Raven was busying herself with setting wine bottles out atop the tables on the deck as the sliding glass door opened behind her. Somehow, she knew it wouldn't be Qrow without even bothering to look. Despite that assurance, she hadn't expected to see Willow as she turned around.

"…so, you're really alright with inviting these four strangers to crash with us for the night?" Raven questioned as she continued to prepare the deck. "You do realize they could be anyone, right? Vacuo isn't like the other kingdoms…"

Willow merely rolled her eyes as she closed the distance to Raven and began to help by setting out glasses.

"Yes, I'm well aware… but I also don't think we really have any other options. They acted to defend this place, and it's the middle of the night. I couldn't just throw them back out into the desert without feeling terrible about it."

"You're naïve," Raven warned. "There is the possibility that they're legitimate hunters and have everyone's best interests in mind, but… well, your family isn't well-liked, especially out here. Given that they're all sleeping downstairs, it's like you're asking to be robbed. The house is full of valuables, and they're right next to the front door while we'll all be asleep above them."

"They're sleeping downstairs with Adam," Willow corrected. "And given their initial stunned reaction to his semblance… I have a feeling that this 'Team BASS' will be on their best behavior."

"…about that," Raven began as she set down the final bottle. "Even I haven't seen him do what he did tonight. We've been training together all year, and this was a huge leap forward for him in power."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Willow asked.

"Not if his growth is motivated by anger," Raven pointed out. "He managed that because he was furious. Anger is a dangerous motivator, especially in combat. With a semblance that destructive, all it would take is one badly-timed slice to literally kill one of us in a heated moment… accidentally or otherwise. There's a reason we didn't get permission to spar outside until the second half of the year."

"I… suppose you're correct," Willow acknowledged. "If anyone would know, it would be you and Qrow. Did… you know, they teach you to suppress your feelings like that? Back home?"

Try as she might, Raven couldn't bring herself to muster up a proper glare. The combination of fatigue and fondness for Willow disallowed the notion entirely, and so, she simply sighed and sank into one of the deck chairs at the table in front of her.

"…yes. Part of becoming an assassin within the ranks of Those Above All involves letting go of your emotions to the best of your ability. The battlefield is no place for the heart to seize control from the mind. It can only lead to mistakes."

Willow nodded slowly as she claimed the chair next to Raven.

"I try my best. I suppose I just… focus on the fight from a procedural perspective. No real emotion behind it, just… steps, if that makes sense."

"It does," Raven reassured. "But don't let it become too formulaic. You need to be ready to adapt at a moment's notice. I've got my work cut out for me getting through to Adam and helping him reel it in…"

"You don't necessarily have to take on that responsibility alone," Willow replied.

"Is that an offer?" Raven asked.

Willow paused for only a second before nodding firmly.

"Yes, it is. I'll help out, both with training and just… perspective, I suppose. Besides- I, too, could benefit from one-on-one training with you. I'm still… lacking."

"You could use some perspective as well," Raven offered. "You may be 'lacking' compared to STRQ and OKRA, but compared to many other students, or those without academy training? You have a decent set of combat skills. You just have some minor tweaks to make in order to become more effective. Don't be so down on yourself all the time."

Willow gave her friend a warm smile and tucked a strand of silvery hair back behind her ear as the glass door slid open once again.

"…was that… a genuine, unprompted compliment for a friend?"

"Don't push it."

"Hey guys!" Summer chirped as she walked out onto the deck with Qrow, Kali, Roman, and Bartholomew in tow. "The downstairs is all set, and Adam's waiting to go get cleaned up. He's… looking a little rough."

"You don't say," Raven deadpanned. "How's he acting?"

"Like nothing unusual happened," Roman chimed in as he slipped into a chair and crossed his feet atop the edge of a table. "Which is fuckin' weird. I'm not the only one who didn't know he could like… carve apart mountains and shit, right?"

"Plateaus," Bartholomew corrected as he took a seat next to Roman and knocked the other boy's feet from the table. The others were quick to follow suit, each taking a chair of their own and gathering around. "Nevertheless, no, I suspect you are not alone in your surprise. Scour the rock, sure, but completely slice through it? At that distance…?"

"Adam's something we'll need to worry about soon," Qrow acknowledged in a hushed voice, "but BASS will be down here any second, and there's… something else we need to talk about before they arrive."

"That being?" Kali asked. "I can't really think of much that's more important than looking after our squad."

"We're a squad, now?" Summer asked. "I do like the word squad. It's just like… squaaaaaaad."

"Guys," Qrow said, his voice gaining a bit of edge. "Seriously. There's something I'm not sure any of you have thought about. Don't you think it's a little odd that grimm were speeding toward this beach house in the middle of the night in considerable numbers for their size? Even for Vacuo, that isn't normal behavior."

Raven sat up a bit straighter and braced her hands upon the surface of the table, her eyes widening.

"…Professor Ozpin told STRQ that the relics have various properties- some beneficial, others detrimental. If we really do have a relic in our possession right now, one of the biggest drawbacks is that… they tend to attract grimm…"

STRQ, OKRA, and Willow all exchanged uneasy glances, before Summer inhaled deeply and began to bounce her leg in a fit of nervous energy.

"We need to get to Shade Academy first thing tomorrow, then," the girl declared. "The last thing we need is constant attacks while we're here."

