Chapter Thirty Five: Into the Jungle

Mistral controlled waters

Near Sub Continent of Menagerie

A paper is smacked into the boy's had, spooking him out of his reverie. "Pardon?" Carmine looks at Blair, who looms over him with a cold stare. "Um... what's this?" A nervous laugh leaves him.

The team, now recovered, was now set out on their adventure for Menagerie... on the grand venture of a janky speed boat. Coasting at an acceptable speed, the four team members felt the wind sweeping through as they traveled.

Heading to the slightly more tropical island style land, they are each dressed down slightly. Carmine wears a dark green t shirt under his Zero form armor, complete with black Capri pants that he couldn't stop scratching at the bottoms. Warm weather can screw itself.

Roman had decided against a jacket, wearing a tight white shirt with sleeves ending mid fore arm. He also wears black pants with suspenders, black gloves, and a red ascot. With his typical hat, of course. Somehow, Roman's hat remained atop his head in the wind.

Neo uses Hush to shield herself from the sunlight, pink aviator sunglasses... that Carmine already yelled at her for stealing from the last town. Damn it. Her neck and arms drip with her accumulated collection of bracelets and jewelry, none of which matched. She wears a pink tank top, loose white pants and, amusingly to Carmine given the Termigator incident, brown croc shoes.

Then, the unholy dictator looming over Carmine. Blair stands in her pleated white shirt, violet sash, and black pants. Her typical outfit, save for replacing the boots with black tied sandals. Guess someone can enjoy good beach weather themselves once in a while.

"While we have some down time, I brought these along." Blair starts, allowing her eyes to drift closed enjoying the wind whipping by.

"And these are..?" Carmine questions, handing one to Roman and Neo as well. He reads the top. "Squad ethics quiz-let?" He gives her an off look. "You've been doing this for the last few days?"

Blair nods. "Second year students at Beacon are given two personality quizzes. The first is a personal quiz for oneself to be shown to the others. The second is done as a team. Seeing as we're already in plenty of live situations and don't have oversight, the second is useless to us. The first, however, allows the members of the team to better know what to expect and trust of their teammates in the field."

Immediately, Carmine felt his gut drop, knowing this was her continuing the conversation a few days ago. She noticed his grimace, raising a brow with a light twinkle in her eye. She was daring him to contest this.

Luckily, he didn't have to. "Oh, great. A hunter political compass test. I'll pass." Oh, thank the brother gods, Roman. You're a beautiful-

"I'll pay you so long as you're honest." Blair counters, holding out a handful of Lien.

Roman snaps his head over. "Oh, that was easy. Thank you, Barbie." He accepts, happily, before taking an honest look at the page. Roman, you unhelpful bastard...

"Good." Blair pleasantly replies, turning back to Carmine. "We can go through this together, even." The boy felt the hairs on his neck stand... Maybe Neo can throw the papers over- Said girl leisurely sits up excitedly, giving a coy grin and accepts her paper eagerly. Well, that option is out.

Defeated, he sighs. "Cool. Let's do it then..." He reads the first question. "Number 1. What do you hope to gain out of this path? A. Professional gain. B. Personal fulfillment. C. Benefit of others. D. Other."

Instantly, Roman is ticking off his paper. "Proooofessional gain." Money. Got it. Carmine looks to Neo, who circles B and shows them. Next, he looks to Blair.

"I answered A back at Beacon, too." This earns a raised brow from the conman. "Seeing how that turned out, my answer now is D."

Carmine feels weird about it, tempted into asking. "Wouldn't most Hunters pick C?"

"Most everyone who goes to the academies do so to get something out of it. They just happen to be doing an objective good while there. Hunters are not super heroes often." Blair clarifies. "To answer C means that nothing coerced or manipulated you on this path. You are here purely because of altruistic tendencies with no outside influence."

No outside influence. A slight sting of anger bubbles at that... Still. He marks C and moves on. His hesitation raises Blair's brow. "So, Number 2. Your partner is in danger on one side. A bus of civilians are in danger on the other. You can only save one." He already hates this one, given the conversation last time. "Which do you save and why?"

"Teammate." Roman ticks off relaxed.

Carmine gives him the stink eye. "Rich. Coming from someone who has sold out his team before..."

Roman smirks. "Why, yes. I care a great deal less about random people than I do even about those I screw over."

"But, partner. Who exactly is partnered here?" Carmine asks.

Blair nods. "You and Roman went to the Silver Auditorium together. You and Roman. Neo and myself." This is punctuated by her holding a low five hand and Neo slapping it. "I answered Teammate as well." At Carmine's raised brow, she elaborates. "More lives will be saved with more hunters. The short term loss will hurt, but I believe it's worth it."

While Carmine struggles with the question, Neo holds up her paper, the word 'Teammate' placed. At an expectant look, Neo signs out. "People are disappointing. I'm saving the person I know."

Carmine's head tilts downward, the answers not sitting well with him. Blair notices this and answers. "There isn't a wrong answer, Carmine. These questions are to show your priorities. So that we can know what to expect from you."

Out of pressure, he nearly repeats their answer...

A smiling woman obscured by a hood comes to mind...

He flinches and sighs. "I'd save the civilians... If we give up on people right in front of us... it makes it easier to justify giving up on more. It's wrong." He almost mumbles the answer, but it earns a snort from Roman.

"And that's why heroes die." He speaks callously before reading the next question. "On a scale of 1 to 10: How important is your survival vs your contracts? The hell?"

Blair answers. "Simply put. The more likely you are to put the mission before yourself, the lower you answer." She leaves out that she'd changed the wording of the question to be a touch more apt to the boy. It originally specified the team, but she wished for a more direct result. "I would place myself at a 6."

Roman scoffs again. "10. Neo?" The girl answers this time by conjuring a score card. '5'. "Really? A go with the flow answer."

"Carmine?" Blair eases, seeing he'd already put his answer. He looks uneasy, glancing away as she reads his page... he wrote '1.'

Damn...

The boy was already glaring at the next question. She knew it, having put it down, but Roman and Neo's reactions also peeked her interest. Roman was completely unimpressed. She thought he might somewhat show something at it. Neo, on the other hand, looked as unhappy as Carmine with it. Blair reads out. "Number 4. A member of your team has become a lethal casualty. Whose absence from your team would most affect your chances of success?"

A casualty... A death. Who could they lose?

A question that held many caveats beyond the simple thoughts. In the right combination of people, even the most capable single person could be the answer. Different team members could also differ widely on this view. Not something to wish to experience, but one to know the best case scenario of a terrible situation.

Surprisingly, Roman isn't the first one to answer. Neo points a pen in hand to herself, raising a brow. Blair blinks in surprise. Carmine immediately cuts her off. "Can we skip this? This is a stupid question."

Blair narrows her gaze at him, ignoring the statement before settling her eyes on Neo. "Why do you say yourself, Neo?"

Neo shrugs and holds up one hand, miming a puppet. She then slowly signs out. "I can't communicate well, so me going would affect you guys least."

Roman snorts. "Now, that's just selling yourself short. Buuut, being my property does put you more in the expendable category." Blair and Carmine both furiously glare at him, Neo raising a brow. "I can't exactly argue, but a word of advice. The more expendable you are to the world, the more determined you should be to live. To tell it to screw off."

Neo smiles at that, even if the guy just agreed with her answer. She signs out. "Okay. I'll make sure you go first."

"Good girl, Neo!" Roman responds, confounding the other two. He then glances at Blair with a smarmy grin. "Now, on with it. Tell me how predictable your answer is."

Sarcastically, Blair drawls in a dull look. "Oh, I'll miss you so..." She huffs. "We'll find a trail without you. Useful as you may be, Neo's and Carmine's developing skills are too useful." At that, she gives a soft look to Carmine, who glances down. "Carmine?"

