Chapter 121: Making the Deal

The room Parc was lead into looked to have been a renovated recording studio at some point. The room itself separated into two halves, or well, one third and two thirds with the one third—the entrance portion—being filled with stacks miscellaneous items, old looking plastic bottles filled with waters a big blue water drum and what he was guessing were meats and fish cured with something that didn't quite look like salt. The other two third opposite the half wall had more cloths and clothing stacked up into makeshift beds. Atop one Parc could see a once-white-now-gray cloak torn and frayed at the bottom by what looked to have been a sharp blade.

"Nice place you've got here," he smirked and walked around the room, stopping by Summer's bed where he knelt down and patted the cloak, focusing most his attention on it to get a textbox to pop up with its description.

[Damaged Summer Cloak]

[A cloak passed down through the Rose family. It has been damaged by combat and age.]

[Semblance enhancement: 0.5%]

[Only usable by those of the Rose bloodline.]

'Hoo? What's this? So the cloak can strengthen Summer's or Ruby's semblances. That could be useful, but its useless in its current state.' Given enough time and a bit of silk he could probably fix and clean it to its pristine state again with help from the loom he brought with.

"Don't touch that," Summer hissed from behind him, anger in her eyes.

Relenting, Parc pulled his hand away and rose to his feet. Ferry having plonked herself down on her makeshift bed but was keeping a cautious eye on him, her whip at the ready and herself prepped to rush to her feet.

"I won't, I won't, just curious," he backed away from the bed letting Summer come to stand between him and the bed like a guard dog. "Let's talk then," he made his way to the half wall and leaned against it with arms crossed. "I'd like for us to get this tension dealt with quickly cause its going to help neither of us in the long run."

"That's easier said than done when the person opposite me can grow and ungrow a wing when he doesn't have a semblance. You're a faunus I'm guessing."

Snorting, Parc shook his head, "oh heavens no. If we want to go for technicalities, then sure, I'm a faunus. But going by literallity, then no, I'm not. I'm something of a horrible, halfbred monster hated by my entire family bar my mother called a Nephilim."

"You're an angel?" Summer asked with a lopsided raise of her brow.

"Half angel. Other half is demon. Don't ask where from, you wouldn't know. Not even Ozpin would know."

A smirk came to Parc's lips as he saw Summer flinch at Ozpin's name, a slight, scowl quickly overtaking her expression before softening to her previous caution.

"Ozpin doesn't know a lot of things. How do you know him. Are you attending… no, you don't have an aura, Ozpin wouldn't let you into Beacon without one."

'If only she knew about that idiot Jaune,' Parc thought of the transcript faking wannabe hero.

"Don't worry, I've got no connection to Ozpin… or her majesty." He spoke in a hushed tone and Summer's body tensed, her gaze shooting to Ferry who's ears were radaring to listen in to them.

"You… you know about… 'her?" The caution in her voice morphed into full blown hostility in just a breath.

"I do. You don't have to worry about me being one of her lackeys. I'm more likely to be on her bad side than anything else," that wasn't completely known at this moment, he had just gotten to the world after all. Maybe he'd join her in the future, but it was just that, the future.

Summer still kept her spear at the ready, even more so than before now that she knew Parc was aware of the true face of the world. "Did… is she the reason for you being on this Island?"

Parc shook his head, denying her, "I haven't run into her or her peons if that's what you mean. I came here by chance while looking for something." He built a plot off the top of his head.

"And that is?"

"Women. Of the seasonal variety," it was beating around the bush instead of just simply saying he was searching for the for Maidens like his quest asked of him.

Summer's silver eyes bugged, and her body went stiff, fists turning white as she gripped her spear tighter. "W-why are you looking-"she gulped "for them?"

Seeing her unusual reaction, one that made him think she knew something, or was it possible she was a maiden herself? It would be Ironic considering she was named after one of the seasons like the maidens and considering he knew someone with a seasonal name was set to become a maiden in the future it fit the mold.

Glancing to Ferry, Parc frowned, he wasn't feeling in the mood for keeping secrets especially in a world where secrets were the thing eating it into oblivion. "Does she know?"

"N-no, she doesn't, and I would rather she didn't!"

"That makes things annoying Summer, look at her, she so curious," he held a hand to the tilted head faunus listening intently to their conversations. "It's only a matter of time before she learns these things…" Parc narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ferry and her innocent expression. "Is she the maiden?" he asked pushing off the wall to stride towards Ferry only for Summer to rocket herself before him in a sphere of white petals, her spear digging into Parc's neck at a moment's notice.

