[AMV courtesy of Fancy Mad Fox, Circus for a Psycho by Skillet]

https://youtu.be/XjJ-zWsqG90

Everyone found themselves on the island with the tree without too much injury.

Ruby had already been trying to find a way off...but it was just floating there.

"Well, at least we got away from that thing," Yang looked up. "It'll die now right?"

"I hope so," Jaune said.

However, the Jabberwocky, while on fire, looked down from above them, and gave a horrible shrieking sound that still sounded like gurgling.

Then instead of dying, it jumped down the ravine, flying after them.

"We have to jump off the edge!" Pyrrha cried.

"No way, then it'll get us for sure!" Weiss cried. The rest of the team fled into the tree to try to take cover.

"Come on, Pyrrha," Jaune took her arm and dragged her toward one of the huge roots, the tree was the size of a tower.

The Jabberwocky chased after them anyway, and spat acid--it had no effect on the tree itself, for some reason, but the grass withered, and pools of acid began to form in the ground.

Suddenly Ruby stopped running and fell.

"Ow! ow! ow!" she cried, grabbing at her boots.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Blake was right behind her.

"My feet are burning!" Ruby cried.

She yanked one shoe off and Blake saw to her horror that the sole had eroded away.

Then she looked at her blade and saw the edge of it was eroded also.

"Guys!" she said. "The slime on it! It's also acid!"

"What?" Yang cried.

"No one touch it!" Blake yelled in alarm.

But how could they stop it then?

"Come on, Ruby," Blake pulled her up and half carried, half dragged her.

Yang ran up and took Ruby's other arm.

The Jabberwocky spat acid at everyone's heels, they had to dodge it, and then they tripped, except for Weiss who was still using glyphs, but her aura was running low.

"This is impossible!" She cried.

Then suddenly she slipped and hit one of the tree branches, she grasped at it trying not to fall, now she was dangling over the abyss.

"Weiss!" Jaune called. "Hang on."

"Your sword!" Pyrrha called, holding up her hand.

Weiss' sword had just fallen...they watched it fall into the abyss instead.

Unfortunately it was out of Pyrrha's range.

"Oh! I wish I had trained my semblance more!" She exclaimed in frustration. [So do I! I mean why did no teacher at Beacon tell her that holding herself back by not using her semblance more was a stupid idea. Sure it works okay again human opponents, but with large grimm, you need all the edge you can get. Duh.]

"Use my shield," Jaune said.

Pyrrha levitated it to under Weiss' feet.

The Jabberwocky landed on the branch in front of her, and they could swear it smiled.

Then it bared its teeth.

"Ah!" Weiss screamed.

No one could have gotten to her, except Ruby maybe, but Ruby couldn't run.

But just at this moment when it seemed everyone was lost, a new voice called out.

"Back fiend! Dreadful creature!"

And a flash of brilliantly white light, with a bluish cast, seemed to blind them all.

The Jabberwocky howled like it was stung and backed off several yards away, then began writhing in the air and going in circles.

"Well, that stunned it for a moment," the owner of the voice stepped out of the tree itself...no, there was a door in it.

They all stared at her.

A woman who might have been 30 something, wearing the oddest clothes they'd ever seen, with blonde hair down past her shoulders, a headband in her hair that looked like a bow, but was in fact a snake with its head over its own tail, and a large snake headed staff that had shot the light out.

"Are you all right, dear?" she asked Weiss, holding out her hand.

Weiss stared at her in astonishment and then took it.

The woman pulled her up.

"Alicia?" Pyrrha finally found her voice.

No one else had made the connection, but then they thought it must be so.

"I thought she was dead," Yang said.

"No," the woman laughed wryly. "Not dead...though I suppose to you I might as well be dead. But we have little time to talk. You children ought to be at home in your beds, and that monstrosity there ought to be disposed of."

She took Weiss by the arm and hopped out of the tree onto the ground.

The others came closer to her.

