her report directly to the King without telling her; something Regalia had time and again reminded her not to do. She would strangle the little tech-head later.
"My King, if I may be blunt," Verdant started, his quiet voice reminding her of well-aged whiskey. "Badgering poor Reggie here about the technicalities of her word choice is counter-productive, and frankly, horseshit."
Regalia's eyes widened considerably as Verdant smiled playfully, earning a very baleful glare from Chrysós. Despite his ability to disappear when he wanted, the man always seemed driven to walk the knife's edge when it came to such things, but his somewhat uncouth natural charisma often had a tendency to pay off.
Let's see if he can swing the King's opinion once again.
"Verdant," the King warned, his gaze nearly molten. "You're pushing it."
"I know. But would you rather I pretend to kiss your ass like all your other courtly pheasants, or just be honest with you?" Verdant asked, calmly meeting the King's gaze.
"I would prefer you be respectful as well as honest," the King drew out, drumming two fingers on the table between them. "I know that is apparently a line too fine for you at times."
Verdant held up his palms as he leaned back from his King's ire.
"Forgive me. I know, I lack a…cultured tongue. But I like to think it is one of my better qualities," he smirked, gesturing calmly. "Personally, I believe this entire situation is still salvageable, and something we can manage to not only benefit you, My King, but also take some of the air out from under Ozpin's wings."
"As enjoyable as that would be," the King conceded, rubbing his brown facial hair. "My duty does not revolve around spiting Ozpin, the Council or the Witchfingers. My duty is to protect and guide my citizens in a world which ever seeks to consume them. And if picking petty fights over jurisdiction with Ozpin, or fighting a magical shadow war against him and the bandit tribes of Remnant threatens that, then I must choose the side of peace. At least until they give me a reason to think they genuinely mean Vale ill."
Verdant and Regalia shared a quick look. It wouldn't do to directly contradict him here. Ever since the death of his son, Chrysós had preferred to keep his claws sheathed unless given the undeniable scent of blood. They needed to proceed with caution, but it seemed that for once, Verdant was determined to throw caution to the wind; and all she could do was watch and wait.
"My King, Nwyfre Donovan will never choose the side of peace," Verdant said gravely, his eyes growing sharp. There was something there, some flickering emotion, but Regalia could not identify it. "Remember. So long as her agents remain at Beacon, Vale will be in danger of Grimm invasion. And Ozpin, if he is aware of these student's connections, which he must be, must become more forthcoming with you. The fact that he thinks his authority is equal to your own here is dangerous. "
The King inhaled quietly, willing himself to be patient.
"This isn't Mistral, Verdant," Chrysós intoned in clear exasperation. "I can't just make a public figure disappear because I don't like him, especially considering the man's position. I can call him to court, but then everyone will know the nature of our discussion. Which puts us back at square one. At this point, it is wisest that he and I have a direct conversation and agree to terms that benefit us both and the Kingdom at large."
"And concede more power to him?" Verdant prompted, earning another glare. "At this rate, what's to stop him forming his own little secret group? Collecting skinchangers and magic users who work for….him. And not the Kingdom of Vale? Hell. Who's to say he hasn't done that already? Or he won't give any of your enemies the same idea?"
Chrysós did not seem to buy that line, but he didn't outright deny it either.
"Are you honestly suggesting that Ozpin wants to dethrone me?" the King droned.
"No. That wouldn't suit his own ambitions. But I think he will test your borders. Prick you, over and over again. See where you bleed," Verdant drawled, gesturing at the hall. "And then, wait. I think that would suit him very much. Because I think, if Ozpin had his way? The Hunters and the magic users of the world would answer to no one except him. And he's still a very young man. He has all the time in the world."
That notion gave even Regalia pause; she hadn't considered that Ozpin's own political motivations might genuinely conflict with their own to such a degree. The King's eyes hooded in thought.
"I see."
He finally glanced her way again.
"Lieutenant. You've been very passionate about this particular project. Much more than usual, in fact."
Regalia literally refused the urge to perspire. The air in the throne room was cool, but felt heavier than usual; the scent of sandalwood and spruce would surely cling to her clothes and skin for hours after this.
"I can't say that observation is wrong, Your Majesty."
He nodded, holding her gaze.
"Yes. You confronted one of these agents yourself-"
Verdant's eyes flickered towards her slightly.
"-and have been on the warpath ever since. So tell me: what is it about them that's gotten under your skin?" Chrysós asked, his head tipping slightly. From his expression, she could tell he wasn't judging her for that fact; but he also expected her to be completely honest.
