Eric sat across the seat in the limousine watching Kang who was looking at his scroll. Apparently the news of him going to a local business had gone viral and people were already gossiping about him being in some kind of secret relationship with someone who worked there.

"So was that seriously it? A publicity stunt?" He asked as he glanced over at the expense CD he had bought yet hadn't even touched or looked at since they left the store.

"It's called staying relevant." He said calmly without looking up. "If people see us in public, then they assume we're just like them, that gets us more fans, but to keep attention, we need something more."

"See, if I create a bit of a story that has no end, then people will talk about it. And since it has no end, they won't stop talking about it. That generates a lot of buzz with rumors, keeping us in the spotlight. And as the theories grow more and more rampant, it'll draw even more attention. And you'd be surprised how long it takes people to finally get bored with something as juicy as a secret romance between a musician and a commoner."

Eric raised an eyebrow at his words. He recalled Fang saying something similar about how people's minds work. Such as people prefer the false reality they create about others and become very defensive when that image is threatened.

"Huh, you studied psychology?" Eric asked, remembering Fang mentions his information came from his studies of the brain. "Never took you singers as the studious type. Always assumed you people were naturally gifted and basically made into stars."

Kang let out a laugh as he leaned back, looking up at his guard. "Maybe you'd be right a couple decades ago. But now there are more effective methods to find singers." He said.

"See, back then, that was what people did. But one day, someone realized instead of finding incredible talent, they could just make it. And so the modern era of music was born." Eric raised an eyebrow at the musician, unsure of what he meant.

"To make a long story short, talented singers and beautiful faces are hard to find as a single package. So now, they just look for beautiful people and make them talented." Kang said, grinning at the huntsman. "Why spend so much time and energy looking when you can just find a pretty face and make them a singer with a music loving backstory. From there, it's easy to make money off their fans. Believe me, I know. Not a single person in our band cares about music, we just do it for the money. Same with most musicians these days."

"Oh joy. And here I thought Adam had problems." Eric said, turning to look out the window. He had just started the conversation and he already wished he hadn't. Unfortunately, the musician wasn't done just yet.

"Adam is the Faunus, right?" He asked, making Eric nod without looking back. "Strange. I thought an Atlesian like yourself would consider themselves too far above a Faunus to work with them. Yet you two seem to be on the best terms out of everyone on your team."

Eric paused for a second, then turned back to the musician and leaned forward, resting his arms on her knees.

"Your right. It must seem weird for an Atlesian and a Faunus to get alone at all, but I think I'm a bit of an odd case." He said calmly. "Technically, I was raised in Vale territory, not Atlas, so that would definitely add to my more…relaxed opinions. But the reason I try to get along with Adam is more personal than that."

Kang leaned forward, his interest now peaked. Out of everyone on Team AACE Eric had been the most difficult to read. Not a hot head like the other two, but not an airhead like the leader. He was guarded and humorous, but more than that, he was quiet. Making him almost indifferent. Something that Kang didn't believe happened because of his personality.

"I'm sure you know about the tension between the kingdoms, everyone does. But what they probably don't know is how that affects the people on the Atlesian side." Eric paused for a second, staring at his hands with a blank expression on his face, as if lost in thoughts.

He stayed like that for a few seconds before continuing, this time in a much more somber tone.

"Refugees from Atlas struggled to find jobs, then after the kingdoms stabilized, those who had were promptly fired to make room for others. Even now, it's extremely hard to find work for anyone of Atlesian descent. Most in Vale work minimum wage part time jobs just to make ends meet. And then, if anyone can guess their origins, they have insults hurled at them. And those are the lucky ones. You know what happens to them come nightfall?"

Kang let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in his seat. "The witch hunts?" He asked.

"The witch hunts." Eric echoed. "The Enlightened Seraphim's right of passage. Their hazing ritual." His voice was filled with venom and he bore a dark look in his eyes. The mere mention of the act turned something on inside the huntsman that not much else seemed too.

