It was then that Ryan, Anthony, David, Mari, Igor, Shino, Jie, Kang, Felix, Dae, and Michael realize something. How the heck is Summer alive?

And Jie spoke her mind towards the 5'3" silver eyed woman, "How are you alive?"

Summer looked at the Chinese woman and sips her cup of ice tea, "For ten to eleven years I was a prisoner of a certain woman. Her name is Salem."

The eleven Marines looked shocked. No, not because they heard Salem. They and the entire UNE knows about her already. They're shocked because she's out right saying it to people other than Ozpin, Qrow, Glynda, Miho and Ironwood.

Winter, Clover, Harriet, Marrow, Elm, and Vine were confused on who Salem is when Ironwood explain who Salem is, "Salem is an immortal witch who's the leader of the Grimm, and the true threat behind the current state of Remnant-I mean the kingdoms from Remnant. Her forces have been fighting ours for centuries, and their ultimate goal is to destroy humanity and Faunus-kind."

"So what does this have to do with your survival? And how do you know her?" Anthony asked as he takes a sip of his own ice tea.

"Well..." Summer explained.

_Ten years ago..._

_The sounds of the storm outside were a mere whisper in the small cell as Summer Rose sat huddled in the corner, her knees drawn up to her chest. She had long since lost track of the days, the hours, the minutes, but it didn't really matter anyway. Nothing did anymore. Her mind drifted back to her friends and husband, her precious daughter Ruby and step-daughter Yang. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of their faces, their voices. She could almost hear them calling her name, reaching out to her, but they were always just beyond her grasp._

_A small whimper escaped her lips, a sound so foreign it seemed to come from someone else. The storm was getting worse, the wind and rain beating against the stone walls of her prison, but it was nothing compared to the tempest inside her. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the memories, the pain, the emptiness. There was nothing left for her here. Nothing but the darkness and despair._

_Suddenly, the door to her cell swung open, revealing a tall figure silhouetted against the dim torchlight from the hallway. The woman stepped into the room, her crimson eyes gleaming in the shadows. Summer stared at her, numbness spreading through her body. It was her. Salem._

_"You have a choice to make, Summer." The woman's voice was like honey, smooth and sweet, but with a dark undercurrent that sent a shiver down Summer's spine. "You can either remain here, trapped in your own mind, or you can join me and see the world as it truly is. A world of fear and pain, where life is nothing more than a fleeting dream."_

_The words echoed in Summer's ears, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She knew the woman was dangerous, that she had brought nothing but suffering and destruction wherever she went, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was some truth to her words, that perhaps there was something more to her than met the eye. Maybe she was right. Maybe there was no point in fighting anymore._

_Salem reached out, her hand glowing with a strange, unnatural light. Summer reached as if to grab it but flipped her middle finger, "I rather rot in this cell then join you. You pale skin bit-" She was cut mid swear as Salem launched a magical bolt of lightning at her, knocking her unconscious._

_Salem looked at her, her eyes narrowed. "Pity. I thought you would have chosen differently." She turned and left the cell, closing the door behind her._

_A few hours later, Summer opened her eyes. Her whole body was sore and her head was pounding. She stood up, her legs wobbly beneath her. She walked over to the window and looked out at the stormy sky of the Lands of Darkness. She wanted to escape this hellhole. She needed to get back to her friends, her family, her life. She wasn't going to let Salem win._

_She scanned the room, searching for anything that could help her. Her eyes landed on the rusted metal bed frame. It was old and rickety, but it would have to do. She grabbed the frame and dragged it over to the window, her muscles straining with the effort. She climbed up onto the sill and started prying at the bars with the metal frame, her hands shaking as she struggled against the rust and age. After what felt like an eternity, the bars finally gave way, sending her crashing to the ground._

_She got up, her body aching, and ran towards the door. She had to get out of here, before Salem came back. She grabbed the handle and twisted, but it was locked. She tried again, her desperation growing. She pulled and pushed, her efforts growing more frantic as she realized she was trapped. She slammed her fist against the door, tears streaming down her face as the reality of her situation sank in._

_She was alone. Abandoned. Hopeless. She collapsed to the floor, sobbing, her last shred of hope gone._

