STRQ (A RWBY fanfiction) [Book 1]

Chapter 14

He held me like that for what seemed like ages. Unfortunately, our embrace had to end as soon as Raven and Tai walked back in.

"Oh... are we inturupting?" Raven asked.

Qrow's arms dropped quickly.
"No... we were just talking," he said.

"Why are you crying, Summer? Are you okay?" Tai asked.

I quickly wiped away my tears.
"I'm fine. I'm just grateful to have you all. I couldn't have asked for better teammates."

"Well, we couldn't have asked for a better leader," Raven replied.

"Sorry to interrupt... but we have a mission in less than a week. Shouldn't we start preparing?" Tai asked.

"Right," I said, digging out the map. "Now, as you all may know, our mission will be outside of the kingdom near the northeast. However, there are three paths that lead there. I was thinking we could take the north path since it's the shortest. There's going to be more Grimm, but I think we can handle it."

"Of course we can. We're best team at Beacon!" Tai said.

"Says the guy who falls asleep during most of his classes," Raven replied.

Qrow and I laughed. A sudden buzz from my scroll abruptly went off. I brought it out from my pocket and looked at the screen.

"Who is it?" Raven asked.

"It's... Professor Ozpin," I said surprised.

"Well, don't keep him waiting. Answer it."

I answered the call and did my best not to sound nervous.
"Hello Professor. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Hello, Miss Rose. How is your team doing?" he asked.

"They're fine. Just doing their classes and preparing for the upcoming mission," I replied.

"Wonderful. In fact, I wanted to speak to you about your mission. After giving it some thought, I have decided that it would be best to start your mission later today."

I felt a bit uneasy. "Are you sure? We've barely begun to prepare."

"With you and your team's battle capabilities, I'm positive that you four can handle it. This Grimm is especially dangerous. And I would prefer if it was dealt with as soon as possible."

I nodded slowly. "Of course. We'll start preparing right away."

"Thank you, Miss Rose. I will be waiting for your report upon your return. Good luck."

After he hung up the call, I shakily put my scroll back into my pocket.

Are you okay, Summer? You look a bit pale," Qrow said.

"I'm okay... I think."

"So, what did Ozpin want?" Tai asked.

"He... he wants us to start our mission later today," I said quietly.

"What?!" Raven yelled. "We haven't fully prepared yet!"

"I know, but I'm sure we'll be fine," I tried to assure her.

Raven stood to her feet and started to pace. A habit that she had when she became increasingly nervous or frustrated.

"I don't doubt that, but something seems off. Why is Ozpin having us do this mission early? Couldn't he just wait a week?"

"Apparently, he wants the Grimm taken care of as soon as possible. And I don't blame him. I would want to get rid of a threat quickly too," I replied.

"Still... something isn't right. Ever since we were put on a team, I've noticed that Ozpin has been keeping an eye on us. Haven't you all noticed?"

"That makes sense. Putting us in advanced classes and offering us harder missions is a bit odd. Maybe he knows we're great fighters or something," Tai suggested.

Raven shook her head. "No... It's more than that. He's been extremely more interested in Summer than the rest of us."

"Me? Why?" I asked.

"I don't know. But I'm determined to find out. Did Ozpin say anything weird to you at all lately?" Raven asked.

I shook my head. "Not lately. But he did say something that caught my attention. When he first met me, the first thing he mentioned to me is that I had silver eyes. I didn't think much of it. They're just eyes."

"Stop being so paranoid, Raven. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Tai said.

Raven slowly stopped pacing.
"You're probably right. I'm just stressed about this mission. If I were to lose any of you... I don't know what I'd do with myself," she whispered.

"We always look after each other. That'll never change," I said. "We'll beat any obstacle that comes before us. I won't let anything break our team apart."

"I bet we'll return from this mission in no time," Qrow said.

We prepared for the mission as fast as we could and were met by Ozpin as we were leaving Beacon.

"You got ready quicker than I had anticipated," he said.

"The sooner we got ready for this mission, the sooner we can complete it. We won't let you down," I said.

Ozpin nodded. "I sure hope not. Be sure to report to me as soon as you return."

I nodded. "Of course. We'll see you soon, Professor."

"Likewise," he replied.