A/N

Hello! It's me again with the gift of chapter 16.

And hello Again Guest-Questioner I haven't heard from you in a while! I look forward to your review's Every time I update! I'm glad to see you haven't dropped my book. And that goes to all the people that have stuck around. Whether You leave a review or not. It's good to know I have people that like my book as much as you do.

Follow's and Favorites go a long way for my writing motivation!

Now Updates should be slightly more frequent now that I'm free for the summer, other than work. My other books will be on a monthly update basis instead of three month waits in between. If you guys read them!

On a different note. I received a very blunt and slightly assholish review on Chapter 1. And for the most part I wholeheartedly agree with the dude. Oftentimes when I first started writing I was like a brain dead chimp on a caffeine high slapping the shit out of my keyboard to create a story. So I went back and heavily went over chapters one and two. I fixed errors and added 100-200 words to spice it up a tad. All of the chapter's are getting looked at.

I have created a discord for this book. Here is the link BQhDJYJQ The server's name is "The Loot Goblin's Cave." This code can be used within the next 6-5 days starting on May 30th. I look forward to seeing yall there.

Have a nice summer chaps! LL14, out.

—-

I trekked through the hall's my mind preoccupied, mulling over the meeting and how to best put aside my burning loathing for Timur and Alonev. The future of Remnant hung in the balance. The livelihood of Yang, Qrow and Ruby was relying on me saving this world.

I wanted to. But it wasn't possible. Ozpin and Salem were locked in a battle of attrition for ages and neither of the immortals have gotten a foothold except Salem.

I smacked my cheeks with both hands, effectively dispersing my thoughts of despair. I prided myself because of my realism. Our situation is dire. Ozpin is neigh useless against Salem. His magic is nearly nonexistent- In his own words nonetheless!

The only thing the Old man was good for was his milleniums worth of wisdom and experience. I bet Tyrain and Watts were already setting their plans up down in Mantle. I passed a news screen that displayed the registered competitors for the console.

I stopped on my heel and all my momentum from my speed walking was reversed and used to spin myself around.

Back to Ironwood's office I go! "I'm a dunce. A whole bungalow ass idiot! A freshly brewed pot of dumbassery!"

I railed myself with various derogitory terms at my short sightedness. I started sprinting the last twenty meters to the door which in an epic dose of irony was being pushed open by the man of the hour.

"General!" I called out. "Lieutenant?" He called back. "Icompletelyforgottotellyouinmynegelgance!" I took a breath as I slid to a stop which scuffed the freshly waxed floors.

"Callows and Watts have infiltrated Mantle. Or are on their way!" I ran a hand through my barely presentable hair.

"Arther Watts isn't dead. He's going to hack all of Mantle. He plans to cut off the heating" I searched my failing memory for more information. "Tyrain Callows with the help of Watts plans to frame Penny at Robyn Hills Election party!"

My tail flicked behind me in unease. "Tyrain's going to kill many people. And footage will be doctored to make penny look responsible"

I watched in baited breath as James digested my spew of vital information. To my surprise he took it in stride.

"Change of plans" He pulled her scroll free and called up Winter. The eldest Schnee's face was backwards as I eyed it through the scroll's transparent screen. Before the call connected. I spurred my second half baked plan onto the General's overloaded plate.

"I believe I can convince Adam Taurus to help us fight!" An opportunist smile graced my lips. The call was answered just then. "Yes, Sir?" Winter's militaristic tone wasn't missed. "Gather the Ace-ops. A small detachment of our special forces and Reconnaissance soldiers. Your mission is to search Mantle for one Serial killer Tyrain Callow's and one disgraced Atleasin Scientist charged with treason. Named Arther Watts"

Winter took a minute to respond as she looked over the files sent to her via a few quick presses of Ironwood's diligent fingers. "I will see it done" Winter's filtered voice echoed from the scroll. "Thank you Schnee" He paused for a brief click of a clock.

