Willow kept her eyes straight ahead as she made her way down the sidewalk with Qrow, Raven, and Summer at her sides. The world was tinted slightly amber through her large sunglasses, making the mostly grey and green buildings of Vale City appear to be painted with even darker shades than usual. She kept a hand upon her fancy, snowflake-pattern embroidered purse, and let the other hang loosely around Myrtenaster's hilt at her side. Her V-neck white top of crossing swatches of silk put quite a bit of her modest cleavage on display, while the remainder of her outfit consisted of a light blue pair of pants, flat golden earrings, and golden bracelets around her right wrist. Various passerby let their eyes linger on various parts of her outfit and armament as she passed, and Willow offered nothing but a confident smile to them all.

"These people," Qrow muttered from his position directly on Willow's left. "They're looking at you like you're a piece of meat."

"Good," Willow encouraged as she brushed a few hanging strands of hair from her line of sight. "If I can keep Johnathon's eyes on my chest, his mind will be preoccupied, and his lips may be loose. Money, sex, and good intentions speak volumes, but people in businesses like these only listen to two of the three."

"I don't like it," Qrow protested. "You shouldn't feel the need to put yourself on display just for our sake."

"Maybe she likes dressing provocatively," Raven pointed out as she kept her eyes on the road ahead from her position on Willow's right. "You know, we don't always dress up just for men. It can be empowering."

"And, let's face it- you look great, Willow," Summer encouraged with a grin as she leaned around Raven to face the heiress.

"My thanks," Willow replied as she returned the smaller girl's smile. "It can be fun, from time to time, but… I really don't enjoy being leered at. I'm just used to it."

"For what it's worth, Summer's right- you do look great," Qrow added quickly. He, too, kept facing forward, though he could feel Willow's eyes divert toward him from behind her shades. The heiress merely chuckled softly and turned her grin on Qrow.

"Nice of you to say so. He should be meeting us just up ahead, correct?" Willow inquired.

"Dead ahead, at the table set for four," Raven confirmed as she scanned the seating section of the café on the corner. "I'm guessing the redhead in the slacks with the green silks in his pocket, suit vest, and bowler hat?"

Qrow followed his sister's eyes and made a contemplative noise as he increased his pace to lead the pack. "That's him. He told me he'd use green scarves as a telltale sign. Let me kick things off."

"Wait, where's Leonardo?" Summer whispered as she switched to Willow's other side.

"That's not how this usually works," Willow explained. "John is our middleman for a reason. Leo will likely be waiting for you elsewhere, and probably wants to remain ignorant of whatever shady business Johnathon plans on conducting here."

"Shocking," Raven added with a hefty dose of sarcasm. "Be careful, Willow."

"This isn't my first rodeo, Raves," Willow replied with a confident smirk. The look she got in return was a scandalized and annoyed one as Summer began to giggle uncontrollably. Raven reached around Willow's back to quickly punch Summer in the arm as the trio of girls reached the outdoor seating area, while Qrow approached the table and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Well, here we are," Qrow said exasperatedly as he shrugged his shoulders. "I take it you'll give us the rundown, and then we're off to the races?"

Johnathon looked up, his expression unreadable and his eyes hidden behind a pair of small, sleek sunglasses. His hair was a deep orange and he had adopted a scruffy goatee for the occasion.

"…that depends entirely on your answer as to why Willow is with you," Johnathon said calmly. "This is a job for three. I don't like surprises, Qrow."

"Then it's a good thing that it isn't Qrow's surprise- it's mine," Willow said calmly as she slipped into the seat across from Johnathon and leaned forward slightly. She set her purse down upon the concrete and folded her arms atop the table as she offered the man a welcoming smile. "I came to talk to you about future business opportunities while my friends run their job for you. I'm interested in discussing what you and I might be able to do for each other."

A tense moment of silence passed as Johnathon held Willow's eyes, and then put an elbow up onto the table to rest his chin in his hand. "Interesting. Please, sit," he offered to the members of STRQ as he swept his hand outward to the empty seats around the table. Qrow grabbed a spare chair from the table behind where he was standing and spun it around to fold his arms atop the backrest of the metal frame as he sat down. Summer and Raven were quick to take their places, and the Branwen girl was the first to speak.