"Quickly now, while it's still dazed, was anyone harmed by it?" Alicia asked. She had an odd accent.

"Ruby, her feet..." Blake said.

Alicia took a look at them.

"Ah, right," she said. "Look here at this, dearie," she held out her staff.

"Look at what?" Ruby asked.

"Just look at it and you'll be all right," Alicia insisted.

Ruby thought it was ridiculous, but she glanced at the snake head eyes...and just like that, her feet felt normal.

She looked down to see no sign of burning.

"You're one of the Silver eyed ones," Alicia noted. "I know you...ah, Ozma did think so highly of them. The closest thing to the Spirit of Power your world has, I must admit. The god of light did his imitations well...but alas, it's only an imitation. It has rules that make it inconvenient. Blasted gods always only give you powers when you're in the right mood. In the real world, we have no time for such things, but there you go."

"Huh?" Ruby said. "Wait, you know about silver eyes?"

"My dear child, I didn't spend months in Remnant without picking up few things," Alicia said.

"Huh?" Yang said.

"It's...a lot to explain, " Pyrrha said. "I don't know the full story myself...but Alicia, I thought you went home."

"I know you," Alicia tilted her head at her. "You were dead...well, life is suiting you nicely now, child, isn't it?"

"Oh...uh...yes," Pyrrha felt a little awkward.

"I told him it would be so," Alicia said wistfully. "But the silly old thing didn't believe me. Ah Ozma, he had so little faith. That was his downfall. So much fear, so much of a burden to save the world, misplaced responsibility...still one can hardly blame him, the gods did curse him with it. I could never persuade him to take the escape."

"Maybe he didn't want to abandon Remnant then," Yang said.

"Ah, but you considered it, didn't you?" Alicia scared her by saying quite casually.

"How did...?" Ruby said oddly.

"Did he not tell you about my gift of Prophecy?" Alicia asked. "Though he called it Foresight, I think he didn't like how official Prophecy sounds. I'm like an oracle, if that helps. Now, lambs, we have little time, that beast will come back. You'll want to know more than I can tell. But in a nutshell, I left this world many years ago, by now, in its time. I had to. The Jabberwocky, as they call it, came after me. I drove it away time and again, but I could never quite kill the thing. I'm not much of a fighter. I prefer to heal. And it got smarter...I believe the air of this world affected it, animals are intelligent here, just like in mine. Finally I decided to leave, and it would have no target...and they might have peace, of a sort. But I foresaw that someone else would find their way here eventually and have to fight it, and not know what to do...It was tea time just now and I had one of my premonitions that the time had come, and over I came...but I can't stay for long...I'm not welcomed here, now...I was a little more than a dream anyway, after I was banished from Remnant.

"Oh...I heard about that," Pyrrha said.

She held out a hand. "But won't you come with us then? Please."

"I don't know what's going on," Jaune said. "But we could really use you."

Alicia smiled sadly.

"I wish I could," she said. "But the rules are the rules for a reason...besides you already have two of us, do you not? That's a fine thing, having a partner. I rather think I would like one, but it would be hard to match my eccentricities."

She looked up. "Anyway I like pretending I'm two people sometimes, just to keep it interesting, but then there's the good One above also."

"What is she on?" Yang asked.

"I'm starting to wonder if this all has been some strange dream," Blake said.

"No doubt it will seem like one when you get back," Alicia said. "But hearken to that monster."

The Jabberwocky was recovered now, and it snarled at them.

"Kill it quickly," Alicia said. "I foresee that the people who fell with you will remain here, regardless of what you say, and it will certainly slay them if you are not here. Rid the world of this filth."

Ruby looked at her, then she looked at the Jabberwocky.
Light came out of her eyes.

The Jabberwocky turned partway to stone...but its head remained, as acid melted the stone, and it began to struggle free.

Ruby took her scythe up. "Weiss!" she said. "Ice Flower."

