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Elias sat on the soft couch.
He looked at the glowing blue screen on the small glass table.
General James Ironwood looked back at him from the screen.
The video connection was secure.
Dee sat right next to Elias.
She held a warm cup of green tea in her hands.
She blew on it softly to cool it down.
"I have a new job for you two,"
Ironwood said.
His voice was very strict and serious.
"We are listening,"
Elias replied.
He crossed his arms and leaned back.
"It is a top secret mission,"
Ironwood explained.
"Completely off the books. Nobody can know. You will go far outside the kingdom. You will travel to the western dead lands."
"That is very deep in Grimm territory,"
Dee noted. She took a small sip of her hot tea.
"No one lives out there."
"Exactly,"
Ironwood nodded.
"Salem is moving her forces there. They are gathering for a big reason. I need you to go there and find out why. But you won't be alone. You are going as backup. I need you to protect someone."
"Who?"
Elias asked.
"Her name is Summer Rose,"
Ironwood told them.
"She is a Huntress from Beacon Academy. Professor Ozpin chose her for this scout mission."
Elias looked at Dee. Dee didn't look surprised. She just kept drinking her tea.
"Why does she need us?"
Elias asked the General.
"If she is chosen by Ozpin, she must be strong."
"She is very strong,"
Ironwood admitted.
"She has silver eyes. They are a great weapon against the Grimm. But this is a suicide mission. The dead lands are totally dark. If Salem finds her, Summer will die."
"You want us to keep her alive,"
Dee said simply.
"Yes,"
Ironwood confirmed.
"Summer will arrive in Atlas tomorrow. I will pay double your normal rate. This is highly dangerous. Keep your eyes open. Don't let her die."
"We never fail,"
Dee smiled.
"I know,"
Ironwood said. The blue screen turned black. The call ended quietly.
Elias uncrossed his arms. The room was quiet for a long minute.
He looked over at Dee. She was staring at her empty tea cup.
"So,"
Elias said.
"Tell me. About Summer Rose,"
Elias said.
"What happens to her in the book?"
Dee put her tea cup down on the table. Her smile faded away completely. She looked very serious.
"In the original story, she dies,"
Dee said flatly.
"She goes on this exact mission. She meets Salem. And she never comes back home."
Elias frowned deeply.
"She leaves two young daughters. One is named Ruby. Ruby is her biological daughter. The other is named Yang. Yang is her step-daughter."
"A step-daughter?"
Elias asked.
"From a previous marriage?"
"It is complicated,"
Dee sighed. She leaned her head against Elias's strong shoulder.
"Summer's team at school was called Team STRQ. It had four people. Summer, Taiyang, Raven, and Qrow. Taiyang and Raven fell in love. They had a baby first. That baby was Yang. Then Raven ran away. She abandoned her new family. She went back to live with her bandit tribe."
"That is very cold,"
Elias said.
"Very cold,"
Dee agreed.
"Taiyang was completely broken. Summer stayed to help him. They eventually fell in love too. Then they had Ruby. So, Summer raised both girls as a true mother. If Summer dies on this mission, both girls lose their mother. Taiyang breaks again. The whole family falls apart."
Elias thought about it. The story was sad. It was full of pain and poor choices.
"Their relationship sounds very complex,"
Elias noted.
"A lot of drama. A lot of betrayal inside one team."
"It is very complex,"
Dee said. She looked up at his face.
"Not like us at all. We are simple."
"We do,"
Elias agreed. He wrapped his strong arm around her waist.
Dee rested her head back on his chest. She smiled a happy smile.
"You know,"
Dee said softly.
"I was thinking about our future today."
"What about it?"
"I want a big family,"
Dee told him.
"A really big family. But I can't do it all by myself."
Elias looked at her.
"I want you to have more women,"
Dee said clearly.
"I want you to find more wives."
"More wives again?"
Elias repeated to make sure he heard right.
"Yes,"
Dee laughed at his shocked face.
"We are going to travel the multiverse. We will go to many different worlds together. We will meet many amazing women. I want us to build a giant family that spreads across the entire multiverse. A strong clan. A happy clan."
"Are you sure?"
Elias asked.
"You wouldn't be jealous at all?"
"Never,"
Dee shook her head fast.
