"You like your doing well for a dead woman, Summer." Raven started as she had her back facing Summer.

"I've been told that before. I always replied that I got better." Summer replied as she takes in the sight of her long lost friend.

Raven chuckled at her quip. The black-haired women turned and augmented silver eyes met soft cold red. Summer began to study Raven's features for the first time in over a decade. Yang had definitely inherited her mother's appearance as Yang really did look like a younger version of Raven, just with her father's colors. Plus, that ridiculously long hair that Yang had obviously inherited from her. Raven wore red and black armor and held a single sword similar to what Summer had seen from Earth's eastern culture and asari commandos.

One of the two newish things about the women was the white bone mass with red markings that she had in her hand that resembled her namesake. And Summer though she grew an extra bust size.

Summer had to not look down at her own breast for comparison. "I would say, how have you been? But I think I'll hold that question time."

Raven smiled. "That hurt Summer, I thought we were friends?" She replied as she started circling me.

Summer started circling, as well. "Why, Raven, have you finally gotten soft while I was away? Didn't think such low-level banter would get to you of all people." Summer mocked.

This made Raven twitch, it was small and barely noticeable, but Summer saw as she stopped at her bed and slowly sat down, but felt something that wasn't on the bed before. Raven had also stopped, which was right at the couch and sat down. Never breaking eye contact. "It doesn't, but it's a little unexpected coming from you, Summer."

Summer decided to start this off. "What are you doing here, Raven? What's this?"

Summer picked up a wrapped brown bag. Raven placed the mask on the spot next to her before leaning slightly forward. "Can't I see an old friend that I thought was dead all this time? And that's just something I found that you left lying around. Really, Summer, you are just careless, especially when leaving something like that around." She teased playfully.

Summer narrowed her eyes at the women. "I know better than anyone that there would be nothing wrong with going to visit people they thought that you were dead. But I thought our friendship meant nothing when you left to lead your old tribe without so much as an explanation. Just there one day and gone the next without a word."

Raven was the first to break eye contact. "You know why, Summer. I didn't want to be part of Ozpin's group."

Summer sprung from her spot and rushed forward, only stopping where Raven sat still at her approach. Stopping only when Summer stood before her. "Then you should have told us, Raven. Told me! Instead of being a great Huntress and proud mother you went back to that tribe full of second and third rate murders that pick off the helpless and steal vital supplies from those in need. Did everything we went through all those years ago mean nothing!" She ranted.

Raven stood up from her spot and got her face directly in Summers. Anger flashed in her eyes. Raven sneered as she tried to say something, but nothing came out as she looked into her former leader's unflinching eyes. Summer stared back, waiting for an answer.

Raven relented under the silver eyes. "Those days meant a lot to me. A lot more...Just what happened to you Sum...you never had this attitude back at Beacon. Hell, I'd probably have more respect for you back then if you did."

"After seeing more abominations and death that would break Ozpin within an hour. Add that with personally killing thousands of people from monsters to indoctrinated soldiers, mercenaries, and murders with my own hands! I know I'm not the hero I thought I was before we graduated..." Summer replied, not denying about what she was.

Raven looked at her with a new light in her eyes. "You have toppled the weak and hurdled the dead..."

"I've hunted demons and killed wannabe gods..." Summer let out a long sigh before stepping over and falling on the couch. Raven wisely sat down gently next to her. "I'm tired, Raven...oh so tired. I felt like I've been fighting for so long that I don't know how to slow down to rest. Then when I'm sitting down, I can barely get back up before going to run off again for the next fight."

"Where did you go, Summer? What turned you into this?" Raven said as she looked at Summer with concern. Something that was a rare sight.

Summer scratched her head in irritation. Just how many times was she going to repeat this? "It is a long tale, Raven, and I doubt you'll even understand it, nor do I believe you will be here long enough to listen to all of it...But a question does come to mind about you."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "And what about me?"

Summer leans forward with an elbow rested on her knee. "Qrow told me he informed you of my disappearance. He then said he didn't hear from you for a long while. Did you go looking for me?"