Weiss and her did a team attack where Weiss catapulted her toward the grimm on glyphs and Ruby used her scythe to slice the monster's head off.

Finally, to their relief, it turned into smoke.

"So, that's done," Alicia said with the air of one who just did an unpleasant chore. "Now darlings, you had best be getting home."

She pointed down one branch.

"If you jump off that one, you'll go back to Remnant."

"What?" Blake said. "That one?"

"Each branch leads to a different world," Alicia said like it was nothing. "It is the in-between...none of the animals of this world come to this place. I doubt they even notice it's here. So odd to have it out in the open, but this world is peculiar."

"So that really is the way home..." Weiss said.

"But it wouldn't have worked if we just jumped?" Pyrrha said.

"I daresay if you jumped off the bank it would have," Alicia said. "This world is directly linked to yours, most likely you'd have fallen right back through...but from here, there is a right way, all roads branch out to somewhere, these ones are just literal branches."

"And she's weird," Yang said.

"Well...uh thank you for helping us," Pyrrha said.

Alicia grew serious. "No thank you," she said. "You children took up Ozma's burden with him. With your eyes open. A thing I think he never thought would happen. He may not have the words to tell you, but I'm sure, deep down, he is in awe and gratitude of it. But allow me to remind you, humbly, that he is but a man. Do not expect a man to be an angel. And contriwise, don't expect an angel to be a man, all things are what they are. They cannot be anything else. And man is but a shadow of his former self as it is. Remember that."

"Sure," Yang said.

"You girl," Alicia pointed her staff at her. "Have a strong heart, but a contemptible spirit. You had better learn to keep it in check, strength without mercy is only another form of weakness. If you let bitterness eat away at you, your strength is hollow. Listen to your counselors and elders if you don't want to fall further than this."

Yang looked at her strangely.

"And you," Alicia looked at Ruby. "Remember what really matters. And your ability will grow beyond its natural limits. But keep your eyes open to see the good in the world or they will fade. I also foresee there is another one like you, you must teach them the way also, you will suffer without their aid. But do not be deceived by appearances."

"Really?" Ruby said, hopefully. "Do you mean my mom?"

"It is not the sort of thing I can explain," Alicia shrugged. "I only get hints."

"What about us?" Blake asked.

"You already know what you need," Alicia said to her. "But you must act on it."

Blake pursed her lips.

"And you should remember what you have already," Alicia said to Weiss. "Instead of lamenting what you do not have."

Weiss frowned at her. "I don't understand what that means."

"Understanding comes with time, but wisdom is a gift," Alicia said cryptically.

She sounded like Shine a bit there.

"Anything for me?" Jaune asked humbly.

"I see you are a strong warrior," Alicia said, looking at him. "But remember that a man is not just a warrior, he is also a man. You will have what you need, but take care that you do not fail to use what you have."

Jaune was puzzled by this also.

Alicia turned to Pyrrha. "I see much wisdom in you already, young lady," she said, smiling. "He is already speaking with you...keep on as you are and you'll land on your feet. I do have one piece of advice however: Courage is facing your enemies even when afraid, victory is defeating them, but triumph is ceasing to see your enemies as enemies at all. Learning not to take things more serious than they are, is always a useful skill. Remember that. And heed your teachers while you have them... No one does forever."

She looked outward at the tree. "I can't afford to stay here for long, I have my own troubles to attend to, sufficient for the day and all that...But here, take these."

She held out a box and a bottle.

"I blessed them, they are not as strong as my staff, but they do in a pinch perhaps. Anyone who drinks this will feel their troubles grow smaller for a time. Anyone who eats this will feel their strength grow greater...but be warned, energy without muscles is fleeting. Learn not to need outside help but to manage yourself to rely on Him."

"Who?" Weiss said.

But Alicia offered no explanation for this part.

She lept back onto the branch she'd come out of, gracefully enough, then she curtsied.