A moment goes by before the boy crumples the paper up and tosses it overboard. He meets Blair's forming scowl as he simply puts it out there. "Roman is too needed because of his experience, connections, and skills. Blair is needed because of her medical knowledge and training. Neo's illusions and skills are too good in combat and infiltration." He looks them each in the eye. "If any of us has to die, it'll be me. That's an order."

Damn... Worse than Blair expected.

Carmine sighs. "Now... what else do we need to prepare?"

. . .

The island nation peeks over the horizon as the shady looking driver of the speed boat shouts out. "We'll be slowing down to cut the sound! We'll hit land in 30!"

As the boat slows, Carmine eyes the lands far, far ahead. "So, where are we hopping off at?"

The driver, a man with a silky beard and whiskers, responds. "Bout a mile inland is a smaller outpost village. It maintains a supply route from the south end of the land up North to the heart village of Menagerie." The guy tones the engine down further before turning on the boy. "You gotta blend in, though. Menagerie ain't like the kingdoms with laws. The wrong faunus with grudges against humans comes across you, you may end up rotting in the woods."

"So, humans are not outright banned?" Blair questions.

The man shrugs. "Depends entirely on your local leaders. Chieftain Belladonna is open to all peoples, but if Sienna Khan finds a whiff of ya, well... I lose a customer."

Roman smirks, removing a pack of Lien and tosses it to the man. "Speaking of. Some extra to help with the makeup."

As the man snatches the pack outta the air, Carmine double takes. "Wait, what? Makeup?"

"Gotta look the part, little man." The driver says, nose twitching. Looking at the silky fur beard and how thin he is, he finally pegs him as an otter faunus! "I get people in and out all the time. Rarely humans since you guys never give two damns bout the island, but when it needs done, well..."

"We get to play faunus for a few days." Roman grimaces and holds up a small pack. "I got lizard contacts and some scale mesh. A salamander faunus."

Blair scrutinizes the pack. "And this... fools them? They have higher senses than humans."

"Just steer clear of dog faunus. Their smell will sniff you out if you get close. I got patches to mimic certain species scents, but those only drown out the smell, not replace it." The driver gestures to a bag in the cargo slot near the front.

Blair eyes the slot, sighing. "Then I shall be..." A brief image of her old team comes to mind. "A deer faunus if you can mimic the ears."

"Super easy." The guy responds. "The material for a prosthetic can coil and tighten with aura infusing to mimic twitches even."

"For real?" Carmine cocks his head confused. "Why would-"

Blair and Roman answer. "Films." Roman continues. "Atlas film industry didn't like actual faunus being actors, so they spared no expense to keep em off."

A mix of intrigue and anger musters at that. His hands come to his hips in thought. "Hmm..."

Nudge nudge.

Neo's digits poke into his side. He ignores it. The driver glances over. "Kid, whatcha wanna be?"

Nudge nudge. Neo keeps poking. Carmine rolls his eyes. Nudge nudge. The pokes jostle him lightly. Nudge nudge. Nudge nudge. Nudge nudge-

He lets out an exasperated sigh. "What is it, Ne- NO!" He shouts wide eyed as he looks at the girl. "No! Pick something else!"

The girl sits pretty beside him, batting her eyes. Atop her head are two large elongated canine ears with tufted insides and black tips. One was pink and the other brown, matching her sides of her hair. A shatter illusion over her actual form.

… She was a fox faunus... with the biggest grin he's ever seen on her.

"No." She nods yes. "No!" She nods yes, grin widening. "I will shatter those off!" She makes a mock shock, turning to reveal a brown fox tail with a white tip. Immediately, the boy's face is flushed...

Until a hand swats him over the head. He yelps, turning to see Blair unimpressed. "Stop wasting time and pick something. And Neo, the tail is too much and too likely to shatter off. Go without it." Neo is disappointed as she shatters the tail off.

Carmine, pouting, sighs and thinks. His mom comes to mind as he perks lightly. "Guess I'll just be a dog faunus." He sighs before the group prepares for landing. Infiltration... start.

. . .

"I look stupid..." Carmine huffs.

"Oh, you look no different from usual." Roman mocks.

"Shove it." Carmine whines out. "Why couldn't he two tone it?" The voices carried through the foliage. The group were marching through the tropical flora, nearing the sounds of a town ahead. "Blair's looks so much better."

"Because unlike you, Barbie's attractive." Roman dramatically sighs.

"You look fine, Carmine. And excuse me?" Blair whisper shrieks. Groaning out. "Oh never mind. Neo! Put Carmine's wallet back. We're almost in town."

Carmine snaps. "Neo! The hell?!"

"Hmm hmm." The mute hums a laugh, giggling. The group emerges onto a dirt road, varying levels of mirth among them.

Neo's shatter disguise ears flick in place, her cheeky grin widening at the boy's irritation. Blair prosthetic deer ears blend behind her bangs. The fake fur was only slightly darker than her blonde. A flare of aura from her head to one side made the left ear twitch slightly. Her typical pony tail was gone, hair loose past her shoulders to cover the ear attachment.

Roman looked the least bothered. Scale mesh markings under his eyes to his cheeks and contact lenses. A grainy look to the color of his eyes, now a mixed yellow-green. Otherwise, no difference. "Alright, watch dog. Lead the way."

"Shut up..." Carmine grinds out in front of him. He himself likewise had ear prosthetic... silver furred dog ears. Apparently getting two tones is asking a bunch.

"I don't understand your disdain of slightly more silver. The coloration of your natural hair highlights is distinct." Blair asks behind him. A second passes before she hums in realization. "Afraid of looking like your father?"

Carmine's twitch answers that, Roman snickering. "Barbie, you know old man Superior. You think Silver Streak here is representative of the old man in his golden years?"

The boy twitches again. Blair surprisingly entertains the conman. "I would expect Ozpin to be immune to embarrassment. Looks are striking, though."

Neo gets right on the 'annoy Carmine' train as she conjures a sign. Carmine can only make out Ozpin's shape before he swats the sign and shatters it. "Enough. Let's move on."

The four march towards a collection of hovels ahead. A small village outpost. The structures vary in quality, but much better than Carmine expected. The architecture seems to favor open air pathways. Windows with no closing. Sliding doors. A large number of hanging decorations. The coloration of the materials varies through various shades of brown, red, orange, yellow, and green.

The people are all faunus, as expected, but the diversity in species actually surprises the boy. A female scorpion faunus with a ponytail stinger? When was that on the table?! That's so cool! The woman was at a community stand, writing out messages and responses to mail communications. Each hand had a pen, writing on two papers while the stinger had an ink pot so it could write too!

Carmine couldn't stop the wide eyed look as he approached. "That's so cool! I've never seen someone do that."

The woman blinks, shocked at the approach. "Oh! Hello. Not from around here I take it?" The boy lit up and began asking away. The rest of Team CRBN watches on, Roman rolling his eyes.

"Well, I suppose 'let's move on' just means 'stop picking on me.'" He looks about, spotting plenty of animal hides and leather tanning stations. "This place seems more like a resource gathering village. We'll head North and- where's Neo?"

Blair snaps a look around. The girl was too curious for her own good. Luckily, she spots the girl at a food stand down the road. A goat faunus man speaks peacefully to the girl looking wide eyed at a number of exotic tropical fruits. Roman follows her gaze and huffs amused.

"If we are going to get derailed immediately, we may as well make some money."

"We are NOT doing witch doctor again." Blair adamantly refuses, crossing her arms. The absolute embarrassment of playing doctor in the town square of Vaterra still bothers her.

"Come now. Look at all these different faunus species. Not a dog in sight, by the way. You can't say you don't want to mad science a bit with the difference DNA. Don't some faunus semblances gel with their unique species?" He gives a cocky grin, throwing out the half baked theory. Her eyes narrow, which makes his grin widen. "Tell you what. 20% can go to Hans and Gretel since they don't contribute as much, leaving 40% to each of us."

A power breath sucks in through her nose... then out through the mouth in a sigh.

Roman wins. Roman always wins!

. . .