"They find some poor bastard and break into their house at night. Then they tie them down and torture them for sick fun! Even if the police are called, they simply let the offenders off with a warning! No charges are pressed, no criminals are arrested, and no media outlier seems to think it's worth covering. Because at the end of the day, what the masses want isn't peace and unity. They want to know their side to be winning and the other guy to be losing. No matter who they might be. Honestly, it's exactly the same as the Faunus."

Eric let out a sigh as he turned to look back out the window, that blank look still on his face.

"But I think that's why I want to see Adam succeed. If there's hope for them, then maybe us Atlesians can also get together with other kingdoms. Maybe there's still hope for people if we just look to find. And he's that hope trying to bring change. And sure, maybe it's just for his people. But if one man can stand and become the guiding light, why not others?" Slowly, a gentle smile spread across his face as he closed his eyes.

"Let's be real, I'm not a leader type. Nor am I someone who people would rally too. That's not my style, but it is Adam's! So I want to do all I can to help him. Because a small change, no matter how insignificant, might cause a spark for change, real Change! Not the kind of bullshit change politicians are always talking about and never doing."

Kang let out a chuckle at the passion in the huntsman's voice. He was something, he'd give him that. Still, everything he said made sense. So he decided not to give the boy crap.

"Well, I hope you succeed in your endeavors." He said turning to look out the window as well. "I would like to see a world like that. One where change is a possibility instead of fantasy. I would even write a song about it."

Eric turned to grin at the singer, the darkness no longer in his eyes.

"Better remember those words, cause I'm going to hold you to that." He said as the car pulled into the employee parking lot. "Though I guess I really don't have much way to enforce that as I really don't want to see you again after the-."

"Let me in! It's an emergency!"

A woman's shrill scream stopped their conversation mid word. Both huntsman and musician opened the windows and looked out to see two people who were arguing with the security officer at the entrance.

"I'm telling you it's important! Life or death! Why can't you get that through your thick skull!" The woman yelled. She was a fox Faunus wearing what looked like a mechanic's outfit.

"I told you, I'm not interested in your made up story! Go back to the woods where your kind belongs! Your not sneaking into the event, you stupid animal!" The security guard snapped, drawing his stun gun. "Now leave! Or I'll have to make you!"

"If you won't let us through, then at least take a message!" The woman shot back as she took a step forward. She seemed harmless enough to the man in front of her, but Eric saw a gun hidden behind her back. One that she could draw in a heartbeat!

"Just tell Adam what we told you! If you don't, people will die! And that blood will be on your hands! You want that?!" She yelled, making the guard roll his eyes.

"Hmm, let me think." He said mockingly. "Yeah, honestly I don't care. That's your problem, not mine. But if you care so much, why don't you use those foxy tricks of your to help? I bet it would be easy for an animal like you to stop this made up kidnapping!"

"Why you-!"

The Fox girl was cut off as the other person with her, a young boy who was a dog Faunus, caught sight of Eric and grabbed her shoulder, making her turn around. And when she saw the huntsman, her eyes immediately lit up!

"Hey shield guy!" She yelled, running towards him, he comrade right behind her. "It's me! The fox girl from that night! You remember us?!"

Eric certainly did! Hard to forget the three thieves he had almost turned in alongside Adam!

"Yeah, I remember." He said, stepping out of the car. "What are you doing here? Seems important if you're shouting this much."

"Very!" She said as they skidded to a halt in front of him. "The very future of peace is at stake! You need to take a message to Adam before it's too late!"

"The trail ends here. Where did she go?" Summer said as she stood up from the docks, an unusual panic in her voice.

After Ruby disappeared, she and Cinder had grabbed both Yang and Jiao and immediately started trying to track the girl. Fortunately, Summer was the best tracker in her year! So even at a crowded space like Music Fest, she had been able to pick up a trail a few minutes into her search.

Unfortunately, it went cold by some old warehouses.

