Here's chapter 128, everyone.
"Summer, you need to relax." Qrow warned as he watched the usually calm woman keeping her arm pressed up against Raven's neck, keeping her pinned against the wall of the warehouse. "Just listen to the damn reasoning before you-."
Raven cut in. "Qrow, shut the hell up already." She didn't even look at her brother, keeping her eyes trained on Summer's silver eyes. "She's not ready to listen yet."
"You're damn right I'm not! How could you let this happen, Raven?!" Summer shouted, as Lazuria was keeping a bit of a distance away, feeling guilty about the whole situation.
"I didn't." Raven said, not letting Summer's anger get to her. "Listen to me for a minute."
She waited on what Summer would say, and after a few moments of thinking, the blacksmith slowly let go and took a step back. "Explain to me why my husband, your ex is now in the hands of the people we're meant to bring down. Right. Now."
"Because it was a plan he came up with on the spot. Things went south, and he made a smart play, Summer." Raven stated, not wanting to sugarcoat it. "The man isn't an idiot. He knows what he can do from the inside."
Summer bit her lip, but spun around in anger still. Even if the mission was to stop people from bringing harm to others, it didn't make it any easier to hear that her own husband was now stuck in enemy territory, with no one to help him if he needed it.
"I'll never know if he's in danger…" Summer said in a defeated tone, as Raven sighed, choosing to grab her shoulders and spin her around to face her.
"There's something that he always does that ends up working, Summer. This isn't a man we know nothing about, and you damn well better realize that sooner than later." Raven let go and stared, trying to get a good look at how Summer would react.
The blacksmith clenched her fists and almost felt like swinging at her teammate, but kept herself calm. "Don't tell me I don't have faith in him, Raven. I don't need to hear that from you."
Qrow was getting tired of watching them, as he stepped in between the two women, pushing them away from one another. "That's enough, you two, and don't start keeping me out of this. Like it or not, Tai is in enemy territory and we don't have any way of keeping contact with him. So either shut up and try to figure out what we can do next, or sit here and I'll handle this crap myself."
Raven rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm not the one blowing a gasket here. I already realize that we have to figure out what to do next."
Before Summer could retort, Qrow turned around to look to her. "Relax. Raven is right. We can't argue with each other, or we won't even get close to getting him out of there."
"He wouldn't need to be there in the first place if we just found their base by now." Summer said in a low tone, anger clear in her words. "And don't even try to speak to me like I'm a child, Qrow. He's my husband."
Qrow took a step forward and rubbed Summer's shoulder. "I know, Summer. We may not see eye to eye on a lot, but it doesn't mean I'm not angry about this either. But right now he's our best bet on finding them."
Summer lowered her head. "We should've tried harder to find them faster…"
"That's in the past. We can't change anything, and we can't assume we'd find them by just looking all over Remnant. The way he handled it, he made it convincing that he wanted to join their cause." Qrow explained. "Besides, if they wanted to do anything to him, the guy who took him would've done it then and there."
"B-But why risk infiltration?" Summer asked.
Qrow shrugged. "Some people aren't bright, and we don't even know their recruitment process. This sort of thing could be, I don't know, common? It's like they would try converting his ideals."
Summer shook her head in disgust. "They'll never change him…"
"And that's what we know, but they don't." Qrow reasoned. "He'll play it off, and make his move when he knows best. Raven was a bit blunt," He glanced over his shoulder, giving a look of disapproval to his sister. "But she's right. We need to have faith in Tai."
"I have faith in my husband." Summer announced as she raised her head, looking straight into Qrow's eyes. "It's the others that I worry about, Qrow. We don't know what they could do to him, whether recruiting him or figuring out he's infiltrating."
"Stressing about it won't help." Raven spoke up, earning glances at her from Summer and Qrow, as she sighed. "I'm just trying to be realistic. If we have our next move ready, then the moment we can get him out of there will be easier."
Summer thought about it for a moment, while Qrow waited on what she'd say. "Our next move… Okay, okay." She took a breath and looked to Lazuria, who was still a bit away, her guilty expression evident to Summer. The blacksmith then chose to walk over and take her hand. "Lazuria, I know you're blaming yourself."
