Hunting or Bust: The Journey Continues

by Master Attlon

Part 2 of the HOB story. Friends and family reunited. Paths crossing and converging once more. Happy reunions and fun times all around. But they don't last forever. Not when darkness spreads and evil conspires in the shadows. It takes a lot of work to change the world, not to mention stop an immortal witch. Oh well, time to get started.

4. Here's the Situation

Hunting or Bust: The Journey Continues

Dust 4: Here's the Situation

Damn man, I'm going to be making a lot of updates over the next few weeks. Don't know why I wanted to do it, but I just wanted to get everything out to you guys after such a long dry period.

Speaking of which, here we go!

((((((((Hunting))))))))

He unlocked the door with the spare key Tsunade had given him after leaving Skyggen. With a gentle push on the doorknob, he left the door ajar and walked into his father's home again for the first time in nearly a year.

The front room was dark, not much of a problem with his night vision, and there was some dust on the counter and a small cobweb along the floor. But overall the house hadn't changed in all the time he'd been gone.

Naruto flicked the lights on and watched the room illuminate as the lightbulbs slowly powered up. Some of them were burnt out because only half of them lit up when he turned them on. And once the lights were on, the room looked much more different than it did in the dark.

There were still some plates out, used and dirty, and collecting dust sitting on the counter after all this time. Some drawers were left open or ajar before he left. There were tears in the furniture and seats. Honestly…even without anyone being around for weeks or even months…this place looked like it had been abandoned.

But the thing that drew his attention the most were the photos.

When Naruto had originally come to his father's house in Mistral during Beacon's semester break, he'd been surprised to see so many pictures of his family around the home. Pictures at many points in their lives, from when he and his mother were young to when they had him growing up. The most recent picture had been one Naruto took with Minato after their reunion at Beacon. It was heartwarming to know that even though their full family was separated, he still kept pictures of them around to motivate himself to reunite them all again one day.

But now they were placed down flat or turned around to face the wall. As Naruto put them back up he noticed some of their frames were cracked and broken. And one picture - one of all three of them smiling and happy on a sunny day years ago - even had old dried blood along one of the cracks.

"Dad…"

He gently ran his finger along the length of the crack running through all three of them before placing the picture back down. How must it have felt for him to wake up from his injuries only to find out Beacon had fallen and his son was pronounced dead?

When he and his mother had left for the White Fang years ago he had turned to alcohol to ease his pain. Did he go back to it this time? Was it even worse? What did he feel during all this pain and loneliness?

And speaking of his mother; where was she? From what Ruby and the others told him she had helped Sasuke and Gaara hold back the White Fang in the city before she disappeared. She finally left the White Fang of her own volition, so where was she now? No one had seen her since the Fall of Beacon so she could be anywhere on Remnant. And what must have gone through her head when she thought he died that day as well?

…

Naruto pulled out the new Scroll his friends had given him and started typing away. He faintly remembered the password to his father's wifi and typed it in before he finally got access. Once he was connected to the cloud he gained access to everything uploaded to it before the CCT had fallen and global communications had died out.

All his photos. All his contacts. All his videos.

"We did it!" A lighter, more energetic him screamed into the camera with a headband under his hair. He cheered, "We qualified! We qualified! We did it!"

"Naruto!"

"We did it!" He and Tenten shared a hug as Kiba came running over and jumped into them with joy. All three of them ran together and tackled Sasuke, "We did it!"

"Hey, not so close. You all stink of sweat."

"Lighten up party pooper!"

"Less whining! More celebrating!"

"We made it!"

Naruto smiled fondly as the video of him and his team finally ended. It…it had been so long since he'd seen all of them. He'd almost forgotten what they sounded like. Pulling out a chair he started to swipe through the photos of him, his team, and all the friends they made in Beacon. Team CFVY. Team GKTS. Team SSSN. Penny. All of Team RWBY and the missing member of Team JNPR.

His ears flicked when he heard footsteps and looked up to see his friends carefully making their way in. Ruby and Oscar focused on him as Jaune, Ren, and Nora looked around the house. Qrow followed up behind, looking bored and quickly surveying the place quietly.

Oscar and Ruby shared a look before pulling out the seats across from Naruto on the table. He smiled and tapped the screen of his new device, "I didn't think I'd ever see these again after losing my old Scroll." He chuckled and turned it around, "Do you remember this one?"

Ruby leaned in to get a better look as Jaune passed over and looked in. Her face brightened up with a giggle, "Oh yeah, I remember that! We forgot we had a book report and were scrambling to finish it the day before!"

Jaune sighed, "Man those assignments were brutal. And Oobleck never gave us an inch about due dates."

"Ozpin doesn't like to hear that you guys procrastinated so long." Oscar piped up as he looked up from the picture, "You have a bandana over your ears?"

"Oh yeah, I used to hide them a while back. Trying to avoid getting noticed by the White Fang or their enemies."

"And we had absolutely no idea. For pretty much the whole first semester." Ruby noted with a pout, "A real nice way to treat your friends, you jerk."

"Oh come on, I apologized over and over."

"I know," She crossed her arms and sulked in her seat, "I just remembered it and it left me miffed."

"No better cure for that than a little snacking." Nora said with a mouthful of food as she held out a bag of chips, "Dig in!"

Everyone else shared a tense look before Naruto coughed, "Uh, Nora? My dad hasn't been home in a long time, so I think most of the food and snacks here are-"

"Free for the taking? I agree!" She shoveled another handful of food in her mouth and giggled as she ate, "Mmm! These are so good!"

Everyone else kind of paled or grew green at the thought. Ren palmed his face, "Nora, did you at least check the expiration date for those before eating them?"

"Ren, we've been over this! Those dates are just suggestions Big Food makes to get us to buy stuff more often!"

"I think the fact food turns so quickly would beg to disagree."

"Whatever," Nora waved them off before skipping over to Naruto's side, "Look it's great and cool that you have all your stuff back, but there's only one thing that matters." She smirked and wriggled her eyebrows, "Do you still have the sacred video saved?"

It took him only a second to realize what she meant before he grinned, "Oh I would never lose that." He searched his Scroll and with a giggle clicked the thumbnail-

"~My bad, bad Angel, you put the Devil in me~."

A chorus of laughs and giggles sounded out around the room as they heard the recording sing. Even Ren couldn't hide his amusement as he tried to stifle it by covering his mouth. Ruby nearly doubled over and wiped her eyes, "Y-You know she'd kill you if she heard you play!"