Vale Territories

City of Sanctuary

The train screeches away from the elevated platform. The three hunters descend the stairs, Rowa grumbling. "Those seats hurt so much." He rubs the small of her back in a whine. The violet haired woman looks out to the city, unimpressed.

"Only the best from Rata Railways." Qrow remarks sarcastically as he strolls up beside her. "Been a while since I've had to ride in one, though."

Glynda joins them, astute and proper. "Well, not everyone can enjoy the wind like you, Mr Branwen." Rowa raises a brow, but doesn't question the remark. Obviously, Glynda has experienced the pleasure of Qrow's company before, working at Beacon. Maybe an inside joke?

"So... Blair was here a week and a half ago, huh?"

Glynda twitches at the sound of her sister's name. "I will collect the local police reports." She's already marching off from the two.

"Glynda- Wait!" Rowa calls out, the blonde leaving the former teammate and drunk behind. Rowa deflates, arms hanging. "What are we? Beacon students again? Jeez." She sighs and glances over at Qrow, who is removing his flask from pocket. "You know, being Ozpin's veteran, I'd expect you to be taking charge."

The man gives a slight smirk. "Yeah, well. I'm almost exclusively a solo Huntsman, given my semblance. Plus, none of us were the leaders of our teams. I think Oz was hoping we'd work that out." He takes a long gulp from the container. "Although, bad starting move going to the Vale prison."

Rowa sulks dramatically. "I thought that Bangle guy would know more!" Her sulking turns to almost crying waterfalls. "I didn't think my suggestion would waste our time!"

Right. They'd had to wait days for clearance to meet and interview the guy. Qrow hums. "Not all bad. We learned something at least." He looks to the sky, raising a brow. "I want to check something out at the docks. You wanna head to the hospital to interview them?"

She perks up. "You got something?"

"Just something the Bangle guy said, that AZRL used corrupt dock workers to manage shipments. I wanna see if I can solve the disappearing cyborg boy problem." The man mock salutes her before turning away. "Be careful. Something tells me there's more skulking around in the dark still."

"Gotcha. Be safe." She turns to walk away, making only a few steps before turning once more. "Hey, I got another... question..." Qrow is gone. Nothing around, save for a black feather settling on the ground. Her head snaps all over, unable to find the man before she grinds out. "How does he do that?"

Confused, she goes on her way. However, the man was more correct than either knew.

Just a few blocks over, a man in a gray duster marches down the streets in broad daylight. His blonde Mohawk stood on end, his broad, uncaring smile flashes his single gold tooth. He gives a happy whistle, sunglasses shielding his gaze as he turns in towards a gated off property. Upon glancing at the 'Beware of dog' sign, the man continues to whistle the upbeat tune as he peeks over the fence.

Two guard dogs perk up from a porch, growling before barking loudly. They rush to the fence, agitated by the man's presence. However, he keeps on whistling. Pulling his duster side out, he reaches into the inner pocket, withdrawing a sealed pouch. Opening it, he pulls out a seasoned, cooked hunk of meat and dangles it for the dogs.

They perk, more interested in the new meat. He tosses it aside into the yard, the dogs rushing for it and chomping into it. Satisfied, the whistling man opens the gate and enters the yard. He kicks the gate closed and goes to the door.

Ta-ta-tap. Ta-ta-tap! He gives six fast knocks in rhythm and continues to whistle until the door opens.

A man, shorter only reaching the first's shoulder, wearing a black fedora. Two long tan furred ears are angled down under the hat. Built strong with broad shoulder, he wears a clean black suit jacket. However, he's also on the heavy side, a touch of a gut poking out the open jacket in a white shirt. He had gray suit pants below that down to shiny shies.

The shorter man, with lighter tanned skin and a cigar hanging in his mouth, appraises the knocker with onyx eyes. "Killian? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Killa grins, snatching the cigar from the man's mouth and twirling it around, taking a huff himself. Blowing smoke, he grins, flashing his one gold tooth. "Ah, Donatello, it's been too long. I say, I come with a message of opportunity!"

As he takes another huff of the cigar, a fist digs into his gut, bellowing the smoke out in a cough. The short man, Donatello, swipes his cigar back with a blank glance. The index and ring fingers on both hands have gold rings. "Come on in. You want a drink?" He asks, as if he hadn't just fisted Killian Gonzola center mass.

Killa struggles to compose himself, laughing the pain away. "Why th-thank you! Whiskey would do fine!" He hobbles into the house, shaking off the hit fully before finding himself in a clean, spotless house with gorgeous art decorating the walls. He finds a leather couch, plopping down.

Soon, Donatello returns, two bottles in hand. He passes one to Killa and sits on a leather chair across from the chameleon faunus. "At the crack of the cap, you got a minute to see me on this or you're outta here. And..." He pops the cap. "Go."

Killa grins like mad. "Got a hit contract. Four bodies need a killing, and I mean for the big bucks too. I'm wanting you, me, and two more hired hands. 20% to each of you, 40% to me for being offered the job to begin with."

Donatello raises a brow and crosses his leg. "Mhm."

Sensing the need to go on, Killa shrinks slightly. "Now, the money is HUGE! But, the only issue is the who we're 86'ing. Three wannabe hunters and an old enforcer for Mr Senior."

At the word 'hunters', Donatello's eyes widen slightly. "Last time you hooked up a crew for this, everyone involved died." He points out.

Ready, the murderer points back. "Something that happened BECAUSE of said enforcer we'll be killing. C'mon. You know you wanna avenge the boys."

"Cal owed me ten grand. I doubt you can make me care about that." He takes a huff from the cigar, blowing smoke through the room. "Where at?"

This is where Killa frowns. "Okay, so we kinda have to track them. All expenses paid, of course." He lounges back, regaining his crooked smile. "But, we pop some teens and two young peoples and become mega millionaires. What do ya say?"

"And what company can I expect on this oh so grand adventure besides yourself? Miriam?"

Killa bursts into a laugh, only stopping when Donatello isn't laughing with him. He shrugs. "Uh... no. She's still pushy about that Bohemian lifestyle. Also, she said some choice words about me stickin' her brother. People and grudges, man." Killa answers, huffy and indignant.

"Karlton?"

"Won't trust me after what happened in Manaan."

"Blarto?"

"Still imprisoned after the bad Mantle getaway."

"Mimi?"

"Died last summer in the Terran heist."

Donatello cocks his head... then narrows a glare. "... You came to me so I could recruit for you."

Killa only grins back. "Glad to have you on board! It's so good for friends to stick close, right?" He shrugs and leans in his seat expectantly. "So, what do you say?"

The man glares at the faunus until he takes the fedora off. His long ears flick before standing up. A kangaroo faunus. He places the hat down upon his head, the ears sliding through slits in the brim, locking the hat in place. "One condition. Your price. 20% for the others each, but I split the difference with you for 30 apiece. Capiche?"

Killa pouts, scowling a bit before huffing. "Alright, you scary bastard. We got a deal!"

. . .

Menagerie

Island Capital

The bustling populace worked about their days in the late afternoon. A carriage wagon marches into the heart of the main Menagerie village, probably hundreds of faunus surrounding. There was an active marketplace, stands with various types of foods, materials, items, tools, more. The roads were mostly stone, but dirt paths still showed around each corner.

Down the road shone the glimmering sea. A full port with fishing and trade endeavors abound. The carriage stops between the port and town center, opening.

Carmine steps out, eyes wide and curious. Neo follows after, their heads almost twisting around one another in curiosity. Blair exits next as Roman finishes settling a new pouch stuffed with Lien at his waistline.

The conman huffs. "Not impressed. Barbie, keep the tourists on a leash please." A faunus man with gazelle horns looks up from a paper at the word 'leash'. Roman raises a brow and shrugs. "Figuratively, bud. Mind the eavesdropping." The man scowls and returns to reading his paper.

"Don't be rude." Carmine admonishes the man, turning to the gazelle bystander and bowing respectfully. "Sorry, don't mind him. He's cold blooded." The wise crack is rushed before Carmine pulls and drags Roman along.