"So. Give us the details, your expectations, and any critical information. We'd like to get this done by the end of the night if at all possible, and lay low over the weekend," Raven said as she made a show of checking her nails with a bored expression.

"Straight to the point, eh?" Johnathon mused as he twirled his bowler hat downward and onto the table. Inside of the accessory was a sheet of folded paper, which he plucked from the velvety confines of the hat and offered to Qrow. Johnathon watched as the boy unfolded the large, yellowed paper, before interlacing his fingers as he brought both elbows up onto the table. "There's your map. You'll need it to navigate the dirt roads through the forest, on the way to the port. It's really a simple job- go to my garage, take the van, and drive it to the western edge of Sanus. Leonardo will be waiting for you there, and he will take care of the transport from this continent across the sea to Vacuo."

"And the only reason you need us is because of grimm between here and there?" Summer questioned. She kept a tight grip upon Pearl Phoenix as it rested across her lap.

"Correct, my dear," Johnathon confirmed. "The port you're all traveling to isn't officially marked on commercial maps… nor is it so much a 'port' as a cobbled-together dock used to move specialized goods without attracting attention. Moving such a large quantity of dust via land and crossing the Vacuan border with it wouldn't be easy… so Leo wants to do it by sea. This is hardly the first time he's called upon me for this exact arrangement."

"…there's more to it than that," Raven cut in hastily. "If we're driving a truck full of dust through grimm-infested woods, that means we can't let them lay a claw upon the cargo. If they do, it could react and explode, if it's jostled too much. We can't let any grimm get at the vehicle."

"Which is why the pay is quite good, if I do say so myself," Johnathon boasted. "You're looking at 1,000 lien each, upon your return and confirmation from Leo that he has the goods."

"A.. thousand?" Summer questioned as her eyes grew wide. "That's…"

"…the kind of money you pay when goliaths are involved," Qrow said quickly. "What kind of grimm are we talkin'? What's been sighted in the area?"

"All sorts, goliaths included, albeit rarely," Johnathon admitted. "It's more a problem of volume than threat level, most times. Expect packs of beowulves, pairs of deathstalkers, a king taijitu here and there. Can you handle that? If not, I can always contact one of my regu-"

"We can," Raven answered immediately. "We won't let you down. Where's the truck?"

"Hasty, hasty," Johnathon admonished as he withdrew a pair of keys from his pocket. "Who's driving?"

Summer raised a hand, and then caught the flying keys as they sailed over the table. "I'm the only one with a driver's license, and my dad always told me to never break multiple laws at the same time. Lower chance of getting caught, that way."

"Your father's a smart man," Johnathon replied with a smirk. "Garage is on East 3rd. The van's cargo hold has six inch thick steel walls, and it's already packed tightly with your charge. There's food and water in the back seat for you all. Round trip, without accounting for grimm, should be about six hours. I'll be expecting an update when you arrive at the port."

"You'll get it," Qrow promised as he stood from the table. The other two followed his motion, and he made a beckoning gesture with his arm. "Alright, come on, Team… Square, I guess? We don't have a 'T' right now…"

"Does it really matter?" Raven grumbled as she folded her arms.

"It really does. Alright, Team SQR, let's roll!" Summer called as she twirled the keys around her finger before offering her temporary employer a wave. "Bye, John!"

"Goodbye, and good luck," Johnathon replied as he offered the girl a salute. He and Willow watched in silence as the trio departed. Johnathon let out a deep chuckle as they disappeared from sight, and then turned his attention to Willow. "This isn't a business meeting. You don't trust me at all, do you?"

Willow kept a poker face as she returned Johnathon's stare, both of their eyes hidden behind dark lenses. She spoke in a tone devoid entirely of emotion as she crossed her legs under the table and leaned back slightly into her chair.

"…if you're so sure, then why would you agree to meet with me in private, especially off-schedule?"

"Simple, Miss Schnee. You intrigue me," Johnathon replied as he began to drum his fingers upon the metallic surface of the table.

Willow couldn't help but roll her eyes, hoping that her dark glasses would hide the gesture from the man across from her. "Really. And why is that?"

