Dead Heat Summer Wars!!

Fear wasn’t something that Kalideo was used to feeling. It had been a long time since she had felt truly afraid of something. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t fearless: if she were, then she would have gotten herself killed a long time ago. You didn’t crawl your way to the upper echelon of the Akuma without facing adversity. Her very appearance showed that much. That all said, she didn’t think anyone would enter a one-on-one meeting with the leader of the Black sheep without feeling wary. Even if it was a shadowy hologram in the security of her own office.




“It’s come to my attention that there are those that are aware of our presence in Vale.”

Kalideo paused. “Yes, Torchwick has been active in Vale. It’s an ultimately futile effort, but he has proven to be a thorn in our side.”

“A poisonous thorn if the reports are any indication. The Hearth raised up a fuss when one of their assassins turned up dead.”

When Kalideo looked like she was going to object to it, the voice at the other end let out a chuckle. “I know that you managed to get something more valuable than a hitman as a result. You made the most out of a bad situation. That railgun will prove to be quite useful. But Abigail doesn’t think there’s a tool that can replace a well-trained assassin. But that’s not why I called you Kalideo. Lady Salem contacted me.”

Kalideo’s eye widened, her face paling. “Lady Salem made contact herself? Have I displeased her in some way?” The figure on the other hand chuckled.

“Trust me, if you have displeased her you would know about it. But she told me that some of those thorns you’ve been dealing with could grow into a garden. She wants you to do some pruning, so to speak.”

Kalideo cupped her chin, leaning back in her chair. “I didn’t think they would be that problematic. They don’t seem strong enough to hinder our plans. But if Lady Salem says that they’ll be a problem…”

“Then we take care of it. We Black Sheep exist to serve Lady Salem. I don’t need to tell you how important our operations in Vale are: you’re the best fit to build the foundations to the Akuma in that country. Once the great calamity destroys Beacon, there won’t be anyone in our way to taking over that country. How you deal with the targets I leave to you. But I will be sending you the names of those that we need to purge. I know you won’t fail me Kalideo.”

“It will be done, my lord.”

“I don’t doubt that Kalideo. I know you’ll see us through.”

The hologram cut off. Kalideo’s computer screen lit up. She started clicking through it, studying the targets.

“This Vaneera has certainly been active. It's been hard to get a clear read on her movements though. Hmmm... observing her seems to be the best course of action right now. Although if we get an opportunity to get rid of her, we should take care of her. Roman Torchwitch and associates are on our hit list. And Alba Mars… I don’t envy you. If your taste in girlfriends was better, then maybe you wouldn’t be marked for death.”

This would be a summer for Alba to remember.

---

Mauve stared at Ozpin as he talked about the incident. "So they're choosing to keep the events a secret. So I have to keep things hidden again too."

It was natural as an Atlas Orphan to be a keeper of secrets. But she had never felt bad about keeping a secret before. She thought back to her meeting with Ironwood.


"An android created by Dr.Merlot?!" Ironwood sighed.

"That would be the indication. What's worrisome is that this android is over 40 years old. There's no telling how advanced Merlot has advanced his craft."

Dr.Merlot was infamous among inner circles. His experiments had caused irreparable harm. Mauve looked the general curiously. He wasn't mentioning who this android had been fighting. Mauve knew better than to ask about it too: she knew him too well.

"Sir, why are you telling me this? Is this pendant to the mission somehow?"

"In a way." Ironwood frowned, folding his hands. "Veronica Merlot is on your team. Given the circumstances, I want you to make sure she doesn't find out about this."

Mauve felt a tinge of anger at this. Her one eye stared at the general intently. "Veronica is the most trustworthy person I know. She wouldn't…"Ironwood raised a hand, stopping Maive from talking.

"I'm questioning your team leader's morals. This isn't a matter of trust. But if she finds out, then her sister Snow is bound to find out soon after. And if she gets word that a creation of Merlot was running amok…"

"Then she'd want to track it down." Ironwood nodded.

"And all indications are that this android isn't acting alone. I don't like this game of secrets any more than you do. But this is one secret you don't want coming to light."

Mauve sighed, looking down at the ground. "Yes sir."

She hated it now. Having to keep secrets from her girlfriend. But it was for the greater good, wasn't it? When the announcement was over, Mauve walked out of the amphitheater, her head hanging slightly lower. It was something most people wouldn't pick up on, but members of her team could pick up on how she was feeling. One of them was her girlfriend and (unbeknownst to her) the other two could sense certain emotions coming off her.

---

"I think you're right partner. I don't think they're going to make a move with us being supervised in a new location. But we can't let our guard down, especially with what we learned."

Jack considered Alba's question, rubbing her chin in thought. "As much as I would like to investigate, pursing them right now is risky. Even though she's damaged, Tetra will be hard to deal with. Not to mention she could set up an ambush with her comrades. There's a lot about this boss that concerns me too."

It wasn’t every day that they had to fight a magical android. Just who? Or what were they dealing with here? Alba meanwhile was all over the place with their possible plans. Jack gave a slight smile, folding her arms.

"A sphinx riddle eh?  Personally, I think we should focus on something fun. My semblance makes it difficult to train with others. Especially since we won't be at Beacon."

Jack raised an eyebrow as the paper hit him in the face. She walked over towards Alba. "What's that partner?"

---

Why were we here? I don't mean my team. Wherever there's trouble, we're there to stop it. And we're really good at it. I mean this place, this city. Mountain Glenn should have been abandoned a long time ago.

It was a miracle that it's construction was completed in the first place. Everyone was kidding themselves when they set up the city defenses. "The ramparts will never fall! This city is impenetrable!" But they were always kidding themselves. The relentlessness of the Grimm prevented meaningful expansion. It should have been evacuated a long time ago.

But we could never admit that we were going to lose. We built the tall walks and towers in proud defiance of our mortal enemy. The buildings were now crumbling into ruin. Smoke suffocated the air. The roar of the Grimm filled the air. My Nadia lay dead next to me. My body was torn to shreds and darkness was overtaking me.

