Sitting around the fire, a beer in her hand after a hard day of fighting Grimm… yeah, Yang felt real as all hell as she leaned back in her seat.
"I was on field security for a dust mine for this year's tournament," Finn, a chubby, red-headed Valean Huntsman, said with a groan, "We were all clustered around the radio for the semifinals when the klaxons went off and there must have been a thousand Samsas just swarming the place."
Violet cracked a smile—something Yang had fast learned was rarely a sign of nice things as her eyes narrowed in predatory glee as she asked, "So you missed Nebula-"
"I know," he moaned, "Everyone—everyone!—has told me I missed the match of the series… no offense Yang."
Yang politely shrugged. "Hey, you don't have to apologize to me—I was there, that match was crazy."
Team NDGO had taken their defeat at the hands of Team SSSN poorly… and it had given them a reason to sharpen up their focus to the point that they were a damn wrecking ball in the past year's Vytal. Yang was almost glad she hadn't been facing her in the Semifinals—yeah, it sucked that she'd lost to Arslan when she'd gone on her tear to have her climactic showdown with Pyrrha, but she'd watched as Nebula and Pyrrha beat each other to a pulp. Even Yang had been a little shocked how far they both went to not admit defeat.
"Hey, not to flatter your ego," Chi added, "but I'll say it: we got robbed that the final wasn't you and Nikos, cause I wanted to see a Valean win!"
"Vale!" Violet and Finn chimed in, raising their beers in a pseudo-toast to their homeland. And heck—Yang might be Patch Valean, but she was on a team with an Atlesian and a partner from Menagerie: she could admit it felt good to be among her countrymen as they talked sports and relished the old rivalries. They clinked their bottles and went back to chatting about the tournament scene.
This… this was what Yang needed. Not the boost to her ego, though she was drinking the cheers in, but just… this! Sitting around the fire, drinking some beers after kicking some Grimm ass, being part of the team… yeah, she was a part of Team RWBY and they meant more than life to her, but this was different. She was getting a jump on real Huntsmen work, and it really couldn't be going any better.
As upperclassmen, RWBY was looking to make the summer after their third year a productive one, get a jump on the fact that they had a dwindling year left before they stopped being students and started being fully licensed professionals who didn't have the school scheduling everything for them. As much as Yang couldn't wait to have all the freedoms that came with having her license, she was apprehensive about what it would look like when she had all the responsibilities.
The rest of RWBY were making plans. Weiss had signed them all up for every Huntsman's Guild summer class and Rubes wasn't even hiding her excitement for getting a print-off certificate they could hang on their wall. Yang didn't doubt all those classes were useful… but Yang needed to do something, she couldn't just be hanging out in Vale when there were opportunities to do what Huntsmen did. And with the approval of Ms. Goodwitch—courtesy of some very laborious ass kissing—she had a provisional license letting her take actual Huntsmen jobs, stuff without a licensed supervisor looking over her shoulder. Here, she was one of the boys, and in that regard…
"...what Arslan had to do," Violet said, "was get Nikos into a brawl, close quarters, no tricks, no range, just duking it out. She's a spear and shield specialist, put her in a place where she can't rely on her weapons and she's lost half her strength right away."
"Listen, I've had that fight," Yang said with a laugh, "and what doesn't come across from just watching on the screen is that Pyrrha Nikos is a monster. You think, 'Oh, I'll just do this,' but whatever it is, she's already prepared for it. I thought I'd just put her in a down-and-out brawl, get past the technical stuff and just duke it out, but lemme tell ya: she can step it up. She gives exactly as much as she needs to beat you, but she's always got more in reserve."
"So she'd use, what, 1% of her power to beat down Finn?" Violet asked, a mischievous smile on her face.
Finn immediately protested, but Yang could tell they were just razzing each other in good fun. These three already knew each other—not a team from their school days, but Huntsmen who had worked together before and had a professional familiarity with each other. It meant a lot that she felt like she was already part of their group dynamic, and Yang was so relieved that they weren't uptight or overly formal. It had taken her some time to become friends with Weiss, so she was really hoping that the group wasn't like that.
"Hey," Finn added as the laughter died down, "I may not be Tournament class, but I'd like to see Pyrrha Nikos fight after a month in the Mistalian bush during monsoon season. Worse fucking job I ever took, but if anyone thinks they're tougher'n me, they're more than welcome to prove it!"