"Because if I'm right, then that means you came here to evaluate for yourself whether or not I'm trustworthy, and the only reason that would matter to you, personally, is if you actually did care about Qrow, Raven and Summer," Johnathon answered as he removed his sunglasses and folded them closed to hang from his vest pocket. "That's exactly the opposite behavior I would expect from a Schnee, and seeing that, alongside your insistence of working with me for the sake of charity only, means you're not at all the woman I thought you might be, given your family name. Someone with both means and empathy is someone rare, and most certainly worth talking to and getting to know. Provided that you're mentally measuring me against every swindler, asshole, ne'er-do-well, and shark you've met in Atlas, I would wager a guess that you and I might have some things in common."

Willow kept a close watch on Johnathon's baby blue eyes from the moment they were revealed and noticed that they remained on her face throughout his entire explanation. Slowly, she lifted her hands to remove her own sunglasses, and then deposited them gently upon the tabletop as she returned his gaze.

"…at least part of that is a fair assessment. Perhaps all of it," Willow admitted before she allowed herself to heave a sigh and avert her eyes to the discarded hat upon the table. "They're good people. They've been incredible to me, while most others at Beacon see only my surname and lien. I can see already that you're a smart man, John… but even figuring all that out, I don't yet know if you're trustworthy. I do know that I won't allow you to screw them over."

Johnathon raised his hands in mock surrender and offered a nod. "Fair enough. What can I do to assuage your fears? My dealings are shady by their very nature, and I very much doubt that that can change. I can, however, answer any questions you might have candidly, so long as they don't compromise any of my clients. Are you hungry? Lunch is on me."

"I'm not," Willow answered quickly as she shook her head. "If anything, I feel a little sick. I appreciate your offer to be forthright, but I'm honestly not even sure what I would ask. I had planned to offer you some sort of nebulous deal to see how you negotiate business tactics, but… I'm a terrible liar, and you saw through me immediately."

"Unfortunately, you'll need to learn in time, otherwise inheriting your family's empire is going to be even more challenging than it already would be," Johnathon pointed out.

"I refuse to accept that," Willow denied as she gave Johnathon an upset look. "If I agree to take the company in the future, I'm going to make some big changes, and I'm going to fix the injustices against the faunus that my father is perpetuating. I'm not going to take the easy road. I wouldn't be working to become a huntress if I wanted to live in comfort."

"No. No, I suppose you wouldn't," Johnathon agreed as he snatched his hat from atop the table and placed it back upon his head. "Well, if you're not in the mood to eat, and you need some time to think on what to ask, would you like to accompany me for a walk around the city? Have you seen downtown Vale, yet?"

"Briefly, though not under the best circumstances," Willow admitted as she followed suit and stood. "And… sure. I have no concrete plans."

Johnathon smiled and set out down the sidewalk, as Willow snatched her sunglasses and purse from the table before joining his side. "Neither do I, if I'm completely honest. See? I told you we must have something in common."

Willow couldn't help but roll her eyes once again, though she found herself smiling as she did so.


"Six," Raven said flatly as she climbed back into the passenger seat of the van.

"What!? Bullshit!" Qrow protested as he crossed his legs atop the back seat just as the vehicle began to move again. "I'm at four!"

"…two," Summer said with a sheepish grin as she turned the steering wheel to guide the van back onto the dirt path in the middle of the forest. The vehicle groaned in protest from the weight of its cargo as the tires rattled over the scattered rocks within the leaves and detritus of the forest floor. It picked up speed in short order, and once again began to cruise along the makeshift road.

"Not bad, for your first big outing," Raven praised as she went about cleaning the ash clinging to the blood red blade of her katana. "Honestly, it's not a contest- or it wouldn't be, if Qrow wasn't such a child and could keep his mouth shut."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm bored, what else do you expect me to do?" the boy griped as he threw an arm up and around one of the headrests attached to the wide back seat.

"You were bored enough to start a kill contest twenty minutes in?" Raven questioned as she rolled her eyes. "Don't make excuses."

Qrow's expression soured as he grumbled a string of curses, only for Summer to interrupt his gloomy tirade.

"You know, four is still pretty impressive, for only two attacks on the van thus far. I think you're d-"

Summer cut off her own statement with a worried squeak as a loud noise akin to a gunshot rang out within the forest. The van lurched a bit as a grinding noise started up from beneath the vehicle, and Qrow very nearly fell down into the space between the seats as the vehicle jittered and swerved.

