If this tardiness was going to become a trend Alicia swore she was really going to have a talk with her teammates. One which was going to involve a lot more violence than the love tap she had given Jaxon earlier.
"What did they think they were here for?"
She knew you couldn't just ignore traditions like this. And who knew where they could go with this. Her mind pictured first it was sneaking away to go break the law in Vale and next thing they knew the whole team could be expelled out of the academy. For the briefest moment Alicia thought of challenging Kad for the position of team leader. It wasn't something often done, few students even knew about that rule.
But as quickly as that idea formed, it fell apart.
One, it required at least one other teammate to side with her in the challenge. Not the actual fight but just someone to say they were also tired of their leader. And her two Faunus teammates were obviously as thick as thieves with their leader. Nothing was going to change that anytime soon.
And ultimately she just didn't know if she could beat Kad. Alicia knew she was a decent fighter one of the highest ranked in their class, but Kad was something else. The show off had wiped the floor with all of team OLVE on the same day that Nikos stomped CRDL. Pyrrha and Kad hadn't fought again, but it seemed they were now in a quiet competition to one up the other in dueling scores.
Two thoughts flowed through Alicia's troubled mind,
"Maybe this was just a phase," Quickly followed by,
"Oh god I am their damn parent."She quietly cursed to herself.
It was getting late in the morning, Ozpin had already made his speech and many students had made their mission selections and were preparing to leave. Alicia knew all of the good team assignments were going to be gone by the time her team showed up to talk about which one to pick.
It didn't take long for Alicia to come to a decision flavored by vengeance,
"Screw em,"
There was no way there wasn't going to be a reckoning for last night. Alicia calmly walked along the wall displays reading the choices to find something that she wanted to do. She figured if her team didn't like it then there were certainly a few people who would be interested in where they disappeared to last night. Improper conduct by students was not appreciated by teachers.
Co'Balt's scroll beeped in alarm for an incoming message almost as soon as he started to reach for the device.
The three boys had cleaned up as quickly as they could but there were just some things that couldn't be avoided only having one bathroom per dorm.
The device was very low on power. Co'Balt skimmed the message quick enough to get the gist of it.
From Alicia, "You're all still assholes, Meet me at the landing pads ASAP."
Alicia was not alone when they found her, patiently talking with a Huntress next to bullhead on one of the open air landing platform in the bright morning light. None of the boys knew who this Huntress was but that wasn't surprising.
Kad's orange eyes scanned over this woman. The stranger wore a long tan over coat lined with pouches and pockets for materials, dark brown wedge heeled boots with a lot of buckles running up to her knees. The rest of her clothing was dark colored and looked to be made of some light material. No sign of her weapon visible however.
She was slightly tan with neat shoulder length blonde hair, and from a glance he estimated she was a little shorter than his two Faunus teammates but still taller than Alicia. The Huntress turned to face the rest of the team and introduced herself.
"Welcome boys," She began warmly, "My name is Sienna Mason, thank you for signing up. I know village security isn't the most glamorous job in the world but Hunters never turn their back on people in need."
Her greeting turned into a short order, "Please return to your dorm and collect your weapons and any equipment you may need for our journey."
Kad Jaxon and Co'Balt collectively turned to look at Alicia, who just smiled innocently in return. It wasn't hard for any of them to figure out what had just happened. Co'Balt opened his mouth to protest but Kad just placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed slightly.
"You heard the lady. Come on."
Twenty minutes later they were flying down town to an unknown destination. The huntress was upfront talking with the pilot, which left APRC a moment to take stock of the situation.
Alicia had the smuggest grin any of them had ever seen on her face, sitting in one of the seats of the air craft next to Jaxon and across from Co'Balt. Kad was sitting on the threshold of the crew compartment, feet dangling in the wind slightly turned to face his team. A four way staring contests was simmering in silence while they traveled.
"I don't suppose apologizing would get us out of this?" Jaxon asked.
"What you don't feel like getting to work?" Alicia retorted.
"It would have been nice to know if we were going to have to leave Beacon for a few days."
"Yeah well it would have been nice not to go stag at the dance."
Dust and dirt spiraled away from their landing spot in the merchant quarter. They set down last in line behind several other craft. Kad jumped out of the airship a few feet off of the ground. The pilot turned his craft to avoid slamming the turbines into Kad when it touched down. The rest of the passengers dismounted in a more traditional manner once the ramp extended. The bullhead shutoff its engines and the tranquil city atmosphere settled in once again.
"So this isn't really a village…" Co'Balt said to no one in particular.
"All in good time," Sienna spoke as she began walking away, "We are meeting my colleague and his batch of trainees here."
Kad looked around and finally deduced where they were. It was a bulk distribution center for agriculture.
A few of these places were scattered around the city outskirts. Providing everything a farm could possibly need. Lots of workers were moving crates on small motorized carts around the tall black shelves, bringing some out to the airships and then darting back for more. Sienna approached a trio of people talking with another man in a suit who was probably a sales man from this place.
Two of them were rough dressed middle aged men. Wearing pretty similar outfits cobbled together from animal skins a few factory made articles. They seemed wary of their surroundings, so many vehicles and people seemed to be making them nervous after spending what Kad knew could have been years out in the wilds. They both had machetes clipped to their thick belts. Their faces were weathered and it didn't look like much thought was given to the state of their hair on their face or their heads.