"It's a leap of faith," she said. "Try not to think of it as a fall...and tell Ozma if he asks, that I bear him no grudge. I hope he finds his peace. And that his curse will be broken not the way he thinks, but the way that will restore true balance."

"What is true balance?" Blake was confused.

"Freedom," Alicia said mysteriously, and then she was gone.

"What the heck just happened?" Yang was spooked.

"I don't like this place," Weiss decided. "I don't want to jump, but I kind of feel like it's better than staying here."

"I wonder if she was even real," Ruby said. "Seems to me she was almost someone we dreamed up...Like that Jabberwocky...this whole world is full of weird stuff."

"I'm so ready to go home," Blake said decidedly.

She walked to the edge of the branch and drew a deep breath, then she jumped off of it.

"Blake wait!" Yang wasn't sure about this.

But Blake fell into the abyss.

"Well...guess we're all going now," Weiss said resolutely.

"I hope you have a landing strategy," Pyrrha joked lamely.

Weiss didn't laugh.

"Come on, together," Ruby said, taking her and Yang's arms.

"Sure," Yang said. Alicia had freaked her out enough to make her not want to stay in the world another second, after all.

The three of them all jumped together.

"Well...time to go home," Pyrrha said to Jaune.

"Yeah...boy...this sure was weird," Jaune said.

"Together?" Pyrrha held out her hand.

"Together," Jaune took it.

They walked to the edge of the branch.

"One more thing," Jaune said nervously.

"What?" Pyrrha said.

Jaune suddenly kissed her on the cheek.

"Just in case," he said.

Pyrrha's mouth fell open and she put her free hand to her face.

But she hardly got a chance to react because Jaune jumped and she was yanked after him.

[Of course...these two...!]

The blackness swallowed them again and they seemed to know no more for a while.

* * *

The Sandstorm had ended finally, abruptly.

Shine was worried when Wally didn't reappear immediately. But then someone told her that he had found some people in quicksand and was rescuing them, and called for medics on his scroll. So at least she knew not to worry.

In that time she'd managed to sort of fill Roman Torchwick in on what he'd missed.

At first he flat out refused to believe he'd died at all, but Neo and Emerald both confirmed it, and the account of what had happened since Beacon seemed too detailed to discredit.

Sun joined them at one point to ask them if they needed any help...and reacted as expected to seeing Torchwick alive.

"You jerk!" he said. "You were the one who was stealing all the dust...huh, heard you died though. Guess not."

"Okay, that is it," Torchwick sounded wounded. "I want to know how it is if I died, I'm somehow alive. And why is Neo so calm about it? This is downright uncanny!"

"Oh keep your shirt on," Shine said. "The coat you might want to lose, this is Vacuo, but anyway, it's not a big deal. You're not even the first one."

"I'm not what??" he said, offended further.

"I thought this would suck," Emerald said. "But also it's kind of funny," she smirked. "I've never seen him this off his game."

"Oh shut up, you little street rat!" Torchwick said.

"Hey, don't you disrespect her," Shine said. "She's with us now. If you don't like it, feel free to leave. Vacuo is literally any direction."

"I am not going anywhere with that scythe wielding maniac around until I get some kind of guarantee he's going to leave us alone," Torchwick said. "You can make him do it, right? You seem to be in the know...But on the off chance, how do I know I can trust you?"

"I guess you don't," Shine didn't care for his blustering. "Flip that coin. Grimm are waiting for you outside and so is Qrow."

Pause.

Neo motioned at him something that indicated that she thought Shine was all right.

https://youtu.be/jlTln4MqBRM

[Neo's lines are in this, there's only two for this scene. Video made by The Signing Speaker]

"Well...if you say so," Torchwick grumbled. "Still I don't know...you're too trusting, Neo.."

Emerald now was recovered. "Why can you bring this jackass back, but can't find the one that I'm looking for?" she asked.

"Because that one is a little more complicated," Shine said.