Raven refused to make eye contact while Summer waited patiently for an answer. Then if felt like Raven was pouring her heart out. "You've done more for me than anyone, Summer. At Beacon, you never gave up on me when I kept pushing you away, trying not to form any attachments to anyone. Even my own brother, my twin, never bothered to get close with me the way you did. Always striking up a conversation and getting me out to town in your attempt to make me open up. Even after Beacon, you stuck by my side... I figure at least finding your body and bringing it home to lay you to rest would be the least I could do." She confessed.

"We were and still are sister, Raven," Summer said as she rested her hand Raven's shoulder, making the women swung her head to the side and looked at her with wide, tearful eyes.

"What...?"

"Even after everything, everything we have both experienced in life. Nothing short of death and memory loss will make me think otherwise." Raven grind her teeth in anger, but her tears still flowed freely.

"You should hate me! For everything I've done!" She yelled at her.

"And what have you done, Raven?" Summer challenged back. "Tell me now because I can tell you this that there isn't anything you've done that I know I can't top."

Raven looked confused at Summer's words. "What are you talking about?"

"I wasn't kidding about being responsible for many deaths, as I said before... but not all of them were guilty."

Raven looked at her with confusion before one of widening realization took hold. "Oh, Summer..."

"And you know what else?" Summer felt her eyes watered while giggling like a trauma victim. "My way...was quick and painless...the alternative? A fate worse than death...or anything Salem could think of." Summer's head fell forward and landed on Raven's chest, sobbing as she let everything out. She felt Raven's arms around her hesitantly.

"Summer?" Raven's voice was filled with worry.

"Just...stay for a moment...will you?" Summer said in between sobs.

Raven stayed quiet as Summer vented a little. A few minutes later, Summer had calmed down. "Better?"

"Much...Thanks." Summer replied as they broke from the hug before the two sat down. "Haven't really had many chances to vent like that."

"It was a decent repayment on my part. You helped me deal with becoming a maiden after all..."

"And kept that secret to just ourselves. Never told Qrow, Tai and especially Ozpin about it. As much as I love the first two and tolerate the third its not my secret to tell." The two stayed quiet for a few more minutes. "If you haven't left, that means you still wanna know what happened to me?"

"When Qrow told me what happened. I tried using my semblance to get to you, but couldn't find you. When that didn't work, I followed the path you took and also came up empty." Summer blinked in surprise as she knew the unique properties of her power.

"Guess that portal making trick of yours has a distance rating..."

"Qrow said he went looking for you and found what was left of your weapon." Raven walked around and picked up the brown bag that was still left on the bed before handing it to Summer.

"This was all I could find from my time searching for you, and I still don't know what happened to you. All I know is that you were gone. Then a few days ago, I felt a familiar tug of my semblance being active and stunned me to the realization that it was you. That's when I saw you later at the hospital in a bed. Knocked out with our daughters standing over you."

"They have grown into wonderful women, haven't they..." Summer said sadly with a smile. Raven chose to not meet her eyes. "She is going to find you one way or another, you know that, right? She inherited her stubbornness from you, you know." Raven audibly sighs and nods her head. "Okay, just making sure."

"Just open the bag already..." Raven commented dryly.

Summer smiled as she knew that she could still get under her partner's skin. Taking the brown bag, she opened it and felt her eyes widen at the white cloth in her hands. "Is this?"

"How Qrow missed this, I will never know," Raven replied. "When I used my semblance to portal to you the first time to search for you, that was the first thing I saw on the ground. It was only a little roughed up and got it patched up in no time. I then spent weeks flying around that area looking for your remains."

Summer only haft listing to her as she unfolded the familiar peace of clothing. "My old cloak..." She said as a seance of nostalgia crept up. During her time away from Remnant, she always felt like something was missing in her life. Taking the top portion, she flipped it up, and over before it settled on her shoulders. Like the last puzzle piece of a puzzle set clicking in place, it felt like she was whole again.

She felt more memories come to her of her early childhood. The one that she always wanted to remember but couldn't. Summer saw when her mother, Ribbon Rose, with near-black hair with blue highlights and wearing a similar blue cloak. Then her Ruby, getting her crimson red cloak from her.

Happier times...

"Summer, your aura is flaring...and something is odd about it."

Raven's words brought Summer out of her mind and looking down at herself. She thought it was her biotics flaring, but it wasn't just that as it would only leave a dark blue corona glow of element zero. She was also glowing white and saw a few white rose petals falling to the ground.

Then there was her feeling her soul for the first time in a decade.