"Why did she even wonder off?!" Cinder fumed. "Stupid little idiot! She is so dead when I find her!"

"Cinder, calm down." Summer said sternly. "I know you're scared, but acting on emotions won't help us find Ruby. We need some kind of clue or something. If we can, I'll have an idea of why she went. A ten year old isn't going to be able to hide her tracks well if at all."

"Hey! Look at this!" Yang yelled, waving at them from a few feet away. "I think I found something!"

Immediately the three others raced over to the girl to find a ripped piece of beautiful blue cloth that had stars embroidered on it.

"Umm, I don't think she was wearing something like this." Summer said as she looked at the cloth. "In fact, this fabric is so expensive I'm pretty sure we could pay for a whole bookshelf of music albums for the same price…wait!"

Summer knelt down to examine the fabric closer. Sure enough, she noticed it was torn off by blunt force trauma, not caught or snagged on something.

"That's weird. It looks like someone was beaten until their clothes ripped." Summer mused as she stood up holding the fabric. "Yet I don't see any signs of a struggle and even if someone wasn't trained, nobody would just lay there and take this kind of beating."

As she thought about what could have happened and how it might connect to Ruby, the other three leaned in to get a closer look, and immediately Jiao let out a gasp.

"Hold on! I remember this cloth!" He exclaimed. "It's the Schnee heiress' dress! The one she wore to the youth event! But how'd it get here and what does the richest kid in the world have to do with your missing kid?"

Cinder felt a sinking feeling take root in the pit of her stomach. Had something happened to make the heiress upset at Ruby? She remembered back at the orphanage, she had been told that sometimes, kids were just sold to them by powerful people who kidnapped them.

They weren't brought in by their parents like most of the other kids, so they would always cry and whine the most. Cinder still remembers the times where they would be locked in a small shed as punishment. She still remembered their screams becoming quieter and quieter until they physically couldn't scream anymore.

She bit back a snarl that threatened to escape. If that stuck up bitch laid so much as a finger on her sister's head, she was going to burn her eyes off and then throw her to the White Fang! They would make her suffer in a way she couldn't even dre-!

"ADAM! WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!"

Eric's voice ripped through Cinder's earpiece making her flinch, which drew the eyes of her companions. They might also have heard the deafening scream for the panicked knight. He was surprisingly loud for someone so lazy.

"What is it?!" Amber replied, her voice more calm, but carrying a tone of urgency.

"It's the White Fang!" Eric yelled. "A few radical members have made a plan to kidnap Weiss Schnee and publicly execute her! If they do that-!"

"Then human-Faunus relationships will be pushed back ten years or more." Adam's voice was barely audible, but Cinder could still hear the despair behind it. Then, it changed to one of aggression.

"Who's behind it?!" He demanded and Cinder could picture his furious face. "Who's stupid enough to try something like this?! Where are they now?! And why didn't Ghira stop them?!" His anger could be felt even though he wasn't nearby. And it made Eric quick to reply.

"I don't know where they are or why they weren't stopped, but the person behind it is a cheetah woman named…Chester? Ester? I don't remember, but it was something like that!"

"Chesher. Great." Adam groaned. "Of course she'd be the one behind this kind of plan. Amber! Check security cameras for a blonde, short haired Faunus with a tail! That's Chesher! She'll probably have brought her best friend, Aften, a rhino Faunus with a horn! And since this is a kidnapping, she'll probably have Eskus, a snake Faunus, but you wouldn't be able to tell as his trait is a tongue! So just look for the first-!"

"One step ahead of you!" Amber replied. "Already found them. Currently tracing their movements! I can't access cameras inside the building but I should be able to find them easily enough!"

"Can't we just let event security deal with this?" Cinder said annoyed. "I'm in the middle of something over here which is more important than that stuck up brat. Besides, we're already on a short leash and I don't think Bobby will be to happy if we run off on a different mission."

