Here's chapter 111, everyone.
"So, finally decided to come back? You know I've been keeping watch way longer than you would've." Qrow complained as his sister walked into the warehouse they were using. "Seriously. The hell were you?"
Raven rolled her eyes and set her blade down on one of the tables, looking over at a sleeping Lazuria, who was using one of the sleeping rolls that Tai chose to get for the team. "None of your business, and quit complaining. If you didn't want to stay up this late, you shouldn't have offered to take watch."
"I didn't. You just walked out to train Willow." Qrow said as he almost reached for his flask, but shook his head, since he honestly wanted sleep more than alcohol. "Just take watch, I'm going to bed."
"Do what you want." Raven wasn't paying much attention to her brother, as she glanced over at her ex-husband, seeing that he too was asleep, and she guessed Qrow avoided waking him up because of a possible fight that could break out.
"We need to focus on The Relentless. Willow will still be there after all of this is done."
While Raven had her own thoughts on how she wanted things to go with Willow, she was a huntress in the end. So she kept her feelings in check and thought more about how to find The Relentless main HQ.
"Reverse tracking is what we can work with. Faking her death won't do a thing, if their power in tracking goes off a mark. Damn it, there has to be more than just-."
She snapped out of it when she heard someone walking into the main entrance, so she quickly turned around, ready to grab her blade, but when she saw who it was, she was surprised. "Summer? I was wondering where you were."
"I went out to look for you." The blacksmith said as she walked over and sat next to her friend. "I know you went to train Willow today, but getting back this late… Was everything okay?"
Raven glanced over her shoulder, seeing that Qrow, Tai and Lazuria were all asleep, so she sighed and looked back at the rose woman. "Willow was being annoying about getting food, so I just went and had a late dinner. Now she's back home dealing with the moron."
Summer was surprised that Raven would ever accept going out for dinner with Willow Schnee. "Really? Wait, you mean like an actual dinner? Restaurant and all that?"
"Yes, why are you surprised? I've eaten at restaurants before." Raven gave her a deadpanned look.
"Huh? No, I mean, well, going to one with Willow is what I'm kinda surprised by. You always say stuff about not liking Atlas and their high maintanence ways, so-." Before Summer could finish, Raven spoke.
"Willow isn't like the rest of Atlas, and besides, we were both hungry and she did well during her training. The food in the cabin wouldn't have been much of a reward for her." Raven explained, trying not to tell what really happened.
Summer blinked a few times. "Uh, I don't think Willow would wanna go out to a restaurant this late though." As she said that, she simply shrugged. "Eh, I can't really complain. Glad to see you're finally opening up to her though. Always calling her an idiot, I never once thought you'd go out to dinner with her."
Raven looked away, not choosing to respond as she herself knew that Willow meant a lot to her, but she wanted to get back to the mission.
"Hey, if you don't wanna talk about-."
"I'm honestly trying to get our minds back on the mission, Summer." Raven said as she turned back around. "Banking on just reverse tracking, or even forcing one of them to tell us where their HQ is doesn't sit right with me."
"Morally?" Summer asked.
Raven shook her head. "No, but this sitting around for one idea to possibly work isn't the best we can do. Reports, sightings, anything we can get on her kind could help us get to The Relentless."
Summer pulled her scroll out, looking through a few articles she'd find here and there. "Most times where a battle is reported, it's almost always either Grimm, or a couple of times, the White Fang, but as soon as we pick up on anything, I can see why we'll need to jump on it."
"I'm thinking of contacting a few people about this… But I'm still not sure how to explain why I'd need the information. Too many questions can lead to Lazuria." Raven explained.
The blacksmith nodded. "I understand why you're worried, but the idea of going to others for this will help us. Maybe Ozpin? You know-."
Raven instantly interrupted. "No. He's too much of a wild card, and unless these Shifters have any relation to him, I don't see how he could help."
Summer had a pitied expression on her face, as she knew that Raven wasn't fond of how Ozpin handled things in the dark at times. "He was the one who gave you and Qrow your abilities, so maybe he does have a connection."
"Our abilities are the opposite in terms of what form we originally had, and with how he did it, well the way Lazuria explained her kind's way of transforming, I already know he has nothing to do with it." Raven countered. "Ozpin was always afraid of a certain someone's return, but they're gone, Summer. We have a lot more to worry about, and honestly, he's not who I'd go to for this."
The blacksmith thought more about the headmaster, how he did play his cards in the dark at times, but for good reason. "I get that you don't want to, so I won't ask him either." She didn't want to go behind Raven's back. "But if he can help in some way, I need you to toss your feelings aside and let him help. For Lazuria, and Snowflake."
Raven froze, thinking about how starting a relationship with Willow in the future would mean that Weiss would be someone she'd eventually grow closer to, and the thought of The Relentless ruining her life was something she didn't want happening.
"Fine, but only if he CAN help. Other than that, we still need to think of any body else that could know of these Shifters." Raven reminded.
Summer was thinking about everyone they knew, and who out of those people could help. "Other headmasters usually only focus on their schools, so Leo is out of the questions. Ironwood is more than just a headmaster too, so maybe him?"
"Maybe…" Raven's eyes widened when she remembered another person she may be able to talk to. "Glynda, she was on a team with Lazuria," Summer was taken aback. "She doesn't know that Lazuria is alive, but if she's ever seen anything on Shifter sightings, I'm sure she'd have her thoughts on it."