Yang grinned as the rest of the campfire gave Finn his due. He might be the butt of the joke, but Yang had seen Finn in the field. He was the real deal where it counted, a skilled and experienced Huntsman whose body type was in no way an indicator of laziness or slovenliness, and his pistol skill, well… Yang had done missions alongside Ren for long enough to appreciate the level of control and precision demanded by that kind of weapon. And Yang got the feeling even Ren could learn a little from Finn's workmanlike competence in this field.
And… Yang could be a little selfish, she did appreciate that someone other than her was on the lower end of the totem pole. He took it all with good humor and Yang told herself she was not about to join in like some wannabe mean girl, but she did appreciate that his presence helped her feel a little bit more easily welcomed into the group dynamic.
Violet was a lot like Blake, and not just because she was also a Faunus, her dark, blue-tinged hair turning into a feather plumage at the back. She had the quiet, analytical kind of personality that watched and waited for her opportunity to act, both in combat and in social circumstances. She definitely embodied her hawkish side, having a slightly cruel tinge to her humor and approach, but Yang could tell that, much like how Finn took guff, she didn't send it out in a mean-spirited fashion. They were Huntsmen through and through, and they were everything Yang had expected of the profession outside of the stifling confines of school rules and grading rubrics that dominated her life at Beacon.
And finally… Chi Xuanya, the lead of this expedition and someone Yang took an immediate liking to. He was pretty much everything Yang looked for in a non-Ruby leader, the kind of guy who had the quiet confidence to allow himself to be laid back and easygoing, someone who prized competence over qualifications and wasn't uptight about things. He was staying back in the conversation, letting Yang and Violet and Finn joke while he tended to the fire, but he didn't need to speak to have a presence amongst them. He got what being a Huntsman was about, and as soon as Yang met him, she immediately took a liking to him, just as she hoped he took a liking to her.
This was real Huntsman work. Not just the sort of stuff a provisional license was normally good for, easy babysitting jobs where you sat on a train and maybe got to shoo off some Nevermores or stuff near the city that was basically the same stuff you would have been doing as a student, just without being graded. No, Yang had specifically asked for work in the deep country, stuff way out in the East where the only civilization was the patchwork of villages and rail depots that made sure to not get too big, lest they start drawing Grimm attention. This was the kind of work Yang had always imagined herself doing, back when she was at Signal, and she was so happy to see that there was a job open that needed someone, anyone, even someone with only a provisional license if it meant they could swap in for the fourth who had to drop due to unexpected health issues.
As Yang understood it, that was code for "went on a bender and now nobody knows where they are." Uncle Qrow had seen the posting, forwarded it to Yang and called up Chi to ask if he'd be willing to take on a "high achieving Beacon student" and he'd apparently replied, "as long as she can be on a train in three hours." A qualification Yang not only met but exceeded, racing down to the rail station to get the first train headed this far East, confident that Jaune could pick up Bumblebee for her since he owed her one for fielding a Nora-related moment of chaos.
She sipped her beer as Chi leaned forward, socializing time over, to give more of a rundown for what to expect of tomorrow's operation. Today had been the fun stuff—come in hard and fast, bust up the Grimm that had grown used to lazing about in an off-limits area, but now they had to be thorough, meticulous. Get the smart Grimm who knew not to tangle with Huntsmen and could just lie low and wait. That meant they had to be smart, had to have things planned out. Chi started pointing across the map, making a mention to Yang that, out here, the geographic survey isn't always as accurate so they'd be playing things a little different from how things might work at Beacon.
Which Yang really appreciated! He wasn't condescending, but she had to know what she had to know, and if things had to go a little differently in a real mission, well, she had to learn it eventually! Chi was laying out the plan as the three of them listened, anticipating what'd be coming over the next few weeks.
"...but that should be the action plan," Chi finished, "Any thoughts?"
"I notice you're not saying anything about special bounties…" Violet mused.
Chi just shrugged. "Sorry to say it, but I checked: we're outside the bounds for that Deathstalker bounty—if we see one, no guarantees on that, but if we see one, I'd be happy to report it to the VHA, see if you get lucky. But I wouldn't get your hopes up."
There was a groan around the campfire. That was another part of taking on real Huntsmen work—Yang was learning about being a Huntsman as her job. She'd learned a lot about how seasoned Huntsmen looked at payment for missions, which ones were worth it, which ones would leave you barely better off than when you started once expenses came in. As a student, Yang just did whatever Beacon assigned her, but now, she was learning to navigate the world of bonuses, bounties, and knowing which employers paid on time. As she was learning, the smart business in being a Huntsman was stacking various jobs—the VHA, the Valean Huntsman Administration, was paying them to carry out this mission under these parameters, but they were also offering general bounties on Deathstalkers in the region near them. She also knew that Violet was getting a little extra money by writing up a report on the accuracy of VHA data for the Huntsman's Guild, and Finn was counting this job as part of his mandatory hours to get his qualification as a Rough Terrain Specialist.