But the shouts of Zinc filled the air. She and Cassandra were the most talented huntresses of this generation. And they would only get stronger and stronger. My eyes shut with the knowledge that they would pull it off. That they would save every life they had ushered into the cave. That mine and Nadia's stand meant something. If I had never woken up again, I would have had no regrets.

But Dr.Merlot revived me with his experiments. And I came to learn that things had not gone like I thought they had. Zinc and Cassandra's efforts had saved people. But only 100 of the 5,000 they led into the caves survived. An explosion in the mines killed all the rest, including them. It was no accident: that cave was collapsed on purposed. Without even realizing it, team ZINC had walked into two betrayals.

Even though my body could not feel pain, the agony in my heart was excruciating. It hurt more than my arm being sliced off. It was worse then my legs being crushed. And it made all our deaths all the more heartbreaking. Yet my body couldn't shed a single tear: that's how I was built.

My heart hurt again as I fought Penny. She was a pure, innocent soul. One who didn't want to fight me anymore then I did her. But if that was what I needed to do to save her, then so be it. I had to make her understand: that only the people closest to her were worth saving. That being a hero led to nothing but misery. If I knew we our efforts would have only saved 100, I would have stopped us from even trying. But no matter what my words kept falling on deaf ears.

"The world just sees you as a weapon Penny! They aren't worth saving! The only people who matter are the ones who love you!"

But Penny wanted to save everyone, because she was a hero. And that's what heros like her and Zina did. No matter the risk, every life was precious to them.

---

Tetra open and closed her new hand. Replacing her lost limbs and basic welding had taken care of her body. But there were some internal systems and some inner parts that were not as easy to replace. Fortunately they weren't non-essential. The bigger problem was Nora.

She owed her an explanation at the very least. And she needed to do it in person. So she got out her scroll and messaged Nora.

"I want to talk to you in person. When and where can we meet?"

Everyone being gathered in the amphitheater could only mean that something important was being announced or addressed -- possibly both. Team JADE already had a good idea of what might be the topic of this particular gathering. Penny did, at least. Her battle with Lumin wasn't exactly a well-kept secret... And she recalled the exchange they had just before the fight truly kicked into high gear -- thanks to Senza Fili, she won the fight. Quite handily, at that...

"Maybe. But even if the world sees me as a weapon, and even if I should just focus on the ones that I love...

They want the same thing. I'm always going to reach out to someone that needs help! I'm sad that you don't have the strength anymore... But I'm reaching out to you now."

Their conversation went back and forth like that. But neither of them were willing to budge on their convictions, firm in their belief that they were saving the other. Lumin had the advantage in terms of pure experience, but Penny made up for it with someone to protect as well... That, and...




"Three minutes. That is precisely how long you have to continue your pointless struggle."

Senza Fili was an overwhelming power. But it also changed Penny's entire personality -- effectively becoming a different person. And that other side of her psyche was still there...

"Just as I told you. Moved by emotion, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."

"That's ENOUGH!"

Penny flinches lightly, shaking her head free of the thoughts in order to listen to what the Headmaster has to say.


Ozpin had quite the powerful presence, and a rousing speech as well. Though his words also made it clear that he already had his suspicions about who was involved. For anyone else not really used to the man, it would look like he was glancing around the room; and he did. But his gaze did linger on Team JADE just long enough.

Penny glances downward nervously.

Evelyn just raises both middle fingers.

Still, his speech continues. And what he says next does get quite the reaction out of the gathered crowd. Evelyn and Penny can't help but glance between themselves and their fellow teammates.

Shortly thereafter, his speech ends and the students are dismissed...

---

Team JADE were left to wander as they saw fit, and Alba was already excited to talk about what they could do as a result of the relocation and 'vacation'. Seems that he already had an idea leaning towards summer fun. Made sense, considering the way the weather was right now!

Evelyn perks up with a grin.

"And when you have sun, sand, and water, that means something else too!
It means bikinis and swimsuits!"

The Bunny had a one-track mind. But you could already see the wheels turning in her head. Especially as she turns her attention to Penny.

"I'll whip up something for us to wear! We gotta get into the spirit of things!"

Penny blushes, but she does cast a glance at Alba and smiles timidly. She DID like when Alba took notice of her... And if she wore something like that, then surely that would happen again, right?

A part of her was still slightly bothered by that attack a week ago, but... She tried not to be hung up on it. Still, Alba had a sixth sense for this sort of thing, so he was pretty quick to address it with his next words. Penny was a little surprised by it at first.

But then she smiles appreciatively at him.

"Yeah. But... I think we can afford to relax for a little while. We'll investigate once we've had our fill of fun."

And on that note, Alba then asks what everyone was thinking of doing, before listing off important things to each of them. Like how Evelyn wanted something exciting. The Faunus nods at that.

"Yep! As long as it's exciting, it's worth doing!"

And when it came to Jack... Yeah, it could only involve training, huh? Evelyn thought that their daring leader could certainly use a chance to unwind a little bit. But she already knows that if she says anything along those lines, then they'll get into another one of their back and forths.

Still. It looked like everyone was in a similar mindset right now. Supervision and security was going to be at an all-time high. That wasn't an excuse to drop their guards entirely, but... It meant that fun should be the focus!

Penny nods excitedly as Alba finishes his list.

"So something fun, exciting, and can also help us be active and stay in shape..."

Yeah, that was kind of like a Sphinx's riddle, wasn't it? Especially since that could apply to a lot of things. Evelyn already had an idea of something, just as she raised a finger to comment the lewd thought that entered her mind, Alba got smacked in the face with a paper.

Well that was unexpectedly convenient. Especially since it seems to have given Alba an idea. Penny and Evelyn both step over in order to look at the paper in question.

"What is it?", the Android queries. Followed by the Rabbit adding; "He's got that devious look again -- he makes me so proud -- so it has to be good!"

---

Vaneera felt slightly inconvenienced by the fact that they would be moved out of Beacon temporarily. At least all the arrangements were already taken care of. Still, now that things had slowed down a bit and she found a more secluded area, she used the opportunity to get into contact with her hand-picked recruits.