_The next morning, when Salem's minion Tryain found her, she was a broken woman, her body curled into a ball, her eyes dull and lifeless. He took her away to be tortured. But, as the days, weeks, months, and years went by. She never once broke or gave up, even if the torture was the worst pain imaginable. All because of the promise she made to her family._

_After a decade, the day of her escape was a day to remember as she broke open her cell and crawled to a room to fetch her weapon, Sundered Rose. Sundered Rose is a black and gold axe. The long handle of the axe is colored black, with gold metal attached to it, forming a gold curved blade. Near the axe's blade is a trigger for the weapon, indicating that the other edge of the weapon serves as a rifle. The stock swivels around, parallel for the blade to extend. She use the weapon as a makeshift walking staff due to being malnourished and weak. The trigger has a clip that can be loaded with a cartridge of ammo and the axe can be used as a melee or firearm._

_On her way out, Summer managed to find an abandoned Grimm mask. It was old and dusty, and the Grimm's jaw was hanging open, but it was still recognizable. Summer didn't hesitate. She grabbed the mask and put it on, her eyes gleaming behind the empty sockets. She had to get out of this place. She had to get home. And she wasn't going to let anything stand in her way._

_She crept through the corridors, her heart pounding in her chest. When suddenly, she heard Salem calling out to find her. She sped up her pace, her breathing ragged. The walls were closing in on her, her mind racing with thoughts of her family, her friends, her life. She had to get out. She had to get home._

_And then, she saw it. The doors out of this hellhole towards the Grimmlands. She knew she too weak to fend off any Grimm, but it was either that or stay here and die. So, she took a deep breath, and ran towards the doors, pushing them open with all her might. As soon as she was through, she collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face._

_Step one was done, but the second part, the hard part was the hardest, but it would be the most rewarding. To get home. But, how can she get home. She has no ship and the only thing between her and the rest of Remnant are the Grimm. So, she had to walk. The cold night air stung her face as she walked along the barren landscape. Her mind was focused on one thing, getting home. The hours passed, and the sun began to rise. At least that's what she thought. She wasn't sure what time of day it was but she determined to leave the Grimmlands and make it home._

_Hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to set once again. Summer had been walking for a long time now, and her body was starting to feel the effects of not eating or drinking. She needed to find some water soon or she wouldn't make it much farther. As if on cue, her body betrayed her, and she collapsed to the ground. She was tired, thirsty, hungry, and her mind was racing. She then realized she was on a beach and saw a small old boat nearby. Using what little strength she had, Summer crawled towards the boat. Once inside, she curled up and cried herself to sleep._

_When she woke up, the sun was shining brightly and the sea was calm. She didn't know how long she had slept, but it felt like an eternity. Her wounds were starting to heal, but she knew she had to keep moving. She grabbed a fishing rod and some bait and tried her luck at catching some fish. After a few attempts, she managed to catch one, and quickly ate it. She knew it tasted like crap uncooked but she didn't care. To her, it tasted like the best food ever._

_She kept going, her resolve stronger than ever. The sea was a harsh mistress, but Summer didn't care. She had made it this far and she wasn't going to stop now. She had to get home. Her lips were starting to dry up and her old wounds were slowly getting infected. But she didn't give up. She kept going, the sea air whipping at her hair, the waves crashing against the side of the boat. She could almost smell the salt air. She knew she was close._

_But when she got to look at her surroundings to see nothing but ocean. She wailed crying, her mind and body were telling her that she has failed and that she will never see her family again. However, that's when she noticed something off in the distance. A ship. No, a bunch of ships. Her heart leapt but the toll on her body made her fall back down. But, she forced herself to move and used her aura to boost her stamina and strength to fire her weapon as a makeshift flare gun. Her vision was getting hazy and her body felt like it was on fire, but she kept going. She had to get their attention. She had to get home._

_A few moments later, she woke up in a medbay and looked at woman in a camo military uniform that she doesn't rocginze as Atlas. She read the right side of the woman's chest saying 'U.S. NAVY'. The woman looked at Summer with a smile and spoke softly at her, "Hey, can you tell me your name?"_

_"Summer...Rose." She weakly spoke, "Who are you and where am I?"_

_The woman gave a warm smile, "My name is Petty Officer Third Class Rachel Sanchez. And you're on the U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Comfort."_

_Summer let out a sigh of relief. She was safe. She was finally safe. Tears welled up in her eyes as the woman handed her a cup of water, which she quickly drank. "Thank you, Petty Officer Sanchez."_

_Rachel smiled, "No problem, ma'am. You had a rough journey, and you were lucky we were here. Now, let's get you cleaned up."_

_Back to the present..._

"And after that. I was shipped off to Vale where I got treated at the Joint UNE/Atlas Military/White Fang base hospital. After a couple of months of treatment, I was sent home." Summer concluded her story, "And the rest is history."