The wolf woman looked up, shaking her head. "Don't say it's not my fault. I brought you all into this."
Even with the arguing with Raven she just endured, and knowing her husband was in a dangerous place, Summer still managed to smile as she shook her head. "You didn't do a thing. Those people have hurt you, and so many others. We wouldn't need just one person to bring us into something this important. It would happen eventually. Honestly, I'm happy that we've learned about this sooner rather than later."
"But your husband-."
"Is somewhere I don't want him to be, yes, but my team is right. He's counting on us to figure out our next move." Summer squeezed her hand. "That's finding a way to meet Tai out of their base for reconnaissance. And to keep you safe, for you little wolf."
Lazuria's eyes welled up with tears at the thought of Weiss. She lowered her head as she couldn't deny how much she wanted to be rid of her hell, and to just meet the daughter she never got to raise. "Thank you…"
Summer squeezed her shoulder. She then turned to face Qrow and Raven. "We've been a team for years. Tai will find a place to go to meet us when they let him out as one of their own… So we figure out the where and wait for him."
Raven lowered her arms, nodding to her leader. "Good to see you're finally figuring out what we can do. I'll start figuring out spots he'd pick, but, to be honest, I think in the end you'll figure it out first, Summer Rose." She let out a light smirk, walking away from the two as she needed to be alone for awhile.
The blacksmith watched her go, letting out a small smile, as she understood what Raven was trying to tell her. Qrow on the other hand took a seat at one of the tables and groaned, reaching for his flask as he looked tired. "Ugh… Dealing with two arguing women takes a lot out of a person."
Lazuria rolled her eyes. "From the short time I've known you all, you tend to be the one that causes the most problems."
Qrow was in mid swig, looking confused. "Say what?"
"Your constant messing around with Tai, and I can tell you and your sister argue far more than I've already seen." Lazuria figured, while Summer let out a light laugh and Qrow groaned, having been called out.
Weiss was thinking to herself of the possibility of Lazuria being the person who was with her Mother in Menagerie all those years ago, but she wouldn't bring it up with Kali at the moment. Yang on the other hand tried to keep things going. "So, Weiss' Mom just showed up on Menagerie one day?"
"It was quite a surprise to me, yes. I believe she just felt the need to see what our little island was about. Not many tend to really care outside of Faunus… But when I saw her on the island, I felt gravitated towards her." Kali explained.
Blake would try to steal a glance or two at Weiss, and since the wolf girl had been paying more attention to Kali, she didn't notice Blake.
"You said a Schnee wasn't a shocking sight?" Weiss asked.
"Right. You probably think that saying how most people don't tend to focus on our island, that a Schnee had an even lesser chance to, but I wasn't lying when I said that. Before Ghira, those in charge would actually speak with your Grandfather. Nothing I knew as much in detail, but meeting the daughter of the man who would speak to Menagerie's leader did help in understanding more." Kali answered happily, as the memory of their talks would lift her spirits.
Yang piped up again. "Wow, there's a lot of history there then. Never woulda thought Ice Wolf and Blake coulda met years ago."
Kali's ears drooped when Yang said that, as the three girls noticed. "That's the thing… Willow never really visited the island after a time. We kept some contact, but…"
Weiss couldn't stay quiet. "Was it because of my Father?" It was one of the few times Weiss would refer to Jacques as her Father.
"Not just him. Many things we talked about. I understood though, since she had a lot to handle." Kali smiled still. "But now I've gotten to meet her little girl." Weiss blushed a little. "I know this sounds a bit selfish, but do you think you could ask your Mother to give me a call?"
There was no reason to deny her of that. "Of course, Mrs. Belladonna. I'll let her know tonight."
"Thank you." Kali had a bit of hope at that point, as the door opened again, and Ruby walked in.
"Oh, what are you guys huddled up for?" Ruby asked when she saw her team surrounding a scroll.
"My Mother is on video, Ruby." Blake explained, as Weiss moved a bit to give her partner some room to scoot in, and when she did, the rose girl smiled and looked at the screen.
"Hi, Blake's Mom!" Ruby grinned, showing her more innocent way of greeting people, as Kali chuckled at her high enthusiasm.