"This is worth it!"

Oscar looked confused, "What is that?"

"We'll show you when you're older."

"Man, gotta love these comedy routines you kids put on." Qrow groused from the side as he opened the fridge and started looking inside, "Wow, not a drop in here. I guess he stayed on the wagon even after everything that happened."

Naruto was glad to hear his dad didn't resort back to the bottle. Perhaps his teammates and coworkers kept a close eye on him to make sure he was okay. Or maybe it was Tenten sticking by him so he was alright. Whatever it was there was a small bit of relief in his stomach knowing his father had been looked after during this time.

Unfortunately, it was only a small bit of ease among the rest of what he was feeling.

"Y'know," He looked over at Oscar and shook his head, "Do you think I could have gotten here sooner if I had just gotten out of my head? If I wasn't so hellbent on focusing only on how I felt and what I wanted to do, maybe I could have gotten here faster and reached my dad before he left. Eased his worries and-"

"Perhaps if you had landed on Anima a few days sooner, and secured transportation directly to Mistral, avoided all dangers and Grimm along the way, then maybe you could have reached your father before he left. However, there's also a chance that you would have just missed him, followed after him, and never reunited with your friends if you did."

Oscar spoke more firmly and wisely, the telltale sign that Ozpin had chosen to speak up. Naruto looked at the reincarnation of his old teacher as he spoke, "There's no point wasting time trying to figure out what-if scenarios and how you might have changed things. Focusing on matters like that is a surefire way to drive yourself insane. I can attest to that." Ozpin looked up at him, "And even if this situation isn't ideal, I think there is still a benefit to it."

"What do you mean?"

"We put a great deal of importance on helping others through their troubles and trials. But that does not mean you should ignore the attention and focus you need to give yourselves as well." Ozpin said, looking around at all of them before focusing back on Naruto, "The paths you took to get here…the obstacles you faced…the enemies you stood down, and the pain you struggled through…it might not all be pleasant, but they are all parts of your journey to get here today."

Everything that happened, even the hard and painful parts, got them here today.

It was difficult to think all the time alone or getting hurt since Beacon could have meant something. Looking back it was hard to think he had grown or become any better after going through everything. And the desire to have hurried over to Mistral to find his dad sooner was still strong.

But meeting Oscar and finding Ozpin again. Talking about what had happened to him. Regaining his drive to fight and help others before reuniting with everyone and discovering the true enemy behind it all. If he hadn't been here he never would have experienced all of this.

He looked up and over at Ruby. She noticed his attention and smiled warmly at him. And even though it was faint, he realized he was smiling back.

"Well that's nice," Qrow remarked while pulling out his flask, "But if we're done helping each other cheer up, we've still got a problem to hash out. Mainly; what are we going to do about the Maiden/Raven problem without Skyggen on our side?"

"I suppose without them, the plan is still the same. We search for assistance where we can get it, wait for Leonardo to reach out to us, and train until then." Ozpin said, "Although with the news Skyggen gave us that Hunter numbers are drastically thinning…"

"Yeah, it doesn't sound good. I'll still go looking if we want but I'm not sure what kind of turnout we'll get."

"I was thinking about that." Ruby got their attention as the young Huntress looked around, "If the Huntsmen and Huntresses aren't around enough to help, what if we go to Skyggen and offer Ms. Tsunade our help?"

"Us?"

"Yeah," She shrugged, "I mean it sucks they can't help us get back the Maiden, but it isn't because they don't want to help us. They can't. Their numbers are stretched out and they have a lot of jobs to do. So I think the help of several super awesome, mega-capable Hunters like us will help them! And Uncle Qrow, you always told me that a week of work outside of school is like a month of training in one!"

Ozpin looked back at Qrow critically, "Please tell me you weren't telling my students directly to their faces they shouldn't bother with school."

"Ugh, you screw me over reciting my advice to me, don't you Pipsqueak." The gruff Huntsman sighed before shrugging, "Well she raises a pretty good point. Tsunade and the others could use some help, and hands-on work can help as training."

"I can see the benefit of that." Oscar's eyes flashed for a moment before his body language changed, "But I'm not sure if I can join you guys on missions."

"We can do both." Jaune piped up, "Training at home under Ozpin and doing work for Skyggen for the experience. That's probably the best choice."

"Yeah! Yeah, that sounds like fun!" Ruby looked at Naruto excitedly, "That sounds like a good idea, right?"

He smiled and nodded, "I think we can do a lot of good helping out in Mistral."

"I agree." Ren nodded, "It seems like the best course of action."

"Then that settles it! Team JNRR is moving up to the professional league!" Nora exclaimed proudly before her expression turned blank and distant, "Wait, we have an N, an O, and a Q to add to the mix now too. Okay, we might need to rethink the name now."

"I thought we settled on Team RNJR?"

"Oh, we're not doing this again!"

"Take the Q out of the equation. I'm a pro, I'm not in the kiddie league anymore."

"Do Ozpin and I count for one O, or are we double?"

Naruto looked at the wild conversation and madness that arise in his father's main room with his friends. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked over at Ruby as she grinned and motioned to take a picture. Immediately knowing her intention, he grinned back and leaned in as she did the same.

He found a new favorite picture in him and Ruby smiling while the rest of their friends indulged in their daily madness in the background.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Her head was pounding. Like just the act of blinking was enough to send her migraine into overdrive. With a groan, she shifted around to lie on her stomach before propping herself up on her hands. Despite the pain in her head she tried to remember what happened before she passed out.

She left Atlas, saying goodbye to Sasuke and the others in the process. They flew over Anima and to Mistral. Grimm started to chase and attack them. She fended them off but their ship suffered damages. And the pilot was killed when Yang and the others-

"Yang?!" Weiss shot up in a start and quickly fell back to her knees. The nausea and headache made everything blackout and tunnel for a moment before finally settling back down. With a groan she rubbed her forehead, feeling a cloth tightly applied around her head. And as she tried to understand why that was, she also realized why her hands were pulling against each other.

They were bounded together with a rope.

And after a moment she also realized she had been lying on the floor of a cage, with bars surrounding her. The former heiress looked through the bars and saw a shoddy old camp from wherever she was positioned. A camp surrounded by a wooden wall that towered over just about everyone.

Weiss stepped over to the bars, grabbing one and pushing on it to little effect. She looked around the sturdy cell in confusion, "What is this? Where am I?"