"And who's fault is that?!" Adam shot back. "You lost your right to complain the moment you put us on that short leash! Eric and I have been carrying your sorry ass this whole mission! Yet still get thrown into the same bucket because of you! So just do what you're told before you cause even more problems!"

Cinder bristled at Adam's words! He had no right to give her crap on this after he had put the forced team into hiding! And what was he even talking about, carrying the team?! Yeah right! She hadn't seen him or Eric do Jack all mission! She was the one who had to deal with the most insufferable member of the band! She'd like to see him put up with this stuck up snob and not crack!

But before she could voice her opinion, Eric came back on, cutting her off.

"Event security can't handle them." He said. "According to what I was told, the kidnappers have huntsmen training. They'd take out a normal security guard in a heartbeat! And any huntsmen in the area aren't going to be organized enough to find them and reliably stop them! Best if we handle this!"

Cinder bit back a grain of frustration. She didn't have time for this! She had to find Ruby now! Who cares if the Schnee brat got killed?! They were one of the most hated families in the world right now! And if she remembered correctly, there was a third kid who could take over the company! She was completely replaceable!

"Look, I really don't have time for this!" Cinder snapped. "I have a real emergency on my end! So-!"

"Okay, I found them!" Amber cried, cutting Cinder off. "They already grabbed Schnee and are moving to the exit! Let's see… Cinder! You're the closest! They literally walked right past you a few minutes ago! Their heading towards the part of the docks that aren't being used for Music Fest! And I-! Hang on…Cinder, is your whole part accounted for?"

"Immediately Cinder's eyes went wide! Surely Ruby hadn't…

"Is there a little girl with a red cape with them?!" Cinder yelled, hoping there wasn't! She didn't want Ruby dragged into something that was about to get really messy!

Unfortunately, Amber's response caused the dark haired girl's heart to stop.

"Yes. A little girl with a cape is following them! Let me see…Yes! They disappeared into an alleyway! No cameras showing the area they'd end up! So you're going to need to pick up the trail manually! You got all that Cinder?!"

With numb fingers, Cinder pressed the button to activate her microphone. "Copy that." She said in a tone completely devoid of emotions. Her hands shook as she lowered them again and turned to her family who were looking at her curiously.

"I got word on Ruby." She said, still in a daze. "She got caught up in a kidnapping of a high priority junior singer and now is most likely been taken as well."

Immediately panic started to fill the stomachs of the family. They knew kidnapping was common during events like this, but nobody thought Ruby would be grabbed so easily!

"What do you mean!" Yang yelled, rushing forward and grabbing Cinder's shirt. "Why would she be taken?! If they were here to take someone else, why take Ruby?! She can't be that valuable to them, right?!"

"Most likely to keep her quiet." Summer said, her tone now serious. "Either that or as an added bonus. Either way, we can't afford to waste any time. Cinder, where were they last spotted and can your friend check the security cameras for their location?!"

"This is the kidnappers' last known location." Cinder said hollowly. "She's trying to find them, but she only has access to the event cameras. And they've already disappeared from them."

"Damn it!" Summer swore. The docks of Vale were huge! If they just ran around then they'd have no hope of finding her! And whoever was behind this clearly knew what they were doing as they had hid their trail well!

Immediately she raced back to where the fabric had been found and knelt trying to pick up any trace or track she could use to find her daughter, but the area seemed clear of either footprints or tracks! One of them must have a semblance to erase them or something!

"Cinder! Take Yang and Jiao and go back to… where you've been sleeping! I'm going to contact the authority!" Summer yelled as she jumped to her feet. "Contact event security to have them help lock everything down! I can't find them, but if we make sure they can't leave them-!"

"Won't work." Jiao said, stepping forward. "The people have huntsmen training. The security would be torn to shreds."

Cinder's head whipped around to her charge, eyes wide. "How do you-?" But she stopped mid sentence as she saw a wire running from his radio to his ear. He had been listening to every conversation they'd had?! Since when?! And why?! She had assumed he just viewed them as nothing more than people they paid to do a job! Did they spy on all their employees?! Or was something else going on?!

