"John~"
"No."
"Oh come on!" Summer pouted. "You didn't even hear what I had to say."
"Ye were gonna ask if ye can come with me into town." John stated while tyin' up his bag. He figured that they could use a bit more dust, an' he had a hankerin' for a stiff drink to hold 'im over fer at least another week. He held a hand out, countin' the sum of Lien he'd need to pay the barkeep.
"N-no," John smirked as Summer stuttered. "Okay fine, but why can't I. All you said was 'Ya gotta tail, missy. Ain't no way I'm lettin' you within' a country mile o' Stenton.', which tells me nothing!" She shouted, and John chuckled at her impersonation of 'im.
"C'mon now, Miss Rose," He cinched the sack closed an' threw it over his shoulder. "I'm only doin' so fer yer own safety."
"Safety shmafety, I'm a Huntress!" She proclaimed, holding her Huntress ID up in the air. John crossed 'is arms an' raised a brow.
"Alright Miss Huntress, activate yer Aura."
Summer deflated, shufflin' over to the pod before settin' down on top of it.
"...You didn't have to be so mean about it."
John sighed and looked up. The sun would be settin' soon, an' he wanted ta get his shoppin' done before sundown so he could get back on the road. He shook 'is head.
"I know, Summer," He said quietly, and she glanced up from the gun on her lap. "But I dunno where the people after ya are, what they look like, hell, I don't even know if they're even kickin' still." He looked her in the eye.
"Until ya get yer Aura under control, I can't risk them findin' ya."
"I'm not helpless without Aura, John." She offered weakly as she held up her rifle. "Thorn still has its bite."
"I know Sum. Trust me," he chuckled as he recalled her takin' the head off a coyote from a hundred-ish meters. "I know. But can you say that the people who took you down would care?"
Summer stayed quite, and John sighed again.
"I'll ask around, see if anyone knows anythin' about anythin' when it comes ta Aura like yers."
"...Thanks John."
He grunted as he shouldered a sack of goods to trade.
"No problem, Miss Rose. I'll be back in a jiffy."
He left towards the town, the lights in the windows just coming on as the sun got lower in the sky. She waited a good five minutes before shouldering Thorn, fixing her cloak, and taking off after him.
Far away from the desert sands, overlooking the bustling city of Vale was Beacon. Bastion of hope, home to stalwart defenders of man and those that aspire to be them, whether they be human, faunus, poor, or rich. Truly, a place of peace.
Well, normally anyway. Right now, Headmaster Ozpin was contending with the ringing in his ear, as well as the cause for his sudden onset tinnitus.
"Qrow-"
"Four entire months, Oz!"
"Qrow-"
"One hundred and twenty days plus tax and a tip!"
"Now, Qrow-"
"You've known not only squirreled away where she's been in that old ass head of yours,"
"Now that's just rude."
"But you didn't even feel it necessary to inform either me or Tai!"
"Qrow!" Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon, finally shouted, cutting off the usual drunkard with a stern look. Qrow was panting slightly, and looked to the still stunned Taiyang for support.
"C'mon Tai, help me out here!"
"...She's alive…" the blond muttered, and a small smile broke across Ozpin's face.
"Yes, she is… for now."
Two faces turned to him, their gazes snapping to his own as Ozpin sighed and stood, sliding a hand over his glass table. A hologram, green in color, appeared in the air above it, giving a three dimensional map of Remnant. Panning over to Vacuo, he zoomed in on the border of Vale and the desert country.
"Several years ago, Summer Rose was officially issued an extermination mission on the outermost edge of Vale, and she retained the right to encroach Vacuoan territory in order to complete said mission." He stated, and he zoomed in further, the map rotating slightly to better highlight a set of ruins half buried in the sand. Qrow looked away.
"Unofficially, she was investigating rumors of the Summer Maiden, as well as performing reconnaissance on ruins within Vacuo's territory." A Bullhead was shown flying to the ruins, and an image of a crashed bullhead was shown. The wings were ripped from its side, clawmarks turning the hull into ribbons, and the cockpit painted a vicious red.
"The Bullhead crash landed sixteen miles away from the mission site. We lost contact with Summer Rose three months later, and she was pronounced dead after another nine months in agreement with the Lost Cause Clause." Finally, an image of Summer appeared before them briefly before it went became a silhouette, and Ozpin hid his frown behind his mug. Qrow groaned and went to take a sip from his flask while Taiyang's eyes narrowed.