"I…," Regalia hesitated, trying to muster some semblance of professionalism. "Your Majesty, have you ever looked someone in the eyes and known them to be your enemy? With every fiber of your being? Every blood cell? You both just look at each other, and you know?"
"Yes," he quipped, surprising her.
"…that's why," Regalia tipped her head quickly, feeling uncomfortably exposed. "I looked that girl in the eyes and saw that she wanted me, and everyone like me, dead. There's no…educating something like that out of someone."
She wants everything we stand for to burn to the ground.
"Either Ozpin honestly doesn't know what he has, or he thinks he can change them. But he can't. And he is putting our citizenry in danger by playing with lightning in a bottle."
Verdant was watching her with yet another odd expression, and she couldn't tell if he was displeased with her or not. Silence hung between the three of them for several moments, heavy like the remnants of the incense that had been burned several hours previous.
"I see. So you're both at odds on this. Unusual," the King looked at Verdant, rubbing his chin in thought. "Verdant, why are you so determined to bring these two into the fold instead of eliminating them? I know it isn't just to cuck Ozpin, even if that is the icing on top."
Regalia's eyebrows promptly shot up at the choice of phrase. The King wasn't prone to vulgar language, despite his very colorful entourage of servants.
Verdant smiled quietly at that, leaning back again as he appraised the King. He was silent for several heartbeats, weighing his words, before finally speaking.
"Because I look at them," the man pushed forward to rest on his elbows. In that moment, he looked as if he had watched the world end, before. "And I do not see my enemy. I see the eyes of the children I could have helped before. And in my wretchedness, did not."
And what, exactly, could one say to that?
The halls outside the throne room were mostly empty, or at least appeared that way. A plethora of silencing and binding glyphs, courtesy of the Forzani's, lay in wait beneath the carpet and behind the tapestries; meanwhile, the menacing couple were standing guard at the two separate entrances of the hallway that led to the single entry point to the throne room.
Neither of them seemed pleased by this, but they also were not alarmed. Why would they be? They had scoured these halls and rooms again and again, and never failed to find any microphones or glyphs a spy could have left behind. At this point, anyone in the business knew better than to try to listen in on the King's conversations in this particular region of the castle. It was almost a joke to try to.
However, despite all of these precautions, the castle did not have its mirrors covered. Why would it? Like most older Valish and Atlasian structures, it seemed to collect them, in fact. Many were over several centuries old, and considered literal works of art. More than a few of the expensive antiques decorated the various halls and drafty rooms; including the hall outside the throne room. When Verdant and Regalia finally exited the warded sanctuary, they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It would take a pair of silver eyes to spot the figures trailing them.
Regalia was the first to break the silence, before the pair reached the end of the hall.
"Sir. If this fails-"
"Then we'll go with your final suggestion," Verdant said flatly.
She inhaled, frustration and decorum visibly warring in her frame.
"By then though-"
"Reggie."
She stiffened.
"Your pride is getting the better of you," Verdant glanced at her knowingly.
She opened her mouth before clicking her teeth shut with a snap.
"Yes, sir."
"Ok then. Get it together."
Regalia hesitated as he stalked away on silent feet, slipping out into the rest of the castle to carry out the rest of his tasks. Her nape was tingling, as if she was being watched. She turned to look over her shoulder, and spotted her reflection in one of the antique mirrors nestled between the landscape paintings. Regalia exhaled brusquely before striding away. Her reflection watched after her for several long moments, before finally fading away.
Summer peered after the King's woman striding away and out of sight. Around her, there was darkness; however, if she focused, lines of light manifested, stretching off into the infinite, like strings of condensed silver or song. Even now, she could see them burning in her mind's eye. They vibrated in the void, their songs illuminating the paths between in a way that she instinctively understood and mapped. She knew she could not get lost if she tried. This entire astral structure had clearly been built with people like her in mind.
Besides her stood Nwyfre, whose helmeted figure was equally unnerving as it was familiar. The woman glanced down at her without pupils.
"Follow her," Nwyfre insisted. "We need to get closer."
Summer closed her eyes, and let herself actually see . The mirrors in the castle were all active gateways, letting her see out into the rooms where they were located, without having to move and without being detected. It was a skillset that Nwyfre had had Summer practicing nearly nonstop for the past twelve hours, insisting that her aetheri abilities were the key to their success; and something that Summer needed to begin to master for her own sake. She had taken to the skill rather quickly, almost too quickly; and she was not sure how she felt about it, especially after that...incident, in Burhurst.