Just to ensure that there was even less chance of these communications being intercepted, they didn't use Scrolls. Instead, they used cards that she had prepared well in advance for this. This afforded them the exact same benefits of using Scrolls to talk to each other from long distances; but no mechanical trace nor signal was utilized for it.

Impossible to detect. It was perfect for encrypted transmissions.

"Blumina. Lemine. Velvette.
There has been a slight chance of plans here. We're being moved out of Beacon for a week for an investigation into a recent incident they're conducting."

Vaneera explained, getting straight to the point. Blumina was the first to respond.

"Yeah? Jeez, they kind of just decide to do whatever they want and you have to deal with it... Well, I guess it's not like they knew the kind of things you get up to."

Vaneera nods in response.
"And we'll keep it that way."

Lemine was the next to chat.
"Well, everything's all good here! Cleaned out those Bandits, and the place looks pretty nice now. Still need more manpower, but... Oh, hey! Speaking of which, we found another candidate for you!"

Vaneera arches a brow.
"Already? I'm curious."

Blumina then interjects.
"Still putting the details together, captain. But if my intel is good -- and it almost always is -- she's smack dab in the middle of where we'll get the rest of the manpower we need to really get things going here."

Vaneera seems pleased by this news, smiling.
"Excellent. Keep up the good work. I look forward to hearing more.
Just as before, I'll handle the personal recruitment phase."

Lemine gives a thumbs up with a grin.
"You got it, boss! We're used to this!"

With that, the communications end, and Vaneera is left wondering what to do next. With the increased supervision and security, she shouldn't have to worry... But at the same time, she could hardly trust Ozpin and his allies to cover things. They didn't even know about Sapphire, Moon and Bowie. Or Cinder, or... A lot of things.

Well... Seems like the work never ends.

"Guess I'll start by figuring out where we're staying, and go from there..."

Motet was familiar with what that meant; Vaneera was just as much of a workaholic as always...

Hey Rin, are you proud of me?

Hey, Hey Rin? Did I do good this time?

Hey… good…. I’m so glad…

I did good…. Even though… even if to everyone else I'm….

Dreams were fickle things, more often than not they showed you your fears, your hopes, your dreams- sometimes you can even dream of the past. But some believe your dreams can show you glimpses of your future, hazy, hazy things. You never remember the dream, but when it happens you get that feeling of Deja Vu.

‘I’ve seen this before haven't I?’

A dream she never told anyone about. It was such a weird dream. The first time she had the dream she saw herself standing across from Penny, ruined Magnhild in hand, electricity dancing off a ruined and bruised body. Yet she refused to budge, not one inch. Penny’s state was no better, really.

Neither of them would, but neither of them could continue either.

Why would she ever fight Penny though? That made no sense.
That was what she had thought before it happened. Why did her Semblence have to evolve in a situation like that….? She wanted it to be like the heroes of legend.. But instead….

One more step

One more stride

You can do it Nora

Ignore the pain

Ignore the cuts

Ignore the bones

Just… Keep… going. Just get her somewhere safe.

Get her to someone smarter than you.

Get her to someone who can do better than you.

No, don’t fall yet, One more step. A little bit farther….

And then she would wake up and only recall fragments of those dreams. But even those fragments she didn’t want to talk to anyone about. She didn’t want to talk about them because she didn’t want to admit they scared her. That dream had haunted her. Again and again.

“THAT'S ENOUGH!”

Until…. Until it came true..

Hey Rin, Hey Tetra? Did I do the right thing?

Hey Rin, Hey Tetra….. Why is it so hard to smile right now?



………

Yeah, cause Ren was too cool to get hurt blocking the way. Until he did

And Tetra was far too smart to get in that position at all. until she did

……

Yeah… definitely…. Def….

"And yes Miss Valkyrie. - You are still banned from using ovens without supervision, even if you're not on school grounds."

Like a switch being flipped, she was brought to attention and away from her thoughts, She raised one hand up in the air, shaking it in defiance.



“Hey! I’m not a kid you know! Maybe you should make your ovens more durable! It’s not my fault it takes so little to bust them!”

Oh Nora, you did far, far more than a little…

She flailed in defiance even as Ozpin left the platform, she did so until the moment her Scroll rung, Curious she took it from her pocket to see who was getting a hold of her, her face lighting up once she saw who it was, Tetra! She needed to meet. Right… they probably needed to talk, didn’t they? She was probably going to reprimand her for being careless. That time… she wouldn't blame her, Penny was strong! Alba was too. It wasn’t like she wanted to fight them, she had to. She was the type do do anything to protect the things close to her heart.
Ren would tell you that was the exact reason she had so many bruises as a kid.

Juane would tell you it was the exact reason she always came back from a mission more beat up than the rest of them.

Pyrrha would insist she simply had a lot of heart, and that was all there was to it, not wanting to say anything bad about how she was.

Nora had always been like that. What she cared about was always more important than her own well-being, that was why she always pushed herself well beyond what she should.

Still, she wanted to see Tetra, she needed to know she was ok, she needed to know that. She didn’t care as much about what she had seen as she did that she was ok.

She NEEDED to know she had been able to get better.

But the thing was she didn’t have anywhere to go. The apartments weren't set up yet, and even if they were it wasn’t the most private place.

She and Ren.. had no home, so where was she supposed to go for this talk?


…… oh, of course. Maybe that was just the thing, after all

Ren and I have a special spot when we need to talk, there's this tree we like not far from here! Here's the directions….

Yeah that was perfect, no one went around there… so they could talk about all they needed to.

Love you, Tetra!

And maybe, after everything-Tetra needed to know she still felt that way to.

--------------------------------------




”Don’t worry, I’ll be looking into things personally with the potential recruit to, make sure there good and ready for your recruitment phase boss~”

Limine,as she spoke, looked over the information they had so far on this new recruit. It had grabbed her interest of course, and she had every intent of following through with what she said. She’d look into this girl, in all aspects in much the way she did her missions, making sure that like them she was just what the boss needed, like a puzzle piece fitting into their seam. Oh but that wouldn't be the end of the communication, no, Limine intended to throw something in here at the end. She gained a wide grin as she leaned forward. She knew exactly what she was about to say would cause.