Ryan and his fellow Marines looked at Summer. They didn't know what to say or do.

But, Michael asked a question, "How the fuck did you survive a decade of torture and starvation without breaking?"

"Because I made a promise to my family. My husband, Taiyang Xiao-Long, and my daughters, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long." Summer said, "I would never break that promise."

"Damn. You have balls, Summer." Anthony said.

"Yeah." David said.

"So, now what?" Shino asked.

"I say right now, we take a short break from all the madness and catch up on the four months that we missed." Winter said. "And maybe see what your rooms look like Anthony."

"Room? Once we moved back myself and my brothers share the same room. The basement." Anthony said with Wayne and Tyrone nodding in agreement.

Most of everyone raised an eyebrow. All eight of the brothers share the same room in the basement.

"And no, we are not sharing the same bed." Wayne said, "We have our own bunk beds."

"Okay." Summer said.

"Now I got to see what it looks like." Yang said as she went down the stairs of the house and saw a door that led to the basement with a sign saying 'None must enter the MAN CAVE!' and opened the door and went down the steps.

Everyone else followed suit. When they went down, the room had a pool table, three flat screen TVs, a large curve sofa, four bunk beds, a fridge, a bathroom, a glass shelf case with lego sets with a sign that says 'break it and no one will find your corpse', a bookcase, a desk, a dartboard, a trophy case, a walk-in closet, a gun locker, a backdoor, a window, a door with a sign saying 'Gamer room and computers', a mini kitchen, a door leading to a workout room, and a door with a sign that says 'Boiler, Washing Machine and Dryer room.'

The walls were painted black with a white tiled floor.

"What the..." Jaune, Jie, Shino, Summer, David, Mari, Igor, Dae, Felix, Sienna, Harriet, and Miho said.

"Wow, it looks nice." Qrow said, looking around.

"So this is what a Man Cave looks like." Winter said.

"I guess this is what you guys do during your free time." Felix said.

"Yep, we spend most of our free time down here. We play games, watch movies and TV, eat, drink, and hang out with each other." Tyrone said.

"Wow." Ryan said.

"Yeah. This is impressive." Michael said.

"Wait, why is there a gun locker and a walk-in closet here?" Miho asked.

"Because this is the Man Cave, Miho." Anthony said.

"Okay." Miho said.

"So, is anyone going to ask about the books in the bookcase?" Ruby asked as she saw the books.

"It's mostly comic books, manga, graphic novels, and a few classic novels." Wayne said.

"That is pretty impressive." Blake said.

"Yeah. But, what's really impressive is the pool table, dartboard, trophy case, and the gun locker." Harriet said.

"You guys have a trophy case?" Yang asked.

"Yes, but it's not much." Wayne said as he went over to the case. "Here it is."

The trophy case has five rows of trophies and awards. The first row has the following trophies: a football (American) championship trophy, a soccer trophy, a hockey championship trophy, and a wrestling trophy.

The second row has the following trophies: a shooting competition trophy, a boxing competition trophy, a track and field trophy, and a fencing trophy.

The third row has the following trophies: a baseball competition trophy, a swimming competition trophy, a tennis competition trophy, and a rugby trophy.

The fourth row has the following trophies: a basketball competition trophy, a volleyball competition trophy, and a karate competition trophy.

The fifth row has the following trophies: a video gaming competition trophy, a computer gaming competition trophy, and a chess competition trophy.

"Woah, those are some serious trophies you guys have." Nora said.

"Yeah. They are." Anthony said.

"I wonder which bed is which." Summer said.

"I call the top bed!" Ruby and Yang shouted pointing at the closest bunk bed.

"Hey, I called it first." Ruby said.

"Nuh-uh." Yang said.

"Uh-huh." Ruby said.