She followed Regalia as she moved through the corridors, into more crowded areas, and finally into what they had already determined to be the security nexus for the King's Service. There were two in the castle, one for the regular guardsmen, and one for the King's Service. Summer could see a woman seated at the terminal, using her technokinectic Semblance to sift through data, communications and pass along what was needed to her compatriots at blinding speed. Both women had their backs to the decorative mirror that Summer was watching them through.
Reaching out without actually moving, Summer pulled the chord of light and song, and the darkness rolled around them. Then the scene before them changed, showing the pair to Nwyfre as well now. The Morrigan did not verbally react to this, but moved closer to observe the women's conversation.
"-why do you keep trying to put me in these situations, Adria?" Regalia asked, her tone frigid. "You realize when you do garbage like this, you make us all look like incompetents?"
"Reggie. Baby. Listen-"
"Reggie-baby" did not friggin appreciate that whatsoever, and spun the other woman's chair around to glare down at her; she looked like a hawk about to bite the head off a rabbit. Summer instinctively winced, expecting them to be able to see her; but of course, they could not.
"It is Lieutenant," Regalia hissed. "Adria. And you seem to think that because of your Semblance, you have leave to behave however you wish. That is...not the case."
Adria did not seem necessarily intimidated by Regalia, but she did seem pretty uncomfortable.
"Listen, Lieutenant . I'm not trying to put you on the spot, ok? Really. But when you have terabytes of information rushing through your fucking skull every couple of seconds it is really, really easy to forget things like who you told what first. Ok?"
Regalia's face did not change.
"I don't buy that. You aren't that clumsy."
Adria opened her mouth to protest, and Summer genuinely expected Regalia to slap her. A growl simmered in the back of her throat before she could stop it and Regalia's figure tensed; gold eyes glanced over her shoulder. Adria, however, did not react. Nwyfre sharply elbowed Summer without looking away from the scene before them. The paranoid look went out of Regalia's glare after a few seconds and the Lieutenant backed off Adria.
"Technokinesis is a useful asset. But it is not so rare that you can't be replaced," Regalia clipped out before backing up closer to the mirror, her hands clasped behind her back.
Nwyfre darted forward suddenly, coating her hand in green aura. The Morrigan had something shiny between her fingers, and pressed through the molten silver of the mirror, pushing whatever it was delicately beneath Regalia's coat collar before retracting her fingers.
The King's woman did not even notice, her boots clicking on the marble as she strode out of the security hub.
"Don't test me like this again."
Adria stared after the Lieutenant, and once the other woman was well and gone, blew a fat raspberry that almost made Summer laugh aloud. Nwyfre swatted her shoulder lightly again, getting her attention.
"We need to go further down ," she rasped. Her voice sounded strange in the mirror-ways. "That's where the captives are. We need to see how close you can get without physically exiting."
Summer closed her eyes and reached again, her internal compass guiding her along the mirrored paths.
"There aren't any mirrors below the wine cellar. But….I think there's mirrored paneling in what looks to be the elevator? That gooooes-yes, it goes below. It's moving right now, actually."
"Take us there."
Summer did, pulling the string closest to them. The darkness rolled once more, reminding Summer of a black mist more than the absence of light. Suddenly, they were looking out into the secret elevator, in which two men were riding down.
Before Summer could say anything, Nwyfre coated her right arm in aura once again and pushed the limb silently through the liquid barrier of the mirror; she took the dangling key-card off the belt clip of the closest man, and silently retracted it. He was none the wiser, and simply rubbed at his nose, snuffling.
The elevator dinged, and the pair of King's men walked out in unison. Beyond the open doors, Summer spotted what appeared to be multiple cells with Hard Light barriers. The man Nwyfre had plucked the key pass off of was now patting at his belt and cursing, while his companion groaned in loud exasperation.
"Seriously?! Again?!"
"I - yea. Haha, sorry man."
"You absolute dink. I should duct tape it to your fuckin forehead-"
The doors slid shut as Nwyfrre inspected her prize, cocking her head. She seemed extremely pleased with herself.
"Fantastic."
Summer glanced back out at the empty elevator. If she could just enter through here, and open a portal via Raven, or even Taiyang, they'd have a quick and relatively painless exit strategy for the captives. But she'd have to disable the cameras and security system, AND be certain that there weren't any witnesses first.
"Now, get us back."
"You could say please, you know," Summer grumbled, glancing back out into the ominous dark. "It wouldn't kill you."
