Hello Ms. Schnee,

My fervent apologies. I have spoken with your sister, and I believe she is at least temporarily satisfied that I am here through happenstance and the quick thinking of her Teammate, Blake Belladonna, to whom I am indebted for dragging my frozen carcass out of a slushy would-be grave.

Regarding your questions as to my identity, I'm afraid that I was stupid, or naïve, enough to use my actual information when setting up my online accounts. Yes, I know it makes no sense. No, I can't prove it via text.

I look forward to our eventual meeting, and the grilling that awaits me.

Yours,

Hegsih Jorgensen
Certified Idiot

The response came back minutes later.

Mr. Jorgensen,

I have spoken with my sister. I shall defer further action until things become more clear.

Yours, probationarily

Winter Schnee
Specialist, Atlas Military

PS I accept your self-imposed title.

Well, isn't she a bottle of giggles.

He found Blake in the bathroom, post shower, a towel wrapped around her body and one in her hair, holding up a small, translucent orange pill bottle.

"What's that?"

She shook her head. "Hormone supplement. Tried and true. Keeps the involuntary urges away."

"Ah. And that was here, was it?"

"Yeah," she turned back to him. "I don't regret the end result, but…" She frowned. "I can't help thinking that fate, or the Gods, or something…"

"Is royally messing with you? Yeah. I've been thinking the same thing." He gave her a quick hug. "Finish getting dressed. My turn in the shower."

They were ready in 45 minutes, her meager belongings and his nonexistent ones securely packed in the snowmobile. Borrowed scroll next to hers in a side pocket.

It was a long four hours.

They stopped once for a break, eating in silence, lost in thought for what lay at the end.

The last hour things began to catch Hegsih's attention. That's when they started to see buildings. Vehicles. Other signs of civilization. He craned his neck when a passing air vehicle roared overhead. A.. Bullhead. That was the name. He marveled at the differences and similarities. They could make that, but they couldn't manage an aircraft carrier? A tank? They had humanoid androids, but no drones?

Some of their choices just bewildered him.

As they approached the transport hub on the edge of Mantle, his attention was drawn to the airfield and multiple hangers and vehicle garages. Heavy trucks, Bullheads, what looked like wheeled trams. Some moving, some parked. It was a hive of activity.

There was a welcoming committee.

At the entrance to a garage a trio was gathered. Two women, one taller and one shorter, with white hair and white and gray clothing. Beside them stood a young man with white armor and lanky blonde hair.

He glanced down at the clock mounted on their vehicle. Fifteen minutes early. How long had they been standing there in the chill air?

He felt Blake slow, her body stiffen as they closed the distance. Eyes scanning left and right.

"What are you looking for?"

"Soldiers. Ace Ops. Aliens." She snorted, "Paranoia."

"Ah."

A technician came out as they reached the garage, and waved them to a spot just beside the trio. They halted, dismounting, and grabbed their few bags of personal gear, and the man hopped on and powered it into the building.

Silence.

Blake and Hegsih stood with gear in one hand, uncertainly facing the trio, who waited silently. Winter Schnee had her hands linked behind her back. Jaune Arc's were folded across his chest.

Weiss. Weiss stretched out one hand, palm upward, toward Blake.

Who promptly lost all composure, and fell into a gentle embrace. Hegsih felt his mouth turn down slightly, and stopped it, peering at Winter, who seemed embarrassed by the display of affection. Jaune, however…

Jaune was watching him. The look in that man's blue eyes was… uncanny. Hegsih had the feeling of a man who'd fallen overboard in deep water and was watching flashes of white and huge fins in the depths. This is not a man to fuck with.

Oh well. Here we go.

He cleared his throat and nodded toward Jaune. "Mr. Arc, I presume?" and received a slow nod in reply, but no uncrossing of arms. Alright.

"Specialist Schnee." Another nod. This one less frosty. She seemed slightly intrigued.

He heard the back end of a whispered conversation to his right, and then felt a pressure next to him, as Blake returned to his side, wiping at her face. She looked at the other two, and then at her…lover.

Oh. Her eyes narrowed at the scene, and something inside her stiffened. No. That isn't how this is going to go. Making eye contact with Jaune, she deliberately took one arm, and wrapped it around Hegsih's waist, pulling them closer together.

That got a reaction. Weiss made a small sound, that might have been a gasp. Winter's eyes widened slightly.

He thought Jaune might have murdered him, until Blake glared at him, and Jaune's own hard stare softened into something more quizzical.

Weiss broke the silence. "Well. Why don't we get out of this cold. There's a room upstairs we can use."

"We aren't going back to-" Blake started.

"Not yet." Jaune interrupted. "Not until we know who we are talking to." Oh, that's subtle.

"This way," Winter turned, flipping one hand forward.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight…

"What are you doing?" Blake hissed at Hegsih.

He blinked. Oh. He'd been humming that out loud, hadn't he. Well. "Sorry."

They filed into a comfortable room. A central table, padded chairs. There was..

"Coffeeeee"

A barking laugh surprised him, as well as the person who did it. The two males locked eyes for a moment, bemused by common cause, before Jaune's hardened again.

This is one fucking angry man, and he's a Huntsman with a capital "H". Gritting his teeth, Hegsih deliberately turned his back on Jaune, attending to the source of all joy. Go ahead. I probably won't survive it. But go ahead. His back itched as he poured three cups, one for him, one for Blake, and one for... "How do you take your coffee, sir."

Silence.

"He takes it black. No sugar," Weiss's voice spoke into the silence. Thank you, Weiss.

There was a low growl and a quiet smack behind him. He turned back, two cups in hand, one to Blake who looked at him with thanks and apology all in one. The other he… placed down in front of the blonde man without making eye contact.

He retrieved his own, and sat down, urging Blake to sit next to him, without waiting for anyone else.

The rest followed.

Silence.

Jaune spoke first. His voice sounded young, but he didn't feel young to Hegish. "I've been informed that I am not in a suitably civil mood to lead this discussion." He glanced to the side pointedly. "So I'm turning it over to Weiss." He glared at Hegsih. "But if I feel like we are being played, here, I will make myself heard."

And felt. Hegsih added silently.

"We understand, Jaune" Blake said quietly and surprisingly calmly. She squeezed his hand below the table.

Weiss stirred, placing her hands on the table in front of her and leaning forward. "Blake, you are in… a relationship… with… Mr. Jorgensen." It wasn't phrased as a question.

Blake nodded, then paused. "Can we. Can we stop with the formalities, Weiss? His name is Hegsih. Or Hegs." She turned to her lover. "And it's Weiss, and Jaune, and-"

"Specialist Winter," the elder Schnee sibling clipped.

"Fine. And Specialist Winter."

Eyes did a complicated dance around the table. Nods were had, some grudgingly.

Weiss, uncharacteristically, rubbed at her scar as if it itched. "I need to understand what has happened here." She took both of them in. "Who you are." A nod to Hegsih, "And above all why?"

Blake cleared her throat, feeling a reassuring squeeze. "Right. Right. It all started over a week ago."