"How the h--- can that be more complicated than bringing someone back to life!?" Emerald said.

"Because that's not complicated at all. So long as they want it. On the other hand, your friend may not want our assistance," Shine said. "If I try to force it, what could happen? But right now...I almost just don't want to think about it." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm so tired..."

"Hey, it's cool," Sun said. "You've had a busy day, and hey, you're everyone's favorite refugee by the way. I heard some of the others saying that you might be one of them but you were tough, and not a pampered princess. So that's good right? And the kids love you."

"Thanks Sun," Shine said. "But I feel I'm wasting my time doing this...oh it's important, but I have specific things to bring here, it's like asking a surgeon to put a band-aid on a gaping wound...it's just not as much as I could be doing."

"That's kind of arrogant don't you think," Torchwick said.

"Oh, I'm not too good to help," Shine said. "But it feels like a deliberate distraction... " she mused.

"I mean what else are you doing to do? Talk everyone into having enough food?" Emerald said. "I couldn't even steal enough for one tenth of these people if I worked all day. It's got no solution... Why can't we just move them to another kingdom."

"I only could in small amounts, and Vacuo won't let us use their ships," Shine said. "Theo wants to wait for Glynda to send some. But that won't be the work of a day with all these sandstorms...honestly, I think he wants us to be at our wit's end...but that's not going to help...I wish I at least knew where Winter was."

"I bet she got eaten," Emerald said cheerfully. "She shouldn't have been out at all, I'm no doctor but even I know that."

"Who is Winter?" Torchwick was hopelessly lost.

Neo signed something that looked like "woman-with-stick-up-somewhere." [Trust me, you don't need a video to understand that one.]

"Good news on that," Robyn suddenly came in. "I just saw you friend Lieutenant Side Effects. I mean, the good news is, I saw her. Bad news is, she wasn't walking...Qrow just brought her into the medical tent...unfortunately where some of my huntresses are. And Harriet! The heat is doing what the grimm can't!" She sighed. "I feel just as helpless as I did before...and our medical supplies are running low too...what are we supposed to do?"

"We need a miracle," Shine said. "One of us ought to be investigating...but I don't see how we can even spare anyone to do that."

"Still if we could just hang on till more help arrives from Vale," Robyn mused.

"Knowing Salem, she'll try to stop that," Emerald said dejectedly. "I wonder if switching sides was even smart."

"Dying with us would be better than living with Salem," Shine said severely. "Don't you think?"

"How good is the health plan?" Roman asked.

Neo elbowed him again.

"Who is this?" Robyn squinted at him.

"Roman Torchwick," he tipped his hat. "I'm a crime boss."

"Oh?" Robyn didn't bat an eyelash. "Must be a regular gig here. Are you here to help?"

"I don't really know why I would want to help, you all seem doomed," Torchwick said. "I'm still coming to grips with dying."

"Oh, well who isn't," Robyn didn't understand what he meant. "But hey, if you can't laugh in death's face, what kind of huntress are you? Anyway, now that the Ice Queen is back, someone ought to try to come up with a solution...Any ideas?"

"I have one," Shine stood up. "I'm going to have a little chat with Theo."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Emerald asked.

"No, but I've tried everything else," Shine said. "If he won't talk to Qrow or Winter, maybe he will to me. If I'm not back soon, send a search party."

She left.

* * *

https://youtu.be/wF_XsqEWmzo

Where'd you go, huh? They all think I know you. It's so hard to motivate me to devote a single inch of me to something I can't see...

 I will deny you for years, then I'll make you raise me from the dead.

 And if I said that I would live for you. For nothing in return. Well I'm sorry Mr. Gullible, but lying's all I've learned. So be concerned.

Theodore was checking his scroll in his office.

"Come on, Vic, don't leave me hanging," he mused, twirling something like a fidget spinner with his free hand.

Shine walked in unannounced and unseen by any of the students around.

Theo sat up so fast he nearly fell out of his chair, but he did a twist instead and landed standing up.