"Oh, and Lethal force is allowed. I would love to take them in, but If they're dead it's a mission well done"

With those parting words General Ironwood condemned the two to death if they didn't cooperate. Which I wholeheartedly agreed with.

I would kill the two regardless of the orders. Ironwood cleared his throat. "How on Remnant are you going to get a terrorist to work with us?"

I snorted. "Welp, said Terro has a bleeding heart for the good of his people. Which is somewhat justified. He was branded with the SDC logo over his eye. Speaking of which. Jacque Schnee will be responsible for many atrocities as he'll make a deal with Watts, Take pictures of the brand, used that as a arrestable offense"

"The arrest of the head of the SDC and the near end of life as we know it might sway him" I finished.

James looked contemplative. "How do you know all her plans?" He whispered. I caught it. And let my white patched tail float to my front. The white lights of his office highlighting many of my scars most notably the one that went over my eye.

"I spent A long time as her prisoner" Ironwood's gaze dropped to his boots "I'm sorry for what you had to go through." He genuinely sounded hurt that I went through what I did.

I crossed my arms and pushed the memories to the back of my mind even as my nails dug into my sleeves. "It is what it is, Just trust me. I want Salem to burn, and foiling her plans is the best way to make her hurt for the time being"

The General nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do. As my Lieutenant of the Air Force. Your opinion will be heavily considered at all times" I saw a hint of a grin. Even with his growing eye bags the man looked just a smudge more alive.

Maybe that was his way of telling me covertly he agrees with my plans. I didn't know the man all that well.

I turned to the doors. "Oh and Lieutenant Branwen" I paused. "Choose a fellow hunter to accompany you to see Taurus" I rested my hands on my hips. "Will do boss"

I made my way to the doors and rested my hands on the well worn ornate handles. "I'll have whoever I choose, Ask for directions to his cell. I don't have a scroll. If I did, I don't remember what happened to it."

I didn't wait for his response. In one swift movement I pushed the doors open and left in a jog. My next stop was the big ass lift down to the R&D department of the Airforce to use my new rank to effectively delete the abominations that have been slowly mashed into creation by the crack smoking aero guys.

Seriously, One of those prototypes was nothing but a bigass rocket with a cockpit strapped to it.

My brows pinched together. My footfalls echoed off the pristine walls. I was in search of Qrow. I prowled the bone white hall for what felt like hours. When it was only minutes. Before my ears started picking up sounds of a communal area.

I picked up my lazy, zombie-like pace to a respectable speed. I rounded the corner to be met with auto opening and closing doors. The bottom portion was solid steel but the upper was made of a plexi glass looking material. So I walked up to them and they slid open with a hiss.

I straightened my posture before the doors fully opened. The room was painted. Which made my jaw drop. Color was allowed in the Atlesian military. I'll be damned! Because the amount of white was starting to make me resent Weisses color scheme.

To my displeasure. Carrot top and Cheese grater where Amongst the people in the room. "Qrow cursed me" I muttered through gritted teeth. If Qrow had the ability to do so, he most certainly wouldn't have used it on me.

Salem would be a better choice. I blinked as everyone in the crowd. The Russian pilot's included raised from their seats and stood at attention, eyes of all colors met my own as they flickered from face to face.

"Welcome to the break room of the Air Force Ma'am!" 90% of the men and women were human. But there was the rare faunus scattered about the group.

'Riight. I was given a position of leadership' I looked towards the Russian pilots. "You two, Come with me"

I left the room with the two men following me. Our trio of boots clapped off the floor in an uneven rhythm.

I abruptly stopped and turned to face Timur and Alonev."Your lucky I'm willing to set aside our differences, because if I didn't we'd all die"

The men looked between each other and warbled in broken English. "What do you mean?"

'Fuck, it was to good to assume they actually knew how to speak English.' I looked to the orange haired man. Who said the words clearer than his comrade. "Evil, magic witch that is hellbent on destroying this world"

The man seemed to understand. And elbowed his comrade. Waving his meaty hands around as he animated the Tale of Salem in Russian to Alonev.