”But you know boss, you and Motet are students right now, and it sounds to me like your on a vacation right now, summer vacation at that~ So as important as the mission we have is, you have to keep your cover. And to me that means… a day at the beach! I’ll send the info to your scrolls”

Oh everyone likely knew what she was doing, as far as the team went anyway. As great as Vaneera was she was also a workaholic. Now there wasn’t much the team could do to stop her from keep on keeping on, but they also all knew the weak spot she had for Motet. And indeed, the Sun Arcania already had a sparkle in her eyes as she looked Vaneera’s way, bingo.



”Luckly, part of the supplies brought for keeping cover include things like swimsuits and beach supplies, how convenient for you!, anyway… I’ll get into looking into that new recruit for you boss, see you next time! And don’t worry…. The swimsuits have a great fit!”

She made a motion using her own clothing to show her point, smiling wide before the communication ended, leaving there brave leader to her fate.



Motet was very familiar with Vaneera’s tendencies, normally she’d have gone along with them, Vani knew best after all. But Vaneera worked so hard, and Limine’s suggestion seemed so fun to! She just couldn't help herself as the energetic Arcania grabbed on to Vaneera’s arm, jumping up and down.

”Vani! I want to try the beach thing after were settled! Please please? You’d look great in a swimsuit, and it would be so much fun, and I've only seen it on the tvs! pleaseeeee!”

The dastardly plan was now full force, and Vaneera might soon find herself facing her greatest challenge yet…. Motet in a swimsuit.

.....Oh no, Motet was giving puppy dog eyes now to....
Poor girl, Poor poor girl…..

"Love you, Tetra!"[/i]

Tetra didn't know how long she stared at the screen. She heard Nora's voice echoing in her head, over and over again.

"She still loves me? Even though she knows what I am?"

She had stepped in and defended her, of course. But remaining in a relationship with her was an entirely different matter. Tetra took a deep breath, and quickly replied: "Love you too."She put the scroll away and headed out.

The tree was in a nice spot. She couldn't help but recall the first meeting with Nora. She had been sitting under a nice spot next to a pond when the other girl approached her. It had seemed like a nice day: her sensors told her as such. She hadn't expected to meet anyone that day. Now she stood under the tree Nora directed her to, looking around wearily.

---

The briefing went as planned apart from Limeine going off about swimsuits. Something which Velvette didn't seem to comment on. In her defense, she was seemingly focused on something else.

"There is something else you should know, boss. This communication tower was supposed to be out of commission. But I intercepted some transmissions coming through it. They were encrypted, but it wasn't anything Blumina couldn't crack. Saved us all a headache and a half."

She said with an approving look at the Blue cloaked girl before turning back to Vaneera. She started tapping on a console in her location.

"I'm sending you a conversation that concerns you. We couldn't get the full scope of it since a file was transferred to Vale by some other means. It'll be easier for you to just look at the recording itself, but whoever sent this communication has connections to Salem. But there's more."

Velvette typed up some more stuff, sending Vaneera more information. Specifically bringing up an article about a warehouse fire homicide.

"I did some digging based on certain details of the conversation. I had to do a double-take when I read the whole thing. The remains of a man were found in what was left in a warehouse. There was nothing left but a crater by the time authorities arrived on the scene. The cause of the fire is the weirdest part of the story by far.”

Velvette paused for a moment. "Something's going down at your end. Watch your back boss. Oh, and one more thing." Velvette gave Vaneera a smile.



"Don't let that stop you from enjoying summer. Limine might have been the only one to say it, but you should go out and have fun now and again. We'll hold down the fort while you're taking a break, boss. Say hi to Motet for me."

And with that, Velvette disconnected herself from the call.

---

Things evolved fast. She had been around her team long enough to know when an idea became Evelynn and Alba really got excited at the prospect of summer fun. She let out a sigh at her rabbit faunus teammate.

"I knew you'd bring up swimsuits. I suppose I should applaud you for showing restraint actually waiting for Summer, Carrots."

Jack looked at Alba when he pat her on the back. She gave him a slight smile. “You always seem to find something that works for us Partner.”

Jack leaned forward, peering at the piece of paper Alba was showing them. An approving look came across her face. “I thought you had found something outlandish at first, but that actually looks like fun.”

Alba then went off to talk to Vanta about getting Rivala to come. Jack turned to the other two members of her team. “I hope my partner didn’t give up too much to make this happen.” She watched as Alba returned to the group. She looked at him in amusement at how quickly he made his way back.

“You don’t look dejected partner. So Rivala’s coming with us.”

Evelyn definitely rubbed off on Alba. The mischievous look in his eyes was something all-too-familiar to Jack. But it would be wrong to say that Evelyn was the ONLY reason he was like this now. He did really love his girls, after all... That being said, Alba and Evelyn might as well have been mirror matches for each other. She had the same mischievous glint and grin, and of course...

"Nyehehehe~! Of course, Honeybunny! These are where my talents can truly shine!"

The laughter, too. They had their own laughs, but it was easy to tell exactly what they were thinking. Even if Alba wasn't QUITE on the same level as Evelyn in that regard. Still, at Jack's comment, Evelyn does settle down a bit.

"Hey. We had some pretty busy schedules. A lot happened. Even I can read the room, you know?"

Still, as Alba was getting into the full swing of things, it became clear that between him and Evelyn, this was going to be quite the summer vacation... And most likely it would involve some fairly risque swimsuits, too.

"Deal! Leave it to me!", Evelyn replied to Alba.

At the mention of that fan club... Penny voiced some of her own frustrations here.
"Indeed! I wish they would take some more time to consider the kind of imposition they're putting on us!"

Well, politely frustrated, anyway.

But in any case! The contents of the flyer certainly revealed quite the plan on Alba's part. The in-door water park and beach! That certainly saved on long travel times -- and as Alba continued to describe his plans here, Evelyn started to rub her hands together.