If Summer put it bluntly like she always does, she felt like being hit with the best morning cup of coffee she's ever had along with a dose of adrenalin to top off. It was she was at the top of the world, like being in space for the first time, or when she got her N7 qualification...Or when she took the group photo with her crew.

Tears ran down her eyes again at the thought of them. Did they think she was dead...again? Were they going to prepare another funeral for her? By all that is holy, Summer could only imagen how Garrus and Tali must be feeling. They were like a brother and sister to her, they stuck by her side from the very beginning with the Reaper threat. She missed them...all of them.

"That's new..."Raven commented as she came into Summer's view. "Is this part of the reason you vanished off the face of Remnant?"

"Yeah, it happened while I was away... Why don't we sit down? It's a long story to explain everything, so I'll dumb it down and give you the unabridged version of it, and if there if you have any questions, just ask. I'll explain what I can."

Once more Summer did her long winded, unedited, explanation of her time among the stairs. She didn't hold back on what she did either, even the part where she crashed a small moon against a Mass Relay and obliterating a solar system.

.


Summer watched as Raven's portal slowly dissipated, leaving her alone once more. It had been a few hours of storytelling again with Summer doing most of the talking. Raven told her it was a lot to take in and needed to head back to her tribe for a bit, so they know she didn't abandon them. A brief thought went through her head of writing down all of her adventures through space was a bit entertaining, and instead of saying everything over and over, she could just write a book and give it to them.

She thought her old partner took the story pretty well all things considered and took a few words with a grain of salt with others. Raven actually looked paler than usual when she was shown the video logs of what happened to the colonists at the Collectors base. She then became in awe of what footage my Omni tool gathered at the final battle to retake Earth. Hell Summer was too. She hadn't even broken those out for herself and her daughters to see. If only she could see the aftermath. Summer would want to know who was left. Bringing up her Omni-tool, she brought up the image of the group photo of the Normandy crew at the party.

There she was, sitting in the middle of the couch with EDI and Joker not paying attention to the camera and focused on each other. On Summer's right with Dr. Chakwas and Samantha to the left with both of them looking at the camera with smiles. Behind her was the rest of the crew in two rows. From the left stood Jack with her arms crossed, trying to look like the bad girl that she once was. Next was her little sister figure Tali with her arms behind her back, looking proud. She had come along way from the young teen on her pilgrimage. Next stood Liara with her arms behind her back with a look of professionalism. Then there stood Miranda, with a small genuine smile that she use to rarely let out. Followed by her shuttle pilot Cortez smiling at the camera. Jacob stood next to him and had a small smile as well. Now stood Ashly, her arms crossed and leaning to the side like she didn't care, but the happy look on her face changed her whole outlook. Then there's the Justicar Samara, her head tilted down, and her hands folded up like she is praying. Then at the end stood the master thief Kasumi, her hand up to her chin with and her trademark smile of mischief.

Behind her in the second row stood Wrex. The old Krogan warlord looked as imposing as he always is. Then there was the last Prothean Javek with his ever emotionless face. Zaeed stood next to him, the old merc had on a neutral look, but Summer could see the slight curve in the corner of his lips. Then there was James Vaga, standing at attention with his arm up in a salute like a soldier he is. Followed by the rebel Turian vigilante that she calls a brother Garrus, trying to not look important while in the background, and failing in Summer's opinion. Lastly, there was her loveable tank bread Krogan, Grunt looking off to the side when the picture was taken.

Summer smile at them all before looking down at the bottom of the picture where the coffee table stood with four picture frames stood on it. Each represented a friend lost, Morden, Thane, Legion, and lastly, Kaiden. She set them up so they could be in the picture as well as they were part of the crew even if they are no longer around.

Looking over the functions of her Omni-tool was her personal distress beacon. She had yet to activate it as she was conflicted about some of the consequences of doing so. One was exposing her world to the galaxy that just came out of a war like no other. Two were the technology involved in the other races. Each was reliant on Element Zero, and no doubt if Remnant were exposed to it, then it would follow the same path the Reapers would want them.

Three, would she have to leave her family?

It was that questioning that stayed her hand in activating her distress beacon. She would over to go back to the Normandy, to see her crew and friends from all corners the galaxy again. To see peace between all the species.

