Chapter Ten
Heart
Bullhead - Approaching Menagerie
Weiss stared dejectedly at her now vastly shortened strands of hair. Nova had done an amazingly precise job, the incredibly sharp blade of Summer's knife precisely shearing off hair, leaving her with a slightly rougher version of Nova's hairstyle.
From the front, she looked exactly the same, but now lacked the bun in the back, tying off the rest of her hair into a high ponytail with one of Nova's spare hairbands. The end of it just brushed the nape of her neck, shorter than Nova's but longer than Bianca's.
"You don't look happy." Nova handed Summer her blade back, stepping back to inspect her handiwork. Summer refused to trust other people with scissors next to her face and neck so someone on the team had to learn how to maintain her hair for her.
"I would offer to cut Blake's and Yang's hair but I'm already betting Kara gets mistaken for her and Yang would throttle me before I got close."
"You know it." Yang never stopped staring at the knife until it was sheathed and stowed away. "Now that I look at it, Kara and Blake can easily pass as sisters. Nova and I differ in arms and hair, Bianca and Weiss differ in just about everything except for colour scheme, and Summer and Ruby differ through eye colour."
She didn't voice her concern about Summer, preferring to squish the thought down, but there was something about Summer that terrified her and she couldn't fathom why Blake nor anyone else on her team couldn't sense it.
While Ruby clung to her as a replacement mother, Yang distrusted her. It was the commanding presence which dominated everyone, and the underlying power which made her feel inadequate to her, almost like a toy to be used at her pleasure or to relieve boredom. That crazy mute she had fought at the train was like that. Summer was hiding something.
Five lien I get hugged by mom first. Blake read off the scroll Kara handed her. She knew it was a jest, sending back a wry smile, but couldn't help but cycle through various scenarios in her head, anywhere from them not even recognising her, to disowning her on the spot.
Kara flicked her.
Stop overthinking. Your parents will be overjoyed to see you.
"I hope so." Blake and the compartment jostled as the autopilot transitioned through the clouds, dropping in altitude to reveal Kuo Kuana, the crowning jewel of Menagerie.
It resembled more of a rural village than the capital of an island, but for what it lacked in skyscrapers, it made up for it in sheer size. Small storied houses dotted the landscape, interspersed with larger buildings for administrative and recreational uses.
Millions of Faunus called the island their home, but non-Faunus could be found among them and unlike the four major countries, Menagerie accepted all those who wished to live equally.
Summer would've moved her Hunters here if she didn't have a duty to the people of Vale.
"We're coming up to land, and we've been granted permission to land in your parent's backyard." Nova poked her head out of the cockpit to inform them before disappearing again to land.
"Looks like you might not been introduced at gunpoint after all." Summer said, checking herself over to make sure she had everything. Their go-bags would remain on the craft. "The Ironwood name carries weight even here."
Weiss unknowingly released a pent up breath, grateful James had let her use his name so she wouldn't immediately be beset upon by righteously angry Faunus.
It was generally understood by the people of Menagerie that the Hunter Corps were the only way to achieve citizenship in the four major city states, and was made entirely possible through the Commanders of their respective Huntsmen.
Ozpin never turned away anyone who needed help, and never discriminated because of the trivial difference between humans and Faunus. Summer followed in his footsteps.
The ship jostled as Yang set her down in a clearing behind what appeared to be a mansion with an immaculately maintained lawn.
"You four go on ahead. I managed to convince the traffic controller to not report the return of their princess to her father yet, so it'll be a nice surprise." Nova slid open the door and gestured for them to leave. "And Weiss, keep Myrtenaster stowed."
"Princess!?" Team RWBY all turned to stared at their facepalming Faunus teammate. She had forgotten her parents were the equivalent of royalty on the island.
"Um…" Blake did what she did best and ran for the house, leaving her teammates to chase after her.
With Summer's severe warning about comporting themselves and not defending herself, Weiss found it strange there were no guards posted anywhere around the mansion, and the fact they were allowed to land directly next to the house of Menagerie's leader.
If they were instead going to Schnee Castle, they'd have been forced to land at an ostentatious landing pad, disarmed, and then paraded through extravagant halls towards a tastefully decorated office where Jacques would sit on a high backed chair with a cigar in his hand.
Prick.
Her rather violent thoughts were interrupted by running into Blake, who stood standstill before the back door of the mansion. No one had come to greet them yet, another stark difference between their two lifestyles. Nova must've landed exceptionally quietly for no one to notice.
"Go on princess." Weiss tried to keep the smile off her face, but couldn't. As she was no longer to the heiress of the SDC, the equivalent of royalty in Atlas, Blake would now be the recipient of those types of jokes. "We're all right here."
Composing herself, Blake took a deep breath and knocked three times on the doors. Several seconds passed before someone opened the door, probably confused someone was knocking from the back door rather than the front door.
Much like Ruby and Summer, Blake's mother looked extremely similar to Kara, only lacking the scar across her throat, and had earrings in her feline ears.
"Hi mom." Blake was itching to stand behind her teammates and not be in the front, but no one was letting her escape, forming a wall on the patio between the outside and the house.
"Blake?" Her ears flattened at her mother's voice, unbelieving and breathless. There was no yelling, no running inside the house, or shutting the door. Her mother walked up the her and pulled her into a hug.
Six years could make a hug last a long time.
"Kali, who is it?" An imposing man in an open purple trench coat came into view, only to pause as Blake and his wife stood side by side facing him. His face softened and he rushed forward, sweeping the both of them into his arms.
Blake would have passed out from lack of air if her dad hadn't noticed his daughter had brought guests. One of which he was not happy about. He would have to have a stern talking to the air traffic controller who permitted one of them to land on his island.
"Dad, you wouldn't mind letting us down?" He had been so lost in thought, he hadn't realized he still held his family in his arms. He followed her request.
"Blake, who are your guests?" Kali took notice of the three standing a short distance. She only recognised one of them. Weiss fidgeted under her gaze, wondering where Summer was to bail her out when the shooting started.