That was the other thing—Yang had mostly rolled her eyes at Ruby and Weiss's interest in collecting as many specializations and qualifications via those summer classes through the Huntsman's Guild they could take over the summer, but now she was learning that they could be a major ticket to getting a bigger payday. When she got back to Beacon, she would definitely be asking Weiss to hook her up for SDC Standard Qualification, because apparently, it was the gold standard for private Huntsman work, even in Vale. And if you had that SSQ stamp on your file, you automatically got bumped up a paygrade for most corporate jobs. Really, she was learning so much about how real Huntsman work went!
"But moving on from that," Chi continued as Yang listened intently, "Violet? Tomorrow, you and I will start covering field observation, we'll start quartering the region as a preliminary measure, while I want Yang and Finn heading to the settlement to secure our provisions for the rest of the operation."
Yang glanced to Finn who gave her a grin and a nod. She knew what was going on here: this was the scutwork, the kind of thing someone had to do, and because it was so paperwork heavy—not to mention, a day of stacking and hauling boxes and bags of food while Violet and Chi would be out in the field, doing the fun stuff—it went to the bottom of the totem pole. And while Yang might be socially more popular than Finn, well…
"You're no greenhorn, Xiao Long," Chi said with a smirk, "But a Patch girl like you, I figure you'd be insulted if we didn't treat you like a pup till you've paid your dues."
Yang cracked a big smile at that. This was everything she was hoping for from her first mission, and it meant the world that she was making a good impression. Not that she'd let them know she cared about what they thought.
"Wouldn't ask for anything less," she replied, then added, "But I'm just gonna remind you all that you've seen me in the field… and I've seen you, too. What was the score again in cleaning out that nest?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Finn cut in, "My role was harrying armored Grimm, so you should be counting…"
The campfire lit up with a rollicking, joyful conversation as they all made their case for their contribution to the job. This… this was good. This was what Yang always imagined being a Huntsman would be, back when she was hearing tales from her dad and Uncle Qrow. A group of solid badasses hanging out and having a good time, in between some bouts of spectacular monster-slaying violence. Yeah, they were eating crappy rations and the cooler of beers was just a treat Chi had brought up with them for the first night, but that only added to the experience.
Looking up into the night sky, seeing the moon hang low overhead amidst a sea of stars… Yang might have gotten used to living in Vale, but she was, always and forever, a Patch girl at heart. Getting out into the country, seeing the night sky you only got when the nearest streetlight was miles and miles away… this was the life. She tipped her beer back, took another drink, then leaned forward.
"Hey, you wanna know what was the real story of that Vytal? That criminal group Roman founded that was causing so much trouble in Vale? They actually came back and…"
As Yang told her story about the fight with Hazel Reinhart—which, of course, "never happened" officially—she saw the rest of the group lean forward, eager to learn more of the thrilling world of Academy Huntsman life. And, drumming the fingers of her mechanical arm along her beer bottle, reminding them of the proof that she'd been in the thick of it, Yang was all too happy to tell them.
"Ahhh, don't feel bad about being put on the bitchwork!" Finn laughed as the truck rumbled down the dusty road, "Not all Huntsman work is glamorous, and somebody's gotta do the supply run."
But Yang waved his concern off. "I don't mind going into town for supplies… kind of stuff we had to do at Beacon anyways and heck, I'd rather get a chance to show you I'm no Tourney Princess! I got a strong back and I'm not above doing what needs doing."
Finn chuckled. "I'm a Torch graduate so… always just assumed at Beacon, you had, like, servants who did all the legwork for ya," he said.
Yang snorted, good-naturedly. "I wish," she groaned, "Best I can get is bullying Jaune into doing stuff for me and he's a lot sturdier than he was as a Freshman."
"Jaune… Jaune Arc?" he asked, trying to place the name, "He's the… the…"
"Leader of Team JNPR," Yang said with a grin, "He's Pyrrha's partner and he used to be the biggest weenie at Beacon."