"Oooh, I bet I could be a lifeguard too! After all, you gotta look the part of a lifeguard too, right?"

Yeah, Evelyn was absolutely just looking for a chance to put herself on display, and maybe get into some hijinks involving such a position. If knowing her for awhile didn't clue you in on that, then the way she posed seductively as she mentioned the looks of a lifeguard left it pretty clear.

That being said... It did feel like something was missing. Evelyn couldn't quite put her finger on it -- Penny had an idea though, just as she's about to mention it, it hits Alba! Penny smiles and nods in agreement.
"Precisely! It would not be right to do something like this without Rivala with us!"

True, the four of them were Team JADE now, but there was also the original trio! Evelyn of course had no objections either. Given the look on her face, one could already imagine that she was thinking up the best swimsuit designs for Rivala...

In the meantime, Alba went off to discuss things with Vanta. Penny and Evelyn stayed behind, both to talk about things regarding their summer vacation, and what sort of things they could do for Alba specifically during said vacation.

Still, watching him from afar was entertaining in it's own way. Evelyn couldn't help but crack a smile at it, and Penny gave a more sympathetic smile. Alba had some powerful body language, and you could more or less tell how a conversation went even without hearing it when he was involved.

"He made you promise to do more schoolwork, huh?", Evelyn commented.

Penny chimes in afterwards. "Don't worry! I will continue to help you, Alba!"

With all that said and done, it seemed like they were one step closer to making all of this happen!

Oh. The gathered Team would also hear something rather unusual now.

"YOU SON OF A WHORE!!"

... What the heck was that all about?

---

Limine, as usual, was on top of things, willing to go out into the field and arrange everything just as neatly as it needed to be in order to ensure recruitment went well. That, and collect intel on their enemies and their general inner workings. Limine was an invaluable addition, just as every other one was. Her statement prompted a nod out of Vaneera.

"Very good. Be sure to follow the usual procedures."

Vaneera stated -- and for those that actually knew her, it was a way for her to show both trust and worry. Trust that Limine could handle this, but also worry that it was a difficult job. Not even physically, but mentally. It was demanding for anyone to go undercover like this. It had yet to truly bother Limine... As far as she could tell, anyway. But work like this always presented the risk, and they had to be on top of it.

Blumina once more chimes in. "No worries! We got this!"

After having said that, Blumina then glances at Limine... And already knows what is coming. Before she can move to possibly intervene, it's already too late. Limine just went and started saying it all.

Vaneera already knew what was coming when she saw the wide grin and the purposeful lean-in. During Limine's pause, Vaneera spoke up.

"Oi, oi. If you keep talking carelessly like that, I won't be getting any work done!"

Vaneera didn't even have to look over to know that Motet already had a sparkle in her eyes. Limine capitalized on it, landing a finishing blow in a remark involving swimsuits. And just like that, Limine was reaching to hang up!

Not before Vaneera managed to yell out;

"YOU SON OF A WHORE!!"

Of course, even if Limine hung up first, it could still be heard over the other calls... The meeting gets slightly back on track with Velvette's intervention, though. Which in turn lets Vaneera regather her composure. Blumina also gives a proud smile as Velvette talks her up here.

"Bunch'a rookies, relying on shoddy security like that.", Blumina added, also giving a thumbs up to Velvette in turn.

Vaneera clears her throat.
"Good... The more we know about what they're up to, the better."

Still, stuff being sent to Vale... That was certainly concerning. It was probably a coincidence, but she would have to move forward under the assumption that the Akuma might know about them AND her. Which meant actions would have to be taken in order to rectify such an issue.

"Let me know if you discover anything that implies they know about you or me. Even just learning that you're at the relay tower is enough to qualify. We aren't going to leave a single thing to chance here."

With that order, Blumina nods. Lemine was already getting excited.
"Agggh, I can hardly wait to start pounding those damned Akuma! I hope they slip up soon!"

With that aside... Velvette also brought up something that happened in Vale. Supposedly the remains of someone was found in a warehouse... And by the time the authorities arrived, the crime scene had been reduced to a crater...

Now, Vaneera knew about this. It made the news, for a variety of reasons. Apparently the cause of the explosion was the fact that a fire started in the warehouse, and then a tanker truck was driven through the wall into said fire. They're still looking for evidence and culprits beyond that -- but given the state of the crime scene...

That being said... Vaneera already put two and two together. As made evident by her remark following her revelation;

"Goddammit Alba."

Still... As Velvette suggested being careful, Vaneera nodded. Though that smile from Velvette...

-- Really?! Vaneera wasn't expecting her to jump into that sort of thing too!

"Hey! You can't just tell me to watch my back and then tell me to go have some summer fun!!"

Vaneera retorted. Another disconnect, which left Blumina and Lemine. Lemine was the next one to 'read the room', as it were.
"Welp. Guess we'll be picking up the slack this time around..."

Lemine hung up, and Blumina was the last one to stay on the call. Just as stunned by everything that happened. But she quickly bows her head and says;

"I-... I'll give them an earful for you, Captain!"

Blumina hangs up afterwards, because Vaneera certainly had her hands full for the foreseeable future... Just as Vaneera turned her attention to Motet, the girl grabbed onto her arm and started excitedly jumping up and down, pleading a case to go along with Limine's suggestion all the while.

Vaneera was silent, trying to wrestle with how to deal with this. Should she try to let Motet down gently, or...?

... And there were the puppy dog eyes. Vaneera lets out a heavy sigh.

"Alright... Alright, we'll go to the beach."

So much for her plans to move against the Akuma in Vale... She wouldn't be able to get anything done while Motet was like this.

Alba did not understand what he had unleashed.

One choice skipped along the river and changed many things.

In this case, it changed things for a bored Minti, who had just delivered the news her fellow teacher Vanta had relayed back to her. However she had chosen to add some things that, perhaps she very much didn’t need to. You see Minti kept to what was conveyed to her, she did not tell Rivala anything about the debt. However upon being told that Alba wanted to have some summer time fun with her Rivala naturally had questions. Summer time for her usually entailed building protection from the giant fireball in the sky so it didn’t scorch their muscle bound bodies into the ground.