It was amusing to see the smallest member of Team RWBY stepping up to the large panther Faunus to shake his hand.
"I'm Ruby Rose, Team Leader of designation RWBY, Hunter Team in training at Beacon." Ghira shook her hand. "This is my partner, Weiss Ironwood and next to her is my sister, Yang Xiao-Long, Blake's partner."
"You look remarkably like a Schnee." At the revelation she wasn't an enemy of the state, his demeanor became warmer, offering his hand in return.
"Formerly a Schnee. I decided my family had caused enough pain to the Faunus and I left."
"I vouch for her if that helps." Blake threw her support behind her teammate. They had been a team for close to a year, and except for the few rocky weeks while Blake's heritage remained a secret, Weiss had not treated her any differently.
Ghira didn't look too happy about welcoming a Schnee, even a former one into his home, but the name Ironwood would not allow him to turn away his ward. Not to mention, his meeting with the Commander of Vale's Hunters was suppose to be today and it wasn't a coincidence Blake had returned home on the exact same day.
"Miss Rose." Ruby looked aghast Ghira put the word 'Miss' with her name. "Are you of any relation to High Commander Summer Rose?"
"I don't know about the High Commander part but Summer is my mom." Ruby pointed towards the ship in the backyard. "Her team is in the craft, probably giving time for Blake to acquaint herself with her home again. And please just call me Ruby. I'm too young to be called 'Miss'."
"Please tell your mother to come meet us then. I've been expecting her."
"Kay." Before Ruby could message her superior, the door to the craft opened again and Team SKBN stepped out in a diamond formation with Summer at the head and Nova at the tail. They moved in sync, almost ghosting across the ground and up the stairs of the patio.
The Belladonnas couldn't help but notice the team was a near exact copy of Team RWBY, down to the clone of Ruby Rose, the petite Ironwood, their quiet daughter, and the one armed blonde.
"Chieftain Belladonna, a pleasure." This wasn't the warm Summer Ruby was expecting.
"I didn't realize Vale was in the habit on cloning their Hunters." Ghira held onto Summer's hand, expressing his displeasure.
"May we go inside, or will you continue trying to crush my hand?" Summer brokered no anger or pain at Ghira's fearsome grip.
He let her hand go, begrudgingly respecting the High Commander for not shying away from him, and gestured for them to follow him to the dining room. As their table was only suited to serve four, each team sat together on one side, crowding behind their leaders, while the Belladonnas spread out, Blake joining her mother's side. Kara lingered between Blake and her own team.
Bianca sealed the room, keeping her glyphs out of sight.
Summer toyed with her glass of water, preferring to let her host stew in his thoughts. Two nearly identical teams show at his doorsteps, one of which contains his daughter and the other, also containing a Faunus of heavy resemblance to Kali.
Ghira didn't know where to start. The Commander he had hoped to intimidate had done instead the same to him, brushing aside his handshake and walking into his home with a massive scythe. Around him sat his returned daughter and next to her sat another lookalike.
"We are not clones." Summer finished her water and placed her glass down. "You're observant but we are future versions of Team RWBY from another dimension, come to this dimension through breaking the laws of physics."
"Then you have my apologies for my husband's rash accusations." Kali stepped in, knowing Ghira was too proud to apologize. "Not everyday your only daughter returns but another one finds her way home."
"Miss Ro- Ruby introduced her team." Ghira swallowed tensely, the twitching glare from Ruby causing him to remember what she told him about her name. "What should we call you?"
"Kara is your older daughter, Bianca is the white haired one, and Nova is my half sister. Together we form High Command designation SKBN."
"What's a High Commander?" Ruby asked.
"It means your mother is the highest ranking Hunter in Vale and commands all of them." Ghira kept his eyes on Summer. "It was a rank only used during the Great War and has never been used since, and the only reason I know about it is because our records still contain the history of the last High Commanders of Remnant."
"You know the history well." Summer nodded.
"What?" The combined shock of Team RWBY caused everyone to look towards them. "When?"
"Since Ozpin decided he needed to start getting his Hunters ready. He may be a great peacetime leader, but in my dimension, I was a wartime leader, and he needed one."
"You know what appointing a High Commander means?" Summer again nodded. "The other states won't take it lightly."
"Then they'll have to take it up with the High General of Atlas and me." Summer slipped into her monotone. "Ironwood will fight besides us against the White Fang."
"Is that why you're here?" Ghira nearly broke the table he sat behind. "My people had nothing to do with the White Fang's attack on Beacon Academy!"
"Belladonna, if I had even an inkling you were behind the attack then you would be reliving the time of the High Commanders of the Great War instead of speaking with me."
"Who were the High Commanders of the Great War?" Blake had to ask.
"It is incorrectly noted in history how the Great War came to an end. While it was in the Vacuoan Desert the war ended, it was not the Warrior King of Vale who ended it. During the time of the Great War, there were no Academies established yet and the Hunters were simple people who learned to use their Aura to battle Grimm, but fought alongside their city-states." Summer paused, letting everyone absorb forgotten history. "The four leaders of the Hunters descended on the battle of the Desert, tired of the infighting between humanity rather than the fight against Grimm."
"They slaughtered nearly three million soldiers." Kali whispered and Summer's scythe shivered. "And the war was over. With only a few thousand left alive, the remaining leaders divided Remnant along the borders we know today and the four Hunters were forgotten, not allowed a place among history in an effort to stymie others from attaining such power."
"Menagerie remains the only country on the planet with unaltered records of the war. We have no reason to edit them, no need to hide the past." Ghira finished. "But even we don't have records of their names, not even their genders, or appearances, so they were given the honorary titles of High Commanders, placing them above all."
"If Headmaster Ozpin deemed it necessary to bestow upon someone the title of High Commander, then I can only hope you don't set your sights on us." Ghira solemnly intoned.
"You have nothing to worry about from me Chieftain." Summer placated. "I've shed enough blood in my dimension and have never shed the blood of an innocent. The title of High Commander is nothing but a distinctive title of honour granted to the leader of a Hunter faction. The prefix 'High' is added after a Commander distinguishes himself on the field of battle."