"No shit…" Finn said with a wistful smirk, "Ahhhhh, that's crazy. I've actually seen that guy's picture on the news like, a dozen times, and you know him as the guy you can bully into doing your laundry. What a world…"
"Oh that's nothing," Yang added, "Pyrrha? She's the one you can bully into doing your laundry. She's as nice as her reputation says and she has, like, no spine… and hey, if you wanna know what Weiss Schnee is like…"
"You Beacon kids get all the luck," Finn playfully grumbled as he turned the truck off the road and into their destination, "But alright, we gotta acquire supplies for our operation… You've probably been taught the formal procedure for all this, but out here, you gotta learn that nothing is ever like how it's supposed to go. Local authorities are supposed to handle getting us, y'know, food, water, things we need to survive, but I can already tell you: they didn't. They probably have a Mayor who's pretty much just a name on a form who might not be Mayor anymore, might have even died, but either way, you show up for your supplies…"
"And nobody claims responsibility for providing it."
Finn gave her a weary nod. "You got it. And so you can either spend the whole time trying to punch your way through the mess to try and find out who is going to give you what you need to do your actual job, or…"
Now he gave Yang a grin, one she knew well from her time riding Bumblebee and raising hell all across Vale. The grin of someone who wasn't going to let rules, paperwork, Weisses, or any of that stuff stand in the way of doing what needed to be done.
"We forage?" she asked, giving him a grin of her own.
"Bingo," he said with a nod, "We show up, let people know the Huntsmen have arrived and then we use the authority entitled to us by the magnificent rule of Vale Civil Code 114.B: the Authorization for Huntsmen Requisition."
Yang nodded. They'd covered this in Huntsmen Law, admittedly a class she'd mostly slept through as Professor Green demonstrated that there were ways to be even more of a boring windbag than Port. But it was an important enough matter that Yang made sure to pay attention on this subject, even before Weiss and Blake grilled her on it in their study sessions later. Huntsmen had the legal right to requisition property that was deemed necessary for an effective operation, and the VHA would handle the matter of reimbursement. But more importantly…
"Come in hot, flash our licenses, get some grub."
"You got it, greenhorn!"
They got out of the truck, Yang springing to her feet as she charged forward to carry out a real Huntsman's task. Not just killing Grimm and throwing punches with Ember Celica—this was the stuff that professional Grimm hunters had to care about. It might not be glamorous, but to Yang, that was all the better. This put her in the lineage of her mom—her real mom—and dad, with Uncle Qrow, with every Huntsman that came before her!
Striding forward, Yang saw their target: a little old lady with a big sack of potatoes, bringing them in for sale. Good news—she already had a buyer and his name was the V-H-A!
"Afternoon, Ma'am," Yang said with a smile. She knew she had to be tough, but… well, her dad always raised her to be courteous to little old ladies, "I'm Yang Xiao Long, this is Finn Buioch, we're Huntsmen assigned by the VHA to address the Grimm population that's been emerging in the region. This is going to be a three-week operation involving an extensive search-and-destroy action, and as such, we will be requiring appropriate provisioning from the local authorities. Pursuant to the Valean Civil Code, we are entitled-"
"Forgive my partner," Finn interrupted, shooting Yang a playfully critical look, "She's new at this and is a little long winded. But those potatoes? We'll be taking them."
It was… a little brusque, but Yang knew well enough that words couldn't pretty up the reality of going up to someone and taking their stuff—she'd teased Weiss enough on focusing on politeness for this very reason. Finn stepped forward as the woman, without a word, unslung the bag from her back and handed them to Finn. Calorically dense and easily stored, potatoes made up a lot of the field Huntsman's diet, as Yang had learned. She wondered how Weiss might enjoy a mission like this… but she didn't have time to ponder those things as she had work to do. She turned to the woman, ready to ask her about the reimbursement process…
Only for Finn to just… walk off with the potatoes.
"Hey, come on!" Yang laughed, "Gimme a break here!"
But Finn raised an eyebrow. "I… I'm not sure what you-"
"I gotta get her info for the reimbursement paperwork, don't have me tracking her down later."
But Finn just stared at her like she'd said something he literally couldn't make sense of. Like she wasn't even speaking in the right language.
"The EL-1030? The forms to make sure she gets paid for our requisition?" Yang said, hoping to jog his memory, "I… assumed I'd be the one handling the paperwork as the new guy?"
Finn just shook his head in disbelief as he cracked a smile. "Reimbur- Yang! You don't have to worry about reimbursement!" he chuckled, "We're this far out, by the time any paperwork even got processed, who even knows how the funds would get out here? Now c'mon, I think I see a farmer's truck coming in, we don't want him running away before we can take our cut!"