And that was where Alba didn’t understand what he unleashed, for Evyln had a collaborator she didn’t even know about in these escapades.

And it was a teacher, no less!

”So, it is an event where you dress in underwear like items, but ones made especially for use in water, where you spend time with those you care about rather than defending yourself from the scorching Sun trying to devour you?”

No one said it was EASY though…

”Well yes, but here me out, Alba would REALLY like if you did this with him, and we will be fine here, long as we keep to the terms you know? So go ahead and go have some fun, your still young after all, you should enjoy times like this!”

Young… well, yes, sorta.

The tall Oni crossed her arms, contemplating things. She did want time with her mate… and if this was an event he enjoyed well…  

”Very well, Then I shall fully embrace this tradition, and I will endeavor to be… Miss Minti, what did you say the term was?”

”A beach babe,Rivala”

”Yes! I shall endeavor to be the best beach babe for Alba!”

Minti rubbed her hands together as Rivala went off, a mischievous grin on her face. Oh, this was gonna be fun to watch, she needed something to unwind to!

Oh no…. This was going to be chaos.

The only note of Rivala’s arrival was a slight rumble from the force of her (reinforced) sandald foot slamming on the ground. She caught sight of Team JADE and instantly strode over to Alba. As for what she was wearing?


Her next move was to use both her hands, and immediately pick up alba, which, had the funny side effect of letting him look right down her blue skinned chest in the swimsuit.

”Greetings Alba! As is the tradition for this event I have dawned the attire of a ‘beach babe’ what do you think? I have come to enjoy the baking sun with you!

The oni had a wide, innocent smile as she said that….

….it probably became pretty clear who caused this to a few people at that point….
----------------------------


Of course Nora loved her.

She had morality issues in the moment, she had worries if what she did was the right thing. It wasn’t like she loved that she had to fight Penny or Alba to keep her safe. But one thing she didn’t regret, and would never regret? Was protecting Tetra, even after learning the truth. She didn’t regret what she did after. Everything she did was for the person she loved.

So when Tetra came she might have expecting a solem girl trying to get over things, or a bright smile waiting there to reassure her.

And well, smiling had been the intent, at girl. The other intent was a nice picnic with food she personally made, as the picnic blanket below how would show.

Why below Nora you might ask? Why, because she was currently hanging from the very tree she had been talking to Tetra about, left prone and flailing, at least until the android of her affections entered the scene, at which point the girl tried to pull off a cool demeanor despite currently being suspended upside down from a tree, she had a hand on her hip desperately trying to maintain her composure as Tetra came forward looking around.

”Sooooo…. Come here often…?”

She gave a playful chuckle but, as Tetra was likely to be both confused and wanting to know what was going on however Nora would give a heavy sigh.

”I….got into a territorial dispute with Zwei, turns out he claimed this tree for his own while we were gone, I won but…. Not before he got me stuck like… this, d…don’t look at me like that! That dogs resourceful!”

She then gave a giggle, pointing out her finger to poke Tetra on the nose playfully.



”Boop! Heheeh… …. I guess we should talk hun? Ehehe~ No worries, I’m not mad, but… we should get things out in the open, I think, together, because I don’t plan on leaving your side anytime soon”

A statement that might feel a bit more powerful if she wasn't in her… current situation.

”.....But first do you mind…. Helping me down? I think I might lose my breakfast here soon!”
--------------------------------------------------------
Vani got loud! She wondered why… Limine and the others were just helping them have fun right? Well Vani WAS pretty serious about wanting to do her work, maybe she was annoyed it was getting put off. She seemed to imply that she couldn't watch her back and have summer fun to the others.

”Don’t worry I can protect you so you can have summer fun!”

That smile was genuine, and very much bubbly and sweet as she leaned against Vaneera, holding her arm and listening in on the conversation as it continued. Though she found them boring she did make sure to take in any and all information from these things, vani taught her to always keep herself informed, never know what could happen! When the conversation did finally end Motet fixed Vaneera with a hopeful look, pouty look. It was VERY clear what she was looking forward to for sure, the pouting and her excitement for it worked! Yay!!! Because Vaneera eventually accepted, they were going to go to the beach.

”Vani thank you thank you thank you!! You're the best!”

A warm smile came to her as she said that, it was one different than usual, but one Vaneera had seen before. It was moments like this that caused it, moments where Motet felt like she belonged, where she got to enjoy the simple things people enjoyed. Most people underestimated things like a trip to the beach. But someone like Motet? She treasured the opportunity, and would enjoy every moment in every way with Vaneera! Sandcastles, swimming… ooh ooh the sun tan lotion thing too! She was going to do it all!



”Oh oh Vani! are sizes are similar, could you help me pick a swimsuit from the stuff Limene sent? I’m not sure What to pick that would go well for this since its… first time and all, please?”

It was then dear readers, upon searching the bag that Vaneera would find the final stage of Limene’s truly devious plan. See there was one perfectly safe for work swimsuit in the supplies sent to them. only one Sure, Vaneera could cover up Motet to make things easier for her and her eyes on the beach, but then that left Vaneera with one of the various more revealing swimsuits, she could also do the reverse but well… that problem was abundantly obvious as well.

”Vannnniii?


What’ll it be oh red cloaked hero? Brave the bikini or bear the one piece? Decide!

Of course, before Alba could say anything else, there was the proverbial elephant in the room; The deal he had so obviously agreed to in exchange for getting to bring Rivala with them. Jack had at least figured out that the conversation went well. The Arcana gave the team leader a nod.

That's right! I'm a master negotiator! Uahahaha! This is Alba's great victory!!"

... And then his confidence immediately flattened as Evelyn perfectly called what the conversation went to, all without even hearing a word. Alba wondered if maybe he was really that easy to read, but otherwise he gave a defeated sigh, and another nod of confirmation.

"... Yeahhhh..."

Oh well. It was worth the trouble. Alba gave Penny a bright smile as she reminded him that she was there to help.

"Thanks Penny."