"If you're not here for retribution, then why are you here Miss Rose?" Ghira asked. "You brought me my daughter home. Was this a gesture of good will, or are you softening me up for something?"
"I brought Blake here because I happened to be having a meeting with you. Nothing more. And it's Missus." Ghira grunted out a sorry. "I came personally to ask for Menagerie's help with a project neither Vale nor Atlas could handle together."
"We have no standing army and our Hunters are ill provisioned compared to yours." Kali answered.
"I'm not asking for military help. One city-state would be enough to eradicate your island. No offence." Ghira grimaced. He knew only too well how far behind Menagerie was behind in population compared to the four kingdoms. "What I need from you is land, food, and shelter."
"Not for your own Hunters, I think." Ghira pounded the table heartily. "Even under invitation from me, this would anger the city-states I didn't invite."
"Not yet, but maybe you'll see fit to grant provisional bases for both my Hunters and Ironwood's Hunters." Summer lead on. "What do you know about the Schnee labour camps in Atlas?"
"Their despicable practice should be coined as 'death camps'." Kali said. "We know little about them except for the rumours of cruelty as my people are forced to mine infernal Dust."
"What would you say if I could liberate those camps and bring all of the Faunus here?" Summer's question left the Belladonnas stunned. "By estimates from my dimension, there are approximately 80,000 Faunus living as little more than legal slaves under the SDC. If the operation Ironwood and I have designed works, then the refugees can't stay in Vale or in Atlas and would be required to move here, to Menagerie."
"From what I understand, your own Hunters don't even number 10,000. Why would you leave your country undefended while you rescue Faunus you don't know? Why would Ironwood even considered attacking SDC property?"
"The White Fang will only grow in strength. They've showed the world they have enough manpower and enough information to besiege a Hunter Academy and the Vytal Festival Coliseum, also taking advantage of Atlesian droids to assist them in their objectives. One of their rally cries is against these labour camps and if we get rid of them, less people have a need to join them and instead consider moving to Menagerie instead."
"Menagerie has existed for eighty years but most Faunus continue to refuse to move here, preferring to live in one of the four kingdoms, regardless if they live as second class citizens."
"That's because they're stubborn. Not many find it easy to pick up their entire livelihood and move to an unknown place, but for the 80,000 currently trapped in slavery, this place will make all the difference."
"Menagerie still has room to expand immensely, but we don't currently have funds to quickly accommodate and feed 80,000 people."
Summer knew she didn't possess the funds either, having already thrown the majority of her budget behind Mountain Glenn and the repairs of Beacon, but she currently had several millions of dirty Lien just waiting to be transferred to Menagerie.
"Unfortunately, I can't spare much money after the assault on Beacon and another project I have going on." Summer masked herself behind a veneer of civility. "We can provide temporary shelters since there's meant to be a refugee camp on Patch as an intermediary between Atlas and Menagerie, but foodstuff would drain my own Hunters."
"How much money are we talking?" Weiss jutted into the conversation, knowing more about financial management than the usual person. Team SKBN said nothing, already expecting this from the guilt ridden girl.
"Building material isn't a problem as Menagerie has a large lumber industry and land is aplenty. The largest concern would be food, and while Mistral would be happy to help, it wouldn't be cheap."
Weiss tapped a few buttons on her scroll, pulling up her most recent bank account statement. She grimaced for only a few seconds, not expecting such a large sum to be in her account. Jacques was planning something if he had given her this much just before she was meant to return to Atlas.
"Would this buy enough for you?" Weiss passed her scroll to the Chieftain, who looked ready to keel over at the sheer amount of numbers staring back at him.
"Why?" Ghira slid the scroll back.
"It's money my former family made through the exploitation of Faunus and not mine to begin with. Better it be used to help the Faunus over me spending it on frivolous luxuries."
"Thank you, Miss Ironwood. We won't forget this." Kali smiled warmly at the former Schnee.
"Unfortunately, even if you wished to transfer your fortune to Menagerie, it can't be done here. There's no CCTS tower to connect to your account back in Atlas."
Weiss frowned, her plan of righting a past wrong gone to pieces.
"By the way, how did you manage to get a message here in less than 24 hours?" Summer asked her wife. "It would have had to be a physical copy, and you never left Beacon yesterday."
Kara smiled impishly.
"Your message came by carrier raven." Ghira answered for her, seeing his second daughter wasn't going to play ball. Kara frowned and narrowed her eyes at her father.
"If you still want to give your fortune over to Menagerie as reparations, then you'll have to personally empty your account into physical Lien before having it transported here." Summer supplied. "But I'd rather you buy the materials directly and send them here rather than have to move copious amounts of cash only to have to move it again."
"I'll buy everything when I make it back to Beacon then." Weiss confirmed her wishes. "And I'm going to spend some of it to get a CCTS tower up and running. Would save everyone time."
"With your generous donation, we'll be able to accelerate our plans for Menagerie by several years." Ghira raised his glass. "To Miss Ironwood."
Everyone else also toasted, happy their meeting had been successful. Ruby was only barely holding back from assaulting Summer with questions about their plans to liberate the labour camps.
Another few minutes were spent hashing out the details of the camp, especially when it needed to be ready. They had little over a week to get places for 80,000 people up and running and Summer decided Ozpin would not have to finish setting up the camp and instead gather any materials they weren't sending to Glenn and have it ready to be transported to Menagerie. Her largest concern was fuel, but her ships would be refueled regardless on Signal. She would also supply any medical attention needed during their transit and keep several teams on Menagerie for added protection in case Atlas came knocking.
Everyone's demeanor shifted from formal to a more familiar tone as the meeting between leaders ended.
"Would you like us to leave while you reunite with your daughter?" Summer offered.
"Nay. You brought our daughters home and are part of their teams. Your teams are as good as family, even you Schnees." Kara perked up, grabbing her dad's attention, not expecting them to immediately accept a future version of their daughter home. Given a few hours, sure. "What? You're my daughter, even if you're not from this world, so tell me, how strong do you get in the future?"