With that, he simply walked off, still carrying the old woman's potatoes. Yang raised a finger, about to tell her just to wait a moment… or that this would all get sorted out… or that she didn't need to worry about anything… then realized she didn't know what she was going to say and just jogged off to catch up with Finn.
"What the hell, man," Yang hissed, narrowing her eyes, "That's not- that's not how we do things."
Finn, however, just laughed. "This isn't Beacon, nobody's gonna tell teacher. It's standard operating-"
"It's stealing!"
That got a reaction out of Finn. He stopped mid-stride, his eyes going wide for a moment before his nostrils flared, a reminder that, as much as a goofball as he'd come off, he did have a solid head of height over Yang.
"It's not stealing," he said firmly, "It isn't."
"We're talking stuff without-
"It's not stealing," Finn insisted, then shook his head. "Damn, Yang, I thought you were cool, but should have known a student Huntress was gonna be a crimp in our work."
Yang reeled backwards. The hell was this coming from? This wasn't- she wasn't being like Weiss here, she wasn't asking him to dot his I's and cross his T's and not end a sentence on a… whatever those words were, she was asking him to make sure people got paid for their shit.
"We only get to take these if we're-"
"Listen, Yang," he snapped, "We either get the supplies or go back empty handed and everyone goes hungry, and if you'd ever actually seen how quickly a mission can go to shit when there's no food, you'd know that this paperwork shit isn't worth getting worked up about!"
"It doesn't lose anything to do the damn paperwork!" Yang snarled, "We get the food anyways!"
But in response to her anger, Finn just rolled his eyes. "Nobody actually does the damn paperwork," he sighed, acting like Yang was criticizing him for his incorrect use of apostrophes, "It's a waste of time, and besides: we're the ones who could actually get killed out there, if a civilian loses a couple potatoes, they should just be glad they're not gonna get eaten by Grimm. Seriously, don't fall for that shit like a greenhorn: civvies always get the better deal. We get paid jack and shit to keep them safe from monsters—and let's not forget bandits, cause we're obligated to put our lives on the line for law enforcement if it comes to that—and they just whine whine whine about how a Huntsman was mean once. She's got plenty of potatoes, consider it the day she finally paid what she actually owed for the protection we offer."
Yang didn't have a response to that. It- it was stealing, it wasn't right to take other people's things, but she… she didn't want to-
"So!" he asked, gesturing to the truck that was pulling off the road, "Are you gonna help me or not?"
Gritting her teeth, Yang glanced back at the old woman… who'd already moved on, going about her day as though this hardly mattered. Like nobody but Yang actually cared about the damn forms and that this was really just her own pride causing her to make a deal about all this.
"Fine," she said, "But we're doing the damn paperwork!"
"If it'll get you off my back…"
Finn stomped off, but… it sure didn't feel like a win.
Don't tattle.
It went against all of Yang's principles to go and run to an authority figure rather than solve this with her own two fists, but at the same time… she wanted to do this right. This was her first step at being a real Huntsman, and the kind of mindset where she handled things the right way, the official way, not just flying off the handle and doing her own thing. She tried not to think of how proud Weiss would be of her, but this was something bigger than her ego. This was Huntsman work: and that was sacred.
She felt uncharacteristically nervous as she asked Chi if they could talk. An inner voice was second-guessing her like hell, in every direction. Part of it called her a snitch, part of it told her she was still being too casual, she was in unfamiliar waters and as much as Yang liked to present herself as a bold cowboy type, she liked things she had a handle on, and reporting on another team member was… just not something she had to deal with at Beacon. Just imagining doing it to Blake or Weiss… it felt treacherous. Felt low.
And things didn't get better as Chi gave a slow nod and asked, "So… what's this all about?"
Yang sighed. "Something came up with requisition," she said, "We… didn't follow procedure. I got the forms, but… Finn… didn't. Didn't stop for them and…" she swallowed, her words going against everything she believed in, "And he told me I… shouldn't get it. That we should just take the provisions. And not offer recompense."
Now Chi sighed, sorrowfully shaking his head. "Yang," he began, his voice a low, reluctant drawl, "I wish I could tell you that's an uncommon feature of field work, but… the rules with reimbursement tend to get a little neglected out here. Nothing goes how it's supposed to and we've got to make the best of it and sometimes, we don't live up to our ideals."