Then again, she was in unexplored space. How long would it take for a ship to pick up her beacon? Months, years, more? She could live out her whole life before someone could come around and investigate her signal. She then remembered what that Major back in Londen said to her, she was a hero to many and thought profoundly of her. Could she give them all up, and for what, for the chance of solitude? For alone time with her family.

Then an idea occurred, she wasn't as tech-savvy as Kasumi or Tali, but she could modify the signal. "You know what? Fuck it." Summer declared.

Distress Beacon activation: [Yes]/No

"There it's done...Hopefully, they get here without too much of a problem. It is not like I don't want to leave, but I don't want to do another two-year disappearing act on either. I just hope they are all right." Summer switch of the Omni-tool and sigh. It would be sometime before they could pick it up, but she could wait. The signal that she used instead of the general distress was meant only for her crew to find. She didn't want just anyone to locate her like pirates and undesirable smugglers. But the Normandy is her ship, and her team had followed her to hell and back many times. Who knows when they'll get here and no doubt they will have questions for her.

Summer will not hide from them. For she needed to know if the sacrifice they made in retaking Earth and firing the crucible was worth it. But she wasn't willing to expose Remnant to the galaxy, not yet. The cultural shock of it all would be a lot to handle, and panic would set in. Thus the Grimm would come in at the kingdomes in swarms, and she was not going to allow that to happen.

Summer looked down at her white cape then over at her broken N7 armor that was off to the side. She felt tired, but her mind was still going and needed an outlet to calm herself. She pulled out the fabricator function on her Omni-tool and went down to work. She needed to be at her best for later and needed to look proper for her daughters. Can't be the badass mother to her family if she doesn't look the part.

.


Summer walked across campus and silently took in all the turn heads from students that she was getting. She was used to the attention by now, being the first human Spector and the most recognizable women in the Alliance. But still, it always amuses her at some of the expressions she received from people. Thou she suspected it was for different reasons than her reputation from the Citadel.

'Maybe they were confusing her with my little Ruby?' Summer thought as it made the most sense.

Summer had received a text on her new scroll from Ruby this morning about where to meet up later after classes have ended. Turned out to be the schools firing range at the edge of the grounds. Meaning that her little rose couldn't wait for her weapons demonstration.

Good thing, Summer was ready to give one. She had been working on her armor and finished repairing the cracks in the arm guards last night. This morning after breakfast, she had quickly put back together with her chest piece but found that it had more internal structural damage, so she had to sacrifice one of her shoulder pad for components to fix it. The next thing she did was her leg pieces, they were the easiest to fix as it was just exterior damage that didn't hurt her performance. Summer then had the small visor, which Garrus gave her that time together on the presidium. She put it on her brow. The tiny needles came out and punctured the skin, connecting to the nerves so it will help you with your aim. Suddenly the blue visor came down over her right eye. Sumer thought for a moment and pulled the thing back off. She was in the middle of a school and not a battlefield, she'd save it for any missions lined up later. With her armor all done, she tossed her white cloak onto her shoulders and turned to the bathroom mirror.

And she liked what she looks.

The dar gunmetal gray N7 armor seamed to color clash with her old white Huntress cloak. Summer saw that, but the red stripe of her right shoulder and arm and the red interior made it work. The armored shoulder pad stood out a bit, but her cloak was moved behind it, making it look more like a swirling cape. Thou Summer was against it, she reached out and removed the armored piece and let her cloak drop down on her shoulders evenly. As for her weapons, she sat the Carnifex on her usual spot for a heavy pistol. As for her Lancer, instead of putting it in her usual slot on her back, she sat it where a shotgun was usually placed.

For the end result, it was like a bit of her old Huntress life mixed in with N7 status. It felt great having her families cloak on over her battle-tested armor. Summer wondered how her daughters would think of her look?

Walking to the entrance of the range, she saw Ruby and Yang with their respected partners doing some ideal chatter. They didn't notice Summer's approach, and she couldn't wait to see their reactions.

"This is going to be fun," Summer murmured with an amusing grin.

.


Happy N7 day to all that are reading this duel update on "The girl with the big iron on her hip" & "The Summer Reaper."

Thank you all for sticking with this story and my other story and hope you engoy the crazyness that comes out of my mind in future chapters.

Helljumper206-See you all over the web!