Of course Ghira would ask his daughter that and Kara was left floundering without having a way to communicate.
"She's an S-ranked Hunter capable of fighting me to a standstill." Summer answered for her. "That speaks enough of her skills."
"She should speak for herself. She usually isn't this shy." Kara banged her head on table repeatedly.
"She can't speak." Came the unanimous reply from Team RWBY when no one on SKBN deemed it necessary to reply.
Kara smiled weakly at her mother before lifting her head to show her scar. Kali dropped her cup, weakly scorching the tabletop, while Ghira nearly broke the table.
"Who?" The poor table forebodingly creaked under Ghira's grip as he imagined strangling the idiot who dared hurt his daughter.
"Adam." Summer replied simply. "The same man who dared attack Beacon a few days ago and the same man who scarred Bianca over here."
"We were horrified when we heard the news. The Kingdom of Vale isn't perfect, but it certainly didn't deserve what happened." Kali sighed. "We were both so worried. You weren't too hurt, were you?"
"Adam stabbed me." Blake lifted her shirt to show her own scar. It wasn't as red as as it was yesterday, but the stitches remained.
"See? I knew she'd be fine." Ghira crossed his arms, scoffing, all the while showing off his own battle wounds on them. "What's a little scar?"
"That's isn't the slightest bit true." Kali swatted at her husband. "You should've seen him pacing." Ghira had the decency to turn his blushing face away.
"You guys had nothing to worry about." Yang butted in. "I've seen Blake in action, and trust me, she's got some moves."
"And what exactly do you mean by that, Miss Xiao-Long?" Yang slowly turned to face Ghira, wide eyed at the blunder of her wording.
"I would be dead if it weren't for her." Blake interjected while Yang sputtered about in her defense. "Adam would, and should have killed me if it wasn't for her. Leave her alone."
"Is that how you lost your arm?" Kali looked over at the bandaged stump and then looked over to the mechanical arm attached to Nova's shoulder.
"No biggie." Yang defaulted to head scratching, grateful Kali diverted Ghira's ire away from her. "I get a cool metal one today, I hope?" Yang confirmed today was the scheduled operation with a quick nod from Nova.
Kali rose and gave her a hug. "You're always welcome here. Thank you." Ghira wasn't one for sentimentality and gave her a nod instead.
"I like her." Kali whispered as she passed Blake on her way back to her seat, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Mom!" Blake whispered back, ears flattened against her head. Yang disguised her smirk behind a cough, discreetly winking at the Belladonna matriarch.
"What?" Kali looked at her daughter inquisitively. "She saves your life and you're afraid to even look at her."
"She did her fair share of looking in the shower this morning." Yang bantered back easily, before paling as the table finally broke under Ghira's strength.
Her chances for a hasty exit dropped to zero as she collided with a white glyph.
"Weiss!?" Yang accused but the girl only pointed towards her older self, so she decided instead to hide herself behind Nova.
"Does that mean I won't be getting any grandchildren in the future?" Kali placated her husband with a light touch to his arm, completely fine her daughter was dating her teammate. "Maybe from you, Kara?"
Kara pointed to her wife, but instead of Ghira continuing to wreak havoc on the table, he nodded approvingly.
"How come you get a nod and I get a broken table for dating his daughter?" Yang shirked under Ghira's glare.
"Because he knows I could strike him down before he even begins to move." Yang scoffed at Summer's words.
Her next words were cut off as Summer unleashed her Aura, directing it at Team RWBY. Its monstrous presence choked them as it permeated the air and froze them in their spots. Even the Belladonnas, who were mercifully spared the brunt of the Aura, began to sweat as Summer continued to hold the younger team in her grip.
After Summer decided to reign her Aura in, Team RWBY took in large, collective breaths of precious air, as if they would never again get to taste it again. Yang stared at Summer with distrust, adding another tick to her collection of irregularities with Summer. Through the oppressive onslaught, she felt exactly why Nova had refused to describe Summer earlier.
Summer was a monster after all, and how could they have told Ruby her new mother was anything but.
A loud knock on the front door of the mansion disturbed her from her thoughts.
"Darn it, I completely forgot about the meeting." Ghira excused himself, standing from the table and moving to the foyer. "Give me a moment."
"Is everything okay?" Blake asked.
"Yes dear, just poor timing. He can reschedule." Kali chose to hide behind her teacup. "It's just been hard dealing with them lately."
"Dealing with who?" Blake and her team leaned in.
"The White Fang." Kali tried to hide her uneasiness behind a smile.
"What?" Team RWBY were immediately on their feet, a stark contrast to Team SKBN. Summer and Kara were just creepily smiling at their continued fortune. This would be another chance to send an envoy scurrying back to the leader of the White Fang.
Blake couldn't made it out of the room, colliding with Bianca's impermeable bubble.
"Bianca!" The accused shrugged, telling them it was an order from Summer and she was obligated to follow it.
"I have no jurisdiction on this island and as much as I want to go confront them, I can't." Summer ordered. "Sit and wait for our host."
"But mom…" Ruby's whine withered away under the fearsome threat of Summer's presence. "They attacked our school; they attacked our home."
"That is neither here nor now, so please go make yourselves scarce while I deal with this." She released another blast of Aura to make her point, making sure to contain it within the confines of the room. They understood the threat, even if three of them believed she wouldn't hurt them, and went out into the backyard.
True to her word, Ghira walked back into room with two others trailing beside him.
"My apologies gentlemen, but I didn't expect my last meeting to last as long as it did. This is Commander Rose of Beacon." The two froze at the sight of Summer kneeling by the table, staring at them predatorily. "Commander, this is Corsac and Fennec Albain. They are representatives of the White Fang here on Menagerie."
"Pleasure as always to meet members of the group fighting so staunchly for equality." Nova was trying her hardest not to burst into giggles. "I only wish the Fang didn't choose its venue as Amity and Beacon.."
