It'd been several hours since night had fallen.

Currently, it was freezing so the Thorns were bundled up under the leaves and branches. The bumblebee couple snuggled together in their shared sleeping bag. Meanwhile, Qrow was propped against a tree and dozing off while sitting up.

The crew was near a Khan hideout, so they hid in the dense shrubbery while they dozed. One person had been on watch and currently, it was Ruby. Since she didn't want her girlfriend to be cold while she slept, she had her rest on her lap. That generated comfortable heat.

The captain was on the lookout. She was staying vigilant, but she couldn't help herself. Her girlfriend looked so adorable. Weiss deserved to rest after bursting them twenty miles forward today. Lovingly, Ruby leaned down and kissed her forehead, then leaned back up to listen for any threats.

Fondly, Ruby fiddled with her hair while listening. The white waterfall emitted its own aura and warmth.

For a while, there were various chatters. Definitely the gathering Khan members. The group was located about half a mile away, so it was a safe distance to not be caught on their territory. Ruby was listening to the conversations, but couldn't pick anything out.

At least, until there was a commanding shout.

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Sienna.

From hearing the leader of the Khans, Ruby's breath hitched. She was here! Swiftly, she roused her crewmates.

"Guys," the captain loudly whispered. "The meeting's finally starting!"

It only took Weiss a second to rouse as she leaned up. When she did, Ruby pulled her in for a hug from behind. That made them both blush.

"Good morning to you, too," Weiss greeted in a drowsy voice. "Did Sienna start it?"

"Yeah!"

Irritated, Yang rolled on her side to ignore the noise. "Ten more minutes…"

Not in the mood for her to take forever to wake up, Weiss gently kicked her in the side. "Get up, you brute."

Yang audibly yawned and then scoffed. "You're so mean."

"We really should get up," Blake said, breaking away from her girlfriend.

Instantly, Yang missed her warmth. That couldn't be helped. It was time to go. The day was only beginning. At least they got a few hours of rest. It was the dead of night and the shattered moon drifted high into the sky.

"Aw man," Yang whined. "Can I at least get another kiss?"

Despite herself, Blake grinned and gave her a peck. Like that revitalized her, Yang jumped up onto her feet and began stretching.

"I'm ready to kick some butt after that," the blonde announced.

Shyly, Blake blushed.

While they bantered, Qrow already packed his things. He was high on alert and asked the crew. "Did we miss anything?"

"Not yet," Blake answered as her ears flicked. "Sienna's trying to get them to be quiet."

"What're we waiting for?" Yang asked.

Quickly yet quietly, the crew darted to the direction of the chatter. It was difficult to remain stealthy with all the crunching leaves. The chilly wind danced by as they sprinted.

It only took about a minute to reach the area. The Thorns were hidden behind dense trees while they tried to deduce what this meeting was about. Since Blake had night vision and enhanced hearing, it was up to her to be their eyes and ears.

Blake peaked out from behind a trunk. "Adam's here. So's Neo and Sienna."

Although, Neo was the one who was on the platform beside Sienna. Adam was below them in the front with the rest of the crowd. If he was her previous right-hand, he was undoubtedly demoted due to his failed mission to capture Weiss.

Unable to help herself, Blake smiled.

Good.

Interested, Weiss asked. "What are they talking about?"

To focus, Blake closed her eyes and pointed her ears to Sienna's direction.

"Listen up!" what sounded like Sienna yelled, which caused the chatters to cease. "Congratulations, Khans! You're the best of the best!"

All those faunus traveled through the jungle to reach here, after all. Endless amount of grimm undoubtedly crossed their paths. Not just anyone can survive that.

"Because you made it here," Sienna continued, causing them to lean in with anticipation. "You will earn your share of our biggest hit yet!"

A random shout. "What's the pay?!"

"Settle down, Gary," Sienna droned in amusement like that was a regular occurrence. From that, the hippopotamus faunus sat down. "Let's just say we'll have enough dough to buy two more fleets if we want."

"My god…" a gorilla faunus muttered.