After an exchange of back and forth between the two. A handful of "Suka's" came from the silver haired guy as he gestured to me. Timur the orange haired bearded man seemed to shoot down Alonev's argument.

Finally Alonev dropped the subject, allowing Timur to turn back to me. "What happens at home?"

That was a good question, I haven't even thought of Earth. So I answered honestly. "I don't know, but we might as well start considering this shit hole ours for the time being"

Timur pulled a candy bar from his pocket and offered it to me. I raised a brow. "defend-snowy shit hole like home! No difference from Russian anyway?"

The chocolate was a peace offering. An extended offer to become comrades. I looked at the chocolate then to Timur. Then to Alonev.

"For what it worth, We follow given orders" Alonevs voice was gravely and coarse. Like hearing a lawnmower failing to start. The man sounded genuinely sorry. Even while butchering English.

I looked down. They were just following orders. Like good soldiers. What would my Friends say? Pickaxe would probably tell me I had a duty to uphold just like they did. Airhead would probably tell me to blame the commanding officer. Because that's what he always did when something goes FUBAR.

Timur broke the silence and my train of thought. "We good, yes? Good pilot you are. Never seen big Plane move so Agile before"

He leaned forward. "Voliskye Would've` been proud to have been ended by you, Ocean Wraith '' He was talking about one of his comrade's lives. I ended in fury.

Ocean Wraith? Alonev opened his mouth with a scary glint in his green orbs. "маленький, но свирепый, заканчивающий жизнь, как медведь, со скоростью и грацией волка"

The Unknown words fell from the man's scared lips like a plea. I blinked owlishly at him and decided to say the pre-decided choice of this encounter. "Let's protect this shit hole together." I gave them a smile and snatched the chocolate bar from Timur's meaty grasp.

I took a step back and gave them a half assed salute. "Back to work boys!" The two nodded at me and left to return to the communal area. That is when I heard the familiar footsteps of My Adoptive Father.

"Did he just cast a spell on you, Blueberry?" Qrow drawled.

I turned to Qrow faster than Ruby could eat a cookie. "Qrow ask Ironwood where Adam Taurus's cell is located! I'm about to get us another ally" WIth that I walked past the fumbling Huntsman. "Hey! Hold on a second kid, What Voodoo speech was that? And you're going to do what?"

"Just message Jimmy, I'll be attempting to recruit Adam into the fight against Salem" I stomped through the halls with all the grace of a marching band. Qrow all but stumbled after me like a barely controlled roller coaster.

Qrow sent out the message and received a reply in a timely fashion. "Well, I was thinking we can give him an ultimatum. Help us stop a HUMAN from killing all life on Remnant as we know it. While using The CEO of the SDC as a bargaining chip."

Qrow blink beside me as he matches me stride for stride. "Cool the jets, People like him are to far in their own minds to ever come back." Qrow took a breath as He called out the floor our resident bull faunus resides in. "He's on floor 110, Three levels below Jimmy's office.I've seem people like him in the field die horrible deaths, some even caused the death of others"

I kept silent as I searched for an elevator unit. Qrow must've thought I wasn't paying attention because I found a ringed hand on my shoulder that spun me around to face him.

"Trust me when I say this. That. Man. Is. Going. To. Get. People. Killed" My cyan eyes found Qrows gleaming red. Suddenly the fantasy of a redeemed Adam all but left my mind. To be replaced by a spark of hope.

"We have to try" Qrow shook his head HIs graying hair bouncing about. "Not with him," Qrow reasoned.

"But-" Qrow squeezed my shoulder. "It won't end well, If I lose any of you because of him I would never forgive myself" Qrow rasped.

"Please don't let me live through that again" The older Huntsman pleaded. "I know his type Shino, He'll bring an early grave to any he's around, for the wrong reasons"

I caved. Qrow was right. I watched Adam murder Seinna in cold blood an dthen smirk about it like he was a house cat bringing in a freshly killed mouse.

