It was an awkward situation. The teams of ARNC and SWRZ waited inside the cozy, refurbished office within the Carwyn Orphanage. Team ARNC sat comfortably in their chairs while Team SWRZ stood due to the insufficient number of chairs in the office. Amani Almas, the leader of the second-year team, stared across the room to the opposing group with sheer arrogance in her eyes. Her overall attitude and posture spoke volumes about her character.

Schwartz der Hund respected the young woman to an extent, but he refused to stand around much longer while someone looked down on him. Second-year student or not, he'd beat her ass into the ground if he felt disrespected.

"Wanna explain why you're the only one with chairs?" Schwartz decided to break the awkward silence in the room. Rowan Cassidy and Zorina Teufel looked at their leader, immediately concerned that he would cause unnecessary problems.

"Isn't it obvious, rookie?" Veins protruded on Schwartz's forehead from Amani's blatant show of disrespect. The team leader quickly instructed her teammate, Nagina Dhar, to keep fanning her before she continued. "We're the second-year team. We're leagues above you in every way possible. You should show due respect and stand while we sit."

"That's a lot of talk coming from a--"

"You are right," Watchet Amin stepped in and interrupted his partner. Having predicted the conversation's outcome, the first-year student decided to end things peacefully. If the two teams worked together for the mission, they needed to get along. While he wasn't fond of Amani's attitude, it was a minor inconvenience at best.

Amani tilted her head to the side and sneered at Watchet's response. That's how she liked it, others submitting before her. She was glad that someone on the team of first-years had brains.

"Don't suck up to her," Amani's partner, Edward Regalia, chimed in. The large, athletic young man stood up from his chair and offered it to anyone else willing to take it. "You give her an inch, and she'll take a mile. Trust me on this."

"What do you think you're doing, Eddy?!" Amani called out.

"Showing due respect," Edward responded before he brought the chair over to Team SWRZ. He then returned to his group and proudly stood with his arms crossed.

"Insubordinate!"

"Shut up,"

Just as an argument was about to ensue, the doors to the office opened. All eyes fell on an enchanting woman adorned with a simple white dress and a large purple ribbon tied across her waist. The Haven students tried to look at the woman's face, but the brim of her sundress hat obscured its upper half. The woman jaunted across the room, carrying herself with great poise and elegance, even with her limp. But her cane proved helpful.

"Good afternoon, students. I appreciate your patience." The woman took her position behind her desk and took a seat. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Mother Carwyn."

"Yo," Amani and Schwartz improperly greeted the woman, quickly earning judgmental glances from their respective teammates.

Edward gave the two team leaders a disapproving sideglance before he stepped forward with his hand on his chest. "Forgive their rudeness, madam Carwyn. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Suck up," Amani whispered under her breath. It was always something with her partner. Anytime she did anything, he'd be right there to undermine her decisions—an entire year of backtalk and insubordination. Did he not realize that she was named the team leader for a reason?

"Oh, it's quite alright. I'm used to dealing with children," Carwyn pleasantly laughed off the rudeness of Amani and Schwartz. Her words cut through the team leaders. While probably not intentional, she effortlessly wounded their pride when she compared them to children.

"This place is quite lovely," Cerise Bonnet complimented.

"Thank you so much, but I'm sure you're not all here to admire the establishment's decor." Carwyn accepted the compliment but offhandedly dismissed it as well. It was time for business.

"You're damn right," Schwartz approached and set his hands firmly on the desk. "You have a mission for us, right? We're supposed to transport a bunch of brats to some village?"

As if their leader's rudeness couldn't get any worse. Rowan grabbed her asshole of a teammate by the ear and dragged him away from the desk. The sight seemed oddly nostalgic to Mother Carwyn. While Rowan scolded Schwartz, Carwyn laughed off the whole thing. Ah, the pleasures of youth.

"In short, yes. A lovely couple has adopted a pair of kids, but my orphanage lacks the means and necessary funds to deliver them safely." Carwyn sadly explained. While her orphanage was the best in Haven, it also meant that money blew through fast thanks to the volume of children.