The group moves down the road. So peaceful actually... They enjoy the sunny weather. Too much as Carmine frowns uncomfortable in the heat. Thankfully, Neo opens Hush for shade. Only to crush his dreams as she keeps the shade to herself.

Huffing, he leads them. "So, we should check the port first?" He tries to whisper, but Roman swats him to quiet further.

Blair nods, speaking low. "We have to find the trail of medication. Once we know where medications go, we can narrow down specific ones. A dock manager would know, but we need a good reason to ask."

"Already got one in mind. Neo, you wanna chip in?" Roman smirks with his input. The girl smiles with slight glint if mischief in her eye. "Silver, Barbie, wait here. I'll be right back."

Carmine and Blair stop, sharing a glance. As the conman and girl leave, Carmine grumbles. "Not sure if I trust it."

Blair sighs. "I'll only question it if he returns with another bag of lien."

"I notice he calls Neo by her name, but not us." Carmine pouts. "Condescending ass."

Blair huffs a slight laugh. "Don't be envious. Be vigilant." She looks over, finding a few individuals in the crowd wearing red robes... Like members of an authority. "We don't want to get caught up by the wrong people."

With Roman and Neo, the two march along onto the wooden dock. Fishermen and sailors mill about alongside the odd traveling faunus. The port was mostly bare as far as ships were concerned. Then again, who in their right mind sails here for fun.

A small square station in the center of the wooden dock reveals a man going over paperwork in mild privacy. Roman smirks. "Bingo. Alright Neo, roll with me and look all worried and bothered." Neo raises a brow, but nods.

The man has a white streak of fur lined inside his long bushy hair. He also has buck teeth. Hmm, chipmunk or squirrel faunus? Interesting.

Roman coughs, as if settling himself... and puts on a concerned frown. "Excuse me? Uh, sir?" Neo fought to whip her head at the timid speech. Act pathetic. Act pathetic.

The man turns, seeing not the typical sarcastic conman, but a concerned young man and little girl... "Oh! Hello. What's the matter? Something wrong?"

Ah, concern returned. Success. Roman mentally smirks, but continues. "Sorry, it's just-. My cousin and I are visitors here and- Ah. I hate being a bother, but..." He pauses for effect, getting the man's full attention directed. "My baby cousin here has long had a throat infection that's taken her voice, and she requires medicine routinely for it."

Ah, THIS is what he's doing. Neo, in practiced action, massages her throat and grimaces, almost puppy dog eyes. Well, kit fox eyes. The man gives the girl a worried glance. "Oh, no. Does she need a doctor?"

Roman holds his hands up, feigning nervous apology. "No no! Nothing quite so urgent, my friend. It's just-... well..." A brief glint in his eye appears, only for a second. "This IS the main port of Menagerie. There's gotta be medical supplies and a pharmacy perhaps? We would just like to know where we could possibly go. We wouldn't want out trip here cut so tragically short."

The man furrows his brow, glancing at Neo, whose own grimace deepens. As if to sell it, she coughs into her her arm, having been forced to do so for years. It was natural at this point, even if fixed.

The man nods. "Yeah, yeah, brother. We have you. Uh..." He glances to his paperwork. "There's a compound of healers up the way that can help you out, but most of our on hand medicines are taken to a stockpile at the village of Bomba further inland. It's secure and fair if you end up that way too. Master Ilan is in charge there."

Roman perks. "Oh, thank you so much, sir! M-Master Ilan, you say? He's not too much of a hardened man is he? We don't want to step on anyone's toes." Neo punctuates this with wide shakes of her head.

The guy grins and huffs a laugh. "Well, he's stern, but has his heart in the right place. Don't worry. Master Ilan is well respected."

Roman embellishes a bow. "Thank you again sir. Have a blessed day!" He and Neo wave friendly as they leave... As soon as they turn around, Roman's smile drops to a smarmy grin, Neo barely containing laughter.

The two march along, finding Carmine and Blair in the marketplace. Roman brushes on by. "Come on, now! We got our destination."

Carmine cocks his head. "What the- That fast?" He looks at Neo. "What horrible thing did he do?" Neo smiles and shakes her head. Shamelessly, the girl and man fist bump, leaving a stumped Carmine and Blair suspiciously glaring. Carmine mumbles in horror. "Oh no... They're bonding. That can't be good."

"I would accept any other consequence the world can throw over this." Blair mocks playfully.

As the group traveled through, though, one figure in a red robe turns around behind them... Something about the group, the figure cocks its head, eyeing them up and down.

. . .

"And that's everything? Are you sure?" Qrow asks as his red eyes scan the area around him. He's stood at the docks in Sanctuary, the manager in charge in front of him.

"Sir, I need to get back to work. The cops came last week and cleared out fifteen of our workers who were compromised. I really can't spare any more time." The man groans, looking as if he hadn't slept in days. "Look, three of the ones arrested were working the night of the hospital attack. Nothing was on record, but one of our janitors did report seeing skiffs that weren't supposed to be tied up to port. When we came to inspect them by morning, we found the appropriate amount there."

Qrow nods. "Right. Sorry to bother. Thank you." The man walks away from the Huntsman as a furrowed brow came.

So, worst case scenario, the janitor was simply wrong, and the docks was a dead lead. The city had locked down most ports of entry in the days following the hospital raid. Only people verified by the police were allowed to leave. So, the question is how AZRL managed to smuggle out their men that did manage to escape from the cops.

If the docks isn't the answer, then that leaves nothing. That the cops were simply unable to find anything. However... If the janitor was right, that would mean AZRL was using paid off dock workers to smuggle their men into the city and out.

And also how they managed to disappear the cybernetic teen Team CRBN put down...

Damn.

Even if he could check with the ports nearby, he'd have to be absurdly lucky to happen up a random bunch of skiff boats. Typically smaller, those boats can only travel short distances anyway. Any other port they could get to wouldn't be on record. Possibly smuggling outposts.

Out of the corner of his eye, though, he sees the line of buildings along the coast. Warehouses for the docks. Further down, the industrial district. But, near the end of the coastal part of the city are some residential buildings... It's a long shot, but...

A good ten minute walk? A one minute flight out of sight.

Arriving at the urban housing, much of the actual coast line is rocks and gravel, but some of the houses have steps down to the waters for miniature docks. What catches his eye most is one house in particular having a black bulb fixture above their back door... a camera. If pointed in the right direction, hopefully a view of the water.

Qrow touches down in front of a rather nice house. Not much of a yard, the buildings being clustered so close. Still well kept and clean despite age of the building style. So, someone with money, or a VERY handy house wife.

The man marches up, halting a second to check his breath. Hmm, not TOO much alcohol on his breath. God, he needs another drink. Shrugging the thought off, Qrow knocks on the door. The door opens as he gives a lackluster smile, clearly fake.

. . .

Across the city, in the slums, a black antique car comes to a slow stop. Donatello is driving, Killian in his passenger seat. "We're here. Get out." Ahead of the car was a gathering of people, moving and vibing to loud bebop music. Some sort of public event.

Killa raises a brow as he gets out. "The hell kind of gathering we got here?" He spots a few signs with various peace signs and donation boxes on stands... with symbols everywhere. "Some church run out of money and begging on the streets now?"

The kangaroo faunus snorts a laugh, shaking his head. "No. Local church is fundraising a benefit fund for victims of that hospital attack last week. You might want to change color, by the way. Don't need nobody recognizing you." Killa shifts his skin to extremely pale with his hair raven black, grumbling to himself for the command.

They mingle into the crowd, listening to the energetic music and people chatting about. Killa even smirks. "Hell yeah. Who knew the religious nuts could party? Yo, who's the guy we're lookin' for?"

"Our guy? He runs this event." Donatello states emotionless. All business. "Directly ahead."

At the street center, there's a small stand with a makeshift mural painted directly onto the closest building's wall. Upon it stands a man with slicked back jet black hair. He had dark brown skin with bright aqua eyes. He wore a violet tunic with long open robe like black sleeves. The threads and trim bordering of the top was golden. Below that, he had black pants and golden shoes. An ankh hangs from a necklace around his neck.