"They came to take Weiss Schnee. And if you're going to target someone like that, you're not going to just wing it. They would have come here with a plan. And most importantly, a quick escape." Jiao said, offering his hand to Summer. "By the time the cops get here, it'll be too late. But I've got an alternative. Take my hand."

As he spoke, his aura snaked off his wrist, sharpening itself into pointed barbs.

"W-what's that?!" Yang demanded fearfully. "What are you going to do?!"

"I'm going to help find your sister." Jiao said in a serious tone. "Like I said, this is the best and probably only way. By the time help arrives it'll be too late, but with my power, there's a chance. Not guaranteed, but with no other leads, you don't have an option if you want to see-."

Before he could finish, Cinder's blade was pressed against his throat, the glass and steel burning a bright blue that melted through his aura, burning the skin underneath as sparks danced off the blade.

"What are you playing at?" Cinder asked in a dangerous low tone, ignoring the startled looks from her sister and mother. "I know you. You're not kind or generous like you pretend. You'd never do something that risk's yourself unless you got something out of it. So why even offer?"

Jiao glanced over at Cinder and made to turn, but a quick twist of her hand caused the blade to dig into his neck, sending a clear message. Move and you die.

"Relax, will you. I couldn't take you in a fight even with my gun. I'm not going to hurt her." Jiao said with an air of annoyance. "I just want to help. No need to point a blade at me."

"Then why didn't you use it the moment Ruby vanished?" Cinder demanded, eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at the singer. "Your hiding something. So spill! Or I'm going to cut your throat right now, mission be damned!"

"Cinder! What are you doing?!" Summer demanded, stepping forward. Her face carried more worry than either siblings had ever seen before. "Jiao is offering to help! And besides, you can't attack your client! You can't-!"

"Yes I can!" Cinder shot back, her grip tightening her grip on her blade. "You don't know him like I do! He's been acting uncharacteristically nice all day! Normally his an unbearably annoying asshole! But today, just when there happened to be some kind of planned kidnapping he's suddenly so caring and generous? Seems a little odd that these things would happen on the same day, doesn't it?! I'm not letting him go until he tells me the truth! And I mean the whole truth!

A silence followed Cinder's speech as everyone there looked from the girl to the singer unsure of what to do or who to trust. The intense pressure seemed to increase with every second as the clock ticked on.

Finally, Jiao broke the silence as he let out a sigh.

"Fine. Your right. I know about the planned kidnapping." He confessed drawing a gasp from the huntress and her younger daughter. "But I only wanted to stop it. That's why I chose to go with you to your family. I thought that a famous huntress surely would ha able to stop it. But now it's too late. The kidnapping has gone off and I have the power to stop it! So please, let me help you!"

Despite the faces of her family seeming to relax, Cinder's remained hard. She continued to glare at the singer suspiciously.

"How did you know?" She demanded, making the singer turn and smirk at her.

"I'll tell you, IF you stop the kidnapping of the heiress. Fail, like you always seem to, and I'll keep my secret to myself." He said, immediately sending Cinder's blood into a boil!

"Why you son of a bitch!" She snarled, reaching out to grab him. "You think I'm your slave?! I'm not beholding to you! I'll break you in half if you keep this kinda bullshi-!"

"ENOUGH!"

Both the idol and the huntress froze mid argument and turned to see a very angry Summer stocking over to them.

"Enough! I don't care about whatever beef you two might have with each other! My daughter is missing! And from the sounds of it, so is another innocent little girl! You two settle your differences after we find them!" She said, ignoring Cinder's snort and eye roll when she called the Schnee heiress Innocent. Instead, she parried the girl's blade away from the singer's neck and offered her hand.

"You say you can find her, then do it!" She said. "Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it. As long as we find and rescue my- both girls, I'll be happy!"