"That is precisely what we wished to discuss with you, Your Grace. Sadly, it appears the Vale branch of the Fang is no longer operating under orders from High Leader Khan. Rather, they've elected to follow the rule of one Adam Taurus." Summer's lips curled into a smile. "It is such a regret his extreme philosophies have led to such a loss of life."
"It was quite fortunate his attack was so terribly managed then. You'll be pleased to know Vale suffered not a single civilian casualty from the invasion and your rogue cell was soundly dealt with."
"Then it is such a relief to hear then." Bianca could see the stress of their forced smiles. "The High Council could do nothing about his group until this incident."
"Taurus' fanatics are now registered as terrorists. My only regret is they chose to attack a Hunter installation over any other target. Shame those misguided children had to die. I only hope the White Fang is able to turn Taurus back to their side, or any further deaths will be on his head."
"Then perhaps you and High Leader Khan can come to an accord. We only wish for peace between Vale and the White Fang while we campaign for our equality. We understand if you bear any skepticism towards our claims as our tactics are, admittedly, more aggressive since His Grace stepped down as High Leader and became Chieftain of Menagerie."
"We have ample documentation from the Council as well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if His Grace cares to review them."
"I will, but another day. I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter."
"You don't have to worry yourself about Taurus' group. If the White Fang truly had no responsibility for his actions then I only hope your leader extends the same courtesy to me when I get to dealing with them. We wouldn't want him besmirching your good name after all." They had trapped themselves even without Summer having to do anything.
It was clear neither of the two had expected Summer to offer to deal with their problem, rather expecting it to be an internal affair they could solve with the help of Ghira Belladonna, as a former leader of the Fang.
"Very well. I'll report to our leader you wish to speak with her." They made to leave. "It was a pleasure to see you again young Blake. We were saddened when we heard of your departure from the White Fang, but understand if you can no longer support our cause."
"Goodbye gentlemen. Do pass my good will to Sienna." Ghira escorted them back out through the front door before returning back to the table. Nova burst into uncontrollable giggles, no longer able to control herself, prompting Bianca to join her.
"I wasn't expecting the Fang to be so incompetent in this timeline." Nova barely managed to say through her laughter. "They've disavowed Adam and the Vale branch, and now can't do anything to retaliate against Summer. How dumb can they be?"
"They're using their failure to the best of their advantage, cutting off a part of the organization while transferring all members out to other branches, letting Summer destroy remnants of a deserted shell, wasting resources on a target moved away."
"They failed at provoking a war between Vale and Atlas, but will still work on their plans for Vacuo and Mistral, or until another plan gets created. All we can do now is gather information and destroy Adam's White Fang before they finish moving."
"Then Operation:Redemption starts. They've really made it easy for us this time." Nova finished their thoughts.
Easy for now, but Salem wouldn't take this quietly. One failure wouldn't spurn her; it'd only make her more determined for her next plan to work, and planning against her was a nightmare.
None of them mentioned their inside man working against Salem, but even with Neo sending nothing more than information, Salem was more dangerous when cornered, and when her own plans started failing, she'd be at the edge. And nothing was more dangerous than a near omnipotent immortal who's been slowly planning to ruin her brother's work.
Family spats were the worst, and humanity happened to unknowingly sit in the mother of all crossfires. Worse than a Thanksgiving with the Schnees and Belladonnas. Whatever Thanksgiving was.
"What is Operation:Redemption?" Ghira asked, taking his spot at the table again. Bianca encased the room again, trapping all of them in a bubble, just in case anyone was lurking outside.
"In our dimension, the attack on Beacon provoked a war between Vale and Atlas, and rather than use my Hunters in the war, I ordered them to locked down Vale and began to eradicate anyone who dared violate the border and personally went hunting after the White Fang." Summer stated casually, ignoring the requisite flinches from anyone who didn't know their history. "This time, I've been advised to take a less… violent approach."
Nova coughed, taking full credit for the idea.
"With Atlas and Vale in a tenuous peace, there's no need to go to such extreme lengths as the genocides I participated in. No. This time, we're going to try to save the White Fang, instead of tearing them to shreds."
"And how will you do that?" Kali asked, clearly interested in their plans.
"Spoilers." Summer smiled and a woman in a prison cell across the universe sneezed. "But you have nothing to worry about any aggression from my Hunters towards the Fang unless they initiate it first."
"Not even if I grant permission for a provisional base?" Summer honestly had to think about the offer, weighing the pros and cons of having a base on Menagerie.
Another three bases would have to be allowed, one for each existing Hunter faction, and would give Menagerie guaranteed protection from any hostile. With Glenn already in the processes of being established, another base would tax their resources to the extreme, including Hunters themselves.
She had a better idea.
"I'll tell you under one condition. I don't want a base, and I know Ironwood wouldn't want one either. Some of the money Weiss is giving you is already going to a CCTS, but what is every tower always surrounded by?" Bianca rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering how she could have missed this.
"A Huntsmen Academy." Kali caught on, eyes wide at her implications. "We have a small one, but nothing on the scale the four kingdoms have."
"Ironwood and I will sanction an official Academy here, and Headmasters Nikos and Caldwell will be invited to help. I can spare a few teachers and can find others." Summer didn't forget of her own obligations to Beacon, when Ozpin had roped them in as professors as probation to test them. She didn't doubt Ozpin could strip away her titles as easy as it took for him to breath, and he knew she wouldn't fight it.
Her duty was to her people, and if Ozpin deemed her incapable of performing said duty, then she'd willingly disavow the title and pass it to a Hunter who could perform it better.
"Done." Ghira agreed, wanting his country to finally rise to equal standing as one the four. Now Summer not only had a base, but a permanent installation from where Operation:Redemption could be deployed from, with help from the other Hunter factions. "Now, the operation?"
"Redemption's first phase depends on bringing the SDC to its knees, but its second and oncoming phases deal with ripping through the White Fang's influence, by giving Faunus another group they can turn to. The Black Fang."