"Well hello to you too, Ruby. Your sister told me a bit about you already, but it's nice to actually get to meet you." Kali greeted, and Ruby glared at her sister.
Yang looked confused, as Ruby pointed at her in an accusing manner. "You better not have made up things about me, Yang! I don't want Blake's Mom to think I'm weird."
The blonde blinked a few times. "Uh, I don't have to make anything up to make you look weird, sis. You kinda do that yourself by pointing at me like a crazy person."
Kali continued to lightly laugh in response, while Ruby was blushing from embarrassment. "S-Shut up! I am so not as weird as you could be! Mrs. Blake's Mom, if she didn't tell you, Yang cuddles with her hair every- EEP!" Ruby was pounced on by her big sister, while Weiss had moved back, holding her hands up.
"Ugh… You almost just knocked Blake and I down, you brute…" Weiss groaned, while Kali laughed even more.
Blake actually managed to smile, looking at the screen. "This is my team, Mom."
Kali wiped a few tears away, still giggling a bit while Ruby and Yang were wrestling on the ground. "I can see that you're in good hands then, kitten."
Weiss was surprised by that, since Yang was the only one to have heard Kali call Blake that. "Kitten?"
"That's twice now…" Blake groaned, almost wanting to set the scroll down to show her Mom that she doesn't want to be called kitten in front of her friends.
"Oh come now. I bet Willow calls Weiss here something similar." Kali said with confidence, as Weiss blushed a little.
"S-She does, yes." Weiss admitted, and Kali waited on it. "W-What?" When Kali smirked, Blake groaned a bit at her Mother's persistence, while Weiss looked away. "S-She calls me her little snowflake…"
Kali clapped her hands together. "Awww, see, Blake. Every Mother does the same thing. There's nothing to be embarrassed of."
"Mom… Weiss is literally burying her face into my shoulder to avoid eye contact." Blake said with a deadpan face, as she could feel her friend digging her face into her, while Weiss muttered a muffled a 'No I'm not' into her shoulder. "Yes, you are, Weiss."
"You kids just get easily embarrassed is all." Kali countered with a smile, while Blake couldn't help but smile back, since she didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"Maybe so, but… Um, It was really nice seeing you again, Mom. Maybe when Dad gets back, we can talk more?" Blake requested, as Weiss raised her head off of Blake, looking happy with what she asked for.
Kali's ears perked up. "Of course, honey. I'll call you the moment your Father gets back."
Ruby quickly got up and ran up to the scroll. "W-Wait, I barely got to talk to you! The fighting is so not that common in here…"
"Don't worry, Ruby. I don't think you or your sister is weird at all." Kali assured. "Still, I'd be happy to get to know the leader of my daughter's team a bit more, if Blake is okay keeping me on the line."
Blake playfully rolled her eyes. "Knock yourself out."
While Ruby started to tell Kali about herself, Yang got back up in her defeated state, grumbling about how she let Ruby win.
Weiss was quietly listening in, but kept to her thoughts more than anything.
The wolf girl looked to her partner, who was happily continuing to talk to Kali. She knew they still needed to talk about her advancements in her Hidden abilities, but she also needed to ask her partner for help, in getting her life back together.
"I can't keep dwelling on everything that's happened. I have my own life to live."
I know that this chapter took way too long to come out, but like I say many times, the spark has to be there. If it isn't, I just feel like there wouldn't be much to work with. I have plans still, and this chapter is setting up those plans.
I won't make a fake promise and say the next chapter will be out so soon, but I will try my best to not make the wait that long. Maybe even a day or two, but again, I don't want to make a fake promise.
To JJ- Angry Summer isn't too happy, but she's trying to step up so things won't end up going south. It only took Raven and Qrow to get her to see that. As for a flashback chapter, I may do it at some point. Just wanna find a spot where it won't break the momentum of other plot points.
To Maow- I should be thanking you and everyone who's read my story. I appreciate that you took the time to binge read this and I can tell you I have a lot more planned for this story. So it won't end anytime soon.
I hoped you all enjoyed chapter 128. Remember, reviews are welcomed, but not required. See you all in chapter 129.