The blacksmith rubbed the back of her head. "Glyn? Huh, well I mean it'll be tough to get her not to talk with Ozpin about this, but yeah, she might be a good start on this."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Go and get some sleep. I'm taking the night watch." Raven picked up her blade and got up, and as she walked over to the main entrance, Summer let out a small smile.
"You're a lot more caring than you let on, Raven."
Back in Kuroyuri, Weiss was sitting in the airship again, petting Zwei as the corgi could tell just how conflicted she was feeling. Ruby was sitting next to her, while Team JNPR chose to wait outside, mostly as guard duty. "I wonder where Blake and Yang are."
Weiss stopped petting the corgi after her partner said that. "Oh… Yeah I noticed they weren't around. Where did they even go?"
"Yang got a little, uh, loud and angry. Blake just went to go check on her." Ruby explained.
The white haired teen sighed. "That oaf. Getting all angry… I'm guessing it's because of what happened down there." Weiss didn't really ask, as she frowned a little. "I hope I wasn't the cause of that."
"You weren't." Ruby wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. "Yang is just a lot more… Vocal about some stuff, but I know Blake's got this." She looked out one of the windows to see the moon. "When do you think your sister will be here?"
"I'm hoping soon." Weiss said while going back to petting Zwei.
A moment later, the door to the airship opened, and the two partners looked over to see Blake and Yang walking in. "There you are." Ruby smiled, seeing that her sister wasn't looking angry anymore. "You okay, sis?"
Yang rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah," She looked to Ruby with an apologetic expression. "Sorry for yelling back there. I was out of line, but, uh, hey, Weiss," The white haired teen waited on what Yang would say. "Um, about everything that's happened, don't be afraid to talk to me too. Okay?"
While she let her feelings for Weiss go, she still held the girl close to her heart, as a best friend she didn't want to lose, and hearing that made Weiss smile. "Of course. Thank you, Yang."
Blake's ears twitched under her bow, as she caught a look from Ruby. The cat Faunus didn't realize she was holding Yang's hand, until she saw where Ruby was looking. Once Blake looked down at their connected hands, her eyes widened, and Ruby herself almost gasped, but she held it back.
Ruby knew, and while Weiss was distracted with talking to Yang, Blake's eyes met with Ruby, and she blushed, as Ruby herself had a shocked look.
Weiss noticed that Ruby looked surprised by something, so she waved her hand in her face, and as she was looking away from Blake, the cat Faunus quickly let go of Yang's hand, causing the blonde to blush when she realized what happened.
"Um, Ruby, are you there?" Weiss asked while still waving her hand in her face.
The rose girl blinked a few times and shook her head. "Huh? Oh, uh, whoa, I think I'm getting a little tired. It's kinda super late." She played it off as such, since she could tell Blake wasn't trying to say anything about her and Yang.
Weiss looked out one of the windows, as she heard Zwei snoring a little. "Hmm, yeah, you're right. Some of us could get some sleep while we wait for Winter."
"I can take first watch." Yang offered.
"We should have a couple of people on watch actually." Ruby suggested, and she got up to offer taking watch as well. "Blake, you and Weiss get some rest, and if we see Winter's airship, we'll get you both."
The cat Faunus nodded, as she looked to Weiss. The white haired teen was focusing on petting Zwei, mostly to keep herself calm during the ordeal of events she's gone through, but she nodded to Ruby's suggestion.
As Ruby and Yang walked out, the team leader glanced at Blake, letting out a smile, and the cat Faunus blushed when she saw it.
It had been about thirty minutes since Ruby and Yang took the first watch, and Winter was looking down at the area they were approaching. "Ma'am, are you sure we should land around here? A lot of Grimm were sighted in this area, and the mission isn't calling for-."
"Don't question it. I have good reason to be down here, and if there's any trouble from Ironwood, I'll take full responsibility. Now please… Just land so I can speak with someone." Winter was hoping that her sister was okay.
The pilot said nothing else and found a good place to land the airship, as Winter took a breath. The Atlas Specialist thought about what she'd say to her little sister, especially since she needed to warn her about the use of her semblance while in her wolf form.
"What am I going to say? She doesn't know anything about these Hidden, and if I tell her, her world will shatter."
As they landed, Winter and her soldiers walked out of the airship. "I want you all here defending the airship. Do you understand?"
The soldiers saluted to her and nodded, though they were a little concerned she was going off by herself. Winter wasn't worried for herself, and started walking off, holding her saber out while sending a message to her sister, but before she could finish the message she heard a yell.
"Hey! Winter!" The Atlas Specialist gasped when she saw two familiar girls, Ruby and Yang.
I know some of you have said it's okay for these short chapters, but sometimes I feel really bad about them. I'm sorry. I really wanna get these chapters to be longer, but with how I update, I only go for getting the point of the chapter across in time for a post. This chapter's point was focusing back on STRQ, Showing Ruby knows about Blake and Yang, and Winter arriving.
To JJ- Weiss is and will be afraid of The Relentless for who they are, but yeah, she's still going to live how she wants to, and as for Olivia, well, you'll see when Winter brings Weiss to her. As for Blake and Yang, I'm glad you enjoyed their little moments. It's fun to finally get to Bumbleby again.
To the guest on chapter 110- Thank you. I'm just happy that I can still update frequently and you guys enjoy the stuff I post.
I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 111. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 112.