That being said...Before he could move on to the rest of the conversation, he leaned in close to the three of them. There was one important detail he had to let them know about before anything could move forward. Something he absolutely couldn't let slip no matter what.

"Listen you three...Whatever happens, don't tell Rivala about this. I already told teach over there, but the last thing I want is for her to think she owes me something. I just want her to be able to have fun for a change, she's always treating everything so seriously! Promise me you won't let her find out!"

His request was so sincere it was kinda hard to turn him down. It probably would have been difficult even if they WEREN'T a team...Either way, he soon smiles. Sure, there was gonna be some trouble down the road when Minti got him under her thumb, but for now he was going to get to have some fun with four of his favorite people.

Alba chuckled when Evelyn brought up joining in on the lifeguard thing. He gave the rabbit faunus a sly grin as he gently elbowed her on the side of the arm.

"Hey if this place has cute bunny girls working the poolside then I might just need mouth-to-mouth ehhhh?"

Before the arcana could really even finish that thought a voice shouted out.

"YOU SON OF A WHORE!!"

Alba...Glanced over in the direction of the sound, completely baffled. He was rendered speechless for a short moment...Although with that moment passed he quickly returned back to what he was doing before that as if it hadn't just happened.

"Kukuku...Jack, jack, jack...! My trusted partner! My comrade in arms! My gorilla-power friend! Queen Tomboy! BELINDA!!!"

Alba brought Jack in close, hugging her neck and giving her a sly smile. No, the amnesiac never clarified what any of those nicknames were supposed to mean...And he just moved on despite using Jack's embarrassing middle name outloud...

"Do I look like the kinda guy that would do something outlandish?"

Somehow, before anyone could really even figure it out, Jack had been hit with a million lien question...Alba let go of her, letting her return to a normal standing position as he grinned at Penny. The boy gave her a dismissive wave as she very politely voiced her frustrations regarding the usual enemies.

"Don't sweat it Penny! If they come after us then we'll just send 'em packing like always! And this time we'll get to do it in stylish swimsuits!"

Alba's smile quickly faded as he felt a rumble...And then several more followed in quick succession. The arcana looked around with a look of confusion painted all over his face. He glanced between all three of his teammates, giving each of them a look of "what was that?"

"That was weird...Has Beacon always had earthquakes?"

The localized earthquakes became more frequent until...! Alba turned around and saw the source; It was Rivala wearing a tight-fitting one piece swimsuit. In fact it was SO tightly fitting to her blue skin that it left very little to the imagination...

"... Eh?"

That was it. That was the only sound Alba could manage to utter before the 6'7" blue beauty effortlessly lifted him off of his feet, holding him in her arms and hugging him closely. It was quite an amusing sight seeing a woman over a foot taller than him lifting him up helplessly off of the ground. Although some would consider him lucky seeing as he had an unobstructed view of her chest...Alba's face lit up with the glow of a blush as he tried his best not to stare right at the oni's breasts...


"...Hey Rivvy."

The arcana cleared his throat as the blue woman asked him what he thought of her swimsuit.

"I think I'm the luckiest guy alive-Uh, I mean! I think you definitely nailed the..."Beach babe" thing..."

Alba laughed awkwardly as he looked over to his teammates.

"A...Ahaha! Although...! You should probably wait until we're actually at the beach first, Riva...!"

Poor(?) Alba.

After a moment the boy was finally able to regain his composure, and with his confidence returned he was able to proudly and confidently declare the beginning of their summer adventure!

"Team JAPER...! It's time! TO GO TO THE BEACH!!"

Velvette gave Blumia a thumbs up back, giving the other girl a smirk. “Now that the boss is going to get well deserved time off, lets give her something to look forward to when she returns from vacation. Blumia, lets see how shoddy their security really is."

Velvette smiled at Vaneera. “You read my mind boss. We’re going to see just how deep this rabbit hole goes.”

She looked over at Lemine, giving her an amused look. “You mean besides sending a message through a relay tower without anyone guarding the place?”

Velvette snorted at Vaneera's reaction. "That explain a lot, actually. I don't know what he was doing there though. You'll have to ask him about that."

And then of course she disconnected. Was Vaneera going to get back at her later? Possibly. But their leader wasn't taking a summer trip unless it was forced upon her. She wanted to show Vaneera that the team she assembled could handle things even when she was taking a break.

---

Lumine stared at Nora as she arrived there. She noted the picket basket that was there. It was something that she was going to talk about with Nora. Who was hanging from a tree. She slipped her hands into her pocket, shaking her head.

"No, can't say that I do."

Lumine stared at her girlfriend incredulously. She shook her head, letting out a snort. "Nora, I've just come to accept the weird things you do as just normal for you. Honestly it wasn't that weird for me until you brought the dog up."

Lumine smiled slightly as Nora tapped her nose. How she wish she could feel that. But she was just glad that she could see her girlfriend. Although she didn't know how to feel about her staying by her side. She let out a little sigh.

"That's sweet Nora. But if you stick with me then you'll leave everyone else you care about behind. And get involved with people you won't like. And maybe even do things that you hate."

Lumin reached up and gently pulled Nora down into her arms. It was effortless for her to move her girlfriend around. She then leaned against the tree, looking down at the picnic basket.

"That looks lovely Nora. But to tell you the truth, I can't taste any of it. There's a reason why I've been the only person who can consume your pancakes."

She took a deep breath, looking over at her girlfriend. "I'm an android with a soul. I'm a prototype model that was made 40 years ago. I wasn't supposed to survive this long, but I developed a semblance that allowed me to make my own choices. Against the wishes of my creator, I left."

She paused, letting that all sink in for Nora. She didn't want to dump that all on her girlfriend at once.

---

Jack shook her head in bemusement at Alba and Evylnn’s enthusiasm. “When I came to beacon, I never thought negotiating and an eye for summerwear would prove to be essential parts of the schoolyear.”

Jack nodded at the rabbit faunus. “I appreciate that carrots. We’ve had enough on our plates as it is without complicating stuff further.”