The man is in rapt service, enticing the masses before him with a grief stricken face. "-And it is within these days of tragedy that we must come together. Not out of fear, but of love! Love for your fellow man. Love for your lost loved ones. And yes! Love even for those who walk the wrongful path. For only love can turn the fallen away from such heinous acts!"

Killa looks unimpressed, Donatello still smoking his cigar and watching on.

"Cause it is the light that illuminates the darkness outside... and in. In the name of the brothers, we pray... and we live." A chorus of call outs sound out 'and we live' from the crowd. "May we celebrate life and remind ourselves of what we still have, and find more to fill what we lost. With peace and love, I invite you here to heal. Bless."

The crowd claps as the man smiles and bows, moving from the stage. The people dispersed towards the vendors, eating and speaking. Donatello flicks his cigar away, he and Killa approaching the priest. Donatello calls out. "Father Ezra, you make it look easy."

The man whips around, his long slicked hair seemingly ruffling without stimulus. Were those feathers mixed in? Killa blinks and nods at the subtlety. "Donnie, baby! You really come down here to share the love?"

He and Donatello bump fists in greeting, the shorter stout kangaroo still failing to show emotion. "If I stay too long, I might burn from overload. You have people eating out of the palm of your hands."

The man, Ezra, grins wider and leans in. He whispers. "When you got class and opportunity asks, add more to the mass is what I say." He rubs his finger and thumb, imaginary coins in place. At that, Killa smiles widely. Oh! THAT'S the kind of person we got here. Ezra leans away and sighs. "You got my hopes up and dashed them entirely. You're here for business, aren't ya?"

"Only if you're in the mood to make some millions from some grunt work." Donatello states easily. He gestures to Killa beside him. "Here's our hiring man. Ezra, meet Killian."

Ezra lightly bows and holds his hand out. "Father Ezra Zion. Friends call me EZ." Killian takes the hand in a normal handshake before both men shift the hold up to a clasp. Ezra's other hand grips onto the back of Killa's as he adds. "No words. I got this."

A pulse of yellow aura around their hands shows. Killa's eyes widen, giving Donatello a warning glare. "The hell is he-"

Ezra brightens and looks up. "Ah... Mr Gonzola. You're not a fan of us religious folk." Killian hadn't said his last name. How did this man- "I looked for that myself." Ezra adds. What is he- "Your name. I checked inside."

Killa rips his hand away from the clasp, a small golden spark shows as their hands separate. "Okay, Don, you got one minute to tell me what this guy just did."

Donatello huffs a laugh. "Ezra's semblance allows him to peek into others' minds while touching."

Ezra offers his hand again. "If you don't wish to speak of the job offer, I can simply read it from you."

Killa looks at the hand like it contains poison. "You and your Holy Touch can stay with little boys. Ground rule one, none of that with me."

Ezra gives a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "I couldn't resist, sorry." He places his hand on Donatello's shoulder for a moment. The kangaroo begins to pull out another cigar, not annoyed by the touch. "You couldn't tip the guy yesterday?"

Donatello grumbles. "Stick to today, Ezra."

Killa grins at Donatello's annoyance. "So, you in?"

Ezra removes his hand from Donatello and mulls it over. "Hmm... I COULD let the altar hands run this event from here... You know what?" His smile widens, an off glint in his eye. "A consequence of the mortal coil is a need of the material to continue on."

"Up for offing some troublemakers for cash?" Killa offers.

Ezra's hair ruffles again as his smile widens. "Ah, just try to fuckin' stop me!"

. . .

Back on Menagerie, the touristic foursome continue their travels into the sunset. Moving within a travel caravan, twenty strong, they keep to themselves. However, the caravan comes to a halt, much to Carmine's chagrin. "Why're we stopping?"

The caravan head, a dinky looking bird faunus with a rifle, calls out to the group. "Sun is going down for the day, so we'll be camping out. No use traveling in the dark." He points about. "Stick to groups of four round individual fires. We got four guards to keep watch." He and three others with long guns set about setting up beside the dirt road.

A tropical forest around them also didn't sit well with them. But... what ya gonna do? Tell them they got four pseudo hunters and put attention on themselves? Not intelligent. That being said...

"Neo? Um... how are you gonna keep your ears from shattering?" Carmine whispers. At the girl's confused blink... he realizes something, jaw dropping. "You didn't think of that, did you?"

Sucking her lips in with wide eyes, she shakes her head. Blair whips her own look at the question. "You cannot be serious. How could you not think of that?" At her panicked look, Blair face palms. "Or any of us. We're smarter than this!"

Without speaking, Roman grumbles and walks over. He removes his bowler hat and roughly jamming it over Neo's head. The girl blinks wide eyed twice before looking at him. "There. Problem solved. Now, I'm going to sleep." Setting up a cot by a nearby campfire another group was setting. "Always gotta solve everyone's issues..." He grumbles.

Crisis partially averted, Carmine sighs, pulling out his scroll for some minor entertainment. His brow raises, seeing a text message. From... Roman?

"Red cloak, two groups over. He's been eyeing us for the last hour."

Carmine felt as if ice water was dumped all over him. Someone was on to them? It went on. "Spread the group so the human scent isn't concentrated. Just in case."

Carmine collects himself, forwarding the message to Neo and Blair. Waiting to see them each pull their scrolls out, he stretches and moves. Right over to another fire to set up his spot to sleep. Neo and Blair stick together, the group avoiding anyone being near the red cloaked individual.

. . .

Rowa's unimpressed look was only a microcosm of how she truly felt. The poor woman sat within the hospital cafeteria, a large stack of papers noting individual experiences during the former raid. "Thank you for your time. You may go." She dismisses the rather sunny looking nurse before her hands went to his face. She massages her temples in frustration. "You'd think one of them would have their contact info."

She'd spent the better part of the night interviewing staff hoping any of them had a means of contacting the wayward team. Unfortunately, despite having new medical records, none were left with anything as simple as, say, an address or scroll number.

With a deep grimace, she waits until another newcomer sits down. A white man in black scrubs and thick black hair swept upward. Wait... "Hello, am I able to help with anything?"

Rowa looks at the list of employees and smiles. "Yes, Dr... Daren."

"Call me JD." JD smiles amicably.

Rowa smiles and starts. "Well, I'm Rowa, Huntress. You were the doctor that directly treated... Neopolitan Rhodes?" She reads off. At his curt nod, she continues. "I am acting, under the authority of Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy to locate and track the missing Team CRBN. Is there anything you can give me to further that goal?"

JD's mouth pops open, eyes wide. "Well... We were given initial information on their contact information. However, none of the four listed an address, and the number they each wrote down turned out to be a number of a citizen in the Mistali city of Vaterra who believed we were spam callers."

"You treated them without verifying or obtaining full information?" She adds after, brow raising.

"More like we respected their privacy as a means of gratitude for the circumstances around us. Also, losing 30% of our information processing due to them being plants of an evil organization helped urge us to allow it." He nods and bobs his head as he speaks.

The woman deflates. It's more detailed than she's gotten from anyone else... and more problematic. "I see... Well, how about-" She stops, pen in her hand pausing on the page. Her eyes scrutinize the man for a moment. She leans forward, cocking her head. "Wait, have we met before?"

JD blinks. "Violet hair is a unique trait, so I'd think I'd remember you." That wasn't good enough. He seems vaguely familiar... On the tip of her tongue. She blinks wide. A hint of inspiration. She whips her scroll out, rapidly tapping and swiping away. "Uh-"

"Quiet. I need to go through my photos. Only 1100 after my last photo dump."

JD lets out a guffaw. "Why would you need that many photos in your scroll ever?!" His brow furrows as he thinks quickly on what is coming.

Rowa simply raises a finger to pause. "Hold on … HA!" She brightens and flips the scroll around... It's a picture of JD... Just a touch younger. "You lead Blair's internship in second year!"