"Actually. That's mine and my twin brother Aiden Dax Towson." Tyrone said to two, "I'm the top bed and Aiden's the bottom one."

"Oh." Ruby and Yang said.

"Hey, which bunk bed is yours?" Kang asked Anthony and Wayne as they now know one out of the four the bunk beds.

"I'm on the bottom left and Wayne's on the top left." Anthony said.

"Okay. And Kevin and Vincent bunk bed?" Felix asked mentioning the twins.

"Bottom and top right." Wayne said.

"And Chris and...?" Clover asked mentioning Chris and whoever is the 8th brother.

"Chris is the top center, and our younger brother who probably now 17 and graduating high school this year is the bottom center. His name is Zavier Keshawn Towson." Anthony said.

"Wait, your youngest brother is a senior in high school?" David asked.

"Yeah. And he's also the president of his class." Wayne said.

"Huh, so he's a straight-A student and has the charisma to be the class president." Shino said impressed.

"Yep. He's also an honors student, and he's planning on going to college." Tyrone said.

"That's impressive." Summer said.

"It sure is." Michael said.

"That or he plans on joining the military like his four other brothers. I told him to follow the same path as I did." Wayne said sitting on bed. "Huh, still feels like I haven't left."

"Really?" Igor asked.

"Yeah." Wayne said.

"Well, at least you get to spend more time with your family." Jaune said.

"Yeah. I have to agree with you on that." Wayne said.

"Say, speaking of Chris. How is he?" Anthony asked curious about his brother when said brother entered the basement and saw Anthony alive and well.

"Holy dog and cat shit! Your alive!" Chris shockingly said as ran up to hug Anthony.

"Yep, it's good to see you too little bro." Anthony said.

"Dang. I can't believe your alive. And you're here with your squad, friends, and..." Chris stopped mid-sentence as he saw the Faunus, the Atlas soldiers, the Vytal Festival competitors, and the Miho.

"Um, what's wrong?" Sienna asked.

"Nothing much. Wasn't expecting a lot of you in our Man Cave." Chris said.

"Well, we're just surprised ourselves on seeing what a man cave looks like." Glynda said.

"Well, welcome to our Man Cave." Chris said as Ozpin and Miho took a seat on the sofa with both feeling how comfy it is.

"Huh, the sofa is comfortable." Ozpin said.

"Yep." Miho said.

"I can feel the weight off of me." Glynda said, taking a seat on the sofa as well.

It was then Elm noticed the engagement ring on Chris' ringfinger, "Your getting married?"

"Correction. I am married." Chris said as Anthony's eye twitched.

"You married Cinder?" David said in disbelief.

"Well... there's a reason why." Chris said as Cinder entered the basement...

With a notable baby bump on her.

"Oh. You guys are alive? That's amazing!" Cinder said with a smile.

"I think I'm having a stroke." Anthony and David said with smile, eyes cross eyed, veins popping, and shaking like they got tazed.

Both men don't know whether to strangle Chris or Cinder... actually. They're going to strangle Chris. Mostly Anthony.

And Chris seeing the look in Anthony's eyes knew his fate right away, "Oh shit. I'm gonna get strangled!" Chris said as Anthony began strangling his brother.

"Now say 'uncle'! Say 'uncle'!" Anthony said strangling the shit out of Chris.

And as if on cue or instinct of being used to this. Rena rushes down with a flip-flop.

Sienna raised a brow, "Was that a flip-"

*SLAP!!*

"OW!!!"

Everyone flinched and cringed at the sound and hit as they backed away making room as Rena walked back up stairs.

Anthony now has a large flip-flop mark on the side of his face while Chris is taking in the sweet, sweet oxygen.

"That was... something." Sienna said.

"Yep." Vine agreed.

"Remind me never to piss off their mother." Qrow said still staring at the red flip-flop mark on Anthony's cheek.

"Yeah." Ironwood said.

"Same." Summer and Glynda said.

"And I thought my Mom was scary when she found out I got detention in middle school." Felix said.

"Same." David said.

"Same here." Sienna said.

"My Grandmother was the scariest when I broke the lamp in her bedroom." Harriet said.

"Ouch." Yang said.

"I'm going to make a mental note of that." Blake said.

"Good idea." Ruby said.