Yang's heart sank, suddenly feeling like she was the one being called out for being a teacher's pet, feeling-
"But you're right, it's not how things should be done and Finn was definitely out of line," he said, and Yang felt a wave of relief as he gave her a reassuring smile, "I'll have a talk with him and… well, you know how it is: Huntsmen are proud people, so I'm not going to ask him for an apology, but we've all gotta ride a little straighter while on this mission."
"Thanks…" she said, still feeling emotionally weakened by tattling on a fellow Huntsman.
"Hey, you were right to say something," he told her, "But… in a mission like this, you gotta keep the team together, y'know? While I'm sorting this out, the biggest thing I gotta know is that you've got Finn's back and he's got yours—no matter what personal stuff is going down, we gotta remember we're all on the same side when it comes to the Grimm."
"Of course," Yang said, feeling relieved that she hadn't screwed up the whole operation and more than willing to be magnanimous when Chi had a way to smooth over the whole thing.
Then Chi shot her a grin that made Yang feel a whole heck of a lot better about all this. "But there's one big lesson in this, Yang," he said, his voice turning serious as she nodded attentively, "Sometimes… sometimes the rules get a little lax when you're out here, you know? And when you're in the field, you've gotta learn when to show some flex. Beacon's the best school in Vale and, pretty sure, the best in Remnant, but that means you've been seeing the side of things where everything works correctly. So… trust me on this, we've got a long mission ahead of us, and in my experience, it's best to play these things lightly, you hear? And if you can do that for me, it'll make my job a whole lot easier."
"Of- of course!" Yang said, mostly just feeling that relief as she smiled back at Chi.
"That's a Huntress!" he said with a laugh, "And hey, I was talking with Violet before you and Finn got back, she was thinking you had what it takes to be point in our formation."
"Really?"
Chi nodded. "I'd been thinking it myself, actually, but if Violet thinks you're up for it, we can try it out tomorrow!"
"W-wow," Yang said, reeling from the offer. She was a natural for point, a close-combat specialist with a Semblance that made her a walking tank. It was her usual position in RWBY's formation, but outside school teams, point was typically reserved for the most experienced Huntsman on the team. Chi had been filling that role yesterday, even as an archer, but to offer it to Yang while she was still a student…
"I won't let you down!"
"Ha! I know you won't, Yang—I've seen your tournament moves, and I'm waiting to see what they look like in the field!"
With that, their conversation was finished and Yang practically skipped away. Things had- things had gone so much better than she'd expected! Like, that was pretty much perfect. She breathed a sigh of relief that she'd gotten past what could have been a really awkward situation—possibly even mission-ruining—and Chi had been really cool and responsible about it. Yang had her experience with inter-team squabbles, but there was a big difference between Ruby having to manage a fight Yang was having with Weiss and Yang being the new girl on the squad starting trouble with someone who was more established than her.
But there was a part of Yang that… couldn't be silenced. The part of Yang that spoke in Blake's voice, the part that told her not to take anything as a given because it was what she wanted to hear. That part… that part was a little worried that things had seemed a little too cool and… ugggh, it was really messing with her that they'd basically just came in and robbed people. Yeah, they were legally entitled to take the food and it wasn't like Finn was all that wrong—maybe they won't ever get compensated, and all Yang did was give them a receipt that'd never get paid. And in that case, where was she getting on her high horse? But it just… it felt wrong.
Felt like something her mother would do.
That… she needed to stop thinking like that. Finn might have been a dick, but he was nothing like her mom. These… these were Huntsmen. Good people. Maybe they didn't always follow all the rules to the letter, but hell, neither did she. And this was the frontier. She was here to learn how things really worked, and if Chi was taking care of it, it wasn't her problem anymore. She just had to do her part: kick Grimm ass and keep people safe. That… that was her job. She just had to do her part and do her job, and everything would turn out fine.
Just be a Huntress and everything would turn out fine.
Thanks to Renarde for feedback on this work and special thanks to GummiGamer who helped develop Chi's team and coined the names for both Chi and Finn, for which I am deeply appreciative. The whole appeal of writing fanfiction for me is that I don't have to come up with names for characters, but if my story needs some original characters, well...
But I see this fic as a pair with my recent fic, Room At The Table, trying to paint another picture of what a professional Huntsman's life is like. While the last fic was about relationship drama as Blake and Yang as they look to their future, this one's about the professionalism of Huntsmen, and what it means to be a traveling monster-slayer with superhuman powers acting on the far fringes of society. Things like "how do they get paid?" and "what keeps them from abusing their power?" aren't something early volumes of RWBY had to concern themselves much with, but I love imagining the gears that are turning behind the scenes.