"Fine. Get us back, please . Before mimics try to steal our faces and devour our families."
Summer did not ask just what mimics were just yet, but she couldn't help but move a little quicker. The ominous dark was, afterall, not actually empty.
"Physically traversing the mirror ways is extremely dangerous for the uninitiated, and all of our experienced personnel are going to be elsewhere," Nwyfre explained, actually taking the time to draw terrible little stick figures on Tormund's white board. "I'm going to be part of the attack on the caravan, Tormund's going to be busy blacking out their comms, and Joan is also going to be engaged. So that leaves the four of you getting in, and getting out with the captives. I recommend that Summer goes in first, alone, because she is going to have the greatest advantage over them."
Summer and Nwyfre had returned to Tormund's safehouse several hours previous, exiting the mirror with a soft flash of silver light. Her teammates' faces upon watching her step out of a literal mirror had been something else, but they had accepted this new detail into the fabric of their oddball lives fairly quickly. What they were not accepting, so much, was that they should not follow her there. At least, not yet.
"So wait," Raven started, glancing between Summer and Nwyfre. Her face looked pinched, tired. "She goes in first without backup? That's-"
"-Definitely not gonna fly," Tai shrugged, shaking his blonde head. There were deep circles under his eyes as well.
The whole team is close to exhausted. We need to finish this up so we can rest. Before things actually get crazy.
"Sorry, bird mom, but that's against company policy."
The Morrigan stared at them, nonplussed. The five were currently alone, and other than being prickly as usual, Nwyfre had so far been fairly patient and focused on getting the final and most important details of the raid wrapped up.
"Do you two really think she is incapable of handling herself?" Nwyfre drawled finally, glancing between Raven and Tai with droll amusement. "Sorry, but that seems just a little ….egocentric."
"Wh- No, it's just," Tai's eyes widened immediately, glancing Summer's way. "When we split up, things go wrong. Therefore: we don't split up."
"Fascinating. What a great example of a logical fallacy, thank you, Taiyang," Nwyfre droned, turning back to the board. Tai made a gesture that Nwyfre absolutely saw in her periphery, but chose to ignore. "Here's what will actually happen if Summer has to carry all or most of you idiots through the mirror-ways."
Nwyfre drew the STRQ stick figures, positioned between two, what were apparently, mirrors. They were not very flattering stick figures. Or perhaps, Nwyfre was just really, really bad at drawing.
"All three of you will be completely off your fucking heads, because it is your first foray into the mirror-ways and that's what happens if you aren't an aetheri. It drives you temporarily mad."
Tai sucked on his bottom lip, making a face that betrayed that he was still considering it. Raven's face went completely neutral, while Qrow whistled lightly.
"Our bodies know that we do not belong there, so our wonderful monkey meat sacks go into full blown panic mode," Nwyfre drew bewildered expressions on the lot of them, sans Summer, whose stick figure looked sad. "Raven, you're already prone to panic attacks and have a previously incurred spiritual injury, so you'll probably sprint off into the fucking aether first-"
Raven's face and ears promptly turned bright red.
"Taiyang, you'll immediately get lost trying to chase after her, because you have two braincells and they are for punching things and making shitty puns-"
Taiyang did not protest this statement, but he gave Nwyfre a very flat stare as he crossed his arms.
"-Oops! Now Summer has to try to find you both before you get eaten alive by the denizens who live there, leaving her emotionally compromised AND open to spiritual attack. Qrow might actually fare the best of you three, but will still be fighting off insanity and completely dependent on Summer's abilities; and if he gets separated, it's a toss up on whether he'll get out alive or not. Probably not," Nwyfre drew sad little expressions on the stick figures, before scribbling it out and erasing the whole thing. "Annnd, that's it. Mission over. No one gets saved, and we suffer catastrophic losses."
Qrow quietly sipped from his flask and stared awkwardly at the floor.
"So instead of creating the potential for this entire clusterfuck of a scenario, Summer should go through alone and you idiots should trust her enough to be able to handle her innate magical abilities without you hovering. Any more questions?"
There were, naturally, many more questions.
"Well wait, how come you can go through the mirrors with her then?" Taiyang asked immediately.
"Magic helmet, lots of practice, next," Nwfyre glanced at Raven.
"What if we practice?" Raven suggested, though she did not look hopeful.
"Do we have several years? No, practice later. Next."
"Can I wear your helmet?" Tai asked.
Nwyfre smiled. It was one of her scary smiles.