"Hey!" She flinched and looked over to see a roughly dressed man between some tents pointing in her direction, "She's awake! Vernal, she woke up-"

"Yeah, I heard you." Weiss heard a distinctly gruff but feminine voice interrupt the man's calling as she saw a shadow run along the ground, "Do me a favor and go inform the boss that our guest woke up."

"O-Of course!"

As the man ran off, a young woman probably around Weiss' age walked into sight and approached the cage. She had short, dark hair and light blue eyes with little to no warmth behind them. She was dressed like a bandit and had a winged bird tattooed over one arm. But probably the most striking feature was the smug grin on her face and the fact she had Myrtenaster resting on her shoulder.

Weiss' eyes immediately narrowed in anger as she watched the bandit woman approach, "That's my rapier."

"It is? It was just lying by the wreck so I assumed it was a fancy toothpick or something. If this is your sword you should keep better care of it." The woman calling herself Vernal smiled as she lifted the sword by her line of sight and ran a finger along its blade, "It is an amazing craft though. I don't know whether to keep it as a trophy or sell it for a profit."

"You'll do neither." Weiss growled, "You'll give it back to me."

"Aww, that'd be nice, wouldn't it?" The bandit girl leaned in towards the bars and smiled at Weiss, "Sorry Princess but that's not in the cards. You won't be receiving much preferential treatment until demands are met."

"Demands? What-"

"Shh," The rude girl shushed her and left Weiss fuming as she stood up and turned from the cage, "Keep all questions and concerns waiting for the woman in charge."

Weiss was going to press on questioning the bandit girl before she suddenly lost her voice at the new shadow looming over her.

A tall, imposing woman in black and red. A long black bushel of hair going all the way down her back and a face hidden behind a mask like a Nevermore. At her side, her hand lazily rested on the hilt of a sword resting in its scabbard. And even though Weiss couldn't directly see her eyes, the intensity of her gaze caused the young Schnee to clam up and freeze.

The imposing figure knelt to face her directly through the bars. Weiss' breath hitched as she reached up and grabbed the edges of her mask. And as she lifted it off her face to reveal a remarkably youthful visage, Weiss understood why she had mistakenly believed that Yang had suddenly appeared in front of her.

As the woman placed her mask aside, Weiss' mind started to go into overdrive trying to piece things together. This woman wasn't an exact match to Yang, but her facial structure and piercing red eyes couldn't have just been a coincidence. And despite her current predicament she couldn't help but think back to the stranger that Blake had murmured about coming to their recuse in their time of need. Her appearance was just too close of a match-

"So I'm sure you must be confused." The woman finally spoke, apathetically and detached as she motioned to her surroundings, "Who are you people? Why are you doing this? What are you going to do with me?"

"Some of those, certainly. Others aren't that hard to figure out given context clues." Weiss looked around, "Considering you're camping outside and some of your people don't look like they've showered in weeks, it's easy to guess you're bandits." She gave a particular look to Vernal and the dark-haired woman frowned in response, "And your crew mercilessly executing the pilot and raiding the broken cargo ship shows you just wanted the supplies. I was wondering why you kept me alive, but she mockingly called me 'Princess' so I can guess what you have in mind."

The red-eyed woman chuckled and looked back at her second, "That's an upper-crust education for you. Working it all out so fast." She turned back to Weiss, "Although I'm surprised, you're so calm about the situation you're in."

She sat up proudly, "I was training to be a Huntress not too long ago."

She hummed and nodded, "Ah, a Huntress. Yeah, they are good at hiding their fear and putting on a mask of composure. That explains it." Weiss was about to argue that it wasn't a mask but realized she had lost the woman's interest in the matter, "Well you've got it mostly figured out, Schnee girl. We recently lost a chance at a big score so your little gift from above did us a huge favor."

She felt irritated hearing the stranger refer to her life-threatening crash so lightly, "That's a shame. If I knew you needed it so badly I would have dumped everything out the back."

"Yeah, and you would've had your weapon on you and protected that poor sap that drove you here." Vernal said with a smirk, "But I guess things don't always go as we want, do they?"

"Hopefully this will." The woman stood up with her mask under her arm, "We'll reach out and get word to Atlas. Let them know we have one of their golden children in our midst." She looked up aimlessly, "I'm sure we can bargain a pretty price for you. Damn, we could even get Argus to make a hefty donation to your safety until then. Possibilities are endless."

Weiss wasn't sure whether to expect her father to pay the ransom to get her back and lock her up himself or just leave her here to rot in a cell until the bandits got bored.

But she took a calming breath and spoke, "All that will be waiting for you if you make a ransom is an elite attack squad rushing your base with my sister leading the charge. I'm sure you think yourselves capable, but Winer Schnee is the best of a generation."

"She's also not here." Weiss was stunned by what Vernal offhandedly said with a chuckle, "Yeah don't know what's going on in the shiny capital of the world but sightings of your sister have been few and far between. Enough that we've figured that she's left Anima entirely. If you're waiting for your big sister to come and rescue you…think again."

"Make sure not to cause too much trouble, young lady." The leader said derisively as she raised her mask back up to her face, "We should get you back home sipping fancy tea by the fire in no time."

This…this couldn't be happening. All this time trying to prepare and escape and she was just going to be captured and sold back home? It was infuriating enough to make Weiss want to chew through her lip. As she watched the two bandits walk away-

"You said daughter back in the forest, didn't you? Am I to believe you were talking about-"

"You're our guest, and we need you in good condition if we're going to hand you back over for a profit." The woman spoke up, chilling both Weiss and Vernal with the tone underlying her voice, "Don't make things harder for yourself by asking stupid questions."

Once they walked out of sight, Weiss settled back in her cage and let out a sigh. She had no reason to believe some bandits who absconded with her, but if what they said about Winter leaving Mistral was true then she was on her own. And if that was the case…

She held her hands out and watched a Glyph form between her palms.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Tenten couldn't describe the unease she felt having to stay behind in the Belladonna manor as the others went out. She felt twitchy and nervous and could damn near form a rut on the nice floor of this house if she started walking around.

She had to stay here and wait as Blake, Sun, and Ghira went out to the locals and made an impassioned call to action. They had guards and were ready for any White Fang nonsense that might rear its head, but still, it made Tenten angry that she had to sit and wait.

Granted she understood the reason. The last time she'd been out in public was a bit of an uproar egged on by the Albain brothers and their followers. And even when she left in private she and Sun had gotten jumped by White Fang members. So for the time being they decided they should stay indoors until they were sure they could go out without any trouble.