"It's the unofficial name of a countergroup to the White Fang." Bianca clarified. "You left the White Fang because of their turn to violence, just as Blake and Kara did. Your Academy will double as a staging ground against the White Fang, one with actual ties to the other Hunter factions, with real influence on their councils."
"No." Summer didn't look surprised at Ghira's initial reaction, fully expecting him to refuse the creation of another potentially violent group.
Without Menagerie's support, then their Vale branch would only contain the Hunters specially assigned and any Faunus who would find the organization by themselves. If they were, however, supported by Menagerie, then word of their support would garner more recruits and pull them away from the White Fang.
"My end goal with the group isn't an actual fight, Chieftain, but to destroy the White Fang's image. As much as I don't want to lose men in a fight they started, there'll be inevitable casualties. You can think of my Hunters as an auxiliary force, a preventative force against the White Fang, while your new group will get actual progress done with our influence."
Ghira grumbled quietly under his breath, but Kali managed to sooth him.
"As much as my husband may not want to support another potential terrorist group, at least I understand Kara wouldn't be doing this if she didn't trust you." Kali lightly patted Ghira's face, telling him she knew more. "Kara is as much as our daughter as Blake is, and if your plan is good enough for her, then it's good enough for me."
"I can't use the Black Fang as you fear I will. It is your organization first and foremost." Summer tried to chuckle, but it came out raggedy and forced. "Besides, Kara would murder me if I even thought of using it in that way. There are still many items on my list before I even begin to push the Black Fang out into the open, but you'll know when I do."
"Then, you have my trust, and my support, for now." Ghira added, officially closing out their meeting. "Kara, you'll keep her in line, won't you?"
Kara shot him a thumbs up and an eye smile. She was the most powerful weapon against Summer, and she knew it.
"Then I look forward to our alliance with you. Didn't think we'd get so much done in one afternoon." Summer's eye twinkled majestically. As much as she wanted to believe they could crush Salem before she could, she know her too well. She was planning something, but she'd have to wait for her reaction to Summer Rose's supposed resurrection.
Neo happened to cause collateral damage wherever she went, and the resurrection of a dead Hunter would throw just enough of a wrench into Salem's plans.
Redemption was coming along well, as long as they could get those Faunus out of those camps. Some would undoubtedly join the Black Fang and help them pursue their goals of equality, and Summer would make sure they knew exactly who helped them.
"You can expect massive shipments being flown in from Mistral in about two days. I'll ask Nikos to coordinate it with his Hunters. He owns Ozpin a favour."
"We won't forget this."
"I sure hope you won't, because if this goes to hell, Beacon faces a war against the SDC." Summer's scythe gleamed red. " And I'm not planning on losing. Now, should we let Team RWBY back in so you can continue threatening Yang?"
"You're lucky I can only threaten you." Kara went out to the back door. "If you harm my daughter, I don't care if you're in charge of Beacon. I will hunt you down."
Summer smiled back carelessly, unnerving her father-in-law.
"If I ever harm Kara, then you're the least of my worries." Summer leant forward. "And I promise you, that if you betray my team, Beacon, or the country you love, there won't be a Menagerie left when I'm done with it."
Contingency:Prune would be put into effect, and Bianca and Nova would be required to put aside their loyalty to Summer, and contain their own leader. If Bianca was unable to contain her, or Nova unable to subdue her, then they'd be required to kill her, on her own orders.
The had only ever been one instance where Prune was ever activated, on Kara's own orders, several weeks after Summer's rescue from her prison. Bianca had declared her mentally fit for active service, but Summer had lost it on the field, devolving into her instincts where she would absentmindedly carve through her enemies; whoever she deemed was a threat to her Hunters.
Bianca had managed to trap her in a sphere of glyphs after she'd exhausted herself and was left with no Aura to fight her capture. Summer had taken her loss of sanity well, taking each account from her Hunters and analyzing how, why, and when she lost control.
Summer had started sparring with Neo after that and never lost control ever again. The landscape around Glenn had been permanently scarred and even Grimm avoided the area completely, making it one of the safest zones to remain in.
"Now, what do you do in Menagerie for fun?"
As much as Blake didn't want to leave her home again, she knew she had an obligation to another home; the home she had created with Team RWBY.
Kali made Blake promise to at least visit every few weeks and Ghira had snuck a hug in when he thought no one was looking. Kara got a less severe regimen of the same, but unknowingly to them, she was to lead Redemption and could justify any trip to Menagerie.
Then again, her superior was also her wife.
Everyone else got a hug from Kali too, even Weiss and Bianca, while Ghira tried to crush Yang's hand. The small amount of practice she had with her Semblance let her avoid losing another one, and she gained a smidgen of respect from him for it. Summer escaped by letting him feel her Aura, and as much experience as he had, he couldn't fight against it.
It was a rather quiet ride back to Beacon until they crossed into the range of Beacon's CCTS tower, where several of their scrolls went off. Team High Command all received various reports on their projects: Glenn, the SDC Rescue, and information from Qrow's network.
Weiss, however, received a terrifying message from Winter and immediately gave it to Summer to read.
Lord Schnee was personally coming to retrieve his daughter. If he was coming to Beacon, then he was dragging armed non-droid guards with him, and Summer would be damned if he was allowed to casually stroll onto her campus. She was dialing for Glynda before she finished reading the text.
"Glynda, time until Jacques Schnee arrives at Beacon?"
"Don't I get a hello first?" Glynda sighed. "Less than two hours until he lands. Winter forwarded his itinerary as a warning."
"When his pilot asks for permission to land, deny it and if he presses it, you know what to do." Summer gave her orders. "Make sure the district ferry treats him as a normal visitor to Beacon."
"Yes ma'am."
"And stop torturing James. Let him take a break."
"It's not torture if you enjoy it." James' voice butted in, letting them know he was fine. "Who else would keep her company? You already chased Ozpin and Qrow out of Vale."
"Don't give into her demands Dad." Bianca called out towards the phone. "Stay strong."