"So, we're glorified delivery boys for hire," Schwartz complained. The whole thing felt like a waste of time for him. He didn't give two shits about the children. He just wanted to fight and see Professor Lilith in action.

"You first-years are, yes," Amani cemented Schwartz's complaint as reality. "But we second-years are the main bodyguards here. Don't worry; the Grimm won't hurt you as long as we're around."

Zorina smiled at the thought of the second-years protecting them from the Grimm. The less she had to deal with those creatures of destruction, the better. Rowan didn't care who dealt with the Grimm, so she was okay with them doing all the work.

Schwartz, however, took the young woman's entire announcement as an insult. He didn't give a damn what year Team ARNC was. He refused to let them outshine him.

"Who are the children we need to escort?" Cerise immediately tried to steer the conversation before another argument could break out. The last thing she wanted was for the client to see the students clash.

"Brulee and Maple," Carwyn informed the students. "Twin sisters that have been here the longest out of the orphans. I should warn you all that they're quite a handful."

It was one insult after another with that woman. Amani wouldn't stand for it. "Ma'am, we've dealt with Grimm for most of our lives. I'm sure that we can handle a couple of kids."

"I do not doubt that," Carwyn tried to appease the student's wounded pride. "I felt the need to warn you ahead of time. Those two will surely cause some form of trouble throughout your mission."

"Therefore, you want us to keep a careful eye on them," Cerise surmised, quickly gaining a nod of acknowledgment from Mother Carwyn.

"You can leave it to me, Mother Carwyn," Edward proudly boasted.

"Us," Amani corrected as she glared at her partner.

"Oh great, everyone's here," The door to the office swung open, allowing Professor Lilith Hale to enter with a confident stride.

"The hell took you so long, teach?" Schwartz called the professor out on her tardiness, earning questionable yet concerning glances from his fellow students. Even Team ARNC wouldn't dare act so disrespectfully towards their instructors. They immediately labeled Schwartz as a dead man walking.

While usually Lilith would've beaten the disrespectful prick into the dirt, she figured it'd be best to save it later. Attacking a student in an orphanage before a client wouldn't look right. "Preparations" Was the only response the woman decided to give to her students.

Amani sighed and reluctantly left the comfort of her seat. With the instructor around, she could no longer slack off too much. "Now that the gang's all here, we just need the kids now?"

Mother Carwyn nodded her head and got to her feet with the help of her cane. "Yes, Brulee and Maple should be downstairs. I shall escort you."

True to her word, Mother Carwyn guided the students and the professor downstairs. Upon entry into one of the bedrooms, a shoe flew by and nearly struck Carwyn in the face. Thankfully, the woman possessed quick reflexes as she raised her cane and swatted it out of the way. Thunderous applause followed up from the group of kids in the room. They always enjoyed getting a rise out of the woman in charge.

"Now, now, children. How many times have I told you to stop throwing things indoors?" Carwyn slammed her cane on the floor, silencing the children instantly. While the woman's words sounded calm and caring, something about her demeanor frightened them. "Now listen up, everyone. We have guests. Huntsmen and Huntresses from Haven Academy."

The eyes of the children beamed with excitement as they crowded around the Haven students. Mother Carwyn and Lilith stood aside as the children tried to climb onto the students, bombarding them with questions and trying to snatch their weapons.

"W-What the hell?! Get off me, you little shits!" Schwartz tried to scrap the children off. By the brothers, they were filthy. It's the last thing he needed, a bunch of nasty, snot-nosed brats sulling him and his clothes. He'd need a shower after the whole ordeal.

"Now, now, one at a time. I will answer your questions. Please do not touch my shades or my sword," Watchet calmly dealt with the children, unlike his partner. He always had a soft spot for children. They were the future of Remnant, and he needed to protect and guide them the best he could.

"What?! No, I'm not a child! I'm just short! Get off me! Let go!" Rowan struggled to get the kids away from her.

"Unhand me; you spawn of procreation! I will send you to the realm of darkness!" Zorina cried out but quickly lost her composure when they tugged on her coat and eye patch.