Jack frowned, looking over at Penny. ”We’re lucky all they’ve done is make things difficult. Jack paused, looking over at her team. “No, that isn’t right. They haven’t done more because we’ve held them back at every turn. Lets make sure things stay that way. Maybe we can hit them back one of these days.”

Jack looked at both Alba and Evylnn. She put her hands on her hips, looking over at her two comrades sternly. ”If you two take a lifeguard position seriously, then I see nothing wrong with getting that. But I want you to take that job seriously if you do get that job, and not just use it as easy access to the summer park.”

ALba’s comment on mouth to mouth with bunny girls wasn’t exactly reassuring in that regard. But hopefully they wouldn’t go too overboard in a public place with things. Jack was all on board with Rivala getting on board it. She gave her partner a smile.

“Course partner! I won’t say a word to Rivala.”

Jack looked over in surprise as someone screamed angrily. She was as curious as the rest of them. “Wonder what’s got her so worked up?”

Jack was suddenly hit with a barrage of nicknames from Alba. She let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled her close. There was also a red tinge on her cheeks. ”Partner, do you really want me to answer that question honestly?”

Jack had to set her feet with all the light tremors going on around there. The source of the quakes came hopping into view. Rivala was taking the outing just as seriously as the rest of them were. Although she was probably used to wearing loose clothing, so changing into a swimsuit probably wasn’t that tricky for her.

Jack felt the slightest bit of envy as Rivala wrapped Alba in her arms and brought him in close. Although it had nothing to due with Rivala specifically. She smiled at the two of them as Alba confidently declared they were going to the beach.

“I’ll overlook you giving the orders this time partner. Welcome aboard Rivala!”

Evelyn couldn't help but give a small giggle as she had called it perfectly. There really was no other result, considering the two people involved in that conversation...

Penny on the other hand, smiles appreciatively and gives a nod as he thanks her.
"Any time!"
She replies in a chipper tone.

Jack also thanks Evelyn for not dropping more on their plates, but to that, Evelyn simply smiles proudly.
"There is a time and a place for everything. Swimsuits are great, but they are at their best during summer! Resisting the temptation until the season is just right makes it all the more tantalizing!"

... Well, at least all of her ideas of "summer fun" would be localized to this seasonal outing. Jack then gives her own two cents on the remarkable list of enemies they've made recently, and how they've at least managed to hold them at bay -- and maybe it would soon be time to start hitting them back. Alba also gives his thoughts that if they try something this time, it'd be the same but with stylish swimsuits.

Penny can't help but smile at their assessments; admittedly Alba's words prompting it more than Jack's did.
"That's true... No reason to think it would go any different this time!"

Shortly afterwards, Alba asks that they don't mention any of this to Rivala. Penny gives a thumbs up -- a gesture that she had picked up from seeing it many times from Alba, and Evelyn gives a nod.[/i]
"The secret's safe with us!"

And as Alba proceeds to elbow Evelyn while suggesting that he might have to get mouth-to-mouth from a cute bunny lifeguard... The rabbit can't help but grin mischievously while playfully elbowing him back.

"Yeah? I'll have to keep an eye out for any charmingly white as snow cuties that need mouth-to-mouth, if I become a lifeguard!"
Yes, Evelyn always made it a point not to refer to Alba as pale, since that suggested a sickly appearance in some fashion. Far as she was concerned, he looked good!

Then of course, there was that shouting from a familiar voice... Everyone had their own reactions to it, with Alba displaying confusion, Jack voicing her curiosity of what got them so worked up, Penny simply shrugs and says;
"Not sure..."

Meanwhile, Evelyn brings a hand to her chin, entering one of her infamous deductory moods once more.
"If I had to guess, she was just forced into an extremely risque summer adventure by someone close to her, and she was cursing them out!"
Evelyn finishes her brilliant deduction with a snap of her fingers, then crossing her arms.
"Honestly, kinda figured I'd hear something like that from you."

Evelyn then adds, glancing at Jack.

And with perfect timing, Rivala then showed up suddenly and in -- well, let's be fair, not really more revealing than what she normally wears but -- a revealing swimsuit! And soon proclaims that she is here to be a 'beach babe' for Alba. Considering the innocent smile that she had, there were a few suspects. Penny first looks to Evelyn, but the bunny immediately shrugs and shakes her head.

"I mean, good idea for sure, but not me!"
She whispers her defense to Penny.

The Android clicks her tongue as she looks away. Muttering only a single word under her breath.
"Minti..."

Still... Alba soon declares that it's time to head to the beach! Evelyn immediately raises a fist into the air.
"Yeah!"

And Penny shakes off her momentary lapse and nods excitedly.
"Right!"

---

Vaneera lets out a small sigh as Motet remarks that she can protect her so that she can enjoy some summer fun... As much as she wanted to argue with that logic, she already knew that Motet had her heart set on this.

Still! If Limine thought that Vaneera had been caught in some perfect trap, she was going to be sorely mistaken! Even as Motet excitedly thanked the Magician, Vaneera's gears were turning as she looked through the collection of swimsuits that had been sent to them... Firstly, Motet wanted to know what to wear since their sizes were similar.

Then, it clicked in Vaneera's head. If there were no other swimsuits to wear, but there was a single one-piece was here... She immediately fishes it out and offers it to Motet.
"Here, Motet. I think you'll like this one."

Vaneera then smiles confidently -- and knowing that Motet would then wonder what she is going to wear as well, Vaneera fishes out another swimsuit. Yes, just as risque as the others, but at least it was a color that she liked.

For you see... Vaneera had one advantage here. The Magician would hold the swimsuit against herself, and then her masterful plan is revealed.

"I'll wear this with my cloak."

Hmhmhm... It was the perfect plan! Her cloak was designed to be able to entirely cover her body, to help with her unique fighting style. But it would ALSO let her remain modest on the beach! Yet, it was in fact, still appropriate summer attire, so it would also satisfy what Motet wanted!

And, most importantly. Motet also really liked her cloak, too. Vaneera was now practically beaming with confidence.

"What do you think? It's perfect, don't you think?"

One could already begin to picture it now*...


* Artist's interpretation of a summer outfit.