"Or suspicion as to why we're constantly being attacked," Kali added. "I seriously doubt Vacuan grimm just randomly gun for beach resorts… even if they're owned by a Schnee."

"I believe that you're both correct," Bartholomew said as the glass doors slid open yet again and Team BASS began to file out onto the deck. "We'll make our way to Shade once we're all awake."

"Shade?" Ghira boomed as he approached the tables. "We're headed back that way, too. BASS is a second-year team, and we can escort you straight there."

"That would actually be great," Summer said with a smile as she gestured to her team. "We're Team STRQ- Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven and Qrow Branwen."

"And we are OKRA," Bartholomew added. "Bartholomew Oobleck, Kali Moonglove, Roman Torchwick, and… Adam Taurus, who I would assume is now upstairs showering."

"…and you all just… hang out with Willow Schnee?" Velvet questioned with a raised brow.

"I'm their pocket Schnee," Willow joked.

"…pocket Schnee? That's what you're going with?" Qrow asked.

"Well, I am, really," Willow insisted. "I… don't have a team, but I do attend Beacon Academy alongside STRQ and OKRA. They've graciously taken me in as one of their own, and so, I do what I can to assist them in combat."

"And relaxation," Roman added. "I know what you're all probably thinking, but Willow's not like her family. Neither am I, for that matter. My dad's a notorious asshole. Big name artist up in Atlas."

"…you're that Torchwick? I've seen some of your father's works," Fox said with wide eyes.

"…wait, really?" Roman asked.

"No," Fox answered without missing a beat. "I've never seen anything."

Ghira let out a labored sigh and shook his head before resting his forehead into his palm as he claimed a seat.

"…Ghira Belladonna, leader of BASS. That's Fox Alistair, and no, he never stops. You'll get used to it."

"And even when you do, you'll still get caught off guard," Fox said with a grin as he sat next to Ghira. "You'll n-"

"Never see it coming?" Kali finished for him.

"…you. I like you," Fox praised, his smile growing wider. "I bet you're cute."

"Maybe you can find out sometime soon," Kali teased, only for Roman to crack his neck and let out an annoyed grunt as he gestured to Velvet and Sage.

"And you guys are?"

"Velvet Scarlatina," the rabbit faunus answered as she and Sage both moved up to the open spots at their team's table.

"Sage Ayana. Beacon Academy, you said? I have a cousin attending out in Vale. You wouldn't happen to know a Yatsuhashi Daichi, would you?"

Bartholomew quite nearly choked on his freshly poured glass of wine, causing Kali to clap him hard upon the back.

"Yeah, we know Yatsu. He and Barty are dating."

"It's true what they say," Ghira mused as he stroked his bearded chin. He looked over to Sage, who seemed amused, but said nothing more. "Small world. It would seem our teams already have ties, albeit loose ones. Speaking of, thank you for letting us stay. Trekking back across the desert at this hour, after a battle like that? Not particularly my idea of fun."

"You're more than welcome," Willow replied. "I just hope you find your stay comfortable. I do apologize for not having enough real bedding available, but… we hardly saw this coming. Please, do let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

"Alcohol's a good start," Fox praised as he began to pour for his team. "It's hard to sneak this stuff into the dorms at Shade. It's pretty much expected that everyone's trying to get away with something, so they do routine checks of dorms. Usually while we're stuck in classes."

"They say restrictions breed creativity," Taiyang chimed in. "How do you guys get around it?"

"…bring the bottles to class," Velvet admitted with a smirk. "They'll search our dorms while we're out, but no one is searching a backpack in the middle of a lecture. Especially mine, since the professors think I'm a rule follower."

"Are you?" Bartholomew asked, finally free of his coughing fit.

"…when it suits me," Velvet answered with a grin before taking a sip. "This tastes… expensive."

"It is," Willow replied. "All the more reason to drain it. I'm still not sure how we're going to come up with an excuse for the missing alcohol after we leave, but after this semester, we need it."

"Restrictions, creativity," Sage parroted with a shrug as he kept his arms folded across his chest. "What happened this past semester? Other than Yatsuhashi. We can get to him later."

The silence at the tables lasted a little too long to avoid raising suspicion. Just as the members of STRQ and OKRA exchanged uncertain glances, BASS followed suit with looks of apprehension and confusion.

"…forgive Sage's… directness," Ghira said with a wave of his hand. "He tends to be somewhat blunt, though we love him for it. If something happened that you'd rather not talk about, we understand."

"It's not so much that we don't want to talk about it. Or at least, most things," Qrow said cryptically. "It's more like…"

Just as the Branwen boy began to speak again, the glass doors slid open one last time to reveal Adam. Everyone fell silent as he approached the tables wearing only a pair of flannel pajama pants and a bandanna around his blinded eye. The faunus' chest was covered in scarring and pocked with long-since healed missing chunks of flesh. Velvet turned to look away, while Ghira and Sage couldn't help but stare.

"What?" Adam asked as he raised a brow.

"Nothing," Bartholomew answered quickly. "Come and join us. We were just discussing the plan to head to Shade tomorrow."

"That, and a bit about our first year as hunters in training," Ghira added. "We would love to hear about your experience…"

"Is that right?" Adam asked with a smirk as he made his way over to the tables. "I can tell you quite a bit…"


Author's Note:

Next chapter is going to set up a lot of future stuff for Adam… but maybe not in a way people will expect.

-RD