"They're a hyper bunch," Lilith noted, showing no immediate desire to help her distressed students. Her eyes left the group and landed on a pair of girls that stayed at the back. They looked much older than the other kids, most likely in their teenage years. Their clothes seemed old and worn out, evident by the multiple stitches and patches that held their attire together. "Those the ones we're escorting?"

"Yes, they're Brulee and Maple," Carwyn informed the professor. She gestured for the twins to approach, but they seemed pretty challenging as they turned their heads away in defiance. "Please don't mind them. They're against the whole adoption."

"It's fine," Lilith slipped her hands into her pockets and approached the twins. She immediately noticed how the teenagers barely had their bags packed. "Pack your things, kids. We're losing daylight."

"You wasted your time coming here," Brulee started, not even bothering to look the adult before her in the eye.

"We're not leaving. We don't wanna," Maple finished.

"Hmph, I don't give a damn. We have our orders, and we've wasted enough time here," Lilith dismissed the concerns of the children. She had a job to do, and she wouldn't allow a couple of brats to get in her way of completing it. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours,"

If there was one thing, Lilith was infamous for throughout her time in Haven, it was her intimidating nature. One glance from the woman would be enough to make grown men cower in fear. Rumors had it that she could frighten the Grimm with a look.

While rattled by the Huntresses' daring declaration, the twins tried to remain firm with their resolve to stay put in the orphanage. However, after a couple more seconds of intense glaring, the girls surrendered and reluctantly packed their bags. They called out their friends and gave heartfelt goodbyes and farewells before they trudged their way out of the orphanage for the last time.

No one thought much of the scene except for Rowan. She found it somewhat strange how the twins didn't want to leave the orphanage. That was the point of adoption to find a better place to live with a happy family. She could understand how it would seem difficult to leave their friends behind and the people that cared for them, but that was just part of the process.

Regardless, the operation was now right on track. Professor Lilith Hale led ARNC and SWRZ, with the twins in tow, outside the kingdom of Haven. Asagao Village was several days away, and they had no time to waste. Rowan had to inspect the crash site before Atlas personnel cleaned everything up. She had to find out if Duncan survived or not.

"Now listen up, first-years," Amani opened her big mouth and sneered at team SWRZ. "As your betters, it's safe for you all to assume that team ARNC is in charge of this operation. Got it?"

"Actually," Amani's blood ran cold once Lilith's voice reached her ears. "As your instructor, I'm in charge of this operation."

"Ahaha, o-o-of course, Professor Hale! I-I-I meant, whenever you're not around, we're in charge!" Amani corrected herself.

Lilith's right eyebrow raised upon her student's careless statement. "Oh? You mean to tell me that you expect me to disappear at some point?"

"No, no, no, no! Not at all! I meant that uh, I uh..."

"She'll shut up now," Edward walked up behind his partner and covered her mouth with his hand. His team leader's mouth had gotten them in enough trouble throughout their years together. He wanted to prevent as many disastrous outcomes as possible.

"Listen up, students; I don't care about whatever hierarchy that you all wish to follow." Lilith bluntly stated. "I'm in charge of this mission. Follow my orders, and we'll have this done in no time."

"Yes, ma'am," The two teams responded in unison.

"I don't like this, Maple," Brulee whispered to her sister.

"I don't like it either," Maple agreed.

The whole situation sucked. For as long as the twins could remember, they never had a say in anything throughout the adoption process. They didn't want to leave the orphanage. There was so much they needed to do. They couldn't let things end after so many years.

The girls acted compliant for the most part, but they slowly lagged behind the group as they continued down the dirt path. When they deemed it the right moment, the twins turned and took off down the road and into the forest.

Nagina looked over her shoulder and spotted the fleeing teenagers. "Professor Hale, the kids are running." She casually announced.

"What?" Lilith sighed and saw the twins vanishing through the trees just in time. "Damn it, chase them down and bring them back."

"Got it!" Schwartz and Nagina were the first ones to spring into action. The students gleefully retrieved their weapons and hunted down their fleeing prey.