"I am your first. I will always be the head wife. I will help you pick the best ones. We need women who are strong and loyal. Not women who run away like Raven did."
Elias smiled. He liked the idea.
It sounded fun and adventurous.
"Okay,"
Elias agreed.
"If that is what you want. We will build a big multiverse family."
"Good,"
Dee clapped her hands together loudly.
"Now, we need to get ready. Summer will be here soon. We need to save her life."
The next morning, the sun was bright over the city of Atlas.
The white snow on the ground sparkled like glass.
Summer Rose walked down the clean street. She looked at the addresses on the tall houses.
She wore her white cloak. She felt very cold. Atlas was much colder than her home in Vale.
"Here it is,"
Summer whispered to herself. She stopped in front of a nice house.
It had a strong metal gate. It had a small front garden covered in thick snow.
Summer opened the gate. She walked up the stone path. She stopped right at the heavy wooden door.
She raised her hand and knocked three times.
Inside the house, fast footsteps walked to the door.
The door clicked open. A young girl stood there looking out.
She had dual-colored hair. Half of her hair was light pink.
The other half was dark brown. Her eyes matched her hair colors perfectly.
She wore a simple white shirt and black pants.
It was Neo.
Neo was older than Summer's daughters.
She looked like a young teenager. Neo didn't say hello.
She just stared at Summer with a blank face.
Neo held a long, thin string in her right hand.
The string went up the wall.
It connected to a large metal bucket resting on a shelf above the door frame.
The bucket was full of freezing cold ice water.
"Hello there,"
Summer smiled warmly. She didn't notice the thin string. She didn't look up at the heavy bucket.
Neo tilted her head to the side. She looked at the strange woman in the white cloak.
"Who are you?"
Neo asked using a sign.
"My name is Summer Rose,"
Summer wasn't surprised as she already knew her. She introduced herself.
"I am a Huntress from Beacon Academy. I am looking for Elias and Dee. Are they your parents?"
Neo narrowed her eyes. She liked to play bad jokes on strangers.
She thought this happy woman was a perfect target for a prank.
Neo slowly pulled the string tight.
She prepared to dump the ice water right on Summer's head.
"Wait, Neo! Stop right there!"
A loud voice yelled from inside the house. Dee ran to the front door fast.
She wore a bright yellow apron over her regular clothes.
She looked very energetic and awake.
Dee grabbed the string away from Neo's hand.
She let it go slack.
The bucket stayed in its safe place.
"No pranks on the guests,"
Dee scolded Neo with a big smile.
"Go finish your school homework. We have company today."
Neo crossed her arms tight. She pouted her lips. She turned around and walked away upstairs without saying another word.
Dee turned to look at Summer.
Dee had a huge, bright smile on her face.
"Hi!"
Dee said loudly.
"You must be Summer! Come inside quickly! It is freezing out there!"
Summer blinked. She liked Dee's bright energy instantly. It matched her own goofy personality.
"Thank you,"
Summer stepped inside.
The house was very warm. It smelled exactly like fresh baked cookies.
Dee closed the heavy door. She looked at Summer's white cloak.
"I love your cloak,"
Dee said happily.
"It looks so cool. Like a real hero from a comic book."
"Thank you!"
Summer beamed with joy.
She pulled her hood down fully.
"I made it myself. Your house smells amazing right now. What are you cooking in there?"
"Chocolate chip cookies,"
Dee pointed toward the open kitchen.
"I just took them out of the hot oven. Do you want one? Or maybe five?"
"I would love five,"
Summer laughed out loud.
"I love sweets very much."
"Me too,"
Dee grabbed Summer's hand.
She pulled her into the cozy living room.
"I am Dee. That grumpy teenager at the door was my daughter, Neo. She is going through a tough phase. She likes to pull pranks on everyone."
"It is okay,"
Summer sat down on the soft couch.
"I am a mother too. I have two little girls waiting at home. Ruby and Yang. They are a big handful sometimes."
"Oh my gosh, you are a mom!"
Dee sat down right next to her.
She looked very excited.
"I love meeting other moms. Being a mom is the hardest job in the entire world. We have to do absolutely everything."
"We really do,"
Summer agreed quickly. She felt very comfortable.
It didn't feel like a strict business meeting.
It felt like talking to a best friend.