She understood and could agree…but still-

"Damn," Tenten said in an antsy tone as she started scratching her head, "I can't take this."

"Tenten?" She stopped in her cabin fever suffering and looked over as Kali made her way over with a tray of tea in her hand. The older Faunus smiled warmly at her, "You look like you can barely keep yourself together. I'm sure having to stay behind doesn't sit right with you."

"Oh, Ms. Kali," She graciously nodded to her host before stepping up to her, "Can I carry that for you?"

"Well dear, that would be wonderful." Kali took her offer with a grateful smile. Once the tray had entered Tenten's grasp the black-haired woman rolled her neck and rotated her shoulders, "Ah, you'd think I'd get used to carrying all these cups and kettles by now with all the guests we have, but I swear my joints are getting stiffer."

"Sorry about that," Tenten felt the need to apologize to her friend's mother, "If you didn't have to entertain and house so many unwanted guests-"

"Oh, now I never said anything about you lot being unwanted." Kali kindly stopped her before she could continue, "I'm happy that this house is so lively. Believe me, after so many years of things being so normal it was starting to get boring. Peaceful sure, but boring."

"Well we're not boring, but we are ruining the peace." Tenten said with a shrug as she followed Kali to the study, "Thank you so much for putting up with us."

"Again dear, you don't have to thank us." Kali said, "If anything we should be thanking all of you. It's comforting to know we have so many allies with us during these times when it's hard to know who to trust anymore. And until these matters with the Albains and the White Fang can be worked out, having you all here is nothing short of a relief."

"I just wish there was more we could do." Tenten admitted with a tinge of guilt that she had to stay in here while their friends spoke to the people, "Isn't there anything you or Mr. Ghira could do to smooth things over with the public?"

"We have. We've made statements to the public about your staying here and that there's nothing to be concerned about." Kali's expression turned glum as she continued, "But there's only so much a leader's words can do to convince people when dissenting voices whisper the opposite right beside them. There's a seed of doubt placed into the heart of our community about your purpose here and now it's become quite difficult to uproot it."

They could come out directly and say that the White Fang was planning something. However, Fennec and Corsac would deny and deflect the claims. And Ilia and the others coming out and attacking them publicly could place the blame on them without much argument from civilians.

Tenten felt a firm hand on her shoulder and looked up as Kali smiled, "We'll handle this matter together. So don't fret and believe in your friends." With some unease, Tenten nodded and decided to stop worrying while she had to stay here.

She and Kali walked into the room and found Jiraiya perusing the extensive library while Kushina stood out on the balcony enjoying the weather. Tenten walked over to the table, the cups shaking a little as she carefully put down the tray. With a sigh of relief, she looked over, "You looking for something to read, Mr. Jiraiya?"

"Meh," The old Faunus let out a weird sound as he pulled out a book and flipped through it, "Looking but not finding anything. History books. Reference books. Politics. Oh, Politics for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals - very nice." He said with a grin before putting it back, "I can't seem to find any culture in these collections."

"I know what 'culture' you're referring to, Jiraiya, and you won't find any here." Kali spoke with a sharp, firm tone and a frown at the old man, "This is the study and housing of a Chieftain-"

"Yeah, a politician and leader of people. That's why the smut and porn have to be hidden well. I get you." Jiraiya quickly stated, getting a groan of annoyance from Kali and a nervous chuckle from Tenten, "I might not be living on the island anymore but the leaders are usually all the same." This didn't seem to appease Kali as her eye just twitched, "Oh tea, that looks yummy."

The cat Faunus just sighed, "I don't understand why you'd think we'd have porn in our library."

"Well going off your daughter's tastes-"

"Those are fine literature and not your smut to shame!"

Okay…clearly this was a pile of Dust she didn't want to ignite.

Somehow the only other person in the room was the least tense and awkward option, "H-Hey, Ms. Kushina?" She called out to the redhead fox, "Do you want a drink? Some tea or snacks?"

Her tail remained lax behind her as she looked back at them. Tenten gave the best smile she could - that was still a weirdly awkward thing despite her efforts - and pointed down at the tray. The former White Fang leader seemed to be tempted by the offer and she made her way over.

As she walked Tenten looked at the enigmatic woman she knew so little about. She had finally released the purple bandana and instead tied it around her right wrist. The big, bushy tail behind her swayed with her steps. And even though Naruto looked so much like his father, it was unmistakable to see just how much he looked like his mother as well.

She sat down on the couch, her tail raising so that it rested between her back and the cushion. And grabbing a cup she quietly drank from it before giving a faint but clear smile, "This is quite good. Better than other teas I've had before."

That seemed to get Jiraiya's attention as he came over, "Better than the coffee I made?"

"Mud tastes better than that stuff you made."

It suddenly felt like the room was a lot less tense as Tenten saw all three adults start to join in on the afternoon tea. Tenten's nervousness eased as she joined them, taking a seat on a chair and pouring herself a cup of tea, "So why was the coffee so bad? Something wrong with the beans?"

"The beans. The water. The time needed to prepare it all. It was all against us." Jiraiya stated, "We were pretty much on the move constantly so no batch we made was worth the taste of it."

Kushina nodded, "Plus desalinated saltwater doesn't make for the best coffee to drink."

"That too."

Tenten grimaced as she could only imagine what that would have tasted like and it was enough to leave a bad taste in her mouth. Luckily a quick sip of tea helped ease the bitterness and calm her down. Because wow, this was some quality stuff. No wonder Blake liked it so much more than coffee.

"You said you were on the move, right?" Kali spoke up, "Was that when you were hitting White Fang locations after Beacon?"

"That's right," Jiraiya nodded while walking around, "We couldn't stay anywhere for long as we followed what remnants of the sect we could find and tried to get a lead to the next spot. It was travel after travel, day after day. We barely stayed in any one place for more than a few days."

"And all these locations…did you get them from the White Fang members?"

The question left in the air was how exactly they got the information from the people they crossed. And from what Tenten remembered them saying before…it wasn't a question they asked nicely.

"Most of them. However, I also remembered where some of the hideouts and facilities were from my time traveling with Danzō as he showed me off and recruited more members."

Tenten remembered what Naruto had told them about his mother and their positions in the White Fang. Danzō wanted a loyal subordinate that they could use to drum up morale and support in their ranks. So he went out of his way to find his mother, snatch her out of her life, and use her like a tool.