"What the hell!?" he cried out as Summer slammed on the brakes.

Raven took a deep breath through her nose as she closed her eyes, annoyance written all over her features as the vehicle abruptly came to a stop. "Everyone out. We need to check the tires."

Summer's face went pale as realization hit her, and she unclasped her seatbelt as she turned off the engine. "Oh no, you don't really think…?"

"I can almost guarantee it," Qrow spat in anger. "And I can almost guarantee it's me."

"Enough," Raven snapped as she undid her seatbelt and slid the heavy door of the van aside. "Your attitude will draw more grimm, and we need to remain calm. I know how to repair a tire, if we have a spare."

"You do?" Qrow questioned as he and Summer slipped out of the van and began circling around the back. Summer held the key fob outward and pressed a button to unlock the doors to the cargo hold, as Raven bent over to begin checking each tire.

"Yeah. I do. Thought it might be a useful skill to pick up, so I read some books on automotive repair while we were… at home. I've never done it, but it sounds simple enough. Anything useful back there, Summer?" Raven shouted as she moved around the front of the vehicle to check the tire on the opposite side.

"I… I think so!" the girl called back as she looked over the rear section of the van's interior. Inside were several large, black boxes labeled Lionheart Luxuries in gold lettering, and a square flap in the carpeted floor that was barely visible beneath the cargo. "Looks like we've got a spare tire, and there's a case of tools up near the back seat. Qrow, can you help me move these? They look really heavy…"

Qrow rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh as he pushed off from his position of leaning against the side of the van. He shook his head softly as he made his way back around to Summer, fully aware of his sister's glare upon his back.

"Yeah, of course. Let's do this."

Summer dusted her hands together and cracked her fingers before shaking them out in front of herself as she eyed up the boxes. After taking a quick peek around the open doors to find Raven still crouched near the front of the vehicle, she turned to Qrow and lowered her voice to a sullen whisper.

"…this isn't your fault, semblance or no. Please, cheer up?"

Qrow made a noise of annoyance, before putting his hands upon one of the large boxes and beginning to slide it backward out of the van. "I'll cheer up once we're back on the road. Does that work for you?" he asked as he gently lowered the cargo to the forest floor.

"So long as you stick to i-" Summer gasped sharply as she pulled at her box, only to easily jerk the entire thing backward. The box fell out of the van and spun onto the ground as Summer herself lost her balance and took several steps backward, only to fall into Qrow's chest as he gripped his hands upon her shoulders.

"I thought you needed my help, little miss strongarm," Qrow said lightly as he helped his leader rebalance before letting go of her.

Summer offered Qrow a half smile, before shaking her head. "I thought so, too, but… I think that box is empty. It certainly felt like it."

Qrow blinked and moved back to the open doors of the van. "Empty? Mine definitely wasn't. Why would Leonardo load us down with extra, empty boxes?" The boy put a grip on the box next to Summer's and slid it out of the van, where it fell to the dirt with a hollow thump.

"Padding? To look like he has more business? I dunno," Summer admitted with a shrug. "It's kinda weird, isn't it?" she asked as she slid another box out, nearly freeing the trapdoor covering the tire of obstructions.

"Hey!" Raven called from the front of the van. "Bring me the tools! It's the front left tire! I need a lug wrench!"

"Coming!" Summer replied as she continued to pull cases from the back of the van alongside Qrow. "Empty… empty…"

"They're all empty, except the one I started with," Qrow spat as he helped the last case to the ground. "What the hell is this Leo guy trying to pull?"

"Is it Leo… or is it Johnathon?" Summer questioned as she climbed halfway into the van to retrieve the toolkit. "I don't like this, Qrow. Something's not right."

"Yeah, you and me both, Su-"

The sound of a bestial roar echoed throughout the trees, followed quickly by that of a sword scraping against its sheath.

"Seven!"

"Shit!" Qrow swore as he drew his borrowed, simple sword from the sheath upon his belt and ran toward the front of the car. "Leave the toolkit, and c'mon!"