"Shut up James or I'll get the crop." He quickly shut up, not saying another word.
"I'll relay your orders to the air traffic controller and have a few teams on standby just in case his craft refuses to listen to orders." Glynda ended the call, knowing if Summer needed to give anymore instructions then she'd already have given them.
Jacques would suffer an immense amount of humiliation when he'd be forced to land out in the district and forced to take the ferry. His security force would be disarmed and left with only their fists and surrounded by hundreds of Hunters in full gear, and a High Commander with a mission to annihilate his company.
"Weiss, do you still want to give your money to Menagerie?" She nodded yes and Summer handed over her scroll with the Beacon account on the screen. In mere seconds, the lucrative Schnee bank account of Weiss Schnee was emptied in its entirety. "Unfortunately, Jacques has come for you earlier than we predicted, but James is still here and so am I. You're not going back unless you want to."
"I don't." Weiss resolutely stated. If Jacques wanted her back, then he'd have to get through not only her own team, but the entirety of a military base already on alert from the attack a few days ago.
"When we land, we'll only have less than ten minutes to prepare for his arrival. I will not let him take you because you are my Hunter." Summer stooped down and grabbed Weiss' chin, making her meet her eyes. "Jacques will have nothing to threaten you with and can't force you to go with him."
"What about James? They're both on the Council."
"James can take care of himself." James wouldn't be on the Council in a few days with Winter taking his place. She could handle herself against him along with his help. "He'll also be there." Weiss nodded. "Now sit tight, let your Commander handle it, and make sure to not even hint at our rescue operation. Your team will be there to support you, but you'll keep quiet."
"Do we get to help you when you go to Atlas to rescue the Faunus?"
"No." Bianca answered this time. "You're still students and have no place on a black ops as massive as this. None of you have any flight experience either. You can however be part of teams being sent to Menagerie as support."
"Woo! Thanks." Ruby crashed into Bianca, giving her a hug. Summer hadn't hugged her in a while and Ruby's hug shook her, eyes widening. Yang took careful note of this, all the while under Summer's careful watch. She was catching on and noticing the cracks in her mask and definitely noticed how wrong Summer's Aura felt.
"You've noticed, haven't you?" Summer whispered in her ear as Bianca struggled to dislodge Ruby while everyone else watched. "You've suspected something wrong with me for awhile."
"Everything about you is wrong. The way you act, the way you treat Ruby, the way your Aura feels, and the mask you wear." Yang retorted. "Blake wore a mask too, to hide her ears and her past. You're hiding something, but I don't know what."
"I'm hiding my affliction to protect Ruby. It's a part of who I am, and Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda already know. I'll tell when you get out of surgery. It'll be a good test of calibration if you can handle a scroll with my medical records."
"Are you dangerous?" Yang met Kara's eyes, unable to meet Summer's.
"Not to you." She didn't answer the question and Yang would hold it against her until she got answers.
Yang spent the rest of the flight eyeing Summer cautiously as she interacted with everyone. She had no doubt the rest of Team SKBN knew about Summer's secret and could deal with her 'affliction'. Kara sat by her side, the silent companion making sure she didn't share her suspicions with her own team.
She only stopped glaring at Summer when Nova disappeared back into the cockpit to land the craft back at Beacon. Summer had done nothing during the flight, only reading through communiqués and answering them while Team SKBN discussed their trip to Menagerie, ranging from Ruby pestering Weiss for information on the amount of money she had had to Blake laughing about her father threatening Yang.
When the bullhead landed, Team SKBN exploded into action, quickly gathering their weapons and jumping out of the hangar, rushing to prepare Beacon for the arrival of one of the most hated men on the planet.
Team RWBY was left to scramble after them, following them towards the courtyard where a round table sat with four seats around it. In one of them sat the former General of Atlas, James Ironwood, considerably less dressed as usual; in grey sweats.
"Ah, Summer, enjoyed your trip?" James placed cups of tea in front of the seats to his right. "Accomplished much?"
"Menagerie has agreed to the relocation of the refugees and the construction of a CCTS, along with us helping to establish an Academy, but Ghira was hesitant to accept the formation of the Black Fang. We'll have to hold back on its creation and find another way."
"It was a long shot anyways. I can bring up the next phase when the Council convenes to meet my replacement. Should be a nice shock for them when the Schnees can no longer afford to line their pockets."
"I don't know when my Council will learn about my appointment, but I'll be ready for them. Have Winter and Qrow left?"
"Left just after you. Can't wait to get reports of Qrow driving her insane." He chuckled wryly. "They should be able to get you the information you need."
"Good. Jacques arrived already?" She knew the answer as three bullheads circled the area above the school, patrolling in case an unannounced craft entered the area. "How'd he take it?"
"He threatened Glynda with various forms of grievances,annoyances, and a threat of embargoing Beacon." Summer frowned. No one threatened her Hunters. "But the warning shots fired his way made him disengage and land somewhere else. Can't wait to get an earful from him."
"He can't exactly do much; just rant and rave. We hold everything and soon he won't hold anything." The ferry from the districts finished its docking sequence and opened its doors. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear, and Weiss, good of you to join us." Summer left the seat between her and James open specifically for her, distancing her their guest. The rest of Teams SKBN and RWBY hovered ijust outside the courtyard.
"Dad." Weiss greeted watching the ferry. Jacques Schnee and a guard of four security officers strolled down the ramp, looking considerably less threatening without any weapons. Summer could tell Schnee didn't appreciate being rerouted like a commoner by the large vein on his forehead.
He clearly wasn't expecting the welcome waiting for him.
"James, didn't realise you were here." He sat down in the last remaining seat and poured himself some tea. "Always a pleasure to see you, and Weiss, your mother and I missed you terribly. How was your year without us?"
"Freeing." Weiss answered, keeping her composure and Aura chained down in case she 'accidentally' caused some damage. "Learned the beginner's material of being a Hunter, made a few friends, started dating my partner. The usual of boarding school."