"That man…I've only ever heard of him second-hand, and what I have has never been flattering." Kali frowned while looking down into her teacup, "How did you become acquainted with him exactly?"

"He was the closest thing I had to a parent." Kushina answered, "I was born in Vacuo, or at least I think I was because my earliest memories are of trudging through sand. I'm not sure what happened to my parents but for the longest time, I just traveled with communes that picked me up. I think someone wanted to show me kindness and unlocked my Aura at a young age, not realizing when they did they'd get a big surprise. Whenever I channeled my Aura my whole body would be engulfed in a red shroud, and it caused a wall to form between me and the other people I traveled with. I was shunned…until word finally reached him."

Even though this was such a terrible story, Tenten was shocked at how easily she spoke about it, "He appeared before me one day and offered me a home. I didn't have anything else or any connection to the people I traveled with so I accepted it. From a young age, he taught me how to fight. How to fend for myself when I couldn't. He taught me that because of my tail people would look at me differently and think of me as well, but because of my Semblance, I could change that perspective and maybe the whole world. It was hard and never quite loving, but when I was young I thought of him like a father."

The handle in her fingers cracked a little, "But it was all lies."

Her eyes hardened as her voice suddenly grew some bite, "Since I was a child he had been implanting triggers in my subconscious. Conditioning me to follow his orders and never raise a hand to him. Ever since I was a child I was nothing more than a weapon to use on others and a tool to help him gain power. When I was old enough and realized he planned to use me for…" Kushina bit her tongue but as her hand settled along her stomach Tenten felt queasy at the thought, "I ran away and cut all ties with him."

Tenten gulped, sparing a look over at Kali and Jiraiya. He had probably heard the story before and Kali was unfazed by what she heard. The brunette Huntress nodded, "And that's when you met Mr. Minato, right?"

"I met another team from Beacon first while I was trying to make a life in Vale, Team STRQ. After that, I met Team MINA, and then Minato. Time passed. I got to know them all a little better. Years went by and by graduation, I decided to leave with Minato. Some time passed and…"

"Naruto?" Kushina looked up at her and gently nodded. Tenten felt like her vision was starting to get hazy but she quickly put that feeling aside, "What next?"

"Years of us together..having a life." Her face finally showed a change, looking down at her lap with a wistful fondness, "It all seemed so nice…until Danzō reappeared. He found me and wanted my help in helping him secure the White Fang's position in this new mission they were taking up." The redhead's eyes lost most of their light, "He threatened to attack my family if I didn't come with him. And even if we escaped he promised to follow us, and destroy every village we stayed in along the way until he found us. I thought it was better to do what he said than put my family at risk so I went with him. But Naruto followed, wanting to be by my side and protect me, and joined the White Fang as well."

"Sometime later he pissed off everyone by turning on his people during a mission and dismembering the white-haired idiot that attacked you. I knew he was going to be hurt if he stayed so I broke him out and set him free. I stayed behind, knowing that as long as I stayed then Danzō wouldn't bother chasing Naruto or attacking Minato. And for years it was more of the same…until that bitch showed her face." Kushina's eyes narrowed, "She convinced Adam to join her, and in turn, he felled Danzō and took his seat of power. He kept me by his side, promising to fulfill Danzō's threat if I made a move. And I did nothing…until Vale finally happened."

"You saw one of the kid's friends get, hurt, right?"

Kushina nodded and Tenten remembered the state Sasuke was in when she found him in Vale. Barely conscious with his left hand ruined beyond repair. He tried to keep fighting and helping but almost passed out from the pain. All the while he just kept saying that Naruto needed to know that his mother was there and she helped. Not knowing that their leader was gone, even if he was still alive.

"Something about what that boy said, among all those White Fang reveling in his pain, stirred me to action. In an instant, I made a move and was at his side to fight. And for the first time in years, I felt liberated from a choking weight that had dragged me down. I walked away, damned the consequences, and wanted to reunite with my family while I still could."

…

"But then Beacon fell…Minato had been bedridden…and everyone believed Naruto had died. That weight I thought had disappeared was suddenly replaced with something that made it seem delightful in comparison. A feeling that stabbed into my heart and hollowed out my chest. As I realized what I'd done there wasn't anything I could go back to. Nowhere I could go. But there was still something to do." Tenten felt unnerved as the older woman's stone-faced expression returned, "Destroy everyone and everything that had a hand in what happened that day. And after that…"

…

"After that, what would happen?" Kali broke through the silence and urged her to finish, "I can imagine your mind went to some very dark thoughts, but now that you're here, our aim has changed, and your son is still alive…what will you do?"

Kushina looked up from her tea and stared at the ceiling…

"I guess once we're finished I'll turn myself in and face the music."

"What?!" That was Tenten's knee-jerk reaction, gasping in shock as she jumped to her feet, "W-What do you mean by that?!"

Kushina stated, "Exactly what I meant. Once we're on the other side of this I turn myself in and face whatever judgment may come. I was a head of the White Fang during its violent rise and a conspirator to one of the worse events in history."

"B-But Danzō used you like a figurehead, right? And you turned away and helped during the Fall!" Tenten tried to rationalize, "You weren't-"

"Even if I was just a figure, the name Red Death was what Danzō hid behind to strike fear into human civilization. And even if it was bookended by inaction and my inevitable betrayal, I still helped set up the attack that crippled the world and destroyed a Kingdom." Kushina stated matter-of-factly, "I'm a monster. And there is no end to the people that want to see me hang or fry."

No matter what she tried to consider, Tenten was baffled by the degree of separation Kushina had while speaking of her fate. Like it wasn't her decision to make but a foregone conclusion that would inevitably happen. She stammered, "B-But that can't be the only thing you can do! D-Don't you want to live your life and-"

"I'm pretty confident that choice is the only one where I do get to live."

"But what about Mr. Minato?!" Tenten pleaded, "What about Naruto?!"

"She's right," Kali agreed at her side, "If your son is still alive, you would want to see him again, don't you? Seems a tad premature to sign yourself off like that."

"If your daughter wasn't one of the lucky ones…and hadn't made it back home from Beacon…would you be offering me tea?"

The room went silent as Kushina's question hung in the air, "Think of all the countless people that were killed or affected by what happened the night Vale fell…do you think any of them would argue against me paying the price?"

But - but that wasn't fair. Tenten tried to think about what Naruto would say if he was here. Blake's words about helping her even if she didn't want it. She tried-

But the thoughts of Pyrrha lingering in her head stopped her. Trying to absolve her of the guilt…but a burning feeling to blame someone-

"Everyone responsible for that night has to pay for what they did…that includes me."

