It was a warm summer day, with a pleasant breeze cooling the air. The vista should have been serene, and the group of teenagers would normally have spent the day lazing around after their Beacon missions. Yet, Summer stood in front of the ruined diner, facing the bustling town square with an utterly flabbergasted expression on her face.
"How did this mission end up like this? It was supposed to be easy! We're Team STRQ, for gods' sake!" she fumed internally. "What was one measly, tiny Nevermore to us? This should have been simple."
The loud crash of a neon sign hitting the ground shook her from her thoughts and she twisted 180. "Hehe, whoops," Qrow said sheepishly, standing amidst the wreckage of the diner. "Qrow and his stupid semblance," Summer muttered under her breath, kicking the dirt in frustration. Raven groaned, slowly crawling out from beneath a pile of debris.
Thankfully, TA Port and Tai were busy handling the increasingly rowdy crowd. If their scorn had turned on her, Summer was certain she'd have burst into tears. Shell-shocked, she witnessed the aftermath of the chaos. After some time, Tai managed to calm the crowd and walked over to stand beside her.
"Sooo... that didn't go quite as planned," Tai stated plainly.
Summer couldn't hold back any longer and burst into giggles, the absurdity of the situation overwhelming her. Tai quickly stepped in front of her, his eyes wide with concern.
"Hey, hey! Don't laugh now, we just stopped them from lynching us!" he hissed.
"Oh Oum, I'm sorry," she wheezed through her laughter. "This whole thing is just so dumb."
"Yeah, well... you're really not going to like what's coming next," Tai said, his voice softening. "Port may have, uh... how do I say this... offered us as reparations."
Summer's breath hitched as she stared at Tai in shock.
"Offered us?! As reparations? What?! Qrow's stupid semblance, the Grimm—" Summer's voice grew faint, her vision swimming as she processed his words, before she promptly fainted.
A golden ray of light caused Summer to stir as she balefully blinked and sat up. Glancing around she took in the unfamiliar room. It was small but cozy, with a bed, a nightstand, a lamp, and a modest wooden dresser. She peeked out the window and observed the setting sun.
Shrugging off the blanket, she stood and stretched. Only after completing her usual routine did she finally notice the muffled voices coming from the next room. Though she couldn't make out the words, she recognized her teammates' voices.
Summer walked into the adjacent living room, where the rest of Team STRQ sat with an elderly woman who had a kind, if somewhat weary, demeanor. Their conversation ceased the moment they saw Summer.
"Man, you wouldn't believe the nightmare I just had!" Summer began. "It was wild, we were sent here to deal with some tiny, juvenile Nevermore, and we ended up wrecking a diner, I swear Qrow the things your semblance caused were so outlandish, you wouldn't believe it!".
Raven, Qrow, and Tai exchanged looks—half pity, half amusement—while the old woman held a sharp smile. The silence stretched awkwardly until Summer's nerves began to fray. "Guys... that was a nightmare, right?" she squeeked, her voice edging towards panic.
"Hehe, so... funny story—" Qrow started, but the old woman cut him off. "Oh, I wish it were a nightmare, deary," she said, her miffed tone tinged with exasperation. "Then my business wouldn't be in ruins, and my staff wouldn't have fled! Thank the Gods my poor husband isn't alive to witness the mess you made." Summer turned to her team for confirmation. All of them sullenly and uniformly nodded in defeat.
"But your charming TA—such a handsome fellow—offered you all to help me out until I can hire new staff. I'm sure your team can fill you in on the details," the old woman said with a gentle smile. She stood and moved toward the door, but paused before leaving, her smile morphing to a predatory smirk.
"Oh, by the way, sweetie—training starts tomorrow at 0500 sharp." At that, both Qrow and Raven whimpered. "Tata!" she called out, her voice mocking as she disappeared through the door. Summer stared at the others, pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and then summed up her thoughts in the only way that felt appropriate: "FUCK!"