Summer unslung Pearl Phoenix from her back and extended the shaft without a word before running to follow Qrow. The moment she cleared the rear doors of the van, a pack of what appeared to be three man-sized lupine grimm came into view, with Raven standing menacingly over the fallen skull of a fourth. The beasts weaved in and out of the trees as they circled the Branwen girl, jaws slick with drool and beady yellow eyes gleaming from within their skull headpieces. Gnarled and matted black fur covered their entire bodies save for their claws, each of which were the size of an adult human hand.

"Beowulves," Summer whispered through clenched teeth as she and Qrow joined their friend, pressing their backs together. "There may be more in the trees. Stay frosty, everyone."

"Stay frosty?" Qrow questioned. "Since when did you decide to get all military?"

"I'm supposed to be your leader, remember? I can get serious when I need to!" Summer protested.

"We can argue semantics later. One for each of us. Make this quick, so we can fix the vehicle and be on our way," Raven said coldly before charging forward. Qrow sped off at a diagonal to his sister, and Summer tightened her grip upon her staff before rushing toward the tree line to chase down the remaining target.

The beowulf in Summer's sights began to strafe through the trees before hooking its claws around a large oak and using its momentum to fling itself forward. Summer let out a shrill battle cry as she swung Pearl Phoenix with all of her might and scored a direct hit with the orb at the top of the weapon to the flying grimm's stomach. The beowulf fell heavily to the ground and slid a fair distance before digging its claws into the dirt and baring its teeth as it righted itself and snarled at Summer. Without hesitation, the beast broke into another charge, and Summer whirled her weapon to ready the spike at the opposite end.

Just before the two collided, the beast leapt to the side in sync with a call from another unseen grimm. Summer lurched forward momentarily before catching herself and corrected her momentum just in time to catch the beowulf's delayed leaping strike with the shaft of her weapon. The girl tensed her muscles as she dug her boots into the dirt to remain in a deadlock with the grimm. She felt herself slipping backward as the beast leaned in and snapped its jaws near her neck, and so, she dropped Pearl Phoenix down into the dirt.

The grimm fell forward along with the staff, and Summer delivered a swift, hard kick to the side of its head with all of her might. The beast's skull gained a visible crack and it began to writhe in torment, leaving Summer just enough time to slide her weapon out from beneath its grasp. With a massive effort and spirited cry, she swung Pearl Phoenix up and over herself before bringing it down into a heavy overhead smash. The crystal orb at the top of the weapon collided with the grimm's skull in a sharp, sickening crack, and the beast's pained roar quickly gave out as it began to fade to ash from the neck down.

"Okay… one down," Summer said quietly to herself as she turned to watch her companions. Qrow had disappeared somewhere into the tree line, while Raven stood far away on the opposite side of the van, dodging swipes and scoring glancing hits on her target as it roared in fury. Seeing no immediate danger, Summer paused and took a deep breath, before closing her eyes as wisps of aura began to seep from beneath her lids.

Qrow emerged from the woods once again, his sword covered in ash and his hair sweaty and unkempt. He looked from side to side and flashed a grin at Summer, before turning his eyes to his sister. Raven spun and sheathed her saffron blade, before her mechanical sheath rotated and settled upon one of icy cerulean. The fresh blade came out as quickly as the old one went in, and tore through the beast before her, leaving the monster's upper half spinning in midair as it began to dissolve. Quite suddenly, a far larger beowulf with a more intricately patterned skull and large, bony spikes protruding from its arms leapt from the underbrush and sunk its claws into Raven's chest, bringing her to the dirt as it opened its jaws and shot its head forward to close its jagged teeth around her neck.

"Raven!" Summer screamed instinctively as she opened her eyes and broke into a sprint. "There's an alpha in the bushes!"

Time seemed to slow from Summer's perspective as she watched Raven bristle while she deflected another claw swipe, only to sheathe her sword. The mechanism inside of the casing began to rotate with a whirring noise, and it was only then that Summer noticed that Qrow was already out in the open and offering her a smile. Summer continued to run back toward the van as quickly as she could, only for her breath to hitch as she watched Raven's sword seemingly jam in its sheath. Raven tugged repeatedly upon the hilt of her katana as she stepped to the side to avoid another swipe from her opponent, only for the bushes immediately to her left to start rustling wildly. Glowing yellow eyes peeked out from within the mound of leaves, and Summer found herself overcome with a feeling of sinking dread.