"No, she's not," Summer's awkward stutters gave way to seriousness as silver flames burst from her eyes, "I am."

It honestly didn't surprise him, surprisingly enough he also found it surprisingly convenient that he would be dropped right next to the last of the maidens and the only one he had no idea who it was.

Furrowing his brows Parc kept still, keeping his eyes locked onto Summer flaming silver orbs.

"They really are quite pretty," he chuckled.

"What?" a confused Summer commented.

"You're eyes I mean," he turned away from her and returned to his place against the wall.

A second after processing his words a soft flush came to Summers cheeks and she lowered her spear back to the ground, "flattery won't get you any where with me," she said the silver flames of her eyes dissipating like they hadn't been at all. "And I'm married. Now tell me why you're looking for the maidens."

'Married, cute joke Summer, you've been missing longer than you've been in a relationship with Taiyang.'

"I've got plans for the future, and I need the maidens powers to help me get there. And now that I've found you, that means I'm one step closer to achieving it."

"And what makes you think I'll just up and help you? What even is this plan of yours?"

"Something simple in nature but exceedingly difficult to achieve. I want to bring about unity to remnant," adding in silence, 'and collect a few cute girls on the way.'

"To answer your first question though, safety I guess, making a safe place for your daughter to live without the need to be a Huntress." He could see her quickly shifting to shock and rage just moments away from lunging him, not unless he added a bit more, "Before you get all stabby on me, yes, I know who you are. Summer Rose, you've been thought dead for a long time."

"That doesn't explain why you know about my daughter," she hissed through grit teeth, the flames of her eyes bursting to the surface again. To the side Ferry was growing a nervous twitch with every spark Summer sent Parc's way in those few seconds.

"I know a lot of things Summer. Like how Ozpin is going to be bringing her into Beacon early. Which, as I'm sure you already know, is not a good thing."

Summer went silent, grinding her teeth together, "god dammit!" she shouted and began to pace, "are you sure?"

"Pretty much," he shrugged.

"Shit-shit-shit," she swored and began to chew on her finger, "I can't let Ozpin get near Ruby," the anger she held for Parc swapping targets to Ozpin. "I need to get home."

"I think I can help there," Parc spoke up drawing her attention back onto him, "those criminals, they've got a few bullheads no doubt. We commandeer one of them and we head on off to the closest continent and get our bearings from there."

Summer nodded along, still pacing and chewing on her finger, "that's not going to be easy, there's a lot of them and they've got the port locked down tight."

"That won't be an issue. I can deal with the guards; you just need to get to the bullhead and get it ready for us to go." It was a simple and pathetic plan as it was made in just a few seconds, but it was still as feasible as anything. Especially when Parc specialized in assassination and quite literally had an elite group of assassins at his beck and call.

Holding his hand out to Summer, Parc asked, "you may not trust me just yet Summer, but I am on your side. If you help me with my ambition, I'll help you get back to your family. Deal?"

Summers eyes lingered on his hand, palm up, not in a gesture for shaking hands but a gesture that he wanted something, his dagger which she still had set through her belt. Plucking the dagger from her belt, she held it over Parc's hand but didn't lay it in his hand just yet, "Ozpin's really going after Ruby?"

"He is. And it will lead to Salem hunting her down, that much I can tell you for certain."

A hissing noise escaped her, she couldn't let that happen, she had experienced first-hand what Salem's hunting was like. Ruby, she couldn't let that happen to her. Lowering the dagger into Parc's hand and let him grip it, "don't break my trust Parc. I will kill you test me."

"Don't worry, I won't." Taking his dagger back Parc set it back into its sheath.

***

Off to the side, forgotten by the two older people was Ferry, her legs rubbing together uncomfortably while her nose flared, breathing in a thick scent of morning dew that was bringing a powerful urge to raise in the depths of her body. Her cheeks had gone scarlet and found herself uncontrollably flicking her gaze towards Parc. What was wrong with her body? Why was looking at him causing her body to act like this?

***

********************

Qrow, in the case of sixteen year old, Ruby Rose... You, are not the father!

*Proceeds to unscrew flask and downs the entire thing.*

"Best day of my life."

To the side, Summer looked confused, thinking who is this man? and why did he just tell Qrow the obvious? nevermind that, where was she? and how did she get here? Her eyes soon lock onto Qrow with a fire that sent shivers coursing down his spine, threatening to drag each and every drop of liquor out of his body.

"And what is that supposed to mean!?"

***

Gonna start trying to bump up releases.