The faunus blinks wide, looking like a deer in headlights. "Um... Okay, so that's why having 1000 photos is useful. Uh... how do you-"

Rowa flashes a grin. "I was Blair's Beacon partner. I know ALL about you." She winks as he pales more horrified. She puts her scroll away, resting her hand on his. "You get one chance."

His voice is suddenly a higher pitch. "Chance for what?"

"Give me your scroll, or give me Blair's current number." Just as he is about to deny having anything, Rowa continues. "Call it a hunch about my girl's first crush. Give it or regret today." He gulps...

. . .

Unbeknownst to the huntress on the prowl, just outside the hospital, the antique car passes on the road. The three renegade faunus inside sit quietly, enjoying the hip hop rhythm sounding on the radio. Killa back in his true color with tan skin and blonde hair, speaks up. "Alright, so we got the faith of god on our side. Who's your other recruit, Donnie?"

Donatello nods. "He's not in the city. He's in Mistral at the moment, so we'll have to video call. He's usually looking for work, despite his claim to always be busy." He pops his scroll into the dashboard, tapping away while he drives. The music dies down as the three faunus glance at the screen, Ezra peaking over the seats from the back.

The call answers, showing a man on the other end. Only his face, angular and sharp features. He had no eyebrow hair, nor any hair at all. A golden beret rests on his head, skin tanned almost to a bronze. His mouth was wider than normal, and he gazed in with brown eyes. "Hello, you have reached the... GLORIOUS and MAJESTIC Kallen! Is this for action or drama?"

"Action, rated NC-17." Donatello responds plainly. "Content warning for blood, gore, with a side of murder."

The man double takes at the screen. "Don?" He looks around himself quickly before glancing back with a cocky look. When his teeth should be visible, Killian can make out folds of gums where the teeth should be... Like fangs folded back. A SNAKE faunus! "You know, I'm quite tied up at the moment-"

Donatello cuts him off. "You answered on the second ring. You're not busy."

The bald man purses his lips, annoyed. Kallen glares back. "Alright, so my current shoot is over, and I'm extending my stay for local fun." He wriggles his brow trailing the end of the sentence.

Killa grins. "Oh, I like this one! A man of class."

Unperturbed by the indirect jab, Ezra grins and speaks. "Kallen! What was this one about?" Killa gives a stink eye.

"This one? What's this guy do?"

"He's an actor." Donatello answers. "What was it again? A Ninja's of Love parody?"

The man looks offended. "An adaptation!" He corrects angrily. He sees to shift his focus and sighs. "I suppose I may have time, but what kind of job are we talking? Who is the pleb with the hawk hair?"

"Depends. You got problems killing wannabe hunters for millions?" Killa answers with a grin. "Some of them being children."

The man on the screen scoffs. "Please. I'm an actor. Go on!" All four of the men grin at the answer.

. . .

bzzt. Bzzt... bzzt. Bzzt.

Blair's eye peeks open. Her scroll buzzes in her pocket, breaking her peaceful slumber. Bleary eyed, she looks around the camp. Neo is sound asleep beside her. Carmine and Roman are both out cold as well. They aren't calling, so...

She gets up, quickly leaving her cot by the fire and glancing around. Two of the guards are patrolling the area as the others rest. Timing herself, she slips through their blind spot moving into the tropical surroundings.

Blair finds herself in a small spot between trees, out of sight and out of mind. She answers. The call is garbled, only one bar signal for the call. Right. There's only one CCT tower in Menagerie, and my is it an old out of date monstrosity.

"This better be important, JD." Her attempt to sound urgent and threatening is marred by the slightly tired tone.

JD's voice rings through. "Hel-lo-lo? B-B-Lair?" The speech is static filled, the sound stuttering out. "W-here a-a-are you?"

She shifts her hold of the scroll until thankfully finding an inconvenient sweet spot, getting a second bar. "Not important. What are you calling me at this hour for?" She glances up. The forest was still pitch black, but the sky was beginning to tinge with light. So, it was even earlier in Vale. Time zones are an annoyance.

"Uh, sorry. Long work night. Actually, I was..." A long pause drags as Blair almost expects the call to drop. "... checking to see Neo's progress. Is her throat healed okay?"

Blair pinches her nose. She's awake, so... screw it. Her sigh was audible as she catches the nervous chuckle on the other end. "She's recovered well. You and Kris were correct. Her aura stamina has extended substantially. We... owe you."

. . .

In the dark night of Sanctuary, inside the hospital, JD is on his scroll by the window of the empty cafeteria. Across the table, Rowa stares pointedly at him. She blinks surprised, hearing the open appreciation. Is this... the same frigid partner she knew?

JD sends a worried glance as she motions him to continue. Keep her talking. A cable connects his scroll to her own. A graphic with a bar reads 'tracking'.

JD grimaces. "I see. Uh, are there any prescriptions or medications you all might need? I can send to the nearest pharmacy in whatever kingdom you're in."

"No. There's no pharmacy close enough either way. Although, we might luck into some ourselves." Rowa raises a brow at that. Then an uncomfortable quiet sounds from the scroll. Then a crack. Blair whispers. "Something's near. Be well." and she cuts out.

JD sighs and frowns. "She's going to kill me for this."

Rowa responds cheerfully. "Maybe." However, the merry mood disappears looking at her scroll.

"What did you do?" The doctor asks. The huntress smirks despite herself.

"Oh, I got into a habit of tapping calls with her back at Beacon. She'd work herself to death away from the team, so I'd always force her to talk until I could trace her location." Her short giggle once more dies. The scroll screen lights up with the last ping location. "Couldn't get her exact spot, but it's enough."

Still, her mind screamed out. What the hell was she doing in Menagerie's area?

. . .

A quick lash of metal slicing flesh sounds. A bisected Beowolf hits the ground as Blair pockets her scroll and sheathes Fluorescent. JD surprised her, but then again, he's always been overly invested in what holds his focus. She makes a mental note to contact him soon for a proper update on Sanctuary's recovery.

She sneaks her way back to the camp, easily infiltrating back to her sleeping cot. The guards were lackluster at best. Still, the blonde catches a concern. Neo's head is visible, Roman's hat shifted slightly off. Blair double takes around. Neo must have shifted in her sleep...

Gently, she moves the hat to better cover the girl's head. Satisfied, she returns to her own slumber.

. . .

The travel caravan wakes at dawn, rousing from their slumber and gathering their things. Neo returns Roman's hat, revealing her shatter ears back in place. Continuing their pilgrimage, they see the makings of an outpost village ahead. The village of Bomba.

It's surrounded by ten foot tall wooden fence with bamboo supports allowing flexibility. The octagonal village has skewed uneven sides, but each corner has a guard tower barely peeking over the large, tall tree line. Each port of entry has guards, as well as each of the towers.

While residential houses were present, almost the totality of the village was built for function over form, only matching the other Menagerie architecture in material. The traveling group arrives and moves through the gate.

The group guards were chatting with the village guards about how they managed to make the trip without a SINGLE Grimm appearing. Blair huffs each time she hears them state such a thing. The travelers, sixteen total including the CRBN members.

Carmine grumbles. "What? Are we not able to walk anywhere on our own?"

One of the faunus in the group, a lady with darkened skin around her eyes, responds. A raccoon faunus. "Oh, this village is very important to Menagerie's ability to treat its citizens. Every travel caravan is greeted by an official for- Oh!" The woman looks up, perking.

Carmine and the group glance up as a man in a red tunic with near black navy sleeves walks up. Ornate white patterns adorn the tunic and the navy pants as well as he approaches with his hands behind his back. He's flanked by two guards wearing white fang uniforms, complete with their masks. The fair skinned man smiles warmly, long pink hair is swept back in a ponytail... the hair darkening to black down the length.

At the end of the ponytail, it stops being hair... and is shiny black with a stinger. A scorpion faunus.