The clicking of a teacup drew their attention aside as Jiraiya walked over, "Tenten, let's go train for a bit. Want to make sure that injury didn't ruin anything."

"But I-" The frog Faunus walked past her and to the door. She spared a look between him and the two mothers before following after. Once she was close she whispered to him, "Can't you say something to her? Anything?"

"To be honest this is a better outcome than I expected."

"Expected? Did you know?" She asked as they walked out, "What will - Mr. Minato!" The blond man was leaning by the wall next to the door, "Were you listening? I-I think-"

"That can wait," Her boss raised his hand and stopped them, "We have more to worry about. The rally…didn't go as planned."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

It was the same directions and warnings she had gotten time and time again. The civilians she saved were eternally grateful for her help but advised her not to pick a fight with the Branwen tribe and their terrifying leader.

Which didn't help her search because not finding Raven was not an option.

It was kind of funny to imagine she had gone all this time not indulging in one of her fruitless efforts to locate her mother in the seedy underbelly of Vale after she joined Beacon. But now here she was doing the same thing again on a different continent and getting vastly different results.

It was still a rather bitter pill to swallow thinking that her dad and uncle knew where her mother was all this time and never spoke up.

However, traveling through Mistral and hearing the fear people associated her with did put into context why they hid her.

All the villages they decimated. All the people were left to die. It was hard to tell what were just tall tales to warn people about the bandits and what were legitimate stories. It all painted Raven Branwen as some despicable sub-human monster that destroyed the world around her.

And yet she jumped in to help during Beacon when Yang's life was in danger.

It was difficult to discern much of the story, considering it was a secondhand retelling of a secondhand retelling. She only heard from Nora that Weiss had told her that a woman with black hair and a red sword swooped in to save them from that masked Faunus that attacked them.

It was hard to get details because everyone who could tell her was gone and Blake had been hysterical-

Yang closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. Looks like she wasn't passed that hurdle just yet.

Anyway, since the upstanding people of Mistral weren't going to throw her to the proverbial Beowolf, she was going to take her chance with the despicable instead. Finding a seedy joint where the not-so-reputable populace gathered wasn't that hard. The rampant underbelly of Mistral's society wasn't recorded higher in these areas than anywhere else in the world for nothing.

She didn't say anything when she entered. Instead, she sat down, ordered a drink, and casually nursed it while ignoring the numerous curious and suspicious gazes she was getting around the room. Some because they didn't recognize her. Some because they could probably tell she wasn't a criminal. Maybe others just thought she was hot and were building up the courage to approach her.

As for her she looked around and tried to identify the criminals around her. Some wore certain colors to signify their allegiances. Others were marked, with flames and even spiders. And maybe a few independents scattered here and there. Honestly, it was hard to tell because she wasn't familiar with the underground of Mistral and didn't recognize any gangs or groups.

So until she could discern who was who, she had to sit back and wait to make her move.

As shady patrons walked in and out of the door, Yang kept an ear out for what they were doing and their plans. Talks about gaining new members and proper initiations. Plans for a heist on the Argus Limited coming up. Terrible things made her inner Huntress want to lash out and pound some face. But she had to stay-

The door slammed open and some sandy-blond-haired guy strutted in like he owned the place. Yang could tell the guy was a skeez from the look on his face, and from the glares aimed at him around the bar, it looked like that feeling was unanimous.

"Three bottles to go." He said as he walked to the counter and the rough bartender behind it, "We need to get back real soon."

"Tch," The bartender clicked his teeth with a glare, "You bums even good enough to pay? Cause I don't give a shit who your boss is. If you walk out one more time-"

"I think we all know you give a shit. And don't worry," He flashed some Lien and slid it over, "We're good. Got lucky with a score and enough to pay. So go do your job and grab our drinks." He tossed the payment down and despite his spiteful stare the bartender went to grab their beverages. The bandit turned to face the rest of the bar, "Hey, whichever one of you drove that sweet-ass bike out here, that's a nice ride. It caught our eye real quick."

Yang's grip nearly tightened hard enough to break her mug as she thought of this creep and his lackeys eyeing Bumblebee.

"We'd like to talk about a sale if anyone is up for it." He smirked, "We can pay with Lien like businessmen, or we just won't pay. Your choice."

"Ugh, you Branwen fucks make every beer sour the moment you walk in."

"That's big talk, itsy-bitsy shitheads. If you got a problem then learn to appreciate the taste or piss off." The bandit smirked as the bartender returned and placed three bottles on the counter, "Last chance to make a transaction before you get - oh, well hello."

"Hi," Yang pleasantly said as she approached his side at the bar, "I heard you talking and wanted to join in."

"Oh, do you now?" He gave her a once over and liked what he saw as he leered, "Well how about you and I go somewhere?" He reached for his bottles, "I'll tell my guys-"

Yang snatched it up first, holding it up with a smile as he looked surprised-

"That's my bike by the way."

She swung the bottle down on his head in a splash of glass and liquid. And before he could topple over she grabbed his collar and tossed him across the bar and through the door. And while the rest of the establishment was stunned by the sudden attack, Yang casually walked by and kicked the door hanging off its hinges.

She walked out, standing over the groaning and groggy bandit. She put her hands on her hips, "Now I'd like to talk to you about your tribe."

"Hey bitch!"

"What'd you think you're doing?!"

Yang looked over, seeing two more bandits around her bike checking it out as he said. She smiled, "Oh cool, there's more of you."

Her eyes turned red, "Now I can double-check."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Blake was amazed to see such a crowd gather to listen to her father. It was inspiring to know he had become the kind of leader that warranted such respect and attention from his people. Seeing this gathering made her wish she could have been around to help him when he had first become Chieftain and gained the respect of Menagerie.

She, Sun, and several trusted soldiers stood as his guards during the rally. And as she looked up, she saw Minato perched out of sight atop a building and observing the rally with a birds-eye view. He spotted her gaze and nodded as she did the same.

And once she knew who was on her side, she looked over at the uncertain and antagonistic force that threatened them.

Some White Fang members were present on the outline of the crowd, flanking a curious Corsac and a recovering Fennec. And even though he wasn't close to the stage, Yagura curiously watched the whole thing with his hook leaning on his shoulder.