"I believe you Qrow, but if we left him locked up, he'd break out at some point and he'd slaughter people '' I was in a pickle. I bet Salem knew that Adam was still breathing. If she didn't know. It didn't matter. Because In the coming months to weeks Atlas is supposed to fall.

I rubbed my temples in a feeble attempt to stave off the coming headache. "What do you suppose we do Qrow? Execute a chained man?"

The Older Huntsman remained silent. I peeked through my gloved hands to eye Qrow's expression, to find his lips set into a grim line.

"Yes" Qrow's adams apple bobbed like it was physically uncomfortable with the words that just traveled by it.

I searched My adoptive Fathers face for any tells of uncertainty but found none. I felt my eyes sting. My gaze fell to his dress shoes.

"I don't want to do this anymore" I vented. "This is the life we live Kiddo, And as Huntsmen we will be the ones to deal with this stuff, so the common man doesn't have to"

I Resigned myself to the idea of ending Adam's life. My inner turmoil on free view to Qrow. I was so willing to execute the man in the field. But now that he's in chains I didn't want to do it?

I reviled in the thought of splattering the terrorists brains on the soil of Argus. But suddenly when he's locked up and at my mercy in a porcelain white room I want to play saint?

Maybe it's because Adam reminded myself of when I was in a similar situation. Chained up and at the mercy of my captors.

I wish I had Ironwood's semblance. Instead of one that turned me into a ghost. Even my soul wanted to be unnoticed and unbothered.

Qrow snapped his digits which snapped me out of my slowly devolving thoughts. "Calm down, You're starting to hyperventilate, You won't be the one to end his life" I knew that. But that didn't make me any less responsible for it.

"Can't we just drop him in the tundra and let him fight for his life?" Qrow shook his head. "That man doesn't deserve to lose his life that way" Qrow spat.

I stepped back to lean against the nearest wall and started to slide down it to rest. "What would be used to kill him then?" Qrow uncorked his flask and took a drink then passed it to my awaiting hand. I brought the liquor to my mouth and started chugging.

"Lethal injection or Aura Depletion" I paused my drinking leaving my head resting on the wall. I removed Qrow's flask from my lips. Feeling the burn of alcohol in my sinuses. "What is Aura Depletion?"

Qrow slid down next to me and rested his forearms on his knees. "They hook him up to a machine that starts slowly draining his Aura. Only Atlas has this tech. All the Aura that is siphoned out gets used to pre charge dust, for the Auraless soldiers. Who can't do it themselves"

I shook the flask to see how much it had left. "They suck the souls out of people" I growled. No later than after the sentence left my lips. I polished off Qrow's flask. The feeling Of Alcohol hit me like a freight train minutes after. Qrow ground out an affirming grunt.

I shook the flask in a futile attempt to make more alcohol appear. "Fuck, I need more of this shit" I announced with a scowl on my face. I wanted to forget that execution method as fast as I heard about it.

Qrow plucked it from my fingers. "Yes, Ma'am." Qrow stood up, the empty flask in hand. "H-Hey get me Yang to please" I watched him crack a smile at my request. "Booze and a girlfriend? Don't want to drink with me?"

I snorted. "Can't, You'll cramp my style" Qrow's eyes widened in faux hurt. "Okay~ Stay here. I'll go find Yang, And the strongest shit from Jimmy's stash."

I started playing with my fingers. "Careful, Jimbo might just bend you over his desk and show you what a bad soldier you are~" I started chuckling.

Qrow snorted and tried to remove the image from his mind. "Only in his and your wildest dreams" He Snickered. He began to walk down the hall.

"More like yours!" I fired as he turned the corner. "Hell no!" His fading voice called.

—-

It took twenty odd minutes for Qrow to round the same corner again. My Blonde maned girlfriend on his heels. Yang was holding bottles upon bottles of unknown booze. Qrow had some other miscellaneous drinks in each hand.

I eyed up Qrow first, Then connected my eyes to Yang's. "Hey, you know your the best thing that ever happened to me right?"