"If you can take it from me, then sure. Be my guest."
Taiyang was clearly considering this option, but Raven put a hand on his shoulder and sat him back down next to her, shaking her head solemnly. Nwyfre glanced at Qrow.
"...What about Professor Arc?" Qrow rested his arms on his knees. Joan was currently passed out, taking a power nap as she apparently hadn't slept in several days. "What if we put her in our group instead and send her with Summer? You said she was experienced, so surely she won't go totally apeshit?"
"Not a totally bad suggestion," Nwyfre conceded, glancing Summer's way. "But also not the actual problem. It is Summer's decision if she wants someone that she'll have to safeguard through the mirror-ways just to make you three feel better. She is, after all, your leader. You need to have confidence in her abilities even if you don't understand them yet."
And thaaaat was literally the nicest thing the woman had ever said to her. Naturally, it made Summer a little suspicious, but Nwyfre seemed... sincere? Maybe she was trying to be nicer after that fight with Raven earlier.
By now, Raven and Taiyang both looked nearly shamefaced and Qrow shot a glance over them to meet Summer's gaze.
"Your call, Sum," Qrow said.
Summer stood up and approached the white board thoughtfully, biting her lip as she stared at the crappy drawing.
"So. My only problem with going through first, alone," Summer started, taking a marker and drawing a bird in flight. "Is that these people don't have a written schedule for us to track their movements. There's no watch rotation that they're on, and we can't tap their communications; there's no definite way of knowing who is going to be where. At least that we've found so far."
Tormund had requested access to the King's Service's working schedule and organization, under the pretense of lending a few Witchfingers off the books to help with the prisoner transfer, after they'd already reached out to him the other day. Apparently, the skinchangers just knew their schedules; nothing was recorded in any way, save word of mouth.
Since it was a small department, this was something that was easily managed, and a good countermeasure against outsiders gathering information on them. This was a problem, because it meant they wouldn't know where most of them were until the moment of the raid.
"Everything currently hinges on Regalia not being in or near the castle, but with the bait she's trying to lay for us instead. But if I exit the mirror-ways alone and for some reason she's there, instead of afield? She'll eventually sense my aura, prevent Raven's portal from opening to me and effectively block our escape route. And, she'll be able to immediately identify us. Then it really is mission over."
Summer circled the bird slowly, picturing the woman's coldy imperious face in her mind.
"Nwyfre put a tracker on her coat earlier, and she didn't seem to notice; but what if she changes coats or finds the tracker?" Summer pulled the marker back as she stared at the drawing thoughtfully. "Then she can try to manipulate us with it. So, before anything else, we need to know for certain where Regalia is going to be and when. And then, we need to take her out first . Lightning strike, no hesitation. No mistakes."
She glanced back at her team. She realized that this was perhaps the most grave she'd ever seen them.
"Huh. Ok. Sooo, how will we dispose of the body?" Qrow cracked his neck. Tai's eyes blew out wide as Nwyfre started chuckling to herself.
"Fucking what?" the blonde yelped.
"Whaaaat?" Qrow held his hands up as Tai swung around towards him. "What, that's a reasonable question! We can't leave bodies littered around-"
"No, I don't mean kill her," Summer insisted, her voice rising in pitch at the thought. "But we need to take her down. Hard, so she can't become a problem later. She can't have any clue what happened, either. We need to hit this woman like a friggin dump truck."
Nwyfre was giving her one of her calculating stares, but seemed content to say nothing for now and observe.
"How do we track her for sure, without giving ourselves away or spreading ourselves too thin?" Summer asked the room. There was a weighty pause as her teammates considered the question.
"We don't," Raven smirked finally, leaning back on her palms. "We lay some bait of our own. And bring her to us."
Summer tossed finger guns towards her girlfriend, who clearly fought the urge to laugh.
"Kay, but, how?" Taiyang asked, standing up to stretch and move around while he thought out loud. "Like, we can't actually enter the castle if she is there, so - I mean, Summer would have to lead her by the nose somewhere, without exiting the mirror-ways or giving herself away."
"Well, what do we already know about her?" Qrow prompted, his body language mirroring his twin as he considered the problem at hand. "Raven, Summer, ya'll have the most insight right now. What gets under this woman's skin?"
"Defiance." "A loss of control."
The girls shared a quick glance, sharing a small smile.
"That's it then," Summer turned back to the white board, and drew a quick computer monitor.
After a beat, she gave the computer a cute little smiley face and a thumbs up.
"I know what to do."