Blake watched them closely before her father started speaking, "I'm sorry for calling you all out here so suddenly, but I wanted to put some rumors spreading around to rest. Many of you remember the hard times that followed the attack in Vale and the fall of the CCT. While the prime contributors to that disaster are still unknown, we have been able to identify that Adam Taurus led a splinter cell of White Fang members to attack Beacon. It is uncertain if he received help from the greater White Fang forces, however, we believe he usurped power from the Vale head of operations and acted independently."

The crowd started to murmur and flashes from cameras started to assail the stage. Blake watched while the crowd started to consider what her father said. And even as a few of them looked back at the local White Fang, Fennec and Corsac didn't look at all perturbed by the accusation. They simply solemnly nodded to show their agreement.

Letting the blame leave them entirely.

"That is why the two Hunters that appeared some time ago stayed at our request. Their testimonies, as well as those of my daughter and her friend, collaborate on the heinous depths of Taurus' actions. And from what they have learned in their travels since that night, they believe he is planning a similar attack on Haven in Mistral."

It didn't feel right to take the credit from Kushina and Jiraiya for their efforts, but they agreed it was a lot less trouble to award them the accomplishments than revealing themselves to the public.

"We fear the worst of what this subsequent attack on Haven could do to another Kingdom like Mistral. So to avoid that, I have sent messengers to deliver warnings, both to necessary authorities and Sienna Khan's representatives in the White Fang. She and I haven't always seen eye to eye, especially in the methods the White Fang practice under her charge, but I believe even she would condemn Taurus for his actions."

Blake wishes they had more incrementing evidence to solidify their claims against Adam. But hopefully, Khan would see the danger in keeping him around and Minato's friends in Skyggen could get the word across to the authorities.

Ghira looked down at his cards, "I stepped down from my position as High Leader of the White Fang years ago. And although I did not agree with its current methods and objectives, I trusted it in the hands of people that still wanted what was best for the Faunus. However, I now see that allowing those methods to continue allowed people like Adam Taurus and his twisted mindset to fester under the surface. And to stop people like that from continuing to emerge, a change must be made in the White Fang."

Blake could sense the unease wash through the crowd. While the sentiment about a change in the White Fang looked to resonate with them, they didn't know how to do it. Blake looked over to Sun and saw the monkey shrug his shoulders. Her father spoke, "We need to-"

"More worthless trite from the cowards leading us to ruin!"

She immediately reached for her weapon as the guards were quickly on edge and the crowd gasping in surprise. Half a dozen people suddenly appeared throughout the crowd wearing Grimm masks. And from what seemed like out of nowhere, Ilia and Mizuki emerged atop a nearby building to look down over them all.

She looked quiet and deep in thought while Mizuki looked like he was at the top of the world.

Blake heard the sound of weapons clashing and looked up to see Minato fending off a pair of White Fang fighters that had surrounded him. She considered jumping up to help but saw he was easily fending them off-

"Looks like he could use some help."

Blake's eyes widened in horror as Yagura raised his hook and used his Semblance to cover it in water, "Wait-"

He swiped up and sent a blade of water flying at Minato and his attackers. It cleaved through part of the roof, knocking back the White Fang while Minato was thankfully able to avoid it. Blake looked over at the turtle Faunus in spite as he had used that ambush as an attempt to attack Minato in public. And he just kept smiling like nothing was wrong.

"The Belladonnas keep speaking of peace and change, but all they plan to do is subjugate us more peacefully!" Ilia cried out, waving her arm out as her ire filled each word, "More and more it seems like their goal is to put us under the yoke of the humans' control! Think of all Mistral stands for and their hatred of Faunus, and remember that these damn fools ask of you to stand up and help them defend it!"

"Adam is a revolutionary! His radical work seeks to change how the Faunus stand across the entire world!" Mizuki's eyes glinted behind his mask as he smirked viciously, "And these fools don't wish to stand in his way because they believe it is the right thing to do! Only out of shame and regret! Because the Belladonna girl and their house guest helped facilitate Adam's meteoric rise to power and they lost the nerve to see it through!"

Blake's stomach turned as his announcement spread through the area like a wave. Her father mashed his teeth and crushed the podium he stood at with his grip. Sun drew his weapons and the guards started closing in on the White Fang. She saw Minato prepared to Teleport to catch the ringleaders-

But several explosions of smoke suddenly blinded everyone. And between the screams of shock and confusion she heard Mizuki announce, "As long as the Belladonnas rule this island, we will never allow them to have a moment of peace!"

The smoke started to disperse and Blake couldn't spot any masked members around. She looked over and saw her father and Sun just as lost as she was. When she looked up she saw Minato surveying the area before disappearing in a flash of yellow.

"Everyone! Everyone, please! Remain calm!" Her father announced, trying to calm everyone down.

"Chieftain! Is there any credence to what those terrorists said?"

"Did your daughter help Adam Taurus with his plans?"

"What guests were they referring to?"

As the questions assailed her father and he tried to control the madness, Corsac spoke up to try and help, "People, please! We can't do anything if we lose our composure!"

"The most pressing matter we must deal with are these rouges threatening the peace of our island!" Fennec joined in, "As former members of our sect, they are our responsibility to see brought to justice. Once they are…"

The Albain brothers looked back and spared Ghira a complicated look…

"Maybe then we can discuss if the Belladonnas are still fit for the position to lead."

A cold terror started to settle over Blake as she realized their plan.

She and her father had been playing it safe, trying to ease the people into the truth while they lacked the evidence to turn it directly on the White Fang.

But the Albains…they took a risk.

They blamed all the problems on a splinter group. They levied all the blame on Ilia and Mizuki, who seemed happy to play the part. They attacked Fennec in broad daylight to cement that they were no longer in league with each other. And once that was finished, they could get their real goal.

The Albains could discredit and rally against them in public, while the splinter group could make their move in the shadows.

They were besieged on two sides.

Blake's face twisted into a look of distraught panic as she tried to comprehend what might happen next. And when she looked over at Yagura, standing aside and away from the crowd…

It was just in time to see him smile fecklessly and shrug.

((((((((Hunting)))))))))

"Grrrrrrrrr!"

"Just focus." He spoke calmly as he watched her face scrunch up and frown, "Imagine your Aura like a puddle. The surface is calm and still. And now you're hand presses on in, barely even making a ripple as you push through. And even more-"

"Gah! This sucks!" Fū exclaimed in exhaustion as she fell out of her seat by the fire and lay on the ground, "This is too hard! I have to control my Aura while thinking about puddles and every time I do it my Aura either doesn't come out or comes out in full!" She looked up at him, "I never touched a puddle in my entire life before a few months ago!"