Unable to form a coherent thought, Summer let out a panicked scream as she realized that she was too far away to save her friend. Qrow had only just started to move as the alpha leapt from its cover, and he, too, let out a yell that Summer couldn't quite understand. Her entire field of vision became encompassed in white as an unfamiliar rush of crackling energy pulsed through her chest. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and put up her staff in a blocking motion, only for everything around her to suddenly change.

An unexpected, incredibly heavy weight pressed down against Summer's staff, and she opened her eyes in surprise. The alpha beowulf was right in front of her, bearing down with its entire body weight as its partner looked around itself in confusion. Summer seized the initiative and pushed back against the beast as hard as she could, before turning her staff within her hands to face the orb to the ground. The alpha followed the motion and moved its arm around the staff to take a swipe at Summer, only for the girl to jab the spiked end of her weapon into its shoulder. The beast roared in pain and backed off as a rather large rock flew into its skull from behind Summer. She turned her head slightly to see Qrow advancing on her position, and Raven sprinting toward them from far behind the van, where Summer had been previously.

"Wh-… what's happening!?" Summer yelled as she whirled her staff and smashed the weighted orb into the shoulder of the second Beowulf as it approached her.

"I don't know!" Qrow yelled back as he engaged the alpha. The boy's swordplay was more than enough to keep the beast at bay, and he sank his blade deep into the grimm's stomach as he ducked beneath a swipe. "You just… teleported!"

"I… what!?" Summer asked incredulously as she pushed the nozzle atop the crystal ball of her weapon into the beowulf's stomach. She pulled the trigger upon the shaft of Pearl Phoenix, and a gout of flame blasted into the grimm and rapidly spread up its fur. The beast flailed and screamed as it started to disintegrate, leaving only swirling ashes as she turned to face Qrow and the alpha.

"I don't know! Kinda busy!" Qrow replied with a grunt as he drove his sword in deeper, earning a yelp of protest as the alpha swiped for his neck. The boy ducked back and withdrew his sword, leaving Summer space to smash the orb of Pearl Phoenix into the back of its skull. As the beast bent forward, Qrow capitalized on the opportunity to slice his sword clean through the grimm's neck, severing its head and rendering the threat a mere cloud of swirling dust.

Summer leaned forward to catch her breath as she plunged the spiked end of her staff into the ground and braced herself against it. Suddenly, her aura came back up in a shimmering veil of white, though she hadn't been aware that it was missing to begin with. The idea that she had been exposed throughout the entire end of the fight sent a chill down her spine, and the thought of what could have happened distracted her from Raven's hurried footsteps. The feel of her friend's hand upon her shoulder was enough to make Summer jump and shriek in surprise, and she turned her head to find Raven breathing hard and giving her an intense glare.

"Summer… what did you just do? You changed places with me, and you blew your entire aura to do it," Raven explained as she tightened her grip. "I've seen that kind of flashing aura flood over someone several times before, and it's always been when a person unlocks their semblance."

Summer's eyes grew wide as she searched Raven's face for any trace of humor, only to find none. Qrow looked back and forth between the girls and he shivered hard, his voice hesitant and worried.

"…two… semblances? Is that even possible?"

Pins and needles trickled up Summer's arms as her mind swirled with conflicting thoughts. Suddenly, she began to wobble as she stood in place. She brought a shaky hand up to her forehead, only to find the surface slick with cold sweat.

"Two…? I don't… feel so good…"

Raven barely managed to catch Summer's limp body with her shoulder as Pearl Phoenix dropped to the forest floor with a dull thud. She rebalanced the girl's weight as she wrapped her arms tightly around her friend and gave her brother an uncharacteristically worried look.

"Qrow! A little help, here!?"


Author's Note:

So- I'm going to start trying to upload Arboretum updates on Fridays, but I'm going to open the possibility of new chapters going up anywhere between Friday and Sunday. I hate to introduce so much ambiguity, but the story will always update weekly, and it's easier on me to focus on writing this story early in the week rather than scrambling between Thursday and Saturday to get the updates done after I'm exhausted from the week. This also means that one-shots and such will go up later in the week or on the weekends. Most of the time, this will mean earlier Arboretum chapters than usual, so… it's a win for everyone? I hope?

-RD