Loud, resounding cheers. Proudly, Neo and Sienna stared at each other. They looked like they were on top of the world. Ruled the world.

Blake's eyes narrowed in disdain when she got a good look at them. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Abruptly, Sienna yelled down to them. "We need to complete the job first!"

"What's the job?!" someone shouted.

"It can't be easy if the pay is so high…"

It didn't take long for uncertainty to come in waves. If the payoff was so high, there had to be a catch.

The job couldn't be easy. Before doubt could overcome them, Sienna spoke sternly.

"You have nothing to worry about. Do what I say and we'll be golden. Literally."

"What's the job?!"

"I'm getting to it!" Sienna snapped and then smirked. "More details will follow tomorrow. Until then, gear up and get plenty of rest."

More idle chatter. It sounded like the Khans were wondering what the job could possibly be. From what Blake could tell, most of them seemed up to the task despite the obvious, unknown threat.

"Now scatter," Sienna demanded.

Since that was their cue, the faunus diminished. As Blake watched them, she noticed every faunus had an assigned cabin to rest for the night. Now that she thought about it, the hideout looked like a tiny village.

"They're done," Blake reported as she faced her crew. "Listen, I'll be right back."

Before she could dart away, Yang grabbed her by the shoulder. "Hold up, what do you plan to do?"

The rest of the Thorns looked equally concerned. They never planned to split up.

"They have assigned cabins," Blake explained in a rush. "Sienna has to stay somewhere. If we can figure out where, we could ambush her later."

"Excellent plan," Weiss accepted the explanation.

"Go," Ruby permitted, thinking that was brilliant. If anyone could pull off being stealthy, it was Blake. "Promise you won't get caught."

"I won't."

"Be careful," Qrow advised.

Before she could reply, Yang reeled her in for a kiss. The crew was left to stand there awkwardly, and Ruby shyly glanced away. When Yang separated, she gazed at her tenderly.

"No risks."

"Right."

While blushing, Blake bolted deeper into the jungle. It didn't take long to spot Sienna. That was only thanks to Neo's multi-colored hair. Since it was nighttime, almost every single person here could see in the dark. Except for her right-hand.

All Blake had to do was avoid Sienna's gaze, so she flanked Neo's side. Which was easy, considering there were lots of cabins to hide behind. Most of the Khans had retreated inside for the night, so she wouldn't get stopped or interrogated.

After a few minutes, they were isolated from the common area. Along the way, Blake marked some trees to follow later. If they were headed to Sienna's lair, she had to find her way back and lead the Thorns to her.

This is odd, Blake thought. Am I walking into a trap or is she really staying somewhere this far out?

Wanting to be careful, Blake put more distance between the pair. She didn't hear even an insect. Sienna and Neo didn't utter a word. Although, Sienna seemed to be in a good mood. That grin couldn't be wiped from her sly face.

Wish I could wipe it off for her.

At last, there was a cabin. She only spotted it due to the lighting. It was larger and much more luxurious than the others. Multiple candles were inside and the roof was sealed from the elements. Unlike the rest.

This has to be it.

Her thoughts were confirmed when Sienna prowled inside. When she was safe, Neo glanced around for any nearby threats. When she deemed it safe, she began walking back in the direction she came.

Not even her right-hand stays in there with her. She might be alone.

Needing to find out, Blake climbed into a nearby tree so she could confirm. Since there was a slight crack in the roof from above, she peeked through there. The Khan leader was sitting on some gaudy chair. She was alone.

We will attack when they can see.

Easily, Blake was able to slip out of the tree and bolt back to her crew. It didn't take her long to spot wild blonde hair that glimmered under the moonlight.

"Blake!" Yang called in relief.

Knowing she wanted a hug, Blake embraced her. Happily, Yang nuzzled into her.

Ruby smiled from the sight. "Were you able to follow her?"

"Easily. Listen, I think I might have a better plan."

Curious, Ruby asked. "What is it?"


The calm before the storm~

Stay dandy,

~Toto