"What do you want?" he said thinly.

"I want to know what is going on with you," Shine said bluntly. "You said we could have help. But the most we've gotten is a lack of general hostility...and not much of that. Come on, you knew this would happen. We're dying out there. Some of us literally. What are you doing?"

Theodore frowned at her. "I said I wouldn't baby you."

"There is babying and there is needing some basic necessities, like food!" Shine shot back. "We are doing the best we can. One of us already collapsed twice, a few more have heat stroke and can't fight. And your guys are harassing the people who are trying to mind their own business. We don't have much water either. And that was day one. It's day three now."

"I don't have enough to feed you all," Theo said.

"Could you give us at least enough for 50 of us?" Shine asked.

"You living here is imposing on my resources enough," Theo said. "Glynda's ships have yet to arrive."

"I'm sure they would have if not for the sandstorms every other day," Shine said.

"Well it is the season for storms," Theo said. "Be glad it's not cyclone season in Mistral."

Shine frowned at him. "You could at least offer moral support then. Perhaps the citizens here would help us out if they saw a reason to."

"We don't really do that here," Theo said.

"Do you have any humanity at all?" Shine asked. "Isn't this hurting your people also? I can't understand this kind of neglect, unless you want us to leave...but even so, in one piece."

Actually, she suspected already that Theo might be purposely trying to drive them out. Not just the refugees, but all of them. The question was if it was to protect them or himself.

She was not as convinced as Qrow that his reasons were purely malicious, even if he had been beastly to them so far.

But she knew better than to let Theo know she was onto this much. Still, it wouldn't do to play the fool either.

"I just can't help you," Theo said. "I have to look after my own."

Shine thought for a moment, then she changed her tone to a more subdued one. "Did you know that Qrow lost both his nieces the same day we arrived?"

"Eh? What?" Theo looked up suddenly, surprised. "The girls? The ones he's so proud of?"

"Yes."

"I saw their fights...not bad, except when the blonde one cheated," Theo said.

"She was tricked into cheating," Shine said. "It wasn't her fault."

"Is that so..." Theo said. "Well, that's a pity. They died?"

"They're MIA, I hope we'll hear from them, but Qrow hasn't much hope of it...you know his semblance."

"Oh...yes," Theo said. "Well...that's...unfortunate."

Shine detected a hint of shame, and that encouraged her.

"Winter lost her sister in the same way," she said. "In front of her eyes, in her case. The staff was stolen too, I think they told you that."

"Yeah...oh is that why..." Theo winced.

"I take it you said some unsavory things," Shine remembered Winter's fragile manner. "And you've given Winter nothing but a hard time now. She's killing herself out there trying, and she's the maiden. You should be helping her."

"I...well, I said she ought to stay by the school," Theo said, sounding guilty finally.

"She won't listen, unlike you, she's interested in protecting the thousands of innocent people out there."

Cutting.

Theo paced around, picking up one of his weapons casually, not threatening, so Shine didn't move.

"You know, no one is truly innocent," he said in a darker voice. "Living here will teach you that fast. There are decent people everywhere, even in Atlas...but they ain't innocent. Who's to say who's better or worse, but one thing, we don't expect everyone else to make excuses for us and to think we're a cut higher than them."

"On the contrary, Mr. Rhodes," Shine folded her arms. "You most certainly expect them to think your allegedly humble attitude is preferable to Atlas'es. We call it humble-bragging where I come from."

Theo paused and looked at her a bit oddly.

Shine smiled smugly.

"What can I say to get rid of you?" he said, frowning like he was pretending to be offended...but not the most convincingly.