"I know." Sasuke patiently agreed, "But you're doing good work so far on your focus."

"Gah!" Fū kicked her legs out irritably. It was moments like this that her childishness shined through, "I suck with this mind stuff! Didn't your friend ever come up with an easier way to do this?"

"Well that's the thing; Naruto was pretty dumb." Sasuke admitted, "From what he told me he originally thought the best way to convey what he learned and felt was with sound effects and weird words. It took guidance from several experienced Huntsman for two weeks for him to learn that the water emergence comparison was the best way to explain it. And even then he didn't learn more about his abilities for months. So you don't have to worry about this being difficult to master. I've seen an idiot learn how to control it."

The sound of an Airship flying over them filled the silence before Fū picked herself up. She dusted off her coat and faintly smiled, "I didn't know your friend was an idiot."

"Oh yeah. But he would have denied it adamantly if anyone said anything."

They shared a quick laugh at the thought of his deceased friend before the sound of another Airship's engine flew by. Fū looked up, "Wow, those are coming out faster."

"Yeah. They are-"

"Hey!" Kiba called out to them, dropping down a cargo box he had carried up from the mines as a favor to the family neighboring them, "You guys still training? How's it going?"

"Kiba, was your friend stupid?"

"Oh, like, the dumbest guy alive." Kiba didn't hesitate to say, "I mean I know I'm no genius, but he made me feel like the smartest guy in the room."

It felt kind of cruel to be badmouthing their friend after he passed. But Sasuke imagined as he heard Fū and Kiba laugh that Naruto would have been all in on the joking. With some fair shots back at them in return.

"Hey! Hey you guys!" They looked over as a little Faunus girl ran over to them, "Momma said that you can join us for dinner tonight! She made stew and it's - and it's really good!"

"That sounds awesome."

"Thank you!"

"We appreciate it."

The little girl nodded before she stepped up to Kiba and pulled on his pant leg, "Hey, Kiba, can I see your videos again? Momma said I could if I ask nicely."

He scoffed, 'I didn't hear you say please."

"Please~?"

"Yeah okay," He pulled out his Scroll and let her lead him back to her home, "This one is of Akamaru trying to sleep on a bed while a kitten we just had slept in the center-"

Sasuke's Scroll chimed and he quickly pulled it out, seeing Shisui's ID on it. As he stood up Fū did as well, "Was that the others?"

"Yeah, they're checking in." He stepped away to have the call in private, "Keep practicing and I'll be back."

"Oh yay, more practice."

He ignored her sarcasm and stepped aside to a quieter area. As he did he heard another Airship fly by, looking up as its trail lingered in the drab sky. His eyes narrowed curiously before he answered the call, "Hey."

"Hey, guess who finally has some good news."

"You got us transport?"

"We're working on it. Bee reached out to an old contact and finally talked them down to a deal."

Definitely the right choice to let Bee and Shisui deal with the transport negotiations, "I'm guessing they're not doing it for free?"

"No, they will not. And between what Weiss left us and the profit we could get pawning stuff from Bee's apartment, we still might need more. Maybe you could get some 'goodwill donations' like you did that night we met in the tavern?"

Weird to think he could still use his background as a thief to help him after all this time. Sasuke nodded, "Might be for the best. Do you mind asking Bee if he knows anyone willing to part with some Lien?"

"I'm sure he can give us a few suggestions-"

The call abruptly cut off and Sasuke looked down to see a busy screen with a distinct tone being played.

"Kiba, turn it back! Go back to the big doggy!"

"I-I didn't touch it! It just changed on its own!"

Sasuke saw Kiba having the same troubles. And after a moment he looked around and heard people in the crater speak up about similar problems. He couldn't see the city very well from down here, but the color of the lights coming off the giant screens on the buildings seemed to match the same on the screen. People were confused and concerned-

Until the screen changed…to show General Ironwood at his desk with the Atlas skyline filling up behind him.

"Oh no."

Sasuke's stomach dropped as he immediately realized what was happening.

("People of Atlas and Mantle. Not long ago, we bared witness to one of the worst acts of violence and chaos in the history of Remnant. For years, Vale had stood as one of the four Kingdoms, and was a sister state to us. We worked together. We fought together. We stood against the forces of darkness and the unknown together. We had grown so used to peace that the idea of one of the Kingdoms falling was a fever dream we dared not entertain. Until it finally happened.")

("Beacon fell, and with it, Vale suffered a collapse that toppled the once bright and shining Kingdom. Grimm rushed the streets. Terrorists barged into the home of aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses. And even…even our forces were used to attack the city.")

Sasuke saw Ironwood's shoulders stiffen and tremble before he took a breath and continued, ("Since the fall of Beacon Tower, communications have halted to a crawl, and we are unable to properly speak with the other Kingdoms. On top of that, we still have yet to identify and locate those responsible for the attack. Including the one that jeopardized our systems and fired upon Vale. In this time of uncertainty and unease…we have decided that Atlas will be closing its borders indefinitely.")

("Until we can assure the safety of our Kingdom, our city, and all of our people, no travel in or out of the Kingdom without expressed military authorization will be allowed. Imports and exports will also be made under heavy surveillance to assure our Kingdom's safety.")

("Citizens of Atlas and Mantle…we are the greatest Kingdom in the world. We will persevere. We will stand strong. We will make it.")

The transmission ended and the screen returned to black. As the sounds of people calling out to each other and freaking out in confusion started to reach a pitch, Sasuke realized Kiba had walked over to his side. His tattooed partner shook his head, "I thought we had a few more days. I thought we had time."

Fū walked over to them as well, quiet and looking around in fright at the panic among the civilians. Kiba put his hand on her shoulder to try and keep her calm as his expression grew drearier. All Sasuke could do was stare up at the sky…

As it started to light up as Airships fired into the horizon and no doubt kept the oncoming Grimm at bay.

"We're too late."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Done

A lot of changes and decisions being made around the table. The Mistral crew decides they want to help Skyggen out with their shortage of Hunters. Weiss is biding her time amongst the Branwen. And Yang catches a lucky break.

Of course the parts I'm most excited for are Menagerie and Atlas. I'm really hoping the plans I have for them entertain and ramp up the tension. The White Fang is hoping to discredit the Belladonnas' reputation while Atlas closes itself off from the rest of the world. And, of course, we've got heroes in the middle of both.

Here's to the fun to come!

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