"Four months ago, I was contacted with information regarding the whereabouts of Summer Rose. A week ago, a guide was hired to lead her back to Vale." The map reappeared, and he quickly panned to a flat, barren landscape with sparse vegetation. The earth was cracked and dry, but it was impossible to ignore the massive crevasse that separated this wasteland and the luscious forests of Vale.
"She is now en route and we will meet her here, within the borders of Vale in three months time." He pointed a good fifteen miles away from the crevasse, and held up a hand when it looked like Qrow was about to take off that second.
"I know you are as anxious as I, but you must exercise patience, Qrow."
"She's been gone for years, Oz." A burst of feathers, and he was a crow. Truly, Ozpin's irony knew no bounds. Another puff and rush of air later, and Qrow was back to normal, bar the feathers he spit out of his mouth.
"Bleh… ahem. Anyway, I can easily meet her halfway. You know this, I know this, so why can't I?"
"A bit of politics, but more importantly, I have a different job in line for both of you."
"Oh, yeah, and just what do you have lined up that's more important than this?"
"Finding and dealing with those who tried to kill her."
There was a pause, tension spiking briefly as Taiyang stood and leaned over the hologram. His face was set in stone, even as a sinister smile spread across Qrow's features.
"Do tell us more, Ozpin."
"A drink, Bounty Hunter?" The old barkeep asked, 'is hands wipin' down a spot on the table as John settled in 'cross from 'im. The bar was old, but in good condition, with the wood being worn from foot traffic, but still sturdy. Dull brown was broken by portraits of the owners, as well as a mural of the town on the western wall. Finally, a Grimm mask in the center of a circle hung over the bar.
"If yer fine with partin' with a bottle or two, sure. More importantly, I need these filed." John said, pullin' two water-skins up from beside him and settin' them on the bar. The baldin' man raised a brow, and John also set a fistful o' lien of varyin' colors, and the barkeep took the water-skins without any further fuss, duckin' behind the bar to top 'em off.
John settled back, his hat tiltin' forward so the brim shadowed 'is eyes as he scanned the room. Nobody had walked in after 'im yet, an' nobody was givin' 'im the stink eye either outside a curious glance. The only thing that caught his eye was a lady in the corner, her attire similar to his own.
A traveler, then. He figured, eyein' the holster at her side as well as the stock pokin' up o'er the table. Armed too. More so than the average Joe… His train of thought ground to a halt when the barkeep grunted with effort as he hefted the waterskins onto the bar, followed by the bottles o' liquor. John tipped his hat, grabbed his shit, and walked out the door, sparin' another glance towards the woman in the corner before walkin' out the door.
Of course, he made it all of ten feet 'fore a piercin' whistle caught 'is ear, an' with a sigh he turned to see the same woman from earlier, hands on 'er hips and a vicious grin on 'er lips.
"Oh, Juan~" she sang, and John dropped a hand to the grip of his revolver. Course, she did the same. "I do believe you have somethin' of mine, don'tc'ha sweet pea."
"If yer referrin' to Hobbes, I hate to say that I long since cashed in 'is hide." He called back, and her piercing red eyes narrowed, and 'er smile fell.
"Now now, Juan," her sing-song voice became a growl that'd give a Bullhead a run for its money. "I know you didn't jus' say you cashed in Hobbes' hide when it wasn't even yers ta cash."
"…An' if I did?" He rhetorically asked, tryin' not ta let the nerves slip through. Her smile came back, strained as it was.
"Why, you'd owe me, course."
John paused, a bit 'o tension leaving his shoulders, but 'is hand didn't leave the grip of his revolver an' his eyes stayed narrow, lookin' out for even an errant twitch.
"How much?"
"Somethin' of equal value, 'course."
"…how about a deal."
"A deal?" She scoffed. "I think you might be confused. Owin' somethin' means you give me somethin', no questions asked."
"Well, if I didn't owe you nothin', you wouldn't get the chance." Quick as a flash, she cleared leather, but a bullet ripped past her ear, nickin' it slightly as 'er hair ruffled from the passin' lead. The stared each other down, the smokin' barrel o' John's revolver aimed at 'er head.
"…so how 'bout that deal."
"I think I'll take ya up on that offer."