"We have to cook meals, clean the house, and fight scary monsters."
"And we have to deal with stubborn men,"
Dee rolled her eyes playfully.
"My husband, Elias, is very strong. But sometimes he is completely clueless. I have to explain very simple things to him."
"I know exactly what you mean,"
Summer giggled.
She thought of Taiyang back home.
"My husband means well, but he leaves his dirty socks everywhere. And he forgets to buy milk. I always have to make lists for him."
"I love chocolate chips,"
Summer added.
"Do you put extra butter in yours?"
"Yes!"
Dee gasped.
"Extra butter makes them extra soft. Finally, someone who understands real baking science!"
"Taiyang always burns them,"
Summer joked.
"He leaves them in the oven way too long."
"Elias doesn't even try,"
Dee pointed at the hallway.
"He can fight a monster with bare hands, but simple flour scares him."
They both laughed loudly together. They were perfectly matched. They were both bright and goofy.
Elias walked into the living room. He wore his dark combat clothes. He looked very serious.
He stopped and looked at the two women.
They were laughing and acting like they knew each other for years.
"Hello,"
Elias said calmly. Summer stopped laughing. She stood up fast. She remembered why she came here.
She tried to look professional for a moment.
"You must be Elias,"
Summer said.
She held out her hand.
"I am Summer Rose. Professor Ozpin sent me to find you."
Elias shook her hand. His grip was firm and steady.
"Please, sit down. Let us talk about our business."
Summer sat back down. Dee went to the kitchen and returned quickly. She carried a plate of warm cookies.
She placed them on the table. Summer took a warm cookie and took a bite.
It was totally delicious.
"So,"
Summer started talking.
"I have a mission. It is a secret mission from Headmaster Ozpin. He wants me to scout the western dead lands."
Elias sat in a chair across from her. He nodded his head slowly.
He pretended he didn't know anything.
"The dead lands,"
Elias repeated.
"That is very dangerous."
"It is,"
Summer admitted.
She looked at them with honest eyes.
"If things go wrong, we might have to run away. Ozpin told me to find the best backup in all of Atlas. He told me to find you two."
Dee smiled and ate a warm cookie.
"We are the best,"
Dee said simply.
"I know,"
Summer smiled back at her.
"General Ironwood said you have a perfect record. He said you protect Faunus villages just because it is the right thing to do. That tells me you are very good people."
"We do what we can,"
Elias said.
"What is the pay for this job?"
Summer pulled a blank paper check from her pocket.
She placed it on the glass table next to the cookies.
"Ozpin said you can name your exact price,"
Summer explained.
"Money is not an issue at all. We just need this job done right."
Elias looked down at the check. He didn't touch it. He looked over at Dee.
Dee nodded her head at him.
"We will take the job,"
Elias said.
"But we don't want money."
Summer looked very surprised.
"You don't want money? Then what do you want from me?"
"We want your friendship,"
Dee answered quickly.
She leaned forward on the couch.
"We want to know you better, Summer.."
Summer felt a warm, happy feeling in her chest. She looked at Dee's bright eyes. She looked at Elias's strong, honest face.
They were kind.
She came here expecting cold, scary mercenaries.
Instead, she found a goofy mother and a loyal husband.
"Friendship,"
Summer smiled softly.
"I would really like that. I would like to be friends."
"Then it is settled,"
Elias stood up tall.
"We leave tomorrow morning. Get some good rest tonight, Summer. You can stay in our guest room upstairs."
"Are you sure?"
Summer asked politely.
"I can rent a hotel room in the city. I don't want to intrude on your family."
"Nonsense,"
Dee grabbed Summer's arm tightly.
"You are staying right here. We are going to bake more cookies. We are going to trade funny stories about our kids. We are going to have a great time tonight before we go."
Summer laughed out loud again. She felt totally safe.
Glynda was completely wrong.
These ghosts were not killers. They were a wonderful, warm family.
"Okay,"
Summer agreed happily.
"I will stay."
Elias watched them walk toward the kitchen together. He smiled a little bit.
The mission was completely set. Summer Rose trusted them.
Now, they just had to change her dark fate.
They had to keep her alive in the dead lands.
Elias knew it would be a very hard fight. But he also knew he and Dee never lost.