He smiles at the group attending. "Hello there, brothers. Sisters. I am Master Ilan, governing body of this village." His mauve red eyes are warm as he directs a pleasing smirk to all present. "I see new faces abound! My, I've only seen three of you before. So many bright travelers coming to our kind's own lands. It warms my heart."

Blair and Neo share a glance. The guy was... insanely pleasant. His tone was pure. This was the man in charge of the medical supply on the island? If so... then he would be their target... right?

Carmine, on the one hand, was similarly confused. However, the man's words went in one ear and out the other. He... looks familiar. Like he's seen him somewhere before. Which... given the scorpion tail hair, should be pretty distinct. He looks to Roman...

Who looks blank... Roman is masking himself. Carmine isn't able to read the man, but something is up...

Master Ilan continues to smile bright. "I hope our amenities are to your liking. If you are traveling to visit important sights or for exploration, you may take any of the southern paths to the next few Menagerie villages. Should tourism be your goal, many of the northern paths lead to more temples and locations deeply ingrained with faunus traditions."

His smile downplays somewhat, a stern look. Like a father scolding a child. "The eastern paths lead to the less developed frontier, now. We don't want anyone not of Menagerie or the Fang to go in that direction for safety purposes. Last time, an outsider found themselves caught by a Deathstalker... You understand?"

A series of nods answer. Master Ilan smiles brightly once more. "Very well! If you may, please line up. For your safety, I wish to speak with you on a more personal note and assist however I need." He continues to smile.

However, this statement finally gets an odd look from some of the others. Master Ilan turns and leads the group to an awning with various tables and seats available. Hesitant, some of the other travelers begin to approach in groups of two or three. One group speaking to the man at a time.

"Not good... Think he's suspicious of someone? Us?" Carmine whispers to Roman. However, the conman huffs.

"Maybe... Maybe he's just very cautious." His gaze narrows on the Master. "We're already in the open, so... not much else we can do but wait and see."

Blair raises a brow. "We stick with the story that we're exploring out 'homeland'. Nothing more complicated. We're from Vale."

"Riveting." Roman mutters. Neo looks about, noticing that none of the guards seemed tense at all. In fact, nothing looked out of place. The guards even were making casual conversation, with each other or any civilian near them. Ilan finishes speaking with two sheep faunus, all smiles. Neo expects the CRBN members to be next, but Ilan gestures for a farther group to come over. The four blink... were they singled out?

Minutes pass, unsettling the four when eventually all but them have spoken to the master. Finally, the pretty looking man smiles their way, gesturing them to seats across from him. They share glances before sitting down with him.

The man's smile is... just reaching the point of unsettling. "Hello, friends. What brings you to Menagerie? Four who are clearly not familial in nature all together? You've peeked my interest." His eyes are almost... glowing.

Aura flare.

Blair directly asks. "Is something the matter? This feels like an interrogation."

"Oh ho!" The man guffaws a laugh. Hearty. Like he needed it, honestly. He smiles wide. "Not an interrogation, no! But, I DID want to get the common travelers aside." That... set alarm bells. "I understand you are interested in remaining obscure, but... I apologize for breaking such secrecy. Are you... Hunters?"

The four flinch. Does he know who they are! Is their cover blown already?! Shit! Carmine and Blair are already double checking the guards in the area-

Master Ilan leans back with his hands up. "Calm, calm! Please. I see I've touched a nerve?"

Roman scowls. "How do you peg us as Hunters?"

"Why, your auras of course." With a suave smile, he taps his temple as his own red aura shimmers around his eyes before vanishing. "I apologize again for the rudeness, but when your job is to safeguard, one must be cautious, so I must always be watching."

"Watching." Blair parrots. "So, you have an... analytical semblance?" Curiosity gets the better of her. He's only mentioned hunters thus far.

He raises a mischievous look to her and laughs. "Well, it's a skill most important in my line of work, but nothing noteworthy." His smile widens. "Simple aura detection, and you four are rife with it." At his confident smile, the four are... comforted.

Only their aura. Not their species or purpose. They could work with this. In fact... Roman smirks as the idea hits him.

Before he can voice anything, Blair speaks up. "I must apologize if our capabilities raise security concerns, but myself and my older friend here are both retired, and the kids are both in training. We truly are here only for the pleasure of visiting."

"Oh ho! Nothing of the sort. You are in no danger, brothers and sisters. No, it's quite the opposite-"

"He wants to hire us." Roman interrupts with a smarmy grin. Neo catches on and smirks as well. My, how the tables have turned. The CRBN members turn towards one another, Carmine and Blair shocked at the notion of getting a job here. "Well... how bout that?"

Ilan's smile widens, like having found gold.

However, Carmine notices in the corner of his eye, the man in the red robe shifts. He was moving towards the guards, but seemed to hesitate. Could he hear? Carmine's eyes remain on him a few more seconds before he asks. "Alright... what do you need?"

Master Ilan nods. "In the East, there is a horde of Boarbatusk." Seeing their unimpressed looks, he holds up a hand. "I know! I know! Nothing quite so exciting, but trust me when I say this horde is quite something. Last we counted, the horde was fifty strong. They just roam together in a pack and all use their roll out attack in unison for an unstoppable stampede attack."

Blair frowns. Boarbatusk don't typically section themselves off exclusively with their own kind. They even fight each other. Why would they roam together in a horde? "That's... actually strange behavior for them."

"We fear a unique Grimm might be traversing around here, directing them. However, truth be told, that issue is already being dealt with by the Fang." He states. "Sienna Khan herself is seeing to the destruction of a mystery Grimm to the northeast. Instead, I would actually prefer a much smaller favor."

Neo narrows her gaze at him, earning a chuckle from the man as he continues. "The Boarbatusk themselves numbered only 46 last week. 38 the week before. We know there must be a Grimm pool somewhere in the area. I'd like you four to accompany one of my men and destroy it. It would certainly help the fang significantly to do so."

The members look at one another, Roman smirking. He glances at the other three. "Well, brats? Barbie? What are we wanting in return here?"

. . .

Dawn touches Sanctuary...

"Menagerie? What in the blazes could they be doing there?" Glynda questions, her ire directing itself towards her former teammate.

"I don't know, but isn't that what we're trying to figure out? We just need a valid reason to enter Menagerie." And Glynda's hard stare bores into her. Rowa sulks. "Okay, so maybe we have Ozpin pull us a string or two?"

"Oz isn't able to pull strings with Menagerie. Not an official kingdom to work with clout." Qrow butts in. "Even their CCT is bootlegged and not officially handled by any body in particular."

Rowa huffs. "The how do we go about getting in then?"

Qrow blinks and smirks confidently. "I can get in easily. You two on the other hand are a different story."

Glynda cuts in before Rowa can question the man's methods. "We can only charter a voyage to touch down on the Eastern side of the nation. Withstand the Grimm... Avoid the White Fang... Qrow will have to guide us."

"I can call in a favor from some hunters in Mistral." Qrow nods between them. "I'll make some calls."

Rowa and Glynda nod as he sees himself off. The violet haired woman smiles confident. "We got this... For Cella, right?" Glynda holds the hard stare a moment longer before her eyes soften, only slightly. She nods. "Let's get a ship schedule. Can't let Blair outpace us... right?"

The teasing notion of Blair being 'ahead' lights a burning smolder in the blonde's eyes.

. . .

Across Sanctuary's harbor, a sea warehouse is open. One side is open to the sea, allowing a private boat inside. It was dark black on the bottom, the upper boat white with gold painted accents. On the side is emboldened gold lettering. 'Fur Hire, Baby!'

The private boat docks, Kallen stepping out from a contained cabin where the wheel is. The snake faunus glances out with yellow eyes. A gold beret sits atop his head, a buttoned golden long coat under with a white undershirt and black ascot. He has white gloves, black dress pants, and black dress shoes with gold laces. A rather... loud outfit screaming wealth.

He smiles at the mobsters on the warehouse deck. "My plebeian brethren! First class has arrived!"