Jiao nodded as he grasped her hand. An unusual seriousness to his expression. "First, deactivate your aura. I need access to you blood." He said as his aura tendrils inches closer to Summer's wrist. "I should also tell you that this will probably take you out of commission for a few hours. So be prepared for that."

"What!?" Cinder snapped, almost kicking their hands apart! "What do you mean?! What are you going to do to my mom?! Can't you do it to me instead?! If you need blood, I'd prefer to give it to you myself!"

"My semblance doesn't work that way!" Jiao shot back, eyes narrowed in irritation. "I need blood from a relative. And the closer they are the better! I've done my research, you're adopted! There's not a speck of Ruby's blood in your veins! And your sister only has a quarter of blood that connects to her! Mrs. Rose is the only real choice! Besides, it's against my moral code to hurt a kid and I'm not paying you to lay around after being hit by my semblance!"

"But-!"

"Enough, Cinder." Summer, much calmer than before. Though both of her daughters heard the slight strain in her voice. Telling them she wasn't too happy either.

"If it's our only option, then that's the best we can do! I'll happily give my blood for my daughter." She said firmly. "Once we have a location, I'll take Yang and Jiao to the security booth and call the police. In the meantime, you go and slow them down until backup arrives. No reckless actions, okay? Not until your sister is safely back in your arms. Understand stand?"

Cinder bit her lip as she nodded. That's right. She hadn't done much to earn Summer's confidence. She could see that now. Out of everyone, she had seen everyone of her arrogant and egotistical adventures that put her in danger. Now the mother was going to have to trust Ruby's life to this reckless girl and it was clear she wasn't too happy.

"I promise." Cinder said, her voice carrying her new found resolve. And as she locked eyes with her mother, she saw some of that concern fade.

"Thank you." She said, then turned back to Jiao, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she counted to ten. Then she opened her eyes, looking right into the singer's.

"Do it."

Immediately the tendril snaked into her wrist, cutting deep through her skin until the reached a blood vessel and biting into it and drawing some of her red liquid out through the tendril and into his own body.

Immediately Jiao's eyes lit up! Then the area around them vanished in a blur of colors! Yang and Cinder were nearly thrown off their feet as colors flew past them in nauseating fashion before coming to a stop in a top down view of docks.

Below them, they could see themselves, still standing in the alley between two warehouses. Summer was lit up like it was in an infrared camera! Her body flashing with each terrified beat of her heat. They could see the events of Music Fest going on a little ways behind them. They could see Adam, dragging his charge to a member of event security before leaving him there to run back towards the docks.

But at the coastline, they could see a pulsing red light that seemed almost came off like a hammering heartbeat!

Jiao turned his head and immediately they shot towards the light and found themselves looking down on three people making their way along the docks. They matched Adam's description and while they couldn't see any children, one was carrying a large bag and the red light was centered in a large parcel wrapped in coats.

"There!" Jiao cried, pointing at the three. "That's our kidnappers! Now where are they going?!"

He turned once again and the whole world shifted, racing along the path the kidnappers were taking before coming to a stop in an abandoned part of the docks with several large, empty shipping containers.

It looked like nobody had been there in months and as Cinder looked, she saw a motor boat that looked very out of place in the decrypted area.

"There!" She yelled, pointing at it. "That's their escape! It's by water, so even if the cops are called, they'll still have a clean out! Damn it! They thought of everything, didn't they?! Jiao, drop us right there!"

Immediately the vision faded and they found themselves back on the ground in the alley.

"It doesn't work like that!" The singer snapped. He appeared to be out of breath and his aura was flickering already. "It's just a vision! I can warp reality and make you magically appear wherever you want! I told you, I never got proper training!"

"Ug! Fine! Useless pest." Cinder grunted angrily, then turned her attention back to Summer, who was slumped against the wall, panting.

Despite being fine just a few minutes ago, she now looked exhausted. Bags under her eyes and a sweaty brow that swayed as she stood on wobbly legs that looked like they were a top give out.