Yang's face quickly dusted pink. She set the bottles next to me, and slid down the wall, leaving the alcohol between us. "Am I?" Tapping the lid of a bottle with her cybernetic hand. Causing a musical clink of metal on glass.

Qrow set the others down on a stained wood counter across the hall. Yang answered her own question before I could give her an affirmation. That yes she indeed was the best. "Because It looks like I'm encouraging using drinks as a coping mechanism."

She made a good point. "Hey, I'm not alcoholic, I'm not drunk all the time like someone we know"

Qrow froze. But stayed silent as I eyed his tattered cape. "You may not be Chino, But you can become one"

My eyes fell to my lap. "I know" Qrow took this as his Que to break the silence. "I've started cutting back since that farm, kid"

The Brunswick farm must've rattled something in the elder Huntsman, Maybe Ruby nearly snapping was what did it? No matter, I had a date with a gods drink.

I flicked the top off from a blue bottle. Vodka looking Remnant substitute. Before I tipped it back I looked to Yang, Who was softly smiling at me with her own sealed drink in hand.

I felt horrible for calling Qrow out on his alcoholism. "I'm proud you've started to quit Dad" My voice carried a heavy emotion that made it thick.

I wanted to stop thinking, So I tipped back the drink. Qrow walked his way over to us and snatched Yangs drink from her fingers and popped the top off it. "I saw nothin, firecracker."

Qrow handed the drink back with a highschool smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Right, we were still underage drinking. And in the middle of a hallway no less. I stopped sucking the beverage down to replace it with O2. My lungs started burning after a while. But Hey! I chugged half of a vodka bottle in one go.

Airhead would be proud.

Qrow sent me a wink and a two fingered salute as he started to walk away flask in hand.

"Yang?' I asked. "Yeah?" The blonde quipped. "Kisth me" I slurred. My hazy eyes locked with Yang's sober ones. "Aftur we can paint Weisses Tooth pic-Hick! Pink?" I waggled my eyebrows. As the 90 prof drink started filling my blood with alcohol.

"I'll kiss you anytime," Yang stated. "But, I need to be less sober to tamper with Weiss-creams Stuff, She makes my ears hurt"

I leaned myself onto Yang's muscled shoulder. Squishing the drinks between our frames. "I'll kissem all better. Dontcha erry" I flirted.

With that Yang downed a third of her own 90 prof drink. I watched her throat move as she consumed the drink. I couldn't help it. Yang was just so attractive and liked her so much everything she did was insanely attractive.

Yang pulled the drink from her lips with a pop. And slammed it down on her left, Her hand left the rim of the bottle in a flash and found my chin. My eyes got lost in hers as a thumb stroked my cheek.

"Still want me to kiss you?" Yang's hot breath assaulted my neck as she leaned further. Her hand guided my head up towards hers. Our noses touched and my eyes fluttered shut. "Yes" I breathed.

Yang finished the advance by gently bringing her lips to mine in a loving kiss, that we separated from sooner than I liked.

We pulled apart and I brought my drink to my lips and took a long gulp from it. "C'mon, Lets go mess with people's stuff, errs the glitter?"

I found my hand being grasped and tugged, My inebriated mind went with the flow, Yang pulled me back to the floor and part of her lap.

"Heh, Let's finish these first.'' Yang laughed adorably. I looked at the multitude of drinks Qrow hunted for me and Yang to enjoy.

"Oh, yah. I forgot those were there. "That kisih was amazing~" My voice slurred in a way I knew Yang found attractive. Telling from the way her eyes flashed to my lips and them my thighs.

I finished off the one in my hand and reached for another one. AS Yang downed the rest of her's like it was water on a hot day.

—-

One hour later we found ourselves stumbling amiss the halls that seemed to corkscrew onwards forever. My hand was laced with Yang's as we used each other as support. I had way too much to drink. I was giggling at everything.

To old fashioned paintings to Yang's idle talk about a band. Yang was leading me through the maze of halls.

Yang was also as drunk as a skunk. And smelt like a freshly opened bottle of whisky. I wasn't any better.