Killian, Donatello, and Ezra stand at the deck ready to board the fancy boat. Killa huffs, missing his own yacht. Grumbling under his breath for a moment, he suddenly peps up. "Alright, dirt bags! We have some hunters to kill. Onward we go!"

As the three faunus board the ship, Ezra asks. "Well, you're the boss man! Where we going?"

At that, all three of Killa's hired men face him. The man grins back. "Ah, well, my employer has kindly given me several... contacts, shall we say. Let's get on the high seas and head for Mistral!" His wide grin is manic. "I can't wait... The one that got away."

. . .

"Glorious!" Master Ilan proclaims happily as he steps up from the table. "I must go deal with other day to day operations, but you may meet my protege, Siegfried, by the eastern gates. I'll send him that way. If you wish to eat before meeting with him, there's a wonderful vendor I recommend." He points down the village way to a small eatery, vegetarian based. This gets a grimace from Carmine. "I wish you luck my brothers, sisters."

"Great working with you... brother." Roman adds, the word coming out sickly from his mouth. Team CRBN gets up from the table, a whirlwind of thoughts as they march away from the tables to eat. "Well, this is an interesting spot." He smirks for himself.

Blair hums to herself in thought. "Yes... the issue of payment will be interesting, using Neo's handicap is strange, though."

Neo smirks deviously. She signs out. "I think it's smart." Using her impaired speech to ask for access to medical supplies... a guise to see if they're in the right place tracking the smuggled goods. Roman is impressive.

Carmine sighs. "Well, hopefully this really is where the missing drugs went. It'd be nice to have something be super easy for a change." He looks to Blair and Neo. "That guy seem... creepily pleasant? Something about him sets me off."

Roman scoffs. "Come on, Silver Streak. Use that memory of yours." The two lock eyes a moment, the conman clearly knowing something. The ginger's smirk grew. "We've seen him before. Thankfully for the makeup and clothes change, he didn't recognize us."

Carmine squints at him. "What are you..."

. . .

The boy was a couple inches shorter... sitting among potentially hundreds in an audience. Roman had been sat beside him as cheering sounds. On the stage was a man. A short man. A fat man. A certified monster. Aline Zandril stood clear as day on the stage behind a podium.

The Silver Auditorium...

Carmine's gaze was trailing down in fuming anger, teeth gritting and hands clenching... Seething, burning hatred fueling itself to a blaze. "SOLD FOR 75,120 LIEN!" Zandril shouts. Carmine, ready to lurch, looks up sickly at the man. A fifteen year old boy being sold to an businessman. The teen was taken below as the businessman cleared his way from the auditorium.

His gaze narrows as the sale moved on, a faunus girl with cow horns drawing up from the elevating slots on the stage. Zandril continued. "And here we have Series Red 12,034. Physical work is surprising with this one as one truly does get the horns. Physical strength rating IS low, but the stamina! This special child can go for a long time." Zandril then turns, approaching the girl and caressing her head with a look akin to a proud father. "A hard worker to value. Bidding starts at 10,000."

Carmine watches on in horror as the bids start, but it isn't long before the shout comes.

"SOLD FOR 32,100! CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!"

The girl was sold. Only out of sick curiosity could Carmine look back up and see who bought the faunus girl... A man only a few rows over-

. . .

Carmine sucks in breath... Master Ilan was there. HE was there! Roman palms lightly up the side of his head, just hard enough to snap him from it. "No outbursts, Silver Streak." He smirks. "But, yes. We ARE in the right place. We know that going in." He chuckles to himself. The two girls give him cocked looks, getting another huff from him.

Grabbing a quick bite to eat, mostly cocked vegetables, the four find themselves at the eastern gates.

Carmine glances around. "So... he said his partner or whatever would be joining us on this?"

"Ahead." Blair nods her head forward.

At the gate of the village, a few of the guards stand by, seemingly making small talk. At said gate, another man leans against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. Is he sleeping? Standing up? He wears a gray overcoat, looking well worn, years old, with buckles tying pouches to make up for a lack of pockets. He has brown hair with mutton chops. A rather... hair man. He wore blue pants with a black line down the sides, a white tank top, black boots, and black gloves.

At first glance, the group couldn't make out what kind of faunus he'd be, until a flick in his matted brown hair tells them. Carmine purses his lips. Canine faunus... "Grrrreat..."

The rest share the misfortune, but... they approach. "Hey, best case scenario, he gets offed by the Grimm if he finds out." The 'offed by the Grimm' part comes in air quotes.

Carmine glares at him. "NO! That won't be happening. He could be innocent." Roman huffs as the arrive at the gate.

The man's eyes open, amber enough to match Blair's. A yawn escapes the poor guy, showing sharp canine teeth. There are harsh bags under his eyes. He says nothing as they approach, leaving Blair to ask. "Hello, are you Siegfried? Your... Master Ilan has hired us to assist in tracking a Grimm pool?"

He huffs, giving her a once over and growls. "Fuck off."

The four recoil lightly, before Blair haughtily scowls back. "Excuse you?"

"I move when I'm good and ready. Besides, Ilan knows to only send me people worth my time. Four pretty mainlanders will only die out there." He eyes the group again, raising a brow at Roman.

Before the CRBN members can respond, one of the guards turns and speaks up. "Sir. Didn't Master Ilan tell you to get this done or lose two nights of dinner?" The... apparently unneeded reminder brings a growl and eye twitch from the village official.

Siegfried's ire turns to sulking, his dog ears drooping lightly. "Ugh, what am I? Feeding stranger to Grimm for a living now?" He scoffs.

Carmine snaps. "Hey! We're more than able to handle Grimm. Maybe you're too much of a pansy to know how to kill them yourself?" The open insult in defense of his team brings smirks to the other CRBN members.

Siegfried blinks his eyes wide a moment, before cracking a grin. "Okay then, runt. You wanna talk tough so badly? Fine." He pushes himself off from the wall, turning to the guards. "If I return by myself, you know what happened." The toothy grin he gives the CRBN members flashes all his sharp teeth. "But don't say I didn't warn ya. Odds are PRETTY high we're gonna return with less than we left with."

Roman huffs. "Given the last minute, I'm hoping it's you, Puppy." Siegfried locks his gaze on Roman. The glare doesn't affect the conman, which ends with Siegfried growling and turning around.

"Whatever... Come. I guess I'll instruct you on the way..." With that, Siegfried leads the four from the village...

And the red cloaked man watches the four, now five, leave. His mouth, visible under the hood, grits his teeth as his fists clench.

And we are now in the heart of Menagerie! Home of our familiar black kitty cat family. Of course, by this point, Blake is already an active member the White Fang, acting in the- pardon the phrase- mostly peaceful protests. But don't expect to see Blake as I would include her soon if I could think of a way to work it.

Reviews:

Nguyen Tien Dat (FF) – Hey there. Thanks a lot for the praise, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. Your English is fine. It's my main language, and I'm terrible at it! You mention "persistence", so I want to comment on that.

I feel this story is getting more attention than I initially thought it would. I knew it wouldn't draw huge crowds since it's tags are using characters that most people don't look into. For now, I'm happy to write it and appreciate the comments it gets.

While I don't have a set schedule, I do strive to get one chapter out once every two weeks. Although, life can get in the way of that every so often.

That said, thank you for reading, and I hope you keep enjoying it! That goes to anyone else reading this as well.

References:

More faunus within Killa's circle once again based on Futurama robots.

Here we have Donatello the kangaroo faunus, based loosely on the Don Bot who runs the Futurama robot mafia. (Note: A group of Kangaroos are known as a mob. Hence the faunus species type.)

We also have Kallen the snake faunus, based on Calculon, the star actor robot in the same show.

Finally, Ezra the dove faunus based on the preacher-bot. Also introducing his Holy Touch semblance. Religious jokes are expected from my audience. It's too easy.

More will come from Siegfried and Master Ilan in later chapters.

Join next time in Chapter Thirty Six: In Sheep's Clothing.