"You okay?" Cinder asked, making a move to Summer's side, but stopped when the older woman held up her hand.

"I'm…fine." She panted out, her voice labored as she looked up at Cinder with half closed eyes. "I've …been… through…worse." She was now using the wall for support as it seemed she couldn't keep to her feet anymore. But even as Yang raced to her side, her gaze remained fixed on Cinder.

"Go…find your…sister! Save…her!" The mother panted, those Cinder remained rooted to the spot. Caught between wanting to go help her sister and make sure her mother was okay. She had only ever seen her this tired once before, after the battle with Rouge when local Huntsmen had found them and taken them to the hospital.

"Cinder. Go."

Before the dark haired girl could come to a decision, her sister cut her off as she helped her mother to stand, locking eyes with her sister.

"I'll take care of mom, you go get Ruby." Yang said, confidence filling her eyes. She had a fire that Cinder hadn't seen in years. Not since when the Werewolf had sniffed that flame out.

At that moment, Cinder made her decision. Though there was never really a decision to make. She had an obligation to not just to both her mother and her sister, but to herself. She knew if she couldn't reach Ruby, she'd regret it for the rest of her life!

Immediately she pulled her security pass off and handed it to Yang.

"Go to the security booth at the far side of the event. This will let you in." She said loudly and clearly as she pressed the pass into Yang's hands. "Once inside, drop mom and this asshole off with Amber, she'll take care of them. Then, I need you to contact the police and tell them there's a kidnapping taking place at the dock. Make sure they know huntsmen are the aggressors and don't tell them it was an Atlesian who's being taken. Tell them where to find us and don't hang up until you know they're sending an ambulance, regular cops, and professional huntsmen. Press them to send all of it. And if they don't believe you, get Jiao to talk to them. They won't turn down an emergency call from a celebrity. You got all that, Yang?"

The blonde girl nodded, clutching the pass to her chest. "I got it." She said firmly.

With that, Cinder stood up and with one last look at her family, she took off, racing towards the abandoned part of the docks, pressing the mic in her earpiece as she went.

"Amber! I've got the location of the intruders!" She yelled, trying to keep herself breathing properly to ensure she didn't lose any speed. "Adam! You're the closest so listen up! I'm going to tell you where they are and what to keep a lookout for! Don't engage beyond stopping them from leaving until Eric and I get there! I'm going to make those bastards pay!"

As her voice disappeared down the dock, Summer tried to stand back up at her full height, only to stagger and slump back on Yang, making the older woman curse under her breath. She hated being unable to go save her daughter! It was a parents duty to protect their children, but here she was, forced to dump that burden onto Cinder.

What a failure of a parent she was. Unable to notice her youngest was gone until it was too late, and unable to go save her. Her own powerlessness hurt more than the loss of her eye. And this failure would continue to hurt for the rest of her li-!

A powerful pressure came over Summer as she felt eyes filled with malice and hatred on them! The air was thick with killer intent that she felt her breath get sucked away! This was no basic mugger. This was a huntsman! And a powerful one at that!

"Who's here?!" Summer snapped, spinning to face the entrance of the alley, as she pushed Yang under her cloak while using her free hand to steady herself against the wall! She didn't have her swords (she couldn't bring them into the event) making her very uncomfortable. This feeling of vulnerability was something she didn't like especially when she was with her daughter!

But as she scanned that area she didn't see anyone! And as Summer took a deep breath and focused to see if she could sense any aura nearby, she found she could find anyone in her range beside herself, Yang and (surprisingly,) Jiao.

Upon finding nothing Summer felt a deep dread fill her stomach. She was experienced enough to know that wasn't a false alarm and she could still feel that gaze on them. meaning whoever was watching them either had a semblance that cloaked their aura or (and the more terrifying option that she thought was also the more likely,) they had somehow found a way to hide their aura.

That was something she had never heard of before. Nobody she knew, not Qrow, Raven, or even Ozpin could do something like that! Meaning odds were this wasn't one of the kidnappers!