"Okay. Now that is done." Clover said as he took a seat on the sofa with the others as Clover turns on one of the TVs.

Cinder walked up to Anthony with a smile, "Before you ask. I'm four months pregnant. Not sure if it's a boy or a girl or twins."

Anthony just glares at his brother, "If I find out it's twins, I'm gonna kill you."

"Understood." Chris said as Anthony let's go of Chris.

As the chaos in the Towson Man Cave finally settled down, everyone began to relax a little more, even though there was still a mix of disbelief and amusement in the air.

"Twins, huh?" Anthony muttered to himself, shaking his head and rubbing the red mark on his cheek from the flip-flop slap. "Just my luck."

David, sitting next to Anthony on the couch, chuckled softly. "Man, if it is twins, you'll have to come up with some creative ways to get revenge. That flip-flop saved your brother's life."

The group slowly began to get comfortable around the room, as if nothing had happened. Ryan, Kang, and the others took turns eyeing the trophy case, exchanging comments about their competitions and games. Winter, sitting next to Weiss, couldn't help but feel a bit out of place.

"So, this is what guys get up to in their free time?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Weiss smirked, nodding toward the dartboard. "Maybe we could throw a few darts, Winter. Blow off some steam?"

"Maybe later," Winter replied, shaking her head. "Right now, I'm still trying to process everything."

Meanwhile, Chris sat down next to Cinder, who gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I don't think your brother's ever going to forgive you for this," she teased, resting her hand on her baby bump.

Chris sighed, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, well, I'm used to it. He'll come around." He glanced over at Anthony, who was still giving him side-eye but had softened just a little.

Yang, standing beside the dartboard, twirled one of the darts in her hand. "I still can't get over how you guys managed to turn this basement into a whole entertainment hub. I mean, look at this place!"

Ruby, sitting cross-legged on the couch, nodded eagerly. "It's like a dream! You've got everything you need here. I mean, a pool table and a mini kitchen?"

Clover, lounging comfortably on the couch, joined the conversation. "Yeah, it's pretty wild. Back in Atlas, we didn't have a place quite like this. But hey, this is a good spot to recover after... everything."

A short silence followed, the weight of the past few months still lingering in everyone's minds. The group had been through hell—Anthony, Winter, and their team, especially. But there was a sense of relief now, even as they planned for what was to come.

"Speaking of recovery," Ryan said, standing up, "I think we need to talk about the next steps. We're not out of the woods yet."

Everyone's attention shifted to him, and the atmosphere turned serious again. Summer, sitting next to Ruby, gave a nod of agreement.

"Ryan's right. We've still got a long road ahead of us. Kane O'Donovan is out there, and we can't let our guard down."

Qrow leaned forward, taking a sip from his backup flask. "Yeah, well, I'll drink to that—metaphorically, of course."

"Of course," Miho muttered with a slight grin.

Anthony, now composed after his outburst, crossed his arms. "We need to stay sharp. If O'Donovan's alive, we're going to need every bit of our strength and strategy to take him down."

Ren, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "I agree. We're not just dealing with any ordinary threat. This is a global situation, and we're going to need all hands on deck."

Jaune, sitting with Nora, nodded in agreement. "Right. And we'll be there to support you all the way."

Ironwood stood up, looking around the room. "We'll need to coordinate closely with every kingdom, every government. This isn't just about Remnant anymore—it's about protecting the entire world. Kane O'Donovan poses a threat to both Earth and Remnant alike."

The gravity of the situation settled over the room once again, but this time, there was a sense of determination in the air. They had faced near-death experiences, nuclear explosions, torture, and imprisonment. They had lost friends and loved ones. But now they were together, stronger than ever, and ready for the fight that was coming.

Anthony looked around at his team, his family, and his friends. "We've come too far to back down now. We know what's at stake. So, we fight. For the people we've lost. For the ones still here."

"For the world," Ruby added softly, her silver eyes shimmering with resolve.

Yang cracked her knuckles, the familiar fire in her eyes flaring up. "Damn right we fight."

The room was filled with nods of agreement as everyone prepared themselves for the inevitable battle ahead. They were ready to face whatever challenges came their way, no matter how impossible they seemed.

And in the middle of it all, Anthony smiled faintly, knowing that, this time, they wouldn't be fighting alone.