"Allow the Atlas scientists to use more of your resources," Shine said. "And call in some more of your official huntsmen to help relieve ours. Allow us to move everyone who is the weakest to this weather into the rooms here at the school that are not being used. Then whenever we do get ships, we can just move them directly into them. Anyone who is adapting better is going to have to find better lodging in town...maybe they could even work there, if you'd all lighten up towards them. Why not make some of the soldiers your unofficial hunstmen. They're not much good out there, they're too used to following orders and we don't have enough commanders for that. Plus I think most of them went to Vale...but there's a few left. You have students guarding this school, but no one is attacking the school. It's all at the edge. So why not put the weaker fighters here?"

"You guard the home the closest, girl," Theo said.

"And what is so important here other than a building that you'd need to protect?" Shine asked.

Silence.

"Is that all you want?" Theo said.

"That you can give, I suppose," Shine said. "Other than an apology to my friends."

"Who are you, girl?" Theo said strangely. "What's your cut in all this business? I've noticed you're not quite popular with them anyway."

Shine wasn't surprised that he'd not missed that.

"I could ask you the same," she looked back. "The truth is, I know what my job is, and I actually like doing it. I haven't lost hope yet. I believe as long as there is life, there is hope. And as long as there is love, there is something worth fighting for. I can't say I know everything, but I've never regretted any choice I made for those reasons. I wonder what you think Home is anyway, Theodore?"

He didn't understand her very well.

"I have to go check on my friend, who collapsed again," Shine said crisply. "Have a nice day."

She left.

Outside his door she held up his scroll, which she'd summoned while his back was turned to her.

Scrolls didn't seem to have lock-screens for whatever reason, and it opened for her easily enough.

She checked the messages list.

Ah, someone named Vic.

:Ready for testing. Bring your girl.

Shine mused. "Hmm...Vic...Victoria Kanap...I believe we have our connection.

She quickly forwarded the message to her own scroll, then popped the scroll back into the office, under his desk.

Theo was frantically looking for it right then, but he found it without seeing it reappear, and assumed he'd just knocked it over when he got up.

"Ah," he picked up the scroll. "Finally."

Shine hurried out of the building.

She found Neo and Torchwick outside. Apparently, they'd not cared to wait around for Qrow.

"Oh perfect," she said. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Neo raised an eyebrow like "Why?"

"Look, you want Qrow to leave you alone, you have to prove you can be useful," Shine said. "I can't possibly control him enough to be sure he won't come after you. But if you're working for us, he won't. Or you'd have to leave...can you even do that?"

Neo glanced at Torchwick.

"Well for now we are a little hard up for work," Torchwick said. "Is it going to be dishonest?"

"Slightly," Shine said. "But all is fair in love and war, right? I don't think it's the same thing."

"Good enough for me," Torchwick said. "Neo?"

Neo shrugged and then signed at her.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to go to that place you found Theo at and find out who Victoria Kanap is." Shine said. "She might be the Summer Maiden, but I don't think so, not based on this."

She showed them the message. 

"Ooh, intrigue," Torchwick put his hands together. "I love a good twist...when it's not directed at me..." he shuddered.

"Neo will have to do this alone," Shine said. "Neo, how far do your illusions go, can you blend into the background?"

Neo's answer was to fade into the landscape right then.

"Perfect," Shine said. "But watch it, no idea what kind of security there will be. Don't do anything dangerous, I just want hints. And don't let him see you or suspect you're there, or it's all up. Torchwick, I have another job for you."

"You do?"

Shine nodded. "You were telling me earlier that Qrow surprised you in a bar while you were with a friend. You have connections here right?"

"Oh sure."

"Then I need you to find out if any of them have seen a guy with a scorpion tail, or a kid who looks like Mercury around here, and what they were up to. Say you're an old associate who's supposed to met them here or some crap like that," Shine said. "But don't actually meet them. If they knew you were alive again, they'd have a lot of questions, we're not prepared to answer them yet. Be subtle, if you possibly can be."

"Do I get paid for this?" Torchwick said.

"Food and shelter," Shine said. "If I can work it out. Results would help me immensely with that however."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Torchwick reluctantly agreed. "Neo?"

Neo bowed and they both left.