"Top marks I assume?" Jacques didn't betray anything in his features, the previous vein in his forehead flattening down. Weiss nodded. "And this partner of yours? I'd love to meet him and see who caught the eyes of my daughter."
"Her." Weiss held his gaze and could see anger roiling in his irises. She had no doubt she'd be in for some discipline if she ever made if back to Castle Schnee. Only their public setting prevented him from scolding her heavily or worse.
"Hmm. Come Weiss, we've wasted enough time here. Time for us to return home. I just need to find Ozpin or Goodwitch and tell them of your departure."
"That won't be necessary." Summer replied, speaking for the first time since Jacques arrived.
"And who're you to tell me what to do?" His demeanor shifted rapidly to hostile. "I am her father, and I have a right to withdraw her from this school."
"Wrong. Weiss is my Hunter, and you have no right to withdraw while she remains a Hunter." Summer answered back in her previously unused monotone, causing shivers to run up everyone's spine. "And I'm Summer Rose, the current Commander of Beacon and Ozpin's replacement."
His demeanor took a 180 degree turn.
"Miss Rose-" Summer interrupted him, correcting him to Commander, causing the forehead vein to reappear. He was going to get her title right. "Commander Rose, I'm her father and this is a school. I always have the right to withdraw her whenever I deem it fit."
"Wrong." Her voice became even more devoid of emotion and everyone listening received goosebumps. "She is a Hunter, an adult in the eyes of Vale's laws, and in my military service. Until she expresses the need to left, or I deem her unfit for duty, you have no right to dictate where she goes."
"I don't think you quite understand who I am, Miss Rose." Jacques stood up from his seat and tried to intimidate her, getting right in her face. "I am Jacques Schnee, the owner of the Schnee Dust Corporation, supplier of the Dust your Hunters use, and the richest man on Remnant."
Summer sipped her tea, all the while keeping eye contact, unnerving the man with her void of an eye.
She snapped her fingers.
Movement exploded around the colonnades surrounding the courtyard they sat in, revealing Hunters sitting on top of each column with weapons trained at their guest.
"And I'm the woman who decides whether you leave my courtyard alive. With one word, I can have you strewn across this plaza." Summer engulfed her guests with her Aura, paralyzing them. "You assumed the right to fly into my military base, you assumed the right to threaten my deputy, and you assumed the right to command my Hunters, yet you are nothing to me. Sit or continue embarrassing yourself."
He begrudgingly sat back down, knowing his own security forces would be ineffective without their weapons against a superior enemy.
"Weiss, do you wish to discontinue your tenure as one of my Hunters?" She nodded no. "Then you have no legal grounds to remove her. If that completes your business at Beacon, then I'll have a team escort you back to your craft." Summer crossed her legs, going back to drinking her tea, evidently done with the conversation.
Jacques seethed quietly, but could do nothing against an entire legion of Hunters dedicated to protecting Weiss from being taken by him. Without another word, he turned at stalked back to the ferry, followed by a team of Hunters.
Weiss let loose a large breath of air as the confrontation ended, looking at the ever composed James before cracking a smile and allowing herself a laugh.
"He didn't even notice I cut my hair." She frowned, playing with the slightly uneven strands. "Says how much he pays attention to me."
"You're not going back and he can't touch you anymore." James ruffled her hair and she swatted it aside, still smiling. "As much as I wished you were one of my Hunters, you'll be safer away from Atlas."
"He still doesn't know about you becoming a Vale citizen and he'll be in for a surprise if he tries to pursue this in our court system, regardless if he uses the heir clause. You're no longer part of the Schnees so it's invalidated. He's lucky I didn't order him blown from the sky."
Killing the idiot would accomplish nothing and Nova would immediately veto the idea. He'd suffer a slow and agonizing political death before being shipped off to Menagerie to answer for his crimes against humanity.
"You're dismissed for now, but do inform Yang her appointment for her new arm is tonight."
Summer had something to check.
Monty Memorial - Around 2300
Team SKBN and RWBY had packed themselves into the room adjoining to the operating theatre. The former were only here for the fallout Summer would be going through once Yang learned of her past. She was already in her hospital gown with her hair tucked into a ponytail and into a cap, playing with the dressing on her stump.
"How long will I be out for, and when can I expect to return to full strength?" She asked Nova, going to the person who had gone through this already.
"Attaching the arm will take about twelve hours, depending on any complications, and you'll have to be awake for the entirety of it. You'll be anesthetized first for where they attach the replacement bone, but when they reattach the nerve endings, you won't be anesthetized. It's hurt like a bitch, and pray they get the connections right the first time or you'll go through it again."
"You're just saying that to scare me...right?" She received blank stares of pity from most of Team SKBN.
"Reattaching the nerves to the most complicated part of the body such as the hand is a task even the most skilled surgeons have trouble with. Each finger and joint needs to articulate properly or you'll be compromised on the field. Just be happy they've managed to cut the time in half."
Yang gulped. Maybe she should have rethought getting her arm cut off in the first place, but the quiet Faunus sitting in the corner made it all the worthwhile.
It was going to be a long night, but information always had a price.
Summer's eye twinkled.
AN: Finishing this chapter took way too much brain power. I know I said I'd release it around New Year's but I was dead wrong. I knew where I wanted to take the story, but struggled so much to actually get it there. It's less words than I thought it was going to be, even if I planned to have the confrontation with Jacques as a complete separate chapter, but Summer wasn't going to mince words with this man. I didn't want to add pointless word filling fluff as everything was dialogue driven this chapter. Also had to watch Vol.4 Ep.5 (?) to get a good feel for the Belladonnas and they're the best parents Blake could ask for.
Next chapter: Chapter Eleven - Black. Pov: Neo.
She somehow became one of my main characters when I wasn't looking. Ozpin made me do it. I've found myself loving writing from her point of view.
This is also where my outline for the story comes to a close so the next chapters will be more sketchy until I get a blueprint going. Also, someone tell me if the cover story for this fanfic shows up as it doesn't show up when I view it.
Each chapter title is named for a reason, so have a crack at guessing why.