"Xiao Loong, Where's our room?" Yang nodded sagely at my question. "Why," She sniggered. "Itch somewhere dat way" She stumbled forward. Pulling me along with her.

"You've gotten ush lost, what kinda captn dose tha?" I slurred indignantly. We desperately needed someone sober to fetch us.

"I know where er goin" Yang blurted to the ceiling, her face red with alcohol. I shook my head which sent the world spinning in a brilliant way. "Nuhuh" I smiled.

"Yuhuh" My Girlfriend argued.

We continued to grunt negatives and affirmatives at each other for a good portion of our wandering.

Yang finally broke after my hundredth "Nuh"

"We've got lostch Okay?!" Yang raised my hand and swayed as she threw her hand up with contended-uncontended look to her.

I responded in kind by gesturing with my hands at my side. "Thasht what I was sayin"

"Cawl my fellow kitty, Or or Rubes. Tell them za Eevil hallways ofve doom got ush and we won't return hooome!"

I started sobbing, my tail frisking behind me. Yang attempted to snap and failed miserably. "That's It!" Her voice warbled as she stumbled with that action towards me.

She rested her hands on my shoulders and shook me lightly. "We can be freeee, chino!" I pumped my right fist up in celebration of being free of this maze. Which threw me off balance while Yang lost hers. We fell in a heap Yang on my chest and me being smushed into her bust.

"Yaang" My muffled voice echoed. Through her uncontrollable laughing at my expense. "You're boobs are soooft, but we need rescued" I dragged out the o with. I took in a breath and my sense were filled with the smell of Yangs Shampoo.

"I know" Yang slurred, She positioned her arms at the side of my head and lifted herself off my chest and promptly sat on my hips, already fishing for her scroll.

My eyes watered as I looked directly into a ceiling light. "What time is it~?" Yang clicked a few buttons on her scroll.

"Dunno" She answered. I lifted my hands to my eyes and rubbed them with the gloves on. "Mhm Tired" I grumbled. I ran slow circles into my sockets as Yang hummed.

I removed my hands from my eyes to rest them on Yangs hips a Dumb smile on my face as I just stred at her beautiful face scrunched up in concentration as she fiddled with her scroll.

—-

Yang managed to send a message to Blake, Who complained about our stupid stunts to which I responded with.

"You love us" Blake snorted through the speakers. "Maybe, Where are you guys?"

"Hallway" We both helpfully supplied. "Helpful" Blake mused. "Hold on, I'll start looking." With that Blake cut the line.

Yang and I played a drunken game of eye spy. One that if you took longer than thirty seconds to spot what the other chose, Well. It's a drunken game, We had to either give the other a kiss or give an embarrassing story.

Truly I just failed so I could hear Yang 's voice and her stories. And She did the same, Just so she could give me kisses.

"So, So, Dad sent Zwei in the mail, right?" I nodded as Yang babbled from my lap as I watched from my prone position.

"Blake jumped about ten feet in that air when, He and his food fell from the package. I almost thought she was going to tear apart the dorm room with how frantically she was looking for an escape." Through Yangs breaks in the story to giggle and in between blended together words.

I just barely managed to understand it all. With a toothy grin I broke eye contact snickering at the mental image, the memory from the show floated to the surface.

"I don't like dogs" A new voice called, Causing us to look. "Were loths" I explained with a shrug. Blake slowly nodded.

The Belladonna strutted to our side and helped Yang off of me. Next she held out a manicured hand, which I took in my own with a grin. The sober Huntress smirked as Yang swayed on her feet.

She pulled me to my feet and my vision tiled and swayed slowly. The world felt as if it was tilting to the right.

"Alright, Lean on each other, I'll get us back to the room" Blake instructed. I couldn't help myself with the words and actions I did next with a grin.

Slapping a hand to my forehead in a salute. "Yes Mam!" I meant to say 'Yes Ma'am' but with my slurring it sounded like I said 'Yes mom!'

I listened to Yang's chuckling and whispered "Mom complex" The entire way to our dorm.