The other man was completely different from them.
He was tall, taller than his two associates putting him on level with Jaxon and Co'Balt. He had a pale complexion and longish black hair flowing back over his head, and a light salt pepper beard and mustache of stubble. He wore a short red cloak and a light high collared grey shirt with highlights and the sleeves beginning to roll up. Finally black pants and black leather shoes. But Kad guessed the first thing people noticed about this man was the hybrid sword folded and hanging on the small of his back.
The obvious Huntsman signed and handed a clipboard back to the man from the distributor, nodded his thanks and then gestured for his two companions to board the bullheads behind them.
"Nice of you to join us Sienna…" His voice was deep and his tone tired. He crossed his arms while waiting for a response from the huntress.
She smiled and playfully traced a finger up his chest and tapped his chin briefly, "You and your schedules. When are you ever going to relax?"
"When I can."
He looked past Sienna and cast a professional's eye over the trainees behind her. Sienna turned and beckoned them closer. "Come on introduce yourselves."
Team APRC stepped forward.
"My name's Alicia."
"Co'Balt."
"I'm Kad."
"Jaxon," The Lion Faunus scratched at his long yellow sleeves, "Can I finally ask where we are going?"
Sienna looked slightly confused at his question. "You always could..."
She sighed slightly, and answered him. "We are going outside the kingdom for a few days. These people are part of a large group of wanderers who are going to try and settle down finally a little southwest of the border."
Sienna waved her hand backwards indicating the line of waiting aircraft. "We have all that they will need to get their own self-sustaining food supply going. We will be with them for the week until their defenses are satisfactory."
She looked to the other Huntsman, "So, I've shown you mine, you show me yours."
"You never change." He replied, grinning and shaking his head. He raised his right hand to his mouth and let loose an ear piercing whistle.
"That's why you love me." Sienna said with a smile,
The double doors to the main warehouse swung open and four of the last people in the world APRC wanted to or thought were going to appear walked onto the street.
Cardin Winchester, Russell Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark.
Co'Balt threw his hands in the air turned around and started walking repeatedly snarling. "I'm out. I'm out. I'm out."
Jaxon's and Alicia's hands crept towards their weapons and they took a few involuntary steps backwards. Team CRDL stopped a few feet away on the threshold of the looming grey building looking just as shocked as APRC. Kad started rubbing his forehead with his right hand, cursing the twist of luck that had brought this about.
"Is there a problem?" Asked the Huntsman in grey.
Kad sighed and replied, "No, just a lot of potential for one... It's complicated." He continued when he received questioning glances from the two senior hunters.
Sienna put two and two together. "I take it you don't get along?"
"You could say that…"
Traditionally they just avoided CRDL, their team was like a social poison. Being complete assholes to a lot of people and if you happened to be associated with the four of them nobody liked you either.
Sienna pressed the giant, "Is this going to be a problem?"
Kad couldn't answer that. Team CRDL were probably wary of him enough to not try anything. But that was no guarantee. His team were going to have to stick together during this exercise and not wander off on their own. Traditional bullies and predators that CRDL were, they wouldn't pass up an easy target. Either of the two Faunus for just being what they were or Alicia, the only girl, for similar reasons.
Sienna groaned, "Alright gather round, all of you. Come on, this will just take a moment. Line up. That's it"
The eight of them stood at attention in front of the huntress. Cardin with his mostly armored team to his right, Kad next to him with his team on his left. Sienna slowly looked each of them in the eyes making sure she had their undivided attention.
"Listen," Her voice was quiet but commanded respect, "Whatever it is I don't care. I don't expect you to become best friends overnight. If there is anything you find distasteful about each other, cram it. Remember who you are Hunters. We are not petty, we don't look for fights where there shouldn't be any. And anyone who breaks any rules about basic decency will have to answer to me. We're going to be living in each other's pockets for the moment, try to get along please... I trust I don't need to remind you what draws the creatures of Grimm out. Do I?"
The Huntress receive a few nods and mumbled affirmations from them which seemed to satisfy her.
With that Sienna turned and climbed on board the airship they had arrived here. The engines of all the bullheads roared to life at Sienna's signal of waving her arm up and down rapidly as she leaned out the crew compartment. Kad and his team took the hint and boarded as well, followed by team CRDL and their chaperoning Huntsman. The two teams sat down like they were on a bed of nails, strategically separated by the two older warriors sitting in their midst.
As the little airships gained altitude and speed moving to the south, something occurred to Kad.
"What's your name?" The giant asked the dark clad hunter.
"You can call me Qrow."
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A/N You. Stop right there, Yes you, the one who is planning or has probably already posted that review to tell me who shouldn't be here and why, before I could say a few things.
1. I have done my research you don't need to explain things to me. 2. How could Qrow be feeding Ozpin intel on you know while teaching at Signal, on an island far from Vale?
I'll touch on this later although probably not for a while, I have a few things to take care of, sorry but don't expect an update till probably the end of the month.
On another note I've only been accused of heresy twice so far. I'd call that a win, based on all of the people who have read this. Thank you all it means a lot.
Reviews and opinions are appreciated as always. Have a nice day.