"Mom? What's wrong?" Yang's voice snapped Summer out of her thoughts. Looking down under her cloak, she saw the fear in her daughter's wide eyes as she looked up at her. She was shaking and she gripped her tightly as if her life depended on holding on, the brave façade she had put on for Cinder gone. She was scared, terrified even! She may not know what Summer had just senses, but she knew something was wrong. And that put her on edge.

"It's nothing." Summer said, forcing a smile as she rubbed her daughter's head. "I think someone was just listening to our conversation. Not anything to worry about. Now let's hurry and call the police. We don't want Cinder to go overboard against the kidnappers."

Summer lowered her cloak over Yang again, then turned to Jiao, who had pulled a gun from out of…somewhere. He gave her a nod and walked until he stood behind her, keeping his head on a swivel. He clearly had some huntsmen training. Not much, but it was better than nothing. And Summer was relieved to have someone, even if they weren't very skilled, there to watch her back.

Together, the three hurried back towards the main event area. Knowing the odds of being attacked went down if they could get to a crowded area where witnesses were plentiful. Yet Summer couldn't shake the feeling whatever was happening here was far more dangerous then she originally thought.

Something about Music Fest just felt off. And while she couldn't place it, her suspicions were usually on their mark.

And as they made it back to the event area, right before disappearing into the crowd, Summer glanced back over her shoulder one last time at the alley where they had just been.

And her blood ran cold at what she saw.

Standing exactly where she had just been, was a lone figure, staring right at them. Due to the distance, she couldn't make out clear figures, but she could tell it was a male wearing what looked like a gas mask and he had armor that bore symbols from a long forgotten area. What looked like a katana mixed with a bit of a broadsword hung at his waist and while she was sure, it looked like it held symbols, those they looked more familiar to the huntress.

"Mrs. Rose? Something wrong?" Jiao asked, drawing her attention to him. At the same time, Her cloak moved slightly as Yang picked her head out.

"N-no." She said in a reassuring tone, despite the unease she felt. "I just saw someone back-. !?"

She broke off mid word as she looked back to the alley, and of the second time within a minute she felt her heart stop in both surprise and terror. Something she hadn't experienced since the war!

The man had disappeared leaving no trace he was ever there. But Summer could still feel his gaze and his malice. And that alone was enough to fill her chest with fear.

Wordlessly, she hurried them deeper into the crowd. She may not know who he was or what he wanted, but she was sure of two things. One, he knew her somehow. She may not have seen his face, but she knew the kind of hatred she had felt from him wasn't the kind that appeared without good reason.

And two, he was dangerous. The kind of danger that she rarely associated with people outside of Salem's inner circle. Was he one of her underlings? But then why not attack? Was he just scared of causing a ruckus and getting caught? Or was it something else?

And as they disappeared into the crowd, Summer realized something else about the man. Though by then, she could no longer feel his gaze.

Someone that dangerous couldn't have entered the kingdom unnoticed. And while he might know how to vanish, she found he had come to a place packed with huntsmen for no good reason. He must have been doing something illegal, otherwise why wear a mask?

So why hadn't Ozpin dealt with him yet?

So I wanted to put a message on how the creative process for this story goes and I figured now is as good a time as any seeing as I don't have any other topics I want to comment on.

I actually write 2 chapters before posting 1. this is to ensure if I decide to go a different route, I can change it without having to let everyone know there was a retcon I'd strongly recommend anyone planning to take up writing to do this. Trust me when I say it'll save you a mount of headache.

as for posting on this site. I actually just wait until I feel like fiddling with the Jenkee systems and make sure I'm not too annoyed before trying to post. But I'm rapidly catching up With the AO3 story so when that does happen, you'll just have be following the same rules I talked about in the first half of this note. and just so you know, I'm taking a bit of a break because the drought of canon content makes summoning up motivation very hard.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Bye!